november

Cider Celebration

November 14, 2016

If you know me by now it’s pretty obvious that I am a sucker for traditions and celebrations. I love the opportunity to open up and share our home to celebrate the seasons.

Since we were itching to make more cider after Norah’s party we invited friends over for a cider celebration.

For hours we chatted, chopped apples, pressed, filled jars, sipped cider and enjoyed the beautiful day. We all agreed that cider making would now be an annual tradition at Second and Edgemont.

Our reporter/film maker friend and neighbor stopped down to take a few shots and made this sweet little movie.

cider-movie

Happy Birthday Norah!

November 8, 2016

Our little Norah turned 11 today!

She celebrated with some of her favorite people on Saturday pressing apple cider, playing outdoor games and watching a movie outdoors.

She made her own birthday (cheese) cake and topped it with caramel acorns.

Norah turns 10!

November 9, 2015

Norah turned double digits yesterday. Ten years old!
It has been such a joy watching my little girl grow into the spunky, persistent, passionate, funny, creative, thoughtful, young woman that she is.

She had her heart set on a camp-out party which was to be held at my sister’s house but due to rainy and wet conditions the party was moved indoors to our home.
But it didn’t take long for everyone to forget about camping out in the great outdoors.

We cleared all of the furniture out of the living room where the girls set up camp in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace.
We served up a baked potato bar with all of the fixings- roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes, avocado, black olives, sour cream, cheese, salsa, butter and bacon.

And for dessert we made a campfire cake!

Applesauce

November 5, 2015

I grew up eating a lot of applesauce. There was always a jar in the fridge and I loved a bowlful sprinkled with cinnamon. One of my favorite meals served up at Nan and Pop’s house was pork-chops and applesauce.

I had only experienced store bought sauce until my first farm apprenticeship in my early twenties. Aside from learning how to grow my own food, a whole new world in the kitchen was opened up as I began to experience making many a thing from scratch. Homemade salsa, tomato sauce, fresh baked bread. But I will never forget my first taste of freshly milled applesauce. I was hooked and I have been making it every year since.

The orchard at the farm where I work had a bumper crop of apples this year.
We grow a large variety including Jonagold, Stamen, Cortland, Braeburn and my favorite, an heirloom variety, Cox’s Orange Pippin.

We like to stock up on sauce to eat throughout the winter months but also to give as holiday gifts.

I have been making the same simple recipe over the years but like to try something a little new and different from time to time.

Applesauce

4-6 pounds of a variety of apples (the sweeter variety, the better)
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS cinnamon

Core apples and chop, leaving the skins on.

Cook apples down in a large soup pot with a little water or apple cider to prevent from burning the bottom of the pot. Simmer until apples are very soft.

Turn apples through a food mill. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

:: I recently remembered reading somewhere about adding lemon rind to the apples as they simmered down. I tried it and was pleased with the results.

:: I like to use sweeter apples rather than tart to avoid using sugar. I sometimes add a few over ripe pears for a little extra sweetness.

In the garden

November 2, 2015

Happy November!

My garden is donning it’s autumn wardrobe with it’s palette of deep burgundy, rust, purples and gold.

The hens are finished molting and are ready for the cold winter months with their fluffy down.

I have slowly begun to put the garden to bed as it is still quite mild. Plants are still producing and flowering among the seed heads and fallen leaves and we are still harvesting a few crops.

It was my first attempt at growing peanuts this year. I grew them in a pot and we just recently harvested a small bowlful. Not a huge harvest but a whole lot of squeals as we unearthed those legumes!

Today I picked all of the green cherry tomatoes left on the vines before the first hard frost hits. I plan to pickle them with onions and horseradish (another crop growing in our garden to be harvested soon).

