Nature's Bounty.......

A recent, overcast day found us picking wild blueberries just a short distance away from where we live. A tip from a local park ranger led us to just the right spot.... a huge blueberry bog in the midst of a nearby designated wilderness area. The dirt road leading to the area was windy and steep and we drove slowly up it. After about 20 minutes of driving through a thick canopy of trees, the landscape suddenly opened up and I was amazed to see the immense, wild bog.

The blueberries were at their peak, and the whole time we were picking, I thought to myself, "How lucky am I?", while gazing out at the misty mountains and harvesting nature's gift. The slight drizzle and low-hanging clouds lent to the magical feel of the day.....

The end results of our harvest proved delicious.......

Seasonal Fruit Muffins

(you can use peaches, raspberries, or blueberries)

- 2 c. flour (i mix wheat and white)

-1 T baking powder

-1/2 t. salt

-1/2 cup sugar (i use raw sugar)

-1 t. cinnamon

-1/2 t. nutmeg

-1 egg

-1 cup milk

-1/3 cup melted butter

-1- 1 1/2 cups fruit

Preheat oven to 400*. Combine first 6 ingredients (for peaches, replace cinnamon and nutmeg with 1/4 t. mace). Beat egg lightly, add milk and melted butter. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in liquid mixture. Stir just enough to combine and then add fruit. Sprinkle with topping and cook 15-20 minutes.

topping

-2 T brown sugar

-1/2 t. cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

A Little Local Flavor.........

One philosophy I subscribe to in life, for many reasons, is buying local. It is not only more environmentally friendly, as so much gas and diesel fuel is used shipping food and other products in from the outside....but it supports small businesses and farmers and puts money back into the community. We buy our eggs, meat, and grains from a local mennonite grocery that carries these products from local farmers who don't use hormones and whos animals are free-range....not raised on a factory farm. We also try to purchase most of our fruits and vegetables from our farmer's markets and roadside stands during the summer months. Living in a rural, farming community, we have an abundance of resources for fresh, whole foods.

We have a little mom and pop toy store that carries high-quality, albeit a little more expensive, toys that engage the imagination and don't require batteries. I always go there instead of Wal-mart when I need to buy a gift for a child.

And one of my favorite specialty shops is a converted train depot that sells handicrafts and food that is all made by local artisans and craftsmen. It is a treat indeed to look around this shop......from gourmet coffees to handmade rugs to handblown glass. This is also a place I frequent when I need a gift for someone. I like to get gifts that are meaningful...so it's fun to be able to send a gift and let the person know it was handmade by a local artisan.....

Two good websites about buying local are Sustainable Table

and Local Harvest . These two are mainly about buying your food locally. But, if you look around, usually there are a lot more products that are made locally and are available to purchase. Yes, sometimes it is a little more expensive than going to a big box store, but I think the service done to the environment and your community outweighs the extra expense.

I'll probably feature all these "favorite" stores of mine at different intervals. The photos on this post are all from the Depot gift shop that I mentioned.

Anybody up for a little shopping? :)

Our Daily Bread.....
"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight..." — M. F. K. Fisher,The Art of Eatin'

Organic Seeded Seduction Bread...... that is the name of the bread in the photo, a hostess gift given to me by a friend that came to visit this weekend. What do you think? Does it look seductive? It did to me...... and became even more so as I smelled it warming in the oven. What is it about the smell of fresh, homemade bread baking in the oven? It conjures up many thoughts, emotions, and memories for me, as my mom made a lot of homemade breads growing up....english muffins, biscuits, oatmeal bread......

Bread is a universal...a part of almost every culture and diet and has deep meaning for many. It is used as a symbol and for teaching, as I think of the many scripture passages and teachings of Jesus that refer to bread..... "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body” Mathew 26:26 .
We speak of "breaking bread together" when we fellowship and eat together.

When I "googled" the word bread, I found these interesting links:
1. Here is the Wikipedia definition of bread.
2. Here is a blog devoted to bread.
3. Here is a website devoted to ending Hunger.
4. And Here is a site all about the mechanics and science of baking bread.

What thoughts and emotions are evoked when you smell homemade bread baking?

MAKING PIES.................

























Pumpkin pie is Sir Laughsalot's FAVORITE kind of pie. I think he would eat a whole one if I let him. This year he wanted to make one from scratch. And not from the can, scratch.......fom a pumpkin. He begged and begged at Halloween to make one from our Jack-o-lanterns innards, but I explained that you had to use a special kind of pie pumpkin and we would make one for Thanksgiving. And, of course, I saw plenty of pie pumpkins for sale during October, but when we tried to find one for Thanksgiving, none could be found. We tried farmer's markets, fruit stands, grocery stores, etc. to no avail. I held out until Thanksgiving Eve and went to one last grocery store, but no luck!!! So Sir Laughsalot, much to his disappointment, had to make one from canned pumpkin. We actually made two, one to share and one to have all to himself! :) He was a very good pie maker and was very excited about the outcome, as you can see. I also learned that next year, we need to buy the pie pumpkin early. Any tips on preserving it until Thanksgiving time? Or any advice on where to get a pie pumpkin closer to Thanksgiving?