We're just peachy!

Yesterday the house was full of the glorious scent of ripening peaches. Which is not to be confused with the inglorious smell of rotting peaches. We lost most of the white peaches a couple of weeks ago because they dropped off the tree before they were picked. Consequently they rotted under the tree, yuck. The second of our peach trees is now producing succulent peaches (not white, what's the normal color of a peach? yellow doesn't seem adequate, but this tree is the standard color of peaches). Following my mom's sage advice, we picked them when the first peaches started ripening. That is working out much better, although I was amazed at how many peaches were already on the ground when I went out to pick some more last evening. Brian had picked a bucket and a half over the weekend, and I picked three more last night. That didn't get all the peaches on the second tree and it didn't include a single one from the third tree (another white variety, but different from the one in the front yard that ripens first). There is something wonderful about a golden, juicy peach. It gets a little less wonderful the longer you stand at the sink peeling and quartering them, but let's dwell on the positive!

Last night I put 8 quarts of peaches in the freezer and made cobbler. The extra table (used just for ripening produce) is still full of peaches, with overflow in boxes underneath the table. Good thing the dogs only steal peaches from under the trees outside (no pooch peach eating in the house).

 The tomatoes have been ignored for several days because there is too much else going on. But we have been using up the last of last week's picking in various dishes. Above is a pre-baking picture of a Savory Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto Pie with Easy Cheesy Biscuit Crust, a hearty recipe from Farmgirl Susan that was perfect for using up tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and homegrown wheat. Below is another great use for tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil - bruschetta; we made different variations of this two nights in a row. I hope to have some caprese salad tonight. That is if I get all of my errands run and my pickles canned.

 We picked a cart-full of sweet corn over the weekend and froze 38 pints. That is after giving away approximately 5 dozen ears and eating some of the earliest ears fresh. Still some more in the patch too.
 It was a great year for corn here. All of the freezers (that would be three) are now pretty much full. Good thing I'm delivering my sister's lamb to her before we butcher our chickens.

 And speaking of chickens, here are some shots of the broiler chicks at three weeks of age. Belly up to the trough - they are good at what they do! I added the fourth feeder this week and turned on the automatic water bowl.

 The laying hens continue to do very well; the pullets are in full production now and we're averaging about a dozen eggs per day.

The wonder of scents

Today I am making pizza sauce and the whole house smells fantastic. I don't really care for the smell of tomatoes alone, but add garlic, onion, and peppers, and wow! It is making me hungry, so I am hoping there's a little more than will logically fit in the canner and I will end up having to make pizza for supper. We've been on that kick recently. More beans than will fit in a batch, no problem cowboy beans it is. What's that, all those tomatoes only resulted in a few cups of sauce? Well, how about baked spaghetti? Still more sauce and another batch of beans? Sounds like a perfect time for chili. We have been eating good! There are still some beans and tomatoes in the fridge that will have to be used in the next day or so.

Much of the garden is winding down and will soon be tilled and replanted with fall crops. I picked some beautiful onions today to add to the pizza sauce. There are still potatoes to dig and peaches to pick (sadly many of them are on the ground now and may be past their prime) and there are still tomatoes, grapes, winter squash, sweet corn, peppers and herbs that either haven't started or haven't slowed down -- plenty of work to go, but the cooler weather and good, hearty food has me longing for the start of fall.

Still going

Nearing the end of tomato season? No, apparently that's just wishful thinking on my part. I am in PA for a week spending quality time with my sister. Yesterday Brian reported he picked another 5 five-gallon buckets of tomatoes. Poor thing is stuck doing them up all by himself, but then again, I usually do it by myself...so I'm not sure I feel too sorry for him. He's a great guy, there aren't too many that would even consider picking, crushing, and canning tomatoes! In the meantime, I'm helping my sister by picking her tomatoes and we'll probably can some sauce later tonight or perhaps tomorrow.

Summer days are either crazy or lazy

Around here they are mostly crazy, and that's why I have somehow managed to go two weeks without posting any updates. Let's see...

