Visions of Sugar Plums

Ladies and Gentlemen, Stanley is  In. The. House.

Stanley Plum, that is.

(applause)

Thank you. Thank you very much!

Naturally sweet, Stanleys are also called 'prune plums' because, well, you guessed it. When dried, they become tasty prunes.

I've never gotten that far with our Stanleys. We eat 'em up fresh, and maybe I'll make a batch or two of preserves. 

Why am I so excited about the plums? Because growing them these past few years has been a tale of woe. This is the first crop from one of several new trees that we've planted since our tried and true Stanley trees fell victim to Black Knot fungus around 12 years ago.

Our original Stanley plum trees were propagated by Arpod Kiss, himself a transplant from Hungary. Arpod was a fantastic horticulturist who could grow anything. He started our trees with cuttings from his own plum trees.

When we got our first crop, we fell in love with the plums. So did all of our friends. When the trees up and died, a sadness fell over the orchard. It's been a struggle since then to establish Stanley plum trees. When this tree finally made a crop we thought we had finally nipped the problem in the bud (so to speak), but we were wrong.

Jim found the beginnings of our arch enemy, Black Knot, on one of the branches. He amputated the diseased area and burned it. We are hoping that the operation took care of the problem. Only time will tell. But for now, FINALLY, we get to gorge ourselves with sweet plums.

Marcheta *plum excited 

The Grazin' 'n' Harmony Co-Op

I came across this lovely pastoral scene this morning and did a double take. The first animal that I noticed was a cute little kid. In a split second, a big ole beautiful cow caught my eye. Then sheep. 

HUH?

I don't ever remember seeing a mixed pasture like this before. Watching the animals wander about grazing, minding their own business,  and not butting into their neighbors' business felt peaceful to me. What a fantastic lesson in co-operation!

When I got out of the car to photograph them, the Boss Cow came over and gave me the once over with her gigantic bovine eyes. After a single bat of her long eyelashes, she gave me the stink eye and herded up the rest of the animals into a tight little group. I named her Bessie.

The other animals and cows simply began grazing again, but Bossy Bessie kept her eyes on me until I left. I had the feeling that if I had ventured closer, she would have called some sort of Bovine Hotline to get the Pasture Patrol Police after me. 

Hey, when cows talk to me, I listen, and took my pictures with my 70 -300 lens scoped clear out.

I love Bossy Bessie! Can you imagine having that kind of protection? This cow seems to know what real love is. :)

Marcheta *listening ears turned on

Bunny and Claude

These alpacas are so adorable that I can hardly believe that they are real. I mean, c'mon, dig their crazy hairdos and "deer in the headlights" expressions!

The other day I delivered apples and pears to my full-time country woman neighbor, Rachel, who live down a (very!) long lane. The alpaca yard is along the drive. On my way out I decided to stop to get pictures. I was hoping to capture the woolly creatures being natural, but they had other thoughts and began posing. Such hams!

For no particular reason, when I first saw this image after downloading files the names Bunny and Claude came to my mind. Next time I see Rachel, I'll ask her if the camelids have names, and if not, if my will do. :)

Mostly, I think that their faces are expressing curiosity. Maybe it was the camera, maybe it was the woman behind the lens...the only thing that I am sure of is that they were not going to do anything but stare into the lens!

Rachel's path from city gal to full-time country woman is an interesting story; one that I hope to record soon here at OCJ. Right now, though, both of us are busy, busy setting up at farmers markets and doing the other million things that need our attention. 

Marcheta *tilt you head a bit to the right, please

Alita's First Garlic Harvest

Alita Phillips finally has the 'luxury' of being a full-time country woman because she recently retired from her office job.

Even though she worked full-time, Alita always had a small veggie patch of 'regular' plants, such as tomatoes, but did not have the time to learn about how to raise other plants.

 Inspired by an earlier OCJ post about garlic scapes, Alita got busy working in an existing garlic patch. Today she sent me an email with this picture of her first garlic harvest. As you can see in Alita's picture, she has an impressive harvest of this savory and healthy plant!

Sadly, my own garlic patch needs attention. Maybe I'll think about it tomorrow?

Marcheta *jut like "Scarlet"



Years ago my sister, Sheree, gave me some garlic starts.  I planted them at the edge of my asparagus patch and they gradually took over.  This spring I zealously worked on clearing it because it was crowding out the asparagus.

