Lavender, Green and Harvest

I can't say anything more, but working on something Lavender and Green and Chocolate.  It's a surprise and I'll post photos next week.

And I worked on something Wheat and Brown today.  Fun!!

I love surprises!  

In the mean time, enjoy a photo or two from past years showing what the Blue-eyed Farmer is doing this week.  I love having him home in the morning to do our morning devotions together.  It doesn't happen often enough.

 (Note how dingy and ugly this truck cab is and stay tuned for a photo of the improved cab soon.)

Hugs!

Kay~

** "For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."  ~Edwin Way Teale

Menu Monday and Harvest is beginning

Happy Monday Puffins!

It's a Menu Monday here at the Prairie Farmhouse and with Harvest breathing down my neck (HEY!  that tickles!),  I need to plan and be ready for whatever!  That means suppers that can wait (and wait and wait and WAIT!) or be rewarmed and food for lunches, hot and field and cold; as the Blue-eyed Farmer is planning to take time off from his "other" job and just get the grain out of the fields.  I think all the trouble some areas had getting crops harvested and then trouble finding elevators that would take their grain, has him a little anxious.

So lets start with breakfasts as he might want some.... or actually I think he needs to eat it, when he's working so hard and such long hours.

And he's a toast or cereal kind of guy.  Cold cereal even.  blech~  He also likes oats.  I can't call it oatmeal as it's barely cooked.  He boils water, dumps in the oats, stirs it for about a minute and it's "done" and this is NOT instant oatmeal!  Maybe he's part horse??

So as long as I have milk and bread and some fresh cereal on hand, we're good to go in the mornings. (Oatmeal is a staple in my pantry.)

Lunches:  Leftovers if I heat them up for him and if he's going to be around the place.  If it's a hot field meal, it has to be "quick eating" because he doesn't like to stop too long.  Nothing that requires a knife to cut up and preferable nothing "sloppy."  So we'll go with pizza, hot sandwiches (burgers, brats, hot ham & cheese, chicken bacon toasted subs) and the occasional meat loaf cups and mashed potatoes (small glass baking dish holds them nicely for traveling).  I'll make up some cookies, bars and puddings for desserts, get more fruit and that should get us through.  If he's taking a cooler, he'll be fine with either our dried beef or some summer sausage sandwiches (buns work best), some chips (get the more whole grain kind) carrot & celery sticks and those desserts and fruit mentioned above.  I like to make lunches a bit more substantial than when's non-harvest as he doesn't like to stop for "break" in the afternoon when everything is working.  Occasionally he'll get a soda from the coop and I do have candy bars here I could surprise him with for a treat.

Suppers:  Now it gets tricky.  I never quite know when he'll be coming in.  I have to plan a main dish that can be done around 7:30 ("Dark" these days) and yet still hold until upwards of 10 p.m.  If it's going well and he's on level ground, or if we need to bring everything home and shed it, it gets later.

We don't like to eat too heavy and yet it's been a long time since he ate lunch or a snack.  So I plan smaller pre-portioned meals.  Those mini-meat loaves for example.  It tricks your mind into thinking you are eating a big portion and even if you take a second one, it's still not alot.  Just use your muffin tins to bake a recipe of meat loaf.

Other ideas are Sloppy Joes, Single portions of Cheesey Pasta Bake, Soup and grilled cheese, leftover homemade pizza (don't try to time the dough getting done and then baking it on harvest evenings... it only creates anxiety for the cook!), frozen processed foods.  I know.. I know...  But when Popcorn Chicken or Pizza Rolls will cook in 15-20 mins, that is long enough for him to shower and read the mail and it doesn't get too late.  Other ideas are our usual Breakfast for Supper -- pancakes or eggs/bacon/toast or Frittata or Hashbrown Casserole; Tator Tot Casserole if it's going to be an earlier night (it's kinda rich for late night suppers); baked ham or sausage rings and scalloped potatoes (this can be a hot lunch if the ham is cubed up, but  NOT mixed in with the potatoes.... we don't like that at all!)

All of the supper meals will get some kind of veggie or salad addition.  Again, depends on how late it is and how heavy we want to eat.  Probably no desserts and little breads at that time of night.

