Thursday, October 31, 2013

Jack O Lanterns!



It's spook time!   The jack o lanterns are lighted and we're ready for Halloween!

K2 did the Cheshire Cat [of course] and Lily did a pumpkin pi.   

Tulip Cemetery

Happy Halloween!   This year I'm taking you to the Tulip Cemetery.   It's a classic old rural cemetery next to the old Tulip Church, which is just down the way from the new Tulip Church.    The stones are tilted and tipped and we noticed that the rows of graves are definitely not straight.   There's a lot of history here and we found some great stones.

Here is a link to the 2012 post about Solsberry Cemetery.
Here is a link to the 2011 post about Philpot Cemetery.

Tulip Cemetery is a cemetery that is mixed old and new and it's as full of interesting stories as the rest of our rural cemeteries.   Here are a couple of the newer and very interesting stones.  

This Helms stone lists the profession of the husband and wife.  I loved this!    [I forgot to get a pic of their names and dates for you.]


This stone for Allen Sarvis has his photo on it.  I liked the whole photo thing, but it creeped my kids out. 

I love his epitaph:  He cared. 

Lovely.






I was lucky enough to find several graves from old soldiers here.   This was the oldest stone that I saw in the cemetery.   George Sarver was born in 1787 and died in 1862.  He was 75 when he died.   He served in the War of 1812.    How cool is that?





Next to him was his wife's grave. 

Elizabeth Sarver was born in 1797 and died in 1879.    She was 82 when she died. 



This is Simpson Osborn's gravestone.   He served in the Mexican War, 2nd Indiana Infantry, Company E.  He was a private.

I found an amazing record of this regiment here.  The men in this regiment were all from around here.   It looks like Private Osborn did survive the Mexican War, but not much else is known about his service. 









Way back on the edge of the grounds I found this grave in the brush, surrounded by honeysuckle and poison ivy and grapevines.

This is a Civil War veteran's grave.



This man is Robert E. Daily.  He was a corporal in the 186th Ohio Infantry, Company G.   You can see him here on page 13 of this pdf

I want to know how he got to Ohio to enlist and then back to Indiana.   Did he survive the war and then move here from Ohio? 






This was the most interesting stone in and of itself that I found.  It's brick.   The only one like it that I've seen.   It's for a child.  The letters were incised with a sharp instrument. 

Did her father make it for her?


It says:

Virginia Jean
Born July 30, 1918
Died Jan 16, 1923
Age 4 yrs, 6 mo

These winter deaths - I wonder if it was the flu or another epidemic that took her. 




This is the monument for Margret Bunch.    Her epitaph reads:

Beneath this 
stone I've 
placed in trust
Not the 
immortal but 
the dust
of one on
earth to me
most dear
who learned in
youth her God
to fear.





Another cool epitaph was on Jacob Axe's headstone.   We could read everything but one word in the middle.    Tell us what you think it is.

An amiable father here lies at rest
As ever God with His wings blest
The friend of _______, the friend of truth
The friend of age, the guide of youth.




Martha Osburn's stone has all the Ns backward. 

Kinda makes me wonder what was going on there.




This stone was right at the foot of a tree.   

Which means, some squirrel planted something here at the base of the stone and the tree was allowed to grow up right next to the headstone for a lot of years.   Too bad; it's a very interesting stone.










 Emily A. McCullough
was born Jan 3 1884
died Oct 30, 1885

Did you notice the lines across the stone? Someone wanted to make sure those lines were written straight...ly.




Our very favorite stone of all is the most appropriate one for Halloween.

Almira Nidy was born January 1, 1846 and .....that's all.

She appears to be still alive.

Or perhaps just undead.

 




Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Ricotta Almond Pear Jam Tart

A few days ago I gave you a recipe for a savory ricotta tart.  I figured we needed a sweet one to balance out the universe.  Also, I wanted to show you another of my Things to do with a Jar of Jam.

I have a lot of jars of jam.  It's important to eat them with something other than toast.  Not that I'm knocking toast.  I love toast.   Or better yet, fried bread.  Or better yet, just me, the jar and a spoon.   It's been known to happen.

At any rate, sometimes those homey jars of jam like to go out with someone other than Peanut Butter. They like to get dressed up and taken out for a night on the town. Because there's a little tart in every jar of jam. 

This is just such a recipe. It's fast and easy, especially if you use a store bought crust.  You can do the graham cracker crust thing or the regular pie crust thing.  I made a regular pie crust for this one. 

