a quick catch-up...

This is the time of year that has a busyness all its own, and can only mean one thing: harvest time! This week the days will be spent in the kitchen prepping, canning, and freezing tomatoes and peppers.

If you're like me, and you find yourself with oodles of tomatoes, here's an Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe I use that is quick, and so easy, just click: here.

And because I always seem to need tomato sauce for chili, I'm keeping it super-simple this year:  I'm just cutting the stem end off of tomatoes, quartering, and then tossing the quarters in the blender - no peeling!  After they're blended, I put them in the slow cooker, add some salt to taste, and let simmer several hours until they've thickened into a nice sauce. Truly, it couldn't be easier!

I had some baked goods left from the "not shop, shop" a couple of weeks ago, so I called a friend that loves old-fashioned bartering as much as I do...

A visit to her farm found us catching up, which is always great, while seeing all the sweet farm animals she has.

Meet Ferdinand!

His mom, Annie, shares her wonderful milk with us...which became the best chocolate ice cream.

My friend also sent us home with butter, cream, homemade mozzarella, dozens of eggs, and cabbage...what a blessing to be able to trade goods!

The cabbage was put into fermentation jars to become sauerkraut...it's a favorite of mine, but I've never made it before, so I'm anxious to see how it comes out. 

She has the prettiest views from her farm...

and the drive there, is beautiful as well.

This is what the blue, super moon looked like from our little corner of the world...well, as best as it could be captured with my phone...it was truly gorgeous as we were driving home at dusk.

And lastly, this was a view my daughter captured on our travels. It felt so vintage and classic Heartland to me, I wanted it to be black & white:

Thanks for visiting...wherever you find yourselves, have a great week!

baking with Mae...

When the December sky is a gun-barrel gray and any warmth from the sunshine is lost behind the thick clouds and blown away by the brisk winds, there is always something that I know will bring me warmth...baking in the farmhouse kitchen. 

Built 158 years ago, I often think back to the many women who prepared meals in this old farmhouse, and as someone who loves history, it's been fun over the years to cook in the kitchen fireplace...an antique tin kitchen/reflector oven makes the best roast turkey! 

But this past week, it was Mae and I who did the baking. Just for fun, I've named some of my vintage items...the little 1963 Camper is Maizy, my road-side find 1956 sewing machine is Fern, and Mae is my 1950 Hotpoint stove. Mae is a big 40-inch-wide workhorse...if you'd like, you can read the story of how she came to the farm here.  With 2 ovens she can bake double what I could before - she's a gem!

Pies were needed for a church get-together, and then I thought I'd try a couple of recipes from my blogging friends.

Staci at Life at Cobble Hill Farm, was kind enough to share her recipe for cranberry-orange biscotti - I've never made biscotti before, but I love the combination of cranberries & orange...it was wonderful!

Not nearly as pretty as Staci's - I need to work on my rolling/cutting skills, but they were oh-so delicious!

Then I wanted to make the sticky ginger cake from Jules at Along the Way. Excited to try her recipe, I dusted off my food scale and I was meticulous in converting grams to cups.

However...my apologies Jules. I didn't choose the correct pan size, so I had an overflowing, not-so-pretty loaf. Well, to try and save the day, I used my cookie dough scoop and made sticky ginger balls. Again, not the exact recipe from Jules, but the flavor was amazing and it's a recipe I'll make again (with a larger pan!)

This coming week will find my son home from college for Christmas break...he has a couple more exams and my daughter just completed hers - and so the holidays begin!

In a drafty old country farmhouse on a cold December evening, it's time for me to settle in on this Sunday evening...a cozy blanket, a mug of cocoa, and our local PBS station is showing 3 back-to-back episodes of All Creatures Great and Small...heaven for me!

I'll say goodbye with a photos of Santa on the blue barn shelves and some of my favorite ornaments on the little old-fashioned tree.

...have a good week, friends!

dog days of August...

During these "Dog Days" of summer, the humidity is high, the sun is hot, and my energy level is almost non-existent. The work is getting done, but not without drinking a lot of water and long periods of standing in the shade. Tonight lightning could be seen in the distance and predictions are for an end to our stretch of rainless days. 

"Dog Days"...if you've never heard that expression before, it's used to describe the hottest and most unbearable days of summer...for us, that's August! The Farmer's Almanac tells us where the name comes from...because this time of year the star Sirius is so bright it was believed that is added to the Sun's heat. You can read all about it, Here

But you know, in addition to all of that heat & humidity I grumble about, there really is so much more to August...

cheery flowers in the coop windowboxes, 

butterflies floating by, 

an acrobatic crop-duster 
I was sure would hit our barn
with all of its loops and dives!

and goat kisses
(that's Tardis...love the LaMancha breed
with their Shrek ears!)

