countrylane's Blog

Apple Pie in a Jar recipe
Aug 28, 2008 | 9:10 AM PST
Tag: apple recipe

Peel and slice any apple you would use in a pie. Pack apples tightly in a quart jar. Make syrup. Pour over apples. Process 20 minutes in hot water bath. (Syrup makes enough for about 7 quarts.) Syrup: 4 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup cornstarch, 4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt, and 10 cups water. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add 3 Tbsp. lemon juice.

For pie, make crust to fit 8 inch pan. Pour in 1 jar of apple pie filling and cover with top crust. Bake at 425 degrees until brown. Serve.

This was my mom's recipe. Very good! Have had people ask for this recipe time and time again.

Why we will start school NEXT week!
Aug 27, 2008 | 7:43 AM PST

Some friends of ours gave us a bunch of peaches, still too green to do anything with yet, and a bunch of apples. Will be making apple pie, my favorite! Also will be making "Apple Pie in a Jar" (apple pie filling that you can). #1 son has been asking for apple pie for awhile. I tried making tomato puree-seasoned, last week. It went something like this. Skinned tomatoes, chopped up green peppers, onions, celery, sliced carrots. Then cooked and cooked this huge pot full of these veggies until supposedly soft enough to put through a sieve. This didn't work, so I liquefied it all in a blender, then cook this down until thick. THEN, I could can it all. Came out really good, but I was very tired when it was finally all said and done. Next time, I will do all the prep work a day or two ahead then it won't take all day. :) I think I have canned more this year than in the years past.

Going to start "officially" with homeschool next Tuesday, day after labor day. My friend's kids won't be over that day, so it will be a good day to start. #1 son has been doing math and writing and reading all summer anyway, just to stay in tune. #2 and #3 sons have been wanting to do school lately. They see all the neat stuff we're going to do I guess. Still would like to order a few books, but we'll get started on what we have.

The pumpkins had stink bugs on them, so I got some "seven" spray and started yesterday with the treatment. Hope this knocks the little bergers dead. The fruits haven't started to come on yet, so this is a good time. The watermelon are doing really well. Little balls on the vines are steadily getting bigger each day. Pole beans are doing well. Have done my second picking, will have enough for a few more pickings. The long cucumbers are coming on strong. Will have to make pickles soon. The tomatoes are crazy. I give them away to any one who will take them. And still have quite a few. Want to can some whole maters, or some more puree, or some juice. I need to check out the grapes at my sis-in-law's house and see if there are any left to make juice. Meant to get over there earlier, but didn't. Onions in the raised beds are done. Still more coming along in the other part of the yard. Green peppers and the hot peppers are still coming on. Okra is doing well. The cowpeas are growing and I'm hoping I will be able to get some before frost comes. So, see, this is why I need to wait until next week to do school! :)

Skunk is permanent resident
Aug 22, 2008 | 7:29 AM PST

I know I seem to repeating myself, but I still see the skunk around ever so often. The other evening, I took a bowl full of scraps out to the compost pile. Good thing I moved it last year to the back of the property. The skunk was on the other side of the pile munching away. I didn't see it till it waddled under the old riding lawn mower. (One of those things that needs to taken away, but no one has yet.) I, of course, wasn't expecting anything to be over on that side of the pile. I let out a little scream, before I got composed again. But this little guy doesn't seem to be afraid of us or alarmed in any way, because none of us has been sprayed, yet. And this morning (daytime, mind you), he or she was out waddling in the back yard, munching on the apples that have dropped off the trees. I made a loud noise, from the protection of the bathroom window, and he slowly and reluctantly waddled off to who knows where. I suspect the old hickory tree. Poor thing is hollow on the inside but still is reluctant to die. The thing is going to have to come down soon. A few years ago, a skunk had her babies in the tree. She eventually moved them to a less noisy place. Wonder if another has set up residence in there or on back in the corner where there is a brush pile. Anyway, I guess we must expect to see the skunk from time to time. Doesn't seem a bit alarmed over 3 boys and a screaming lady! *blush*

 

Been so busy...
Aug 21, 2008 | 7:25 AM PST

I've been helping a friend of mine out with watching her kids, two or three days a week.  2 more boys in the house! Ages 1 and 2 1/2 years old. Gets real crazy around here. Good thing it's been nice and everyone loves being outside. Good thing, too, that those two still take naps. :) It's been really hard to do school, though, so it's touch and go at times. And when the two younger boys take naps, it's in our bedroom where the computer is, so I've not had the oppurtunity to get on here and blog. I miss this.

