How are you doing?
Me too!
How warm it's been, and how lovely. I was in a shop a while ago, and the shop lady was saying to a customer, “We've had a drought, so the leaves won't be good this year.”
Now, it's undeniable that there's been a drought, and that a drought is not a good thing. But in my experience, it's not true that less rain means less of a leaf show. They — and you know who “they” are — agree that no one is quite sure what makes the leaves beautiful one year and not quite as stunning the next. But in any case, drought or no, the leaves are amazing this year.
The raspberries! Between finally making a proper row for them with supports, and an amazingly long warm season, I feel like a raspberry success over here! (In contrast to abject failure in the squash/cucumber/bean department.)
To me, raspberries are the ultimate prize. First of all, they are amazing. Secondly, an itty bitty bit at the store requires you to hand over gold bullion or something. So this harvest feels very winning to me!
We harvested the honey. (You can put the messy things outside and the bees will clean them up!)
The drought has made the bees less productive, so we only got about a third of last year's harvest, boo.
They will have enough for themselves, and they have lots of pollen, so hopefully next spring will start off in a sprightly fashion — they need pollen to feed the brood, and they need brood for the troops to get out there and get the nectar so they can make honey!
I collected all the green tomatoes, and will make chutney today. (Me: did I ever post about that? Me: Yes! Ha — it's getting so that I'm forgetting what's on this blog!)
I think I need a bigger pot — this 8 qt. one is too full already!:
I got an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker — mine is this exact one). Do you have one? I've been experimenting and so far, so good. Today I'm making broth from these nice beef neck bones. I browned them in the oven and am about to scrape off the browned bits before tossing everything (bones, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper, mustard, water, wine) in the pot to pressure cook.
So far I've made beans, pot roast, and baked potatoes. Tell me if you've had any great successes — I really like it, I must say, even though the truth is, I don't have enough counter space for it. Like, what was I thinking…
I'm also trying to finish up this little knit vest. Isn't it cute? Those are owls, in case you are wondering!
Trying to figure out if I left a big enough hole for the head. On the one hand, that bind-off is very stretchy. On the other, we have big heads in this family…
And I re-did my to-do list notebook. I think I will give you more details on Saturday…
Just in case you missed it, I published my little book, a guided reading of Casti Connubii (the Church's teaching on marriage) last week: God Has No Grandchildren. If you've read it (or had read the posts here on the blog), do leave a review if you can on Amazon and/or Goodreads! Thank you!
And don't miss my article on Crisis: A Family-Friendly Guide to Sex Education. Truthfully, I would have put a different title on there. I don't actually believe in sex education, and I explain why! See what you think!
So those are the doings and goings on. What have you got where you are?
Katie Newman says
So far I’ve made pot roast, a “roasted” chicken, and hard cooked eggs in my Instant Pot. I’ve been eyeing some recipes for ribs that you start in the pressure cooker and finish on the grill or in the stove. Every recipe that my mom, sisters, or I have tried and liked is on our family recipe blog http://bearcountrykitchen.blogspot.com/?m=0
Tia says
Are the hard-boiled eggs better in the Instant Pot? I guess I’m just wondering what the advantage is over boiling a pot of water and plunking in some eggs? I definitely see the appeal with beans, rice, that kind of thing.
Katie Newman says
The biggest advantage I’ve found is that the shells practically fall off the eggs, so it’s really great if you’re making deviled eggs or something else where appearances would matter.
Tia says
That’s huge as peeling eggs is most of the hassle. Thanks for the tip
Laura Jeanne says
Auntie Leila, please tell me – how do you get all those big juicy raspberries to grow?
Last year I planted some raspberry canes, this year I planted a few more, and although they seem to be growing pretty well I harvested a grand total of two tiny raspberries from them this year. Do I just have to wait longer, or is there some complicated pruning thing I need to be doing?
Thank you for any tips you can give me! 🙂 Your raspberries do indeed look amazing.
Maria says
Raspberries take a couple years to give you anything decent, it’s probably not you! The more water they get, also, the bigger the berries.
