Fall Farm Day...

Good Evening my dears.. 

Hope all is well with you in your part of the world.. 

We are having beautiful weather this week in New Brunswick.. 

This morning shortly after we woke up our power shut off.. 

No coffee for hubby so he decided we would visit our old farm.. 

He wanted to cut down some wood back by the brook and so off we went.. 

It was a lovely lazy kind of day.. 

I took my calender papers to finish and spent an hour or so just going through some old Country Living mags from the UK which you all know I love.. 

Here is the link to the blog post where I shared this with you all HERE..

Then I made a couple of apple pies for the freezer.. 

When we went to the city on Tuesday we bought 50 pounds of apples so I have been trying to get them put away.. 

I want to make the Roasted Apple Sauce tomorrow.. 

It is a favorite of ours.. 

The recipe is in the book Wren Bay.. 

Dinner was a simple affair.. 

Beef has gone sky high here in Canada so one frugal way I have found is to take only 1 steak and cut it quite small... 

Saute it along with onions, mushrooms and potatoes and it makes a lovely dish.. 

We love squash and beets so we had a few of those, too.. 

I have what I call Mrs. Robinson's dishes there in a china cupboard.. 

She was a dear old farmer's wife who used to be our neighbors many years ago.. 

I think of them every time I set the dishes out for dinner.. 

Yesterday, I gathered some hydrangea so took a bundle to the farm for the Living Room.. 

All in all it was a nice day but it is good to be back home for the evening.. 

I love going to the farm but always want to come home to sleep.. 

Weird, eh?  smile.. 

Well, I must get to bed so have a great night everyone.. 

Thanks so much for your visit and lovely comments.. 

Oh and welcome to the new followers of the blog.. 

So great to have you.. 

God bless.. xo

The Simple Woman's Daybook...

FOR TODAY September 22... 2014

Outside my kitchen window.. the sun is shining with a bit of rain now and then.. The wind is blowing the sheets on the line.. 

I am thinking .... that tomorrow is the first day of Fall and I need to get myself organized.. 

I am thankful... for all of the blessings of yesterday.... 

In the kitchen... I am thinking of painting my table, chairs and hutch a green color.. 

I am wearing... my typical black skirt and top with a homemade apron with roses on the bottom.. 

I am creating .... new  pages for my kitchen calender for Sept, Oct, Nov and December.. 

I am going to.. the city tomorrow for a town day hopefully... We do this each Fall and Winter and call it our town day.. I love it as we do errands, visit thrift stores and have lunch somewhere.. Sometimes we have time to visit my Mom and her husband or see our youngest son and his family.. 

I am wondering... when we will get back to close the cottage completely... 

I am reading a book on... Immigrant Brides which is based during the years  of 17 and 1800's... 

I am hoping .... to get my Fall decorating started soon.. 

I am looking forward to...  our children all gathering to celebrate their Dad's birthday and what I should take for the meal.. 

I am learning... that I need to cultivate my friendships and keep them lasting as they are such a blessing in my life.. 

Around the house...I am bringing in my plants and starting some new ones, cleaning our cold room and putting away preserves and stocking the freezer for the coming season.. 

I am pondering.... on the pastor's lesson on friendships... 

A favorite quote for today... 

October gave a party.. 

The leaves by hundreds came,

The Ashes, Oaks and Maples, 

The leaves of every name. 

The sunshine spread a carpet, 

And everything was grand, 

Miss Weather led the dancing, 

Professor Wind, the band... 

The sight was like a rainbow

New-fallen from the sky... 

George Cooper..

One of my favorite things..... is a windblown night with the window open and sweet smelling sheets from the line.. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...  are gathering my hydrangeas and placing them in bowls and vases and creating a wreath for my fireplace and beginning a personal Ladies Bible Study.. 

A peek into my day.....

Making Homemade Tomato Zucchini Salsa at the farm on this Fall day..

  Joining Peggy and others sharing our week..

  If you would like to link up, visit her blog,

 THE SIMPLE WOMAN BLOG

Keepers of the Home by the Sea....

Hello everyone.. 