I have been busy in the kitchen and garden. I made some cucumber relish this past week. 4 1/2 pints of it. Also, picked enough tomatoes to start canning. I will can some whole maters, also would like to make tomato puree. I've been giving them away to anyone who wants them, too. Think I'll take a box to church on Sunday. My other cucumbers are coming on, the long skinny kind, that would make good pickles. Beans are still coming on and will need to pick those again soon. Mom's sweet corn is coming along nicely, so we will be putting up corn soon.

#1 son starts his piano lessons this Saturday. Free lessons! Just have to buy the books. The lady giving them is young and he will be her second or third student. She says this will give her good practice. Ain't she sweet to do this for us? Saturday is also the Mt. Comfort Air Show and our family reunion. My grandma's brother and wife live 1/2 mile from the airport and we have always gone there to sit in their yard and watch the planes and show go on. This year we'll be adding a reunion with it. Should be fun!

It's good to be back!

"Our state fair is a great state fair..."
Aug 15, 2008 | 2:49 PM PST

We had a great time at the fair on Wednesday. The kids were pretty good and seemed to enjoy themselves too. Started the day watching the Farmer's Day Parade. We saw our Uncle Sleepy driving his restored John Deere tractor. He's driven that in the fair for as long as I can remember. Almost every county in the state was represented by one or a group of tractors restored by families. Then we checked out the world's largest boar and the new litter of piglets, the calves just a few days old, then headed out to the Pioneer village part of the fair. Ran into some friends there. Saw a "circus" with jumping Afghan dogs, monkeys, and an old elephant. Saw some beautiful white tigers pacing in their cages. Sat on every tractor and equipment that one could possibly find :) , shared an elephant ear, played in the 4-H building, saw the fish in the DNR building, and rode the tractor shuttle around the fair. Mom and I marvelled at how much the food was. Saw things we would have loved to have bought, but too expensive. :P Overall we had a great time. THe kids kind of gave out before mom and I but that's okay.

Yesterday, I canned some strawberry jam. #1 son can't wait to open one up and eat it.

State Fair memories and jobs done
Aug 12, 2008 | 4:56 PM PST

Puttied a few window panes back into their places in the shed, washed some windows, picked beans and tomatoes and cucumbers, went grocery shopping and dropped off the truck to have the front end fixed. Fixed the beans for supper tonight. Kids all ate it heartily, though some were a bit stringy. I thought I had planted yard-long beans. Turns out I was wrong. So some of the beans had gotten too tough. Now I'll pick them earlier. Gave some maters away to mom. Ours have been doing so well. The Lord keeps blessing us with the produce in the garden.

Going to the Indiana State Fair tomorrow with mom. Kids are so excited, so am I. We always go on Farmers' Day. I can remember going to the State Fair with my mom, grandparents, aunt and two cousins. We'd get up when the sun came up and spend all day at the fair. See everything at least twice. We never went to ride the rides, that was what the county fairs were for. The only ride we rode was the shuttle "bus" that went around and around the entire fair. Grandma would get tuckered out and end up riding the shuttle around. We always took a picnic for both meals and eat at the car for the meals. Watermelon and tomatoes, cucumbers and fried chicken. And iced tea in mason jars. Oh, those were the days!

Whew, what a big day!
Aug 7, 2008 | 8:45 PM PST

Cleaned out the shed. No skunk (but lots of skunk poop), but found 3 mice. Live ones. I let everyone around, by my screams, that there were mice around. :) Pulled everything out, swept, threw out trash or stuff we don't use anymore, got put in the pile for goodwill. It sure looks much nicer now. Looked everywhere in the garage for the putty one puts around window panes to seal them into place. Also acts as a caulk. Couldn't find it, so I will look again tomorrow. We have a few panes missing in the windows. The other one will get a screen for now, until something better can be done.

Also cleaned out the rest of the freezer that had died, then refroze everything. I mopped up yucky, bloody water until I had a bucketful. Yuck! But it's all empty. Now I have to "clean" it with disinfectant, so we can get rid of it. Called up a man who fixes appliances nearby. We are just going to give it to him, if he wants it.

Also went to the dump, goodwill store, thrift bread store and to a little grocery store to pick up s'more stuff for Saturday evening, when we go to some friends' house for the evening.

Tried new recipe and organization
Aug 6, 2008 | 1:07 PM PST

Tomatoes are coming on strong. Gave some away to mom last night. Tried a new recipe for Chicken Zucchini Casserole. It has chicken, zucchini (I used summer squash), carrots, onion, stuffing mix (I used crushed crackers instead), sour cream, cream of chicken soup and some other things. It was very yummy! Hubby and mom liked it very much. The kids not so much. Next time, I am going to shred the squash instead of dice it. That way the kids won't get hung up on the squash. They like to eat it raw, but I guess not cooked.

