I wanted to get back to this blog, revive it and breathe new life into it. So today I want to start with my goals for 2011 and what I want to do for 2012. The things that I removed are to get the bees productive, make wine and try rutabagas. Our bees are doing well and I hope Emily and I tucked them in properly for the winter. The next day we have with temperatures above 50 degrees I will peek to see if they could use more food. Until then we have to believe in their survival instincts and hopefully the queen will be strong enough to lead her hive into the spring. The bees produced a fair amount of honey for us this year and I have to say this was the coolest thing I have ever done. Bottling honey is VERY STICKY work but so worth the effort. We received an inspection by the state of Ohio apiary inspector and we have to treat for varrora mites. The mites are not out of control at this point. We received our inspection in fall and will treat our bees in spring should they survive the winter. Our wine making efforts are in full gear. Jim has embraced this hobby and is excelling at it. Our only failed effort was the cranberry wine. I'm still saddened by this. I was so looking forward to this wine but alas, something went wrong in the fermentation period and he tossed it out. However we have sweet cherry and sour cherry, made from the berries, currently working which will be bottled late spring 2012. He has also made wine from kits including Merlot and Chianti. I am the official taste tester and a job I take seriously... as I feel compelled to check as many bottles as possible! ;) Now for rutabagas. We tried these unique root vegetables, however, I tried them out of season. DUH. I would like to revisit this vegetable one day to give it another try.

Allison and Helen. Helen, we had a great time during your visit. Please come back again.

Helen and the Blankie!!! :)

Helen, Emily and Kevin.

How many teenage boys can you get in the back of an Amish buggy? In this case...3! Robert, Michael and Collin.

2011 German students visiting Ohio from Hennef, Germany. We love you!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

Another Thanksgiving was celebrated with family and a new friend. For the past two years our family has hosted a German exchange student via the high school German club. Working with a school in Hennef, Germany our coordinator finds host families to share an American Thanksgiving with these students. This year we hosted Helen and showed her Daffins Candy Store, Kraynaks Christmas tree lane, Wendell August Forge and Slovak Folk Center and of course Grove City outlets. We shared with her the gluttony that is Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed potatoes (which were almost forgotten), sweet potatoes, wilted lettuce, green bean casserole, pumpkin and pecan pies. She also witnessed up close and personal the fiasco of Black Friday. Her group then took a bus trip to Washington DC ( a one day excursion that nearly did them in!). After some resting time it was back to the mall for Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch deals. Monday we went with her group to Sugarcreek, Ohio to learn about the Amish community. We had a unique opportunity to witness an Amish school day, ride an Amish buggy (those horses are amazing!!!) accompanied by more shopping and eating at an Amish restaurant. Tonight everyone will gather, hosts and visitors, for an American pot luck supper. I hope she enjoyed her stay in America and with us and will remember her time fondly.

November

It appears as though I only have a moment once a month to post to this blog. October was just as busy as September for our family and farm. I canned sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, cranberry apple sauce, and cranberry mustard. I never really liked cranberry because I have the image of this gelationous substance globbed onto a serving dish at Thanksgiving. I never really cared for the taste either. But Fresh Cranberries are wonderful and so are the cranberries that I preserved this year.

Our newest addition to the farm. ROSE our Jack Russell, Fox terrier and several more...mix breed puppy. She is adorable and smart.

October!

Wow, I realized that I haven't blogged since August. What happened to September?

Today I made pumpkin bread. YUM!



September found me canning: (left to right) pickled beets, roasted red pepper spread and red root relish!



AND Jalapeno Jelly, Tomato Jelly and pickled Jalapenos!


I am earnestly working on our pantry this past season. I am quite proud of our efforts this year. I still hope to can pears and cranberries. We have some winter pears in the yard and I need to beat the deer to them! The cranberries should arrive when Jim returns from his hunting trip to Wisconsin. These will both be new to me to can. I can't wait.

I also want to make pumpkin rolls. I haven't had time in recent years to attempt this project.

Also, our lovely young ladies attended the Austintown Fitch Homecoming festivities with their friends!

Kevin, Allison and Katie


Alexis, Emily, Jamie and Alyssa

Good Morning!

Good Morning. This is the beautiful sky that welcomed the day today. Emily is our resident photographer. Good job sweetheart.