Ricotta Almond Pear Jam Tart
www.rurification.com
  • 1 pie crust - either the regular kind or the graham cracker kind.
  • 30 oz container of ricotta cheese [or thereabouts]
  • 8 oz. can of almond paste
  • 1/4 cup sugar [optional]
  • 1 can sliced pears, well drained
  • 1 jar of jam, 8 oz.  any flavor that you like.  We used Cherry Orange Jam.
Blend the cheese, almond paste and sugar together well.  You can use a food processor or immersion blender or whatever.   The almond paste is kind of thick, so if you're going at this by hand, then take a minute to break it up before you mix it with the cheese.  

Line a tart dish with your pie crust.   Put in the cheese filling.   Arrange the pears in a circle around the top of the filling.   Loosen the jam with a fork so that it's easy to pour - add a bit of juice or water if you need to thin it out.  You can heat it for a bit  if you have to.  Pour the jam over the top of the tart.  Make it pretty.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until golden. Use a lower rack to get a golden bottom. 

Cool completely for a firm texture. 

This is fantastic served room temperature as dessert or cold for breakfast.  Or a snack.   Or a blogging break. 

I'm thinking you can use just about any type of jam on this and it would be A. Maz. Ing.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Furs



We saw so much cool stuff at Feast of the Hunters' Moon this year that I have enough for several posts.  

This year, I took a longer look at the booths full of furs.  They were amazing.   This is a huge buffalo skin.   


There were plenty of cow skins and leather of all kinds. 


One of the most interesting things we saw was this coat made out of coyote skins.   I thought that was a pretty good use of coyotes.   


The man with the coyote coat had a great little display of skins.  Fox, skunk, mink, rabbit, groundhog, etc.  

Traditionally skins were cleaned well of all tissue and debris, then cured and later softened with the brains of the animal.   Each animal has just enough brains to use to tan its hide.  

Gross, but kind of interesting. 


Later, we found a booth full of all kinds of skins.  This was a stack of coyote skins so we could make our own coat if we wanted to.   [We didn't.]   They also had deer, cow, rabbit, sheep and all sorts of others, too.   

Monday, October 28, 2013

Battening down the hives

We've battened down the hives for the winter.

This is a rare photo of both Eric and me working the hives.   Lily is in charge of the camera during bee inspections, which is great because it keeps the honey off the camera and we get these great pics, too.

We had small hives this year.  We started with only one - our winter survivor, which we split in the spring.  Then we added a small hive from a cut out in the summer.  So, we've got three small hives going into winter.  


Even though we haven't had any frosts yet this season, there were no drones in the hives.   These girls are getting ready for winter.   Both of the lang hives had chimneyed their honey.   They had brood in the five southern frames below and honey in the five southern frames in the box above.  All the rest of the frames were empty.  I took all of the empty frames out and packed all their honey in the lower box.   The lower box is now packed full of stores, but each of those hives is going into the winter with only one box.  That's actually all the honey that the surviving hive went through last winter anyway, but I don't think that's enough, so in a few weeks, I'll put an empty super on each hive and put a whole lot of bee candy in it for the winter.   It will insulate things a bit and provide enough extra feed to get them through the winter. 


The cutout hive is in the horizontal hive, which is the hive that died over the winter.   My problem last year with that hive was that I hadn't tucked them in enough last fall.  They had too much space to heat. This year I took every empty frame away and left them only the seven frames they had brood or stores in.  Eric cut me a very thick piece of foam insulation and I pushed it in close - turning that part of the horizontal hive into a quasi-nuc.  I also put a bottom board in to close up the bottom.   I'll pack a good section of the top with bee candy in a couple of weeks.
  

The bees were busy propolizing everything they could to seal it up.   Here they are closing up the ventilation hole in the inner cover.  We had to put screens over the holes this year because the mice kept finding their way in. 

We've reduced all the entrances to the smallest hole to keep the mice from coming in the bottoms, too. 




I scraped a bunch of propolis off the frames I took off the hives and gave it back to the bees, who seemed thrilled to get it.   This distracted them while I was reducing their entrance. 

Since our winter weather is notoriously variable and often can vary by 60 degrees or more within a week, I'll be tucking some skirting of some sort [probably plastic sheeting] around the bottoms of the hives and putting some insulation around the sides facing the breeze.  If it gets really, really cold, I'll drape the hives with a blanket on three sides, but that always encourages mildew so I'm hesitant to keep them on very long.

