The days have been filled with many activities that need to be accomplished in a short window of time.   Fall is one of my favorite times of year and I love anything that has to do with apples and harvesting them.  We made 32 more gallons of cider since I posted the cider making.  We’re working on the apple pie filling as well and so far have finished a total of 54 quarts, still working on more. 

As I lay on my back  during another “apple run” I could almost believe that I did not have a worry or care in the world.  I stared up at the blue sky through the apples above my head, lost in the beauty of the moment, thanking God for allowing me this day with my children.  What a blessing it is to be able to spend so much time with them before they make their own way in the world.  This time we carried 25 pails of crisp apples under a hot wire fence.   The kids had all ran off trying to discover where the original homestead was on this lovely piece of land, a reward for a job quickly done, thrilled later to report to me where it was located.

The cell phone ringing in my jean pocket startled me out of my dreamy state.  It was Jessi wondering where I was because she needed a bit of help.  She was not really surprised when I told her that I lay flat on my back 9 miles away staring at blue skies and clouds, instead of being back in my hot kitchen over a couple of canners.   After all, she grew up knowing and experiencing those kinds of days, the days filled with apple runs, creative writing projects in corn fields, hay lofts, creek bottoms and tall trees.    After a quick promise to send someone up as soon as we made it home, I said good-bye and proceeded to the vehicle, now heavy with apples and a heart filled with Fall joy.  No need to rush or look behind us this time as the bull, along with his cows, had been moved to a different pasture.  We all headed home to work on some of the projects that needed doing.  The following photos are of some of the things we have been working on this week, things we have been up to……….in no particular order.

To make the above raw/not cooked sauce for your home-made pizza:

Chop up a bunch of fresh garden tomatoes, add small, sliced sweet onions, lots of fresh garlic minced and even more garlic powder, fresh sweet italian basil, oregano, olive oil, small diced pepperoni and salt to taste.  Mix this all together and refrigerate over night.  The next day, remove to room temperature and top this on your pizza with mozzarella cheese.   I don’t have the amounts but you can just add them to taste or smell!!  If the sauce does not remind me of my mother, I simply add more basil and garlic:)  (I LOVE YOU MOM:)

Really we don’t always work, and we did take a day off for some much-needed fun on Saturday, attending and helping out our friends in South Dakota with their annual J Heart Ranch Days.   I love outdoor cooking and we not only made pizza, but also donuts and fried dough, later demonstrating butter making as well.  Fred and the Twins demonstrated honey extraction with the Jorgenson’s  honey and decided we need to buy a heated electric knife.  Later they entertained a bit on their fiddles and Clayton demonstrated horse training.  In the evening we enjoyed a fun hay ride under an almost full South Dakota moon.   Oh wow, it was so beautiful!  The night ended with a cowboy style fire works display overlooking the lake and a bonfire.

 The colder days are here now and the kids are eating more so I have started cooking double batches of everything:)  Below is a photo of this mornings breakfast which was omelets with mushrooms, jalapeno, red chili peppers, zucchini, onions and eggplant.  Guaranteed to warm even the coldest body!