Apple Update!

After bringing home 3 bushels of apples, we have been busy canning, freezing, baking and eating apples. A few have asked how we have done on out apple do list, so I thought I would post a quick update.

32 quarts of applesauce

10 - 12oz jars of apple butter

12 cups diced and frozen

6 pie filling frozen

1 gallon jar dried

6 apple dumplings

6 caramel apples

1 apple crisp baked

and lots and lots eaten

Obviously not everything is pictured here, and believe it or not we still have 3/4 of a bushel left to take care of. So what's left?

6 more frozen pie filling

2 trays of apple leather

apple fritters

12 more cups of chopped and frozen

6 apple crisp filling - frozen

Hopefully, this will last the family at least a little while. I noticed the dried apple jar is already depleted a bit. Maybe we'll be drying more as well.

Oh and some asked what the going rate for apples is. Well we lucked out and went right after the first big wind storm and got beautiful "drops" for $10.00 a bushel. A picked bushel was $25.00.

A Little More Knitting

Knitting has become my new found joy. I have always loved to craft and create, but in the last few years have found it hard to steal large enough chunks of time to sew and scrapbook. Knitting has become the answer. I love that I can take it anywhere and that I can sneak in a row here and there, pick it up and put it down at a moments notice. And of course there is the added bonus of the warm and heartfelt creations made for those I love.

I knit the hat for Hannah a while back and I don't think she has had it off since. When she saw that I had some yarn leftover she asked for a scarf. Of course I didn't have quite enough yarn, so it sat unfinished until I could get more. Well the yarn came and now she had a matching scarf. Can you guess what might be next?

Rebekah's hat was the first one I knit. You can read about that and find the pattern here. Being the avid blog reading that I am I stumbled across this pattern for a raglan sweater and just knew Rebekah had to have one. So after knitting five hats, I took the plunge and tried my hand at a sweater, a sweater with cables no less. It took a little bit of practice, a few video tutorials on line, and the help from a sweet woman we met on our hawk watch, but I finally finished it without too many handmade love spot (mistakes). Rebekah loves it and it is so toasty warm. The pattern has a cardigan version, and I think Rebekah may need one of those as well.

First Snow!

The girls were so suprised to wake up this morning to find it snowing! I have to say so was I. It is only October 13th and I am not ready for snow. But they sure had fun.

Apple Picking

Fall just wouldn't be fall without a trip to the apple orchard to pick a bushel or two or three of apples. We had a beautiful day to head off to the orchard and were lucky enough to share it with good friends.

Rebekah is sure she knows where the best apples in the orchard will be found and she is making sure Sarah know just where to go.

A little help for a big sister and that perfect apple is just in reach.

And boy does it ever taste good!

Hannah did her share of picking too.

And someone even managed to snap a picture of mom.

Thanks to friends for letting us borrow their wagon to haul our apples out of the orchard. This is only half of the three bushels we picked. And this was actually the easy part. Now its time to make . . . .

apple sauce

apple butter

pie filling

crisp filling

chopped to be frozen

dried slices

fruit leather

apple dumplings

apple fritters

caramel apples

I'm tired just thinking about it all. Actually it is a family affair and everyone helps out so it really is just a lot of fun. And of course homemade is so much better and cheaper too.

Stay tuned for updates on all our apple cooking fun!

This Weeks Freebies in the Mail Box

As most of you know I love a good deal, and it doesn't get much better than FREE! And that is exactly what all this stuff was - FREE:

Kashi Blueberry Cereal plus $2.00 coupon

Kashi Coupon Book with 12 - $1.50 coupons

Fiber One Ceral plus $5.00 in coupons

Fiber One Ceral Bar

TWO Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks

TWO Coupons for FREE M&M candy

Kotex sample pack

Not pictured are 3 refund checks totaling over $8.00!

And this was just this week. I can't wait to see what will be in the mail next week.

We've Got EGGS!

As some of you will remember we decided to try raising chicken last spring. The little chicks lived in the kitchen until we got the coop built. You can see the arrival of the chicks here. My wonderful husband did a fabulous job designing and building the coop.

Isn't she beautiful? Here is the first egg! And the sweet chicken even laid it in the right spot! I am so proud of my little feathered girls.

Hannah and Rebekah couldn't wait to collect the first treasure. Rebekah carried it oh so carefully back to the house. By the end of the day we had our second egg that Sarah and Dad got to collect.

Today we had an egg, but I waited for the girls to go and collect it and somehow it disappeared! Anyone have any ideas? I really hope we don't have a little critter stealing eggs. The second egg today was beautiful, but cracked. Once again, don't know what happened. Thinking maybe the hen stepped on it. I sure hope it isn't our little egg stealing critter.

Poetry Reading

Sarah was asked to be part of a poetry class. The class of about 12 homeschoolers is being taught by professional poets. The kids have all been writing original poems and having a great time doing it. After four weeks with Ed Patch, the kids were invited to a poetry reading at a local library. The host and guest speaker read some of the poems first and then there was an open mic session when all the kids got to read.

Sarah read two of the poems she wrote during class. She did a great job!

The Oak Tree - by Sarah

I stand tall, tall

Swaying in the gentle breeze

Shaking my arms and rattling my leaves

Visiting squirrels scamper up and down

Tickling me with there little feet

Me and my brother and sister

Maple, birch

Cherry and mahogany

I stand next to them all

I the oak tree.

This was one of the poems Sarah wrote and read. The assignment was to write an "I" or personification poem. I thought it was beautiful.

This is Mr. Patch, the children's teacher. He was fabulous and really taught the kids a lot. I don't think any of them expected poetry to be so much fun.


Rebekah and Rosie enjoyed the evening as well.