Apples Apples Apples

We brought home a LOT of apples from Hubby's mom. Thanks, Nana! Saucing a bunch up today, we'll have fried apples for dessert, and we'll see if there are any left. I doubt it, they taste so yummy.



It seems that there is always one mascot apple that I'm loathe to cut up. This one probably weighs a pound and a half!



How many people have a birds nest on their dinner table? This one was found in one of the apple trees where we picked the apples. I need to find it a home. (Excuse the back to school pile of papers...)



We don't have a nature table, at least not right now. The one we were using became my chairside table. I do try to keep some things about the season on the center of the dining room table, though. And thanks to Mamaroots, we have a new friend this month! Abel Loves Apples. He's been given his own harvest and pumpkin patch to care for. A friend has a scroll saw that isn't being used, and has promised it to me. When it arrives Abel can have a few apple trees to care for, too.

Sebastien's Refridgerator Breakfast Cookies

For days now, Mr. Seb has been asking me to make banana bread with chocolate chips. He's been policing the banana's (Mom needs four bananas to make the bread, nobody else can eat one!) for several days. Finally, I just decided to bite the bullet. There was never going to be enough time to do it, so I begged Des (well, bribed her, let her watch TV on the big TV in the living room) to watch Charlie so I could cook.

Dinner cooking-check

Cookie dough for the week-check

Ah, now, a banana breakfast cookie recipe. Wowza there are a million out there.

So, Seb's cookies were born.

4 banana's mashed

2 eggs

1.5 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup applesauce

splash of oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (could have used a bit more)

handful of coconut

handful of currants

handful of date crumbles

handful and a half of sunflower seeds

half a bag of chocolate chips

fill the coffee grinder full of oats and make flour

fill the coffee grinder 3/4 of the way full of flax and make meal

3 cups of flour (or whatever you need now for a good "cookie" texture)

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (bigger cookies might need a bit more).

YUM. As you can see, we couldn't resist the temptation.

Miss Maggie's New Site

Frugal Abundance

That Miss Maggie sure has started a winner-again! Her clarity of thought and ability to put things into words really impress me with each of her articles.


Humble Pie: Putting Organics Into Perspective

Making Work Easier

Feast & Famine the Pescatarian Pantry

These are all issues that I deal with on a daily basis! The organic thing, I'm working on dealing with it by purchasing from local growers, rather than buying organic. In some cases, veggies are organic, but aren't certified due to the high costs in doing so. I think at some point the real issue will be finding ways to save petroleum costs (not shipping food 3000 miles) rather than organic.

A friend recommended this book "Coming Home to Eat" On this site you can listen to an interview with the author. And an excerpt can be found here. Find out more about Gary.

Also, on my book list is Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal Vegetable Miracle". You can find some yummy recipes on that site!

Really, what the main thing I'm trying to accomplish is the best food, from the local community if possible, for the least price. And don't forget the love put into the food, it adds nourishment as well!

Cheese

Paula and I made cheese. Both fromage blanc and chevre from cows milk. The fromage is more sour. I'm really thinking mozzarella might be fun.

She also sent me home with some of Summer's family sourdough. A loaf is baking in the oven as we speak and it smells delicious. So tomorrow for Thanksgiving I'll take traditional yeast rolls, and my loaf of sourdough with some homemade cheese. I'm thinking of putting garlic and rosemary and whatever other herbs I can find into each of the cheeses.

The sourdough didn't rise as much as yeast dough does, but following these instructions the sponge proofed right up, so I think I did it right!

...Later...

The cheese is interesting. The flavor has changed over the couple of days since we made it. Its definitely a "farmer cheese", something that you would have on a farm. I have to keep reminding myself its the real deal, there aren't any preservatives (other than natural cultures), corn syrup, or any other artificial ingredients.

The sourdough bread is FAN-TAB-ULOUS! And the cheese (with some yummy herbs and garlic) spread on the bread...well...the result is better than I could hope for. In fact, its almost gourmet! Yay us!

Busy Day

Today has been busy! I've done 5 loads of laundry, cooked dinner (simple broccoli and ham in mac'n'cheese), unloaded some boxes, moved some boxes to the shed, dishes, cleaned my bedroom, and tidied here and there.

Tomorrow my job is to bring rolls. My favorite are Miss Maggie's "Fred's Favorite Rolls". It looks like if I start them in the morning there will be plenty of time for them to rise!

My back hurts now, so in a bit I'll be off to the bathtub. First I need to change the sheets (I found the flannel-whoo hoo!) and fold another load of laundry!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!