Joey's open-heart surgery was a SUCCESS! Praise God, the surgeon was able to close his very large hole and remove the band that had been helping to equalize pressures.
For more details and a drawn diagram of his heart defects, visit
http://joeytramma.blogspot.com
Praise God!
Thank you for your prayers!
Kate and Patrick
subtitled: In which I pretend to be Pioneer Woman
Necessary supplies: 
A wonderfully helpful husband
A couple of extra willing participants. We must keep life interesting, don' we?
Tip of the day: Bring the kids into the kitchen, set up a step-stool, and deal with the mess later. They absolutely love participating, and they haven't stopped eating the applesauce since then, either.
One willing NON-participant. Perhaps the most important part of this equation, although it did not last nearly long enough. Of course.
A perfectly sliced apple - a thing of beauty. We used a "food press" - like a little guillotine for produce, LOVE it!
I love the mix of apples. The variety adds a delicious depth of flavor, mixing sweet with tart. mmmmmmmm. 
No less beautiful in the pot. Cooked down until soft, but hopefully rescued before too mushy.
One awesome stand mixer with grinder and fruit strainer attachments. The machine that has changed my kitchen-dwelling experience. Feed the apples - cores, skins, seeds, and all - into the top and watch the magic happen.
Look at that gorgeous color!
No really, it's incredible.
What a whole bushel looks like sauced. That's a full 12 quart stockpot.
I don't have any pictures of the processing step, in which the filled jars are bathed in boiling water (outside on a propane burner) and then cooled to create the seal. The "popping" sound is pretty cool, though.
Hey now, keep your paws off that beautiful finished product! 9 jars of yummy goodness, actually.
See, Pioneer Woman Ree, you don't have to feel threatened at all. Not that you did, of course - if I were really you it would have been better photography, a delicious recipe, certainly butter, and been funny. I will never hold a candle, but a girl can dream can't I?