Leila says
Laura Jeanne, I agree with Maria — they need to establish, I think. I’m no expert! It helped to stake them up and to remove old canes as they die. Maybe it depends on the variety too? The crop in the late spring was hardly anything, and the birds got most of it. I pruned the canes before and after that.
But then in late summer they really came into their own!
Mary Alexander says
Can you explain the significance of your title? I am at a loss. I’m sure there is some deep theological meaning but it is escaping me (no surprise!).
Thanks!
Leila says
Well, Mary, the title is meant to entice you to get the book! If you’d rather not, you can always read the post, linked above, and here:
http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2013/02/god-has-no-grandchildren/
Kristen says
Hello. Are there plans go publish a not-Kindle version of your new book? I am not a Kindle user…and would love to gift this (or possibly use in an upcoming book club). There is something so satisfying about a book in my paws…
Maria says
Yes, agreed, real physical books would be great!
Leila says
Kristen and Maria,
Yes, physical books are great, agreed.
Right now, I don’t have the resources to publish this in physical form. You can order it on Kindle and read it on any device with the free Kindle app.
If you want to print it out, email me and I will tell you how we can arrange that. (It’s probably between 50 and 70 pages).
Amy says
I really enjoy these chatty posts 🙂 I had always heard that a dry, cool fall makes for the best leaf displays, and this year in Minnesota is certainly proving that rule. It’s been warm and wet (I think I heard 4th wettest September on record?) and the leaves, while lovely as always, are by no means spectacular. As for doings . . . I am changing the sheets over from cotton to flannel, I finished a pair of knitted hats for my twins last week, after hearing about it around these parts I am halfway through Til We Have Faces and am really enjoying it, and I made preserved lemons! Now what do I do with them? Your post on them said that they “brighten up a roast”, but are they put in at the beginning or the end? Can I use them sparingly with fish? Add a little to a pot of shakshuka perhaps? Any other ideas? Happy fall to all!
Leila says
Amy, you can use your preserved lemons in many ways. Add them at the beginning of a stew, along with the other seasonings, or at the end, chopped up, in the sauce or drippings. They would be lovely with fish — perfect.
Basically, anything that could use a little lemon will be amazing with preserved lemon, which will be more lemony!
Ann Marie says
Please do continue to update us on the pressure cooker. I haven’t been able to justify the purchase yet…. 🙂
Leila says
Ann Marie, the beef broth is amazing!
Kathleen L says
Hi lelia!
We are way out here on the far northwest corner of the US and we also had a bumper crop of raspberries! As well as an entire season, ( I planted 3 times!), of beans, cucs, squash and peas eaten and destroyed by RABBITS!!! We are going to have to plan a better way of discouraging them next spring! Best ot you this fall season and congrats on the E-Book!
McKenna says
I love my electric pressure cooker for rice (assuming you don’t already have a rice cooker). White rice in 5 minutes, brown in 20 and it makes a surprisingly good risotto.
sibyl says
Well, over here I’m working (for pay) more than I wish I was, and we are having a glorious, glorious autumn — mild during the days but chilly at night, and the leaves and blue sky are amazing.
Actually, I’m grieving right now. I only have three homeschoolers, my youngest is eight, and already I feel a sense of loss — like, what’s the point in making bread, they’re going to be grown up so soon! No more preschoolers to delight with waxed leaves, and children who aren’t all that happy to just go out and walk around anymore. Such a beautiful fall day, and everyone has their own life already — my piddly homemaking skills just don’t seem worth it right now. I wasn’t ready to be done with children, and these people here are all BIG KIDS…
So, kind of the self-pity train, despite everything.
Anel says
Oh deary me, Sibyl. I can resonate and amplify. I’m protestant with all the modern thought about how many children it is responsible to have. I have 3 beautiful ones, youngest 5 on Nov 7th, always wanted to homeschool and bake bread. Still trying to lobby in that direction, but eldest is 13 already. STRUGGLING to get to grips. Some days I refuse to get to grips..
STUCK.
Dixie says
Sibyl, when you have only teenagers, your “piddly homemaking skills” will be even more important! Not just for them — and by all accounts, this is when they REALLY need all the hearty homemade bread — but for their friends. When I was a teen I relied so much on the home-like homes of my friends! And maybe there are some littler ones about at your church who would love to help you wax leaves while their mom sits with you, chatting and drinking tea…
Claire says
I hear ya, sibyl.