I realize this is not my typical Menu listing, but I have to be flexible this time of year.  I can tell you that tonight will be some kind of pasta dish as I have ground beef, romaine lettuce for salads and garlic bread that all need to be used up, now!  Tomorrow's forecast is for rain, so I hope to get some baking done and cooking up some ground beef and chicken and it all frozen & ready. 

Speaking of chicken... just one more little tip I discovered this past week.  I picked up  my annual organic chicken order of 6 birds.  I know... that's not many but the Farmer still is not a fowl-eating fan.  And I still have 2 birds in the freezer from last year.  (Eek!  Gotta get those cooked up, pronto!) As I was saying, I had 6 fresh chickens to deal with.  One was left whole for roasting for maybe Christmas Day (with a ham).  The other 5 I cut up.  The drumsticks and wings all went together into a couple of bags for cooked chicken.  I'll do that sometime when I have a day to mess with it.  The "odds and ends" like backs, necks, etc. went into the "Stock" bag and again, I'll make stock on a cold raining day when I have time to monitor it.  The thighs and breasts are what we like best for eating as "fried chicken."  But I hate thawing out even one-chicken's worth of those pieces all stuck together.  Sometimes I want chicken and Mr. Farmer does not.  So this  year I decided after I de-boned the breasts and halved each one and removed the tenders; I would flash-freeze the pieces and then bag them up.  It worked GREAT!  I maybe, should have put parchment paper down on the baking sheets, but it didn't take too long to warm up the bottoms enough to unstick the pieces.  All the tenders went into one bag for possible Chicken Strips.  I bagged up the thighes and breast pieces seperately for if I just want dark meat or want to use the white.  I think this will be a better way for me to actually make chicken for us, no waiting for a chuck to thaw.  (Why does waiting for a "chunk" of beef or pork not bother me??)

So Puffins, do you cut up your own whole chickens?  Do you buy organic ones?  What are your go-to meals when life is C~r~a~z~y?  Comment below, cuz I can always use new ideas.  And stay tuned.  Plum Kuchen recipes soon.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Wordless Wednesday & Harvest update

We finished Harvest 2009 this evening. Thank you Father, for the bountiful harvest, with which You blessed us!

Hugs,
Kay~

** "Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
ALL Is Safely Gathered In, ere the winter storms begin."

Stay tuned....

I have a post started and I do miss all of you.


We have been TRYING to get the corn out of the fields.


It keeps raining!





We keep having break-downs.




And we have cows/calves that need to be brought home from the pasture.





And I have been working more hours.






And cooking more.



And trying to get my Fall housecleaning done.


And the leaves fell all over the lawn.



I'm just a bundle of excuses, aren't I?

I will return... maybe sooner than I hope.

Hugs!
K~

Making a Map

What do you think? Is it understandable? These are the plantings I did on Monday. As you can tell from A-E, I really needed to keep track this year of what went where. Otherwise next year, it'll be "Large pink DL, 2nd large pink DL, Small Red DL, etc..."

And here is a photo of "E- Lg Maroon DL":


And a photo of the same view as the diagram with the Coral Bells in bloom:


Do you make gardening diagrams? How do you keep track of what is planted where?

Hugs
Kay

PS I forgot to tell you those funky rounded corner squares indicate the rocks on the berm. Paint programs don't have a "rock" shape button. Who knew?

PSS We're waging another battle of the MOUSE WARS! Again in my silverware drawer.... UGH! This time we have 3 whirling traps (THANKS LEESIE) and the low frequency repellent in the lazy susan. I'm about beside myself. Send help!

** "... a flower which perisheth at night, and buddeth at the sunne rising,
... and therefore is called the Day Lillie, or Lillie for a day."
~ John Gerard, 1597

Fall!

1. I'm still alive, but a bit congested in head and chest. My typical way of handling a cold is to have it settle down in my chest and hack/cough/bark for a while.

My dear Blue-eyed Farmer got before the crack of dawn and was kind enough to let me sleep. He reset the alarm so I would actually wake up for work. That was so nice. I guess I'll keep him. **grin**


2. The Wild Yeasties were Not captured in this first try, so I plan to buy a loaf of sour dough bread at the store today and leave a slice or two near my next batch.