A Bit of Holiday Cheer

November 27, 2013

these last few days i have been slowly adding some holiday cheer to our home. i just can’t help myself!

i haven’t put electric candles in the windows for a few years now. i missed the cheery glow. especially with these shorter days. my mom always had candles in our windows at christmas times. it was one of the first things that went up for the holiday and i loved falling asleep each night with those little lights on.

i’m on the look out for fallen evergreen branches, pinecones,magnolia leaves, osage oranges, etc.

we head off this afternoon for a few days to visit chris’ family for thanksgiving.
hannah and i have to leave a day early for her nutcracker rehearsals.
but we will be sure to make time to stop on the way home for our annual tradition.

wishing you all a peaceful thanksgiving.
i am extremely thankful for this space and for all of you who take the time to stop by.
cheers!
xo

Wains Coating

November 27, 2013

my grandfather and chris installed wains coating in our dining room about a month ago.
if you look at the photos in the previous post of norah’s birthday, you can see that the trim is attached to the wall both vertically and horizontally. and when painted it gives the effect that it is all wood when really it is mostly the wall.
it’s a clever and affordable solution if i do say so myself. it gives structure and texture to a room and it’s amazing how much brighter and bigger it feels now.

this past weekend my best friend and i had a blissful two days of painting it all while chatting, giggling, drinking tea and eating chocolate.
when we first started i never thought we would finish by sunday.
but time really flew by and before we knew it, the room was complete with time left over for a glass of wine and a pot of homemade cauliflower, butternut squash soup.

i love a finished project just before the holidays!

Turning 8 and a Sleepover

November 25, 2013

While talking to my mom the other day she told me she had been a bit disappointed with second and edgemont as of late.
thanks for the nudge mom, you’re right, i’ve been a bit absent.
she even reminded me i hadn’t posted about norah’s birthday yet!

our little norie turned 8 this november.
her birthday wish was to get her ears pierced and have a sleepover party.
both went quite successfully.

i hardly snapped a photo (hence the blurry not so great photos above) of the celebration since i was busy with a party of 12 girls. yes you read right, 12!
it was our first experience hosting a sleepover party and it actually ran quite smoothly especially for such a large gaggle of girls ranging from 7-12 years old.

there was pizza making, chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing, rainbow looming, and a movie .
oh and there was lots of chattering, laughing, squealing and screaming in between.

chris and i were quite surprised when we found them all asleep by 11pm.

i heard the first few up whispering at 6am which soon turned into giggling and then loud thumping.
a game of “slide down the staircase in your sleeping bag” had begun.

our cue to get up and start making pancakes.

November 26, 2012

christmas tunes were on shuffle all day long while i danced around with greens, twinkle lights and pine cones.
i truly am happiest when at home creating and making. especially around the holidays.

i had chris go back to the house with the huge fallen tip of a spruce tree. this time with the right size clippers.
he came home with our little wooden trailer filled to the brim.
like santa and his sleigh.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/26/3020/

November 24, 2012

we spent a few days visiting family for the holiday.
i baked some goodies to bring along including a triple ginger apple crisp.
inspired by a recipe from the moosewood restaurant book of desserts i have been making this for years and love how quick and easy it is with only a few simple ingredients that i always have on hand (i now always have a fresh jar of ginger preserves stored in the pantry). it’s my go to for when i have to make something in a pinch at this time of year. i have created my own version with a little more butter and maple syrup instead of honey.
with ginger preserves, ginger snaps and ground ginger this crisp has a yummy bite to it.

triple ginger apple crisp
serves 8-10

preheat oven to 350 degrees

fruit layer
6 cups of peeled apple slices
1/4 to 1/2 cup ginger preserves
2 tablespoons hot water

topping
1 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup gingersnaps cookie crumbs (about 15 cookies.. simply crush in a plastic bag with a rolling pin)

place apple slices in bottom of baking pan. in small bowl mix together ginger preserves and hot water. pour over apple slices and coat evenly.

in a bowl combine butter, maple syrup, cinnamon,nutmeg and ginger and mix well.
stir in oats and cookie crumbs until well blended.
spread oat mixture over apples and tamp down.
bake 35-45 minutes until apples are tender and topping is crisp.

serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

enjoy!!

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/24/3011/

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