McAbees' Apples

McAbees' Fruit Stand near Hendersonville, NC is our favorite place to stop to buy apples if we happen to head to the mountains in the fall. 

They are located right off I-26 in Flat Rock and can be seen from the interstate. It's a very convenient stop for travelers. 

According to the people at the stand, they should have apples to sell through the winter, until April, I think they said!  

They have a big variety of apples. My favorite thing here is the shelves at the back of the stand that are filled with 1/2 bushel bags of seconds for only $5 a bag. Seconds are typically smaller than first quality and are likely to have some bruising. That is what I usually buy for applesauce and apple butter since it really doesn't matter what they look like because I'm going to cook and smoosh them anyways.    

But first quality apples are still only $8 for a 1/2 bushel so still a great deal in my opinion! 

We filled the van up with apples when we stopped there this year. 

Yum! Homemade applesauce to eat all year long! 

Curried Green Tomato Sauce

After a frost, I ended up with a collection of green tomatoes from my garden plus a bag full from the children's garden at work. A few turned red after setting out for a few days!

What to do with them?

I finally decided to make Curried Green Tomato Sauce because I had all the ingredients on hand! Plus it sounded interesting.

I just poured the sauce into freezer containers to freeze rather than can.

The sauce is a different type of flavor combination for us. It's tasty though and on the spicy side! We ate it with fish and rice the other night and it was quite good.

I loved making something yummy out of these tomatoes instead of throwing them away!

Apples and Sewing

We stopped in Hendersonville, NC and bought five bushels (10-1/2 bushel bags) of apples on our way home from Pigeon Forge. So my evenings have been spent doing apples. My goal has been to do a 1/2 bushel (1 bag) most evenings and so far it's working well. I'm sure there are faster ways to accomplish this but this goal is attainable and not too overwhelming. 8 bags down, 2 to go!

I've been making applesauce, apple butter, dried apples and will also freeze some apples for pies and apple crisps. I think I'm done with apple sauce now; I have over 40 quart. We love homemade applesauce and eat a lot of it!

I've spent an hour or two each morning working on a big Etsy order--5 of these Christmas gift sets. They are packed and ready to ship off today-- I didn't get a picture of them before I boxed them up. But my sewing room looks like this...

Etsy by day; apples by night!

Housework beyond clean dishes, laundry and cooking hasn't been my top priority during this season as you can see. I'll get back to it soon! Starting to drive me a bit crazy as I really like things in order.

Our fall seasons are always jam-packed and super busy. This year is no exception!

What have you been up to?

Foothills Parkway

After two days at Dollywood, I was ready for something less touristy to do on our way out of town. I wanted to see some scenery!

Our GPS took us on the Foothills Parkway coming out of Gatlinburg. It was a beautiful day and the foliage was gorgeous!

There were places to pull over all along the parkway and we stopped at every single one. I took lots of pictures. It was all so beautiful!

As you can see, not all of the leaves have turned yet,but it was still lovely with lots of vibrant color!

Dollywood Vacation

A few months ago, Andy's parents asked if we would like for them to take us on a weekend vacation. Of course, we said yes!

We decided on Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN for our destination and chose to go the last weekend in October. We were so excited for the trip and weren't disappointed at all!

Andy loves Southern Gospel music so we were happy to be able to go during Dollywood's National Southern Gospel Festival and Harvest Celebration  and attend a number of concerts throughout the park. Our favorites included Legacy Five, The Mark Dubbeld Family, The Kingdom Heirs and The Smoky Mountain String Band. We also enjoyed a bird show that featured Challenger the Bald Eagle, a 50's show and the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame.

The weather was super chilly the two days we were there but at least it was sunny! Thankfully, some of the events were indoors.

Dollywood includes an amusement park but we both really don't care for rides! I did go on one ride with my father-in-law--one he referred to as a "sissy ride". It wasn't bad but reminded me again that I just don't like roller coasters and such! I seek thrills in other places--like thrift stores.

The park was beautifully decorated for fall with pumpkins, scarecrows , mums and the cutest flower pot people!

We had such a  wonderful weekend and thank  Mom and Dad for inviting us!

Southern Gospel Hall of Fame

October Freezer Cooking: Take 2

The first day, I cooked ground beef, made burger patties and assembled crockpot meals. On the second day, I did everything else that was left on my list.

Not quite as organized but I plowed through it anyways! I had to cook some meal components for the casseroles I was making and then assemble casseroles, which do take longer than crockpot meals in a bag!

