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Crockpot Apple Butter

One of the mainstays in my fridge is apple butter.  Since I was a little girl, there has always been a jar of apple butter in the fridge.  There is nothing like warm toast or a bagel spread with fresh apple butter.  My comfort food.  :-) 

My grandma's recipe is a crockpot version, which is yummy and easy to make.  I cooked up a batch this past weekend, enough to share a taste with coworkers.
 

Here's the recipe:

12-15 apples (peeled, cored, diced) 
2 c. sugar 
4 t. cinnamon 
1 t. ground cloves 
Cook in covered crockpot on high for 6-7 hours; remove cover and cook an hour and a half; stir occasionally.  Mash while warm (hand mixer, blender or processor).  Makes 4-5 small jars.

Goodbye to Old Friends

Time to say goodbye to this ragged old pair of work boots.  WAY past time to get rid of them, actually.

Hard to believe, but I've had them since I moved in 8 years ago.  They sure have seen their share of work.....climbing the roof to clean the gutters, working in the yard, planting, cleaning the barn, mowing the grass, walking the dog.  I've worn them with sweats, jeans, shorts....in every form of weather.  For an inexpensive pair of boots, they've served me well! 

A good friend of mine (who happens to be a farm girl like me!) has been encouraging me to get a pair of "Ariats."  It's the top name in equestrian boots... riding boots, fashion boots and work boots.  However, frugal as I am, I couldn't imagine spending $100 on a pair of boots.

Enter ebay!!! 

I found a beautiful new pair of Ariats for less than half price. 

The crazy thing is that I'm having a hard time parting with the old ragged pair!  Funny how it is with something familiar.  You get so comfortable that you don't want to let go.  I moved the old pair to the porch for a few days and, finally, this morning, carried them out to the trash.  Silly.  Why would I want to hold on when I have this beautiful new pair of boots.  Some lesson there, I'm sure.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

The ladies in my bible study have been raving about a new recipe for homemade laundry detergent.  Easy to make, economical, "green," and a little goes a long way. So....I finally gathered the ingredients and made a batch this afternoon.  
 

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 bar Laundry Soap (I used Fels Naptha)

The most difficult task was grating the bar soap. It was time consuming and a little more work than I expected.  AND, I was surprised at how fragrant the Fels Naptha was. Overwhelmingly fragrant, actually.

Once finished, the bar soap ended up looking a bit like grated cheddar cheese. Kinda strange when you put it all together, as the consistency is so different. 

In any case, because the fragrance was so strong, I decided to start with one load of towels.  If the perfumey smell was too much, at least I wouldn't have to wear it!

So, I just pulled the towels out of the dryer and there is no perfumey smell at all!  As a matter of fact, I wonder if I should go back and add the optional essential oil for fragrance.  All in all, it made nearly 4 cups of detergent and it only takes 2 TBSP for a standard load.   Looks like I'm in business with my own homemade laundry detergent!! 

Thanks to Savvy Brown for the recipe and instructions!  Click here for more info:  Savvy Brown's homemade laundry detergent

Winter

It's been a delightfully mild winter in NE Ohio, just a couple of dustings so far.  And we're almost through January!!  Here's hoping it continues...only 61 days til Spring!!

End of Summer Bounty

So...... friends and family are tired of seeing the poor, forlorn bat when they check to see if I've updated my blog. I decided it was time to replace him with a lovely photo of veggies.... the last of my Dad's bountiful garden. 

It's been a busy summer, with little time for blog posts. While I love the summer days, they are filled from start to finish with work. Thank the Lord, I enjoy the work! But the days come and go so quickly.

In any case, fall is officially here with shorter days and cooler temps. Maybe more time for blogging... we'll see.

After Sunrise...

Oops!! Looks like this little guy didn't quite get back into the barn before the sun came out. And he was so close.....