Just sharing a post with you of our little overniter that the Keepers of the Home group had at the old cottage in St. Martins by the Sea... 

Terry and I went down on Wednesday to get things in order.. 

We had to warm the house up as it has been empty for a few weeks as we have moved back home.. 

It was really nice weather and we enjoyed a little nap by the waves.. smile.. 

On Thursday, we decided to do some dinner prepping so that there would not be a lot to do on Friday.. 

The big question was... 

 How many meatballs to make as he was concerned there wouldn't be any leftover.. grin.. 

No fear.. 

It was an old recipe I had received from a friend over 30 years ago.. 

Made up a couple of loaves of Artisan Bread to serve with dipping oils.. 

Fig and Pesto Parm..

Everyone seemed to enjoy this as a starter along with Lemon Cordial Punch.. 

I feel bad that I forgot to take pics of the food and place settings.. 

Oh well... 

My dear hubby helped me gather lots of flowers to put on the tables.. 

So enjoyed having these dear girls over and the sweet fellowship we had.. 

Sitting around the fire and hearing an encouraging devotional on preparing our hearts and homes for another season.. 

A lovely little visitor all the way from the Prairie Provinces of Canada... 

So nice having you, Missy... 

After a wonderful deep sleep (hahaha) we all awoke and sat around drinking tea and chatting.. 

Then we arrived at this beautiful Inn for breakfast.. 

The folks in St. Martins call this place The Castle but actually it is the St. Martins Country Inn.. 

The coffee was delicious and most welcome.. 

The Breakfast plates were beautiful and the staff so friendly.. 

As we were driving down the lane we had more staff come and thank us for our visit... smile.. 

They were so glad we had stopped by... 

Y'al come back now, ya hear!! 

Wasn't that sweet... 

So well trained aren't they... grin.. 

All in all it was a blessed time and so thankful to the Lord for the friendships that God has placed in our lives and the blessings that come our way with this wonderful group of ladies.. 

Thank you to everyone who helped in any way... 

There are some interesting meetings coming up... 

If you live near Salisbury here in New Brunswick and would like to join us please email me and let me know.. 

We are gathering next at a Keepers wonderful log home and learning some great canning techniques and seasonal decor tips for our Autumn homes .. 

AND

We are planning on a day to make and freeze 100 egg rolls for the coming Christmas season..

AND.... 

Well, that is enough for now. 

Thanks for dropping by and your sweet comments are so welcomed.. 

Hope you are having a blessed weekend.. 

xo

Soup Junkies Tip and Recipe..

Happy Weekend everyone.. 

Just posting a little idea for you soup lovers.. 

I made these a couple of weeks ago in my shop to sell at the Art in the Park sale and they went over very well.. 

I have made them for years and love having them on hand all through the season when I make soup so often..

They are herb soup bags.. 

You gather your herbs together and put them in a cheesecloth and tie each one up with twine..

Then drop one or two in your soup during the last hour of simmering time.. 

I find one is enough for us.. 

I suppose it depends on how big your soup is , eh? 

The first pic above is from one of my sweet readers, Cheryl.. 

She made the Bacon Lentil Soup that I posted about and sent me a picture of her soup.. 

Looks great, eh? And of course, I love the bowl... 

I posted the recipe HERE.. on the Soup Debate...

You can mix and match the herbs to suit your soups.. 

Tomato beef would probably be better with oregano while chicken loves summer savory and such.. 

Anyway, here is the recipe.. 

To each piece of cheesecloth add a Tablespoon of Lovage, and 1 tsp. each of Rosemary, Savory and  Marjoram. Also, add 1 bay leaf.. 

In some you could put Oregano, Chives and Thyme.. I would always add Lovage if I had it as it has the lovely celery taste.. 

You can experiment with this and find the mixture you like the best.. 

Also, this is a wonderful gift for the cook on your Christmas list or gift pantry.. 

I used old mason jars that I had a added a piece of dried Lovage inside.. Then I made tags from old recipe cards and glued a bay leaf on with a glue stick.. 

The instructions are on the other side of the card which I tied on with twine... 

Just an idea.. smile.. 

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my Vertigo as I am much better and back in our water bed.. Thank the Lord... 

