Every so often, our neighbors give us a big bag of apples from a trip they've taken to West Virginia. Generally, our family can't go through an entire bag of apples before they all rot. Since I hate to let stuff rot, I make applesauce out of them. Now that sounds very Martha Stewart of me but applesauce is deceptively easy to make: cut up apples, put them in a pot with some water, butter, sugar and cinnamon, cook for a few minutes and then mash with a potato masher. Voilà.

I've also recently discovered that there is some unexpected entertainment value to be gained from the applesauce making process.