and it's not just the season!!!! Things are changin' around here and I am lovin' it! There's lots going on but for now I'll start with today and a trip to the "valley"! The BIG Valley that is! Not sure how it became Big Valley but it's a wonderful valley. I enjoy weekly trips during summer for dry goods, fresh produce and shopping at the flea markets! It's full of farms, amish and mennonite families and businesses, antique shops, flea markets, livestock and fresh produce auctions and the bestest(I don't think that's a word but it really describes my feelings about this shop!) place to buy wool and felt for use in my felting machine... thank you dear friend Stephanie Ackerman for your encouragement and guidance (enabling me) in the purchase of this wonderful machine!!!! My mind continues to spin with ideas for my felt and wool stash! It IS THE BOMB!!!! More on that in future posts though!
Back to the Valley...today's trip was a bit later in the day...around Noon (usually it's 6AM or so) so we missed the prime goodies but we managed to do pretty well. It is the time, here in rural Pennsylvania anyway, for "putting up" for the winter! You know...harvesting all the goodies from the garden that are plentiful and canning and freezing for meals through out the coming year???? It's something I've done since I was a small child helping my mom and grandmother. Trust me when I say that I really DID NOT enjoy prepping for canning while I was doing it but now...I cherish those memories! What a skill I learned at an early age. I am thankful! Tending garden was part of the tradition as well and even though we've had gardens in years past, we completely miss planting season this year. We have NOTHING to harvest! Thank goodness for neighbors, the local farmer's market and "the valley"! Today's trip was about finding large quantities of these....
and some potatoes, onions and ham for what else....Ham and Green Beans!!! 4-Half Gallons frozen! Yippee! There was even enough for dinner and to share with some special neighbors! It was lots of snapping, washing, scrubbing, crying(silly onions), peeling and cooking but it tasted great and we've got food for winter!!!! Next up...some sweet stuff! Peaches...regular and WHITE PEACHES!!!!
The traditional orange colored(inside flesh) were not quite ripe but the white peaches(they're actually white flesh) were deeeee-licious! Outside coloring is the same just a little lighter. The kids agreed...those were the favorite. Next week...a bushel or so of those to freeze for fresh fruit in the coming year! Picked up some red ripe tomatoes as well...and hope to try freezing them for marinara, taco, chili sauces and soups. Local farmer's market tomorrow...will be checking it out for some celery, carrots, onions and peas for veggie soup! Things are changin'(oops! there's my word of the year again!) around here and I'm liking it! Hope you're enjoying some fresh market fair this season and are changin' things up a bit!
Secret...I figure if I "put some things up" I'll have more time for some creativity!!!! Keep the fingers crossed!
Happy rest of the week!
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