Around here...

Gerald challenged Justine to read the van's manual to figure out how to replace the thermostat.  She figured that part out, but said she'd have to read the entire manual to figure out all the other things she'd have to do to get at it.  In the end, they did it together.  I took an auto class in highschool and probably learned less in that semester than she learned in one afternoon. 

A few weeks ago, a package arrived at our doorstep.  It was a box of Dutch treats from Ruth, my very sweet and generous friend in Holland.  Those chocolate filled caramels were my downfall.  They were soooo good. There were more, but at the time the picture was taken, just one roll was left. Yes, I did share them. :)

In the package was a generous supply of the very best Dutch hand towels and tea towels, in colours that match the kitchen perfectly.

Two weekends ago we took a much-overdue trip up north to visit friends.  What fun to catch up with them again.  We were hoping to go to a local orchard and buy some apples for applesauce while we were there.  As it turned out, our friends have access to some apple trees and they offered to take us out to pick our own. 

What could be nicer than free, organic apples, friends to work and talk with, and glorious, clear weather to enjoy?

A few days later we made all those apples into sauce.  It was a lot of work, but we ended up with 76 litres of applesauce.

Last week a kind friend gave us three well-stuffed garbage bags of kale, freshly picked from her garden.  So Saturday we washed (and washed and washed) it and chopped it up, and now have a good year's supply for weekly suppers of boerenkool stamppot.  For those of you who are not Dutch, that's a meal of mashed potatoes mixed with finely chopped, cooked kale, served with sausage.  It is yummy and satisfying and very simple to prepare and serve, which is why we have it on Tuesdays when we need to have an early and quick supper so the older kids can leave on time to go to catechism classes at the church.

We've not been the only ones bringing in the harvest.  The farmers have been making good use of the dry weather to get their soybeans off.  They kids look forward to this time in the hopes that they will get a ride in the combine.  They were not disappointed this year.  Look closely and you can see several of them piled in the cab.  Even Nadia got to go this year!

What Fall fun has been happening at your house?