Then Marcheta posted a blog about how to harvest garlic.  I had not known when or how to do it properly to get nicely developed heads with the papery covering like you buy on the grocery.  You can tell by the photo below, following her advice worked.

My garlic has always "volunteered," but this fall I'm going to plant some to make certain I have a crop to harvest next July.

Thanks, Sheree & Marcheta!!

Peach Dumplings ~ with a twist

 

 

 

 

Today Gladys is sharing a recipe for peach dumplings that she fixed recently. When I read the ingredients, my eyes and to re-adjust and look the list over again.

 

Why?

 

Because it calls for a  can of Mountain Dew.

 

Now, I've heard of Coca-Cola Cakes, Beer Bread, and other odd (to me) sounding recipes, but I never would have imagined pouring a can of pop over fruit dumplings.

 

Gladys says that this recipe is so good, and easy! I am seeing large peaches at produce stands and farmers markets these days, which I think are perfect for this recipe, so will give it a try. After all, I've known Gladys long enough that when she says a recipe tasty and easy, I believe her!

 

 

Marcheta *easy does it

 

  Peach Dumplings

 

2 lg.  whole peaches

2-8oz cans crescent rolls 

2 sticks butter

11/2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

cinnamon to taste

1  12oz. can Mountain Dew

 

      Peel & pit peaches. Cut peaches into 8 slices each.

      Roll each peach slice in a crescent roll.   

      Place in a 9x13 buttered baking dish

      Melt butter, add sugar & stir, add vanilla

      Stir & pour entire mixture over peaches.

      Pour Mountain Dew around edges of pan.

      Sprinkle with cinnamon

      Bake at 350 degrees or 40 min.

      Serve with ice cream & spoon sauces from pan over

        ice cream.

 

     

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Yesterday's Heart of the City car show event was a success! The weather was nice, Mansfield had a lot of good-lookin' cars to photograph, and Niabos Gallery was on fire selling our art. 

and then....

Off to Crestline to attend the wedding reception of m nephew Kevin and his new bride, Megan. It was nice to relax, see the happy couple, and visit with family members.

Today is a much deserved day away. Jim's birthday is Tuesday. He does not want to take that day off, and decided that he'd like to go to Cleveland to an Indian's baseball game today. I love going to the ball park, so I am happy with his decision. And, who knows...since the game is early afternoon, maybe we'll have time to stop at some nature spots on the way home.

The sky is an incredible shade of blue, we both are looking forward to "Getting out of Dodge", so I believe that this is going to be a great day!

Marcheta *batter up!

Toggling

Packard Hood Ornament by Marcheta Gibson

LOL...when I wrote the title for this post, the old commercial for the children's toy, Weebles, came to my mind.

"Weebles Wobble but they Don't Fall Down". Now that's a smile right there, isn't it? :)






And the slogan is perfect for describing me at this time. I had a TON of work all at once that I had to toggle back and forth, most of it unplanned and at times I did indeed feel like falling down (collapsing, actually!) from the weight of it, but just like the roly-poly weebles, I am still standing, and able to rest well tonight because everything that needed to get done is done and arrangements that needed to be made are made.


Usually Jim helps set up and/or pack up for the farmers markets, and then goes on his merry way. Today he is flying solo in Bucyrus and manning the apple stand without me because I am at Heart of Ohio Cruise-In in Mansfield, where my photography is on display at Niabos Art Exhibition Gallery.

And..to make the day even fuller, my nephew is getting married. I will have to miss the ceremony but am hoping to see the happy couple at their reception.


WHEW-WEE ~ makes me tired just reviewing all that has gone on in the past two weeks!

Here's how it went down:

Hood ornament photography: post production in Photoshop, printed (at home on my Epson 1400 wide format photo printer), framed and/or packaged, priced, descriptions written, greeting cards made:
Check

Three art pieces framed, paper work done, ready to deliver  on Monday to Mansfield Richland Public Library for the Apronistas: Hidden Pockets exhibit: Check


Apples and pears: sorted, bagged, labeled, priced, money box prepared, support materials packed: check

Apple sauce and peach butter: made and in freezer: Check

Blabbing on this blog: only missed one day, so...how about a 99% check?