My list:

• Breakfast-in-a-hurry (9x13)
• Cheesy Beef and Rice (9x13)
• Spinach and Cheese Casseroles (2)--my husband loves these; they make a nice addition to a fish meal.
• Gingery Pork and Mushroom mixture for lettuce wraps: recipe from this cookbook. 
• Bake brown rice.(2-9x13 pans)
• Shred cheese.
• Bake bacon. 

My plan of attack:

• Bake brown rice.
• Bake bacon. (In the oven at the same time as rice.)
• Shred cheese.
• Assemble Breakfast-in-a-hurry.
• Assemble Cheesy Beef and Rice.
• Bag up rest of brown rice.
• Leave the house for a few hours.
• Assemble Spinach and Cheese Casseroles.
• Make Gingery Pork and Mushrooms. (Ended up making this for dinner that night!So absolutely yummy!)

I'm happy to have so many  frozen entrees and sides in the freezer to eat this month (and some of next)!

The only picture I took on day 2--I was in a rush!

Do you do freezer cooking? What are your favorite recipes to freeze?

October Freezer Cooking: Take 1

In September, I did one grocery shopping trip for the month with some serious planning which included a freezer cooking session. It worked so well and saved us money so I did it all again for October!

This month, I split my freezer cooking list into two 2-3 hour sessions rather working non-stop for 5-6 hours like I did last month. Both work and are efficient but a shorter time slot was better for me this time. I made a plan, worked the plan, cleaned up the kitchen and left for work! Then the next morning I did it again!

We are relying on crockpot or easy make-ahead oven meals for dinner these days. Between September and October, I've tried a pile of Crockpot Freezer Meals that I've found via Pinterest. These are fabulous! Most require no prior cooking (except browning ground beef ) so they are extremely fast to put together. And so easy to put in the crockpot on serving day!

I doubled up on a couple of the recipes that we had already tried. I bought two packages of chicken and we got a good deal on a big package of sausages so I made two of the Thai Chicken and the Italian Sausages with Peppers and Onions. This will give me a head start on next month since we probably won't need them this month.

Ingredients for Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Most of my 1st cooking session for October was assembling crockpot freezer meals.

Session 1 list:

• Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
• Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce (2)
• Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Crockpot Italian Sausage with Pepper and Onions(2)
• Cook ground beef for crockpot meals, Beef and Veggies, Taco Soup and Southwestern Lentils , Cheesy Beef and Rice (7#)
• Make burger patties(2#/8 patties)

My Plan Of Attack:

1. Cook 7# ground beef. Drain and let cool.
2. Assemble Thai Chicken.
3. Make burger patties.
4. Chop/slice peppers and onions. 
5. Assemble Pepper Steak.
6. Assemble Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions.
7. Assemble White Chicken Chili.
8. Assemble Cheeseburger Soup. 
9. Bag and label ground beef for Beef and Veggies(3), Taco Soup (1), Cheesy Beef and Rice, Southwestern Lentils(1/2#) and and extra 1/2#. 
10. Clean up kitchen; fill up the freezer!

I've done lots of freezer cooking over the years. It has saved me hours of time and hundreds of dollars! I've simplified my methods a lot over time and making crockpot freezer meals definitely simplifies freezer cooking day. Making crockpot meals to freeze is a fast way to make a bunch of freezer meals! In fact, this post about crockpot freezer meals promises 20 meals in 2 hours. I could get into that!

Finished meals!

Tomorrow: October Freezer Cooking: Take 2!

How To Clean Recycled Glass Jars

I've been reorganizing my sewing supplies and wanted to display them in glass jars.

Have you seen the price of cute jars in the store? I have and it's out of my price range--especially for a no spend month.

Lucky for me, I've been saving recycled glass jars for this very purpose for a while. With a little cleaning and paint or fabric on the lids, I'll have cute and free storage jars.

The problem with pickle and salsa jars is that they tend to stink, even after washing. I've been washing them with a baking soda and water mixture according to these instructions. Some of them are really persistent with the smell so I poured some vinegar into those jars and let them set overnight. That seemed to do the trick.

For the labels, I've had the best success with pouring hot vinegar and using citrus (lemon) oil to rub the glue off. It takes a bit but most of it comes off pretty easily. I have a couple very sticky labels that will take more effort.

Hopefully soon, I'll be able to show the finished product!

No Spend September Update

Well, September is over. The "No Spend Month" went great! I had hoped to update a few more times throughout the month but being sick with a virus and being out of commission for 3-4 days and then not feeling totally well for over a week threw me off course a little!

