Crockpot Applesauce

My husband loves homemade applesauce. His mom always made it for him growing up and forever ruined him for the store bought version. Being such a good wife, I try to make the foods he loves every so often but after a few times of making applesauce on the stove top and with a food mill, I basically threw my hands in the air and gave up. Then, about a year ago, someone mentioned trying to make applesauce in a crockpot. Now that sounded like my kind of applesauce making - no mashing, no slaving and minimal clean up?! Yes, please. So, I looked up recipes and have spent the last year trying a bunch and creating the version that's perfect for my family. This one is our favorite. It's not too sweet, is slightly thick but not chunky and has just enough cinnamon mellowed with smooth tones of vanilla. Mmmmm, yum!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 apples (I used gala apples)
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1/3c water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• Non-stick spray

Directions:

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Peel, core and cut the apples into chunks before putting into the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. No mashing is necessary as the apples break down on their own. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to 1 week.