October, First Half Part 2

 Time to push through the end of the Autumn Harvest!

Last year, there was a vineyard that opened for free u-pick due to the smoke from the wildfires compromising the flavor of the grapes for wine.  I picked quite a bit of these pinot noir grapes and they made delicious (and yes, just a hint of smokey) juice.  This year, I was hoping to find a free source and indeed I did, at my extended family's church.  I got several different varieties and picked over 200 pounds!  The problem was...I did not have nearly enough half gallon jars.  Phil and I spent a Saturday driving around and calling local stores trying to find jars.  The canning supplies have been in such short supply that we were very lucky to find a bi-mart the next town over selling half gallon - the only size they had in the store.  We bought a huge lot, enough to can 37 half gallons of juice.







The two little ones were supposed to be cutting plums for the dehydrator.

More and more and more tomatoes!

The kids picked the elderberries.  I would have liked to make syrup and tinctures but instead I just put them in a bag in the freezer to deal with at a later time.


We go through a lot of applesauce throughout the year.

With the fresh grapes, I made sourdough grape starter.  It took 14 days to build the starter and I was worried that I would kill it off but I was able to produce a healthy culture and we have enjoyed using it.


A full pantry, lined with all the hard work of the season.  It is very satisfying to see food from our garden (or gleaned or u-picked) lining our shelves ready for the coming winter and to be self sufficient, relying on what we can do to feed our family.



Yes, there were a lot of kitty pictures taken...










I have been plugging away at Christmas gifts!  I love homemade gifts!  


Well, our Toyota, with nearly 300,000 miles on it, lost the transmission.  In August, Phil replaced all the timing belts after a breakdown and we were hoping to eek out a few more years but it became clear, that we needed to buy a reliable vehicle.  

Phil and I spent a weekend driving all over the Portland area in an attempt to find suitable transportation.  We had a year, make, and price and we eventually found something at a dealership on the East end of Portland.  We filled out all the paperwork only to find a bank error (an extra zero had been added to a minimum payment making a small credit card payment higher then our mortgage) so we had to make two trips up to the city to get our van.

Incidentally, if I even go to Portland again, it will be too soon.  The once beautiful city that we enjoyed visiting from time to time is a disaster.  The homeless population has exploded and the city looks like a 3rd world country. (I can say that, because I went to school in Kenya for a semester).  The riots have damaged the city beyond recognition.  There are homeless camps and garbage everywhere, and it doesn't feel safe at all.  When we went back up to pick up our van, a man, likely high on drugs, was having some sort of mental breakdown, screaming and yelling, it was awful.  I felt so sorry for him.  I grilled the salesman and he said it is a common occurrence, so much so that people are desensitized to it.

But, here it is, our new van!  And it is so fancy with a sunroof, a movie screen in the back (though the dvd player doesn't work), heated seats, and a back up camera. 


Life's little ironies...

Oh, how I love our family library!!


School mornings

Chemistry in the Kitchen, making mozzarella cheese.



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