I SHALL CALL HIM LESTER .....

  I found a baby lizard today. He was caught on a dead leaf and struggling to get free. I tell you there is nothing cuter than a baby "anything". As I picked him up thoughts of raising him in a little lizard cage crossed my mind. He was definitely a "Lester".
  I am a barren Grandmother. The need for babies courses through my veins .With every cute little grand baby post on facebook it rears its ugly head. NEEDS  GRAND BABIES it says. (Insert Gollum image here ). Then I tell myself, "but Lisa this is a lizard." You already have 2 cats , a dog, 13 chickens and 2 geese. YOU DON'T NEED A BABY LIZARD. So off he went. Back into the garden to grow big and strong and eat bugs.
  As a side note gotta love those poor garden weary nails. Today was tomato picking day and someone was too lazy to get the gloves !!!

THE BEST GRAPE JAM RECIPE EVER!!!

So two years ago Erik NEEDED me to plant black  seedless grapes .Yes I said NEEDED. like the ones we ate in France many  years ago.  Yup I will get right on that one.  Don't even try to get these from a local grower. It wont happen. 

  So I searched the Internet. I finally found a grower on Amazon willing to ship grape plants to California.He was from Texas so I gave it a shot.  All I can say is they were not cheap. When I got my 3 plants shipped in an 8x10 envelope my heart sank. They were 3 grape stems with a few small roots at the end. Yeah right. I should have known better. But my husband NEEDED black seedless grapes. 

  They were called Mars Blue Seedless grapes. and I kind of giggled when I  put my sticks in the ground. I must have watered my sticks for 3 months when finally a small bit of green arrived. I now have 3 very large grape vines dripping with Mars Blue Seedless grapes .  Unfortunately with this heat  I had lots of shriveled raisins. Some however have survived.  At the beginning of  this latest heat wave I picked some that were not quite ripe . So glad I did. 

  Not much else to do with grapes but make jam and raisins. So I set out to find a recipe. I love making jam but hate the tons of sugar you put in them. I finally found a recipe that called for only 3 cups of sugar. Still a lot but better than the 7 others called for. As it is jam I did not have to peel the grapes. Anyone who knows me knows I DON'T  peel grapes. She also called for adding some unripe grapes as they are high in pectin. No problems here . I had plenty of unripe grapes.
  The real clincher was I got to use my immersion blender !!! My daughter bought it for me a few years ago and I use it ALL the time. The best part of this was that my blender caught all the tough skins and it was sooo easy to remove them.
   This really was the best jam I have ever made. It took  at least an hour to cook  and it set up really nice.  Due to the unripened grapes it also had a bit of a tang to it. Not too sweet like most jams.
  I am considering trying to propagate some in the fall. Maybe I can bring some  plants to a trade if any one is interested. I will definitely post my  results!!! 

Grape Jam
 If you don't have an immersion blender, you can add the ingredients to a food processor to blend, then add to your pot.
 Ingredients
4 pounds seedless grapes
3 cups sugar
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
Instructions
1. Prepare your canning jars
2. Add grapes, sugar and lemon juice into a large pot
3. Over a med heat, stir to combine
4. Insert immersion blender below surface and blend to desired consistancy
5. Stir often, skimming off foam when need be
6. Boil until mixture reaches 220° and/or passes the freezer test
7. Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace
8. Wipe off rims with a clean damp cloth
9. Top with lids and process for 10 minutes
10. Transfer to towels to cool
11. Label and date
Notes Remember that the jam will thicken more as they cool

IT'S TOMATO TIME !!!!!

 Actually its just begun. We have always planted about 15 Roma and San Marzano tomato plants. You cant beat them for Marinara sauce. We make and freeze marinara for pasta and pizza purposes. I prefer freezing over canning tomatoes as I don't like the addition of citrus or vinegar and botulism is not fun.
  This year should prove quite interesting as Erik decided to plant more. LOTS more . I think total count was 32. We did lose  about 6 so far. Not really lost I just did not baby them as the sheer amount of plants is overwhelming. I did some research and settled on the addition of Amish Paste and a Burpee Super Sauce .  I used seeds and started them in April  . They did not like the heat much but they  are starting to ripen now.

 

  My favorite thing to do is blanching and freezing whole tomatoes in small bags. Each bag is the same as a 14 oz can of tomatoes. Whenever a recipe calls for a can of tomatoes I grab a bag out of the freezer. The two gallon storage bags above represent 13 cans of tomatoes  .

  In my  junior year of college I was a Field Rep for a major canning corporation.  Part of my duties included testing each load of tomatoes harvested for insect dirt and rodent parts.  Yup . Needless to say when my summer job ended I was given cases of tomato products. Which I promptly gave away. It was many years before  I used canned tomatoes. I was however in my 20s and did not cook much . But still it is nice to know whats in your food. 

Feeling HOT HOT HOT !!!!

 So your a goose and its 112 degrees. What do you do? You hang at the pool of course.  Mother goose and Blowie  have been living the good life during this heat wave. They spend most of their days at the pool just watching the world go by .The sun never hits underneath Doug , our first Christmas tree, and we keep it plenty wet to cool the area.  Heck they even sleep in there. 

 My peach tree however is a different story. I'm not sure she will make it.  She was first disabled by the late February frost. All of her spring growth died and she was forced back into dormancy. That was ok though as she woke up a couple months later. No fruit but heck at least her leaves returned.
   Then the 122 degree heat wave  came and  almost all of her leaves died.  This last heat wave did not help either.  My only hope is the root stock is still alive as she is growing suckers. I'm not sure if I should remove them or not.   I guess I will giver her her space and see what happens next Spring.

