Moody Monday's: Feeling Blessed

tlpoague

I woke up this morning feeling under the weather. This put a damper on my mood to write...a long with any topics I had thought to write about. All day, while trying to over-come the stomach bug, I tossed ideas about. Nothing sounded up to par.
So...I sit here, sipping a cup of coffee, and thinking about how blessed I have been this last year.
My writing hasn't gone in the direction I had planned when I made my New Year's resolution. Instead, my research for my stories have led me down a different path with different views. I think this will help to enrich some of my stories I have been working on. (This also began the process of un-learning a few things.)
I have been blessed with another grandson earlier this year. It is amazing to see how fast time flies as I watch this young man blossom. Between him and his brother, my days have been full keeping up. (Hence the reason why my online writing has slowed down.)

Photo by tlpoague
It seems like just yesterday my children were babies.

Photo by tlpoague
Now I have two grandchildren. They are such a blessing.

 The reality of how short life is hit hard again this year. I won't go into details about it because I wrote about some of those experiences in my earlier blogs. It also impressed upon me how God works in our lives and in answering prayer. I know some of these experiences deepened my faith in the Lord.

This year we sold our business due to health issues. It is so weird to say we are retired now because I feel like I am working harder now, than when we ran our business.
In its place, I have taken up crafting again to go with my writing. I have never seen myself as being that talented. Just the average Jane learning something new.

Photo by tlpoague
This is a hat that I made with matching earrings
and necklace.

Photo by tlpoague
Here is a toddler bed Mr. P. and I
made. I didn't realize how easy it was
to make a quilt with matching crib sheet.

Photo by tlpoague
This could be used as a child head band
or a choker. 

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This is one of many blankets
with matching caps.

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This is one of the scarves I made
for my mother whom is
battling cancer.

Photo by tlpoague
Since I couldn't stop with just one,
I made a second one to go with it.

Because I didn't think I had enough to do with all of that, I talked my hubby into trying our hand at canning again. Something we haven't done since we were kids. 

Photo by tlpoague
A batch of chili for those cold,
snowy days.

Photo by tlpoague
Our first try at jelly.
It should come with its own
warning label.
Very addictive!

Saving the best for last, to wrap up this rambling, I am blessed not just with my family...but the friends I have met online through the social networks and writing websites. You guys mean more to me than you will ever know. I wouldn't be here trying this online writing thing if it wasn't for all of you. Thank you for your support, prayers, and encouragement. 

To me, this Christmas is more than just the over-rated commercials, last minute gifts, and hoopla. It has been a moment to take a breath, relax, reflect on the times gone by, and enjoy this moment...here and now. People will forget about the gifts five minutes or five years from now. But, they won't forget about the people who touched their lives in so many ways. 

I would like to invite you to join me on TSU. It is a new social website where I am sharing my writings and others. It is by invite only, so I would like to extend this invite to you...https://www.tsu.co/TLPoague

Moody Monday's: Homemade Applesauce for the Holidays

tlpoague

A fragrance of cinnamon and cloves tantalized her taste buds as she closed the kitchen door to the cold, barren world of snow outside. She let the perfume and warmth engulf her, as she discarded her coat at a near-by kitchen chair on her way to the stove. A golden mash bubbled in the pot sending out plumes of smells that made her mouth water. She was giddy with excitement. It was her favorite dish. Her mother's applesauce she had made for the holidays.
I have many fond memories as child gathering around the table in preparation of making or processing food to store for the winter months. (Last week I shared "How To Make Snack Sticks")
Today, I wanted to share the process of making and canning my own applesauce from the apples I had gathered from my sister's apple tree. (I realize I am a day late posting this for a Moody Monday, but a slight injury held me up from writing yesterday and most of today.)
I began with peeling the mountain of apples. (This is where I can hear my great-grandma's voice scolding me for not peeling them the right way.)

Photo by tlpoague
My mini mountain of apples to peel.
The water has fruit fresh in it to keep the apples from turning brown.

Photo by tlpoague
The handy apple peeler/corer for those mountains of apples.
My grandmother would be having a stroke using this.
"Too much waste," she would claim.

Once I had the apples peeled and sliced, I placed them on the stove to cook down. It takes about two hours for the amount I had, which was roughly two gallons.

Photo by tlpoague
The apples sliced and ready for the pot.

Photo by tlpoague
I have roughly two gallons of apples to cook down.

Once the apples were cooked to a mush, I separated the juice from the pulp. The juice I stored in a pitcher to place in jars later and placed it in the refrigerator. I, then, mashed the pulp through a colander to create the creamy sauce. (For a faster process, the pulp can be ran through a food processor.)

Photo by tlpoague
The apples and juice that I have separated.
The steam is still rolling off them.

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The apples have been pureed and are ready for the sugar and spices.

Photo by tlpoague
The juice is ready to be drank or also canned.
For now it is going to the fridge.

     Once I had the applesauce pureed. It was ready to add the sugar and spices. (I like a zip to my applesauce, so I added cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger, with my sugar. Then it was time to add them to the sterile jars. (This can either be hot or cold packed. I used hot jars since my sauce was still hot.)

Photo by tlpoague
Applesauce is packed in sterile jars and ready to be processed.

I then gave my jars a water bath for thirty minutes after the water came to a rolling boil. (Be sure to check and see what your canning is for your area. Each area varies.)

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The jars are packed in a hot water bath.

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The end product...homemade applesauce for the holidays!

Photo by tlpoague
Here are two jars of the apple juice that I canned.
Later it can be drank, or made into jelly.

Thanks again for stopping by this Moody Monday. Sorry for the delay. A kink in my neck prevented me from being able to write and have this posted on time. (It much be all that crocheting I was doing...) But...I couldn't wait another week to share this wonderful treat.
*With Christmas just around the corner, these would make great gifts to add to a basket of homemade goodies.*