Feeling Squirrelish...

I have been canning, freezing, and drying a lot of produce in addition to getting a quarter cow packed into our freezer recently.  It makes me feel like a squirrel sometimes, frantically packing nuts into secret spots for winter months.  Not sure why that is, but I do find satisfaction knowing that we planted heirloom varieties in our garden, resisted using any chemicals on the bugs (although we thought about more than once), and we can use our produce throughout the rest of the year when our garden will (hopefully) be buried under lots of snow.  Recently, our thoughts have gone from cucumbers and pickles to apples and squash...

My new best friend:  the Apple Master!

This is batch #3 (unfortunately, batch #2 burned...oops)

 The results!

lots of apple butter (in two different shades), apple sauce, and rings

It really is a shame that the rings are already half eaten and will probably be gone by next week.  Also not pictured are 3 more jars of butter that have already been eaten or are in the fridge, half eaten. :)  Next year we need to pick a LOT more!

My favorite crop of all?  Winter squash.  Why?  They are yummy, can be cooked lots of ways, and most importantly, I don't have to do anything with them to preserve them for the coming months.  Yippee!  :)  Our crop this year has been truly fruitful...we have eaten at least 4 of these guys already (not pictured) and there is still a pumpkin, buttercup squash, and NINE butternut squashes that should be ready in the next 2 weeks or so.

We have truly enjoyed our garden and it's produce thus far, but I can honestly say that I am looking forward to that first hard freeze...as long as it is after our squash is brought in...

Hexagon Love 2

My dining room table is sure getting the love this week!  I finished a fall table mat (I really can't call it a runner) this morning.  Thanks to my friend Sonya for showing me the pattern and for the extra fall charm squares.  :)

You want to make one too?  The pattern is in the Fall 2012 Quilts and More magazine and finishes at just over 18" at the widest point.

Hexagon Love

I finished the hexagon table runner!  It ended up being too short for the buffet, where it was intended to be, but fits perfectly on the table and I have more hexagon plans for the buffet in the future... Unfortunately, it isn't going to be on the table very long because I made this to be our everyday table runner and I have a fall something being made right now.  After Christmas it should have a nice long stretch out of the closet and will hopefully have a coordinating companion on the buffet.  Please don't mind the quilt on the chair seat, but that is Tigger's favorite chair to lay on and the blanket is a quick fix to cat-hair-on-your-rear-end syndrome.  I forgot to take it off before I took the picture (and all of the stuff on the cupboard too).  :)

I am enjoying the fact that it matches our wedding china's soft gray band.  We don't use our china very often right now, but I feel like this dresses it down a bit so I think we will use it more often.

~ hand quilted love ~

I even gave some napkins hexagon love by hand stitching a leftover hexagon in the corner.  The napkins are made out of flour sack towels!  :)

Even better, Sew Mama Sew is having a contest right now for handmade tableware.  I love it when it works out like that.  Hopefully I'll win a sweet prize to fund the next project.  :)

Homecoming Parade 2012

This week was homecoming in Gregory and we enjoyed a great parade and football game on a perfect weather day.  For context, the theme of the parade was "Disney movies" and our school mascot is a gorilla and we were playing against the Braves.  Unfortunately for the braves, they were crushed 65-14 and the game only lasted until halftime because of the score.  Some of our parade favorites: