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Food Preservation
Hello Everyone! :)
I hope you're having a great early autumn! Life is still kind of nutty here in the Laurentians. Lots of canning, preserving, garden clean up...and the home cooked pet food really takes up a lot of my time. Trust me, I'm not complaining! All creatures in this home are doing so well! :)
So guess what I've added to the roster? Vinegar making! :) Apple Cider Vinegar to be precise. I made a little 1 minute video to show you:
(Once you click "play", you can click on the You Tube button to view this larger on You Tube)
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Feathers
Not counting the feathers on four of my hats, this is our feather collection. :) The feathers on the right are the turkey feathers that Alex gave me last Christmas.
These are a mix of Crow and Grackle feathers we found around the property and in the woods this past summer.
These are the Blue Jay feathers I found during walks in the woods with the dogs.
Some Turkey feathers we found at the farmer's market.
These are BY FAR our favourites! These are a mix of Turkey, Chicken and Rooster feathers that were given to us by the owner of the farmer's market. Alex cleaned and disinfected them and most of these are now on my hats! :)
What do you do with soon-to-expire milk? Make Sour Cream, Boursin Cheese, Yogurt and Quick Mozzarella!
Some of the meals we've been eating lately...as if I've found time to cook, eek...there have been many pancake dinners lately! :) When you have sour cream, you must make Mexican...these are my Crunchwraps.
What's a week in this home without a pizza? I made a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and ooh boy howdee...this is awesome! :)
To keep things on the healthy side, I made a few spaghetti squash dinners. This one is my Spaghetti Squash Bake with Greek food-inspired ingredients. :)
I'll leave you with some photos of my fur-kids. I love them so much. :) Hoping you are all enjoying life my friends! I'll be by to visit your blogs this weekend! :)
These are a mix of Crow and Grackle feathers we found around the property and in the woods this past summer.
These are the Blue Jay feathers I found during walks in the woods with the dogs.
Some Turkey feathers we found at the farmer's market.
These are BY FAR our favourites! These are a mix of Turkey, Chicken and Rooster feathers that were given to us by the owner of the farmer's market. Alex cleaned and disinfected them and most of these are now on my hats! :)
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Dairy Day
What do you do with soon-to-expire milk? Make Sour Cream, Boursin Cheese, Yogurt and Quick Mozzarella!
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Delicious Dinners
Some of the meals we've been eating lately...as if I've found time to cook, eek...there have been many pancake dinners lately! :) When you have sour cream, you must make Mexican...these are my Crunchwraps.
What's a week in this home without a pizza? I made a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and ooh boy howdee...this is awesome! :)
To keep things on the healthy side, I made a few spaghetti squash dinners. This one is my Spaghetti Squash Bake with Greek food-inspired ingredients. :)
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Family
I'll leave you with some photos of my fur-kids. I love them so much. :) Hoping you are all enjoying life my friends! I'll be by to visit your blogs this weekend! :)
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| Oscar |
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| Leo and Dana |
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| Marlene |
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| Jack |
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| Charlie |
Just watched your video. Love that posted one. I flippin' love raw apple cider vinegar but I never made my own. Brilliant, you are. Happy Halloween and boogie boogie, baby.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ivy! :) I love your comments. :) This is my first try at apple cider vinegar. It's so easy to make and the apples are in season so now's the time, and you could even use crab apples so I have read. Over at the church down the road, they have crab apple trees and they just fall and people find them a nuisance. I may just take a stealthy trip one night and pick up a bundle of them for more apple cider vinegar!!! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad everyone is happy and healthy!
ReplyDeleteThose feathers are outstanding.
ReplyDeleteMaking your own apple vinegar! What a thought.
Ever make hard apple cider?
hi rain...you sure have been busy! i am starting to get crazy busy too. this time of year flies by way too fast. i should make some vinegar too. i just bought all the ingredients to make my mincemeat and plum puddings. we still have nasty hot weather...damn! i love that pic of jack!
ReplyDeleteWith all that food making and preserving and cooking, your house must smell like heaven!!!!!!
ReplyDeletePretty feathers...
And pretty "pet babies" too, of course.
You are such a good cook! Off to watch the apple cider vinegar video thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your feather collection hobby.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your fur family. Your cheese looks mouthwatering! How neat you're making your own apple cider.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you had grackles that far North. We have thousands of them here.
ReplyDeleteThe dairy stuff looks yummy!
I'm definitely going to have to try my hand at making my own apple cider vinegar! Love the idea of pancakes for dinner. Some days things are so hectic around here that I don't know what to come up with at the end of the day. Crunchwraps too!
ReplyDeleteHello Rain! So enjoy your posts! If you could send your mailing address, I would like to add to your feather collection.
ReplyDeletedinogarnett@gmail.com.
I am going to try some vinegar now that you make it look easy to succeed! And yes, apples are a plenty right now!
Best regards, Dino
I collect feathers too!,,, oh they are lovely!,, you have been busy and I have always made most of our food from scratch, it’s just our way but I have never ever made apple cider vinegar!,, that’s wonderful and your meals are so good, your fur babies are heart melters each and everyone but I will admit that Jack, oh he melts my heart the most!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your updates! Also found you on instagram and following and love seeing your food and fur-baby pictures! Lisa
ReplyDeleteAs my grandpa would have said, "You've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger!" (I guess paper hanger was once the label for someone who put up wallpaper.)
ReplyDeleteI can relate what with all the harvesting and preserving that's been going on here also.
Yes, your food looks amazing. As always. We've been having some strange meals lately, too. I try to tell myself it's all healthy, but . . . strange!
Always like seeing the picture of your kids. So well taken care of!
Life is busy and wonderful up in the mountains! Your fur babies...oh they are just too cute. I want to hug all of them.
ReplyDeleteLove the cats, the food, everything.
ReplyDeleteLove the apple cider vinegar and all your other good food! You are amazing girl! Thank you for all these treats! Your feather collection is excellent! Love them all! Give your fur babies hugs from me!
ReplyDeleteRain, Here you have gone an posted a delightful post again . . . I love it all. The food that you put on your table belongs in a gourmet restaurant. It not only looks delicious but it is beautiful and creatively plated. Your dinners are truly dinner parties and always so special.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being such a sweet blogging friend. I am honored to know you.
Keep Smiling!
Connie :)
You are a very industrious person, I'm impressed! I love your furry family and that feather collection, wow so many varieties. They're all so pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Saimi
Thanks Debra :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :) Well, from what I've read...after you drain the apples, it IS hard apple cider because the fermented sugars created alcohol...I haven't tried it but one of these days when we get a hydrometer, I'd love to test the alcohol content to see if we can figure out how to make cider! That would be fun! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce :) It's our busy time of year definitely! I'm in full blown plan-mode for Mabon, our Thanksgiving then Samhain! November will be rest month I think!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Wisps of Words :) Oh the house smells fabulous...and I'm baking bread a LOT too, we are eating it up fast...I guess to fatten up for the winter lol...
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine :) I can't wait to do an update about the vinegar, I hope it turns out nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks John :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Stefanie :) This is my first attempt with the apples so I hope it all works out, I have a feeling it'll be delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteHi TB :) Yes, we have a lot of grackles and they are LOUD and PUSHY...we had to stop filling the bird feeder because they were bullying the little chickadees and finches! But they do have nice feathers! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Leigh :) Yes! Pancakes! We decided that since we're in savings mode, we will have pancakes twice a week for dinner...it's SO EASY and we can have them with fruit or yogurt or even with cheese melted into crepes. We have breakfast for dinner very often!
