KJ's Ladies

Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time!

Today I was feeling really homey and decided to "put up" some applesauce. We don't have a lot of freezer space so I can all my apples. A friend of mine wanted to know how I canned... so I did a little pictorial for her and anyone else who reads this can come along on the journey.

So, first is the cast of characters... I have learned over the years not just any apple makes good apple sauce. I did not have time to go and pick my own apples this year, so I went to my local orchard and bought from the stand. I usually look for one that has good texture, a firm white apple. This year my favorite apple was available, the macowan! (mmmm, a few of those may not have reached the pot), then I look for one that has a very sweet taste, usually a little softer apple, I choose my daughter's favorite, honey crisp (a few more that didn't make the pot) and last but not least one for color because I like pink applesauce. Doesn't matter what kind it is as long as it is really really red. The redest on the stand this year was Empire so they rounded out the party in the pot.

I loosely follow this recipe http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=126. So first off, quarter the apples and throw in a pot, skin, seeds and all. Add a little water in pot to keep them from sticking on the bottom. Everyone in the pool...

Go retrieve a few missing apples...

Let them bask in that nice steam bath until they are all mushy and brownish (but not burnt).

Now unless your hubby has been super nice to you and bought you one of these nifty attachments for your mixer like this...

your gonna need a food mill that looks like this...

so you take those nicely steamed, warm apples, and pour them in the top and turn the crank (or turn on the mixer) and out comes this beautiful pink applesauce that looks like this...

and the skins and seeds (or apple poop as my kiddos call it) get caught in the top....

Now add sugar to your taste, I added about 3 cups....

Then put it all back in pot for another warm up or until it simmers gently. While you are doing that you are going to need to warm up those canning jars, so get a LARGE pot of water boiling (a word to the wise it takes about 20 minutes for that pot to come to a boil) and put the canning jars in it for about 10 minutes. You will need to time it so that your jars are hot when your applesauce is hot again.

Then take the jars out of the boiling water and fill with hot applesauce almost to the top...

Put the lids and rings on and make sure they are tightly secure cause they are going for a dip in the hot boiling water...

After it nice a hot with a simmering boil, let em hang out together for 20 minutes. Then when they come out you should have a nice looking batch of pink ladies...

And just cause I love my Daddy and want him to be around for awhile I made him a little batch without all that sugar.

Now go make yourself some goodness!!

Progression of the Living Room

Ok... I have really tried to find the time to post all these wonderful "blog" entries that run around in my head but the day goes so quickly and it doesn't get done, so here is one of them that I thought I would send along. I thought maybe you would like to see how the living room has progressed since we have been here. It is still not done b/c we need to update the paint, but the current color is not too far off from what I would like to do so you get a general sense of what the living room will look like.... now on to the bedroom!

Here is what the living room looked like before we moved

Here is what the living room looked like the day we moved in. Yes! There our bedroom was in the living room because we needed to put flooring down in our bedroom, but that is for the Progession of the Bedroom post soon:

Here is the living a two days after we moved in. Prince Charming spent one night in the living room and worked hard the next day to get the flooring down in the bedroom and we moved the bed in the next night. But I do have to admitt it was kinda nice to lay in bed and watch a movie on the flat screen and surround sound. You will notice the new playroom where the bedroom used to be:

Our almost done living... notice the rearrangement of furniture, pictures that have been in storage for years and new curtains:

Super Busy Summer

This summer has been super duper busy! When school ended we jumped right into VBS season and summer camp season. Princess #1 went to her first week of summer camp at Camp Pinnacle (about 20 minutes away). She loved going and is already preparing for next year! She was able to take a hoseback riding camp which was her absolute favorite and when asked each day what her favorite part was, she would say "horses!" While I prepared for the big Vacation Bible School week. Prince Charming and I also got away for a quick overnight where we just enjoyed some nice R&R before the rush. VBS was 6 days if amazing, crazy, and fun! We had than 120 kids each day except for one and about 17 kiddos come to know the Lord as their personal savior.

