colors of summer.

It is that time of year - canning, drying, freezing, saving. I love when the summer fruit starts showing up - so sweet, so colorful, so fragrant. While fruit season doesn't last long, we try to preserve enough fruit at peak time to last the rest of the year. There is nothing like frozen fruit for smoothies in January, or dried berries for home made granola when the snow is piled high outside. It is a busy time in the kitchen, but it is worth it for all the months we get to enjoy our labor!

It is a busy time with CSA boxes, garden veggies, and recipes at my food blog, cook.eat.think. I'm starting a few things over there - photo challenges, canning, dehydrating, giveaway...all coming soon!

strawberry season!

It is time! After a break, I am back. I am blogging again over at my food blog: cook.eat.think.

My first recipe of the season is strawberry-rhubarb bread pudding. Yum.

in my kitchen...

There is always something happening in our kitchen. Something fermenting or rising or culturing, dehydrating or stewing. With so much available to us here in southern Wisconsin (and in our garden) we make many things from scratch...I just love making my own yogurt, butter, kombucha, bread, or vanilla extract and growing trays of greens and herbs. There is something deeply satisfying about spreading homemade butter or jam on a piece of fresh out of the oven bread. And the process of making each thing is very meditative for me - I love it. I need it.







This week we have a lot happening as we grow through spring - I feel so good when we have a pantry full of delicious things we have canned, and I feel downright prosperous seeing a counter full of goodness in the works. This week we had rhubarb and the canning jars above are the top of the top...ginger rhubarb fridge jam. Oh yes, it.is.GOOD!


So - what is happening in your kitchen this week? What is in season where you live?

(top to bottom:: rhubarb, butter, vanilla extract, watercress, mixed greens, kefir, jam, kombucha)

One of my favorite fall things: Apples.

I have two amazing little helpers. We went to a park this morning to play with some friends (hi guys!), and then after lunch we got rolling.

They peeled & cored (crank crank crank), taking turns and cheering each other on.

They smushed (crank crank crank) with the food mill - it can't be too chunky, they said.


They stamped and splattered as the apples simmered, and simmered.



The house filled with an amazing aroma. They added cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup.


Delicious!!

We didn't make too much today (5 qts) - just enough for them to do most of it and have a great time without it being *too much*. They had a blast.

I might make more. Definitely not as much as this marathon applesauce goddess, though!