martha moments......

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate chip cookies...

Has a great sleep last night and felt a "martha day" was in store to feed my family and nurture them ..got to go with  the inspiration. Tomorrow is going to be a cooking day maybe a Sheperd's pie and beet soup...

yummy and healthy..added..applesauce

Oatbran Blackberry Muffins....

Breakfast  for sunday morning!

making homemade bread...hope it rises!!!

Dried Plums...

So our plum tree produced alot of plums this year wchich is very exciting. Especially since last year we only got 6 plums. The issue became what to do with them all. We gave some to my inlaws, some to staff, some to school volley ball team and then we eat them daily. Well at my book club the idea of drying them was introduced and I decided to venture into this project not realizing the work and well the smell.Yuck!

First you pick the plums from the tree....

Next wash the plums.

Cut the plums in half. Try not to cut your finger like I did.

Place plums on the dehydrating racks.

Turn dehydrator on.

The Plums are drying...look pretty.

Plums dried and boy do they smell...not my favorite. I ended up putting them inthe oven because I thought the dehydrator was smelly but it was the plums. It took about 8-12 hours or so. I turned things off and on again.

After the have dehydrated  and cooled down you put them in a jar. I did put some in the freezer in a baggy too.

I don't think I will dehydrate plums again but it was a fun experiment. Maybe I will try grapes as they are ready now.

Garden delights.... and yummy treats

It was a challenging gardening year. Cook temperatures, slugs and snails.... but still I persevered and look I grew beans and peas and well tons of blackberries....

 

OH ! I even grew a yellow pepper!!!

 

                                      
We picked so many blackberries that I made pies, jam and a yummy blackberry coffee cake....

 

  I also made a peach pie with okanagan pesches which was melt in your mouth. we did have a peach tree but it died....booo hooo. We had a lot of raspberries that we just ate. I grew lots of lettuce, tomatoes and brocoli. I have moved some tomatoes inside as the weather is cooler so hopefully they will ripen or it will be fried green tomatoes..... I think I need some help in this area? If anyone knws some secrets  do tell.

 

 This year there were some special garden moments and delights. One delight was the stargazer lilies that smell delicious.... also my mom's favorite that she did plant.
As well, Dave my amazing husband built a beautiful Asian pergola or arbour.... in the garden after the tree that fell in our yard broke the other arch. It really is a great contribution to the garden.