Black Iron in the Heat of Summer

     One of my most loved possessions is my cast iron cookware collection. I just don't know how I would get anything done without those pieces of cast finery. I learned a long time ago that if you plan to use cast iron, you'd better learn the secrets to keeping it in top shape. Yes, seasoning the surfaces....

We have rescued many cast iron pieces from the scrap pile. This is typical of a flea market find.

A gleaming kettle once it has been properly seasoned in the old way.

An Easy Way to Wash Berries

It never fails... You bring in that bucket/bowl of beautiful berries, ripe from the sun, gleaming and taunting you to dive right in and have a nice bowl of berries and cream. But wait! You can't. If you look just a little closer you will find the "trash" that clogs the bounty. It's just the way it is. It's inevitable that particles of straw or grass or even berry stems and bugs lurk within the depths of the pail. It's not the end of the world, however. We just need to clean them.

Over the years I have attempted to clean berries the hard way, by picking at the bids and running water through berries in a colander. There is always something that gets left behind and you are surely bound to find it at the worst possible time... like when company drops by for berries and cream. There is a simpler way to wash berries... so simple in fact that I am almost ashamed of posting it here for fear that I may insult your intelligence. But post I shall! Just follow me and it will be over quickly.

Black and Blue: Berries in the Bucket

     I can finally say that I have picked every last blueberry on the bush! Whew! All are sitting tidy in the freezer waiting for me to finish up the next wave of assault, the blackberries. We are absolutely covered up! When we thought about planting a berry patch for the homestead we felt that a good twenty plants was enough for whatever we wanted to fix in the way of jams and jellies. Oh, but did we know what we were really getting ourselves into? Not in the least. It appears that the mild climate that Tennessee has found itself in as of late, coupled with the rain that stretches into the summer months, has created a superb climate for berries to thrive in! in short, it has been a good year for berries!

Big Beautiful Berries

Busy with the Blueberries

     It's been a while since I've posted a decent piece on this blog. There is no excuse for it, just sheer laziness on my part. Well actually, it wasn't exactly laziness. I have been busier than a three-headed duck in a patch of June Bugs! No kidding! Building a homestead is hard work and we've had our share of it. we've also had a death in the family, my husband's father, and a wedding in the family, our daughter Kristy. Just about the time we finish up the wedding and things go back to normal, well... our blueberries are turning blue! See...

Here are a few that are just right for picking.

It's Turnip Time Again!

      Our turnip patch really surprised us last year. After the long months of drought earlier in the growing season, we had almost decided to turn everything under and retire for the year. Our little turnip patch almost wasn't. But then the rain began again and our enthusiasm was off and running... just like our turnip greens. The patch sprang to life, and soon we had more greens than I could manage. One small patch was enough to supply our household, my mom's house, my husband's parents and his three brothers, as well as my aunt and my cousin and his family with turnips and turnip greens. On the verge of Winter, the patch was still spitting out turnips at such a rate that everyone was about tired of messing with them. In fact, my brother actually said that he would be glad when the patch dried up and died. What a horrible thing to wish upon such a hard working little vegetable patch. :)

Turnip Green patch growing out by the chicken pen. (OMG! We need a new chicken pen!