Adam enjoying a walk through the "corn forest" as he called it with his flashlight for safety.This week has been all about beginning to can and preserve the bounty of our harvest from the garden and orchard. It has been fairly hot here- in the 90's many days- so it is very hot to be canning but well worth it!
I love the bright and cheery Black Eyed Susans in the side yard!
Suburban Garden Report:
With all of the canning going on I have not been documenting our yard/garden as much this week. We did get out on Labor Day and do a lot of yard clean up. While Adam played with the hose and his pool we cleaned up some defunct water toys, trimmed back some tree branches, mowed the lawns, etc. It felt good to get lots of clean up done. We found out we had a climbing vine in the corner of our side yard that was poisonous and a member of the nightshade family, so Paul pulled that one out. It is all gone- hooray! The yard is looking nice and there is still a bit of fall maintenance to be done such as pruning the rose bushes and moving a few plants but it is largely ready for fall and winter now.
Finally! A ripe tomato in our garden! Hooray!
We finally have a couple of ripe tomatoes in our garden due to the warm weather. Adam picked one up yesterday and took big bites out of it! Yum!
I love how our side yard has grown and it looks so pretty now.
Also, I was able to get out the other day and weed the side yard and water all of the flowers out there. I really love that area because there are so many pretty, bright flowers in it. I love that Paul said that it looked "like Disneyland." What an awesome thing to say!
A flower blooming on the large perennials in the side yard.
I have also been harvesting a lot of rhubarb to make jam. It is so delicious in a variety of jams. It feels good to make good use of it. I plan to harvest as much as I can to make preserves and then freeze the rest before the season is over.
The next major thing to do in the garden is to collect and dry herbs. I will have to look up some information as to how to go about that.
The other day while I was weeding the garden Adam had fun sitting in the cul de sac drawing on the pavement with his sidewalk chalk. He had such fun! I love how he can really concentrate and get engrossed in an activity. It is so wonderful to see!
Adam drawing with sidewalk chalk on the pavement near our house.
Country Garden Report:
This is a beautiful cabbage growing in the country garden.
Last Friday Adam and I got a chance to visit the country garden at my folk's place. Everything is really coming along! The corn is over seven feet tall! It is a sight to see! It is great to see everything growing. I got to take home 3 lovely zucchinis as well as a big container full of blackberries and two large bags of apples! While I picked blackberries Adam and Grandma Serena went on a long walk through the orchard and some of the woods. They ended up near the shop where there is a large blackberry patch. Yum!
The blackberries that I picked last Friday.
In the following photos you can see what is going on in the garden and in the orchard. By this Friday there may be some more apples and pears to bring home as well as more produce from the garden. Also, with the hot weather, I'll bet it is about time to start preserving some tomatoes.
Canning: Applesauce, Blackberry Ginger Jam, Rhubarb Fig Jam, and Apple Pie Filling:
I have been doing a lot of canning in the past few days. I was able to can many half pints of jam (about 10-12 or so), 15 pints of applesauce and 6 quarts of apple pie filling. It has been hard work but I really enjoy it and it is great to know that I will have delicious, organic food to eat in the winter that I prepared myself. Here are a few recipes for things I have made this week:
My fig rhubarb jam in the pot on the stove.
This is another recipe I found online. I followed the instructions but I did not use pectin. It set up quite well without it.
Fig-Rhubarb Jam:
A Trip to Camp 18 and the Beach:
Last Sunday we decided to take a day trip to Seaside. First, we went to breakfast at Camp 18. They have a really neat old-fashioned log cabin restaurant. Outside there is a lot of old logging equipment and other machinery that Adam was very excited to see! After breakfast we toured around the grounds a bit before continuing on to the beach. At the beach Adam and Paul found lots of sea creatures. They saw a crab, a live razor clam, a fish that ended up on shore and two live sand dollars! It was quite a day! We had fun playing on the beach, then we got some lunch at a nearby cafe and then got ice cream bars at a local store. What a nice day we all had!
I love the bright and cheery Black Eyed Susans in the side yard!Suburban Garden Report:
With all of the canning going on I have not been documenting our yard/garden as much this week. We did get out on Labor Day and do a lot of yard clean up. While Adam played with the hose and his pool we cleaned up some defunct water toys, trimmed back some tree branches, mowed the lawns, etc. It felt good to get lots of clean up done. We found out we had a climbing vine in the corner of our side yard that was poisonous and a member of the nightshade family, so Paul pulled that one out. It is all gone- hooray! The yard is looking nice and there is still a bit of fall maintenance to be done such as pruning the rose bushes and moving a few plants but it is largely ready for fall and winter now.
