Perfect timing
Our very first sweet potato planting was a small success! Here’s a shot of the ‘harvest’ — dug up today at the start of Thanksgiving week. We loved seeing all the funny tater shapes emerge with each shovelful of turned dirt. If the family doesn’t choose the classic casserole with marshmallows and all the trimmings, we might just opt for this yummy looking recipe from our talented friend Tara, whose delicious food ideas can be found at TaraTeaspoon.com. Let the Thanksgiving Day cooking commence!
Read more about the 10 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes.
Wide enough…for thee and me
A beautiful and comforting essay for this tumultuous week in America. By Kristin Kimball, who makes her life and living at Essex Farm in Essex, New York.
“This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me.” – Tristram Shandy
Photo by Kristin Kimball, Essex Farm
For the love of aprons
“I don’t think our kids know what an apron is. The principle use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron – but love…”
Source: #LoveWhatMatters, inspired by Tina Trivett’s original poem, Grandma’s Apron. (And thanks to C.W. for sharing the original post!)
Near Pear-Fect
Every fall we stare at the old pear trees out back and make plans. What will we make this year with this sweet country fruit? Who might need extra for canning? In past years, our friend Wendell whipped up an easy Pear Crisp that I love, and two years ago we went around to all our neighbors surprising them with Friendship Pear Muffins. This year we wanted to do an Apple Pear Bread, but after a few tries I was about to give up — that is until last night when, using the very last of the pears, we managed to make a pretty delicious bread…the kind you want to scarf down for breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert. And this time, we think the effort is worth sharing! So here you go, friends: our near Pear-fect Fall Bread (and muffins). 🙂
Pear-Fect Fall Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup plain applesauce (or 1/2 cup mashed-up peeled apple)
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tblsp vanilla extract & 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (we like King Arthur)
4 cups firm pears, peeled and diced
Optional: 1/2 cup sliced almonds, ground up in food processor
To Make:
Preheat oven to 350° and grease one large loaf pan (or 4-5 mini loaf pans); also line a 6-count muffin pan for the extra batter. In a big bowl, combine brown sugar, coconut oil, applesauce and honey. Stir to mix, then add eggs and extracts. Stir well. In separate big bowl combine salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, ground almonds and flour. Mix well. Fold in wet mixture and stir until moistened. Gently fold in pears. Pour batter into pans and muffin tin. Fill almost to the top. Bake large loaf pan for 45-60 minutes (until toothpick comes out almost clean); bake small loaves and muffins approx. 30-40 min. Eat up right away, the next day…or freeze for later.
Inspired by Chew Out Loud.
Music Magic
A magical moment worth sharing a million times over – and the biggest video ever made in country music.
Enjoy!
Subscribe to future posts