We didn't get any honey for us this fall at all, but if we can get all three of these hives through the winter, then we should get loads of honey next year.  Fingers crossed. 

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Ricotta Tart with Caramelized Onions

We've been working hard on various projects inside and outside lately and I haven't had much time to play in the kitchen.  I woke up a couple of Saturdays ago and realized I could spend the day baking. I had a hankering to make my own pie crusts [which does not happen very often] and to experiment with ricotta fillings.  I made a savory one and a sweet one. 

I saw this tart a few weeks ago and decided to do something similar with what I had in the pantry.

I had ricotta and onions.   And thyme.  And that odd hankering to make my own crusts [which does not happen very often.]

So I set to work.

Ricotta Tart with Caramelized Onions
www.rurification.com
  • 1 pie crust
  • 3 large onions
  • 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • a few grinds black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
Start caramelizing the onions in the butter right away.   I've talked about this before, but I'll review the salient points again.  You have to cook them down in a protein fat, like butter.   Butter is good.  Slice the onions thin and pop them into a big skillet.  Cook them down, down, down.  It takes at least an hour.   At. Least.  Salt them a bit.

Don't rush the onions.  You need that golden crispiness to bring out the sweet. 

While the onions are cooking you can make the pie crust and chill it.  Use your favorite recipe.

While the pie crust is chilling, you can mix up the filling.  Mix the cheese, pepper, thyme and garlic salt in a bowl and chill it until the onions are done.

When the onions are golden and browning, roll out the pie crust if you're making homemade.   Put the crust in a tart dish or on a flat baking sheet.  Put the cheese filling in the center of the crust and pile the finished onions on top.  If you're doing a tart pan, then flute the edges of the crust.  If you're doing a flat rustic tart, then spread the filling and onions to within 1 1/2 inches of the edge and fold the edge in over the cheese and onions.  Make it pretty.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.  Put it on a lower rack if you want a golden bottom as well.

Cool completely.  Delicious served at room temperature.  Or cold.  Or microzapped as leftovers.  We loved this tart!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Bloomington Fiber Arts Sale

Bloomington Spinners & Weavers Guild 2013

Fiber Arts Sale

Friday, Nov. 8  5pm - 9pm
Saturday, Nov. 9  10am - 5pm

Bloomington, IN at the 1st United Church
Corner of 3rd St. and Woodscrest, 
Behind IU Credit Union and IU Health



It's that time of year again!   We hope to see you at this year's Fiber Arts Sale, put on by the Bloomington, Indiana Spinners and Weavers Guild.   You'll find beautiful hand woven clothing, scarves, shawls, rugs, towels and blankets.   There are gorgeous hand-knit sweaters and hats, crocheted items, felted gifts, handmade dolls, and luscious hand dyed fibers and yarns for you to create your own masterpieces with.  

This is a fantastic chance to see the best fiber art in the region, all in one place - just in time for holiday shopping. 

We'll have a lot of hand dyed yarns of all kinds, plus our famous handwoven washcloth and handmade soap sets, plus our hand painted silks, plus our hand-dyed and handwoven scarves and shawls. 

I hope you stop in and say hello!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Bean Harvest

This time of year we're seeing clouds of what looks like smoke coming from local fields. 

It's not smoke, it's bean dust.

The combines and tractors put out a lot of debris and dust.   It's pretty interesting to watch them.

Here's a closer up pic of some of the machinery used.   It takes a fair amount of help to get things done efficiently and quickly.

That trailer is full of soybeans.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Does Pectin Go Bad?


I have often wondered what the shelf life of pectin is and even though I don't have a definitive answer to that question, I do know that pectin can go bad.    By 'bad', I mean that it'll get old and lose it's jelling power.    I know this for a fact.

I got some bulk pectin on sale last winter for 1/2 price and I couldn't pass it up.  When I went to use it this year, I noticed it had yellowed some and had some clumpies in it.   I ignored it and used it anyway and batch after batch of jam came out too thin.   I finally threw the old pectin away and opened a new batch, which, of course, works beautifully and has made fantastically jelled jam.

So, now you know.     Pectin can go bad.   If it's yellowed or has started to clump, try one small batch.  If it isn't as thick as you like, then do yourself a favor - pitch the old stuff and get some new. 

[And don't feel bad.   It's only pectin.]

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Feast of the Hunters' Moon

A couple of weeks ago we spent a morning at this year's Feast of the Hunters' Moon in Lafayette, Indiana at Ft. Ouiatenon.

