It really feels and smells like fall at my house.

Well, this morning we had to run outside to move the wood patio furniture and all the cushions and pillows because it was RAINING.   It was the first rain of the year and I have to admit... I loved the smell and the feel of the rain.  I watched and took it in for a bit, and then it stopped, just like it came.... but luckily enough it came back.  after reveling in the change of season, I came into the house and there on my kitchen island sat a big box of beautiful green organic apples that my dear friend Laura gave me.. I knew I wasn't going to be home long enough to make pies which was my first idea, so I pulled out one of my most favorite recipe books and found a easy recipe to make APPLE CRISP.   It is soooo very easy.  Being the scrapbooker, family historian and scrapbooker that I am.... I had to take photos and thought I would post the recipe and photos to share.  

Out come the Apple Peeler Corer Slicer

Probably one of my most favorite tool in the kitchen.

Then place the apples in a  glass baking dish. Like this...

8 Cups of Sliced Apples

Sprinkle apples with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 Tbl cinnamon

then sprinkle with 1/4Cup Water.

Mix with hands in medium bowl:

1 1/4 Cup all purpose flour

1 Cupgranulated sugar

1 stick butter *not margarine

sprinkle evenly over apples

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes

cool and enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whip cream

guaranteed to be delicious

and fill your home with the warm smells of FALL

Is it Fall Yet?

Well, here it is September 24th and its finally feeling like fall may be setting in.  It was actually 96 degrees earlier in the day and now at 7:30 pm... it is 68 degrees and breezy.. we are hoping that we are saying hello to fall, we are looking foward to our first fire in our fireplace, snuggeling under quilts and hot chocolate....   And I love doing my stitching work when its cold outside.   I lay the quilts on my lap and lovingly do the binding or the handmade stitching for the quilt.    Don't get me wrong... we love summer and all that goes with it.  BBQ's, camping, beaches... but its been too hot for to long.  Please don't tease us Fall, and stay for a while.  

Here is one of 24  Fall Harvest ATC card that I made 24 of for a Farmgirl sisterhood swap. I will get 24 different ATC cards from all over the country.. cant wait to see what they look like.

Pie Crust lessons from the Kitchen

Today was a amazing day that I got to share with my Dear Friend Laura Bevilacqua.  I don't get to spend much time with Laura.. both our lives are so crazy busy.  She has two tiny kids one with special needs and a little preschooler both whom take a lot of time, energy, love, patience and tenacity.  She also has a husband that is fighting Lymphoma... and doing well at it while being a active honoree for Team In Training Marathon runners to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society... Today however was all about reconnecting and what better way to do that than to Bake PEACH pies.   We attacked 3 cases of peaches dillegently... and learned that pie crust works best with butter that is of salted sweet cream... not of the Trader joes Unsalted variety.. you know the pure healthy butter.  The crust was impossible to roll out and we had to piece one pie together.. we baked it and it still tastes great..It did however fall apart.  We were able to put the Unsalted healthy butter aside and save it for cooking other dishes and brought out the Salted sweet cream butter for my pie cruse recipe.   Its a recipe from Virginia from a friends great grandmother.  I use this recipe instead of the older recipe that uses crisco shortening.. The rich butter flavor is so wonderful.   To follow are pictures of our day. We laughed our guts out and had a wonderful day and enjoyed a piece of pie together after cleaning up our horrible mess. 

Pie Crust
4 Cups Flour
3 1/2 Sticks Butter
1Tblsp White Binegar
2 tsp Salt
1Tblsp Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1egg white to coat the pie top crust before baking

raw sugar  as desired  sprinkled on the pie before baking.

Farm girl sisterhood for all the farmgirls out there... are you one too?

Have you ever heard of Mary Jane Butters? She is a Farmer that lives in Idaho that has created a big sisterhood called MaryJanes farmgirl sisterhood.  Well, about 3 years ago I read her magazine, was interested but this last summer Dominique gave me her idea book, it's a amazing book with recipes, patterns, gardening tips, life tips etc.   The movement is quite huge throughout the country, in austrailia as well as europe.   I Joined the sisterhood a couple of months ago and have been busy reading all I can about it.   I found it interesting that it's not just for farm women, but for city dwellers and suburbanites that want to better their homes and families lives by growing thier own food, sewing their own quilts, aprons, clothes, or stitching, knitting, etc.   Its not what you do, but rather the understanding that there is a lot to do and a lot of women with hearts for the same thing.  Good friends, simpler lives and the love of family and friends. Well, i've been shy since I joined a few months ago lurking in the shadows.. reading the posts, and peeling back the many layers of the sisterhood. Most farmgirl sisters have blogs, which i've read many... and i've come to the conclusion that these are very good women, with great minds, great talents... and I'm excited to be a member. I joined a few swaps yesterday, have shared a little and gotten some responses back.  I'm excited to say that I think I will meet some real women who don't care what "label" your purse is... or how big your house is, but rather.... what can we do together and make some friends.   If you, like the sound of this, I invite you to join me on this farmgirl sisterhood journey.  I hope you will consider it. Think of the possibilities.  could be fun!    

I love my LIFE!!

I am lucky enough to have a career that merits many vacations throughout the school year.  I work at a school district that has a semi traditional year round school schedule.  That allows me  8 weeks of summer vacation, 2 weeks of october break, 2 weeks in Decemberl, 2 weeks in March.   In which I reacquaint myself with things I love.   gardening is one huge one.  This past week I was able to help someone I love put a garden in.   This family will be able to grow their own veges and enjoy the harvest of their fruit trees.   I can't wait to have a farm of my own someday.  Did I mention I'm a farmgirl?   I love spreading the love of gardening and farm life.
And, today..... I get to re-arrange and re-organize my craft room.  I'm like a kid in a candy factory.

Neglected my BLOG

I realize how I've neglected my BLOG... I'm sorry Blog. I'll try harder from now on.  See, I have a very happy full life and sometimes when the day is done I forget about you.   Not intentionally however.  I wonder if Youll ever forgive me.   So much to do in such a short day.  If I try harder will you be a blog that actually has readers?

Dutra Family Gathering

Carins Memory Quilt

Made from T-shirts

My Joy Buttons.

My Grandchildren

My Ken with our Grandson Mason

He loves that little man! 

Cherri Picking 

Cherri Pie Yumers

Autum is ready for the pool!

Teaching Dom to SEW! 

Dominiques first chicken apron! 

Welome to my club Dom! 

My Daughters new orchard and garden and her new home. 

Her mother is sooooo excited. 

can you tell?

A amazing backyard paradise and my Christina

is on top of the hot tub getting ready to clean it.

My Handsome Son and I at Joshua and Courtney Shaffers Wedding

Newlyweds first dance as man and wife.

Congratulations Courtney and Joshua

So, you see... I HAVE been busy!  

My Baby is Graduating Highschool tomorrow....

I am so emotional today, My daughter Carin graduates from highschool tomorrow.  Rain or shine they say.... outdoors too.   So, I did all the preparations and worked hard to make her day special... and inside. I am a mess.   See, my daughter and I drive eachother crazy...with everything, we yell all the time, she says i'm stupid but the status quo i'm hearing is that all mothers are stupid when their children turn 18.   But, regardless, through all the years... my little girl scout, animal lover, drama queen... is growing up... and I am growing OLD. 

I wonder where the years went... and what mistakes I've made with her... and I hope she knows how very much I love her.  

she is bright, funny, smart.. smart ass, bossy, arrogant and mean sometimes... but she's all me~

Congratulations carin... may all your dreams come true.