Friday, September 15, 2017

Farm Photo Friday (September 15, 2017)


Welcome to LL Farm's Photo Friday!


There is lots happening around our little farm this time of year.  Grab something warm to drink on this cool morning and join Pumpkin, the cat, and me as we walk around.


The zinnias are still blooming beautifully.
The bees and butterflies have enjoyed them, almost as much as me.


I love the vibrant colors along the fence.


And in a mason jar on the deck.


I also love bringing them inside.  I've already bought zinnia seeds for next year!

And on a side note...see that blue and white tea towel?  I got it this summer when we went to London, England.  I purchased it from a quaint little shop in the Cotswolds, England's beautiful country side.


I picked a whole basket of apples this year from our tree.
I made applesauce and almond apple crisp with these babies...yummy!


The peppers were a flop this summer...hardly any harvest.
I'm glad I left them in the garden though, because they have finally decided to join the garden party.


Yes!  Strawberries in September.
I planted 8 strawberry plants in the Spring, and although not much of a harvest, they are still providing some good snacks.


Because we did raised bed gardening this year, I am able to have a fall garden.  This has me quite excited!
The radishes have already been thinned.


Another round of sugar snap peas are a welcome sight.
I love them raw or lightly sauteed.


Lettuce, kale, and spinach have popped through.
I saved a few onion starts, hoping they would grow.  Yes!! They are.
A fresh garden salad in the fall, yes please!


The weather has been unseasonably cool, but I'm not complaining.  Fall is my absolute favorite season!
When mums and firewood adorn our front porch, it means fall is knocking at the door.


This gas fire table is awesome on our DIY deck.  It's so convenient to have on for just a little while, without the work of having a wood fire.


The ladies have also been enjoying the cool weather.
It's the perfect temperature for a day at the chicken spa!


And, we can't forget the baby chicks, that are now 3 weeks old.
They are growing healthy inside our garage.
This little white crested polish is a hoot to take pictures of...just look at that hair-do!

* In case you missed it - The text that is in bold red throughout this post will take you to other posts about that subject. *

** This weekend is the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio.  I'll be there with my Mom! **

Monday, September 11, 2017

Homemade Tomato Sauce (No Peeling Required)


Preserving tomatoes.  It's something I've been doing for a few years now.  And, although I enjoy the final project, let me be honest...prepping the tomatoes is a messy, time consuming chore that I don't enjoy.  Marking the tomatoes with an X, blanching them, plunging them into an ice bath, then peeling the skin away...it's a lot of work!  I even tried the food mill strainer/sauce maker.  Let's just say that I made a bit of a mess and move away from the subject.


The garden has been generous with tomatoes this year, but I was dreading the preserving process.  I thought, why go through that mess...there has to be an easier way.  By cooking (or oven roasting) the cut tomatoes and using an immersion blender, this homemade tomato sauce is now my go-to way of preserving the harvest - no peeling necessary!  I currently have some stored in the freezer and in jars on my pantry shelves.  

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Oven Roasted Tomatoes


The garden is still producing beautiful tomatoes!
Along with eating them fresh, I have canned some and I have froze some.
One of my favorite ways to prepare garden fresh tomatoes is oven roasted.  


This summer, I did this for the first time, and I quickly asked myself, "why did you wait so long to do this?"

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