was lukewarm, which surprised me, because this is mildly spiced and Sam likes apples. He just didn't like the way they fell apart after all that cooking.

But he likes applesauce. This just didn't look like his usual applesauce. The fact that it looked different because it was homemade was entirely lost on him.

Roast Pork with Apples
Serves 6 to 8

One 3- to 4-pound pork loin roast, boned and tied, trimmed of fat and blotted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 7 tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1/4 cup apple juice, fruity wine, or champagne
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Preheat the broiler. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brown it on all sides under the broiler or in a skillet over high heat to remove excess fat; drain well.

Coat a medium to large slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put the apple quarters in the cooker and set the roast on top of them. Combine the apple juice, brown sugar, and ginger in a small bowl and spoon over the roast, rubbing it all over. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.

Reduce the setting to LOW and cook until fork tender, about 7-8 hours. Transfer the pork to a warm platter and let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm. Serve apples alongside.

From "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker," by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann

Per serving: 489 calories, 31 grams protein, 32 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 119 milligrams cholesterol, 41 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

Photo by me