  My poor Raspberries have taken a beating too. The same forces of nature are wreaking havoc on them. I will say they are fighting back as there is a lot of new growth. 

I did run out and harvest my grapes . A little early as the sugars are not quite there but so much sugar is in grape jam I doubt it will make a difference. I left some on the vines and they are not drying up yet. We do however have at least a week of 100 degrees or better left of this heat wave so we shall see.
 I harvested some peppers a little early too. better small than sunburned I guess.  My blooms are still hanging in there so hopefully the heat wont affect my next crop  .

HOW TO FRITTER YOUR TIME AWAY .........

While we are on the apple wagon I have to share another recipe. Each year we try something new with each crop. The Apple Fritter came up this year. This recipe is great!! I can see many uses for this batter. You could put anything in there  and it would make an excellent donut!!  

 

Mom's Apple Fritters

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  15 m
• Ready In
  35 m

Recipe By:ABBY9

"My mom made these for us after school in the fall with the apples we'd pick and buy from a fruit farm. Warm, crisp, and sweet, a perfect fall treat."

Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup cinnamon sugar

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk, eggs and oil and stir until well blended. Mix in apples until they are evenly distributed.
3. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes depending on the size. Fry in smaller batches so they are not crowded. Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon sugar while still warm.

What the hell is Apple Butter ??????

This is Apple Butter !!!  When Erik and I were picking our 4000 apples he had a childhood memory of Apple Butter.  His Dad loved Apple Butter and we needed to make some. My brain kind of semi imploded.  What the hell was it.  He did  inform me there was no butter in apple butter. Ok. I said you want Apple Jam . No he wanted apple Butter. After looking at the recipe I said this is Apple jam.  After making it I now call it overcooked Apple Sauce.   Whatever it is it is good. And you spread it on toast. Just like Jam.......

YOU WILL NEED

• 4 pounds apples (about 12 to 16 medium)
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 6 Ball® half-pint or 3 Ball® pint glass preserving jars and lids
• Optional: Ball® freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner + Multicooker

DIRECTIONS

1. CORE and peel apples. Cut apples into quarters.
2. COMBINE apples and water in a large saucepan. Cook apples at a simmer until soft. Puree mixture using an electric food strainer or food mill. Measure 2 quarts of apple pulp; return apple pulp to saucepan. Add sugar and spices, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook at a gentle boil over medium heat until apple mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. If mixture becomes too thick, add a small amount of water or apple juice for desired consistency. Remove from heat.
3. LADLE hot butter into a hot jar, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to finger-tip tight. Place jar  in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
4. LOWER the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint or pint jars 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Lids should not press up and down when center is pressed. Label and store jars.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

MY CRAZY APPLE TREE !!

  Yup I have a crazy apple tree. I planted this tree about 6 years ago. I do believe it is an Anna apple. I purchased it as a semi dwarf tree as there are only 2 of us and I  didn't want large trees . From the day it went into the ground it has produced apples. LOTS of apples !!!  SOOOO MANY APPLES !!!  All of the branches have to be held up with plastic totes to support their weight. We went ahead and picked the first crop last week . Yes I said first crop because this apple tree is already setting the second set of flowers.  In a few months we will have even more apples!

Our apple pies are legendary. I  found the  recipe on the Internet. The author of this blog states she got married after making this pie .I don't doubt that.  The recipe includes a crust recipe but I use a deep dish premade frozen crust  in an aluminum tin. I have already made 8 pies and froze them. As this is a french apple pie it lends itself well to freezing.


French Crumb Apple Pie

Ingredients

PIE BOTTOM CRUST INGREDIENTS

1 c all purpose flour

1/3 c crisco

1 Tbsp heaping crisco

1 dash(es) salt

cold water

PIE FILLING INGREDIENTS

6 c granny smith apples sliced

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 dash(es) salt

CRUMB TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1 stick butter hard

1 c flour

1/2 c brown sugar

Directions

1. Bottom pie crust directions. I am going to make this as complete as I can for everyone that has never made their own pie crust.

2. Take flour and crisco and put it in a medium bowl.

3. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to incorporate the crisco into the flour. Until it looks like little balls.

4. Take a tablespoon of cold water and add it to the mixture. Gently working it in.

5. Continue to add water a tablespoon at a time until you form a ball of dough. It should still be a tiny bit dry. You don't want it soaked.

6. Wrap it in wax paper and put it in the fridge for about an hour.

7. Filling Directions

8. Take all the filling ingredients and put them in a bowl and mix. Let them sit for about 15 minutes till the apples and ingredients get nice and juicy.

9. At this point you want to preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

10. Roll out your bottom crust and place in a 9 inch pie pan.Just a little note if you have a marble rolling pin put it in the freezer for about a half hour before you roll out the dough. It makes it much easier to roll.

11. Put the apple mixture into crust and get ready to make your topping.

12. Topping directions

French Crumb Apple Pie

13. Take flour and brown sugar and incorporate them together using a wire whisk.

14. Take your stick of cold butter and slice it into the mixture.

15. With a fork or pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles little balls.

16. Flute the edges of your pie crust BEFORE you put the crumb topping on.

17. Spread crumb topping over the apples until it is completely covered.

18. Bake at 425 degrees for 50 minutes... Cover the pie with foil the last 15 minutes of baking so your crumbs don't burn.

19. The pies juices should be bubbling up through the crust. That's how you know it's done. Enjoy!