Ringing out the Old Year with Friends

and a brief visit to the land, partially mowed in preparation for fencing.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

(We're expecting a baby soon, so it may remain quiet around here!)

My Favorite "New" Kindling Source

Willow tree twigs make the best fire starters!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Planting Preparation

James hooked up his tiller and went to work.   The existing garden space had been taken over by weeds and grass, so he tilled up the old space... and more than doubled it.  We might be drowning in produce next summer if we actually plant all this!

He also knocked down a tree.  I prefer the saw method, but I'm not a man.

Finally, the future strawberry bed was tilled up.

If I can get my act together, we'll spread some clover seed.  I understand full well that I am very late in the season to be doing this, but when I'm pregnant, I am forced to recognize my limits.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Fall Preserving

James requested apple cider, and since I just happened to have boxes of apples around, I cooked down some apples for cider.

I still have two boxes of apples left.  I think there will be more apple chunks, cider, and leather in our future.

Here's the pulp after straining.

While I was photographing, it just so happens the cider was in the canner.  Just trust me, its pretty pink color and rich apple/cinnamon/cloves smell will be worth the wait.

We've been decorating cookies too.

And since I started the canning around 6 am, the cat thinks she should come in.  Think again, Andromeda, think again.  No pets in my house, and you're a work animal, not a pet.

Since I was brewing, baking, and otherwise humidifying a cool kitchen, the bones from last night's chicken were combined with some apple butter, garlic, carrots, and onion for broth.  I'm trying to work up my courage to attempt pressure canning.

I can't bear to waste the pulp, so last night I ran it through the food mill before straining to separate the peels and seeds.  This will be dehydrated for apple leather.  James loves it too.

It's a good All Hallow's Eve!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Last Apple Harvest for the Year

with a few pears and hedge apples thrown in for good measure.

Tomorrow, we're canning apple rings (hopefully), and we even have help!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Garlic Planting

I'm a little late, but had a bit of fiasco with my attempt to order new garlic to plant this fall.  The summary: the company wouldn't be shipping my garlic until early November.

So today, after admiring the asparagus for a time (we were delighted to discover an overgrown asparagus bed when we moved in), I cleaned out the weeds, grass, and dead iris foliage to make space for my garlic planting.

We love garlic, and I love that planting it in the fall leaves me one less thing to do in the spring.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Pepper Preserving

Too many peppers were shriveling on the counter, so it was time to cut them up for drying and powdering for chili powder.

I don't stick to just chilis or just hot peppers.  Anything's game, since the blend is always different from year to year.

All the peppers are laid out on the trays, and the dehydrator is sitting outside for today as the smell of drying peppers makes my preggo nausea kick in in an awful way.