We will continue the "No Spend Challenge" in some ways in October, since with my new job's pay schedule, my first paycheck won't arrive until November. We won't be quite as strict as we were in September but still careful--not because we are broke--but to be able to minimize the withdrawals from our savings account. We live debt-free (except for the mortgage) so we pay in cash as much as possible. To us, it makes more sense to stop any unnecessary spending when the income has slowed rather than using credit cards or using up savings when we don't have to.

I will share my thoughts concerning "No Spend September".

• Not spending simplified my life tremendously. I don't classify myself as a "big spender" but the desire for acquiring more and looking for good deals can hit anyone. We didn't drive places as much.  I didn't have as many decision to make. We grocery shopped at the beginning of the month and after that, I needed very little.
• We ate out a couple of times without cost by using some FREE coupons that were available. We'd been given a Krispy Kreme gift card and we've stopped there for a doughnut a few times too.
• Being sick stretched our food budget! Not my favorite way of saving money but my appetite was off for about 10 days so I certainly didn't eat as much!
• Planning our meals out at the beginning of the month and freezing 11+ meals was AWESOME. I'm doing that for October as well.
• We did dip into savings for a few non-negotiable items. But not much and they were categories we couldn't skip.Once my income starts back up, that will be taken care of.
• I cut my own hair and it was fun!
• Having already made the decision to not spend for unnecessary items made it really easy to say "no" to school fundraisers (we didn't know the children who stopped by)  and other spending/ giving opportunities. I'm not talking about tithing or giving financially at the Holy Spirit's leading--that is different. 
• We got more books and videos from the library this month. 
• I wanted to buy a potted mum and pumpkin for the front porch! Will see what I can do in October. :-)
• Keeping things clean and neat costs very little. 
• We didn't feel deprived at all! Which shows we can live on less and be just fine. 

Here's to a  frugal October as well!

Happy October 1st!

Today: The Beginning Of A New Season

Today marks the beginning of a new season.

After 8 years of working from home, I'm starting a part-time job outside the home.

I stopped taking care of kids in my home at the end of August. This came after months of praying, seeking out God's direction and feeling like it was time to start something new. I let the parents know of our decision at the end of May so they had all summer to make other arrangements for their children.

This wasn't an easy decision to make. And I certainly wasn't prepared for the emotion that came over me as the end of August drew near. I've cared for so many little ones over the years and haven't experienced the emotions that I did this time. These little ones had been with me since very young infants and had become like my own.

The question I get the most is "What made you decide to quit?" I don't have a smooth, easy answer for that. A lot of things, mostly small things. Right now it seems as though working away from home is a better decision for our family.

As for me, I am quite excited about this new venture. A little nervous, but then it's been 8 years since I've worked with little ones in a  classroom environment.

There will be changes and adjustments as we seek to make this work for our family but I'm looking forward to seeing what all God is doing!

**Picture taken a few years ago. Our leaves are barely beginning to change colors yet this year! 

Updates on Homemade Mayo, Laundry Detergent and Mystery Plants

Sometimes I post about things I've made or use. Some of you have questions from time to time about whether or not I still use it or how it works for me.

This post will answer  some of those questions.

Homemade Mayonnaise:

We really like this and I've been whipping up a batch about once a week since. The flavor has not changed after setting for a few days so using half olive oil has worked ok.  Some of you have asked about how long this keeps in the fridge. The recipe says it will keep 2 weeks. We mostly use mayonnaise in things like chicken, egg, and tuna salad which uses a larger amount of mayo at a time. Because of this, we go through a small batch rather quickly so we haven't tested the 2 week thing out yet! I say, try it and see if you like it and whether or not it works for you!

Homemade Laundry Soap:

I really have liked my homemade powdered laundry detergent.  However, I've had a lot of trouble with some "build-up", especially towels and things where I've noticed the lack of absorbency. Stripping the laundry by using hot water, baking soda and vinegar has helped a lot  but while using the homemade soap, it seems that it continues to build up. I'm pretty sure this has to do with our hard water as we didn't notice an issue before moving here. Not sure if making homemade liquid detergent would have the same results. For now, I've switched to whatever liquid detergent is affordable and am happy with the results.

Mystery Plants:

My mystery plants turned out to be cantaloupe! The plants have long since died and we didn't actually get to eat any before they rotted but there were cute little cantaloupes on the vines.Good to know!