There's something "mystic" here...

Generally, jewelry is not my passion, but there is something about the creations of Karen at http://mysticwynd.etsy.com that speak to me in a poetic way.  Her passion for designing and making each individual piece in her shop is evident even at first glance.  The ring that I'm sharing with you here shows an incredible elegant simplicity.  Please visit her shop for the piece that speaks to you.  Whether your taste is floral, ethnic, fantastical, whimsical or spiritual, you'll find something that you can't resist!  You'll be pleasantly surprised at her reasonable prices and free shipping as well. 

A..........pplesauce

One of my fellow Etsy Bloggers, Mystic Wynd, inspired me to create in a non-crafting way and blog about it today. You can find her shop at http://mysticwynd.etsy.com/ She is doing a series about our five senses and her post today was about smells. So off to the kitchen I went for some McIntosh apples, a paring knife, cutting board and our slow cooker. In about 20 minutes I had the apples pared, cored and chopped and into the water. After draining the apples, I added 1/4 cup of sugar (which for those of you with greater will power could omit), some cinnamon and 1/4 cup of water.

Then the slow cooking, (on low) began. Within a couple of hours, the most fabulous smell was emanating throughout the house, bringing back so many memories of my mom's and grandma's kitchens. After a couple more hours and a stirring or two, it was ready to make a great warm dessert for dinner.

Why not try some yourself? You won't be disappointed! It doesn't take long, and it's s.........ooo much better than store bought applesauce! Other types of apples, especially baking apples, work well too. This makes 4-6 servings and really doesn't take that much time to make. It's heart healthy as well...especially if you add very little or no sugar.

In the first picture, you might have noticed in the upper portion a small part of our wonderful lazy susan. This is from another wonderful Etsy shop: http://woodmosaics.etsy.com/ If you're in the market for one, you can't go wrong with Robin's intricate work!