It's also time for a Throwback Thursday recipe, and it's one I remember (come on, can it really be a Throwback Recipe?!)

Poke Cake

Oh-so simple!

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 c. water
3-oz. box strawberry gelatin
1 c. boiling water
8-oz. frozen whipped topping

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and water; blend until smooth. Pour into a greased 13x9-inch pan; bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the center of cake tests done. Let cool one hour. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cooled cake; set aside. Whisk gelatin mix and boiling water together until gelatin has dissolved; pour over cake. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, spoon thawed whipped topping over cake. 

And a heartfelt thanks for all the kind words about my last post...ahhh, hair color! 
As my daughter says.

YOU BE YOU!

Good advice indeed,

as is this:

"You make your life hard by always being in your head. 

Life is simple. Get out of your head and get into the moment."

s. mcnutt

Trying to "be in the moment" as we prepare for college move-in day in only 16 days...
time flies, friends.

Have a great rest of the week!

throwback Thursday...

 A cool breeze from the north, fresh herbs from the garden, and the sound of rain on a metal roof...these are the blessings of midsummer. July in our part of the world is casting a drowsy spell...fields are filled with tiger lillies and blackeyed-Susans, we hear the distant rumble of thunder as a storm passes by, and evenings filled are with the magical dancing of fireflies.  

It's nearly impossible to take it all in. Sometimes my brain seems very noisy and cluttered...but it's days like this that I try to quiet my brain a little and just enjoy the moment.

Our 4th of July celebration included fireworks at a nearbly 250-acre park where my son is working this summer. He was invited to park in the company lot and the view was incredible. This has always been one of my favorite things - to be in a big field on the Fourth of July, a picnic basket filled with food, just waiting for dusk. The fireworks were incredible, and I'm sure I've never been that close to them before where I looked overhead the entire time!

I've been cleaning one of our little barns, and snapped a couple of photos to share...they caught my eye and made me smile; the "make do" attitude of the farmer making repairs many years ago:

a 1950's Folders Coffee tin,

 

and a 1948 Farm licence plate

You know me...I love anything old and those beauties will stay exactly where I found them. ❤

This week's
Throwback Thursday Recipe...Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies!

  

I found this recipe in my mother-in-law's old recipe box,
and after all, since it's zucchini season, it looked perfect! 

1 c. zucchini, grated

1 t. baking soda

3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cloves

1 t. cinnamon

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1 egg, beaten

1 c. nuts*

1 c. raisins*

Grate enough fresh zucchini to equal one cup; set aside. Combine baking soda, flour, salt, cloves, and cinnamon; whisk well to combine, then set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together sugar and shortening; blend in egg. Stir in nuts and raisins. Combine with dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Yield: about 3 dozen.

*Because I am a chocoholic, I swapped out nuts and raisins for chocolate chips!

To me, it was just like enjoying zucchini bread only in cookie form...another recipe for your garden bounty.

Sending good wishes from our little corner of the world to yours...

throwback Thursday and a peek a what's happening on the farm

 Hello friends, 

after my last post, I'm so grateful for a quiet, there's nothing exciting happening on the farm week!

The days are filled with welcome cool breezes from the north that billow the gauzy tobacco cloth curtains at the windows. We've been keeping the double front doors open, which we hardly ever do, to take full advantage of that breeze. This old house is designed so that when those doors open fully, the breeze will go straight through to the kitchen through 4 rooms...good planning on Mr. Ward's part in 1864! (But also remember, that when those northern winds blow in January, they will push the heat right out of this old house!)

I know everyone's busy as you plan for an upcoming holiday (and for my friends across the miles, I know you're days are filled as well!) And since my last post was soooo long, I'll keep this one short and sweet...

just a few snapshots of summer on the farm:

And something that never fails to make me believe in magic...fireflies at nightime:

Sweet & Zesty Pasta Salad

1 c. vegetable oil

1 c. white vinegar

1 c. sugar

1 0.6-oz. pkg. dry
Good Seasons Zesty
Italian Dressing Mix

1 lb. rotini pasta

as desired: red onion,
green pepper, pepperoni slices, cheese cubes, black olives

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, and dry dressing mix; whisk well to combine. Set aside. Prepare pasta according to package directions; rinse with cool water. Add dressing to taste and any additional ingredients as desired. Chill at least two hours, tossing in any reserved dressing if needed.

I know I'm in the minority...but I am not a big pasta salad fan. The vinegar in the recipes always is just too sharp for my taste; but this recipe, for me, is a winner! The sugar balances out the tart of the vinegar and the Zesty Italian dressing mix adds just the right zing. 

I never add all the prepared dressing at first, but find that after the salad chills and the pasta has absorbed some of it, I do need to stir in a bit more dressing.

