apple party 2.0: forming traditions

when you think of your family, surely there are many things that spring to mind as traditions- those things that you always do together.  what i never thought about was how much energy went into to creating those traditions.  luke and i have decided to make an apple cider pressing party a tradition of ours, involving us, family, friends, and most importantly neighbors.  you can read about last year's pressing party here, and we had another successful party at the beginning of this month, pressing about 45 gallons of cider.

some things were the same: 

*we got the apples from oregon heritage farm again.

*it was a group effort!  de-stickering, washing, chopping, pressing, bottling.

*children make the apples that much cuter, especially our niece clara.

and ziyad just couldn't get enough!

 

  some differences this year were:

*there were new babies there!

my dear friend mogli and her little one taylor.

brandon and victoria are expecting their first little one in december!

 

*we pressed honeycrisp apples instead of jonagold like we did last year.  the cider turned out too sweet and i think next year, we 'll go back to jonagold.  the tart flavor lends itself nicely to cider.  a huge cubic yard cost $200 this year, instead of $100 last year, but still a great deal. 

*we found a press this summer at a garage sale, so we mainly used that instead of our homemade version from last year.  we did however still use an old "insinkerator" to mush up the apples.

*this year, we asked for donations from folks that went toward a community orchard that luke has been working on in our neighborhood.

the hard cider is well under way and i'm already looking forward to next year! 

spring is springing and we're still waiting...

feeling inspired by my bro-in-law john who has mastered handcrafted sodas at his cart, pyro pizza, and also by the bag of frozen rhubarb leftover from last spring, i decided to give this recipe a try.   i was delighted by the strong ginger flavor and liked that it was refreshing without being overly sweet! 



homemade rhubarb ginger soda
recipe from homemade pantry by alana chernila

2lbs rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups water
4 tbsp fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar or more to taste*
a few sprigs of fresh mint, thyme, or lemon balm (whatever you have on hand)

1. combine the rhubarb and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is almost dissolving.  use a slotted spoon to scoop out the rhubarb.

2. add the lime juice to the rhubarb water, along with the ginger and sugar.  raise the heat to medium high and cook at a low boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened.

3. remove it from the heat, add your herb of choice (i used mint), and cover.  let steep for 5-10 minutes.  taste and add sugar if needed.  strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a jar or bottle and let cool.
yield: 1 quart syrup

to serve: mix 1/3 cup syrup in 1 cup seltzer or club soda.  serve chilled or over ice.  sit on the porch and take in all that surrounds you!

*rather than sweetening this syrup, i added some simple syrup i had on hand when mixing my sodas and it did the trick! 



a jar of flowers in the kitchen instantly brightens my day!



 
this afternoon, after a strong and sudden spring rain, this rainbow appeared outside our kitchen window.  it was actually a double rainbow for a second.  everytime i see a rainbow, i can't help but be reminded of god's promise to noah when a rainbow appeared for the very first time in biblical days.  luke and i are holding on to god's promises, particularly as we wait to hear about a home.  we placed an offer several months ago on a short sale home, and it is still pending.  we are excited at the prospect of being in the lents neighborhood, by many of our dear ones, and are considering doing respite care for families in the foster care system.  all that to say, we are excited at the possibilities!  yet, in this season of waiting, of anxiously checking email and text TOO many times a day, hoping to hear something, anything, luke and i are realizing the good that comes in the wait.  we are realizing together how good it is for us to be in a situation where we cannot do anything to change the outcome.  it practically forces our trust and reliance on christ.  it encourages us to communicate clearly about our hopes and dreams with one another and also leads us to moments of meaningful prayer, where we can pour out all that we are hearing to the One who never tires of listening to His children.

we are crossing our fingers, praying, and hoping that this house is the one and that we find out soon, but until then, we will rest in Him and enjoy the journey.  

sundays are for... homemade breakfast treats!

 homemade toaster pastries aka a mix between pop tarts and toaster strudels,  only WAY better!

continuing to try out recipes from my christmas present from christian (homemade pantry by alana chernila) led me to bake these this morning.  basically pie dough stuffed with whatever filling you choose (i used strawberry jam in some and nutella in others).  warm out of the oven, they received rave reviews all around.  i love recipes that make it socially acceptable to eat dessert for breakfast!

 

Recipe: 

One recipe basic pie crust

flour for the counter

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water

6 tbsp filling of your choice

powdered sugar to top

1. prepare the pie crust in two discs according to the recipe and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but up to 2 days.

2. preheat oven to 375.  line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. roll the first disc of pie pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9x12 rectangle, cutting away any errant edges with a sharp knife.

4. cut the rectangle into 6 smaller rectangles.  gently separate the rectangles from the counter and lay them on the prepared baking sheet with at least two inches between them (they will rise!)

5. with a pastry brush, paint each rectangle with the beaten egg.  you will have some egg mixture leftover.

6. scoop 1 tbsp filling onto each rectangle in a thin line down the center.  roll out the second disc of pie pastry, repeating the steps to create six rectangles.

7. lay the new batch of rectangles over the rectangles with filling and seal by pressing a fork around the perimeter of each rectangle.  using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each pastry with egg wash and poke several times with a fork.

8. bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.  cool on a wire rack for at least 20  minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.  eat while warm for best results!