Monday, October 21, 2013

Just Kiddin


Over the weekend they predicted frost in low lying areas and temperatures dipping in the 30's. SO we scrambled to get all the apples picked before a frost. 


And the watermelons that were still in the field. 


So O Wise One spent Sunday delivering baskets of apples and watermelons to neighbors and people he thought could use them.  We kept a few for us too. We certainly have gotten used to our nightly small bowls of chilled watermelon. It has taken the place of any baked goods these days as a dessert. 


I continue to dehydrate apple chips for the year. They are in bags, jars and gallon jugs until I get finished.   


So instead of taking my usual Sunday off I spent the day washing and sorting apples. I saved some for my own family and will store them in the drawers of my refrigerator. 


I filled my crock pot with the last of the horticulture beans from the garden before he pulled up the plants and fed them to the goats. I made beanie weenies. And with fresh potatoes, yard eggs and my homemade dill relish I made a bowl of potato salad to go with it. 


I put a bowl of bread dough on the heating pad to rise. 


The extra french bread will be sliced and frozen for garlic bread in the future. The sandwich loaf we will use for breakfast toast and sandwiches for the next couple days. 


And part of a loaf will go wonderfully with our barbecued beans and potato salad. Cold watermelon for dessert and we will have a last summer meal before that frost gets here. By the way the frost warnings did not come to be. We have missed the bullet for another night or two. 


In the meantime we will continue to deliver apple baskets to our friends and neighbors until they lock the doors and hide. There was a time when the house was full of kids and there was  a need to feed many mouths. Now that this old farm produces more than we can eat and the children are gone, maybe it's  just a new opportunity to help those who do need it. 

So as O Wise One pulls up and stores tomato cages and I struggle to sort and deal with these amounts of fruit I thank God for the opportunities before us and  we continue to work preparing for the eventual cold that will arrive. 

I must admit I am ready for a few winter days under my quilt frame, needle in hand. I have grown weary of the canning this year as It seems to have all fallen together at the same time. The spring crops were late and the summer early making them all come ready together which makes canning particularly tiring when it drags on for weeks day after day. It is time for a rest. 

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

15 comments:

  1. I would love to have your brad recipe. Do you have it posted on the blog somewhere? I have always used the same recipe, but for some reason it's been failing me lately. How does that happen?!?!? Anyhow, do you do anything different other than shaping to make the french loaves vs. the sandwich loaf? Have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!?!

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    1. Johnnal you can find a post on baking bread here

      http://hickeryhollerfarm.blogspot.com/2012/02/making-white-bread-part-2.html

      and the french bread loaves are baked in a special pan that you cn find a picture of int he above post.

      Thanks for the kind words

      CQ

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    2. Thanks so much! I've got a batch rising right now. I don't need the heating pad, although it's such an awesome trick, it's still in the 90's here in Florida! I need to go home to Missouri and soon!

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  2. Your bread looks delicious and you deserve some time under that quilt frame this winter.

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  3. We had our first freeze over the weekend and had the same mad dash leading up to it to get everything in. I am fascinated that you use a heating pad to get your bread to rise. Very creative!! What setting do you use on the heating pad?

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    Replies
    1. It got right at freezing here but no frost like they predicted. I think it was too windy although the frost may have settled in some very low areas of the property. I rise my bread in the very lowest setting of the heating pad. We have not turned on any heat yet and the house is a little chilly in the morning in the fall but just not cold enough for heat yet. Just long sleeve weather. The heating pad helps to insure a good rise when conditions are less than ideal.

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  4. Goodness you do keep busy! Fall/winter are always my reprieve but you take that to a whole new level! Very jealous of all the apples! Our tree died years ago and we haven't been successful at getting our orchard replenished at much of ANY of the trees. Those few really hot summers just kept killing all of our new ones so we just stopped. Maybe next fall we'll try planting again... We did get a frost here in mid-KS--a light one that hit the tops of my garden plants, and the tips of my taller basil plants, etc. We actually had snow the day before so I ran out in that and picked all of the peppers, etc. I think this will be my first time in many years I'm not freezing any. :o( I guess we ate too many this summer!

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  5. We had a Sunday of snow! Even woke up to a snow covered yard today, with more flurries predicted. I think I'm packing up and moving south~ Missouri sounds good with all those great neighbors and extra apples:)) Yep, we've broke out the sewing machine here, too. That bread looks so yummy, Momma Hooch:)

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  6. OK, I just followed your above link to your post on making bread. I LOVE bread, and have great memories of my mom making it when I was little. A couple questions: WHERE did you get the French bread pans? Those are too perfect! and have you ever tried your recipe in a bread maker? (I have weak hands/wrists)

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    Replies
    1. the bread pans came from Amazon.com and I no longer own a breadmaker. I gave it away after it had sat in the pantry for years not being used. I personally find the kneading of bread almost therapeutic : )

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    2. Thanks! Got the pan ordered. I'll have to try it with my breadmaker first--if I knead it myself with the nerve damage I have, my hands will shake and be weak for days. Might be worth it tho... :o)

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  7. It is so nice that you share with neighbors. Mom and Dad would take winter turnips (among other produce) to all the neighbors and they were delighted. Marcy donates her extra eggs to a food bank.

    Loving that bread...I can smell it.

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  8. It makes me feel good when I read that you are sharing with friends around you. We have always been that way, too. "Better to Give that Receive"!

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  9. Sure wish I was your neighbor! ;-) Love the idea of the heating pad for rising bread - would've never thought of that. Thank you!

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  10. Wow - you got a lot of things done! I believe our first frost will finally be here tonight or tomorrow night. All that will be left are my root veggies..... until next year. :)

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