I had such high hopes with the first one seeing all the bubbles right away. This time I'll try the pineapple juice route. Maybe the pastureized apple juice I used, didn't allow the yeast to live?

3. I forgot to mention that I have actually been down in the sewing room, working on more Brenda's Roses blocks. I had a siggie block to make for a friend (that will be sent off today) and worked for another hour on sewing triangles to center squares. I wish there was an easier way to do find the centers without finger pressing each piece. I'm over half done with that part and the rest will just be HST and block assembly.

I'd love to go down there now, but fuzzy cold-infected brains do not mix well with sewing machines, irons and rotary cutters.

4. Blue-eyed Farmer and ds2 worked more on getting the combine prepped for harvest. The rain we had yesterday and the cool weather now (46° this morning!!), should push the beans along.

I'm thinking of easy meals I can make for those evenings. Not huge meals because who wants that after 9 p.m., but something nutritous. Small well-balanced portions.
Mini meatloaf, individual scalloped potatoes, easy lasagna, individual frittata cups are a few of the recipes on my list.

5. With the turning of the season comes the end of the garden work for me. It is not entirely over just yet but it's time to start putting it to bed for winter.

I have a huge job of weeding to do first. Farmer-dear wants to just mow off my flower bed and I won't let him. Yes, it is a horrible mess and full of waist high weeds. Something had to give this year and that was it. (stupid horr0r-moans)
I am going to pull all those weeds and hope he has time to help me move the mulch to that bed.

There is a gate to be painted. And maybe some barn doors.

The Swiss Chard will be need to be cut and froze or dried.

My tomatoes are still going strong. I'll just enjoy picking them and eating them until they freeze

Potatoes are getting dug little by little. And the sweet potatoes will be dug at first frost.

Several herbs need to be potted up to be brought inside for the winter.

And the new day lilies need to be planted outside for next year.

Thankfully most of these jobs can be done in small increments of time so shouldn't interfer with harvest and some necessary Fall house-cleaning.


How will you be getting ready for the colder months? What jobs are on your To Do list?

Hugs
K~

** "Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."
-- William Cullen Bryan

More holiday preparations - Baking

Susan Branch artwork

First... if anyone knows where my recipe for banana bread is, please tell me! I was all geared up to make a couple of loaves and now it's gone missing. I know I just saw it last week. This is why I should never clean for company. I put things away and instantly lose them.

Anyway....

it's a gloomy, wet, cold, grey day here on the prairie. The perfect day for staying inside with the stereo on, making something yummy & comforting.

The Honey-Wheatberry Bread is doing it's initial sponge while I type this.
This is now our every-day, most perfect bread. Whole grain, honey, not too sweet, just enough substance to let you know you are eating "real" bread. Good crust without being so hard you *Have* to have a spread on it. It makes the best toast.

The recipe makes 2 loaves as written but my KA mixer really prefers we only make one loaf at a time. I usually cook up the as-written wheat berries a day before I plan to make bread. I keep half in the fridge for baking day and freeze half for the next time.

I am back to making bread & doughs by hand & in the KA because my Zoh ABM pan finally froze up and quit working. I refuse to pay over $50 for a pan (plus shipping) and have been watching for one on Ebay and at the thrift stores. They are still very popular but my time will come. And really, making bread with the KA is not that hard. I just can't dump the ingredients in and leave.

Speaking of baking.... the holidays are fast approaching! I went to my first hometown store open house on Saturday at the Hallmark store. With the weather being all wintery, I'm getting in the mood. I'd like a little sunny, golden Autumn for Thanksgiving Day yet too.