Laundry and dishes...not so much..... BUT the bare necessities are covered, so let's at least give me a half-check :)


When the dust settles after the car show, I'll know that it was all worth it, and like the lines that I wrote for Song of the Hood Ornament (to the tune of Singing in the Rain), I'll be, smilin' and singin' in the wind!

Actually, I know it now!

Marcheta *smilin' an' singin'

Driven to Success

 

 

 

The image above was created by Violta Chinni, who is the owner of Niabos Art Exhibition Gallery. Niabos is located on the square in Mansfield, a perfect location for an exhibition of automotive art during Saturday's Heart of the City Cruise-In.

 

 

I met Violeta last January when I attended her Social Media for Artists class at Mansfield Art Center. I posted about the class on January 17.

 

During our class, we realized that two other students, Brad Gray and Aurelio Luna Villa Diaz shared my appreciation for the artful details that make classic cars so popular today.

 

 

Violeta's gallery is new. The Mansfield News Journal did a wonderful story about Violet, her gallery, and Driven. You can read it here (and see my framed print of a Pierce Arrow hood ornament).

 

Violeta's  Grand Opening is not scheduled until next month, but she couldn't resist organizing a 'sneak preview' of her gallery space during the car show, and contacted Brad, Aurelio, and me to see if we could make a show happen.

 

We could, and we did!

 

Last night we took our pieces to the gallery and brainstormed ways to display the pieces. We are all very excited to be a part of this show, which we named "Driven: Celebration of Automotive Art". I, especially, appreciate having Violeta as a friend and mentor.

 

That said, apples and pears don't care if I have other things to occupy my time. They hang out on their trees, basking in the sun while ripening (and falling if I don't get to them when they want me to). Sometimes I feel as if I am a slave to fruit and in a war with fruit flies.

 

I also appreciate my market customers, so copping out on a market is out of the question, even if I can't be two places at one time (drat it, anyway!).

 

Jim has agreed to man our stand at Bucyrus' Lil' Farmers Market tomorrow while I bask in the glow of gleaming chrome and go on a hood ornament safari with my camera.

 

As you can imagine, it's been a very hectic month because....

 

****TA DA****

 

I am also part of another art exhibit at the Mansfield Richland County Public Library (also organized by Violeta...can you imagine her dedication to promoting local art?). I've almost got my three pieces for that show ready, too. More on this later.

 

Marcheta *Driven to make all of this happen

 

  

Don't Cry for Me

 I had a nice, long nature walk this morning. And, of course, I can't help but notice the fact that summer is beginning to fade. 

This rudbeckia seems to be shedding tears from its sad brown eye, but...not really. There was a thin blade of dew-strewn grass just in front of the flower, and the camera lens caught the drops. It reminds me of the song, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina". 

Why?

Well, that's anyone's guess :)

I know for me, I am certainly not crying about summer coming to a close. It is my least favorite season. Autumn cannot arrive soon enough for this gal!

Marcheta *shedding no tears

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

Special occasions call for special foods.

Sometimes, we feel like avoiding crowds and the cost of fancy restaurants. That's when it's good to have a quick and easy 'fancy celebration' recipe on file, like Gladys Clark does. 

Gladys writes:

This I made for our anniversary (yesterday 57 yrs.)  It definitely was worthy of the occasion.

 

         Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

 

Whisk 1/2 c. peanut butter& 1/2 c. milk in med. bowl until blended

Add 1 3.4 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix (dry)

Beat 2 min.

Stir in 1c. cool whip (thawed)

 

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side in center of  8x8 shallow dish

Leaving room on all sides (at the end you will see why we need room on all sides)

Top sandwiches with half the pudding mixtures

Layer another 4 sandwiches on top of pudding

Spread remainder of pudding on top of this layer of sandwiches

Layer last 4 sandwiches on top of pudding

Mix 1/3 c. peanut butter with remainder of your 8 oz. container of cool whip. Blend

Spread onto top & all 4 sides of dessert

Sprinkle top with butter brickle bits

Cover loosely with foil

Freeze several hours or overnight

 

This is delicious!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations to the Clark's!!

Marcheta *keeping it yummy

 

The Apple Does Not Fall Far From the Tree

There's a saying that "the apple does not fall far from the tree". This is true for me, Kerry, and Ava.

