Food Memory
When I was younger and would travel to my grandparent’s house in Ohio during school breaks, my grandmother (Nana) would always have homemade cinnamon applesauce just for me. She would peel the apples, boil them so they would become soft, mash them, and then add cinnamon candy. She would even have batches made way before my arrival and would freeze them in Tupperware containers. When I was last in Ohio and visited with some of my Nana’s friends, they brought up how they would buy extra apples to give to my grandmother because they all knew she had a granddaughter who loved her homemade cinnamon applesauce. I never knew this part and it made me smile, knowing that she talked about me to her friends, wanted to always make my trip to see her extra special, and thought about me often even though I lived so far away. Now, I have learned the recipe and make it for my friends and family. It makes me happy to be able to share with others something that has meant so much to me.