~Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp~

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
(File Photo)

When September rolls around baking an Apple Crisp using the local fresh McIntosh and Cortland apples is always on my agenda.  It was this year, too.  Now, the middle of October has arrived and another will be placed in our oven.  No pie crust is needed here, which makes this dessert easy to prepare.   

Apple Crisp is a great dessert!  Slices of baked apples with a crispy oat cinnamon/ nutmeg flavored topping.  I always combine a few Craisins (dried cranberries) and raisins with the apples before adding the oat topping.  When serving, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream is added on top of the Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp and it tastes so good!

Back in October 2011 I posted my recipe.  This post has a printable recipe card for Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp, too!  I cannot remember when I began baking this delicious apple treat, but it remains a favorite in my household.  The weekend is here, so purchase some apples and bake this dessert.  It is so good!

Remember no pie crust is needed!  Click here for the recipe! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

        

~Saving Zinnia Seeds~

Zinnias
2021

We've been enjoying our colorful, beautiful Zinnias in our gardens all summer.  Now, it's time to save the seeds from this year's flowers.  You guessed it!  I am already thinking about next year's bountiful crop.  For that reason this past week many colorful flowers were snipped from the plants and placed in cut down tissue boxes.  These snipped flowers are drying out in our garage.   

Every year during the month of September I continue this tradition.  The red, pink, orange and yellow snipped flowers will dry out and then I will be able to separate the "tear shaped" seeds from the dried out petals.  

Saved Zinnia Seeds
(File Photo)

 
Then, the Zinnia seeds will be stored in labeled sealed envelopes.  It's amazing how many seeds a gardener can harvest!  After 5- 6 years the colorful flowers become smaller, so I purchase new seed packs the following Spring.  The process continues for another 5- 6 years. 

It's great to plan ahead!
Enjoy!          

September Surprises!

A quick walk around our yard!

A beautiful September day!  Sometimes cloudy and at other times sunny.  Now, the decorative grasses have fronds that move gracefully in the breeze.  The Phlox are beginning to blossom, too.  Earlier this year the deer also enjoyed our garden and they had too many of the Phlox buds for snacks in the wee hours of the mornings.  What a great surprise to see a few of these bright lavender flowers!

Our lavender Rhododendrum has flowers, too!  This very interesting shrub always has a mind of its own.  Some of the buds blossom in the Spring and others blossom in autumn.  It has buds that are getting ready either for spring or for autumn!

A quick walk around our yard always has new surprises!

Enjoy!   

Freezing Green Pepper Strips and Chunks!

Getting ready to freeze Green Peppers strips.
(File Photo)

For me in the last two weeks it was time to start prepping and freezing Green Pepper strips and chunks!  This fresh local vegetable is available at roadside stands and supermarkets, so the peppers are ready to purchase.  It's another tradition for me at this time of year and does not take much time to do.  In the colder months taking a package out of the freezer to defrost is easy.  I use the strips as one of the toppings on homemade pizza and in other entrees.  Two years ago I did not take the time to freeze them and really missed using them.  So, it was time for me to get busy!

Ready to place in the bags to freeze.
(File Photo)

The details are in the post that I wrote last year. Click here for the Directions. 

"Mission accomplished!"  Now, they are in my freezer!

We will Enjoy this winter!
Yummy! 

Butternut Squash Ravioli- with Basil Craisin Topping

Butternut Squash Ravioli-
with Basil Craisin Topping

It's been so hot, so humid and so uncomfortable these past 3 days. Yup, we are in a heat wave.  Last night cheeseburgers on the grill sounded like a really great idea!  Topped with a slice of a local fresh tomato sounded even better!  Looking online at the weather I saw that our local weathermen warned us of a severe thunderstorm coming to our area.  Suddenly, the sky looked not so pleasant and there was a strong breeze.  Plans to enjoy that cheeseburger were put on hold and quickly a pot of water was placed on the stove to boil.  Luckily, I had a package of fresh Butternut Squash Ravioli in the fridge!  I boil it for 5 minutes rather than the 4 minutes that are recommended.  While suddenly the thunder and lightning was all around us, it took so little time to get dinner on the table along with a fresh fruit salad.  We sat down to eat.  Before we could take that first bite, our power went out.  About 8 hours later it was restored.

I add dried Basil, Craisins and Olive Oil for a great taste to the prepared Butternut Squash Ravioli.  Click here for recipe.   

It's always a great idea to have a package of quick to prepare Ravioli in the fridge.  You just never know when it will come to the rescue.  That cheeseburger with a slice of local fresh tomato?  Oh, it's on the menu for tonight!

We will Enjoy!
Yummy!
   

The Beauty of Summer!

A closer look brings a great surprise!

We are enjoying the colorful Zinnias in our yard.  They were planted from seeds saved from last year's beautiful flowers.  It's amazing how many seeds one can harvest from one flower!  In the spring the seeds were planted.  They took a bit longer to sprout and grow this year, due to the rainfall we had in this area.  However, once they started growing the flowers have added so much color to our yard.

This Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly flew in one afternoon.  Moving slowly and not too close I was able to snap a photo! A beautiful sight!

Enjoy!

~Peach Freezer Jam~

Peach Freezer Jam

Summer is definitely the time when it seems like all of the local fruits and veggies ripen at the same time.  The juicy blueberries are still available and now local peaches are too!  Ripened local peaches = it's time to prepare Peach Freezer Jam!  That was on my agenda on Monday.  Tuesday afternoon the Peach Freezer Jam was placed in our freezer. 

I use CERTO liquid fruit pectin when prepping this type, too.  The Directions are located inside the box.

(File Photo)

Even though I've been using this product and prepping Freezer Jams for about 40 years, I still reread the Directions every time.  Just in case there are any changes going on.  

The fruit needs to be prepped, first.  The skins of the peaches need to be removed.  An earlier Blog Post I wrote (click here) has more of the details.   

After placing these containers in our freezer I can say, "Mission Accomplished!" 

We will be Enjoying them!
Yummy!