Still Have Jars.....

It is beginning to feel like fall, at last! Today our temperatures are in the 60s, which is lovely! There is a sweet little breeze teasing the trees and fall is palpable.... at least for today..

My task this week has been, sigh, working in the Canning Factory, aka Lazy Bee Farm. Another 42 quarts of tomato sauce has been tucked upstairs for winter along with, to date, 24 quarts of small potatoes. When we worked the farmer's market, we sold these as "top of beans taters." Now, I notice that the grocery store has appropriated that moniker, too!

This weekend, being Labor Day, we will pick our "found" apples, orphan trees we have watched for several weeks for fruit. Applesauce and dried apples will be the order of the weekend, along with, I hope, apple pie filling and sliced apples. Today, though, it is more tomatoes....

My other projects for the weekend are to clear out a corner of the yard to move butterfly bushes we found at the wood's edge (how did that happen? We can't decide!) and a beauty bush from my parent's house. I have some hostas to divide, as well, and they should do fine there. I love it! Landscaping on a zero budget! The best kind!

My fall garden was put in today, too. I have broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, peas, and brussells sprouts. A fall garden is new for me, but I am eager to see how it does. The way the seasons have shifted, I anticipate a nice little crop for the fall.

What are your plans for Labor Day?? Laboring? Or having fun?

Putting By

The green ones fell off while I was picking; they will ripen on the windowsill.

One of the things I most love is putting up food for the coming year. It makes me feel so safe, knowing we will have good, healthy food to eat when winter comes or we have the need for reserves. 

This year, for the first time since I've lived in this house (23 years!), I have tomatoes! In the past, they have always blighted or the tomatoes just wouldn't ripen. This year, though, I planted them where I had composted for two years with the lovely richness from the goat yard and chicken house. And, it is a little higher on the mountain than my previous garden. The plants came from a high school agriculture class a former student teaches. These plants have taken over the garden! Forgive me for not remembering the varieties; however, the fruit is either pink, yellow, and red.... Such lovely colours! 

I was staking them up every few days until they became so heavy they Just Laid Down. And have stayed that way, full of green tomatoes which seem to quickly become ripe and ready for a jar!

Just some of the salsa I've put up this year along with tomato soup.

 I have made chili, sauce, salsa, soup, veggie soup with tomatoes, plain tomatoes, pizza sauce, and tomato chutney. And still they come. Every day, I go to the garden and tip toe around the vines to collect the ripe fruits for the day's canning. And, with each jar I whisper, "One more meal!" My pantries overflow and we are now putting boxes of the fruit in the back upstairs bedroom where it is cool in the winter!

Still more jars to fill...

At least we won't risk scurvy.... 

No Lazy Bee Here!

Baking lots of blueberry - lemon scones for the Farmer's Market ...

Freezing dozens of ears of fresh corn. Grilling some, too! Yummers!

These come from a friend's garden. He had over 100 dozen ears this summer!

Canning peaches from a friend's orchard over in Cana, Virginia. If you can

get peaches from Cana, you will have something wonderful indeed!

It is an area well known for peaches and apples!

Making lots of salsa and pickle relish;

canning beets and tomatoes. I always note the weather

on the lids so when I open them in the winter, I know what

the day was like when I canned 'em. It makes the memory

That Much Sweeter!

Pulling honey supers and getting ready to extract honey.

We will have more than 200 pounds of Lazy Bee Farm Honey

this year! We are so excited!  

Making tons of castile soap to use for the goat's milk soap.

Last week I worked a festival and sold nearly 100 bars in a little under 6 hours!

I can't keep up!

My supervisor, "Sweet Pea." This is the little guy who

was set out and abandoned with his brothers. We

couldn't catch the brothers, but Sweet Pea was so

sweet and ready to come live with us. He loves when we let him

out of his home and play in the kitchen. He is even paper trained!

Gotta love that!

Enjoying the frequent storms we are having. The Mister and I love

to watch the rain and storms. He does it from the porch; I am not that brave.

Moose, Annabelle and I watch from the living room!

This is just a bit of what has been going on around here the past few weeks. I am still picking blueberries for the market and for special orders. Last week I picked more than ten gallons! I am updating (read: painting) my porch furniture. Pictures of that soon along with other Lazy Bee Farm doings! School starts soon.... I will miss being home every day!

What have you been into lately??