Ally and Aiden and I went to Circleville, Ohio today.

It is the home of the 103rd Pumpkin Festival.

There were pumpkin waffles and doughnuts, pumpkin ice cream and cheesecake.

Pumpkin candy and brittle, eep fried pumpkin blossoms, the world’s largest pumpkin pie and a whole lot of normal sized ones, as well.  Giant pumpkins, carved pumpkins, decorated pumpkins.  Pumpkins for sale and pumpkins on display.  PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN- everything pumpkin.

It was so much fun.  They had a pumpkin parade and cordoned off ALL of their downtown streets so that crafters and vendors and civic organizations could display and sell their pumpkin paraphernalia.

PUMPKINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prize winning pumpkins

Warted cheese pumpkin

Decorated pumpkins

(some were so cute- see the one with curly Q’s out of chenille stems? That one and the one next to it were decorated by siblings.  The curly Q won a ribbon- the next one did not.  There was one very unhappy little sister looking at those pumpkins!)

And there was a parade- which we didn’t see- but we met up with two members of the parade a little later!

These dogs weighed over 200 lbs and

are still growing!  Sweet tempered and friendly!

AND VERY VERY LARGE!!!!!

Aiden rode on the Ferris Wheel-

and ran around on this big obstacle course-

While Momma Ally watched and encouraged from below!

And then he went on this mixer- and we were done with the rides.

We went into the craft area and I had to take this picture.  Really, I had to – because it just amazes me what people….

will wear on their heads in public!

Aiden fell asleep on the way home.  I nodded off for a little while,

But it was a wonderful adventure.

And we found the great pumpkin-

He lives in Circleville!

It is 3:44 AM and my mind is set on BUZZ!

I couldn’t fall asleep.

There is too much going on in there.

So I decided to get up and put the menu down here.

Maybe then I won’t keep thinking about the ingredients.

Dinner menu for Sunday, October 11, 2009

– Thai Chicken Soup

-Sourdough French baguettes

-Orange Chicken with braised fennel and onions

-Basmati  rice

Broiled Angel food cake slices with chocolate syrup,

sliced strawberries and homemade granola

I’ll post some pictures and recipes later (after I make them!)

Until then, here’s a picture of my homemade granola.

We’ve all heard it, I think.

That encouraging statement from our spiritual family.

“Honey, God is just trying to stretch you with this ____________(fill in the blank).”

I have been guilty of saying it.

I’m sorry.

Because although stretching is important.  And sometimes it feels good to stretch when you haven’t moved lately.

BEING stretched is a different story.

That is torture- you know like on the rack?

I am a short woman.  I have short arms and legs- I’m built like a hobbit.

And my kitchen is built for an Amazon.  So I stretch all the time.

Getting stuff out of the cupboard, putting stuff into the cupboards, looking for stuff on the top shelf of anywhere is difficult and hurts.

I KNOW all about stretching- and when something is out of reach- stretching is not always the answer anyway. 

I WANT TO GROW!

I went out to look at my rosebush in the rain this morning.

Pretty, isn’t it?

It’s not stretching out there.  It’s growing.

It’s mid October and still growing.

It is beautiful.  And when it does finally stop blooming and the leaves curl in the frost and cold.

It will still be growing.

Underground the roots will continue to grow-

going deeper-

becoming stronger-

preparing for additional growth in the Spring.

And isn’t growing what the Lord wants us to do anyway?

I’ve never seen a scripture that says, Stretch into grace.

Or to stretch out your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I understand the concept behind the statement.

I just don’t like it.

God is doing a work in me.

Ephesians 2:10 says we are his workmanship,

and that we are fitted to grow into a holy temple

so that the Holy Spirit can live within us.

I am committed to growing.

BEING STRETCHED?

Not so much.

Because I want to end up looking like this in God’s hand-

(being stretched makes me think of plastic surgery- the skin stretched so tight that you can’t even smile.  I don’t want to look like Joan Rivers!)

I have been feeling rather frail emotionally and spiritually.

And I know why.

I’m too busy.

I’m trying to keep up with the schedule of my life.

And my husband’s life.

And my children’s lives.

And attempting to conduct the business from the lives of other loved ones who have needs right now .

And in all that business, I am neglecting quiet time.

I’m wondering if I need an exorbitant amount of time to reflect.

Because without time to just sit and wonder,

and without time to just be in God’s presence,

I become frazzled.