Mine have all grown up and gone off to have their own adventures. The NERVE!!
So . . . what? I figure it must be time for me to get busy learning some new things of interest. I’m working on that.
And oh happy day, someday you and I might have grandchildren!!
NY Mom says
A little riff off the “what’s next after kids” phase in a mom’s life:
I found myself feeling less and less harried – and less needed – after my kids grew up and went to college, got married, etc. What has happened has been that God has sent other people into my life who need nurturing, companionship, or just plain old fashioned help: an aging mother-in-law, a lonely neighbor or fellow parishioner, daughters-in-law, grandchildren. Suddenly my days have expanded to being available for a wider variety of people. I’m filling gaps for people that I never really noticed when I was home in the trenches with my growing children. It’s a humble kind of helping – drive them to a dr.’s appt., do some light shopping for them, babysit, bring them dinner, or actually sit down and have a cup of coffee with them. There’s more time for prayer, too – what a blessing that is. So maybe just asking God to show you where to step next, where you can be His hands and feet, might be helpful in helping mothers in new phases find new ways to be fruitful and faithful.
Leila says
sibyl — if you (or they) can wax the leaves, maybe the older kids could make a garland for Thanksgiving? But I know — the times move on.
I guess this is when I learned to knit!
I chuckle when I remember the mom of a friend telling me that she “only” had four at home (out of 13 kids!) and “it’s hardly worth cooking.”
Most people would consider cooking for a family of 6 overwhelming and not because it’s too unchallenging! haha
Wendy says
It’s fall in Oklahoma, and you know what that means….Nothing, it’s still upper 90’s and everything is brown. I didn’t make that up but I though it was so funny. I need a vacation to the North East. I think if I had those trees I would just have to set up camp under them and never move. However, I will be glad to be in Oklahoma when you start showing pictures of snow. Pretty, snow is, but not enough to justify its pain. Just homeschooling here, hoping it’s enough, going back to your posts often for encouragement. Thanks for putting them here. Real people are better, but sometimes you need that boost when real is not an option. Enjoying the season of Apple Cider. Trying times here with medical stuff and finding doctors with integrity. Hope none of you are in those shoes. Big kids eat so much, it feels like I never get them satiated. Thanks for the peek into your world. I enjoy you posting more often again.
Anel says
My mom has loved using her pressure cooker all my life. She has the stove top kind, though. There should be no difference in how you use it. Anything that would have taken you ages in the oven or on the stove [roasts, stews, cooking chicken off the bone for pie, etc.] works well in the pressure cooker. My family is one for hunting during the winter months and when all the meat has been processed, there is a LOT of bones [mainly spine] left with more meat than you might realise. I do not have a pressure cooker, and if I want to cook the bones to render the lovely venison pie meat, I have to cook it for hours [sometimes slowly in the oven over night], whereas my mom would have it done and dusted in half an hour. I don’t have as many to cook off [these days the little venison I do get is a gift from my brother 🙂 ], but my mom would typically have the spine bones of 5 to 10 gazelles of various sizes to render the meat off of [dear me, I hope all this makes sense], so she had no time to lose..
Just always make sure to brown whatever meat you will be cooking first – inside the pot, before closing the lid, is perfectly fine for doing this.
NY Mom says
At first glance I thought the photo of those browned neck bones was marbled brownies, and in a flash thought, “oh good – a brownie recipe!!” and then kept reading and realized no…uh, those are bones. Virtuous, righteous, healthy soup bones.
Tells ya where my mind’s at these days.
Kat says
I love my instant pot! And I don’t like to have too many things in the kitchen and on my counters. It is worth it! I’ve made steel cut oats and with the timer feature so we woke up one morning with breakfast warm and ready to go. I also make rice, soup, pot roast, hard boiled eggs and my favorite easy go to meal of barbq style chicken. I throw in 4-5 large chicken breasts (and you can even put frozen ones in) with 1/2 cup barbq sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Pressure cook for about 30 minutes. When anything is finished cooking it automatically goes on a warming feature, so I love that I don’t have to worry about burning or overcooking anything if I am in the middle of a project or working outside. I am still collecting more ideas and recipes thanks to online searches.
