Posted on 11/12/2022 6:40:05 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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Limoncello was the starter idea. We have a friend who makes that regularly and his is the best! He doesn’t grow his own lemons, though, LOL.
The lemon verbena liqueur was very similar but had an herbal quality to it. I guess that may have turned some people off. I told them it was nice as a sipper or to add to unsweetened tea for a treat. I only kept 2 bottles for myself, and gave the rest of a dozen or so away. Funny, how that experience has soured me.
I love homemade gifts because I know the time and the love that goes into them. Now I’ve learned to only do them for people who will appreciate that.
Our tomatoes produced 28 pint jars of tomato soup.
Enough to get us through the Missouri cold...
I started canning tomato soup a few years back because of you, Eric. So glad I did! :)
I guess that’s one thing I haven’t considered about moving further south is that you have to rake leaves in the winter as well as the fall. Here in central Indiana, I give up in early December after raking most of October and all of November. It is too cold, and soon enough we have snow or other precipitation which makes it difficult. We are having our first real snowfall of the season.
My lettuce was very slow to sprout with the warm weather. Thought I had a three bad seed batches with zero germination. Hurricane Nichole was the magic touch. Everything sprouted overnight Thursday. Sweet!
Current temp: 79ºF.
You’re welcome !
Nijiri Kama Do search for other sources.
I have one, its great. Hard steel forged on soft to allow for sharp working edge but allows some flex without breaking. Can be sharpened.
Works for close weeding and cultivation and making the transplant hole when you set out seedlings.
When I was a teenager - the Gifts I used to give Grandmas, Great Aunts, etc. was a handwritten ‘coupon’ for a free days use of me for manual labor.
It often ended up as a Spring yard/garden work.
Wonder if any kids think of that nowadays....?
Those coupon gifts are great! I used to do that, too!
Yum! My tomato harvest was particularly poor this year. My tarragon and chives are really the last of what I have from this year.
I’ll bet they loved that! And more so of just spending time with you than anything else. :)
I never wrote those coupons; I was an indentured servant on my Aunt’s farm every summer, LOL! Me, Sis and all of our Cousins were put to work!
Yes - they worked me hard...
But the food given at lunches and dinners more than made up for it...
Especially - the desserts!!
🍪🍰
Can tomato soup be frozen? Or any sort of soup? If so, what sort of container is best?
Me too! I gave my aging mom a coupon book with a variety of chores to be done around her house. Better than more “stuff” she didn’t need and didn’t have room for.
Came in for a hat, drink & 3 ibuprofen. It’s downright HOT out there - my workstation is in full sun. I could go to some trouble & move it all under the cedar trees which would be deep shade - very tempting. The shade will gradually creep over, but got a while to go in the sun yet.
There’s not a cloud in the sky .... intense blue. Most of the leaves are down, but there’s a splotch of color here & there. Other than being a bit ‘warm’ where I’m working, it’s a gorgeous day. I hope we get another spell of this sort of weather around Thanksgiving - next week won’t be so balmy.
I’ve never tried to freeze tomato soup; I water-bath can it.
However, these people say you CAN freeze tomato soup:
https://preparedcooks.com/freeze-tomato-soup/
They did note that it shouldn’t contain any dairy as those solids will separate when frozen.
Everything is finished here in west Michigan. Hubby used the leaf blower about a dozen times. The last of the red raspberries were picked. Had some late romaine (baby)in a planter on the patio with a plastic plank over it. Last harvest.
Put our first suet cake out for the birds. Hubby cut back asparagus yesterday. Yesterday was really the nicest last day, from here on out looks like the 30's and even the high 20's. They are saying snow here on Tuesday.
As far as gardened made gifts, this is a good one I came up with years ago. We have lots of dried cayenne peppers. I pierce then with a toothpick a few times and use long twist ties to make a couple of lengths to hang to dry. When dry put in a jar like this or nicer yet one of those oil skinny necked one. Jam in as many as you can. Fill with a good light oil, I usually use Bertolli's extra light. Leave out for a few days, the oil will turn a dark pink. Great to use in a frypan when searing any kind of meat, a few drops to make an omelet, anything you can think of really, stir frys, etc. You can always use the peppers afterwards I suppose. I never have as we have so many each year.
I have even made a sprig of a dozen or so peppers with evergreen and twine to make a package decoration. Lots of bluebirds hanging around eating fall berries.
bttt
Pretty! You still have Bluebirds! How wonderful. :)
Gifts I am giving this season with some home-made ingredients:
Apple Pie (wrapped and frozen) with French Crumb Topping
A crusty loaf of Herb & Garlic bread
Compound butters (some sweet, some savory)
Salsa
Bloody Mary Mix
Spiced Nuts
Jams and Apple, Pear and Pumpkin Butters
If I feel ambitious, I’ll sew some gift bags for the above items, and I also have some gorgeous homespun fabric for kitchen dish towels...of which I need a few, too! :)
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