AUTUMN HIKE WITH FRIENDS

It was truly a lovely fall day yesterday, and we took advantage of it to hike on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve with good friends.  What was intended to be about a two hour hike, ended up being more like four glorious hours of hiking/eating/visiting.

...a beautiful natural sculpture...

...trail along one of the many hillsides...

...pausing for tree identification...

...one of many natural stone steps....

...it might look like the sky, but it is a view of the Kickapoo River...

...as is this...

...lots of fungi everywhere, and intensely beautiful, as well...

...it is difficult to beat Mother Nature as an artist...

As always, one of the highlights of our hikes is stopping for a picnic along the way.  

We are always refreshed by being out on the Reserve, and in this case more  so, as we shared the day with good friends!

BIRTHDAY FUN

Tomorrow is my granddaughter Iris' seventh birthday...her children's and grandparents party is today.  Iris has become extremely fond of Pippi Longstocking, so fond of her books and stories that she often dresses like Pippi and decided she wanted a Pippi birthday party.  

Now if you know little or nothing about Pippi, she is a nine year old orphan child who is deeply into telling (harmless) TALL TALES.  Oh how this makes Iris giggle!!

This is a picture of Pippi, as illustrated by Lauren Child...

To go along with the theme, Iris wanted a Pippi cake.  I had cut out patterns to make a full body Pippi, and when I called Iris to ask what kind of cake she wanted, meaning white or chocolate, she began by telling me how she wanted just the head with the braids sticking out.  So, I rethought my project...

...and here is the Pippi head.

Now Pippi has a constant cohort by the name of Mr. Nilsson...

who happens to be a monkey...

After having made a Pippi dress, I thought that it would be a real surprise for Iris and challenge for me to make a Mr. Nilsson.  Not having a pattern for this fellow, I set out and made one...and I guess he turned out pretty good. 

Meet Mr. Nilsson!

And thinking that perhaps the Pippi 'head cake' might not be enough to serve I decided to make a Mr. Nilsson 'head cake' as well.

He looks a mite mischievous.

Each year I make the girls their birthday cards...

(the front and the back)

(the inside)

On our last Nonnie Day we went for a walk on the roadside and came across all these beautiful acorn tops...

which immediately brought to my mind 'hats'

and as though I did not have enough to do, not being able to get this idea out of my mind, I set out to use these as hats...

Needle felting from wool roving...beginning the head...

 

A needle felted family for Iris, (each year I also wrap one gift for the other sister and the birthday girl gives it to her....)

and so

the family for Elsa.

Clearly one of the things I look most forward to each year is the girls' birthday parties and the challenges they set before me.  It is so much fun for me to attempt whatever it is they have in mind.  I am so grateful to these little girls not just for their existence, love and company, but also for keeping me on my creative toes.

HARVESTS

Tomato harvest is nearly over, my last batch of roasted pizza sauce is in the oven.  There will be plenty of tomatoes to eat, and a few canning batches to give away.  But for me, this is it!

One of the simplest, and I must say most delicious uses for fresh tomatoes follows:

*Cut washed tomatoes, skin/seeds and all, into bite sized pieces in a bowl

*Chop a small onion into small pieces, and add, add

*Chop a small glove of fresh garlic into tiny pieces, add

*Chop plenty of fresh basil and add

*Salt/freshly ground blk. pepper to taste

*Drizzle about 3-4 tbls. good olive oil over all

*Mix and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours

*Cook linguini in salted water until just 'hard to the tooth'

*Put hot pasta onto a plate and immediately cover with plenty of the fresh, uncooked tomato sauce, and enjoy!

And the grape harvest is also, nearly done, and none to soon for me!

Our first harvest was Edelweiss, a white wine grape that was initially cultivated as a table grape.  Seems like it is good for both, although I must say I have yet to sample an Edelweiss wine that I like...seems too sweet for me.

Delivered 490#s of Edelweiss to Weggy's Winery just outside of Richland Center.

We also have four rows of purple table grapes, namely Bluebells.  These are excellent for juice and jelly, as well as for eating.  Freddie and I picked 480#s on Thurs/Fri. and delivered them to the Amish Produce Auction in Cashton.

We also have Sabre Vois, Frontenac, some Foch, and St. Croix, red wine grapes.  We harvested these on Saturday....from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and delivered them to Weggy's.

212#s Sabre Vois; 257#s St. and Croix; 59#s of Foch/Frontenac...

We were laboring in a sweltering 95 degree sun.

On our way back from Weggy's, at about 4:30, I began to wonder whatever could we have for dinner?   I love dinner time, and despite my exhaustion, I wanted us to have a good meal.  So during the drive home, I spent 'time' in my refrigerator and pantry, and came up with a mighty fine, simple, dinner.

*Yukon Gold potatoes, newly harvested, sliced thick and fried until deeply browned, along with onions/garlic...

 *Steamed garden broccoli

 *Chopped tomatoes

*Salt/pepper

*Five Geri/Steve Hall eggs (the best in the country)

 

In the skillet the potatoes were fried in (canola oil) layer:  Potatoes/onions/garlic on bottom, cover with the broccoli, add the tomatoes, and then the beaten eggs, and add a bit of cheese...

Cook until set...and enjoy

This was a fine ending to our day, along with a large glass of 14 Hands Chardonnay.    

We still have about 200#s of Bluebells to harvest, perhaps on Tuesday (off to Amish Auction) and then we are done for the season.  So, along with several #s we have picked for other people, Freddie and I have so far this season, hand-picked 1585 #s of grapes!!  Yes, I am ready to be done with grapes for the year!!!!

