Local Company Endorsement and Today

Okay, today was REALLY busy for me. At work, I was scheduled for 6am-3pm. Yep, I started waking up at 4am, with the kittens laying on me and next to me for heat.

So, I finally got up, showered, dressed, and went to work. On the way to work, I needed to visit the bank.

I figured I would be ABSOLUTELY exhausted when I got done work, but I was wrong. Over the course of the day, I worked outside in the garden department. All of my customers asked if I was cold, which I replied, absolutely NOT. Even with the lake effect snow (just mentioned on the news), rain, and sleet, it was okay.

But, on the way home, I called hubby, who was off this evening.

"Are we going anywhere?"

"Yep. Just get home."

I got home, pottied, and off we went. After last week, when hubby and Cassi brought home a bushel of apples, only about 1/3 was left, which is still ALOT of apples. But, not enough for pies, more juice, apple sauce (maybe), apple dumplings, basically BAKE.

So, we went off, back to the same u-pick place.

Company Endoresement: Grebe's Country Fruit Farm

It's located on Rt. 113, somewhere between South Amherst and Vermillion. We had a very nice visit out in the orchard. After paying for the bags, we drove the car out to the field to pick. BOY DID I PICK! I was in HEAVEN, picking any good looking apple I could find.

Plus, we met the owner (the hubby side), who was up in a "cherry picker" picking apples himself. His wife and daughter were running a small shop at the front of the property. The property is so awesome.

At this time of year, you can go there to pick about a half dozen different apples, large and small pumpkins. During other times of the year, they have u-pick peaches, grapes. The man was so nice. It is a family run farm. The owner, Steve Grebe, was so very nice to us. Very down-to-earth.

He explained the farm was his fathers and that he helped dad plant the trees that we were picking from, when he was a kid. The trees are HUGE. They are exactly like the trees I remember when I was a kid, picking with Marie and our mom. But, he said people just don't want to keep up trees of that size because everyone wants the smaller trees. But, since he helped plant all those trees, which live on 2 acres by themselves, he was keeping up the tradition.

I agree!

Then, after filling 2 bags, we decided we wanted 2 more because hubby's co-worker needed apples. So, we went back up to buy 2 more bags. After filling these bags, we stopped back up to the front, asking about their hours. The wife couldn't believe how quickly I picked the apples. Hubby's friend and brother are going to meet hubby at our house in the morning to go back out so they can pick even more. YES, there are so many apples left at the farm. The wife explained how they just planted 100 more apple trees in the last 4 years. They'll be ready soon for fruit.

This evening, I carved one of my 6 pie pumpkins and cooked it to make "canned pumpkin."

Simple recipe:

1. take a pie pumpkin (the little ones)
2. cut it up, de-seed it, and peel it (yes, takes a little umph to peel it)
3. boil it like you would boil potatoes on the stove top
4. once fork tender, drain any water and return the pumpkin to the pot
5. mash and add pumpkin pie spice
6. let cool
7. bag and use immediately or freeze in freezer bags for later use

The one pumpkin I did tonight is the equivalent of 2 cans of canned pumpkin, but 100% fresh. When I'm ready to make pie, this pumpkin will replace where the recipe says "canned pumpkin" and workes EXACTLY the same.

Yes, I'm 100% surburan and love to bake.

Then, this evening, we were trying to find a good apple pie filling recipe. After finding one, we went out to the stores, looking for a clearjel starch (didn't find) and an apple peeler. Got the peeler at Target. This is one of those that hooks onto a table or something and you rotate to peel easily. It cores and slices. All I have to do is cut in half and it will be ready for the pot. EASY!

At the same time, I found a better recipe that doesn't call for the special starch.

So, come Tuesday, we'll be baking apple pie filling.

With that, I've DEFINITELY got to go. Tomorrow, work is 8-5, but I get to sleep until 6:45 in the morning. It's now 10:33pm East Coast Time, and I've now been up since 4, so I need to go to sleep.

Love to all,
Cathy
8^ )