Wednesday 25 September 2013

The Garden Harvest

We had a great garden this year.

Remember when we planted?

And I picked a million-gazillion potato bugs?

Well....it all worked out.

The potato plants are all dead now.

 

But there are LOTS of potatoes to dig.


We've been eating them since the beginning of August.

And I'm hoping that there will be enough to last us for most of the winter.

We eat A LOT of potatoes.

The carrots are beautiful this year.


Hello supper!

And the brussell sprouts are SO yummy.


We went ahead and picked the pumpkins.


There was an over abundance of green tomatoes.  They needed to be picked because we are getting a heavy white frost overnight now.  I decided to make some chow chow.

I had never even tasted chow chow before.


But it turned out GOOD.  Really good.  I like it.

I also made some freezer pickles a couple of weeks ago.  But they are in the freezer.  Actually...I think there is only one container left.  They were so easy to make....and even easier to eat.

I love this time of year.

It's so satisfying to look down at your plate and know that we grew/produced everything on it.....from the vegetables to the meat.

I haven't even been to the grocery store yet this week.

But I think we need some bread and butter.

I'm such a slacker.....those are two more things that I could be making myself.......

Brenda

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Harry Horne's Quality Peanut Butter

I found this in the hen house this morning.


I have walked by it nearly every morning for a year now and I never noticed it.

But this morning I saw it.

I asked Jack if he had looked at it before and he just said, "Yeah."  He wasn't excited about it.

It's a drinking glass.

With blue spots.

But it has this label on it.


It once contained Harry Horne's Quality Peanut Butter.....100% Pure....from Toronto, Canada.


Wow.

I remember drinking out of glass 'tumblers' at my Grandma's house.  They were a set that had hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs all over them.  She told me that mustard had come in them.  I remember her telling me that 'back in the day' lots of things came in glass 'tumblers'...and then you just kept them and used them.  People were brilliant....'back in the day'.

I wanted to wash the glass....and I did carefully....because I didn't want the label to come off.


I like it.

There is another label across the back.  It's pretty faded but you can see that it says '100% Pure' and 'No. 1 Sweet Virginia Peanuts'.

 
 
We won't be using this glass. 
 
We will just admire it.
 
It will remind us of a different time.
 
When peanut butter came in glass tumblers....
 
Brenda

Monday 23 September 2013

A Party for my Mom

My Mom celebrated her 65th Birthday this month.  My Dad wanted to have a big party for her...and we all thought that was a good idea.

My sister, Kerrie-Lynn, made lots of decorations.....and our garage became a spectacular party place.

 

 
 

We thought that Mom was going to be surprised....but she wasn't.  My sweet Lydia sort of let the cat out of the bag on Friday.  She was at Mom's...alone...I was at the Farmers' Market...and she mentioned to Mom about setting up chairs in the garage.  I think Mom put the questions to her....and then it wasn't a surprise party anymore.

But it was still a party.

 

And there was meat.


The most amazing meat EVER.

And there was music and dancing.


And there was fun....


and silliness.


And then we ate....


The most amazing meat.  EVER.

 

Cake time.

I made her a purple party cake.


I was hoping to get a good photo before it was devoured.


But Finley is the ultimate photobomber.

 
 
We gathered all the grandchildren around her for a photo. 
 
Take a look at Finley.
 
There's one in every crowd.
 
 
These are my siblings with Mom and Dad.
 
 
And here we are with our spouses.
 
 
And today we are all eating the most amazing leftover meat EVER.
 
Brenda
 


Wednesday 18 September 2013

It's all Good....busy....but good.

Do you ever feel like you are running a race....but you can't get to the finish line?

We've been REALLY busy the last few weeks.

It's not that I didn't have anything to blog about....it's just that I didn't have time to blog!

So....here is the update.

Jack made an aquatic biosphere. 


We've been watching snails and ghost shrimp in this mason jar.  It's pretty neat. Sophie took these photos....



We went to the plowing match on the weekend.

The kids took their chickens....those ones that they washed one July day.  I took buttertarts and some cake in a jars.  We drove in separate vehicles.  I managed to take one photo that day.

Here it is.


We had a good time.  The little girls jumped in the bouncy castle and we ate poutine.

And I sold all my buttertarts.

Then it was my mom's birthday.  This is what happens when you shove colour gel into a bag of white buttercream icing.


You get swirls.  And it's good.

Then I did a photo shoot with a rooster.


This rooster will be auctioned off at the 150th Carp Fair next weekend.

We needed to get a good photo WITH the ribbon.  But he just wanted to peck at the ribbon.


After some yodelling I managed to get this...



Terry has been combining the grain and the older kids have been baling the straw and packing it into the barn.

 
It's golden.  It's bedding for the momma cows and all their new calves that will be arriving this winter.



Johanna was unloading and the boys were in the barn piling.


In other news, we have had our first frost and I can see that the leaves are beginning to change colour.  

But the BIGGEST news of all is that Sophie was elected class representative for her grade one class today.  We celebrated by going to town....not really ( I needed groceries )....but I let her buy two new sheets of stickers and some jewels.  She decorated a crown with the jewels.  I'm hoping that this is just the beginning of her political career.  She will one day be prime minister and we will all have to wear homemade crowns with jewels.

It will be good.

Brenda

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Listening to Dad's Advice

He is listening to Dad's advice.

 
 
 
 
 
 
She is listening to Dad's advice. 
 
 
 
 
 
He listens to Dad's advice.
 
 
 
We always listen to our Dad....he gives good advice!
 
 
Brenda