The air is crisp and cool and the back of the truck is filled with baskets and baskets of apples. It is a perfect Saturday for working outdoors.............for making applesauce with our friends.
I hear myself assuring Kimberly (or maybe I am actually trying to re-assure myself) that doing 100 quarts of applesauce in a day is completely within our range.
Only.....there is another factor (or maybe three or four factors) that have not been taken into consideration.
We are actually trying to do more than just 100 qrts of applesauce today.
We will make a bit of cider, too.
Our little bit of sweet cider = 13 gallons.
We hung a couple sides of bacon and laid out a load of ham hocks in the smoke house to smoke while we are doing the sauce and the cider.
....and the previously smoked Canadian Bacon really must be sliced and packaged today.
photo courtesy of Kim B.
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And since we are outside doing all of this, someone (no, it was not me) came up with the great idea of making stock from all the bones we saved from meat processing.
We do have a formidable crew of 4 adults and 10 children. Two of which are under a year and none over 13 years of age.
That Is plenty of hands, I assure you. It shouldn't be THAT hard, should it?
Is it possible that someone around here is an over-achiever? or maybe they are just to dumb to know when enough is enough.
photo courtesy of Kim B.
Either way, we really did do it, ALL of it, including the 112 quarts of applesauce.
photo courtesy of Kim B.
W couldn't have done it without our guys, they were awesome! and the kids were a big help as well!
photo courtesy of Kim B.
It's been another crazy adventure............. one we won't soon forget.
I'm so glad today is Sunday! It is lovely to rest and do a lot of nothing.
Wow! Impressive! What an immense feeling of accomplishment you must have had... looking at all those jars and meat and gallons of cider and stock! Great job!
ReplyDelete~Stacy
Thanks Stacy! We really did have a lot of fun, even if we were bone weary till the day ended.
ReplyDeleteI sure wish we lived close... I just know that Duane and Joe would be great friends! And I would LOVE to hang out with you...
ReplyDeleteLeAnn, my mom sent me the link to your blog the other day. I can't believe it's taken me this long to catch up with you. The apples look delicious! So great to see that sweet baby girl of yours growing up.
ReplyDeleteMy jaw is on the floor. You all are amazing. I'm inspired!
ReplyDeleteTancy, I wish we lived closer too!!!
ReplyDeleteAbby, Thanks for stopping by, blessings to you and yours!
Laura Lee, So good to hear from you. Don't worry, yu aren't the only one....more than my jaw was on the ground...my tail was dragging too. :-)
Hi! I just came across your blog while searching for inducing lactation. I read your blog posts on the subject and would really love it if you could email me. My email is livconroy (at) hotmail (dot) com. We're in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, and I very much want to induce lactation. Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! And you thought our corn day was an adventure. This is like Laura Ingalls meets 20th century here! =) Please share with me the secret to your superwoman powers!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm getting a kick out of D's t-shirt! I can almost hear him saying that.
Haha! Love your comment Rachel.
ReplyDelete"Laura Ingalls meets 20th century"
That was good!
Yeah, Duane shirt is so totally him. Isn't it?
You are amazing. Really. Love D's shirt - reminds me of the poem we studied yesterday in Cottage School. "The Village Blacksmith" by HW Longfellow... "His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate'er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man."
ReplyDelete