End Results of Harvest Time Cooking Spree

First attempt at slow cooker yogurt - That blasted yogurt only became a very thick liquid, so it is destined to be used in smoothies with some chocolate soy milk.  I was thinking that the purchased yogurt I used as a starter was non-fat yogurt and maybe that was the reason it didn't thicken.  Will buy full fat yogurt tomorrow and try again.


Pumpkin Butter - Amazing!


Granola - Never got to it


Whole Wheat Bread - tomorrow.  This is just our usual daily bread so I don't anticipate any surprises or disappointments.

What's up next?  Time to get cranking on the Christmas knitting.  

The Cooking Continues

I'm not sure about the yogurt adventure.  When I looked at it this morning is was very liquid-like.  It's in the refrigerator now where I am hoping it will thicken.  I would post a picture, but it just looks like vaguely thick milk.  Not very exciting.


Regarding pumpkin butter:  while looking for information on how to adapt the pumpkin butter recipe I was given into a recipe using low sugar pectin I came across information stating that pumpkin butter should not be hot water bath processed and stored at room temperature.  Due to being a low-acid fruit there is a danger of botulism.  As you know, I am trying to not poison my family, so I am still making pumpkin butter today, but it is in the slow cooker at the moment and the resulting pumpkin butter will be stored in the freezer instead. 


Sad, sad.  I wanted to see all of my cute little canning jars lined up and filled with good things in the pantry.


If I have the time and energy I plan to make granola this afternoon.  I've used a great recipe from this book lots of times and it makes the best granola in the world (no exaggeration).

What's Cookin'

Victory!  Sunday's apple jelly, despite my misgivings about the pectin that didn't dissolve and not knowing until too late that I should have put my jars of potential jelly into a canning pot filled with simmering water, actually jelled, and better than that tastes really, really good!

You may notice that we already tried it on pumpkin pancakes and jar #1 is almost empty.

Today's cooking adventure involves making yogurt in a slow cooker.  (Notice the vintage slow cooker.  It was a wedding present 25 years ago and still going strong.) By the way, the pumpkin pancakes and slow cooker yogurt recipes come courtesy of http://moneysavingmom.com.  I actually own two yogurt makers, but they are such a hassle to use, that I never use them.  However, we eat a lot of yogurt.  I'm hoping this is the answer.


Tomorrow, pumpkin butter?

Stocking up for the long winter.

There has been a 20 pound bag of apples sitting in my dining room for two weeks destined to become apple sauce or apple butter.  So here's my pot of apple sauce cooking away and making the house smell great.

Now we know why we've been seeing all these little gnats/fruit flies buzzing around the house.  Thankfully only two apples were spoiled.  

It still seems a little odd to me to take photos of things I knit or cook to be posted in various places.  But I'm starting to get into the spirit of the thing.  I just wish I'd remembered to take a picture of allll those apple that it took me two hours to peel and slice.

My next project will be making apple jelly with the peels and cores from today's apple sauce.  I've never canned before and I'm a little bit nervous.  I think there's a part of me that's always been afraid that I'd accidentally poison my family if I didn't do it right.  But thanks to those helpful people at  Ball  I think I'm ready to give it a try. 

I bought my first batch of cute canning jars, but now I realize if I want "clear" jelly I have to buy something called a jelly bag.  This brings all kinds of odd images to mind. 

So, a jelly bag I will buy and try making apple jelly tomorrow.  With the jars that are left my next plan is to try making pumpkin butter.  Cindy, a Ravelry buddy, sent me a recipe this summer.  I feel so house-wifey! 

Covert Operations - Part II

Still working on "Covert Operations", but it is finally almost ready.  Thanks to a little help from my kids.  Stay tuned.

I've been thinking about...

the concept of Women's Ministries in churches and while thinking about it, started to wonder what really is the purpose of Women's Ministry?  Is it to minister to women involved in the group or is it for the women in a church to minister to others? 


I have never been actively involved with a Women's Ministries group since I became a Christian mainly because I have been busy with giving birth to and raising four children, being a full-time home-maker, a full-time homeschool teacher, a part-time employee, a volunteer in numerous groups, and a part-time self-employed person.  It's hard to squeeze in anything else.


But I have been actively involved in ministering to women.


Not to brag about myself, because I know who I really am, but in the past several years I have helped women pack, clean and move out of old houses and than move, clean and unpack in their new houses.  I have cleaned homes and done laundry for sick women.  I have baby-sat their children in emergencies.  I have helped them fold their laundry.  I have tried to share time from my busy day because I know they've needed company.  I have made meals and shared baked goods.  I have shopped for them.  I have condoled with them when they have grieved.  I have tried to listen without judging when they have needed to share their burdens.



If that's not Women's Ministry, what is?

In the Company of Friends

Yesterday I attended a funeral.  It was the sixth since March.  This time it was for a friend's mom who went to be with her Lord after a lengthy illness.  
There are so many emotions and memories you experience at a funeral, remembering those who have left us long ago and not so long ago. 
Despite coming home and feeling really, really exhausted, I felt something else.  I was surprisingly refreshed.  I had just spent several hours in the company of women with whom I've shared many homeschooling experiences over the years. 

We have prayed for each others children when they're gone astray, prayed through dangerous surgeries, brought meals when there has been a new baby, been to each others childrens' weddings and more. 
I've know these women for about nine years, but some of them have known each other much longer and have experienced even more together.
I think, though, what I really felt was gratitude.  I've been given the privilege of being a part of an incredible company of women.

Covert Operations

So I've been planning a blog post since last week that is just about complete.  It just requires a photo to illustrate my point.
Problem is, I need to photograph something that isn't mine; but it's something that you see in public all the time.  I want to accomplish this in a covert fashion since I don't want to offend anyone or make strangers question why I am taking a photo of their.......
I can't seem to find the right time or place, there are always people around.  When I tried to do this yesterday, everywhere I looked....people.  
My son said that if I wanted to take a sneaky photo I really should turn off the loud camera shutter sound on my phone. But, it seems I cannot take silent photos with my phone.
I'll just keep trying, and if you see a middle-aged woman lurking suspiciously around a parking lot with a noisy camera phone, that's me.