bellevett

canned crockpot applesauce and more- a few instructions.

 

i am really into my crockpots right now.  i actually have 2.

and i use them both all the time..... several times this season i have used my crockpot to slowcook something that i was going to preserve for the winter. 

it really does seem too good to be true.

but it isnt.

 i use the slowcooker on the high setting, put everything in, as the canning recipe specifies, and i walk away for a few hours or 5, come back, put into hot sanitized jars and can in the water bath for the specified amount of time. 

there was a time in my life when i was able to stand in front of the stove stirring a big pot of applesauce, tomatoes, or strawberry jam.   this season of my life, with an active 18 month old and a husband who is currently remodeling our home, does not include leisurely stirring a pot of strawberries or apples to put by, and i am learning to accept that. 

but, that doesnt mean i gave up on my food preservation efforts. 

i have learned to take advantage of what i have, which is an 18 month old who is eager to help for small periods of time and a husband who is eager to let the 18 month old help him hammer nails in to the wall until he looses interest. i have an amazing apple peeler that was 20.00 that might have been my best investment yet.  it peels and cuts the apples into rounds and takes about 15 minutes to peel, core, and cut 30 apples.  seriously, it is no kidding amazing.  its similar to this one, but mine is from mast general store. below are my recipes for applesauce and apple butter.  if you have come into some apple wealth and not really a whole lot of time, this recipe is made for you.

 

slowcooked applesauce

25-30 apples

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

a half of a vanilla bean, cut down the middle to expose the beans *optional!

1/2 cup of water or apple cider

peel, core, and chop your apples.  (alternately, you could skip this step and just chop the apples, core, peel and all and then put through a food mill or sieve before canning.) place in crockpot until completely and totally packed full.  my slowcooker is a 6-qt and i can fit anywhere from 25-30 apples in it.  adjust your spices if you can fit less or more.  after its full of apples, i add the lemon juice, cinnamon, and water/applecider.  i tuck the vanilla bean down into the apples, if using.  i turn my cooker on med/high, and cook for about 5-6 hours.  after about 4 hours, i usually take of the lid and mash the apples for good measure, but its not that necessary!  once the consistency is right, i turn off the slow cooker and get my water bath going if canning.  (if making applebutter, see below)  if you havent canned before, check this website out!  ladle into sanitized pint jars and process in a waterbath for 20 minutes. you could of course just put this directly in the fridge as well! this recipe makes 5 pints of applesauce. 

here are some good resources on canning. please consult a book like the ball blue book of canning if you have never canned before!  i am by no means an expert.

 

to make the applebutter:

slowcooked apple butter

25-30 apples

1 1/4 cups of sugar/ maple syrup/honey

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

a half of a vanilla bean, cut down the middle to expose the beans *optional!

1/2 cup of water or apple cider

peel, core, and chop your apples.  place in crockpot until completely and totally packed full.  my slowcooker is a 6-qt and i can fit anywhere from 25-30 apples in it.  adjust your spices slightly if you can fit less or more.  after its full of apples, i add the lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and water/apple cider.  i tuck the vanilla bean down into the apples, if using.  i turn my cooker on low, and cook for about 15 hours or over night. alternately, you could cook on high for 8-10 hours.  after about 4 hours, i usually take of the lid and mash the apples for good measure, but its not that necessary! put all of the apple butter through a sieve to get a nice buttery consistency and return to the slow cooker.  if it taste right, then i turn off the slow cooker and get my water bath going if canning.  you might want to add more sugar if you think it needs it. if you havent canned before, check this website out!  ladle into sanitized pint jars and process in a waterbath for 20 minutes. you could of course just put this directly in the fridge as well! this recipe makes about 8 half pints. 

 

 so if canning or crockpotting isnt really your thing, try dehydrated apples. (last picture) i assure you they will be your thing!  dehydrate your apples at 130 in a dehydrator or the lowest possible setting in your oven.  just place on racks and let them go for 5-6 hours.  they last for several months, but i never have found out how much longer beyond that, because they are always gone before i know it.

 

 

child led art: painting.

i began noticing Crosby's interest in art when he was around 13 months old.  he was constantly taking my pens and trying to imitate my constant writing (i am a list maker and constant journaler- is that a word???).

i went out and got him a mixed media sketch book and some decent crayons.  similar to these.

 

we did some coloring and made finger paint.  (recipe below)

 

 

then when he seemed interested in a small watercolor set that he recieved from the library, i made some liquid watercolors for him to paint with. 

 

since then, our art has expanded and he has become even more interested in doing art almost everyday.  Last week, i set up a small art area for him so that he can have easy access to his art supplies whenever he is interested.  more on that later.

being a montessori preschool teacher for several years before Crosby was born has given me so much insight into following the childs lead with art and practical life activities.  today we made some more finger paint, and he was the most involved today that he has ever been in the creation process. 

