Grape Leaves

If I don't have enough recipes I'm always looking for a few more unique ones to try.  Last winter while checking out other blogs I happened across a dill pickle recipe that guarantees the crispiest dill pickle ever.  The difference from my recipe?  Put a half of a fresh grape leaf on top before sealing.  I just finished 6 pints for a trial run.  If it works next year I will make more with grape leaves.  I'm a sweet pickle kinda gal but the family prefers dill or spicy hot.

The grape leaf test batch.  Let ya know in a
couple months if they are crispy.

 Unfortunately by the looks of our cucumber vines we may not get many more cukes.  It looks like a vine blight is setting in and also on the squash and pumpkin vines.  For all the rain we had in the spring and right up to a few weeks ago the ground is dry, creeks are very low and the garden is suffering!  The corn popped beautiful ears of corn but the fear of no rain has the leaves curled tight.  That means no moisture the kernels will not develop.  This itty bitty farm  has me worried about  something quite a bit.  From the garden to a lame horse, chicken stalkers or equipment break downs there is always something to do.  I am thankful for the veggies we harvested so far, the 14 of 17 Australorps hens we raised (fox, coyote or Red Tailed Hawk took 3 for their young ones).  Dick fenced in an area for them until they get bigger, older and wiser.

The end of summer is being felt with a few reminders all around.  In service for teachers and aides started today and will be a couple days a week until the students first day back.  It sure has been a quick vacation for them!  The hills are getting a yellow tinge, nights are cooler, the sun is hot but the breezes seem to have that cool affect.  Usually in September I clean out the side flower bed but for some reason the plants all died off early so yesterday I cleaned them out and got it ready for mulch.  The dahlias are still going strong with many beautiful deep red blossoms.  We planted 50 gladiolas this spring, 3 had blossoms!  Never again, I refuse to waste my time and money on things that don't like our soil.  I like plants that come up every year rather than buy and plant every year.  You know perennials and annuals technically speaking.

Dahlias will blossom until the first frost. Then we dig the
roots to store in the basement.  In the spring Dick will divide the
tubors, plant some and give some away.  Pass it On ♡♡♡♡

Poppies are nearing the end of their life.  The large pods will
turn brown and we will gather the seeds to give away.
The seeds that fall will come up next spring.

This is what our garden and flower beds look like.  Since we
have a well precious water is not used for watering.  Only
humans and animals get to drink. 

The rhubarb has been healthy and plentiful and supplied a few families with pies and jams this spring/summer.  When the rhubarb plant gets the seed stalk started I cut it off before it can develop that way we have rhubarb to pick all summer.  Too much nutrition goes to the seed stalk which stops new rhubarb from sprouting.  Kinda like dead heading flowers so they will continue to have lots of blossoms.

This afternoon was time to rest, even a 2 hour nap. We are getting ready to sand the hardwood floor (28 x 26) with a hallway tomorrow.  For the last 10 days I have been chemically removing the polyurethane finish.  Yes on my hands and knees,  there is no easy way to get it done.  If ya want to save $ it is do it yourself.  My personality does not allow for dissatisfaction if I'm not happy with the job if we hired it done.  This way I can take the blame for being an amateur.  The wood is not damaged so we really didn't want to use a drum sander,  it is way too aggressive and takes quite a bit of wood.  So tomorrow we rent the orbital sander for a quick smoothing.  We have been reading all we can about the best finishes to use.  The "old fashioned" way wins.  Several articles are saying many contractors are going back to tung oil with a coat of paste wax.  Easier, environment friendly and if the floor dulls or gets scratched it's a quick fix.  We shall see and I will "pass it on" from start to finish with pictures.

Grape Leaves

If I don't have enough recipes I'm always looking for a few more unique ones to try.  Last winter while checking out other blogs I happened across a dill pickle recipe that guarantees the crispiest dill pickle ever.  The difference from my recipe?  Put a half of a fresh grape leaf on top before sealing.  I just finished 6 pints for a trial run.  If it works next year I will make more with grape leaves.  I'm a sweet pickle kinda gal but the family prefers dill or spicy hot.

The grape leaf test batch.  Let ya know in a
couple months if they are crispy.

 Unfortunately by the looks of our cucumber vines we may not get many more cukes.  It looks like a vine blight is setting in and also on the squash and pumpkin vines.  For all the rain we had in the spring and right up to a few weeks ago the ground is dry, creeks are very low and the garden is suffering!  The corn popped beautiful ears of corn but the fear of no rain has the leaves curled tight.  That means no moisture the kernels will not develop.  This itty bitty farm  has me worried about  something quite a bit.  From the garden to a lame horse, chicken stalkers or equipment break downs there is always something to do.  I am thankful for the veggies we harvested so far, the 14 of 17 Australorps hens we raised (fox, coyote or Red Tailed Hawk took 3 for their young ones).  Dick fenced in an area for them until they get bigger, older and wiser.

