My Brother's Wedding

Two weeks ago my brother informed me he was getting married. Two weeks later, I have a new sister!Welcome to the family Caroline!

All the pretty little horses

Taking a break for fun

These past few weeks have been crazy busy around here with all the projects and canning going on. So I decided a day of fun was in order. Although being my very practical self I combined it in with a trip to the grocery store. We headed out to Amish county to grocery shop and play in the creek and the park. Here they all are before getting dirty.Love this one of my girls. It so so peaceful and pretty at this park. We love going there as much as we can. It's not very deep and the boys love to catch crayfish. The girls collect rocks and everyone gets dirty. We then stopped for ice cream on the way home.      Miles was determined to catch at least one crayfish before we left. He worked hard at it the whole time.  I gave a 5 minute warning and he still hadn't caught one. Then just as I was getting the girls out and toweled off he caught a big one. He was so excited!! It's always nice to take a break when working hard. It makes it seem more special. It's back to work for me now. My parents are coming tomorrow and the tomatoes are filling up the counters again.

Compost Buckets

You know it's canning season when you trade your pretty compost pail for a 5 gallon bucket.

Little Bo Peep and her sheep

In our house Little Bo Peep cares for her sheep in lace gloves and a mop cap  while still in pajamas at 3:00 in the afternoon.Then falls asleep while singing her sheep to sleep.

Fruit Leather

Here is a quick and easy way to save some money.

This is peach leather I just finished up. First I washed, peeled, and diced the fruit into manageable pieces. I did sprinkle a bit of fruit fresh over the top because I was making a few other things at the same time.Next, puree it in a food processor or a blender. You will need two cups of fruit puree.  Add 1 Tablespoon of bottled lemon juice, it is more acidic than fresh lemon and it helps the shelf life.

Add 3 Tablespoons of honey and mix well.   Carefully pour two cups of the fruit mixture in your plastic tray. I have a dehydrator I picked up at a yard sale for six dollars. I think if you can get your oven to about 140 degrees you can dry your fruit on a cookie sheet, Or if you live where its really hot you can dry it outside or in your car.   It took about 18 hours to get it the way I wanted. I did put a bit of olive oil on the tray to help it not stick.  Cut up the fruit into 8 pieces and layer on wax paper or parchment paper to keep from sticking. Store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place. Ingredients:

2 cups fruit puree

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3 Tablespoons honey

Cantaloupe

Out of the garden this morning