We have been picking tomatoes and making sauce. Last night we made some spicy salsa, which Brian claims is our best ever. Tuesday night Brian picked 10 (yes 10) five gallon buckets of tomatoes, but the plants are brown and dying off at the bottom, so we are probably nearing the end of our tomato season. I always look so forward to the first ripe tomato, but I usually am quite ready for the end of staying up until midnight or later canning and processing them after work! Still, it is a bit sad to see the season end because you really cannot buy a good tomato. At least we still have cherry tomatoes, so I won't be totally deprived yet!

I also experimented with a tomatillo salsa and plan to can some of that tonight. We also froze some sweet corn and are probably about finished with it for this year. Since we didn't grow green beans, I can't complain much about how much canning I've been doing. We did plant shell beans, and they are about ready to pick. Thankfully they are not "urgent" veggies...they can wait patiently in the basement until things slow down.

We continue to see all sorts of wildlife, and the deer seem to have a highway running behind the house. Here's a picture of one very nice buck I've seen a couple of times.

I'm pretty sure he's the small one we saw last year. So far I haven't spotted the big guy. Our neighbor thinks someone shot him last fall, but we know he's very wily, so I keep looking anyway!

The lambs and the pigs are growing and doing quite well. I need to get some current pictures. Should have done that yesterday because it has been dry and the pigs were nice and clean. But yesterday it rained and their pen turned to mud and now they are no longer clean. The storms have been the more typical on-again, off-again summer thunderstorms here recently. Besides fast-growing grass (what an odd year, it's greener in August than it was in June), this has provided us with many gorgeous sunsets like the one below.

One night last week I saw a red fingernail moon and a shooting star on my way back from putting the chickens in for the night. A couple of weeks ago, there was a storm in the distance at dusk, and from here the lightning looked red. It was eerie and beautiful as it lit up the sky over the mountains.

Brian has been wanting to try home brewing beer for as long as I have known him, and he finally got a kit. He and our friend Matt set up a batch of a red ale over the weekend. In about 6 weeks we ought to have our first home brew.

We have both been traveling a lot of late, two shadows passing in the night or something like that. But we actually went to Pennsylvania together for my sister's bridal shower, which was a great trip. We stayed with my brother and his family, the first time we've ever done that, and it was great fun. We even saw a flock of turkeys on the edge of their yard Sunday morning.

Here are the awesome cakes that Robin did for the shower. It was a fun afternoon and a good weekend spent with the whole family. I wish we lived a little closer together.

We also spent a little time with Brian's family, celebrating his Grandad's birthday and visiting with aunts, uncles, and cousins over breakfast last weekend.

It seems like we've done more than this in the last two weeks. Hmm. Either I've forgotten or it's like tomato sauce - looks like a lot before you boil it down!

Bountiful Summer

Here's another picture-heavy post that gives you an idea of what's been going on this week.

The tomatoes are ripening now, and we'll probably need to make some sauce this weekend.

Heirloom oxhearts

The white peaches will also be ready soon. They are bigger than usual this year.

Red raspberries! None of these made it to the house...

Zucchini has finally done well this year. I tried this zucchini chowder recipe from the Simply In Season cookbook, and it was delicious!

The ewes and Leroy are now at the farm we rent, where they will have plenty of grass and plenty of space.

This is a butterfly bush planted right outside the kitchen window; I love their scent and it is so much fun to look out the window and spot butterflies and other insects.

Different bush, but it's been a favorite spot for butterflies this summer too! All my work in the flower beds is starting to pay off!

We planted these zinnias on the edges of the pepper garden to help attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.

I'm pretty sure this insect perched on the sunflowers at the pepper garden is a beneficial, but I haven't taken the time to look up what kind it is.

The hummingbirds were slow in arriving this summer, but they are here in droves now. I caught this one taking a break in the mimosa tree.

The mimosa has such interesting blooms and it is extremely attractive for hummingbirds and butterflies.