Finally! A ripe tomato in our garden! Hooray!
We finally have a couple of ripe tomatoes in our garden due to the warm weather. Adam picked one up yesterday and took big bites out of it! Yum!
I love how our side yard has grown and it looks so pretty now.
Also, I was able to get out the other day and weed the side yard and water all of the flowers out there. I really love that area because there are so many pretty, bright flowers in it. I love that Paul said that it looked "like Disneyland." What an awesome thing to say!
A flower blooming on the large perennials in the side yard.I have also been harvesting a lot of rhubarb to make jam. It is so delicious in a variety of jams. It feels good to make good use of it. I plan to harvest as much as I can to make preserves and then freeze the rest before the season is over.
The next major thing to do in the garden is to collect and dry herbs. I will have to look up some information as to how to go about that.
The other day while I was weeding the garden Adam had fun sitting in the cul de sac drawing on the pavement with his sidewalk chalk. He had such fun! I love how he can really concentrate and get engrossed in an activity. It is so wonderful to see!
Adam drawing with sidewalk chalk on the pavement near our house.Country Garden Report:
This is a beautiful cabbage growing in the country garden.Last Friday Adam and I got a chance to visit the country garden at my folk's place. Everything is really coming along! The corn is over seven feet tall! It is a sight to see! It is great to see everything growing. I got to take home 3 lovely zucchinis as well as a big container full of blackberries and two large bags of apples! While I picked blackberries Adam and Grandma Serena went on a long walk through the orchard and some of the woods. They ended up near the shop where there is a large blackberry patch. Yum!
The blackberries that I picked last Friday.
In the following photos you can see what is going on in the garden and in the orchard. By this Friday there may be some more apples and pears to bring home as well as more produce from the garden. Also, with the hot weather, I'll bet it is about time to start preserving some tomatoes.
A very large beet in the country garden.
A pumpkin forming on the vine.
A winter squash.
Bell peppers in the garden.
More lovely squash.
A tomato ripening on the vine.
Jalapeno peppers- ready for salsa!
Corn forming on the stalk.
Some cucumbers that my mom uses to make her famous pickles.
Lots of grapes are on the vines.
Some of the big Gravenstein apples on the tree.
Me picking some Gravenstein apples.
A pumpkin forming on the vine. 
A winter squash.
Bell peppers in the garden. 
More lovely squash.
A tomato ripening on the vine. 
Jalapeno peppers- ready for salsa! 
Corn forming on the stalk.
Some cucumbers that my mom uses to make her famous pickles. 
Lots of grapes are on the vines. 
Some of the big Gravenstein apples on the tree.
Me picking some Gravenstein apples.Canning: Applesauce, Blackberry Ginger Jam, Rhubarb Fig Jam, and Apple Pie Filling:
I have been doing a lot of canning in the past few days. I was able to can many half pints of jam (about 10-12 or so), 15 pints of applesauce and 6 quarts of apple pie filling. It has been hard work but I really enjoy it and it is great to know that I will have delicious, organic food to eat in the winter that I prepared myself. Here are a few recipes for things I have made this week:
Swirls of cinnamon being stirred into my applesauce.
Apple Pie Filling:
The apple pie filling that I canned.
5 1/2 to 6 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice + water in a large bowl
Syrup:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 quarts water
Instructions without canning: (if you want to use the filling right away)
Add lemon juice to the prepared apples to keep them from turning brown. Stir remaining ingredients together in a dutch oven, adding apples. Cook until the mixture has thickened, stirring just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan.
Instructions with canning:
1. Put lemon juice in a bowl and add about 1 quart water to it. As you peel and slice apples add them to the bowl.
2. Cook all of the ingredients together except apples and lemon juice on the stove in a dutch oven, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
3. Pack apple slices into hot jars (that have been boiled for at least 10 minutes), leaving 1 inch head space. Fill with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Use a spatula to help distribute syrup. Adjust lids. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Make sure all of the jars seal- if they do not, boil them for a few more minutes.
Blackberry Ginger Jam:
Yields about 5 half pints of jam.
This is a recipe that I found online but I changed it a bit. I did not add the pectin that it called for and I did not strain out the berry seeds.
Ingredients:
5 pints or 10 cups of blackberries
4 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup candied ginger, minced
1. Combine the berries and the sugar in a large pot on the stove.
2. Mash the mixture with a potato masher.
3. Cook the berry-sugar mixture over medium high heat until it is thickened. This process takes around 20 minutes or so.
4. Take the jam off of the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, ground ginger and candied ginger.
5. Fill hot half pint jars, place hot lids on and seal.
-Tips for canning: I like to have on the stove: a pot with hot sterilized jars, a frying pan or pot with hot, sterilized lids and rings, a towel on the counter to put jars on and paper towels for wiping the jars if I get jam or applesauce on the rims. I want to make sure the jars are clean and seal so I make sure I wipe them off.
