Drying Herbs

Today I gave the parsley a "hair cut". I brought the clipped herbs inside to dry for winter use.

There are many ways to dry, and even freeze, herbs. All are very easy, so there is no reason to let the plants go to waste after their growing time ends.

The easiest way is to simply put them in bundles and secure with  strings or rubber bands, then hang the bundles in a cool dark space if you have one. If you don't have a dark space, then cover with a paper bag (which also helps to keep them clean).

Judging by the amount of cobwebs in my house, I decided against hanging and dug out the food dehydrator. I set it on low, and will turn it off tonight because I am not sure how long it will take for the parsley to dry. If the parsley hasn't dried enough, then I will turn the dehydrator back on tomorrow morning and keep an eye on it. It should not take too long because the herb is not a dense plant. Drying time all depends on how much moisture is in the plant. 

The pictures show two ways that I approached drying. The first was to pull the flat heads off to make parsley flakes. That was pretty time consuming. The next two racks got the full sprigs; I am thinking that maybe after the sprigs have dried I can crumble them off the stems. 

This, my friends, is called an 'experiment'....(another way of excusing my laziness, LOL).

Another way to dry herbs is to spread them on flat sheets (like cookie sheets or jelly roll pans) and put them in a warm oven. Keep the oven door ajar to let air circulate. 

Next up: basil. I already put a batch in the freezer last month, as freezing is the best way to preserve it. Now is the time to finish off the plants, as they are about done with their life cycle. I may keep a small amount and bring in the house just to see how much longer they will live. Another experiment! But that is  how we learn, eh?

Marcheta *putting on her Mad Scientist Hat

Apple Butter Festival

 

Yesterday we went to the Apple Butter Festival at the Lutheran Memorial Camp in Fulton, Ohio.

LMC was also the place where we went to the Maple Syrup Festival last March. 

These folks are busy, to say the least! 

I liked the welcome sign posted on trees as we walked to the festival area.

The camp is a perfect place for both festivals. The wooded area has a rustically beautiful main lodge where musicians hang out, making joyful noises for everyone to enjoy.

There was horse-drawn wagon rides, a children's craft/play area, auction, arts and crafts, farmers market, and of course, food.

People could watch (and purchase) apple cider being made in a small, man-powered cider mill. Cider does not come any fresher!

Making apple butter the old-fashioned way is a long process. Apples are washed and chopped and added to apple cider in a large copper kettle which is suspended over a wood fire. The mix has to be constantly stirred to prevent sticking and scorching, which would ruin the whole batch. 

It takes a LONG time for the apples and cider to reduce to apple butter consistency. Someone must always keep the fire stoked. Naturally, making apple butter is a group project, as both the stirrer and the poker get tired (and hot!) mighty fast.

Near the end, spices such as cinnamon and cloves are added. 

The end product is well worth the effort. 

These days, many people make homemade apple butter in the oven or slow cooker. I am so lazy that I simply make applesauce, cook it down a bit more, add the spices and call it "apple butter".

Hey, whatever works, eh? :)

Marcheta *lazy and proud of it

Losing Their Heads ~or~ Adventures in Seed Saving

Last spring I purchased a flat of marigolds at NorthSide Farmers Market to add some color to the low beds that mark the beginning of the sidewalk to the house. This bed already has peonies and Stella D'ora dalylilies. Much to my surprise, these marigolds turned into giants and completely hid (but did not kill) the perennials.

Although they were a bit misplaced where I planted them, the thing is that I really like them. I think that next year this type will look fantastic blooming at the barn and I set out to save the seeds.

Seed saving, for the most part, is not difficult. I rate marigolds as "super easy" on the SSDR (Seed Saving Difficulty Rating) meter. Another benefit is that marigolds are probably the easiest flower to start from seed indoors. A win/win situation if I ever saw one!

The picture also shows that the marigolds are dropping their petals and that the seeds in the pods have started to drop. Now is a perfect time to declare "Off with their heads!" and collect the seeds.

