Domestic Me

Not sure what's going on with me.  It seems every free moment I have I find myself preparing food.   My son and I went out and picked tomatoes and apples on Friday.  The orchard is chemical-free and I  have been taking care of it for a neighbor who has been deployed to Iraq.  Anyway, it is the same orchard where I have my bees.  I am thinking that one of the reasons the bees have done so well is because of the LACK of pesticides and such.  Anyway, the apples were pretty well picked over and we were left with the wormiest and smallest.  It's okay.  I'm really glad a lot of families were able to use healthy fruit.  There are about 28 trees.   

So I spent most of Saturday doing stuff for the animals, chickens and goats, and putting up applesauce.  

The applesauce would have been easier if we had been among the first to pick.  

My hands got all rough and cracked.  I only got 11 quarts for all the time I spent but the process was so...cleansing that I am sure the benefits extend beyond the nutrition and such.  Knowing that the ingredients are organic will surely make it taste better too.  The funny thing is that I've never really been an applesauce fan.

Today I'm making Italian tomato sauce.  I'll probably be freezing, rather than canning, it.  

I also made some green tomato salsa as well as some cheese. Actually the cheese takes a few days.  

I have included some photos of this weekend's activities and a few of the landscape after this season's first snow in the valley.

 Finally, a shot of my trusted companion.  Ebony's my walking-running partner.  She's a 5-year-old puppy.  She is as affectionate as kitten and as forgiving as a grandparent.  Not a flattering shot.  Good thing she's forgiving.