Fig-Rhubarb Jam:
The apple pie filling that I canned.
This is a recipe from my mom Serena Johnston. It yields 6 quarts- each quart can fill an 8 inch pie shell.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
5 1/2 to 6 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice + water in a large bowl
Syrup:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 quarts water
Instructions without canning: (if you want to use the filling right away)
Add lemon juice to the prepared apples to keep them from turning brown. Stir remaining ingredients together in a dutch oven, adding apples. Cook until the mixture has thickened, stirring just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan.
Instructions with canning:
1. Put lemon juice in a bowl and add about 1 quart water to it. As you peel and slice apples add them to the bowl.
2. Cook all of the ingredients together except apples and lemon juice on the stove in a dutch oven, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
3. Pack apple slices into hot jars (that have been boiled for at least 10 minutes), leaving 1 inch head space. Fill with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Use a spatula to help distribute syrup. Adjust lids. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Make sure all of the jars seal- if they do not, boil them for a few more minutes.
Blackberry Ginger Jam:
Yields about 5 half pints of jam.
This is a recipe that I found online but I changed it a bit. I did not add the pectin that it called for and I did not strain out the berry seeds.
Ingredients:
5 pints or 10 cups of blackberries
4 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup candied ginger, minced
1. Combine the berries and the sugar in a large pot on the stove.
2. Mash the mixture with a potato masher.
3. Cook the berry-sugar mixture over medium high heat until it is thickened. This process takes around 20 minutes or so.
4. Take the jam off of the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, ground ginger and candied ginger.
5. Fill hot half pint jars, place hot lids on and seal.
-Tips for canning: I like to have on the stove: a pot with hot sterilized jars, a frying pan or pot with hot, sterilized lids and rings, a towel on the counter to put jars on and paper towels for wiping the jars if I get jam or applesauce on the rims. I want to make sure the jars are clean and seal so I make sure I wipe them off.
Fig-Rhubarb Jam:
My fig rhubarb jam in the pot on the stove. This is another recipe I found online. I followed the instructions but I did not use pectin. It set up quite well without it.
Fig-Rhubarb Jam:
2 1/2 cups fresh figs (stemmed and chopped)
2 1/2 cups rhubarb (unpeeled and diced)
5 cups sugar
2 lemons
Cut rhubarb into small pieces, add sugar, chopped figs, lemon rind and juice. Let stand for a couple hours. In a preserving pan, bring to a simmer. Pour into a ceramic or glass dish, cover with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, bring mixture to a boil while stirring gently. Cook on high for about 10 minutes, then check the set. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Jar and seal the jam immediately.
Last Sunday we decided to take a day trip to Seaside. First, we went to breakfast at Camp 18. They have a really neat old-fashioned log cabin restaurant. Outside there is a lot of old logging equipment and other machinery that Adam was very excited to see! After breakfast we toured around the grounds a bit before continuing on to the beach. At the beach Adam and Paul found lots of sea creatures. They saw a crab, a live razor clam, a fish that ended up on shore and two live sand dollars! It was quite a day! We had fun playing on the beach, then we got some lunch at a nearby cafe and then got ice cream bars at a local store. What a nice day we all had!
Adam on some "stairs to nowhere" near Camp 18.
Adam on one of the logs at Camp 18.
Me with Adam by a creek that is near Camp 18. Adam had fun throwing rocks into the creek.
Adam throwing a rock into the creek.
Paul with Adam by a power generating machine at Camp 18.
Me with Adam by a creek that is near Camp 18. Adam had fun throwing rocks into the creek.
Adam throwing a rock into the creek.
Paul with Adam by a power generating machine at Camp 18.
Adam and Paul with a crab they found in the water near Seaside, Oregon.
Two live sand dollars that Paul found. It was amazing to see them moving.
I love the purple color of this live sand dollar. After looking at them we put them back in the ocean.
Me with Adam playing in the sand.
Two live sand dollars that Paul found. It was amazing to see them moving.
I love the purple color of this live sand dollar. After looking at them we put them back in the ocean.
Me with Adam playing in the sand. I can't believe that tomorrow Adam will be starting preschool! We will be telling you about our new adventures next week and will have a lot to share about school as well as our gardens, cooking and other adventures! Enjoy!
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