 

When Kerry was young she loved to be cooking. If she wasn't in the kitchen helping me, she was pretend cooking. One of her favorite things to do was to pretend that long pine cones were hotdogs that she "grilled" on the porch steps' side supports.

 

Ava also loves to be cooking, and if she doesn't have a kitchen, no problem because she, too, will conjure up pretend cooking stations.

 

On Sunday, Ava got to cook for real.  I took Ida Red apples, Red Bartlett pears and the fixin's to teach her how to make a fruit crisp.

 

As you can see in these pictures, Ava is serious when she cooks and always dons her chef's hat and apron  that was custom made for her by yours truly :)

 

Marcheta *now I'll "make like a tree, and leave" (anyone having "Back to the Future flashbacks? LOL)

 

 

 

 

Localvore Round-up

I am calling my Localvore Challenge Week a huge success. Other than just a few items, our food was sourced locally and cooked at home.

It took some planning and some adjusting, but my "test" showed me that it is, indeed, possible for people to eat healthy, locally grown and raised food.

Normally, I would not even be thinking this way because we have the orchard and usually a big garden. Too much rain ruined a lot of our own garden produce, which is why local sources became important to me this year.

Now, in other news.......


I've got a lot going on all at once, and I feel that life is out of balance right now. However, in a day or two all of these things will be taken care of and I can get back into some sort of routine.

We are now picking lots of apples and setting up at two farmers markets. I am also working on art work for two shows. The first one is on Saturday in downtown Mansfield during the Cruise In at Niabos Gallery. The name of the show is "Driven: a Celebration of Automotive Art."

In early September my work will be on display, along with other women, in Mansfield Richland County Public Library's main building, again in downtown Mansfield.

As you can imagine, I am scrambling to meet deadlines!



Marcheta *busy as a bee in a clover field

Meet Ida and Localvore Week ~ Day 6

 These pretty apples are Ida Reds. Originally from the famous Spud State, Idaho, Ida Red is a cross between Jonathan and Wagener. 

Ida is a bit of a tart with a measure of sass thrown in, so it only appeals to people who like to eat apples on the tart side. 

So far this year we have harvested Yellow Transparent, Lodi, and Wealthy...and the tartness level goes down with each variety. I'd say, for me at least, Ida Red is on the borderline...there's a hint of sweetness behind the kick:)

If you find that Ida Red is still to tart to eat straight up, try adding them to chicken salad (will really perk up deli salads!), Waldorf, or other salads.

If you like baking apples, Ida Red's for you! And if you are in a hurry, Idas are great as fried apples. I saute apples in (real, of course!) butter. When they are done, I sprinkle them with a mulling spice mix (my own) or a combination of apple pie spice and sugar.

Marcheta *Ida Red's Friend

**********LOCALVORE DAY 6**********

Even though Galion/Crestline Chamber of Commerce was grilling free hot dogs on Galion's Public Square, and I was super busy with a TON of things that had to get done, I pushed down temptation and ate locally harvest meals at home.

We still had enough hamburger from Rus-Men's Naturally Raised Meats to make each of us a fat, juicy sandwich, served on locally baked buns also purchased from The Farmers Wife Store. Fresh tomato and green pepper mustard made the sandwiches yummy. I had some Iceberg lettuce needing to be used up, and really, is a hamburger complete without lettuce? 

Another thing needing to be used up was an eggplant bought at NorthSide Farmers Market on Tuesday. I sauteed it with white onion and yellow squash.

I finished up the home made tomato juice and Jim had iced tea.

Jim was away at supper, so I had an egg sandwich with a side of tomatoes, topped off with an oatmeal cookie bought at NSFM from Bill's Bakery.

Not sourced locally:

Iceberg lettuce

tea

Total Local ~ Localvore Week, Day 5

This picture is of John Charlton and his son, who sell baked goods at both markets that I attend as a vendor. I've gotta tell you, their bread is the BEST EVER. No preservatives means it has to be kept in the refrigerator, but it is well worth the real estate  because it lasts and lasts.

 

Tuesday I was hoping to get a loaf of their maple oatmeal bread because it is the best sandwich bread I have ever tasted. But, alas, they were sold out by the time I was able to break free from my apple stand to shop. I ended up with an Italian herb loaf and all I can say is....