For this process, I used pruning shears to clip off the dried seed pod and put them in an enamelware pan.  I relaxed on the porch and pulled the seeds out of the pods. I left the seeds in the pan for a few days to make sure that they are really dry. Another way would be to lay them out on a fine mesh screen, but really, how many of us have such a thing handy?

The seeds can now be put in envelopes and marked or, the lazy way that I do it, put in a glass jar. Even though I know that these are marigold seeds, you betcha that I'll label them as:

****Ginormously Giant Marigolds, 

plant with caution****

 :)

A few days after I collected the seeds, I bought the latest edition of Mother Earth Living magazine. It has a beneficial article on seed saving and another great article on drying/freezing herbs (my next project). 

If you want to save seeds, I recommend this article. You can also find tips online if you do a web search. So...why not save some money by saving the seeds of your favorite flowers?

Marcheta *frugal gardener

Color Me Beautiful

It is another clear blue-sky day that sets off October's glory like no other. The colors have been changing little-by-little since the end of September. They are nearly ready to burst into full spectrum. 

Today is a wonderful day for me because I am going to traverse Ohio countryside at will...no particular route in mind...simply to see what I will see.  

What will you notice today?

Marcheta *color me happy

Just Passin' Through...Fall Migration

 

 

As often as possible (almost daily) I like to begin and end daylight hours with a trip with my camera to my favorite local nature spot, the twin reservoirs Amann/Amick just south of Galion in Morrow County.

This past week an Osprey has kept me entertained. Ospreys are not a common sight, and to have one hanging around has many people all a-flutter. I may not get the best pictures of it (after all, these raptors move !!!FAST!!!), but watching it cruise along, taking a high road, then bomb-diving for it's meal revs up my energy, too. 

Usually I arrive near the end of its fishing expedition (if I see it at all) and have no hope for any sort of decent picture because it stays too far from shore.

This morning I was lucky. I went to Amick first. What I first saw gave me hope, for just inside the parking lot, three pickup trucks were clustered together. Each driver was standing outside his truck, and one had binoculars pointed skyward. 

Instantly, ***I KNEW IT***

I knew that the men were watching something big and wonderful. It had to be the Osprey or the equally magnificent Bald Eagle that has been fishing there daily, too. I took my eyes off of them as I slowed to enter the parking lot and looked at the sky over the water, and there it was. With a slight tilt of extended wings and moving full speed ahead, the Osprey rounded the far shore and made a bee-line towards us lowly humans.

 

I forgot all about the sandwich I had brought for an al-fresco breakfast picnic and parked the car near the boat ramp so that I could run up and down the muddy, rocky shore if needed. The engine barely had time to shut down as I grabbed my camera, which I've learned to keep loaded, turned on, and ready to fire for these types of photo emergencies . I don't think I've ever exited a car as fast as I did today :)

I could not believe my luck as I took steady aim as I could muster and began to pan in sync with this magnificent bird. I stayed right with him, vicariously and enviously enjoying the freedom of flight.

 And the best part? Mr. Osprey came *almost* in my 300mm camera lens range, the closest that I've been able to get so far. And the better part? It circled around several times, giving me more than one photo op. Not quite the "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille"...but, hey, I'm still a happy photography camper today!

 

I'm telling you, the res is where it's at for nature lovers as well as fishermen and the picnic crowd. And it is going to get better. Although not on a high migration trail, we do get variety of weary travelers looking to dine and rest on the waters. Two years ago I got a nice picture of a horned grebe, for instance.

Now is the time to look for migrating waterfowl. This online article on Crane Creek-Magee Marsh Birding by world renown birding expert (and fellow Ohioan) Kenn Kaufmann explains what to look for this fall; month by month. Seeking these visitors is a rewarding way to spend a beautiful autumn day, like today. I cannot think of a better way to spend a country drive than to head out to marshes and nature areas looking for birds of a different feather. Can you?

A few nature place to try in Crawford and surrounding counties are: Garlo Nature Preserve (Seneca County), Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (Wyandot County) and Big Island Wildlife Area (Marion County).