March 2011

~I have decided to direct our church's VBS program again this year. It is a large committment and takes may months of planning. We have anywhere from 75-120 kids attend on any given night and about 75-90 staff members. This year we are going to run the Answer's In Genesis program "Gold Rush" (www.answersvbs.com) I am very excitied, but a little nervous as well. Please pray that God will direct the program and just use me a his vehicle.

~Our girls are growing like weeds! We have had a wonderful family who has given us hand-me-downs since Princess #1 was 6 months old. Unfortantely Princess #1 has caught up in size to their youngest, therefore we are praying for another family who has a slightly older girl for size 8 hand-me-downs. (Mainly pants) We have an over adundance of size 6/6x so if anyone is in need... please let me know!

~We have still not found Prince Charming's ipod please continue to pray it will show up somewhere.

~ We celebrated Prince Charming's birthday with a small family dinner and quiet party. He was quite pleased.

~ Princess #2 found her first wiggly tooth this morning and she is super excitied! Let's pray it isn't too long before she actually looses it or I think I might go crazy with her exicitment!! :)-

~We have been blessed with a snowblower! What an answer to pray! Prince Charming's dad gave us his snowblower on permanent loan, while he upgraded to a plow which was a better fit for his 800 foot driveway. We were able to use it during our last storm of 12+ inches. What a wonderful provision from the Lord!

~January/February/March are long cabin-fever months for this social-bug of a housewife. This year seems to have it's really slow months. Please pray for God's unwavering presence in the long, cold days of March and early April.

~Prince Charming is starting the budget process for our church with the Trustee board. Just keep him in your prayers as they have to make wise and prudent decisions for our church and its ministries.

~I am starting the process of nominating church officers through the nominating committee at our church. Please pray that God will direct our decisions, and keep us unified.

That seems to be it for this month. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

A family picture

Princess #1 on one of the snow banks at church

Princess #2 on one of the snow banks at church

Prince Charming using the backhow to move snow at the church parking lot, he has spent many hours on this project

Princess #3 not liking climbing the snow

Our "new-to-us-on-permanent-loan" snowblower

February 2011

~Our family has been through a round of illness like no other... so far: Daddy had the stomach virus, Mommy had the stomach virus and a persistent cold, Princess #1 has had the stomach virus, Princess #2 has/had 3 ear infections, sinus infection, and stomach virus, and Princess #3 has had double ear infections. Please pray that whatever bateria is running around here just takes a leave. I am really getting sick of being sick!

~On February 12th Prince Charming and I will be spending the day kid-free to have our annual "Stark State of the Union". This is a day we set aside every year to get together and just evaluate what's on tap for the year or what changes we should make from the year before. (finances, ministries, kids activities, etc) Pray for wisdom and understanding for the both of us.

~Princess #1 and Princess #2 received their 2nd quarter report cards this last week. Both girls are doing fairly well in school. Princess #1 is showing some signs of struggle in math. She continues to excel in reading, language arts and science. Her teacher has expressed a concern over her lack of focus. She understands and learns things quickly but getting things done in a timely manner and following/hearing instruction from the teacher continues to be a struggle. Princess #1 is excelling in the classroom and even stays after school for enrichment once a week. The teacher's only concern is her difficulities in holding a pencil or crayon correctly. When asked to hold it correctly she struggles to form letters correctly. The teacher is working with her to slow down and take her time. Continue to pray for the girls in school and the best course of action for us to help them.

~A simple little request but it is a lingering issue, Prince Charming seems to have lost his ipod. We are fairly sure it made it home from CA but now we are wondering. We have found the case and earphones but not the ipod. Pray that we can find it.

~Pastor has just finished a sermon series on Stewardship and it was very challenging to Prince Charming and I. Pray that God continues to work out these areas in our lives according to his will.

~On the 16th Prince Charming has a birthday!! Happy Birthday

~Princess #3 has had some successes on potty training. We are about 75% trained for the day-time hours... still working it, keep praying!!

~We had numerous snow storms this year. Snow removal is not part of our lease so we are responsible for the removal ourselves. We do not own a snowblower and both of our snow shovels broke during this last storm! Prince Charming has definitely had his share of snow this year. Pray for his back and shoulder during this time of year.

Until next month here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...