I told you last time about my Holiday Control Journal (HCJ) and showed you photos of my recipes. This past week's sale flyer from one of my favorite grocery stores was all about holiday baking!! I wait for this sale every year. All their McCormick seasonings were 50% off. I stocked up for for the next year. And not just baking spices, but their herb and flavorings too.
They also had flour on sale. It wasn't my usual Unbleached Gold Medal but the regular all-purpose. I'll watch for the Unbleached to go on sale too. I prefer it but cookies made with the bleached kind will work. I'll add some of my milled flour to add some nutrients.
Butter was on sale so I got 8 pounds. 2 unsalted for baking and the rest for daily use.
Not really a baking ingredient, but whipped topping, pasta, and shredded cheeses were also on sale. Good sales for comfort meals & holiday dishes.
I saved $46.80 using my store priviledge card!
And have 6¢ off per gallon of gas that is good for 30 days.
So I stocked up on holiday ingredients, saved some major money and have a future savings on gas. That is a great shopping trip!

While I was in the store, I was able to ask the produce workers how to cook Turban Squash. My BFF gave me several & I wasn't sure what to do with them or if they were even edible. The store had a display of Turbans so I asked. I found it is just like cooking a big acorn squash. Guess what I'm having for dinner this week.

Unfortunately in my excitement on finding out that information I forgot to get pecans and walnuts from the bulk bins.
I find they are fresher there than in the pound packages from the shelf.

I also picked up some Watkins vanilla over the weekend and canned pumpkin last week. I've checked the pantry shelves and barring some really unusual ingredients; I think I'm ready to start baking for the holidays.

Here's a photo from last year to show you what I'm looking forward to:

Starting from slightly past 12:00 is Pumpkin Bread, Peanut Butter Star cookies, Chocolate Crinkles, Jam Thumbprints, Scotcharoos, Sugar Cookies, Easy Fudge and Candy Cane Cookies in the middle. I also made Chex Party Mix.
It's the start of the plan for this year.

I'm off to work on that bread and keep hunting for the Banana Bread recipe.

Stay warm everyone!
Hugs,
Kay~

––Susan Branch artwork

The final totals

Done! We are Done! Another harvest out of the fields & in the bins.

Farmer-dear will finish cleaning out and storing the combine & heads on Monday. Next job on his horizon is anhydrous applying.



Unofficial totals are the corn yields running from 103 bushels per acre to the high of 138 bushels. Not bad for our dryland, hilly, clay ground.
The beans averaged in the high 30s. Again not bad considering we had no rain for over a month when the beans where forming.

And in the farmhouse kitchen the totals are 4 dehydrator trays of zucchini shreds (or 1 quart canning jar), 2 trays of raisins (1 pint jar);


and 7 jelly jars of really spicy Hot Pepper Jelly. (note to self: Next time take the seeds out of the jalapenos.)



The rest of today was spent making a loaf of bread;
attending a 40th wedding anniversary Open House and getting to see old friends and new babies.
Home to vacuum up the invasion of lady beetles;
make a quick supper (who's hungry after anniversary cake?)
and suffering through 1 quarter of the NU/OU game. Too pitiful to continue watching. Yeah, I'm not a great fan. It was just too painful.



Have a restful Sunday everyone,
Hugs!
Kay~

~~"I am rich today with autumn's gold, All that my covetous hands can hold; Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod, A goldfinch on a milkweed pod, Huge golden pumpkins in the field With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield"
- Gladys Harp

Fall Comfort Foods

Brrrr.......... It's definitely Autumn now. We turned the furnace on mid-week and I put an extra quilt on our bed.

With the cooler temps comes the desire for warm comfort food.
Here are two recipes I made this past week. Not only are they comforting, they also use in-season produce.

Autumn Squash Soup with Sauteed Apples

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, very finely chopped
• 3 sprigs thyme, 2 sprig rosemary, leaves removed & minced
• 3 pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used evaporated milk.)
• 1 teaspoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1. To prepare the soup, in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the scallion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the herbs, squash, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, to cook the apples, in a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the diced apple and remaining sprig of thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple is tender and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

4. In the Dutch oven, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or ladle the soup into a blender and puree until smooth a little at a time. Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup or puree until smooth for a more elegant soup. Add the cream, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

5. To serve, ladle into warm bowls and garnish with the sautéed apples.

(Note: I had a bowl 2 days later and I think it was even better.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pear Brownies

• 2 unpeeled Pears, grated (about 2 cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tb. butter, melted
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp rum flavoring (or 1 tsp. vanilla total)
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. dark raisins (optional)
• 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9" baking pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the grated apples, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and spices. Mix well. Add raisins and nuts. Add flour mixture to apple mixture. Stir until just combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 30-35 mins or until tests done. Cool pan on rack.
Serve warm with ice cream or cool alone w/ dusting of cinnamon sugar.

