Apple Butter

So what do you do with ALL the apples you've picked? Why, make apple butter, of course! It's something we always had growing up in West Virginia so a number of years ago, I decided to try my hand. It's an easy recipe, it mostly takes time and patience. Here are the steps:

First, you need to peel the apples. I peeled 15 lbs today (I tripled my recipe - it's what my pot can handle!).


Next, you combine the peeled, cored, and quartered apples with spices and apple cider.


This is what it looks like with all the spices added. Mirm - no need for a Yankee candle today! It makes the whole house smell like heaven. Or at least like fall!


Once the mixture has cooked down to the desired consistency, you pack it into canning jars. I generally use pint jars - it's a nice size for gift-giving.


Once in the jars and sealed with lids and rings, process in a water bath for at least 10 minutes, then check as the jars are removed from the water bath to make sure they've sealed (if you hear a "pop" noise and can't push the lid down, it's sealed).


Here's the final product!

Here's the recipe:

5 lbs of apples (I weigh them before peeling and coring)
2 C apple cider - boil the cider separately until it's reduced by half
4 C sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

It's fabulous, if I do say so myself!

Columbus weekend

It's been such a glorious, fall weekend! Just exactly what fall should be, especially today. The temps are in the mid-60s and there's not a cloud in the sky. This past week was Sam's birthday as well as mine. One thing we always do is go apple picking - usually at Poverty Lane Orchards.


I've never seen so many apples on their trees as this year! You literally could stand in one place and pick nearly a bag. So fun -so yummy!




After picking apples, we drove to New London, NH - Sam had a soccer game.


We had to get to the game early so he could warm up, as is usual. So *I* snuck away and found a yarn shop! Imagine ME finding a yarn shop! It's called - of all things - Yarn of New London. I came away a happy girl with a fatter stash. Very nice owner - her name is Leslie. We both shared tips with each other - very fun!


We had dinner at the Flying Goose in New London with Sawyer's family. We've been there before - excellent food, lovely atmosphere.

All in all, a wonderful birthday-day for Sam and birthday week for me!

Happy birthday, Sam!

Happy birthday, Sam - I can't believe you're a teenager now!


It seems like yesterday, you were a cute, little guy


But now you're such an accomplished baseball player


Martial artist


Not to mention a juggler and good all around guy.

And you were nearly MY birthday present! The best ever...

Love,
Mom

End of the Summer fun

On Labor Day weekend, we went to a Fisher Cats baseball game. They're a AA minor league team, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. We bravely took friends of the boys - so we had a van full o' guys! Here are Tom, Charlie and Kitch- such quiet little things:


Then Hugh, Sam, and Jay (the real baseball fans in the group):


And me and my current sock (this is the Online sock using a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks).


The Fisher Cats ended up winning in the game in extra innings (it went 11 innings). THEN we were treated to the most spectacular fireworks display! We got home at 1:00 a.m. but it was so worth it.

Uncle Steve, who is our family third degree black belt, organized a taekwondo demo as part of a United Way fair on Saturday the 8th. Steve's explaining to the group about taekwondo and what's going to happen. I like this shot of Steve and all the kids who participated: Tom (black belt), Alex (high red belt), Sawyer (junior black belt), Sam (junior black belt), Derk (high green belt) and Marwan (green belt)

I now introduce you to my flying boys!





And finally, Sam's flying sidekick over dad-as-speedbump


In spite of the heat, it was a really fun day and fun event.

Lake George

We took a mini-vacation to Lake George NY last month. I can't believe we've lived here for so long and not gone. Lake George is fairly close (not more than 3 hours away) and such a fun place.



The first night, we ate at a fun restaurant that overlooks the lake.





In the evening, we toured downtown Lake George. It was a fun place, if not a tourist trap! Here are the guys with Frankenstein at the wax museum.


We seemed to play our share of mini golf. They are marketing geniuses there. If you get a hole in one on the last hole, you win a free game. The first night, Hugh got a hole in one on the last hole so we had to go back the next night. Sam got a hole in one the next night - we're holding onto that free pass for the next time we go.


The next day, Uncle Steve joined us and we went to the Great Escape, which is an amusement park in Lake George.


It's now part of Six Flags and was such a nice park. The weather was cool while we were there, so we didn't do any of the water park but wow, did they have rollercoasters!


Sam rode his first ever "real" rollercoaster.


The Boomerang backed up and then let loose and went upside down! See if you can spot Tom, Sam, and Uncle Steve


We then elected for a tamer ride


Then back to rollercoasters! This is the Nightmare rollercoaster with Tom peeping out in the back seat


It was such a fun park and such a fun day.

Where might a carload of 3 people who were born in West Virginia gravitate towards?


We had dinner there after the Great Escape and breakfast the next morning. It's run by an Italian father and his daughter. The daughter - and golly her name escapes me - was just great. She's a professional musician and entertainer. In the evening, she is also Elmo - she dresses up as Elmo to entertain the kids at the restaurant. She also teaches drumming in NYC. The dad was just great. At breakfast, all of a sudden he appeared with a bullhorn while playing a song from the 50s. He walked around the room asking for guesses on who sang the song - Steve finally guessed Bobby Darin and won his breakfast! The restaurant had the best eggplant parmesan I think I've ever had ever. We definitely will go back when we visit Lake George again.

As is our custom, we meandered home rather than taking the most direct route. We drove north on the west side of the lake - the views of the lake with the Adirondack Mountains in the back was breathtaking! We stopped for a picnic lunch in Bolton's Landing NY, right on the lake. They have a beautiful public park with a playground and turkey-stealing seagulls!


We then drove through Ticonderoga NY hoping to be able to catch the ferry over Lake Champlain back into Vermont - and we did!



Of course Tom and Sam being Tom and Sam LOVED this sign!


Note Sam trying to jump off the ferry...

They sold apples on the ferry too - delicious Macintosh apples from an orchard near Lake Champlain in Vermont.


We had a wonderful few days! We definitely will go back - if for nothing else, to cash in on our mini-golf game.

Projects finished and in progress

I'm still a blog slacker! Oh well, I blame it on a busy life.

I still don't think I can show you the socks I test knit for Adrienne - I finished those. They are for my buddy, Kris. She's had more ups and downs this month than anyone should. Her sweet kitty passed away so was going to give these to her to make her feel better (nothing to make you feel better than a pair of handmade socks!). But she now has a wonderful new job and a beautiful new kitten named Nora - yay, Kris! So at some point... I'm in the process of blocking them so I can mail them to her.

Speaking of Adrienne, she designed the August Sock of the Month Club offering for theknitter.com They knit up so fast and were so much fun - intricate enough to be interesting but not so it drove you nuts. And the yarn is devine! It's Panda Wool, the colorway is Circus. I've finished both socks now - here's a picture with the first done and the second in progress.


I really love the way the yarn colors pooled - I'm pretty sure my socks won't look like anyone else's. The yarn is so soft - I can't wait to wear them!

I started and finished a pair of socks for Sam when we traveled to Lake George NY last month. He wanted a pair of warm socks. These are knitted using Patons Merino Wool - the design (as simple as it is) is my own. The pattern is a k3, p1 repeat.

Here are the socks:


And here's Sam modeling them:


You can see the k3, p1 pattern when he wears them. As fast as he's growing, I'm sure they'll be mine in no time!

I have a similar pair for son Tom OTN - in "lovely" camo colors, and also the luxury SOTM offering from theknitter.com as well. Oh, and also the Online socks (nearly finished) and another pair. So many projects... The last two are the second sock - no SSS for me! Since son Sam made the "A" team in soccer, I'm pretty sure I'll have plenty of sports/knitting opportunities.