Have a wonderful weekend...and in the middle of our busyness, let's take a little quiet time to look for the blessings in every day.

throwback Thursday...double chocolate chip cookies

May here is always busy...yardwork, planning for gardens, end-of-school ceremonies & concerts, and spring cleaning. 

This year we'll celebrate two graduations...my daughter will be getting her university diploma for dance/ballet Saturday. She's dancing with a ballet company while finishing up her Psychology degree and will graduate with that next spring. My son will be graduating from high school in 17 days, and just committed to a college where he'll major in Biochemistry.

More about all this later...but honestly, how did we go from 

this,

to this?

Proud and excited as each of them chase their dreams! 

(and of course, a bit weepy...time flies, sniff, sniff)

Anyway...today's recipe came from my mother-in-law's recipe box and is another chocolaty one (do you see a pattern here?) I finished baking them just as my friend arrived with 9 glorious gallons of fresh, raw milk.

Just look at the cream floating on the top waiting for the best homemade butter and cheese...ahhh, what a treat!

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1-1/4 c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Gradually blend in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased* cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9* minutes. Cool slightly.

*While I didn't make any ingredient changes, I did put a parchment sheet on my baking sheet, and Mae needed a full 10 minutes for the cookies to bake, but then, each oven is a little different.

I don't think this is the best photo...but truly, if you have a chocolate craving, these are for you!

throwback Thursday...Wacky Cake/War Cake

How the beautiful Eastern Bluebirds know when April has arrived is beyond me. These lovely, migratory birds always seem to return on schedule each year, and can now be seen flitting around the yard and busily building nests. Every so often I'll catch a quick blur of blue, and then before I know it, it's gone.

Photo Source: Here

Here the weather is chilly again, dropping 50 degrees after a high of 83 degrees on Saturday...oh that Mother Nature! Still, there is beauty all around...wandering outside (bundled up today) the air is filled with the fragrance of golden-yellow daffodils, pretty pink magnolia and redwood blooms, and the tiniest lilac buds. Here & there tulips and hyacinths lift their heads and nod in the breeze. Later in the evening, we'll hear the peppers (small tree frogs) from a creek in the woods. Ahhh, April...simple and uncomplicated.

Today's throwback recipe is Wacky Cake or War Cake...a 1940's recipe.

It's my understanding that during the Second World War, when rationing of sugar and dairy was probably throwing all young housewives into a tizzy, this recipe was created. 

Made with no eggs, butter, or milk, it relies on the science of vinegar and baking soda to make the cake rise. Stirred together and baked all in the same pan, it couldn't be easier!

Wacky Cake - War Cake

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 T. white vinegar

1 t. vanilla extract

6 T. vegetable oil

1 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased* glass or ceramic 8-inch square pan (not metal), add first 5 ingredients; stir with a fork to combine.

Make three wells in the dry mixture, adding vinegar to one, vanilla to a second, and oil to the third. Pour water over all; mix with a fork until combined. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done in the center. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 c. butter, softened

2-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla extract

Cream butter until smooth; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to mix until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

 

Changes:

*ungreased glass or ceramic baking pan

I lightly sprayed my ceramic baking dish with non-stick spray...while it may not have been necessary, I just felt it might stick if I didn't.

I have to say it tastes terrific! As a child of the "boxed cake mix" generation, this is so easy to make and has such a rich, chocolaty taste, I'll never go back to a  boxed mix again. I hope you'll give it a try...truly, it couldn't be easier!

throwback Thursday...

 

Hi friends, today is short & sweet...I know you're all Spring Cleaning or digging in the dirt planning this year's garden (except for my friends in New Zealand who are welcoming Fall!) 

Oh, this weather...rain, chilly winds, surprise snowstorms. What's a girl to do? Well, days like this often mean a little bit of time enjoying a mug of herbal tea or hot chocolate, curled up in a shawl, reading a favorite book or magazine.

I don't buy magazines often (they seem to be more advertisements than actual articles) but this one was different...lovely photos and filled with inspiring garden ideas. And so I curled up in my new shawl (thanks Beverly at Bee Haven Acres - LOVE those jewel tones that match everything!) 

            

I'm always trying to find a perfect homemade hot chocolate recipe (if you have a favorite, please share) This one was found in an old recipe leaflet from about 50 years ago...if you like your cocoa thick, rich, and chocolaty, then this is for you (although with the butter and cream, maybe not every day!)

Homemade Hot Chocolate

1/2 c. semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

1 t. butter

1/4 t. vanilla

1 cup half & half or cream

Combine chocolate and butter in a double boiler; heat until melted. Stir in vanilla and half & half or cream. Slowly heat; do not boil. 

Serves 1.

I didn't make any changes...and yes, it's thick and fills any chocolate craving! A spot on treat for a drizzly, gray day.