Dehydrating Onions ~ Making Onion Powder

My garden may have produced small onions, but boy they are potent.  You would have had a good laugh, if you were here to see my 14 year-old and I, cutting them up for the dehydrator.  

She had goggles on, and I was trying to fan my eyes, but that failed.  We had tears, and tears and more tears. Sorry for the bad, blurry photographs.  We were laughing so hard at the time.

Dehydrating Blueberries & Topless Blueberry Pie

Each year we purchase 20 pounds of blueberries, and it gets us through winter and spring.  I make blueberry syrup, jam, jelly, freeze some, and bake some. 

This year I am doing something new - dehydrating some.  They will be wonderful in baked goods for after school snacks and lunch packings.  I will use them in my homemade granola bars too.

It's Moving Day

The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous this morning.  The fog was layered out of the east and northeast.

As the hour passed, the fog moved inward, dispersing thicker before starting to disappear.  The chill in the air is, what I call, "camping weather."  It's just cold enough to want to curl up in a hoodie or jacket, and sit around a warm campfire enjoying nature.  I love it!

Gardening Season Ends ~ Others Begin

The kids went back to school this week, except for my college daughter.  Unfortunately, she had to withdraw from this semester, even after buying all her books and preparing.  The balance leftover after all her loans and financial aid, could not be paid by her nor us.  The monthly payment for the balance was way too high for her (or us) to pay as well.  

Mornings are rather quiet, but exceedingly demanding.  I have been catching up on watering flower beds, dead-heading flowers, weeding, checking the tomatoes, and so forth.  Not to mention putting up the last of the 20 pounds of blueberries.  All of the onions are pulled, except for the red onions. Half were rotten, and what was left, were very small.

Bringing Christmas Home

Upon leaving the campground last Monday morning, Hubby tells me the front store sells pop-up camper ornaments.

Can you hear tires squealing to a halt? 

Yup.  I made him turn the truck and camper around, and we bought the last one.  What was he thinking anyway.  Sheesh.  He should have bought it when he saw it.

Now, guess who is wanting us to camp at Christmas, so we can put a Christmas tree in the camper?

Hubby.

Sigh....

Do you think he's gotten bit by the "camping" bug?

First Camping Trip 2013 ~ Enjoying Our Pop-Up Camper

We took our first camping trip last weekend.  This was a  good ol' fashioned, cook over the fire, no electronics, hike, bike, swim, and fish, camping trip. 

Before we left, as we were packing up, the dogs got into the truck.  They wanted to go for a ride.  We felt so bad, but they would not have had a good time.  The entire 200-some campsites were booked, and there were so many people.

Living Life through a Book ~ Letters of Woman Homesteader, By Elinore Pruitt Stewart

I must be crazy.  I bought this book several years ago, and never read it.  What is wrong with me?  Oh, my goodness, I fell in love the minute I started reading this book. 


I became so absorbed, I felt like I was Elinore, out on her camping trip to no where, enjoying the beauty and peace.  Can you imagine just up and leaving with no destination, a gun to supply food, and living completely from the land as you went?  I can.