ReplyDeleteHi Dino :) Thanks so much for the offer, very sweet! :) Oh I hope you have luck with your vinegar! If this works out I will probably make a lot more next fall because I love this stuff! I went to your profile but didn't notice you have a blog, if you do can you let me know? :)
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie :) Feather collecting is fun! We find so many around here in the woods! :) Jack melts my heart the most too :) I hope you try the apple cider vinegar, it's SO easy! Time will tell if it tastes good though. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa :) Thanks :) I found you on IG too! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mama Pea :) Ha ha ha...a one-armed paper hanger, I love that! :) Well, during the harvest/preservation season...odd meals are normal lol...it's hard to find time for big old meal prep right now! The Chicago deep dish pizza is so easy to make and it is VERY filling so makes for two good meals. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :) I'll make sure they all get extra hugs from you :)))
ReplyDeleteThanks Guillaume! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Magic Love Crow :) I didn't realize how many feathers we had until I actually laid them all out like that! I keep looking for more too. I have most of my luck in the summer to find them in the woods though. I'll make sure the fur babies get hugs from you! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie :) You're very sweet :) One of my favourite things to do is cook and bake...we don't lead very social lives, we're home pretty much all the time, so I try to make dinner very special and I have fun plating everything for my photos! I'm glad you enjoy it! :) xx
ReplyDeleteHi Saimi :) Thank you! We got really lucky at the market we visited a few weeks back that we bumped into the owner. We just asked if it would be okay to pick up a few loose feathers and he brought us back into the barn and got a bunch for us, really nice! I'm going to check out your blog now! :)
ReplyDeleteWell you know I love all the pics of the furbabes! My fave for sure. However I love the vinegar. Know wonder we don’t here much from you during the summer months...you are one busy lady!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) Yes, summer is very busy but I've found so is fall this year too now that I'm doing so much preserving and winter prep! I think everything will balance out after Halloween! :)
ReplyDeleteDear Rain, you are fantastic! It all looks so good, makes my mouth water. I could steal Jack from you, he looks a little self conscious with the camera pointing at him! All that I'm missing are photos of you in your hats with feathers.
ReplyDeleteGreat little video. I love AC vinegar and drink it every single day, it has so improved my arthritis and can't imagine a day without it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosemary :) Jack always has that hound dog look when I take pictures of him, but trust me, he's Mr. Confident!! :) One day I'll get photos of me and my hats with all the feathers!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna :) I have read about ACV helping arthritis. That's one of the reasons I wanted to try making it on my own. I haven't been diagnosed with arthritis, but my hands hurt a lot during damp and cold weather so I'm hoping I'll have a good supply, it's so easy to make. :)
ReplyDeleteRain, I am just so impressed. Awed. I'd say inspired, but I'm too tired to actually be inspired toward doing the cool things you do. But you are inspiring. I took a look at your post below and I'll just comment here. Your food preserving is just awesome, friend. I love all the feathers. What a cool collection. You have a way of making the simplest things awesome. As they are. Nature is full of awesomeness - we just need to take the time to appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Becki!! :) You're so right about Nature. I totally agree. It's too easy to just pass it all by without appreciating it. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your videos and hearing your voice is so cool after reading you for so long. Your cheeses and your meals all look so yummy! The fur babies are so good looking but Jack just seems pitiful with that look on his face...maybe he has learned it gets sympathy and more attention? It would work on me! LOL! They're all such beautiful animals.
ReplyDeleteP.S. The cider vinegar is really interesting! Thank you! I hope it works perfectly for you...well, but of course it will! Hugs...Sam
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam :)) LOL Jack's look definitely works on me :) I'll know in a few weeks if the vinegar worked! :)
ReplyDeleteso glad to know that you are so busy and happy
ReplyDeletethat is what we want my friend
more happiness to you!
Thanks Baili :) Same to you! :)
ReplyDeleteI missed this post. How do you wash and disinfect them? I have some feathers I've been finding around the property. Would love to use them in a project someday (or maybe my own hats ha!)
ReplyDeleteHi 1st Man :) Sorry I took so long on this...I'm not getting comment notifications anymore! We found out that if you put the feathers in a bag full of mothballs for 24 hours, it kills any kind of bacteria or parasite on them. Then we soak them in a bowl of 50/50 alcohol/hydrogen peroxide for about an hour, then soak them in soapy warm water and let them dry in the sun. It might sound like overkill but at least we are SURE there are no fleas, mites or parasites...or harmful viral bacteria on them! :)
ReplyDeleteI love love love your feather collection. I love feathers...they are just so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI also love homemade apple cider vinegar. Your video is really nice :)
Look at all those sweet faces and all that good food !!!! 💞