Lunch: Apple Butter

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apples, Apple Cider Vinegar

Health benefits of Apple Butter

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full) Apple cider vinegar will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

5 pounds apples
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider or juice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, tightly packed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch salt
Special equipment: slow cooker

Instructions

Thoroughly wash apples. If they seem waxy, scrub with a produce brush. Organic apples are recommended, since you will be cooking them with the skins on. Quarter the apples and add them to your slow cooker. Add apple cider vinegar and cider or juice. Cook, covered, until the apples are soft.
Mash the apples with a potato masher until thoroughly pulped. Run the pulp through a food mill to catch the skins and seeds, passing a puree. If you do not have a food mill, press the pulp through a sieve.
Add dark brown sugar, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the apple butter darkens and it mounds on a spoon. Adjust sweetness and seasonings to taste. Store in the refrigerator for a month, or water bath can for 15 minutes and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.