Sugar Bend Farm

A Beautiful Sunday

Direct my footsteps according to your word. Psalm 119:133

It has  been just a beautiful day today!  The weather was so nice and everyone appreciates it after the week we have had with the heat!

I had an early morning meeting at church, came home and went back with hubby for the morning service.  A wonderful lady was there today and really brightened the day for us all.  She had a stroke last August and has been in the nursing home since, today was the first day she came to church.  It was such a surprise to see her sitting there when we walked in............she is in a wheel chair and can not really speak, just a few words, but you could tell she was happy to be there and see all of us.  And her husband was just grinning from ear to ear all morning, he was so happy to have her there with him! God has a plan for her, we certainly do not understand it, but he does!!

We ate with Mom at the local cafe, then came home  and relaxed a bit.  I went out and rounded up some chickens to take and get tested this afternoon.  I took 1 rooster, 4 production red pullets and 4 Maran pullets.  They have to have a blood test in order to enter them at the county fair.  We will take them for the grandkids to enter.

One of our county fairs (we have 3 in our county) was last week.  The heat was unbearable those days!! Nick didn't enter his goats at this one, but I went to watch the goat show and it was hot.  I was kind of glad he didn't take his because of it.

I better get off to bed..........this week is going to be quite a crazy busy one!!!  Many extra things going on in our little community  for the 4th of July.  We are getting a float ready for the parade, baking extra for farmers market, have 4 special pie orders, want to make cookies for a contest,  our church is having a supper with fireworks on Friday night (have to make a side dish for that and make sure my work is done here so we can go!)  Sigh............tired already.  Good night

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Cherry Pie Filling

My first canning project of the season was cherry pie filling.  I wish I could say the cherries were from my tree, but they weren't.  They were on a great sale though - only $1.28 per pound!

I used the recipe from The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest.  I made this recipe once before and my notes said I used 8 pounds to make 15 pints.  The original recipe is for 2 pints - I multiplied everything by 8. 

Cherry Pie Filling - makes about 15 pints

8 pounds cherries
Ascorbic acid
8 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups Clearjel (regular, not instant)
10 2/3 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla (or almond extract)
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1.  Wash and pit fresh cherries and use ascorbic acid dip to prevent darkening.

2.  Place cherries in boiling water.  Boil 1 minute after water returns to a boil.  Drain, but keep fruit hot and covered.

3.  Combine sugar and Clearjel in a large saucepan and add water.

4.  Add cinnamon and vanilla.  Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens.  (I had to turn to high to get it to thicken, but once it starts to thicken - watch out!  :o)  It happens really fast.)

5.  Add lemon juice and boil mixture 1 minute stirring constantly.

6.  Fold in the cherries.

7.  Fill jars with hot fruit mixture leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Put on lids and rings.

8.  Process in a boiling water bath canner for 30 minutes.

Here are the jars after processing - the liquid changed color from light goopy pink to a nice red  :o)

I like to use a can or two in the bottom of a pie plate and top with a mixture of butter, flour and oatmeal to make a quick crisp - also good with peach pie filling or blueberry pie filling.

Cherries are on sale all week - while supplies last - so I may go back and get more and make something else...  :o)

More Questions And Answers

I found this on another website today and thought I would play along.

It has been a long time...................

Direct my footsteps according to your word. Psalm 119:133

I have been missing here for way too long.  Three months ago today was my last post, so it is about time I get back.  I have checked in and read some blogs along, but just not taken the time to post.  Several of my homestead friends have inquired about me and I am thankful for your friendship and appreciate your concern!

Things are going well.  Hubby has just passed the 3 month mark following his heart surgery.  He is feeling better than he has for a long time.  We are so thankful for his recovery.  God is Good!!

We are busy with Farmers Market season.  I am doing a lot of baking and the garden is doing fairly well.  Some of it we got in late due to wet weather and hubby's surgery.  We have harvested radishes, onions, beets, peas, some green beans, and 1 tomato!

I have just weaned some of the baby goats, a few needed to wait a few more weeks.  Next year I hope they will be born much closer together.  We lost a doe recently so I now have a bottle baby.

As of this evening.............an incredible heat wave has just broken!  Out just before dark and it was beautiful out!!!  For 7 days it has been nearly unbearable to be outside.  Temps in the mid to upper 90s and up to 100, with heat index around 105-110.  Early mornings chores could be accomplished, but as it usually cools down in the evenings during the summer...........that just didn't happen this time.  The other night I heard the weather man say that at 10 pm the heat index was still at 95!  I have been wondering how folks years ago could sleep with heat like that??  I am very thankful for air conditioning!!!

I need to get to bed, this heat has worn me out, and we have a busy day tomorrow.  I have an early meeting at church tomorrow.

Glad to be back, and I will try to keep up regularly again, I have missed my friends here!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

All Tuckered Out!

I swear sheep smile!

