Days 2-4 July 5th-7th

It's been a fairy uneventful few days. We have all caught a summer cold somehow. Clear snot, sneezes, and coughs are running rampant in our home. Little noses dripping and lots of "mommy!" the past few days. 

Saturday & Sunday 

We went to my sister Katie's house for a cookout. It was a good time. My best friend and the boys aunt, Laura, celebrated her marvelous 24th birthday with us. It was a little sad though because we had to leave early, 8pm. With runny noses and the fast approaching bedtime for our three under three, it was starting to get a little chaotic. I did however get to talk to my grandma about canning and getting some of her recipe for the recipe box I would love to put together. We talked garden and I got the recipe for this wonderful olive pecan spread she brought. I made a homemade apple cobbler, which my family took back home and we ate it all the next day with Tim's mom, Lori, on her visit Sunday afternoon. It was fantastic and so simple to make! Recipe to follow 

Apple cobbler 

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder 

2/3 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar divided 

1 egg 

Enough apples to fill a 9x9 baking dish halfway. We used Granny Smith to offset the sweet topping

A little cinnamon 

A drizzle of pure maple syrup 

A little local honey to Carmelize on the top

And a dash of salt 

You need to preheat the oven to 325. Grease your baking dish with a little unsalted butter You slice, core, and peel the apples. Fill your baking dish halfway. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon on your apple slices and stir. Then I drizzled with a little maple syrup. Then melt the 2/3 cup of butter. Mix butter with the rest of the sugar and egg. Add in flour and baking powder. It will almost be the consistancy of sugar cookie dough. Spread on top of your apple slices and bake for 1 hour. With about 5 minutes left I pull it out and drizzle with some fresh local honey and place back in to Carmelize. 

Monday

Yesterday was the worst day for our cold. Lots of relaxing and wiping noses. Chores became a little behind. I did however get one load of laundry washed but it took 12 hours on the line and 10 minutes in our dryer to fully dry. Because of the approaching storm system it was humidity to the max yesterday! I did harvest the first of our cucumbers. With about 100 other blooms getting ready to change, I'm sure these won't be the last. 

I was extremely upset to find that Mother Nature can play some cruel tricks on you. I have two lovely red tomatoes I was just waiting to finish vine ripening, near the stem was still slightly green. I was planning on using them last night to make BLTs using the awesome organic grass fed, thick slices, uncured bacon (delicious) we bought from the butcher in our meat package. I came to find the BIRDS had enjoyed my delicious juicey tomatoes. One was laying half eaten next to the rows of corn and the other was still on the vine but pecked to death. I though the sacrificial bird feeder I've kept heavily supplied would suffice the birds but I guess a juicy red tomato looks delicious to all walks of life. Today I am going to string up some old CDs in the garden in effect to keep them away. 

I spent the humid afternoon baking for the boys though. With our sweet tooth still craving a treat I made some fresh banana bread out of the banana we had left the boys didn't eat. 

I only wish we had some chocolate chips to add to it. Maybe next time! 

Tim and I also sat down yesterday and had a family meeting. We are going to start shopping in bulk. We already purchase our meat this way and it has worked our beautifully. We are able to save money and have stretched out 20lbs of meat to almost 3 weeks. We are going to start buying staples: pasta, rice, dry beans, spices I don't grow, meat, flour, sugar, tea, ect, in bulk.  I am going to start making our bread dough one Sunday a month and utilize our new deep freezer to store it for easy use! The frozen burritos, breakfast sandwiches, and pb&js have turned me into a truly addict of bulk/freezer/cook ahead meals! 

More to come tomorrow on the adventures of today.