 

after we were done with the stirring and measuring, i put the pan on the stove, and let him continue to mix his own concoctions of sugar, salt, and water to keep him distracted while i was stirring the paint on the hot eye.

he taste tested, i am sure it was delicious.  and he made some sugar clumps. which are now on the floor, actually, the dogs probably scarfed that right up after they were dropped.....

i just taped a sheet of paper on the end of our cabinets. (an easel is in the works for a christmas present for this guy)

toddler art is messy and you never really know how much interest there will be until after you do it.  here are some tips i have learned on toddler/preschool art from my montessori teaching time and the past few months with crosby:

• its always going to be messy.  keep the attitude i have: there's no point in keeping a clean house since it will be messed up anyways.  you will save yourself the energy of cleaning!  see, i have helped you already.
• keep the steps to a minimum.
• try not to direct.  once they are interested, try not to interfere.  they become very disinterested with directions on how to do something.
• anything that involves pouring, scooping, stirring, is usually successful.
• use vibrant colors. i always use gel food coloring for crosby's art projects.  i think its prettier.
• let them help with clean up.  i put crosby in the tub with a few very small (a head cant fit in them) buckets of water.  in a few of them, i made bubble water.  i also gave him all of the bathtub toy scoops.  he pretty much cleaned his whole body up while i was able to clean the floors and put the paint away.  i checked on him every minute or so (we have a small house) but when he was done playing he was clean!  and that is so much better than trying to clean him off with a rag while he arches his back and runs away!
• keep a sketch book.  most of the time, our everyday art stays in the sketch book.  it saves on wasting paper.  our sketch book is currently full, so i used this big piece of white paper.  i like the mixed media sketch book because it holds up to watercolor, finger paint, stickers, crayons, markers, and colored pencils.  this helps me not have so many pieces of paper floating around the house and it seems really interesting to crosby to look through the book. 
• use small amounts of ingredients.  i give small portions of paints, markers, etc.  it is easier to clean up spills and helps with keeping them from being overwhelmed with the project.  with liquid watercolor, there is one drop of food coloring (gel) and about 2 teaspoons of water per color.  when its accidentally turned over, it is soooooooo much less of a mess.
• when they are done, take the cue.  today crosby got up and started walking around after he had been painting for a while.  i took that as the cue he was done and said "time to wash" (his favorite thing!  what child doesnt love messing around in the water???).  once boredom sets in, don't force it, even if they have only done the activity for a minute or less.  it will work out for no one.  things start getting spilled, and it will be frustrating for parent and child. 
• make it homemade.  obviously, i don't make crayons or markers, but i do make the paint.  i do this so that i know what is in it because crosby still thinks its important to taste everything that even closely resembles food or beverage.  it doesnt concern me because i know what is in it.  

 

here is my finger  paint recipe:

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of corn starch

3 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

gel food coloring

put water in a saucepan and add dry ingredients on top.  bring all to a boil on the stove and continue stirring constantly.  separate into containers and add food coloring.  these will store for a week or more in the fridge.  when you take it out, add a bit of hot water and stir to get it to become more runny.  it gets really paste like. 

 

 

ohhh!  also, you will have to endure some bad pictures, see above, for a bit while i figure out my manual settings on my camera.  its time for me to step away from trying to edit my images and get it right the first time, i apologize ahead of time for this!

 

weekending x 2

 

 

 

so the past few weekends have been just the sort of weekends i have needed most.

both were made up of relaxation and productivity.

truth be told, i have been a bit preoccupied with a project here in my little land.  and that project is a new quilt for my boy for his first birthday.  which is coming up next week. on valentines day.  also known as my baby boys first birthday.  so, i deemed it fit to begin sewing him a quilt 2 weeks before, cause that's just what i do.  so, the knitting has been put down and all other interests have been put on hold until this quilt is finished.

except.........

we did find our way out doors 2 weekends ago when the weather got to a point where it should have been considered a sin to stay indoors.  it was still a bit cold, but the sun.  oh the sun.  it was quite nice.  seeing as though this winter has been unseasonably weird and totally unpredictable, seeing sun after months of overcast and rain and 50 degrees with no snowflake to be found, the sun was a welcomed player.

i dug up my beets and one lone carrot, just to see how it was doing.  i planted some arugula and some french breakfast radishes, just for kicks.  who knows, we may not get below 40 degrees at all this winter.  i am proceeding forward with my plans.  after all, the farmers almanac does seem to back up the claim that we will most likely not have any substantial winter here in the valley. 

i pulled up some spinach and re-mulched the kale. 

i turned all of our cover crops on our other two beds.

