Apples and Things

Although it's not quite apple season here in New York, I made some applesauce today from apples that I had purchased on sale at ShopRite that were organic, though not local, and marked down on the clearance rack. Making homemade applesauce is probably one of the easiest homemade things you can do.

- 8 medium apples, cored & chopped; peeling is optional. Better to do if don't have an electric mixer. I also added two old pears that I had rotting in the bottom drawer.
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Cinnamon (optional)

Place apples and water in pot over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender-- til you have that feeling that it's done and not over or under done. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and cinnamon, and mash or use a stick blender (so good). Allow to cool slightly before serving or using, and cool completely before storing in the fridge.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS.
Recipe summarized from "Get it Ripe," Jae Steele.


There were some amazing clouds on my drive to Middletown this morning to procure a hat.

Dork factor in hat picture.


Breakfast was oatmeal with walnuts, dried wild blueberries from Main Street Farm in Livingston Manor about 20 miles north up the highway, milk and brown sugar; two strips of bacon, & a pot of Earl Grey. Also, some morning lemon tonic to wake up my intestines.
The blueberries are bursting with the deepest blueberry flavor. @ $24.99/lb, they are like purchasing a rare ration, something that you do only once in a while, and savor every moment of it. Two nights ago, I realized I hadn't opened them up yet and they seemed like the perfect treat for that moment-- but for a second I felt like I shouldn't eat them plain out of the bag, but rather in some scrumptious baked good or something. But then I began to drop handfuls into my mouth, one after the other, standing up, in my room, realizing that that was the best way I could've possibly spent my $10.00. Then I became conscious of the moment when I didn't want anymore, so that I didn't waste any.

Azalea

Forsythia

Unidentified constrained, solitary patch of tiny "weeds" in grass

The Life Center Garden

On Thursday afternoon we did a spray of horn manure and barrel compost. The soil was to be warm and rain was to be absent, the sun was going down, the Earth was retreating inward for the night. All conditions were met. We stirred both preparations for an hour and then sprayed the soil of a few of the gardens using backpack sprayers. Here is Kat, my co-worker; Gladys from Ecuador and Nancy from Peru-- interns for the year, also co-workers.

Sweet Pea & Passion Flower blooming in the greenhouse.