Making memories, and feeling at home

I'm making apple juice and pies today. 2 pies for the freezer and one pie for the Hubby. Gotta keep him happy too.

Thought I'd share a favorite recipe for those who don't have a harvest of produce to can but might enjoy the experience of preserving something. Bread in a jar! How novel, eh? This recipe comes from a favorite Amish cookbook, From Alma's Kitchen. Alma is a personal friend. She has cooked some awesome meals for our family when we visit Holmes County. And she is an amazing woman, on top of all that. The recipe is easy, can be coverted to any sweet bread, and the end result is 8 pints of sweet bread, that can be saved to use as a gift, or for an emergency offering to go with tea or coffee when someone drops in unexpectedly. Making memories. :-)

Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar

2/3 c shortening

2 2/3 c white sugar

4 eggs

2 c bananas, mashed

2/3 c water

3 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 t salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

2/3 c pecans, chopped

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, banans, and water. Sift together flour, baking posder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased wide mouth pint jars, filling 1/2 full of batter. Do not put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile sterilize lids and rings in boiling water. As soon as bread is done, remove from oven one jar at a time; wipe rims of jars and put on lids ande rings. Jars will seal as breads cool. Unsealed jars should be kept in refrigerator for up to a week. seald jars can be stored with other canned food for up to a year. Makes 8 pints. You can substitute different fruits and vegetables to make other varieties of this same basic recipe. This is a great gift for friends and neighbors. Also, makes a great Christmas gift, decorated with a pretty label and a circle of Christmas fabric under the far ring---Alma Hershberger

How fun is that???

Well, work on the house is progressing. The new back porch is expansive...12 foot wide and wonderful already! The guys worked in inclement weather today, sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, sometimes wet, always cripsy cold. The porch floor boards are secured, the steps have been made and set in place and one side is sided. It's looking really nice.

This is the west side of the front porch. I think they were able to finish that section too, after I took the picture. The can lights are in and really look nice at night when they are turned on. And on the right, the back porch. It doesn't look all that glamourous in the picture but believe me, it IS!!! You can't tell on this picture that the siding had to be altered a little. It's an old farmhouse, not square after 80 + years of settling. So when they got to the windows, the crooked siding was really obvious. We are so pleased that the guys were able to correct it and make it look even. Just right. They are GOOD!!!

And this is a shot from the backyard, looking toward the porch . On the right side you see where the room was added on. It's an addition to the bathroom. Lord willing. The plan is to add that space for the commode area, with a shower and sink. A louvered or pocket door will separate that space from the tub room w/ sink and jaccuzzi. I can't wait for my own soaking whirlpool tub. I soak sometimes 2 or 3 times a week in a plain old (antique) tub. Not a clawfoot, not that old. But it's shallow and not really good for soaking.

From this picture you can see the porch roof was raised a bit. The windows are going to be altered up above the porch. That's my sewing room right now. Everything in front of the windows will be moved. Thinking of moving into a different room, especially if it is deemed not possible to replace the windows with smaller ones. The jury is still out on that decision. If the windows have to be removed (yes, one could be put right into the middle but there was a reason that isn't an option. I just can't remember what it is.

So, now you are all up to date on the house project. We are weary. Tom more than me. It'll be good when this is finished.