 

 

 

 

 

!!!!!MY WORD!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

!!!!!!MY TASTEBUDS!!!!!!!

 

 

It was definitely a case of Love at First Bite :)

 

 

Now, along with the Charlton's cinnamon swirl bread (great for French Toast), maple oatmeal (for sandwiches) I now have to have their Italian herb on a regular basis. Half my grocery budget is going to be spent on bread...LOL

 

If you have a chance to shop at NorthSide Farmers Market (901 P.W.N. in front of Galion K.F.C./ Tuesdays 4 - 6) or Lil' Farmers Market (1695 E. Mansfield St., Bucyrus, across from Auto Zone, Saturday mornings 8:30 -noon), I highly recommend that you talk with John and try his family's bread. Mendy and I set up at both of those markets, too...so stop by and say "hey" to us!!

 

 

 

**********Localvore Update**********



 

Before supper yesterday, I make a quick trip to Mendy's store, The Farmers Wife. Lucky for me, she had 2 packages of home-made buns left. I nabbed one for tonight's meal, making it  TOTAL LOCAL.

 

 

 

*Y*A*Y*

 

So, what's on the menu for today? Well...we now have nectarines and plums, along with Ida Red apples, plus we still have Red Bartlett pears. Looks like a fruit compote to me!

 

Lunch will be simple, I just need to reheat the roast beef and cauliflower, add fresh fruit, and maybe fry up a few potatoes. Jim won't be around for dinner, which means I'll have something even more simple, like an egg sandwich. Again, it looks like a TOTAL LOCAL day!

 

Marcheta *keeping on keeping on! 

 

 

Harvest at the Woodward ~ Localvore Week, Day 4

I first heard about a store named  Harvest at the Woodward in Mt.Vernon, Ohio, from my friends, Corinne and Matt Gompf of Heritage Harvest Farm. The Gompf's have a market stall at Mt. Vernon's farmers market, and the store carries the dip mixes, herbs, spice , and teas that Corinne custom blends.

Jim and I were in Mt. Vernon on Sunday for the Dan Emmett Festival. We saw this lovely display. I realized that it was made by the store that Corinne has talked about. The store was open, so we went inside to check it out. Man, oh, man, am I ever glad that we did!

I soon realized that the store only carries Ohio produced foods, most from Knox and surrounding counties. I think that the Harvest at the Woodward is a localvore's dream store!

Not only does the store carry produce, it also has milk, cheese, eggs, and meats. Here one can find goat's milk, sheep cheese, and yogurt made from local dairies. Isn't that wonderful?

The day was hot and I did not have an insulated bag with ice packs in the car, so I did not do any shopping that day. But I can hardly wait to go baaa-ack (hopefully next week) because I am more curious than the Cheshire Cat about how sheep cheese tastes like!

Marcheta *sheepish

Day 4 Localvore meals

 Lunch

Jim stayed in town where his job site is at, so for myself I heated up the leftover pork with peach/pear salsa and finished off the apple/pear cobbler.

Planned for Dinner

Roast beef sandwiches (the beef was slow cooked with yesterday's stuffed peppers)

mashed or fried potatoes

marinated cucumber/onion/grape tomato salad

fried apples

fresh homemade tomato juice

Not sourced locally:* 

sandwich buns

Everything else is local and from the same sources as listed yesterday.



Localvore Week, Day 3

I bought all of this fresh, LOCALLY RAISED, food yesterday at NorthSide Farmers Market, for about $35.00. I had planned to spend $25.00, but that was before I realized that we did not have much meat left at home.

After the market, I traded with several other vendors and came home with a large bag of tomatoes, a few cookies, and two cinnamon rolls (ah...the perk of being a vendor!)

But even without those extras, I think that I did pretty good. I got a variety of veggies, meat for at least 5 meals, and, for fruit break from peaches, apples, and pears, I bought a cantaloupe.