GRAPES AND TOMATOES

We are intermittently busy in the vineyard harvesting grapes.  We spent 5 hours last Sunday morning harvesting the Edelweiss and then most of the afternoon delivering them to the winery.  We have been sporadically harvesting the table grapes in a 'pick-your-own' fashion, and plan on picking the rest ourselves next Friday and taking them to the Amish produce auction.  We still have the St. Croix, and the Sabre Vois wine grapes, to harvest and await word from the winery as to when they want them.

In the meantime, despite the onslaught of  blight that took all the leaves, my tomatoes are in high production.  (As is my basil, and I have harvested a good amount of garlic as well as onions.)  I have been canning every other day it seems, as early in the morning as possible, as I like to roast the tomatoes before canning...the heat precludes doing this during the day.

This is the year I grew my own plants, having found seeds for San Marzano tomatoes...Italy's primo tomato for sauce, and find that they are a truly wonderful plum tomato.

As homemade pizza (namely my own, however that may sound) is my favorite, it has been especially nice having freshly roasted sauce to top it.

Bread (pizza) dough rising.  This is enough for either 3 baguettes, or 3 pizzas or any combination there of.

Start with a very generous pouring of very good olive oil in the pan, brush it along the sides and leave a good amount in the bottom.  I do not measure anything, so it is...cut up washed tomatoes, do not peel, fill the pan; cut up onions...a good amount;  cut up two/three garlic cloves per pan; lots and lots of fresh basil; salt/freshly ground pepper; a touch of sugar; a good sprinkling of dried oregano ( I use dried instead of fresh as it seems to impart more flavor).

Put in a 375-400 degree oven and roast for two to three hours until it is the thickness you desire.  I like it mildly thick, but still with some of the tomato juice present.

Fill hot, sterile pint jars (with 1/4 tsp. of citrus acid in the bottom) and process for 45 minutes.

I now have canned 40 pints of pizza sauce, which is enough for 80 pizzas.  (I have canned whole tomatoes as well.)

So, last night being Sunday night, it was pizza/movie night at our house.

Just out of a 450/500 degree oven.  

In the tradition of my Sicilian family, we make rectangular pizzas, the size of a cookie sheet.  As I have adobe tiles on my oven shelf, I place parchment paper on the back of a cookie sheet, stretch the dough to fit to the ends...lightly cover with sauce, (too much sauce overwhelms the pizza and can make it soggy) add thinly sliced pepperoni, sliced from a large stick, not the pre-sliced kind.  Freshly grate Organic Valley's Raw Milk Jack Style Cheese ( I do not use mozzarella cheese, as it isn't a good eating cheese, and this serves both well)...and to end, freshly grate Romano Cheese over all... slip the pizza, with parchment paper, directly onto the tiles in the preheated oven.

Sunday night pizza always served with a huge side of fresh salad with homemade Italian dressing.

WONDERS OF MY WORLD

It is so easy to be grateful at this time of year...holding the wonder of the garden in my hands, knowing the journey taken by each and every yield!  Freddie and I sit down to our evening meal each night and are truly awed by what lies before us.  I am often overwhelmed by what the soil, sun, air, nutrients, toil, sweat, implements, and attention, to say nothing of 'higher powers', to name just a few, have brought to my table.

Eggplant, onions, zucchini, garlic, fresh oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper tossed together, and roasted....

(A wonderful book.)

Rigatoni boiled al dente, mixed with fresh chopped basil, shredded Organic Valley's Raw Milk Jack Style cheese, the roasted vegetables and last years roasted tomato sauce...

a grating of Romano Cheese over all and baked for about 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven...

 

Cucumbers, dill, onions, tomatoes just picked and seasoned with olive oil, wine vinegar, oregano and salt/pepper...made early enough to marinate for an hour or so...

 

And a new idea of mine, save some dough from Sunday's pizza to experiment with 'fresh flat breads' for the week's meal.  Here dough hand stretched, brushed liberally with olive oil, covered with thinly sliced tomatoes, chopped basil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,

simply a wonderful 'bread' to accompany our meal.

My garden, my hands, my table, my father, my mother, my kitchen....microcosm of creation.  

Here in my small world is encapsulated the whole.

CORY AND CARRIE

Just back from a 4250 mile round trip drive to Portland, OR to Cory/Carrie's wedding.  The wedding was simply lovely in all respects!  The setting, outdoors at Edgefield Winery, was beautiful, the ceremony touching...presided over by Freddie's newly 'ordained' brother Todd.  Family members gave deep and meaningful readings which, it was obvious the wedding couple truly valued.

I have never, at any wedding I have ever attended, seen so much love and devotion on the groom's countenance...honestly, it looked like Cory could simply burst with love and happiness.  (The bride's back was to me during the service, but I bet the same can be said for her as well.)  Here is a couple that, to me, epitomize deep and real and lasting love for one another.  

CARRIE AND CORY

(Todd to the left) 

While we were out west we stayed with Freddie's sister Barb and her husband Allen.  It was so good to spend time with this delightful couple, we had many a good time and lots of laughs. 

Mount Hood is visible from Barb/Allen's home, and we did take a day and go up the mountain.

It was fun to watch snowboarders and skiers doing their thing in August. 

The view from Mt. Hood.

Freddie and I had a wonderful time.  

On another note, the drive there (and back) was harrowing, 12 hour days on the road, brief nightly rests in (expensive) motels and rarely, if ever, good food (except what I packed).

Next time, the train, OR a staggered trip with stops of a couple of days along the way.  

Still, it was wonderful to be a part of this wedding, and seeing and being with family!

(Mmm....it is good to be home, however.)