Bread Machine / Apple Cider

So the saddest thing happened on Friday... The belt on my bread machine is shredded and the company doesn't make them anymore so... Going to have to get a new one, but thats not going to happen for awhile so doing it by hand for awhile. Ugh.

In other news, I made homemade apple cider yesterday, and it is Delicious. I used granny smiths that were getting pretty soft. Here is the recipe:

• 8 -10 apples (I used 12 small granny smiths)
• 1/2-1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cinnamon (or 4 cinnamon sticks)
• 4 tablespoons allspice

Directions:

     Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds). In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water--just enough to cover the apples. Add your sugar. Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie, and add this to the apples and water. 

     Boil on high for one hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently. Turn down heat and let simmer for two hours (covered). Take off the heat after two hours of simmering and let cool. Remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency (a potato masher works well for this). 

     Once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. (At this point you can either restrain the juice to get out the little bits of pulp that remain with a cheesecloth draped inside the strainer to catch them or just leave it like I do). You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week or you can freeze it for later use if you like.

And in even more news... still can't get my chocolate chip cookie right. Kinda frustrating, I just want a cookie... and idk how many more cookies I can't get Donnie to eat... he's going to explode at some point. lol