Apple butter simmering on the stove

Learning to Slow Down (Or: The Apple Butter Incident)

I ruined my first batch of apple butter. Let me back up. Tom’s parents have this apple tree — a Granny Smith that’s been producing since before we were married. Every fall, they bring us more apples than any reasonable family could eat. The kids take some in their lunches, I make pie, and still we end up with a bowl of them slowly wrinkling on the counter, reproaching me with their sad little apple faces. ...

October 8, 2025 · 2 min · Carey Lening