Fall Mason Jar Decorations

During Canning Week, I shared one of my Jar Lanterns we made around Christmas time. Here's one of my fall lanterns.

What you'll need:
1 jar
ribbon
embelishments
glue gun
glue sticks
flameless candle

To begin, make sure the jar is clean and dry.
I picked up some fabric leaves from the dollar store

 

I glued these all over the jar

 

Then, I added one large leaf 

Next, I tied a bow around the top using some fall ribbon 

 

Drop in a flameless candle and done!

 

Peach Crisp

Ott, A and I had so much fun during Canning Week, we didn't want it to end! Every Tuesday, we'll be sharing recipes that use foods we canned.

 

Peach Crisp

What you'll need:
2 c canned peaches
1 T honey
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t vanilla
1 c oats
4 t butter
1 1/2 t brown sugar
3 T flour

First, drain peaches

 

Pour into 8x8 pan

 

Then, drizzle honey over entire dish...my boss got the honey for me at a recent conservation convention in Durango, Colorado. Have you checked out Chew on Dirt? It's a great place to see modern conservation practices and ask questions about how today's farms are protecting our soil and water for future generations.

 

Sprinkle cinnamon over peaches and add vanilla evenly over dish

 

In separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and butter (cut into pieces)

 

Add oats and mix well until a fine, crumbly mixture forms

 

Sprinkle evenly on top of peaches and bake at 325 for 45 minutes

 

Please visit these other blogs who "canned a lOTT, now we're baking in our bistro"!

A Latte With Ott,A

From the Hive

Did you participate in Canning Week and want to show off your recipes next week? Contact Ott,A and we'll give you instructions for next week's blog hop!

An Afternoon at the Kelsay Farm

Today, we went to Kelsay Farm for family day.

 

The husband tried out the pedal pull

 

Here's Ott,A's husband, Ott,E, on his turn.

 

And here's Jeannie from Jeannie's Gym Journey leading the Women's Division (which she won!!)

 

(The emcee of the event, Joe, is married to Amy from 2 Maids a Milking.)

We climbed up to the top of straw mountain

 

And checked out some cows...and some 16 day old babies!

 

 Lots of fun for the whole family. They also have an awesome corn maze, hay wagon rides, and much more! If you're close to Indy, make sure to check it out...and grab a milkshake while you're there!

Elderberry Pie

Ott, A and I had so much fun during Canning Week, we just didn't want it to end! Every Tuesday, we'll be featuring recipes that use items we canned.

Some of our fellow canners are sharing some recipes as well this week. Be sure to check out what they are making with their canning creations!

a Latte' with Ott, A   

Gourmet Meals for Less 

From the Hive  

Frog Belly Soup  

I was able to pick some elderberries this year that were growing in my aunt's backyard. I didn't know a lot about them, but did some research. Here's what I found:

• Elderberry extract has been found to be effective against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu  (Zakay-Rones et al 1995)
• Elderberry extract contains a unique compound called Antivirin® that can help protect healthy cells and inactivate  infectious viruses
• When given to patients, scientists have found the elderberry extract, has the ability to ward off flu infections quickly  (Zakay-Rones 2004)
• Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid –  anthocyanins are antioxidants that may protect cells from free radicals and support your body’s immune system.
• Elderberries have almost 5 times as many anthocyanins as Blueberries and twice the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries 
• Elderberry has a more potent antiviral effect than Echinacea

I also found that making a simple extract with elderberries has been shown to stop a cold, if taken within the first two days of symptoms. So, I decided to can some to keep around for this winter so I can make extract when Cold Season hits. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work. Then I go back to DayQuil. Can't hurt, right?

Anyway, I have so many jars of elderberries I knew I would never make this much "cold/flu medicine". I decided to make pie. I'm not a big fruit pie person, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

What you'll need:

2 9-inch pie crusts
4 c elderberries
3 cups sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 T lemon juice

butter

To begin, rinse and drain elderberries

 

In a medium size pan, combine berries, sugar and cornstarch. Simmer until berries are tender.

 

When berries are tender and sauce is thick, remove from heat and add lemon juice. Stir well. 

