The Evil Christmas Elves Made An Early Visit

I've talked about the medium-sized artificial (yes, even though I thought I'd never go there) Christmas tree we purchased a few years ago.  It has lights permanently attached so Papa Pea and I no longer suffer those frustrating periods every year of trying to "help" each other string the lights on a tree.

 

 

We're having a little bit of trouble with the lights this year. 

Homemade Wine

Homemade?  Well, hardly.  But it was easy and fun and tasted good.

 

I've had this recipe in my "To Try" file for quite a while.  It's super-simple and definitely cheating when it comes to actually making wine at home.  But last week I decided to give it a go.

 

Here's the recipe:

 

3 cups frozen unsweetened fruit, thawed

(The fruit can be any kind of  berry:

raspberries, strawberries,

blueberries, etc.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 bottle (720 ml) dry white wine

 

In a large bowl, combine fruit and

sugar, stirring until well coated.

Stir in wine until sugar is dissolved.

Cover and chill 5 days.

Strain wine through a fine sieve.

Store in the refrigerator.

Serve chilled.

 

Now you know why I say it's a "cheater" wine.

 

In hindsight, I realize I should have chosen another wine other than my favorite Middle Sister Sweet & Savvy which is a moscato.  The end product would have been better (I'm thinking) if I had used a dry white wine (well, duh) as suggested in the recipe.  I should have grabbed the vinho verde that was right next to my Sweet & Savvy.

 

I combined my blueberries (they were wild blueberries) and sugar in my two-quart Pyrex pitcher.  Next the bottle of wine was poured in and I stirred until it seemed the sugar was dissolved.  A plastic wrap cover was wrapped over the top and I placed the container on a shelf in my pantry where it would have no problem staying "chilled" these days.

 

After the 5 days were up, I strained the liquid into my one-quart pitcher.

 

The blueberries looked none the worse for wear so I put them in a refrigerator dish to save for some other use.

 

I labeled the cover of the blueberry dish so no one would eat them with their breakfast oatmeal and get an early morning buzz.  (Actually, I did eat them with my oatmeal and they were fine.  So was I.)

 

Then I poured the homemade (ha-ha) blueberry wine back into the wine bottle and put it in the refrigerator.

 

How was the taste?  Probably a smidge sweeter than most people would like.  But, obviously, that was because I used the moscato wine.  Papa Pea said he'll gladly sip a glass of it in the evening while in his reading chair.  Daughter said it tasted exactly like Welch's Grape Juice.  "Exactly," she repeated.  Does it taste like blueberries?  Yes, I think that flavor does come through.  I know I'll have no problem helping to consume the bottle.

 

I'm eager to try the recipe again.  And I'll definitely use the bottle of vinho verde I have because it's a dry wine and I think the light touch of fizziness it has will add greatly to the end product.  Hmmm, will the fizziness dissipate during the 5 day wait period?  Even if it does, I'm sure it'll be drinkable.

 

Cheers! 

Thanksgiving Wishes

Having somewhere to go is home.

Having someone to love is family.

Having both is a blessing.

 

                                         - Author Unknown

 

Sending Thanksgiving wishes to all of you on this holiday weekend.  I feel very thankful for all the blessings in my life.  These include all of you funny, intelligent, thought-provoking, interesting, spirit-lifting people who blog.  I gain so much from "knowing" all of you.  And you readers and bloggers in Canada are included, too even though you celebrate Thanksgiving a month earlier than we do here in the States.

 

Have a lovely Thanksgiving Day! 

First Snow - But Not Impressive

 Sunday morning we had quite the snowstorm for a short period of time.  It was the first snow that stayed on the ground this season.  At least it stayed for a few hours.  By afternoon, the sun came out and melted most of it.

There's something about the first snow that is exciting.  (Above shows the start of the snowing.)

The wind picked up and started to really blow.  (Picture taken before strong winds blew.)  We watched as it literally tore the leaves off the apple trees.  Those trees usually hold on to their leaves almost until the new buds push them off in the spring.

Only a week now until I change the decorations in the window boxes from fall to Christmas/winter.

Our temperature yesterday morning was 16° which is the coldest we've had since last winter.  I wanted to go to town to pick up the last few ingredients I needed for Thanksgiving so bundled up and headed out.

I made it only about half way out our driveway when I came upon the blockage of the second tree in about a week's time that's been blown over by the wind.  You can see the stump where it broke off to the right of the drive.

Although it's hard to see, there's a second bare poplar tree a bit farther down the drive that is also lying across the driveway.

I backed up until I could turn around and gave Papa Pea the news that he had some wood work to do.  This is getting to be a regular thing.

The day didn't warm up much at all.  I think our high for the day was 20°.  If we hadn't had that sun on the snow, I think we would have kept it as a first layer of what's to come this winter.

One More Fall Chore Done

We've had two (maybe three?) nights when the strawberry plants shivered in temps down to the high 20s, and the soil around them, probably because of our mostly sunless, gray days, has become frozen on top.

 

Time to spread a blanket of straw on them for the winter.

 

We had the help of our quasi-grandson to accomplish the task.  Look closely on the top of the bale of straw and you'll see the bobcat he brought out to move the straw with.

 

I guessed it would take two bales of straw (they're big, hefty bales) to cover the whole berry patch, but ended up needing about a third of one more. 

 

Then we laid cattle panels on top of the straw to keep it from blowing away before a few inches of snow fall and are enough to hold it in place.

 

Not a hard task, but it feels good to get it crossed off the list. 

A Good Day, But Glad It's Over

Today was our first chicken butchering day of the season.  Probably two more to go.

 

Seven roosters from the chicks we ordered this past spring were processed.  

 

See the green goblet at the far end of the counter in above picture?  What's that liquid in it, you might inquire.  Alas, it was just water but I did seriously contemplate pouring myself a half glass of my favorite white wine when we had reached that point.  Sensibility won out.

 

We've never butchered such meaty roosters.  The seven together weighed a total of 28 lbs. 4 oz. which averages out to 4 lbs. each after plucking, gutting and cleaning.  It's a goodie-good feeling to know we have that home grown, organically raised and fed chicken meat packaged and in the freezer for this winter.

 

Our dear daughter (and what an integral part she played) jumped in with both feet (plus hands and heart) and worked throughout from beginning to end.

 

I have to admit when we butcher I always acknowledge (usually out loud to anyone within earshot) that I could go back to a vegetarian diet.  (But won't.)

 

All in all, a good day.  And I'm glad it's over.