Have a blessed weekend and thanks so much for your visits and kind words.. 

You guys are great.. 

God bless..

These September Daze.....

Hello friends... 

Hope you are enjoying your September... 

Such a lovely month of the year and here in the Eastern provinces of Canada we are being blessed with wonderful warm weather even though we have had near frosts.. 

I need to bring in my geraniums soon to keep through the Winter.. 

They do not require much care and provide such cozy warm color all season.. Then I just take them back out and put them on the deck next Summer.. 

The one nice thing about being home again are the few visits we make up to our old farm back in the Kent Hills of New Brunswick.. 

We are quite busy here at home and could not stay long .. Terry mowed the grass and I puttered about in the kitchen.. 

Brought up a sweet old runner and wood basket from my shop... 

I like it there on the harvest table.. 

The little piece of lace on the handle has a donkey on it.. 

Imagine.. 

I couldn't sell that.. grin.. 

A dear lady gave me a whole box of kale... 

The world's most popular vegetable at this time.. 

So full of nutrients.. 

I froze a bunch.... 

And tried some kale chips... 

They were good although dear hubby was not impressed... 

I will sneak it into Winter soups for sure.. 

After he was finished mowing we went for a little drive.. 

He said he thought it would be nice to see the windmills again.. 

It was a beautiful sunny day at the farm but just a few minutes away up high was a lot of fog.. 

Some of the windmills you could barely see... 

Amazing aren't they?  

Then....

I found out why we really went for a drive.. 

Past the windmills my dear husband owns a wee wood lot.. 

I detest going up there because it is way up a winding high hill with barely a road.. 

By the time we got up there and back down I had been calling on the Lord to please get us out of there in one piece... 

I tell you sometimes I think the man has lost a couple of marbles.. 

Then he proceeds to tell me he thinks that he and Dustin will go up and take down a few maples and bring them to the farm.. 

Trust in the Lord with all your strength will be my verse for that day... smile.. 

On the sunnier side of my daze... I mean days are peaches.. 

Lots of them...

Peeled and sliced and mixed with a bit of sugar and frozen for the Winter.. 

To use on Vanilla Cake and Whipped Cream or on some Ice Cream Sundaes or perhaps a Fruit Salad... 

They will taste of Summer.. smile.. 

I imagine I am boring you stiff with all of my preserving and pickling stories but that is what I do this month and I love it... 

I am not complaining so perhaps I am bragging... grin... 

Please forgive me.. 

Here we have another almost 30 pounds of baby cucumbers made into Garlic Dill, Sandwich Dill and Nine Day Sweet Pickles.. 

The tea towel is covering some that are fermenting.. 

They are very healthy for you, you know.. 

Oh and I was blessed to find some more Queen Anne's Lace and made another batch of jelly as I sold it all at the Park sale.. 

I have made a sweet new friend on Blogger.. 

Her name is Michelle and she lives in England.. 

And you girls know how I love anything UK.. 

Well, she gave me a recipe for their type of beet pickles.. 

Over there they call it beetroot and of course we Canadians call them just beets but it is the same veggie.. 

Anyway, I have made a bottle Michelle... 

Thanks for the recipe... smile.. 

Try to go over and give her a wee visit as I am sure you will love her... 

Just click on her name above...

Now... 

I would like to share a poem that I found on the web that I thought was marvelous as it mentions another thing I love.. 

Mason Jars.. ..

Hope you will like it, too.. 

PICKLED

She gathered walnuts in June
on hot, clear days, when the nuts
were tender enough to pierce with a safety pin.
She soaked them in salt water
and baked them in the sun
until they turned black, wiped them dry,
and filled canning jars with vinegar, brown sugar,
cloves, peppercorns, and cassia buds.
She sealed the jars, carried them down
to the cellar, her knees nearly buckling
beneath the weight of walnuts,
then climbed the stairs back to the kitchen
and made sweet pickled pears
cooked in boiling water, soaked
in vinegar and sugar, cloves and cinnamon.
She pickled nasturtium seeds,
packed them in empty perfume bottles,
drenched them in vinegar —
little capers that impressed her friends
when she sprinkled them on chicken.
She pickled everything —
autumn leaves, peony blossoms,
hair pins, playbills, extra buttons,
letters from her mother —
all of these things preserved,
lined up in clear jars
on warped cellar shelves.
She loved the way the peaches glowed
when she pulled the chain
swinging beneath the light bulb,
loved the neat rows of specimens,
like screws at the hardware store.
On snowy afternoons in late December,
she cut out calendar squares
of days she wanted to save,
dropped them like wishes in a
wide-lipped Mason jar,
drowned them in vinegar,
sealed them in the sweet brine
of remembrance.

by..Cindy Hunter Morgan... 

Thank you, dear hearts for you visit and your comments, of course.. 

Praying that you have the peace of the Lord in your days.. 

xo

Home Again... Home Again.. Jigedy Jig.....

Good Evening my dears.. 

Here it is Friday already.. This week just flew by.. 

Last weekend was very busy but fun, too.. 

My little shop was opened for the very last weekend.. 

It is hard to believe that the Summer is past and the shop is finally closed and finished.. 

The pic above is a sweet customer that I met at the shop several years ago.. 

Just one of the dear people who I now call friend.. 

She lived in Toronto when we met but loved St. Martins so much that she bought a home and moved down to the East coast permanently.. 

I loved when she would come in.. 

She was always so full of cheer even though she struggles with MS.. 

Here she is going through an old mason jar of jewels..smile.. 

She will continue to visit me at the cottage next Summer, though even if the shop is no more, I'm sure.. 

Then on Sunday we once again attended the Art in the Park event.. 

We placed everything on a table...

There were customers there for an hour or two before the music began.. 

It was a wonderful band singing gospel and country.. 

I was surprised that we knew the sweet girl on the piano.. 

We have know her since she was a little girl.. smile.. 

Sold quite a bit of my Pumpkin Spice Potpourri and a few  wax smellies to go in with it.. 

Two ladies wanted the last jar of Rose Powder and decided they would divide it.. smile.. 

But mostly it was pickles.. 

I laughed when several people said they were glad that the pickle lady was back.. grin..

I did a tomato apple chutney which was cooked in my slow cooker and a Sunshine Relish which was cooked in the oven.. 

I will definitely do them again next year, I think..

There were many booths of many different crafts and such.. 

Then on Monday we moved back home..   

It took us all day to pack and drive here and unload everything into the front hall.. 

Oh my... 

It was so good to be home again, though.. 

Even with all the work it takes to do it all.. 

The Sea is wonderful but the place I want to be in September is right here at home.. 

Please say a wee word of prayer for me as I am still struggling with Vertigo.. 

I know it could be worse but being dizzy is not fun.. 

The sad thing about it all is that I look so forward to sleeping once again in our water bed and guess what?.. 

It made me so sick I had to move to the spare room.. 

Isn't that a shame?  smile.. 

This old hippie wantabe is pretty upset but this too shall pass.. 

Anyway.. 

Yesterday, a friend and I made a trip up the St. John River Road to visit some vegetable stands... 

And today I did up some Amish Schnippled Bean Salad for Winter.. 

You French cut the beans and make a brine for them.. 

Store them in your cold room and in the Winter you take them out and drain them.. 

Place them in a bowl and add a bit of sour cream and a speck of sugar.. 

Our oldest son Trevor used to love this when he was a boy at home.. 

Another way is to add some chopped onion, seasonings and a bit of oil .. 

My sister-in-law gave me my mother-in-law's canner, too this week.. 

I am thrilled with it and am hoping to do a few baskets of peaches tomorrow.. 

I just love this time of year with all of it's busyness, don't you? 

Some ladies were saying that at my age they wouldn't be bothered but I can't imagine not doing this.. 

My mama is 80 and almost everyday she is mixing up a batch of chow or mustard pickles or jam or something.. 

I pray the Lord will bless me with the same kind of ambition when I am her age.. grin.. 

Well, dear ladies that wraps it up for tonight.. 

I am trying to get to visit your blogs and finally catch up.. 

Just a bit more patience, please..  

Sending you love and prayers..