I'm Back!!

Well, it's been over a month since I last posted on this blog.  Sorry to keep you in such suspense!  Actually, this past month a lot of my activities didn't seem too "farm" related so that's why I didn't write.  Maple syrup season is over--we made over thirty gallons total! Today I was sitting on the tractor tilling up some ground for onions and peas--that is, until it started snowing so hard that I had to stop.  In spite of this unseasonably cold weather, planting season really is already upon us.  So, after this one, most of my posts will be more gardening related. 

Here's a little update on some of the things I've been up to over the last month (at least these are some of the times when I had my camera and remembered to take pictures.) 

BAKING!  I feel like I've made a lot of pies in the last month for various functions.  Here's a sample:

Lemon Meringue - I use the recipe from Grandma Jean's friend "Scotty" Nessline.  It is grandma's favorite pie and my favorite to make.  It's really fun to make those little peaks!

Lemon and Strawberry pies - I use the Strawberry recipe from my pie-making hero, Ruth McLaughlin, who recently passed away.  Maybe some of you remember reading her column every Monday in the Times Recorder.  She was quite a farm woman--I can only hope to be half the worker and cook that she was!

Cherry Pie - I made this one for the guys at the Sugar Shak.  I made it with a lard crust per their request.  I normally use Crisco.  They gave it high praise, so I may have to do that again.  Ruth always used lard for her crusts.  It was a little more challenging to work with since I'm not used to it, but I think it turned out rather pretty.  I'm actually not a huge fan of cherry pie, but I think that's because I don't like that canned pie filling stuff.  This is made with frozen cherries--much better, in my opinion, and I can actually eat a slice.

Quiche - Made with spinach from my own garden that held out over the winter!

Grandma Jean got the cutest new puppy "Babe."  Isn't she sweet!

Me with my cousin-in-law Kelley (right) and her sister Sarah (middle).  This is our "Rosie the Riveter" look; our hair was in pin-curls.  Turns out pin-curls don't work on already curly hair--imagine that!  You just end up with a tangled, frizzy mess.  Oh well, we had fun hanging out and watching movies on a Saturday night.

Of course, as my friend Shannon will quickly tell you, hanging out with me always involves some kind of work.  Lately I've been roping everyone into helping me shell beans.  I totally missed my goal of having them all shelled by the end of February. (Kelley's going to have a fit when she sees I posted these pics of us with our hair up--hehe!)

And, as you can see, I'm certainly not opposed to employing child labor!  This is Kelley's daughter, Cecilia, who is my goddaughter.  She sat with me for probably an hour doing this and kept saying in her sweet two-year-old voice, "Look--a little tiny bean!"  It never got old!

This is when I was helping my friend Becky work on a sewing project.  "Craft Night" with the girls was a big thing this winter.  However, I think more eating and chatting took place than crafting.  Did I mention that my friends are all amazing cooks?

Maggie, Amy, and I on a craft night.  Notice we're not doing crafts. :-)  You can't really tell from this picture, but Maggie was just a couple of weeks away from having a baby when this was taken.  Her first baby, a boy, August James, was born last week!  Congratulations Maggie!

Here's Becky diligently working on her first knitting project.

Nora is painting a picture of the rest of us doing our crafts.  She's a pro--for real!

I wasn't kidding, Nora, really is a professional artist.  This is a huge painting she did that hangs in Maggie's dining room.  I like it because the woman is holding a chicken like she just killed it for supper!  I'm going to have to take another picture because I didn't realize Nora was standing in front of the chicken.

Another craft night--myself, Janelle, and Neala at Neala's house.

This time instead of crafts I made everyone shell beans!  Amy, Becky, and Greg are hard at work.

More child labor!  Here's Neala and her two-year-old daughter, Kendyl shelling beans.  Such a sweetie!

Here are some pictures from Grandma Jean's 88th birthday dinner.  This is her newest great-grandchild, Sophie.

Cousins Rachel (left) and Leah (right) and Aunt Denise (middle).

Aunt Martha and my mom.

Uncle Jim and Aunt Tammy

My sister and baby Sophie

The amazing cake my sister made for Grandma.  Lemon with blueberry filling!  Yummy!!!

My hero.

Uncle Dennis and John Mattingly

Aunt Martha and Sophie

Grandma with eight of her ten kids

Just a few of the grandkids.

Visiting my friend Travis makes me glad to see that other people end up with chickens roosting in funny places!  Can you find the hen in this picture?

Two of my favorite little girls--Anna and Lily Parks!  Lily is in her "princess dress."

The girls took several pictures with my camera and this one was too cute!

Baking a birthday cake for their Uncle Travis.

Anna stirring the icing.  Caramel, of course!!!