Typically we don't buy these sort of things, but it was a fundraiser for Cortney's youth group, so...... Surprisingly, this blueberry/ cream cheese braid was quite good! I tried not to think about all the preservatives, sweeteners and saturated fat in it though.
You guessed it! Yes, we're still cooking down tomatoes, PTL! Yesterday we canned 6 qt and 3 pts of tomato sauce. We also made applesauce and have that to can today.
We did make our way through the mud and weeds(grimace) out to the potatoes. It was easy diggin', but I was ever so worried about if the spuds had frozen during this cold snap, happily they had NOT *smile*! Although,...... I can't manage to dig spuds without forking a few*sigh* Not to bad, we dug 3 rows and this is all I managed to fork.( above picture)
This bucket of spuds was from 3 rows( 15 ft long). It's not as nice a crop as we've had in previous years but it will certainly be plenty, when we finish digging the 5 remaining rows. I also dug a few carrots, to check to see if they froze and all were in good shape and are they ever crisp and sweet! You can spy the last of the tomatoes we have to preserve, less than a bushel.
We basically had no Summer, more like Fall temps. from June until end of Sept, then old man winter set in! The poor trees didn't even stand a chance of changing color, let alone drop them to the ground. They are now frozen, crisp and still hanging on the trees.
Look at our poor elderberry trees, they'll need some serious trimming next Spring.
Okay it needs a paint job, but this is our new wood box. Our old one was hauled back to the wood pile, to hold the scrap wood/ pieces from splitting the firewood. I save these for fire starter/ kindling. Mike gives me grief about scrounging these scraps but you know me, "Waste not ,want not" LOL!!!! The new wood box is much sturdier but doesn't hold as much wood, so in the severe cold temps we may end up hauling wood in the morning and evening, which is okay, because we always NEED the exercise in the winter months anyway*grin* Now to decide on a color, maybe green to match the trim? Any suggestions?????, It will have to be outdoor paint and I have a limited window to get his done, as Saturday is fore casted to be in the low 70's and dry. I can possibly primer it on Friday. Thanks for your suggestions.
Typically we don't buy these sort of things, but it was a fundraiser for Cortney's youth group, so...... Surprisingly, this blueberry/ cream cheese braid was quite good! I tried not to think about all the preservatives, sweeteners and saturated fat in it though.
You guessed it! Yes, we're still cooking down tomatoes, PTL! Yesterday we canned 6 qt and 3 pts of tomato sauce. We also made applesauce and have that to can today.
We did make our way through the mud and weeds(grimace) out to the potatoes. It was easy diggin', but I was ever so worried about if the spuds had frozen during this cold snap, happily they had NOT *smile*! Although,...... I can't manage to dig spuds without forking a few*sigh* Not to bad, we dug 3 rows and this is all I managed to fork.( above picture)
This bucket of spuds was from 3 rows( 15 ft long). It's not as nice a crop as we've had in previous years but it will certainly be plenty, when we finish digging the 5 remaining rows. I also dug a few carrots, to check to see if they froze and all were in good shape and are they ever crisp and sweet! You can spy the last of the tomatoes we have to preserve, less than a bushel. 
We basically had no Summer, more like Fall temps. from June until end of Sept, then old man winter set in! The poor trees didn't even stand a chance of changing color, let alone drop them to the ground. They are now frozen, crisp and still hanging on the trees.
Look at our poor elderberry trees, they'll need some serious trimming next Spring.
Okay it needs a paint job, but this is our new wood box. Our old one was hauled back to the wood pile, to hold the scrap wood/ pieces from splitting the firewood. I save these for fire starter/ kindling. Mike gives me grief about scrounging these scraps but you know me, "Waste not ,want not" LOL!!!! The new wood box is much sturdier but doesn't hold as much wood, so in the severe cold temps we may end up hauling wood in the morning and evening, which is okay, because we always NEED the exercise in the winter months anyway*grin* Now to decide on a color, maybe green to match the trim? Any suggestions?????, It will have to be outdoor paint and I have a limited window to get his done, as Saturday is fore casted to be in the low 70's and dry. I can possibly primer it on Friday. Thanks for your suggestions.
12 comments:
You definitely don't want white paint....blends with the snow too easily!
We didn't have much of a summer here either. A few hot days but for the most past it was in the upper 70's.
I will go hunting for the remainder of my potatoes this weekend...not sure where they all are as we planted them willy nilly through the perennial gardens! I put markers on every spot I planted, but not sure if the chickens pulled those up!
I love your kitchen. I can smell it all the way down here!
Speaking of taters, I need to blog about mine.
Blueberry/Cream Cheese?! ooooh, right down my alley. It looks delicious!! On your box I say put Marine varnish on it and let it stay natural.. and put a Black iron handle on it. Your poor trees. I guess they'll just turn brown and drop...Tomato sauce looks nice and all your produce is great!! You'll have many good meals this coming winter...debbie
I'm so impressed by your yields. I hope to do as well as you next year. :)
Great wood box, nice and handy near the door. We had a long one, when I was a child, and it doubled as a bench seat on the back porch.
