Here We Go Again!

Things are about ready to change in our world again.

We made the decision to leave our little farm house.

It has been almost 2 years since we laid our eyes on this little piece of property.

The property had been neglected for a few years.

We purchased the farm in January of 2012.

It seemed like forever before the snow melted and we could start working around the yard.

And there was lots of work to do!

After a many days of raking, pulling weeds and one awful bout of poison ivy we got it done!

What a difference a year makes!

The next project was the house itself.

The poor roof was weighed down with 6 layers of shingles. 

The workers swore they heard it breath a sigh of relief when the last layer was removed.

Each room needed a little TLC.

The living room was a hodge podge of colors and uneven wall paper boarders.

The only thing I didn't want to change was the farmstyle kitchen. 

The cabinets were made by a former tenant.

We have put a lot of time, love and money into this property!

It became a relaxing weekend retreat for us.

Then this spring we decided lets make it our permanent home.

The house in town went on the market.

We were so excited when it sold and the farm could be our full time home.

But soon after the move it became apparent the space was just to small.

I love to entertain, and the house just won't hold more than a few people comfortably.

A few ideas floated around.

Lets add on.

Maybe build a new house.

But that would mean tearing down a great little house that was built in 1861.

We just couldn't do that.

The hubby is always scanning the real estate pages.

He came across a house only a few miles up the road.

We went back and forth about making an appointment to look at it.

On a Friday night last month we took that step.

I cried!

It felt like home!

We made an offer the next day.

The sellers accepted!

But my heart still felt bad for leaving this little farm.

That Saturday night a tragic thing happened.

My sons girlfriend was killed in an auto accident not far from the house.

Our once scenic view will always hold the memory of all the emergency lights that horrible night.

I knew it was time to go!

The papers will be signed on the 27th.

A late Christmas present to us!

We haven't yet decided what to do with this little farm house.

I am sure God will guide the right person to this property, just like he did for us!

Two moves in one year?

We must be crazy!

Very blessed, but crazy!

Here is a sneak peak of the new house.

It sits on 5 acres!

Lots of room, but lots more things to tackle!

Ready or not here we come!

Liz

Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Spice Cake

Brrrrrr........

Its a cold day out in northern Illinois!

And on these cold days there is no better way of keeping warm then doing a little baking in the kitchen.

I have been wanting to try out some recipes that came in my favorite magazine this fall.

In the September/October issue, there was a fantastic article on cooking in your cast iron skillet.

Many mouth watering recipes were included. 

We were staying in the camper at the time, not an ideal place to try them out, so I stuck the magazine away for later use.

This morning I decided to get my iron skillet out and try the first recipe.

Thats when I noticed the skillet was getting a little dull in the middle.

I am usually good about cleaning it out after each use and then oiling it up for the next time.

I will put the blame on the hubby for not putting it away right! lol..

First things first.

I rubbed it down with shortening and let it season in a 350 F. oven for an hour.

Back to new and ready to use!

The recipe I tried out was called 

Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake

It looked pretty tastey before it ever went in the oven!

How pretty is that?

It even came out of the pan like it was supposed to when I flipped it!

Not quite enough of the gooey sauce for me.

But I am sure the pipeliner will enjoy it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

There are still a few more recipes I am going to try out.

Spinach Sausage Skillet Pizza, Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownies and Roast Chicken with pan Sauce are next on the list!

I guess I forgot all of the good things you can whip up with your favorite cast iron skillet!

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Cake

Stay warm!

Liz

Here and there

Once again time has got away from me and blog land!

 We have been enjoying some beautiful scenes at the farm.

I love watching the sunrise from the back door.

Even our first snowfall covering the yard.

The sunsets can't be beat either!

The pipeliner did take some time off so we could do a little traveling.

Down the road we roll!

First stop was St Louis. 

The favorite on this trip was a tour of the Budweiser brewery.

Its free, and you can sample the beer at the end.

I never get tired of looking at these amazing creatures!

We were lucky to see the whole team in their stalls!

Next was visiting relatives in Arkansas.

They have some beautiful views  from those the mountain tops.

And the views at the bottoms are just as spectacular!

This waterfall is on an aunts property. I could listen to its trickling all day long!

It was nice being gone. We enjoyed visiting with relatives we don't see very often. But its always great to be back home!

Plus grandma sure missed this little face!

Time to get busy thinking about baking, shopping and decorating!

Liz

Canning and Crafting!

I can't believe that so much time has passed without an entry from me!

I have still been busy getting the last of the seasons harvests put away for the winter.

Like I didn't already have enough stuff to do, I decided to sign up for a few local craft shows.

My biggest seller has always been my noodles.

They are so easy to make!

The drying time takes a little longer though.

I sold all but one bag, and even got a few orders for the holiday season!

At the last craft show I decided to add a few different flavors to my caramel corn that I always make.

You can find my recipe here.

The biggest seller was a Mocha Munch!

I even took a few orders from customers that enjoyed my popcorn so much! 

I purchased a Whoopie Pie pan from my niece who was selling them for a school fundraiser.

They were a big seller as well!

The pumpkin filled with cream cheese frosting were the best!

I love doing craft shows!

More for the conversation of fellow crafters, then for the money making aspect.

Mean while, I was still trying to find things to make with my bountiful supply of apples!

I tried my hand at canning apple pie filling.

The filling turned out great!

Clear-Jel is my new canning best friend!

But the apples I had left were small, and took for ever to peel and slice.

I decided just to dry them for decorations.

