mmmmmm

[2eclipse]

i just came back from the orchard with corrin. they wouldn't let us pick the kind of apples we wanted (honeycrisps and jonathans) but we were able to purchase some inside. apples fresh from the orchard are SO crisp and juicy it makes me want to eat local all the time.
amazon is doing a really nasty thing and tempting me w ith the idea of a root cellar. ross has been making noises about eventually building a house. i think one of the things i want is a root cellar. corrin grew up with one and says they work really well and they had fresh tasting apples all winter. that idea sounds really wonderful just now.
i am in the process of making home-made applesauce. i am using granny smiths, honeycrisps, jonathans and macintoshes. i think if i get more into canning different kinds of things, applesauce will be one of the things i can. i like the stuff i make so much better than what i get at the grocery. it has less sugar and no cinnamon and nothing artificial. i also make a point of doing the boiling and mashing with the skins on, so as much of the nutrients and flavor trapped there gets into the sauce as possible.

i went to the queer knitting group on friday. there were only 3 of us and it was kinda sad. the girl and guy present besides myself were nice, but they were also old friends and i felt left-out a lot when they talked about things unfamiliar to me. not sure if i'll go back to that one. i had plans with susan...but they fell through, so i wound up over at ryan's with ross and that was nice too. ross and i have been getting a lot of good time together with and without friends and i am very happy about that. last night we went out to celebrate simona's birthday at bucca di beppo's (local italian chain). it was good to see jory and chris and theresa.

today i am cleaning the house for ceci and dana's arrival and trying to get some studying in before the week. i made a stew yesterday so that i won't have to spend too much time during the week on lunches for work.  i think we are planning on going to kieran's wednesday night and chino latino's on friday night. maybe catch jane eyre thursday if ross can get tickets.
wish me luck.

Comments

[planetjake.livejournal.com]

If nothing else we can sneak into the booth or something :)

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

and then we would get to see you!!! *dances* i feel like i haven't seen you in forever. you are on that schedule ross used to have....sigh.

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

looks like we're on for thursday! you'll get to meet two of my best girls if you're interested!

[planetjake.livejournal.com]

I already met but you had gone home already.
*pouts*
We'll see you tomorrow night :)

[keisolo.livejournal.com]

I*'m annoyed because it ate my first attempt to comment.
Suffice to say, I too rejoice in the fresh and crispy. We cleaned off the trees in my partner's aunt's yard - and I spent most of last week turning that largesse and the last set of plums from our tree into butters, jellies, and conserves.
Lot of work, but worth it, I think.
Now to catch up on all the housework I couldn't do while I was doing that.

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

that *is* annoying.
i'm very impressed by all your preserving-fu! i would like to know how to do all that stuff! i've made jam before and learned to make pickles and dilly beans this summer, i think salsa is next on the list.
and getting some books on canning. i think the stuff you make yourself is so much better than what you get at the supermarket.

[keisolo.livejournal.com]

Total agreement on homemade vs supermarket.
Just have to be willing to put in the time.

That week of using up fruit was --incredibly-- tiring, though I only ended up in the chair once. *cheers* Now just hoping it lasts a bit. The speed at which my housemates can go through fruit goo is insane.

I need to find a jelly or candy thermometer, though, if I ever decide to try actual jellies again. Not sure if I will - they seem ridiculously wasteful as far as fruit in to product out goes, and I tend to prefer things with bits in them anyway.

Did you use grape leaves in the pickles?

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

i use candy thermometers for my soap-making! you can get them at any good kitchen store.
i didn't use grape leaves in the pickles. it wouldn't have occurred to me that you could. do you use them?
we were following thistle's recipe which includes: salt, sugar, vinegar, water, garlic, mustard seed, thai peppers, and dill. they came out very well.

[keisolo.livejournal.com]

*nods* That's what I was figuring on picking up, as soon as we don't have some other larger project hanging over us.

Grape leaves were my (sort of) grandmother's secret ingredient to pickles. I've never found a commercial brand or a recipe that duplicated the utter yummy of hers.

Although, from the sounds of it, I'd like that recipe, so I can make it, and add some grape leaves.
/half-smiles

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

thistle uses a recipe out of the blue book for canning.
i quite like it. aside from the brine, each large wide-mouth can gets:
1-2 heads of dill
5 pieces (cloves or half cloves) of garlic
a spoonful of mustard seed
3 thai peppers
i recommend eating the garlic and peppers along with the pickles and using the picklejuice for salad dressing, btw.

do you use fresh or canned grape leaves?

[keisolo.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the recipe.

They were fresh grape leaves - she had vines out near the garden. Wonderfully enough, there is a little baby struggling grape in our backyard here, also. It hasn't produced yet, but it is a fighter. Hopefully I can find the time and energy to properly nurse everything back there next spring.

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

you're welcome. i wish i could remember the recipe for the brine. i think it was 6 cups of vinegar, 6 cups of water 2 cups of salt and 1 cup of sugar, but i can't remember.

[keisolo.livejournal.com]

sCribbling that down, too.