It's Cherry Time!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

It's cherry picking time in the Yakima Valley.

A total of 7 children and adults plus our tour guide Mr. T. visited a local fruit ranch to pick not-quite-full containers of fresh ripe delectable cherries.

Not only did we have fun traipsing through the cherry trees and orchard rows, the young fruit pickers learned several new things.

Picking cherries is harder than it looks.

It's takes lots of cherries to fill even tiny buckets. Lots.

It's more fun to visit and play than pick cherries.

Don't use the port-o-potties (as advised by Mr. T.).

It was a great outing. Plus I have a big bowl of the yummiest cherries just waiting to be gobbled up.

Fresh and raw, pitted and baked. Any way, any time.

Cherry season!



 

Tomato Experiment

Beautiful tomatoes in the dehydrator

As per many wonderful suggestions on a certain social site, I am embarking on a tomato experiment.

Let me shout out a great big thank you to all who contributed ideas. Thank you!

These ideas are a necessary part of my life right now as I work my way through 50 pounds of potatoes, 50 pounds of onions, and a huge box of Roma tomatoes.

The very ripe tomatoes need immediate processing. One can eat only so many in a day, juicy though they be. Lacking adequate freezer space for that sort of preservation, and an absence of canning supplies, I decided to take the short cut and fill the dehydrator with sliced tomatoes.



Quart-size storage bags of dehydrated onions

What could go wrong except they take days to 'heat-dry' or get all crispy crunchy, which would be odd for tomatoes?

I suppose experimenting with tomatoes could prove disastrous, but I am willing to take a chance. The other viable option is throwing overripe tomatoes at the big black and white bully cat that is daily harassing my kitties and chasing them through the cat door.

So here we go.

Vines in my backyard, gorgeous colors for me to enjoy

Onion update: approximately 8 large onions fill my tiny dehydrator. One dehydrator of dried onions fills one quart-side storage bag to the brim. I now have two quarts of dried onions.

Potatoes: Still considering my options.

In the line-up: sage and parsley. As long as there is no overnight freeze I can safely plan on popping them into the dehydrator ASAP. Alas, an overnight freeze is looming, perhaps this weekend.

The view on my evening walk

Let the tomato experiment commence.

Bounty of Harvest

The bounty of harvest is in full production in October. This makes me very happy.

Usually I spend hours each fall dehydrating apples, parsley, sage, and any other produce I can get my hands on. Many foodstuffs come from the generosity of family and friends. Some are purchased. But the the parsley and sage are clipped straight from the garden, as they have aggressively taken over most of one raised garden bed.

This year, I have yet to fill the little dome of delight with sliced apples. But I have made a huge crock pot of applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon. The fragrance of cooking apples and cinnamon is a signature fall scent. Ahhh.

Yesterday our family was blessed with massive produce in the form of 50 pounds of potatoes (and I mean BIG spuds - I have never seen them this large), 50 pounds of onions, and a box full of Roma tomatoes. The overabundance is amazing. I do not want any of it to go to waste.

As of last night, the dehydrator has been running non-stop. The withered forms of onions rest inside, slowly drying out and waiting for me to scoop them into a container for future meals. The neighborhood is filled with wafts of onions (we got smart and put them on the patio, as our eyes were going crazy with burning).

The potatoes - what to do with the potatoes? Mashed? Baked? Gratined? I fear that one is enough for a small army, they are that huge!

And the tomatoes - soup? Sauce? Stewed? Dehydrated? (No, that does not sound appealing at all.)

I'm off to go another round with the tear-inducing onions. Last night was French onion soup. Tonight?

Ideas would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and if you need a spud or two, a few onions, and a handful of tomatoes, drop on by.

 

Thank you, dear friends, for sharing the (food) wealth!

Saving the Birds

After 4 finches came unwillingly into the house in less than 24 hours, it was time to save the birds.



The cats. Mabel and Monet. I don't know what changed, but suddenly the finches were having particularly harried days. Either the cats were mega-charged in their bird snatching skills and were enjoying that success by bringing mommy a bird - often - or the birds were waxing eloquently as they greedily gulped sunflower seeds by the dozens and failed to see or hear gray calico cats lurking and stalking.



Either way, after a robust season of catch and release (by one or both cats) and then catch and release (by me, the mom), it was time to remove temptation.

Don't get me wrong. I adore and love my sunflowers. I really only had to plant them one year. After that, they sprang up unaided from seeds dropped during the previous season. I hated having to put them down. The bees would starve, the table would lack from flowers, the shade would disappear . . .

But the poor finches. I can't even count how many I've rescued and taken out to the front yard (opposite of sunflower territory) and released under the lavender bush to recover. Perhaps not all made it and we will find tiny skeletons when we trim off the growth for winter. I hope not.

So good-bye finches. Realize that while I have taken away your food, I am prolonging your life. Go. Be happy. Sing loud. Stay away from cats.

That is why I do not put out bird feeders. Clever cats.


"Snicker, snicker. Me? Never."

Harvest Time ~ The Fruit of Vacation

It's full harvest time in the Yakima Valley. Farmers are reaping the rewards of hard work and blessings from the Lord. Families enjoy the abundant fruit and vegetables that fill farmers markets and produce sections of grocery stores. It is a good time to live in an agricultural area.

Just as the time comes for fruit to be harvested, when farmers and even untrained eyes can pretty accurately tell the best time to do so, there is a certain time for taking a break.

Vacation time is now for these two middle-aged bodies. We are going to spend some time relaxing and refreshing. This gift of time away from daily responsibilities is a gift from God, and one we do not take lightly, but with great thanksgiving.

I will be back to blogging after vacation, hopefully with tales and photos of some of our adventures.

Until then, enjoy your summer! I appreciate you being a part of my blogging family.

See you soon.

Ah, Autumn...

Autumn is my favorite, most favorite time of the year! I love the cooling weather and frosty nights (ask any woman in her late 40's and she will most likely love cooling weather).

I love the ~

fall colors, oranges, reds, and yellows

mountains of pumpkins

displays of harvested gourds and squash

yellow straw bales

scarecrows

drifting leaves

pumpkin mazes

frosty breath hanging in the air

fuzzy horses with beginnings of winter coats

diamond covered yards decorated with ice

crisp apples fresh from the trees

bountiful produce, soon to disappear into freezers and pantries

shorter days

drifts of wood smoke from cozy fireplaces

warm jackets and long sleeves

pumpkin scones and pumpkin butter

Thanksgiving around the corner

Christmas a few blocks beyond Thanksgiving

family

the Lord, the gracious provider of all things wonderful

Autumn is just too beautiful for words and images.