Just soak them in a little lemon juice and pop them in a 200 F. oven for the afternoon.

The middle of an apple has such a pretty design.

The last thing I got into my freezer was pumpkin!

I took advantage of all the leftover pumpkins that didn't make it into jack-o-lanterns.

That is it!

I am done now for the rest of the month!

No more baking or making until December.

Then its time to start the holiday baking season.

( I really can't wait for that!)

Plus this grandma is ready to take sometime to spend with the cutest monster ever!

And lastly,

today is Veterans Day!

Thank you to all of the men and women who serve our country, and who have served!

You are remembered!

Liz

End of the season

We are home!

The camper is parked for the season!

(better not say that to loud, anything can happen)

I have been playing catch-up with all things that were neglected the last couple of months.

That would be my main reason for being away from blog-land the last week or so.

The first  big chore was getting the house a little more organized.

(still working on that)

Then it was trying to get the garden in shape before winter.

I did a full clean out over the weekend.

I was surprised at all of the things that still needed to be picked.

Now I will have to spend the rest of this week getting them put up for winter.

The garden looks pretty bare now!

Just weeds and a row of marigolds!

I have my phone set up for weather alerts.

Today it has been buzzing wildly about the upcoming freeze expected for tonight.

Makes me kind of sad to see another growing season come to an end.

The zinnia are still happily blooming.

My rose bush is still loaded with flowers.

But I know the time has come when you look across the fields and most of the crops have been combined.

Tonight I will throw an extra blanket on the bed, and cuddle a little bit closer to the pipeliner.

And tomorrow when I start canning all of my veggies, my mind will be busy planning next years garden!

Liz

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

This is our last week of camper living!

We are headed for home this coming weekend.

I am beyond ready to be home for good!

I still have plenty of things left in the garden that need to be put up. 

One thing on the top of the list was Pepper Jelly.

I had been trying to find a good recipe that uses Granny Smith apples.

They are very high in natural fruit pectin.

Plus my sons tree's had a bumper crop of apples this year.

I brought my supplies back to the camper.

Monday was jelly making time!

This recipe called for 4 lbs of tart apples unpeeled, chopped into big pieces, including the cores that are needed for the pectin.

6 jalapeno peppers 

I sliced them in half length wise. Three of  the peppers were seeded, and deveined. The other three I left alone.

1 green pepper seeded and cut into chunks.

1 cup cranberries

3 cups of water

3 cups white distilled vinegar

All of this went into my handy, dandy electric roaster.

I let it simmer at 300 F. for about an hour or so stirring occasionally so nothing was stuck to the bottom or sides.

The next step was to mash up the big chunks of apples to the consistency of slightly runny applesauce. If the mash is to thick add a little more water, something I had to do.

This is my jelly strainer.

Someday I am going to design a better stand then this one. 

I haven't found one I like yet!

Spoon the mash into your mesh strainer.

Then let it drain.

I let mine drip and drip for a good hour or so.

If you want to keep your jelly clear, do not force or squeeze the mash through the mesh. Just let it drip.

I ended up with a beautiful, pink colored juice!

I measured out 4 cups of juice, what the recipe called for, and put it in a heavy bottomed pan.

To this you add 3 1/2 cups of sugar.

Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves.

The foam that rises to the surface needs to be spooned off.

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Continue to boil until a candy thermometer has reached 220-222 F.

I didn't bring my thermometer, so there is always the push test.

Put a half teaspoon of the jelly on a chilled plate.

(Put a saucer in the freezer for 10 minute or so to chill)

Allow the jelly to cool a few seconds, then push with your finger.

If it wrinkles, its ready!

When its ready pour your jelly into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space from the top.

Seal and put them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

This recipe makes make 4 half pint jars.

My batch came out nice and thick!

We like the jelly poured over a block of cream cheese and served with crackers.

Its is also good as a dip for jalapeno poppers.

My next batch I want a little more heat in it.

I will leave the seeds and ribs on a few more jalapenos.

As much as my family enjoys eating pepper jam, I have a feeling the next batch will be made quite soon!

Time for Tulip Planting!

The fields around the farm are turning.

The combines will soon be hard at work.

I love the smell of fall in the air!

Fall is the perfect time to plant tulips!

Last year I only got a few planted on the farm.

This year I was determined to plant more for lots of blooms this coming spring.

One place I wanted to see blooms would be around the corn crib.

I have so many ideas for this interesting structure.

But thats for another post!

Tulips bulbs come in virtually all colors anymore.  My girlfriend has an interesting garden of them in blacks and purple.

They also vary in their bloom times from early spring into early summer.

I chose an early bloomer, and a mid spring bloomer.

I like color in the yard as soon as I can have it!

The bulbs need to be planted 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected.

Tulips prefer a site with full sun or afternoon sun.

They dislike excessive moisture. Make sure they are planted in a well drained site.

I planted mine on the south west side of our crib.

They need to be planted deep. At least 8 inches.

Make sure you plant them with the pointy sides up!

When we lived in town I had a HUGE problem with squirrels! 

I would plant the bulbs, they would dig them up!

I finally found the solution with chicken wire.

I would line the bottom of the 

hole with chicken wire, put the bulb in, cover with a little dirt, then another layer of wire.

It kept those pesky animals from digging them up!

My planting buddy was on hand to watch grandma.

I told little man when these pretty flowers begin to bloom, you will be walking by then.

You and grandma can walk out together to pick a bouquet!

Time is running out, get those tulips planted today!

Have a great weekend!

Liz