Marcheta *happy hunter

NaNoWriMo

Are you wondering that maybe I went off the deep end and that I think  I am communicating with Mork from Ork?

That's ok if you do.



But, really, I am not.



Then, what the?



NaNoWriMo is acronym for National Novel Writing Month.


It happens every November. Beginning on November 1 and closing on November 30, people who sign up for NaNoWriMo dedicate themselves to writing a 50,000 word novel.

Yep.

In one month.

To be a part of NaNoWriMo, you set up an account on their website. Daily you upload your words and NaNo keeps track of them for you. The website also helps you to find support groups in your area.

A good example of NaNoWriMo success is the novel Water for Elephants, that became a movie. Can you imagine? I am blown away by this fact.



Inspired by friends who have achieved the NaNo goal, last year I thought, hey, why not? and signed up.


Even though I attended "write ins" at Galion Public Library, I was not able to stay focused on my work. The main reason was that I did not understand how to organize writing a book. Most of my NaNo time was spent working on character descriptions and, well, a story line to make the book interesting.

So this year, with last year's experience as motivation, I asked the library to schedule a "pre na-no" workshop to help people like me. Rachel, my wonderful editor at the Galion Inquirer, has agreed to lead these workshops.

Will I be successful this year? Only time will tell. To tell you the truth, part of the goal of starting this blog last January was to train myself to be dedicated to writing daily. Until the last few weeks, I feel satisfied with myself. I wrote even on days that were full and I was tired,  and, more impressive to me, making sure that I had blog posts scheduled to publish while I was on vacation. Adding setting up at art shows and cider time to my schedule messed up my good record, and I reverted back to "writing in my head", because even on days when I did not post here, I had words that I wanted to share. I told myself that I was "too tired" to blog, but in reality, I was just facing burn out.

Knowing these things, I am determined to keep November's slate as clean as possible. Sure, it does not take all day to physically write 1,666 words. What gets in the way is too many things that need attention and fracture my focus.

Orchard season will be over. Evergreen Season does not start until the end of November. Can I treat NaNoWriMo as my new 'job' and see it to completion?

All I know is that I am going to give it my best shot.

Marcheta *deadeye

100 (and still counting!)....

There's been a steady march of apple varieties this year for us; from the very early Yellow Transparent, Lodi, and Wealthy to summer favorites Ida Red, Jonathan, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious; and now early autumn's tasty Grimes Golden, Rome Beauty, and Winesap.  

My guesstimate is that we've picked at least 100 bushels of apples so far this season. This is apples alone...we also had peaches, plums, and tons of pears.

Folks, that is a LOT of fruit. I have to look at each one and decide its fate. Thank goodness, the season is winding down, and with it the farmers markets will end.  I will miss my fellow vendors and the wonderful foods that they produce, but not loading and unloading the truck and setting up and taking down the EZ Up... enough is enough, already! 

Up next: fall clean up of gardens  and gearing up for Evergreen Season. We make fresh mixed-green wreaths and other greens, such as swags and grave blankets, as well as being one of the few places for fresh-cut and balled and burlaped (live) Christmas trees.This means gathering and wiring pine cones, making bows, cutting greens; cheerful Holly,  long needled White and stout Scotch Pines, fragrant Fraser Firs and Junipers, and lacy Arborvitae. But that is not for a while yet. In the meantime, I have a nice repose from farm work. 

Such is the way of life in farm country. We may not live by the tides, as fishermen do, but we certainly live by the seasons. It feels natural to me, and even on days when I am unmotivated or feeling blue, I am thankful that I have choices and options.What's on my mind to fill the nice chunk of time between now and December's flurry of work? Stay tuned...it is something that you may want to do, too :)

Marcheta *turn, turn, turn

Homemade Chuncky Applesauce

I've never canned applesauce because it does very well in the freezer, and if there is a lazy way to preserve food, I'll choose it every time! :) 

What is great about freezing applesauce is that the process of making it does not require a big commitment of time; you can do up small batches as you get the time.