Today's local fare:

Lunch:
boneless pork, cut into strips and pan fried, served with peach/pear salsa
eggplant sautéed in the garlic scape oil that I made earlier this summer
fresh cantaloupe melon
apple/pear cobbler served with Hartzler's Dairy whole milk

Iced tea


Planned for supper:
stuffed peppers cooked in home-made tomato juice
cauliflower with cheese sauce
veggie sauté ~ carrot, yellow squash, onion 
Italian herb bread w/ butter

cantaloupe smoothie
water

Local sources:
Rus-Men Naturally Raised Meats
Witter's Produce
Charlton's bakery
That's My Farmer
Bebee's Bees
Our own orchard/garden 

Purchasing venues:
The Farmers Wife Store
NorthSide Farmers Market
Bucyrus Lil' Farmers Market


Items not sourced locally

tea
cheese
butter
olive oil
spices
oatmeal
orange

I'd say that this is a successful localvore day!

Marcheta *feeling successful

Localvore Week, Day 2 ~ Breakfast of Champions!

Tuesdays are busy days for me. Along with picking, sorting, and getting our fruit ready by 2:00 p.m. to take to NorthSide Farmers Market, I also do marketing P.R. on Facebook. After I get the press release done in the morning, I check the market's Facebook page several times to see if any vendors have updates for me to add and to answer any questions that customers may have.

That means that Tuesday's meals are usually quick and easy, and more often than not, a repeat of Monday's fare. 

This is Day 2 of my dedication to eating as local as possible. For breakfast, I had apple/pear cobbler that I baked yesterday, served with whole milk from Hartzler's Dairy. The dairy is in Wooster, I am able to buy their products from Mendy Sellman's store, The Farmers Wife.

At this point, I don't know what lunch and dinner will be, I am thinking that we'll heat up the "mess" of green beans/new potatoes from yesterday.

Market Day means Shopping Day. Most of the time, my market purchases are spontaneous ..if something catches my eye, I buy it. Today will be more focused. I am taking $25.00 specifically for this week's fresh groceries to see how far it will stretch. Just imagine the tasty, FRESH meals I'll be able to prepare for my localvore week!

Marcheta * keepin' it tasty!

Localvore Week, Day 1

Today is the first day of my experiment of having as much locally produced foods as possible for our meals. So far I'm calling it 99% successful. The glitch came about because Jim had bought green beans at Ashland's farmers market on Saturday when he was in that town on business. I was working at Bucyrus' Lil' Farmers Market, if I had known that he was coming home with fresh green beans, I could have bought ham, bacon, or ham-hock from Mendy and Russ, who also set up at the market with their naturally raised meats. 

Those beans needed to be cooked today, and Mendy's store is not open on Monday, so I thought the next best choice would be at Discount Drug Mart. Yes, it is a chain store, but it does a pretty good job of supplying local when available. DDM carries meat from  New Washington, a village in the northern part of the county. 

No luck, DDM was out of what I was searching for, (being Monday morning I am guessing that the delivery hadn't arrived). My only option that was left was to go to our main grocery store. I bought a nice ham hock, that I believe came from an Ohio farm. 

Back home, I cleaned the green beans and put them in a slow cooker with potatoes and onion from our garden. The ham hock went in for flavor.

Then it was time to fix lunch. The only thing on our lunch menu that was not local was lettuce.

I made hamburgers from ground beef bought at Mendy's store on Saturday. The bread was a hearty maple/oat loaf that I got at NorthSide Farmers Market last week. It is wonderful bread made by the Charlton's. The bread has no preservatives and has to be stored in the refrigerator, but believe me, I've never had any kind of bread keep as long as the Charlton's. :)

The tomatoes and red peppers were from our garden, the cauliflower from Witter's Produce (again bought at NSFM).

A peach smoothie, made with our peaches and fresh milk from Hartzler's Dairy in Wooster (again, purchased at Mendy's) served as beverage and dessert :)

Tonight's dinner is the green bean dish (it smells SO good!) and apple/pear cobbler, made with our apples and pears, honey from Dave Duncan (Crestline) and Hartzler's milk. 

All in all, I think that I've got a good start to a localvore week of eating. What do you think?

Marcheta *keepin' it real

Cruisin'

The attitude of this Trumpeter Swan (photographed at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge) seems to sum up my luck with nature photography this year...."take THAT, you crazy lady with the camera"!  Being at the right place at the right time just ain't happening for me so far this year (but there is always hope...fall migration is just around the corner).