Enjoy those gorgeous leaves! We have some leaf color here at the base of the Sierra mountains but not quite like NE which is where I grew up. It is lovely to see familiar landscapes in your photos!
Tia says
With the Instant Pot, how do you make the steel cut oats? The manual seems to have all these scary instructions about cooking oats in it, I think because of the bubbling over and fire factor? But do you find it is safe to do anyways?
Kat says
Tia, I just followed the recipe in the book that came with the pot. I have doubled it too with no problems. Inside the pot is a “max” line that you don’t want to fill over I’m assuming for bubbling over purposes. I’ve had no troubles at all. It says it’s “3 minute oats” which is the pressure cooking time but it does take a bit to warm up to the cooking mode and I usually let the pressure release naturally too. I’ve read that if you warm up the pot with the “saute” feature ahead of time it cuts that warm up time down a lot. Basically it is one cup of steel cut oats to three cups of liquid. Then I add in nuts, raisins(or other dried fruits), cinnamon stick or whatever spices you like. I’ve never had better or softer oats.
Tia says
It says something in my manual about putting a second pot inside the inner lining, do you do this?
Kat says
Hmmm… I do not. Is this for the instant pot? The recipe for “3 minute steel cut oats” that is in the recipe booklet does not mention that either.
Katie says
MAde a
Katie says
Made a quickie, tiny batch of green tomato chutney tonight . . . inspiration struck to use up the few piddly ones still on the counter, and it turned out GREAT on turkey burgers with swiss cheese! Thanks for including the link!
Teri Pittman says
We did not get any raspberries. We had rats eat them off the bushes. I don’t understand why there are so many rats and mice in this area. (I’ve said jokingly that it’s because a neighbor runs a business to deal with pests and probably does catch and release.) I have a dog that is a major ratter, but we just didn’t get any berries this year. Will start transplanting them and may have better luck next year.
I bought my first ever new pressure canner! My husband has been motivated to make applesauce and has tackled the work of peeling them. I’ve so far just used the canner for water bath, but want to use it to put up some soup starter. My new favorite book is The Kitchen Ecosystem. It’s a dumb title, but has some great ideas for small batch canning.
I really wanted to thank you for recommending Mama’s Bank Account. I hadn’t read it and truly enjoyed it. What a shame that we don’t seem to have books like this for young girls any more. There are a few more books from your library recommendations that I want to pick up. I think “Little Bit” is next.
Logan says
I just got an instant pot this month and I’m in love. I read a couple recipes to get a feel for the timing but mostly I’ve found it’s the best for throwing a bunch of things in there and coming out with a tasty edible mess. . . this is probably not selling you. . . but my style it to just imagine soups out of what I have on hand and everything comes out great. The meat is always so tender, nothing has to be minded. It’s very easy. Today I made chicken noodle soup and I didn’t even saute the mirepoix– I just chopped it up and threw in into the stock and then pressured cooked it for 3 minutes and then added cooked noodles separately and it was fantastic! Better even then stove top.
Jena says
I’d love to hear about your instant pot successes! I’m a newbie too, though I have found I use it fairly often. My “proudest” success is homemade yogurt! I also really like Mongolian beef. It has made boiled eggs and rice a breeze. I’m still trying to figure out the basics and maybe if there’s a “formula” to translate recipes. The Facebook group (it’s huge – over 100,000) is a great place for recipes and information!
Lisa C says
Congratulations on publishing your second book! I really do hope though that your third book is about how to keep a reasonably clean home. 🙂 Every once in a while I reread through all your cleaning posts on your blog just to keep me inspired, but if it was all in a book I would buy a dozen copies and give them out too all my friends.
Your system of tidying and cleaning has finally allowed me to have a reasonably clean home and I can’t thank you enough… nor can my husband. My children however might not because they are doing more chores, but at least they don’t groan anymore when I say “Blitz!” and just fall to in a manner that I’m sure would make you proud.
I’ll just keep patiently waiting!
Leila says
Thank you, Lisa! Thanks for being patient 🙂