crosby took the whole garden bed terminology to heart and took up residence laying and rolling in the bed like it was his personal space. 

sourdough bread was made.  and....... meeeh. it needs some work i tell you.  i wont give up yet..

last night i made a giant salad and i used some pickled beets that i canned last summer.  they were by far one of the tastiest things i have canned ever.  and i now remember why i always plant so many beets.  also, the miniature beet eater in the family had some fresh beets last night roasted in the oven with salt, pepper and olive oil.  yes. they were Tasty.  capital t.

the truth is, i have begun my new pinboard on pinterest for my future farm. and i am seriously craving some fresh foods right now.

but, before i get into all that, i have a few days left to finish a quilt that i spent all last night seem ripping out the border after i saw a mistake that i just couldn't ignore.  so, the farm talk will have to wait for a few more days. 

happy tuesday.

some knits. and gifts.

 

a few simple gifts for christmas.

the pear and hat were knitted by me.

pear was knitted from itty bitty toys book, and i added some bells inside so that it would be appealing to such a rattle lover.  the hat was made from this aviatrix pattern. 

a wooden knob puzzle and a book from us.

abc blocks from a family friend.

a few small wooden trains from a cousin.

a wooden xylophone and a tambourine for this music maker lover boy was perhaps his favorite gift.

another favorite? this walker wagon from nova naturals. which he is crawling with.  this boy is such a fast crawler, why would he have any reason to actually walk? 

we intend on keeping holidays small, always, just a few simple gifts and lots of merry making.  this season was perfectly that.

 

thankful five- day five: handmade

 

 

 

 

 

 

sewing.

dyeing.

and most importantly handknits.

i will be forever grateful.

stress relief in the form of wool.

 

five days of thankfulness links:

day one

day two

day three

day four

 

tons and tons of yarn.

this post will come to you with very few words.

 

it is the last post in my series of things that have been knit lately but i am just not getting to remember to share.

 

the handsome man in the handsome sweater.

finished BEFORE his birthday, in an unlikely manner....

buttons from the mystic orb store on etsy.

i love this sweater and this pattern. 

it was actually a pretty quick knit. 

so handsome.

one problem: i may have created a situation for myself in that now, cody will know the power of a handknit merino wool sweater....  i fear (hope) that more requests will come soon for another handknit.

raveled.

 

more little things.

into the woods- and baby needs another warm item, what do you do?

 

pull out last minute knitted gifts and start knitting.

 

finished this sweater a few weeks ago before we went camping and just now blocked it- it has been a well worn item already just like the pebble vest.  this yarn seems to hold up very well- but it has been discontinued unfortunately.  it is knitpicks shamrock.

 

i love this sweater. it is from more last minute knitted gifts and is the perfect gift for someone who is having a new babe- and would be perfect with a hat in the same yarn.

next up for warm weather items for crosby is a tomten.  anyone else get the elizabeth zimmerman bug when it turns cold????

outdoor goodness.

exactly 2 months ago, 2 weeks before our first almost frost, we dug up our sweet potatoes and planted our garlic.

on this day, it was unseasonably warm, think 80's. thus, the baby in the onesie.

we thinned our beets, lettuce, and our kale.

yesterday, we spent the day corralling leaves. mixing them into the composter with the last of any fresh grass clippings until next year, and layering them over our garlic.  we gave all of our ridiculously out of control kale and beets a good composting layer and then topped it with leaves. 

i picked a rediculously large amount of kale to eat this week and freeze, and covered our spinach up with compost and leaves, it will come back in the spring.

i thinned our baby carrots with the intent of bringing the thinned carrots in and steaming them for crosby.  they never actually made it that far.  actually.

i made plans to move a random shaded blueberry bush to the front where it will get sun and most likely produce blueberries, but i guess that is a project for the spring- no need to shock the roots now, with the cold moving in.

i also moved my collection of rubber gardening shoes to the basement instead of right outside of our door, which produced a fake protest: "awww, why did you move our rubber shoe collection out of eyesight??" insert sarcasm.

in one month, garlic is sprouting, the cover crop is growing good, the beets are standing tall, the kale is pretty much out of control, all of our carrots are growing straight, and the weather is about 30 degrees cooler.  if i could be a farmer, it would be a cold weather crop farmer, because somehow, i have the magic with cold weather crops.

you may be asking yourself why there are no pictures of yesterday.  well, in one month, we have a baby that crawls. no more sitting him with a bucket of potatoes to let him gnaw on while we slowly finish the garden chores, while casually snapping a few cute photos.

if you read what was accomplished above- maybe read it again in your fastest speed reader voice, and that would have been more of the pace that i kept yesterday.

as the keeper of the crawling baby, we spend a lot of outdoor time doing multiple mouth sweeps to clear various species of leaves and branches and dirt from actually being ingested. 

also, he is now obsessed with crawling after the dogs, and i have visions of the dogs leading him down the road and away from the house to rid themselves of the constant hair pulling and general dog obsession shenanigans.

this all may sound crazy to you, or normal to you, depending on your situation.

but the truth is, no matter what the pace of our outside time, it is always extra enjoyable.  crosby is an outdoor baby.  he would live, sleep, play outside if that was an option.  he can be at his fussiest, and when we leave the inside, no matter the temperature, it calms him.  the outdoors are like a drug for him.  comforting, soothing, and entertaining.

