This was the first “vlog” I ever shared! It starts with me really short of breath (who else gets like that when you’re pregnant!?) and then I go on to reminisce about life with one or two kids, and finally show you the garden and plant some cherry bushes…
Continue readingShare your favorite fall recipe at LifeasMOM. All participants will be entered for a chance to win The Autumn Book by Susan Branch. This is somewhat of a repost but I can’t help it, the following truly is my favorite fall recipe. It is great because you eat it at all three meals and dessert. This recipe came on the back of my electric bill and gives credit to Bernice Hass: Apple Bread 1/3 cup shortening2 eggs1 tsp vanilla1 tsp baking soda2 c chopped apples1 c sugar2 Tbsp sour milk (or buttermilk, I use a little milk and vinegar)2 c flour1 tsp salt1/2 cup nuts (optional) Topping: 2 Tbsp butter, 4 Tbsp sugar, 1-2 tsp cinnamon Cream shortening & sugar. Add eggs & beat. Stir in sour milk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, & salt. Add chopped apples and nuts. Put in greased bread pan. Add topping and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. MMmmm!
Continue readingWhat is IT? Canning season that is. And no, that’s not why I’ve been missing. I’ve been missing because my blogging addiction has given way to a Ravelry addiction which has led me to begin knitting everyone’s Christmas presents now, while I’m still motivated and sort of have the time. I promise to post more soon. My order of peaches came in tonight which will lead directly in to apple and tomato seasons which might clash slightly with the vacation to who knows where that we’re taking the week of Labor Day. That will all keep me busy but it will give me lots of blog worthy material too. I leave you with this. Anyone who can tell what it is gets an imaginary pat on the back from me. 🙂
Continue readingThese pictures aren’t the greatest but I wanted to share all the fun things that happened last week at our county fair! Our niece bracing her lamb.Our other neice, Jill. Her sheep was being very stubborn and holding up the class but Jill handled it like a champ.Jill setting her lamb’s feet in the proper place. She ended up winning her class!Our nephew showing in the Cloverbud class. The little ones are supervised by an older helper and no ribbons are awarded. It is a great way for them to learn.The best part: my caramel apple!!It is hard to tell in this picture but this steer weighs 1800 pounds!Aren’t the sheep cute in their pajamas!We went up on Sunday night to see the animals and exhibits. Then we went back on Tuesday to watch our nieces show their sheep. They did great and I learned a lot from watching. Do you attend your county’s fair? What’s your favorite thing to see or do?
Continue readingMy order from the Conservation District came in on Friday. I took advantage of the 70 degree temps (!!!) yesterday and planted them. I put them on our sideyard near the one pear tree I planted last year. Now we have 1 pear, 1 peach, 1 cherry, and 2 apple trees there. I still need to add another pear and another peach. I also got in touch with a neighbor who graciously came and showed me how to prune our older trees. We take care of the empty house across the road and there are a few apple trees in the yard. I picked a lot of apple from the trees last year and wanted to prune them back nicely. I didn’t do a lot because it is quite late for pruning but at least now I have a better idea on how to do it. My nice neighbor gave me a recipe for tree spray and recommended I use it repeatedly throughout the season. He insists that he tried organic methods with his and was not happy with the results. What are you thoughts on this? I hate the idea of spraying them but it did make for a
Continue readingI’ve been working on my post for the APLS Carnival for a couple days now and it turned in to me blabbing on about reasons why buying locally is good, etc.,etc. I decided to put together something quick and basic instead. I’ll leave the philosophical parts to someone else. Assuming you support the idea of buying local products here are 9 easy steps to get you started:1. Get yourself some reusable bags. Ironically, you may not find these locally. You could always make them yourself, or the organizers of you local farmers’ market may have bags with their logo on them. My personal favorites are baggu bags, available on Amazon.com. There are several options out there so if you can’t find some locally look around online. It is still better than using plastic or taking new paper ones every time. Plus, a lot of vendors don’t even have bags. 2. Get organized! Find a spare little notebook in your desk or find a spot in your PDA for “local” contacts. When you find the one guy in 100 miles that grinds flour, you don’t want to lose his phone number! It helps if you have a place to store business
Continue readingSorry for the long gap in posts – I lost my internet connection for awhile this week. I have apples coming out of my ears and there is no end in sight – STILL! I thought I would share some of the things that we do with them around here to preserve the harvest. Here’s the list: 1. APPLE BETTYThis recipe was suggested by my mother-in-law and can be found in the Better Homes & Gardens “New” Cookbook (mine is definitely not new, more like 30+ years old). The recipe calls for 4 cups of apples so I peel and slice mine and freeze them in 4 cup portions. As you’re peeling drop them in some water & lemon juice to preserve the color, then drain & freeze. I don’t bother rinsing mine. Here’s the recipe: “Apple Betty Pie”4 cups sliced pared tart apples or 1 No. 2 can (2 1/2 cups) sliced pie apples, drained1/4 cup orange juice (I’ll skip this if we don’t have any)1 cup sugar3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 cup butter Mound apples in buttered 9″ pie plate, sprinkle with OJ. For topping: combine sugar, flour, spices, and dash salt. Cut in butter
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