The weather has been so different! Wonder what next year will bring?
~Faith
Low 70's for the weekend? The highest we will get over the weekend is 50(!), then down into the 40's. We are in the middle of a snowstorm! The guys dug all 1500 lbs. of our potatoes in the snow. Now we don't know if they will make it since we haven't had opportunity for them to dry and the skins to thicken. Any ideas for us?
We have a lot of trees in our yard, so i've been scrounging for broken twigs & branches & leaves from the cottonwood & pine needles to be our fire starter.
I prefer things natural, & so don't usually paint wood. Our house is similar in color to yours. Instead of white it is a pale, pale green that is nearly white, with darker trim. Like the color of your trim. Wish ours was darker. I'm sure however you finish the box will look good. I'm impressed with your garden produce.
Kelle!
Congratulations on being debt free. What a blessing and how wonderful to be free of debt.
Also, your harvest is beautiful. It is so nice to have your own home grown food to feed you year round. Beautiful pictures.
We also had very little summer this year, but thank goodness that the vegetables were able to grow. And like you, we have already had some hard frosts and snow.
Thanks for sharing.
Warm wishes,
Tonya
Cyn,
You are a hoot lady! Nope, we wouldn't want to NOT be able to find our wood box now would we*wink*
Good hunting your spuds, we're so relieved our spuds didn't freeze*whew* There just aren't enough hours in a day, nor enough of Cortney and I to go around to get it all done, especially when the weather fore cast never seems to be right anyhow, right? Never did we dream that it would get cold enough the first week of Oct to freeze the ground!
Everyone here says 2009 is the Summer without Summer!
Hey thanks for the chuckle and stop back again, soon!
Michaela,
Right back at ya! I love all those wonderful fermented smells and your kitchen is FULL of them*Ahhhhhh*
To bad you're not closer, we'd have such fun!
Debbie,
I like the varnish idea, but frugal as we are this was built from scrap, so the top lid is made from waferboard. Maybe I could just paint that and the handles and varnish the rest, Hmmmmm.
The braided bread was yummy and I love blueberries too! To bad I can't grow them here but it's to cold and I've tried and failed once in growing them here. Blueberries are a lot of work( keeping soil Ph levels right) and then they end up winter killing, even heavily mulched*sigh*
Thanks for your compliments, but this season, even though it was an unseasonably cool summer, the produce just seemed to thrive. Well, most of it did but that even happens on a good year! We simply, till, plant, weed, water and pray for the best, this year we were definately blessed. Great chatting with ya!
Faith,
We have truly been blessed this season, we've certainly had our share of failed seasons too.
This is one positive in saving your own OP seed, then you know it is acclimated to your area. Now the seed from this year will be more resistant to cooler temps and drought conditions.
We'll be praying for better weather and a longer season next year.
Thanks for chatting.
Lynn,
I read that your fellas dug the spuds in the blizzard. You have a great family! We enjoy your blog.
Do you have anywhere you can lay them out( on newspaper or a tarp) to dry, that doesn't get sunlight, or where they could freeze? We're laying ours out on shelves in the cellar and even on the floor on newpaper, turning them over after a day or so then after a day or so longer placing them in the bin. If they stay wet, they'll mildew and go to ruin, you definately need to get then dried, even if it takes wiping each one and running a heater of some sort to completely dry them.
Hope this helps, boy 1,500 lbs is a bunch of spuds! Praying for you, stay warm and dry.
Kathryn,
Your place is lovely, I've enjoyed your blog photos too. You are so much more organized in getting your home decorated so cute than I'll ever be.
I like your suggestion, as well as Debbie's, and may varnish to "real wood" and paint the wafer( glued chunk) board and handles. I like a rustic look and happen to have a bottle of "crackle" So may paint that on first and then the green to match our trim. Thanks for spurring on my creativity*wink*
Thanks for stopping in , come back again soon!
Tonya,
I can't even begin to express how we feel, it's like trying to explain "eternity".
With this break in weather we have a ton of chores to do. Our garlic needs to be planted and mulched( no leaves have even fallen from the trees, so we'll use composted manure and straw), the garden and flowerbeds need a cleaning and mulched and the lawn needs to be trimmed once more( since the moisture it's growing again)*sigh* This year we feel so rushed to get this sort of stuff done, and if it doesn't all get done then there is always next Spring*wink*
It is a HUGE blessing to have all our homegrown food, looking so beautiful on the shelves in the pantry. There is NOTHING like homegrown, homemade meals and it's fun to recall, when we're eating, just what percentage came from the farm. It reaffirms all the hours of work put into growing your own food, it's not only joyous,but a peaceful feeling.
Again thank you for continuing the newsletter, it's a blessing to us.
The bread looks Wonderful; how about the recipe?
You have great pictures. Makes me want to eat. I hope you have had a great week. Doylene
Y'all o.k.? Missed you the last few days. I'm just dropping by to check on you. Hope you're having a good weekend.
Beth
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