Pour into pie crust and add a few pats of butter

 

Top with other pie crust and bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes. Cool and serve

 

As this was the first time I tried elderberries, I have to say I'm not overly impressed. It received a mixed reaction overall. It certainly was not overly sweet. Personally, I didn't think the berry had much taste. But, I do like trying new things, and my goal this year has been to try one new food a week. Since I've historically been a picky eater, it wasn't that hard to continuously find "new to me" foods. 

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for more of our series "I Canned A LOTT, Now I'm Baking In My Bistro"!

I Heart Fall, and Some Catching Up

Through a tearful goodbye to Summer, I welcome Fall with arms wide open!


There are a few things I really love about Fall. Last week, I showed everyone the fun crafts I had been working on. I'll share a secret. I do them by myself first to see if the kids are going to like it or be able to do it. Over the weekend, the kids did their twine balls. Let me tell you, three kids + glue + balloons = fun, messy times! I wish I had gotten a few pics of the process, but you'll have to settle for the end result!

We also made a scarecrow. This is something I've wanted to do with them for a long time, but for one reason or another, we never did. I've never seen 3 kids have so much fun stuffing an old pair of pants and a sweatshirt with straw! The kids couldn't decide on a face, so we picked up a mask at the dollar store. Then we took all the leftover straw a made a big pile on the porch. It was such a fun afternoon!

The oddest part about this is the neighbor's dog. He is terrified of it! Sunday morning, he stood about 10 feet away and barked...and barked....and barked. I swear I saw my dog chuckling at him.


Here's an oldie but goodie. Who doesn't like ghost suckers? And how easy they are!
Tissues
Ribbon
Marker
Sucker (the big ones, like Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops)

Place middle of tissue over sucker. Twist once and tie with ribbon. Add face. Done! Thing 4 and I made up a whole bunch of these. Sometimes, it's the littlest things that amuse them!

Another great thing about fall is the cooking. It seems like that's kind of our jump start to the holiday season. Almost a "warm up" for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I made some Caramel Apple Jam (recipe to come later) which really got me hooked on a caramel kick. So what do you do??? Make Caramel Popcorn!!

Now, for the catch up segment...

Have you seen this blog? Mama.Mommy.Mom is a girl after my own heart. You'll find recipes, great photos, and witty observations about the world around us. Make sure you check it out! Anywho...she gave me this bloggy award, and now it's my turn to pass it on!

Here are the rules:

1. Accept the award. Post in on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 5 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

Voila!

So, I will be passing on a Lovely Blog Award to:

Lana @ Walking the off-beaten path

Adrienne @ Adrienne's Food Adventures

Katie @ Pinke Post

Stacey @ I'm a Lazy Mom

Beth @ From the Hive

I hope you all check them out. These are just a handful of the great blogs out there.

Farewell, Summer

Dear Summer,
 I've enjoyed your company so much this year.

We made a lot of special memories.

 

Started some new traditions

And revisited some of our favorite outdoor activities

 

I have enjoyed our time together, but it is with a heavy heart that I bid you farewell.  I will miss you until we meet again next year. 

 

This post was linked to:

 Outdoor Wednesday

A Beautiful Mess

Wordless Wednesday

5 Minutes for Mom

Angry Julie Monday

Apple Pie Pork Loin?

Ott, A and I had so much fun during Canning Week, we didn't want the fun to stop! Every Tuesday, we'll be showing off recipes using great things we canned. Make sure to stop by Ott,A's blog to see what she's been up to!

Two things you should know about me, and have probably picked up on by now. We love pork...and apples! I started to make a pork loin the other day and cook it in some apples. To the pantry to I go! I grabbed a jar of what I thought was just canned apples and popped it open. That's when I realized my mistake. I had grabbed a jar of apple pie filling!!! Well, it IS apple, and I already had it open, so why not? 

I also added some Mrs. Dash in the red cap. I'm not really sure which variety that is. We go by color. As I normally do with a pork loin, I baked it at 250 for about 7 hours. 

I didn't tell the husband about the mistake. I just let him eat it. And much to my surprise, the cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices married quite well with the pork and Mrs. Dash! Even the husband commented on how much better it was this time than the last time I baked a pork loin in apples. I don't know that I will make it like this every time, but it certainly was good for a mistake!

Check out the great blogs below who also enjoy being creative with food they can!

a Latte' with Ott, A 

From the Hive