We have been using our rampicante squash to make delicious squash soup. I have been keeping it in a box in the dining room and it has kept well there but I decided to try canning it today. First I peeled it and cut it in chunks. Then I blanched it and put it in jars.

I followed the directions in the Ball canning book and pressured canned it for 90 minutes.

I canned 5 qts and left one huge squash to eat fresh later. I think it looks really pretty in the jar! We look forward to many pots of squash soup!

God bless!

Recipe from http://www.hersheyskitchen.com

2 tbsp. Sugar, 1 cup milk, dash salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp hershey cocoa. Mix sugar, cocoa,and salt in large mug. Heat milk until hot in microwave, 1- 1/2 min. Gradually add milk to hot cocoa mixture. Stir in vanilla.

I use 1/4 cup french vanilla coffee creamer and 3/4 cup milk and eliminate the vanilla and the dash of salt.

Update… 4 tbsp powdered milk can be substituted for regular milk. Set Keurig to 8 oz setting

Good morning everyone!

I have found the absolute best way to easy peel farm fresh eggs. I got the idea from Kevin at Living Traditions Homestead.

Drop your clean eggs in BOILING water. Let them boil 20 minutes. Remove from boiling water and immediately put them in ICE water. Let them cool. Then peel. I just peeled an entire dozen in no time and all of them peeled easy.

AMAZING!

Good morning everyone! I hope you have all been enjoying your week.

Grace got me caron anniversary cake yarn for Christmas. I wish I had taken a picture of the skein. It was huge. I have wanted to try a project with this yarn ever since it came out last year but it is a little pricey. It is a bulky weight 6 yarn so it works up really quick.

I finished this afghan this morning using only the one skein of yarn. It is super soft yarn and nice and thick for snuggling.

I love it!

Good morning everyone!

This has been Grace’s covid project!!

The character’s name is Sparkle. She is one of Grace’s own design.

Everything hand sewn by Grace!

She has spent many, many hours on this project. Almost 50 hours just in the head. Dave 3d printed the framework for the head for her.

I am so proud of her for all her hard work on this. I think Sparkle is SO cute!

God bless!

Good morning everyone! Last week Dave and I gave his office a face lift. He bought these really nice metal cabinets at Home Depot.

First we put them together. We cleaned everything out of his office. He kept what he needed, got rid of what he didn’t.

Then we started putting the cabinets in place and putting everything back in the office.

The big cabinet that went in this spot was damaged so Dave had to return it. We had a to wait for the replacement to be shipped.

We got everything finished yesterday evening, just in time for him to go back to work this morning.

It was a good week. We got lots accomplished and he has a very pleasant office area now.

God bless.

Good morning everyone! It’s Christmas day! Gifts are opened! Thankful prayers have been given! God is good!

Just look at how big these grandbabies are getting!

Merry Christmas! God bless!

We received our first egg this past week from this group of beautiful ladies.

To make it even more special, we got it on Grace’s birthday! I sure have missed having fresh eggs. And I have really missed having chickens. I am glad we decided to get these ladies this summer. They really bring a lot of joy. I love hear them singing in the mornings.

God bless.

Yesterday we celebrated Grace and Katie’s birthdays. Katie’s is on the 2nd of November and Grace’s is the 5th. Just look how festive they are!❤

Jess always does such a great job with decorations for all the parties!

Katie’s afghan I made her.

One of Grace’s gift from Dave and Jess.

It is so pretty in the dark. They both got lots of nice gifts but the best gift of all is getting to celebrate together.

God bless!

Good morning everyone! I hope you are all having a great week. I thought I would share what I have been doing this morning.

This cake is the main reason I make apple butter every year. Women in my family have been making this cake for many, many generations. I can hardly recall a family get to together that someone didn’t bring one of these cakes.

I used to use my Aunt Emily’s recipe but my cousin Fern Rose sent me her recipe several years ago and I have used it ever since.

Stack Cake

1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 1/3 cup molasses, 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 3 and 1/2 cups self rising flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp ginger.

Mix sugar, oil, molasses and egg until creamy. Add vanilla and ginger. Add flour and buttermilk a little at a time until mixed well. Put on floured surface and divide into six balls. Roll out with rolling pin until not too thick. I do not not do this step. I roll out the balls in the cake pan using my fingers. Also put parchment paper in each cake pan. Put each cake in same size skillet or cake pan. Bake 10 min at 350° . Put applesauce or apple butter between layers while cake is still hot.

She said this recipe was handed down to her by her husband Bill’s great aunt Jane McCowan.

This cake is better if it sits for a day or two before eating it. We love it with buttermilk.

I hope you all have a great day. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather. God bless.