 

 

on top of old smoky, all covered in wool.

that explains our weekend.

 

(above: second 6 hour sweater from more last minute gifts, quick scarf for myself, and infinity scarf)

this past weekend, i pulled off an epic surprise for cody.  we had plans to go camping for the weekend with two friends of ours and their baby.  what he didnt know, is that for months now, i had planned on several more people joining us in the mountains for the weekend for a camping birthday bash complete with chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel icing. 

it was a lazy daisy weekend with lots of cast iron dutch oven cooking (new for his birthday) and delicious micro brews. 

it was a weekend of big fires, short hikes turned long by multiple treacherous creek crossings that claimed the life of a pair of sunglasses, and wool..... lots and lots of wool.  especially for the baby. 

and leaf eating in the sun of course.

 

finally i am in a place in my knitting life where most of my warmest clothes were made by me.  of course, as i have camped for years and years, i have loads of "name brand" warm outdoor gear from all the best outdoor stores.  but there is no warmth like wool warmth that was made yourself. 

heck, even the above shirt that crosby is wearing is an old merino wool icebreakers shirt of mine that i downsized to make into a long sleeve merino shirt for him.  it was the perfect next to skin wool layer for him, along with some merino wool nappy pants. 

i actually took no pictures the entire weekend. all of these pictures were thankfully taken by my good friend carah. 

 

 

the above hat is a new little hat that i made with some leftover spud and chloe outer that i had laying around.  it was the shroom hat pattern and it was free free and free.

oh!  and did i tell you i finally put some buttons on the adorable and awesomely warm levenwick??

i promise myself i will photograph those buttons.  vintage.  glass.  multi colored.  need i say more?

 

what a good weekend with good memories.  and good people.  and good food.  and good beer.  and most importantly good wool.

 

reading between the lines.

after a long week of a sick baby, i then became very sick with a downright mean cold for an entire week.

 (read: home with a baby who just came off of a week of sickness and had a weeks worth of pinned up energy waiting in the wings, therefore feeling like worst mom in the land for wanting to lay on couch and not move a muscle.)

that means 2 weeks of sickness.

(read: now you know why i havent posted or written a single word to signify my existence.)

while hosting last weeks visitors: aches, chills, and no sleep, i found myself with a 7 1/2 month old who decided to start only taking one nap a day.......

(read: i was looking forward to those two naps to catch a little snuggle and shut eye myself.)

and then i found myself with a baby who decided that now would be the perfect time to start crawling!

(read: snot dripping from nose, but trying to enthusiastically find the video camera or any device that might capture the moment.)

and of course it is the type of crawling that could be described as human dust mop.  it is full on army crawl.

(read: totally stressed about how dirty my house is. and therefore how dirty crosby's whole front side is because of it.)

this week, we will have an 8 month old.  an 8 month old who loves to eat food, dirt, sticks, leaves, dog hair, tiny bits of who knows what from the ground.

(read: i am becoming busier than i ever thought i could be with one little tiny human.)

this past weekend, as i felt happily recovered, i started happily preparing for winter.

(read: our house was built in the early 1900's and is always cold.  very cold.  we thankfully have a woodstove.  but we still dress extremely warm around the house.  like thermals people.)

i started on some baby socks THAT STAY ON to go with these new woolies.

(read: where do people find socks that stay on babies? scratch that. where do people find WARM socks that stay on babies???)

 

here is my best attempt to get a picture of these on the baby in question.

it turns out that baby feet move faster than the camera lens can focus even in the best situations.

i finished these socks in about 2 hours while sitting outside watching cody stack firewood.

(read: a fast knit considering the multiple stops to clean out the mouth of a baby who *might* have found a stray stick outside to chew on)

i immediately casted on another pair with more modifications for fat little baby feet.

  i used alchemy temple yarn.  the best washable yarn around. totally worth the money, since you can get 2  pairs of machine washable merino wool socks out of it.

this week, i am writing up this pattern for you. 

this week, i will host no visitors of the sick kind.

amen and the end.

 

ps.  could i have chosen better colors for the mums i planted outside? i think not.