=================================================================

I hope you all find a way to celebrate the season with something warm and comforting.

Next time I hope to share with you some fun vintage wins from Friday's estate auction. Fun, fun, fun stuff!
And also I want to share the almost-completed table runner I'm quilting.
(I need alot more practice on my free motion machine quilting. OMStars! )


Have a wonderful week everyone!
HUGS!
Kay~
~~"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~Jim Davis

How I spent my Sunday afternoon

It was a lovely day on the farm. We enjoyed a great morning in church & Sunday School. A quick bite of lunch in town and then home to recharge for the week ahead.


This is how I spent the afternoon and evening.



Counted the flock of wild turkeys on the hill behind us. There were around 2o+.

Helped Farmer-dear dig (ok he dug, I hunted) the last of the potatoes.
A nice haul for 3 1/2 short rows.

I just had to add this one, that Farmer-dear took of the cat. He rarely takes photos but my hands were muddy from the potatoes so he took this one and the one of the potatoes. The cat looks frustrated because we wouldn't feed her.
There are mice in them there buildings! Go forth and earn your keep!

We enjoyed the Autumn colors behind her too.

Shortly after the potato dig, we spoke to the married ds & family. Miss KMA is now a "big girl" too, just like her twin sister!! Grammie will be sending the "Congratulations" tee-shirt to her tomorrow. It's the little things that make life exciting, right?

And then....

I made this table runner.

I finally got to sew! It has been MONTHS since I've done anything other than mend with my machine. My VDH sent me down to "have fun" this afternoon and I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass by.
But I was in a dilemma on what to do. I didn't want to start a huge project today. I needed to see some accomplishment. I have plenty of WIP without adding another. (works in progress) And I wasn't in the mood to just cut out the pieces for my BFF's anniversary quilt.

Then I spied the bag of goodies from the quilt shop in Ohio. I had forgotten all about them. Inside the bag, I found this pattern and some fat quarters. I added in the novelty fabric from my stash and started cutting. I had to do some creative cutting since fat quarters are not the same as 1/4-yard cuts, and had to frog-stitch (rip-it, rip-it....get it? lol) a seam or two and had to repress a few seam allowances. I took my time and didn't stretch the bias edges on the triangles. A first for me! Usually my edges end up wavy and wiggly. And within a couple of hours I had the top done!
It'll take a few more evenings to get it sandwiched, quilted and bound but I hope to have it down by next weekend.
BTW, can you spot the "mistake" in the runner? Personally I think it adds interest and movement to it.

And that is how I spent this lovely, relaxing Sunday afternoon and evening. I hope yours was just as nice.

Have a great start to your week tomorrow.
Hugs!
Kay~
––"A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content." ~Anonymous

Simple Pleasures

1. Sunny afternoons after crisp, frosty mornings.

2. The feel of a new hair cut & the sight of renewed hair color.

3. A friendly "Hello" to & from a stranger passing on the sidewalk.

4. Listening to someone share, when that someone is usually the one having to listen.

5. Window shopping

6. Leisurely puttering around a favorite thrift store instead of stressing that a delivery truck is blocking your car.

7. The mystery of dropping a letter (ok, a bill) into the dark mailbox.

8. New library books!

9. Driving home, singing with the radio.

10. A yellow apron; music on the stereo; apples, flour & cinnamon in the air.

11. The brilliant sunset from atop the hill.

12. The window open just a little for cool fresh air and an extra quilt on the bed.

What were your Simple Pleasures this week?

Hugs!
Kay~
––"I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our disposition and not our circumstances."
~~Martha Washington~~

Rainy Days & Apple Pie

I spent this rainy Monday cleaning, waiting for the water system serviceman and making an apple pie. There is nothing cozier than the smell of apples and cinnamon on a cool, rainy afternoon.