So...today I am changing focus, literally. After a wonderful breakfast at our town's old fashioned eatery ,The Big Plate, with dear friends Nancy and Don (from PA, who are in town visiting family and friends), Jim and I are heading down the highway to the Dan Emmet Car Show in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

Just like the Call of the Wild pulls me to nature spots, hood ornaments beckon me to car shows. As soon as my feet hit the pavement , the search is on.

Seven years and several hundred photos of hood ornaments later, I will be featured in a gallery show in downtown Mansfield during the big car show there. More on that later, for now, the search is on for things like this...

Marcheta *take THAT...you crazy Trumpeter Swan! 

Localvore Challenge

It's been a long day for me already. It began bright and early to set up at Bucyrus' Lil' Farmers Market. Sales were great, I think that most vendors, including me, came very close to selling out.



NICE!

This afternoon, I have been busy with peaches. Today's peachy project is to freeze them in quart bags, which is enough for a pie, cobbler, or crisp. I still have quiet a few to do, but did not want to miss blogging today (and I need a break from standing at my sink), so here I am for a minute or two.

I plan to begin a project this week of having the food for every meal coming from local sources. The crowds that shop at our farmers markets are people of like mind, people who are now being called "localvores".  Will you join my localvore challenge?  I think that it will be fun as well as healthy!

Marcheta *up for it

What Big Eyes You Have!

Here is one of the make it/take it activities Denise had for the children at NorthSide Farmers Market. The owls are fun and simple to make.

Using icing as glue, split an Oreo cookie in half and place them on a large sugar cookie. a Bugle snack is the beak,and any round candy or nut could be used for the eyeballs. 

The kids had a blast making (and eating!) their owlish treats :)

Marcheta *who? who?

Peachy Keen

I have been up to my elbows in peaches today. To start my kitchen session, I made a peach crisp. 

To make the crisp, I put the slices in a square baking dish, drizzled honey over the peaches, and topped with the same topping that I use for apple crisps.

While it was in the oven, I continued to peel and slice peaches for other uses. After the crisp came out of the oven I had errands to tend to and a small amount of work for  the Galion Inquirer, so the sliced peaches got shoved into the fridge...but not for long. Those peaches are soon to be turned into peach/pear salsa and peach butter.

****True Confession****

I've never made peach butter, but decided to make it this year because I think it is healthier than jam, which uses a TON of sugar. I looked several recipes up online and, once again, after understanding the method and ingredients, decided to make my own recipe.

Most recipes say to cook the peaches and then run through a sieve to get that nice, smooth texture. However, my NutriBullet blender was right at eye-level when I was peeling the peaches, and an idea crept into my brain: why not run the peach slices through the blender, then add sweetener and spices? Sounds a WHOLE lot easier to me...what do you think? (check the "agree" box).

So that is what I am off to do as soon as this blog blab gets published.

My plan: puree the peaches in the NutriBullet, heat the puree on the stove, add honey and cinnamon. 

Batta Boom....DONE!


*S*W*E*E*T*

Marcheta *off I go, into the wild peachy yonder

Chillaxin'

After two very busy and hectic days, I am heading to Reynoldsburg to visit two of my kids and my three grandkids this afternoon.

Just look a the smile on Isaac's face when he was introduced to cooling down in water while we were in Florida last June. Who can resist spending time with a baby who is as happy as he is?

Well, right now he's not so happy, his mouth is sprouting teeth and he doesn't know what to think about the changes in his body. But, either way, he makes *me* happy, as do Evan and Ava...and I am really looking forward to our time together.

Marcheta *outta here

With a Little Help from my Friends

Picking fruit is fun....for about five minutes. Then it becomes a chore, especially when a lot of stretching or bending comes into play. 

Lucky for me, I have several friends who don't mind picking their own fruit and then hanging around to help me. Yesterday, Denise came over after work. Not only did she pick peaches and pears, she cleaned onions that had to be pulled from the garden.

Our garden, along with most, is a disaster this year. The veggies didn't stand a chance against the rain but the weeds loved it and went wild. Well, wilder than usual...no matter what our Spring intentions are we always seem to end up with a messy garden at harvest. But, with a bounty of fresh veggies, we don't let it get us down too much. This year, there's not a whole lot of payoff in those weed patches :(

Thank goodness for farmers markets. The vendors at the two markets that we set up at are struggling, too, but so far we've been able to eat a nice variety of fresh, locally grown produce this year.

Marcheta *thankful for friendship