THE AMISH COOK by Lovina Eicher--June 22, 2009

June 22, 2009  THE AMISH COOK By  Lovina Eicher This is a daily diary of a recent Saturday here at the Eicher home: 7 a.m.  It is Saturday so we slept later this morning.  After getting up all week at 3 a.m.  my husband Joe is glad to get caught up on his sleep.  It is another cool morning. It sure makes for nice sleeping at night.  Our rain gauge shows we have received 3. 5 inches in the last few days. It sure has given everything in the garden a boost.  We have been enjoying fresh red potatoes and peas from the garden along with radishes, lettuce, green onions, and strawberries. 8:15 a.m. We eat breakfast which is eggs, fried potatoes (fresh from the garden), bacon, cheese, toast, rhubarb jam, milk, juice, and coffee.  9 a.m.  Joe and the boys are hauling manure.  The girls washed the dishes while I sort through some clothes that the two oldest have outgrown.  I will hand them over to sister Emma for her daughters. 9:45 a.m.  My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, 15, mows the grass while Susan, Verena, Loretta, and I wash off walls in the kitchen, dining room, and living room areas. It sure needed it after a long winter. 12:30 p.m. We all stop for a break to eat lunch which consists of vegetable soup and sandwiches. It is a very warm day which is different from the 60 degree weather we had a lot of the spring. 1:30 p.m.  Joe and the boys go back to hauling manure and Elizabeth goes back to mowing grass. The girls and I finish with the walls and then sweep and mop all the floors.  We also wash off the kitchen cabinets and dust the furniture.  Everything looks very refreshed.  Monday we will wash the windows and curtains if weather permits. 4:30 p.m. Joe and the boys quit hauling manure. With church being tomorrow Joe didn’t want to work too late.  Elizabeth keeps mowing and is nearly finished.  The girls start giving the younger children their baths.  I pop some popcorn for a neighbor lady to serve after services tomorrow.  The children take the popcorn over to the neighbor lady with our pony, Stormy, and buggy. 7:30 p.m. Everyone is cleaned up and Joe starts a fire in the fire pit so the children can roast marshmallows and hot dogs. We all enjoy sitting around the fire after a long days’ work. 9:15 p.m.  Bedtime. The children want to stay up later but morning will be here before we know it. We have plans to go to a neighboring church district tomorrow so we need to start out a little earlier in the buggy.  Tomorrow is Father’s Day so the children gave Joe a volleyball set which is something he has always wanted.  We will all enjoy it though.  COUNTRY POTATO SOUP 3 cups diced potatoes 1 /2 cup carrots or celery 1 /2 cup onions, diced 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 teaspoon chopped chives 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour  cream 2 1 /2 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk Combine potatoes, carrots, onions, and water (just enough to cover everything) bouillon cubes and salt in large saucepan.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.  Add 1 cup milk and continue to heat. In a separate, medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, flour, chives and remaining milk.  Stir mixture gradually into the soup base.  Cook over low heat stirring constantly until thickened.  Serve immediately.

Lamb Twins Trying to Nap!

Humbled

I am sure most of you have heard that Farrah Fawcett died yesterday after her long time battle with cancer--When I heard the news I was sad--I remembered a time as a little girl watching Charlies Angels and wanting to be a police woman--LOL--I have seen many of her movies since that time--The burning bed, small sacrifices, extremities etc..--It kinda felt like part of my childhood died with her--silly I know--I watched her documentry last month and while it was sad you also saw her courageousness, willingness to fight and of course her down to earth attitude--the love that Ryan O'neal showed for her was touching--One thing that I thought of yesterday was that while as little children we look at these people as some how superhuman and even into adult hood we seem to be a bit 'star struck" at times--but at the end of the day(or life) we all become equals--death aludes no one--no amount of money, fame, movies, or good looks will keep us alive when its our time to go--then I heard that Michael Jackson also passed away(not really a fan) something like 5 hours later--it was a sad day for so many families--Driving home last night it was dark and the stars were shining brightly--I was humbled--I suppose with the dying of 2 people that I grew up with I was a bit contemplative and felt so very small in this big old universe God created--I was thinking how so many of us are trying to simplify our lives, become more independant of our world systems, we work hard daily to accomplish that--many times we feel in control of our lives and surroundings, but the reality of it is, God controls it all--at any given moment he could choose to take it all away--I felt like a speck of dust or grain of sand for a split second  and realized just how not in control we really are--It's not like I have not ever realized that in the past, but something was different about it somehow last night--I suppose it was an ephiphany of sorts--Very humbling--No matter how self sufficient we try to become, we must realize we are never going to be independant of God and his ultimate control of this universe and ultimatly everything in it and on it--No one cheats death when the Lord decides its time to go and at that point we are all equal no matter what--There are no money or status barriers, just people facing their eternity--May Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson rest in peace and may their families turn to God in their time of grief..

~Kris

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