The end of summer is being felt with a few reminders all around.  In service for teachers and aides started today and will be a couple days a week until the students first day back.  It sure has been a quick vacation for them!  The hills are getting a yellow tinge, nights are cooler, the sun is hot but the breezes seem to have that cool affect.  Usually in September I clean out the side flower bed but for some reason the plants all died off early so yesterday I cleaned them out and got it ready for mulch.  The dahlias are still going strong with many beautiful deep red blossoms.  We planted 50 gladiolas this spring, 3 had blossoms!  Never again, I refuse to waste my time and money on things that don't like our soil.  I like plants that come up every year rather than buy and plant every year.  You know perennials and annuals technically speaking.

Dahlias will blossom until the first frost. Then we dig the
roots to store in the basement.  In the spring Dick will divide the
tubors, plant some and give some away.  Pass it On ♡♡♡♡

Poppies are nearing the end of their life.  The large pods will
turn brown and we will gather the seeds to give away.
The seeds that fall will come up next spring.

This is what our garden and flower beds look like.  Since we
have a well precious water is not used for watering.  Only
humans and animals get to drink. 

The rhubarb has been healthy and plentiful and supplied a few families with pies and jams this spring/summer.  When the rhubarb plant gets the seed stalk started I cut it off before it can develop that way we have rhubarb to pick all summer.  Too much nutrition goes to the seed stalk which stops new rhubarb from sprouting.  Kinda like dead heading flowers so they will continue to have lots of blossoms.

This afternoon was time to rest, even a 2 hour nap. We are getting ready to sand the hardwood floor (28 x 26) with a hallway tomorrow.  For the last 10 days I have been chemically removing the polyurethane finish.  Yes on my hands and knees,  there is no easy way to get it done.  If ya want to save $ it is do it yourself.  My personality does not allow for dissatisfaction if I'm not happy with the job if we hired it done.  This way I can take the blame for being an amateur.  The wood is not damaged so we really didn't want to use a drum sander,  it is way too aggressive and takes quite a bit of wood.  So tomorrow we rent the orbital sander for a quick smoothing.  We have been reading all we can about the best finishes to use.  The "old fashioned" way wins.  Several articles are saying many contractors are going back to tung oil with a coat of paste wax.  Easier, environment friendly and if the floor dulls or gets scratched it's a quick fix.  We shall see and I will "pass it on" from start to finish with pictures.

A Lick and a Promise

Rather an odd saying but one I have heard many times in my life and one I find saying frequently.  Today was no exception.  My day started at 9 am cutting green beans we picked last night and also the last of the beans...yay.  7 pints in the pressure canner that will be marked 15 (2015) and put along side the quarts and pints canned last week.  While they were in the canner I made a trip to the garden for cucumbers and onions needed for the batch of bread and butter pickles that I wanted to start.  Sliced thin, mixed with crushed ice and canning salt they had to set for three hours.  All in the timing around here during harvesting of the garden.  When I was at the garden this morning the barn yard lawn was yelling....mow me.  So I did because it gives me a sense of security that snakes don't like short grass.  Yesterday picking beans I saw a snakes tail.  Calmly I told the hub...snake!  He tried to stomp it but it got away.  That was the end, I quit picking beans.  Dick finished the row, I went to the house not so happy that he let it get away.  Dick and Quincy went on the snake hunt and finally found it, it's history.  I don't care how many bugs a snake can eat, I would rather see a kazillion bugs than one creepy crawling snake.  Even so my eyes are on full alert during snake season.  Dick told our friend yesterday......she can find a snake where snakes normally don't like to be.

The beginning of Bread and Butter Pickles.

5 Pints ready to be put away for winter.

Today was a day of going back in time while doing all the things I really love to do. Thinking of my parents, Uncle Orville and Bill Stavisky, they all taught me so much about gardening, canning, cooking and how precious it meant to them to "Pass it On", something we all should do....leave precious memories.  I have been organizing my favorite go to recipes for the last few weeks.  By late fall I hope to have recipe books for my kids and grand kids complete with a story, picture and what family member or friend gave a recipe to me.  It is a lot more involved than I imagined but hoping it will be worth it.

Now for the lick and a promise.  It was what my mom would say when she was in a hurry cleaning the kitchen after a meal, canning or baking.  There was also another time she would say it.....when she would spit on her handkerchief or lick her finger to wipe my face when we were out and about.  She would say about the kitchen, there I gave it a lick and a promise.  When mom wanted to clean something off my face she would say......hold still, I will give you a lick and a promise.  The lick was quick cleaning and the promise was....next time it will be the real deal.

When I finished the pickles today and cleaned the kitchen I said, just a lick and a promise until tomorrow.  Hot bath was on my mind followed by a warm cup of Jamaican Me Crazy, 10 toes up in the hubs recliner, write a blog and enjoy the view at Cook'n by the Creek.