Jack Frost

The dreaded frost is a-coming. We are predicted to be down to 27 this week. Hopefully if we cover up every night when can keep the garden going for a few more weeks.

We have an abundant apple crop this year & they are just about ready for us to start picking. I wish we could get a cider press. That has been on my wish list for 5 years now. They are pricey but the cider is soooo good. And it is such a wonderful use for apples that fall. They don't have to be perfect for cider & that eliminates so much waste. I just hate to waste. Last year we froze apple pie filling but this year we have a pressure canner so we can put it up instead. Along with quart after quart of apple sauce, apple butter & dried apples. We still have some dried apples from last year. They make such a yummy snack. I also chop them up in the blender & add the pieces to granola. Yummy.

Our plum crop is small this year but we should have enough for jam & to share with friends. We trade plums for pears with one friend. I put up a lot of pears last year. Hopefully we will this year too.

One major bummer is the blackberries, the patch we usually pick at doesn't have any this year. Just a bad year I guess but we are pretty disappointed. No black berry ice cream or cobbler or jam. Sigh.

I was hoping to have a church harvest party next month but the community is putting on a big one & our pastor doesn't want to compete with that. It will be fun but I enjoy our smaller more intimate gatherings better. But the big one will have a cake walk & you just can't go wrong with a cake walk .

Blessings.