My pie crust and apple pie recipes come from an old cooking pamphlet I got from my Grandma's collection. HERE is a description and photo of it.

Don't be afraid to make your own pie crust. It just takes a little practice, ice water and a light touch when tossing the water into the flour mixture And while rolling it out.

It really does make a difference if you chill the crust dough for 15-30 mins. before you roll it out. I haven't made a crust so flaky in a long time.

I hope you celebrate the season with your own homemade apple goodness.

Hugs
Kay
––“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”
Jane Austen

Kay's Apple Pie

Easy Pie Crust--adapted from the Good Housekeeping's Party Pie Book
Makes 8" or 9" double pie crust

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c shortening (I use Crisco sticks)
5 Tb ice water (approximately-- it all depends on the weather, how dry & absorbent your flour is, etc..etc...)
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until it resembled small peas. Sprinkle in the water, 1 Tb. at a time. Use a fork to toss the water into the flour. Continue until almost all the flour mixture is combined with the water. Gently, as you would make a snowball, gather the mixture into a thick flat round. If it's too crumbly, add a little more water. It should NOT be sticky. Place round of dough in a ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer.
(At this point you can leave it there for several weeks. Just set it out for about 30 mins before rolling.)

Apple Pie Filling

6-8 apples; a variety if you have them
1 Tb. flour (more if especially juicy)
2/3 c. sugar (more if apples are really tart or less if sweet)
1 tsp. cinnamon

While dough is chilling, wash, core, peel and slice the apples. Toss apple slices with flour, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 425°.

Take the dough from the freezer. Lightly flour counter. Divide the dough in half. Place one half aside. Roll other half until it is 1-2 inches larger than pie plate. (I use a pyrex 9" pie plate.) Gently fold the dough in fourths and gently place in the pie plate. Unfold gently and ease into the shape of the plate. Cut the overhang a little beyond the lip of the plate.

Spoon the apple mixture into the bottom crust and mound up in the center. Set aside.

Reflour the counter and roll out the top crust. Again, gently fold into fourths and place on top of the apples. Trim the edge 1/2 to 1" past the pie plate edge. Fold the top crust edge under the bottom crust and crimp. Cut steam holes in the top crust. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40-50 mins. or until the crust is brown and the apples are tender. (You test them by poking through one of the steam cuts with a paring knife or small fork.)

Let cool a bit on a baking rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cold with whipped cream. The ice cream is better.
Sit on the front porch and enjoy the falling leaves, the chilly breeze and the spicy apple goodness.

First day of Soybean Harvest (& I haven't died yet.)

What I'm reading now:

Bread Alone: A Novel

By Judith Ryan Hendricks

I know that's foremost on your minds, right?
Nope, I'm still alive. A bit "barky" and "wheezie" but I think I'm going to make it. I don't feel like running any marathons just yet, but I was able to go out and help my Farmer yesterday afternoon get started on cutting soybeans.

So for the men in my readership (or anyone who enjoys big farm equipment); here is a photoblog of the first day of soybean combining:

Just getting started, after we took a sample to the elevator for moisture test. It's around 11 (which is good, they start docking payment at 13.5).


On the way back around the first pass.

Here he comes.


Notice that intense concentration focused on the reel.

Too focused to turn & wave?

And there he goes.

______________

And these 2 I was just playing with the settings on iPhoto.

(See.... complete concentration.)
Sorry about the weird reflection on this one.


Obviously I've been reading wayyyy too much of the Pioneer Woman's blog. And enjoying her photos and how she "tweaks" them. (http://thepioneerwoman.com/ )
It was a pleasant diversion. **mmmmm~~ Cowboys**

______________

I have to work at the magazine today. I'm not dying nearly as much as I was mid-week, but phone conversations will be interesting, now that I'm coughing and barking. Lots and lots of hot tea and peppermint tic-tacs. (did you know those will work better & quicker than a cough drop?)
Tonight more bean harvesting and maybe I can get that last coat of paint on the kitchen.
Or maybe it'll just be nap-time.

Have a Fantastic Friday!

Hugs!
Kay~

"....the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God."
~Ray Stannard Baker