It was splendid.

Splendid, I tell you!

I always take a ton of pictures and we talk to amazing people doing really interesting things.  The food is terrific.  There are loads and loads of people in costume walking around and as usual, I came home with enough material for acres of blog posts.  

Blow these pics for some terrific details.

Never fear!  I've split them up into topics and you'll see them appear over the next few weeks.

Here are a few pics that wouldn't fit elsewhere.  This is one of the regiments.   Someone was heard to say, 'Look!  Officers! If you drop your handkerchief...'  [Name that movie.]


 

Musket balls.   I thought they were marbles.  Nope.  Get a load of those lead ingots at the bottom.  In case you want to make your own balls.   And those are real powder horns made out of real horns.



While we were talking to the naval explosives guy, I caught this pic of a man in the back of the Navy encampment.   Look at what he's writing with.    There, in front of the river, it was one of those magic Feast moments. 



Some of the young people who come dressed in costume.  A little boy walking by said, "Look!  A lady pirate!".

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Just for You

Many, many times during the day, I see amazing things...beautiful things...quiet stories unfolding in front of me.  Things I would love to share with you. Like the way the light hits the crabapples just right in the morning.   Or the color of yellow beech leaves at the bottom of the creek with the water rippling over them.  Or the smell of autumn willows.

There are sights and smells and sounds that are impossible to capture on film.  I am disappointed when I lose the moment or the pics turn out badly.  Then I hear the universe whisper.....
                     'That was just for you.'



It's true for you, too.  Try it.  Look around for something beautiful happening.   Breathe in the moment.

Then listen.....

                        'That was just for you.'

Monday, October 21, 2013

Winter Squash Recipe Roundup

Here's the thing about blog archives.  You can get lost in them, following one link after another after another.   I do this a lot on other blogs - and once in a while on my own.   It's fun seeing where a blog has been over the years.

Also, it's great collecting recipes from over the years.   I was looking for a winter squash soup recipe here from a couple of years ago and found these other terrific squash recipes along the way.  Family tested! Since we're smack in the middle of winter squash season, I figured you could use some of these.

Southern Style Pumpkin Chips  [Lemon Ginger Pumpkin Marmalade] - my favorite lemon marmalade recipe!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Maple Soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Coconut Pumpkin Soup

All of these recipes can be made with any type of winter squash - pumpkin, butternut, Greek sweet red, etc.



Sunday, October 20, 2013

October Fields


We got this pic a couple of weeks ago, just as the trees were thinking about turning.  I love the gold bean fields next to the moody sky. 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Glory Days - Clay City, Indiana

One of the gems of rural Indiana, Glory Days Restaurant & Pub sits smack in the middle of Main Street in Clay City, Indiana.  

They've just celebrated their 5th anniversary and here's hoping they're around for another 105 years.

Hours:  Open daily from 10am to 11pm.
Clay City calls itself the Mayberry of the Midwest and the exterior of the restaurant brings the old set to life.

But wait until you get inside.  The walls are covered in items from the 50s and 60s.  The booths along one wall have mini jukeboxes, so the background music is a terrific mix of oldies.  Weekends they have live music in the pub.

The food is fantastic!   It's an upscale diner menu with steaks, burgers, salads, classic barbeque, hot dogs and ice cream.  Fries and onion rings to die for.  To die for!   And pie.   The best pie in Indiana.   Check out their facebook page for daily specials. 


Parking is around back.  Look for the red awning.  Once you enter, you can go left into the pub or right and down a hall to the restaurant. 

Take a look at the memorabilia covering the walls and in the display cases.  

This restaurant is definitely worth the drive!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Skipper

This is a skipper butterfly.   They are the ugly step sisters of the butterfly world - not nearly as pretty as the flowers they hang out on. 

There are 3500 varieties of skippers and heaven only knows which one this is.

Some skippers are flat winged [like regular butterflies] and some are folded wing, like this one.   The forewings are held at a 45 degree angle to the others.   Very distinctive.  

We have loads of these out here and if we ever figure out which ones we have, I'll let you know.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

And More Garlic...

Last week I told you that I was planting some elephant garlic.   I'm so excited! 

Eric happened to drive by a garden center that often has fall veg and sure enough they had more garlic.   He got me some California [purported to be the most popular garden garlic in the US] and some Chesnock Red hardneck, also.   

Should be an interesting harvest next spring!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Color


Happy Wednesday!

The fall colors are really starting to show.  I hope you get outside to enjoy them.
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