Apples to Applesauce

When Mike's sister Rebecca told us she had apples available, I jumped at the opportunity! We love applesauce at our house.

The day I chose to pick them was rainy/snowy and cold... the kids didn't last long outside before their fingers froze.

The apples are so yummy this year! We have all had our fair share of them, but I think Tyler takes the prize.
 

I found a nest up in the tree. 

 

I may have been a little over-zealous.... I came home with four full boxes, but there were still tons on the trees!

My sister Dana came over and helped me get started on applesauce. We quartered and cooked the apples to soften them, then put them though the Victorian strainer. 

What a contraption! As easy as it makes it look, it does take a lot of muscle.

Again, Tyler take the prize on consumption. He loves this stuff!

After about 12 hours in the kitchen, I ended up with 25 quarts, a sore and tired body, sticky everything, and I still have 1 1/2 boxes of apples left! Now what?! I'm not sure I have the gumption to start all over, although I probably have enough to make 12 more quarts.

Bulb Planting

October is the month to plant bulbs. I had a small cache from this trip drying in my garage all summer, and it was time to get them in the ground. The key is to get them in before the ground freezes, and it is vital for bulbs to have a winter dormant period, or a period of freezing for 6 weeks or more. 
 

They don't look like much mow.... just dried up old brown papery things... but they produce such beauty!

I tossed mine out it small clumps according to type. A bunch of tulips here, a few hyacinth there, a group of daffodils together... I figured that would look most true to nature. Ella is demonstrating planting technique: the bulbs need to be planted about twice as deep as they are tall.

And the wait begins!

White Grape Juice

A few days ago this sweet lady asked if I wanted some white concord grapes for making juice. My first reaction was I don't have a juicer! She assured me that I didn't need one, and when I picked them up she gave me a lesson in grape juice canning. It was a lot easier than I imagined!

Wash and stem the grapes. Fill quart jars with about 2 cups of prepared grapes. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar to each jar.

Fill jars to the bottom of the rims with water. Process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

She says the juice gets better with age, at least a few months... makes sense, like any grape juice. When ready to use, strain off the grapes and save the juice. She likes to mix in Sprite or some other carbonated beverage for a sparkling juice. She made some purple sparkling juice for us from her reserves and it was delicious! The kids gave it two thumbs up.

Pumpkin Picking!

Saturday was bright and beautiful, so we got outside and picked our pumpkins for the front porch!

Silly Ella, sitting on the little one. 

We ended up with about 15 pumpkins! A couple are still green so we're leaving them on the vine a bit longer. It's been so fun to have our own pumpkin patch!

 "Mom, this one is this BIG!"

We loaded up the wheelbarrow for a fun ride.

We also cut down some corn stalks to add to our fall display. I saw these selling for $8 a bunch at the grocery store, and thought, "Heck, I would have grown a packet of corn seed just to not pay that!" It's so nice to get things from my own backyard! On that note, if anyone else wants some I will share!

This one is my favorite. I love how they all turn out so different.

Happy Harvest!

Canning Tomatoes

It was high time we canned some tomatoes. I did a batch of salsa about a month ago, but honestly, I got tired of the garden and kept putting this off. We picked 101 tomatoes on Saturday!

I had to run some errands, and when I got home I found an intruder in my kitchen! He was blanching tomatoes, checking boiling water with his temperature gun, and wearing ruffles to boot!

This guy follows instructions to a T. The engineer brain in him is a perfectionist, even in the kitchen.

At one point, he said he had cut so many tomatoes he didn't know if he was covered in blood or tomato juice!

I so appreciate his help with my "womanly" jobs! (He is also great to do dishes often!) Guess we're even, since I take out the trash.

Freezing Green Peppers

Here's  is what I am doing today... I picked 26 this morning! I think I am going to chop them and freeze them in sandwich bags for pizza, fajitas, curry, and soups in the winter!

Plus this is what Mike came home with last night after a bike ride. As if I need ANY MORE (although it was a nice gesture from a neighbor).

In other news, our first watermelon was ready yesterday! It's safe to say we have produce coming out our ears!

Keepin' Up!

Is it really the end of summer already?

I am in that stage of gardening when I feel like I just can't keep up! Everything is in full swing and the harvest is plentiful! (I recently told my sister and friends I was excited for harvest time, and they laughed at me and called me "Farmer Lauren".) It's a rewarding time, but I also feel overwhelmed. A gardening neighbor of mine agreed, sometimes you just get tired!

Ty ate a whole tomato yesterday and I celebrated! My girls don't eat them very well. I picked six yesterday, and then 21 today!

My second planting of green beans is in full production. It was nice to have two crops this year (I planted a second row in July after my spinach died). We usually have some every couple of nights with dinner, but this yield called for desperate measures!

My favorite way to prepare green beans is simple--just butter and salt. I get a pot of water to a rolling boil, then dump them in and boil uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Last night, however, I broke out a recipe that's a Thanksgiving staple in our house. It's green bean casserole like you've never had it before.... especially if you have fresh herbs. It was to die for!

Herbed Green Bean Casserole

2 (14 oz) cans green beans, drained (or a colander full of fresh beans!)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs, divided (I often put fresh bread in my food processor and pulse it into crumbs)
2 teaspoons dried basil (or a handful of fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 9I tried to cloves of fresh garlic last night and loved it!)
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.

2.  Drain the beans and place in a bowl.

3.  Mix all of the dry ingredients and the oil into the green beans, reserving 2 tablespoons of crumb mixture.

4.  Place in a baking dish and sprinkle reserved breadcrumb/herb mixture over the top.

5.  Bake 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy.

Another quick recipe... My neighbor just gave me a bunch of kale and recommended I try kale chips, and I was not sorry! In fact, they were so good I ate them for a bedtime snack (which is usually more like ice cream... a treat I can get away with after the kids are in bed!). It was so easy and so yummy.

1 bunch kale, rinsed and dried well
2 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh Parmesan
salt

Simply tear the kale into bite size pieces, coat pan and kale with oil, and sprinkle with cheese and salt. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until crunchy. Enjoy!