Hubby has said that I could get a head start on cleaning out the garage during this week, but I don't know where to begin! It's so daunting! I'm still trying to get the school stuff organized before we begin this fall. I'm tired of seeing stacks of stuff all around the house. I understand that this place is small, but still...

Lots of rain!
Aug 5, 2008 | 1:12 PM PST

Last evening, the kids and I watered all the veggies, because they looked parched. So we spent about an hour watering it all, giving a good soak. Shouldn't have. Early this morning, the rains came. God thoroughly soaked the ground. WHich is good. Yesterday, on the way to town, we saw some fields of corn that were rolling up like cigars...good sign they were thirsty.

The summer squash is coming in fine, though the leaves are starting to get that powdery look to them. Fungus?

Tomatoes are also ripening. Getting about 4 or 5 every two days or so. Makes good eatins! I will have to share with some others, who their tomatoes haven't done a thing. They have grown, but didn't make any blossoms. We figure it's from the wet season we had this spring and early summer. But the Lord has blessed our garden this year with everything doing well. The cowpeas are steadily growing. Hope I will be able to get a harvest out of them before the cold weather comes in.

The long cucumbers are steadily growing longer. We're eating off of the regular cukes and I would love to make pickles with the long ones when they are ready.

Bought 4 lbs. of strawberries yesterday. Aldi's had them for 99 cents a pound. Hope to make strawberry jam with them tomorrow.

Our state fair starts tomorrow. Looking forward to going to that. Mom wants to go with us. She wants to go when the horse shows are going on.

No peaches and skunk's still around
Aug 4, 2008 | 8:54 AM PST
Well, we didn't get peaches. THey didn't have any, but I did see the local orchard is advertising fresh peaches. Mom-in-law said that they are really expensive though, so I don't know. Saturday, I had to meet some people for a "field trip". I'm the v.p. of a very small group that gets together and talks about the history of our county/state. We are called "Heritage Trails". It's a fun time to get together once a month and talk about things in history or genealogy. Well, I waited for people but no one came, so I went to some garage sales that were around. Found one that a retired teacher was having. Lots of good things to use with the boys! I was excited! Hubby took the boys up to church to trim trees. They all got tuckered out and I met them at a restaurant to eat an early supper. The bath-water was black that night!!!! Found a skunk in the shed again that evening. I was putting the rake away, when something black and white waddled out from behind something. Of course, I screamed. I HATE it when something comes running out where there wasn't supposed to be anything. After I screamed a few times, I ran. Hubby laughed and asked what was wrong. "SKUNK!", I calmly told him. We decided, today, to put a radio in the shed with loud static and drive it bonkers, so it will move out of the shed. He'd like to make the shed a place where I can put all my gardening things in and possible the weed eaters, etc., to relieve congestion in the garage. The silly garage needs to be completely emptied, and then gone through and put back in an organized fashion. I guess we're going to do this Saturday. We'll see...

peaches?!?
Aug 1, 2008 | 7:18 AM PST

Dear hubby came home yesterday evening. What a nice surprise! Though the house was far from inviting. Canning stuff everywhere, no iced tea (Aaaaa!---my husband would love it if the iced tea pitcher was a bottomless pit), toys all over the floor in the living room (the main thoroughfare), etc. I was out mowing the yard that seemed about 6 inches high in places. A big portion of our yard used to be a cow pasture years ago, and you can tell it. It had been fertilized for many years and the grass just grows and grows and grows... Plus the heat and some rain to go with makes the grass and corn grow fast. But, hubby came home, shucked the sweet corn for me, cooked it and cut it off the cobs, and put it in freezer bags for me!!! We also had some for supper. But by the time everyone was in bed, I had a kitchen-ful of mess! Amazingly I did get it all cleaned up, dishes washed or put into the dishwasher. I was pretty tired then.

Today hubby had a run for the boss' sister. She heads up a farmer's market in Franklin. He had a huge crate put on the trailer and he's running down to Versailes to pick up watermelon and cantaloupe to sell at the market on Saturday morning. While he's down there, at the farm there, he's going to pick up a crate of peaches for us. We haven't had fresh peaches for awhile. I would love to make some more peach preserves and can whole peaches. The last time we had a crate or two of fresh peaches (at least 5 years ago) we couldn't keep our hands (and mouths) out of them. I was lucky to be able to make a batch of preserves then! They were kind of runny, but good on hot oatmeal and cold icecream.