Adventures in Raising Turkeys and Thanksgiving in New York City

Did the title make you turn your head and say "what?!?!?"

It guess it proves that my husband is right... You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl!

While recently traveling home from New York City, I received an e-mail pertaining to my 2015 article about raising turkeys for our holiday meal.  I had to chuckle when I thought about what I had just experienced...Thanksgiving dinner at Hard Rock cafe in New York City!

For the first time in my life, I didn't celebrate Thanksgiving at a family table.  This year we were in New York for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  No homemade food, and certainly no homegrown turkey this year.

We did however have a traditional American Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pie.

It was delicious!  And fun!  YOLO! (You Only Live Once)

You can read about our turkey experience HERE.  It was a challenge, to say the least, raising that turkey for a true farm to table experience.  An adventure that included a crazy turkey and a cow friend.

Life is an adventure...do something today that makes you laugh!

Easy Homemade Applesauce

Making your own applesauce is easy peasy!

Two ingredients are all you truly need.

You don't even need to write this down or print this out...you got this.

Apples and water.  That's it!

Simple, simple, simple...it's my mantra for life...although not always achieved. ;-)

Any type of apple will do, as long as they are firm, not mushy.

If you're feeling like you need some sweetness, add some sugar.

If you crave a little spice in your life, add some cinnamon or another warm spice.

If you are feeling smooth, puree the apples into a smooth sauce.

If you're feeling like you want some depth, mash those babies with a potato masher and enjoy a chunky applesauce.

I have made this from my Mom's 'recipe' many times...you know the one where you 'add some apples and a little water' to a pot.  But for you my friends, I tried to pin down some measurements...

Easy Homemade Applesauce
4 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.
1/4 to 1/2 cup water (basically enough water to prevent the apples from sticking/burning)
In a sauce pan, combine the apples and water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cook until the apples have softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Mash with a potato masher, puree in a blender, or blend with an immersion blender, to your desired consistency.
Store any left overs in the fridge.

And, if you are feeling like a domestic queen, make plenty to freeze or home can.

Pumpkin Log Recipe

Oh hello pumpkin log.  I look forward to greeting you every fall.

The smell of pumpkin wafting in the air evokes all the autumn feel goods, while the sprinkling of powdered sugar ignites my love for snow that  will soon be here.

Recently, when I went to make this,  I could not find the recipe in my over crowded recipe basket.  Thank goodness I had it on the blog!  Just in case you misplaced your recipe ;-) I thought I'd share it again...just in time for the holidays.

Whether this is your first time making a pumpkin log or you are a seasoned pro, I hope this pumpkin log recipe finds you cozy!

Our Fall Garden

In July I shared with you our country garden, flourishing with summer produce.  The plants were neatly planted into raised beds, making for great growth.  The gravel pathways made it easy to meander through the space.  And it was all tucked inside the nostalgic white picket fence.  Can you tell I love the garden?  ;-)

During the harvest season, we enjoyed many garden-to-table meals, along with plenty of cherry tomatoes and peas straight from the vine.  I also preserved some produce through freezing and canning.

Tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini lasted a good while in our garden this year.  I credit most of the success to the good soil prep and the raised beds that weren't full of weeds.

In August, I planted more seeds to be able to enjoy a fall harvest...

The radishes took only a few weeks to mature.

Lettuce seeds quickly grew into beautiful, delicious leaves.

The kale was a flop...for the summer and fall plantings.  Maybe I'll change their place in the garden next year.

The snap peas are still hanging on, even though we've dipped into some cold weather here and there.  They should be ready soon. 

Most everything else has been pulled up and the garden is ready for a long winter nap.

This is my first time having a fall garden and I hope to expand my plantings for next year.

I'm always learning...

Why Chickens Molt in the Fall Time

Some of the trees are bare and so are the nesting boxes! 

Even other chicken owners that usually sell eggs have covered up their 'fresh eggs for sale' signs.

On my post for Community Chickens, I discuss why fall is a common time for chickens to molt.  Click HERE to read it.

Tomato Pie

What do you do when it's October and you're still harvesting tomatoes?  You make tomato pie.  I used a combination of yellow and red tomatoes for this beauty.

This is a great recipe to use up those last few tomatoes of the season, or any time of year.  I used monterrey jack cheese because that's what I had in the fridge, but feel free to use your favorite cheese for this.  The parsley flakes add great color and flavor to this dish, and is a favorite seasoning I use often in my kitchen.

Easy Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
Single pie crust
4 tomatoes
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded
salt, pepper, dried parsley flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the pie crust in a pie dish and bake for 5 minutes.
Thinly slice the tomatoes.
Mix together mayonnaise and cheese.

After baking the crust, spread a thin layer of the mayo/cheese mixture.
Place tomato slices on, sprinkling with salt, pepper, and parsley.
Spread another thin layer of mayo/cheese mixture on top.
Place another layer of sliced tomatoes with seasoning.
End with spreading the rest of the mayo/cheese mixture on top.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.