For instance, I have Jonathan apples that need to be used up or go in with the cider apples, so planned to make fried apples for lunch. When I started peeling the apples, I decided to go ahead and work up the half-peck basket that I had brought into the kitchen with a new plan to put a container of chunky sauce in the freezer.

For this method, I peeled and quartered the apples. I put them in a deep stainless steel fry pan with a small amount of water to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom of the pan. I set the pan on low heat to get the apples started; when the natural juices began to cook out of the apples, I turned the heat up a little bit.While I was making the rest of the lunch, I moseyed over to the stove every now and again to stir the apples. By the time lunch was ready, the whole batch of apples were cooked.

Because these Jonathans were a bit old and not kept in cold storage, some of them cooked down to a nice sauce consistency, so I forgot all about fried apples and took a potato masher to the whole pan. A taste test resulted in some serious **YUM**. To take the sauce to a higher level, all I need to do was mix in about two teaspoons of real can sugar into the entire batch. 

This yielded one quart for the freezer, the rest I divided between our lunch plates. 

See how quick and easy that was? 

More than often, I make applesauce a different way: forgoing the peeling. This involves running the apples through a sieve, so when I make sauce that way I do dedicate a few hours to the process. But still, I freeze my tasty results! 

Marcheta *hitting the sauce

Apple Cider Sauce

Apple cider’s flavor reaches a higher level when reduced, making it a perfect choice for making syrup and sauces.  A 20- 30 minute investment in your time yields perfect “homemade gourmet” treats.

This recipe for Apple Cider Sauce is wonderful served hot or cold on such goodies as pancakes, waffles, French Toast, yellow cake, and ice cream. How about winter squash (one of my favorite winter veggies)? Ummm…sounds good to me!

Marcheta *have cider, will cook 

 

Apple Cider Sauce

2 cups apple cider

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon butter

½- 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice or cinnamon, to taste (optional)

 

Boil cider in a small heavy saucepan on high heat until reduced to one cup…stirring often. This takes about 15 minutes.

Mix cornstarch, water, and spices if using in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.

Add cornstarch mixture to the cider.

Stir for about one minute, or until cider is thickened to your liking.

At the very end, swirl in the butter.

 

 

 

Apple Betty Recipe

Apple Betty is an old-fashioned dessert that we don't hear a lot about these days. I think that is sad, because Apple Betty is quick, easy, and tasty. What more could a person want?  I am not sure why recipes for Apple Betty have fallen off of today's radar, but recipes can be found online and in church cookbooks and vintage cookbooks.

Another name for this dessert is Apple Brown Betty.Here are a few facts about Brown Betty that I found at Wikipedia:

"A Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert made from fruit (usually apple, but also berries or pears) and sweetened crumbs. Similar to a cobbler or a bread pudding, it consists of a baked pudding made with layers of sweetened and spiced fruit and buttered bread crumbs. It is usually served with a lemon sauce or whipped cream.

The dish was first mentioned in print in 1864.^[1] A recipe from 1877 uses apple sauce and cracker crumbs.^[2]

Apple Brown Betty was one of the favorite desserts of Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the White House.^[3]

Peggy Hill from the show King of the Hill likes to make apple brown betty."

Apple Betty is similar to a crisp, but it does not have oats in the topping. It is also similar to a cobbler, but the topping does not rise like a biscuit. Served cold or warm with milk, cream, or ice cream, Apple Betty has the essence of pie without the bother of making a crust. Here is my version, why not give this fall treat a try?

Apple Betty

4 cups of baking apples*, sliced
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter

Place sliced apples in a lightly greased pie pan.
Pour cider over the apples.
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
Cut in butter with 2 knives until mixture is crumbly.
Place crumb mixture over apples.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.


Do you have bread that is getting dry? This Apple Betty recipe from about.com uses bread crumbs instead of flour. I do have bread to use up, so I am going to grate it into crumbs to see if I like this recipe as well as I do my "Tried and True".

*Cortland, Granny Smith, Jonathan, and Yellow Delicious are good choices for this dish (or a combination of several).

Marcheta *Betty's Friend