Indian Corn and Chrysanthemum

Did you decorate for fall yet?

Or, are you discouraged by previously failed craft attempts?

(I often am.)

Why not try one of these Indian corn decorating ideas?

Believe me, it doesn't get easier than this.

I don't remember where I saw this idea for a corn banner.

But all you need to do is:

tear the husks off,

screw an eye hook in to the corn,

and hot glue some husks around a piece of rope and hang the corn on it.

I did it in less than an hour.

Picture and idea from Better Homes and Gardens

I love this fork!

I'm gonna keep my eye out for a vintage farmer's fork next year

so that I can make this one next fall.

You just take some corn and use wire to attach it to the prongs.

Quick and easy but it has an extremely high nice factor.

Picture and idea from Better Homes and Gardens

I've come across several pictures of corn tied around candles.

The link above has directions on how to make your own.

A friend told me about a farm down the road (Applefield Farm) that sells dried corn that you pop on the cob in the micro wave. I thought that would be something fun to do with the kids.

Unfortunately, after buying, I realized that I have to let it dry for another month before it's ready to pop. I've become very Americanized in the 15 years that I've lived here and now prefer instant gratification.

Hmpf! I now have to wait, and then wait some more, before I can show and tell you about this popping.

At the speed I've been cranking out blog posts lately, it'll probably be just about Thanksgiving then.

Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath on that one.

I'll end with a few pictures of my Chrysanthe-mummified garden.

Mums, mums, and more mums...

Thank you for stopping by!

I appreciate each and everyone of you.

Have a great fall weekend!

Blueberry Picking at Honey Pot Hill

Yesterday morning I took the boys and their cousin to go blueberry picking at

Honey Pot Hill.

A nice family run farm here in Stow.

It is something we like to do at least once each summer.

Picking your own blueberries is fun and the kids enjoy handpicked berries

so much more

than the ones we buy from the grocery store.

Here they are, the boys, on their way to the blueberry fields.

Each ready to fill their own pint size basket.

We passed by row 7 and 8 to sample the sweetest berries

(according to the sign by the entrance).

Then settled to pick from row 1 and 2 that had the most ripe berries.

The grayish coating protects the berry and is called bloom.

The patience to pick blueberries on a hot muggy summer morning for little boys

lasted just long enough to fill our baskets.

For lunch there was pepperoni pizza and blueberry smoothies.

Yum!

Egg Sale

I finally feel that spring is here to stay.

The days are longer and warmer.

My garden is turning from sepia to color.

And the birds are chirping like crazy at dawn.

At Clover Leaf Farm,

the chickens (there's 24 of them) are beginning to lay eggs again,

lots of them.

This family of six gets more eggs than they can consume.

In two days they got two dozens.

They just had to start selling some.

I just jumped right in to the car and zoomed over after N posted on Facebook that the egg stand was open, and her kids were selling as long as the eggs would last.

At $4 a dozen? (They sell for less at the grocery store.)

But for farm fresh and organic eggs, from free range chickens,

sold by the cutest kids on the block...

Absolutely - gladly paying.

Aren't they beautiful?

And they taste great too.

I just read in a Swedish Magazine that eggs contain the HDL (the "good" cholesterol) and egg consumption can actually lower your LDL (the "bad" cholesterol). I just thought I should share because eggs have always had a bit of a bad rep for it's cholesterol.

Moreover, an egg is an extraordinary (I really had to contain myself not to write eggstraordinary) little power food. It packs a lot of protein, vitamins A, B, D, and E, iron, calcium and zinc, good healthy fats, no carbs, and... is absolutely yummy.

It's been a month since I last posted, I can't believe it, a whole month. Time flies...

In my defense, my parents came to visit from Sweden for 3 weeks to be here for my, ehm, 40th birthday (shhh... don't tell anyone). Actually, turning such a big number wasn't as hard as I expected. In fact, it was great. I don't think I've ever felt so special in my whole life with all the attention and sweet birthday wishes that I got.

My awesome husband decided to splurge on the camera of my dreams. I am so happy, this camera is fantastic, love it. I get a little excited just thinking about it. Good thing I also got two big books on the camera, because there is so much to learn. I hope to share some pictures with you soon.

Annelie

Apple cider the old fashion way

We're back at Cloverleaf Farm on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon.

Invited to make apple cider from scratch, in a vintage apple grinder and cider press.

I thank my lucky star to have neighbors like these.

30 pounds of local apples, a mixture of Macintosh, Empire and Cortland, were in the process of being ground as we get there. The steel teeth of the grinder, were digging into the apples, reducing them to small bits, and releasing a familiar and wonderful apple scent into the air. The last of the season's yellow-jackets were buzzing around, seemingly intoxicated by the sweet aroma.

The children got a turn at grinding the apples, but quickly realized it was hard and time-consuming work. They disappeared to play elsewhere, but kept checking in frequently, making sure they weren't missing out on the cider producing moment.

Finally, all the apples had been ground and were to be put in the press in batches. The press was lined with double cheese cloth to strain the cider and to catch seeds and any lost yellow-jacket that might have made its way into the apple grinds.

My son got to put the wooden lid on and then the children started turning the press.

And there it was, slow at first, then at a steady stream... the apple cider. You would have thought it was liquid gold the way the children all were trying to get at it to taste.

I think it was a great moment for everyone, and a very delicious one too.

Many thanks to my dear friends at Cloverleaf Farm!

Here is one of my favorite apple cider recipes. It is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and is called Apple-braised turkey thighs. When I make it, the apples never stay in pieces, but sort of melts in to the sauce which I don't mind at all. The turkey meat itself becomes wonderfully tender and falls of the bone. I love, love, love this dish.

Cluck, cluck, cluck

My kids were invited to a neighbor's house to play yesterday and I wasn't able to leave.

They have 4 goats (the children have one each), a few bunnies, and lots of chickens.

Just had to get my camera out (It's not just me who carry around a camera, is it?).

After spending some time trying to catch them on picture, I started getting very fascinated with these feathered pecking beauties.

They appeared social, but ran off when I tried to get close. When I sat down to take some pictures, they started approaching me. Some were more curious than others. The two roosters were definitely more daring. Perhaps they were only ensuring that I wasn't a threat to their girlfriends?

But I've got to tell you, their feathers... sooooo beautiful, and sooooo soft. Look at the one below on the left. I think she ruffled hers as she was slowly walking up to me. I don't know, but I got the feeling she was trying to give me some kind of message.

There was only one egg in the coop when I was there, but it was given to me.

I was told that the chickens shed feathers twice a year, and when they do, they lay fewer eggs.

When we got back home I was wondering how to store my egg.

Should it stay on the countertop or go in the fridge?

I picked up the phone to call my neighbor, but hung up.

You want to know what I did?

I scrambled it.

And as you probably guessed, the best tasting scrambled egg I've ever had.