I’m not even talking about the time I need for prayer and study and devotions.

I’m talking about being time.

Quietly, silently, consciously being myself before the Lord.

Like my rosebush that continues to send out flowers and bear fruit without fanfare or undue cultivation.

Continuing to consistently continue.

This is my prayer.

Jill asked for the slow cooker applesauce recipe.

This is so easy, I’m ashamed to call it a recipe.

Basically, you peel, core, and slice the apples and put them in the slow cooker on high for about 1 hour.    Then turn your slow cooker to low and cook until you like the texture.

When the texture is the way you like it (smooth or a little apple lumpy),

you can taste and add sugar( depending on how sweet your apples are- 1/2 -3/4 cup will make it sweet) and cinnamon (1/2-  1 tsp. to your taste) or those red hot cinnamon hearts and it will end up with a little pink look to it.

That’s it!

Yesterday I made seafood gumbo.

It was so good, my mouth is watering just writing about it.

There are a lot of great recipes on-line if you want to make your own batch.

This is the one I used.

But it was the first time I actually did all the work and completed a good roux.

And I finally figured out why my roux wasn’t that great before.

It takes patience.

and perseverance.

And I think they should show pictures.

So here is a pictorial journal of the many colors of Roux.

I KNOW roux means red in French.

But there’s red and then there’s red.

Here is where I started.

1/3 cup bacon fat and a scant cup of flour.  I added the flour left over on my pastry board from making the pie.  Because I have a hard time wasting food.

Even flour.

The color is light beige.

Now stir, stir, stir !  Find a stool and sit down next to your stove, because the next 30 minutes or so is STIR.  This is harder than making Risotto- because that only takes about 22 minutes.

Are you still stirring?

Good.

Look! It is turning to a light tan color!
And it has only been about 7 minutes!

Same color- better picture.

This is darker-raw sienna of roux.

Here I have been stirring for about 17 minutes.

You have to keep stirring or it will burn.

And then you wasted all the time you put into it-

and have to start over  again.

It is hard to tell the color here- but I have put in my 30 minutes and it sure looked mahogany red to me!

So I added my vegetables.

And sauteed them in the roux.

The guy who gave the recipe said you could brown your flour in the oven and it is a lot easier.  I might go that route next time!

And now for some show off cookie time!

I’m not really SHOWING off- I’m just very pleased with how these turned out.

I baked these gingerbread cookies yesterday.

And painted them with white and dark chocolate today!

Gingerbread ponies,apples and sea gulls!

Aren’t they cute!

Today it was pie and applesauce!

Making the applesauce in the slow cooker was easy.

And the pie was delicious.  Alas it is all gone. (Who knew Jordan would eat the applesauce by the cupful!  Tomorrow, I’ll make more and maybe have some to freeze for later.)

I saw a recipe on Mennonite Girls can cook for Caramel Apple Cake with individual  bundt cakes that looks heavenly.  I’m going to try that one!

Got any more recipes that feature apples for me to try?

I’d really like a GOOD apple crisp- I have some recipes- but I’d like something spectacular.  If you have one you like, please share. 

Yes, that would be Cynthia! 

I had her sit her for a photo op- and she didn’t want to. 

Can’t you just HEAR her complaints through her body language?

I take pictures of her because she is with me on my daily meanderings as often as not- but she isn’t very happy about it.  ( The photos- not the meanderings!  I hope!)

Anyway- I’ve known this a long time, but yesterday’s pictures are really proof.  She looks like she is just patiently enduring torture at my hands in most of these pictures.  So this is probably going to be the last you see of her here for a while!

Torture in the gazebo outside of the Oak Cupboard.

“Let me out of the picture” at the Post House.

Elizabeth looks pretty happy-  I really don’t hurt any one in my photographing of them.  I feel like I need to have a disclaimer- No one was injured or hurt in any way in the obtaining of these photographs.

Because – as you can tell in this last picture-

Cynthia doesn’t really care to be in the photo!

63 pounds of apples!!!  That is 3 large bags of very LARGE apples.

That is Jordan’s hand, not my little hobbity hand.  So this is one Gigantic Apple.

We went to Jeromesville and picked MANY apples!  Many, many apples.

Apples=Happy.

I filled a basket I bought at Lehmann’s in Kidron with apples,

And broke out in Johnny Appleseed’s song of thankfulness.

Do you know this song?  Jordan says I sing it all the time- but I don’t think

I sing it ALL the time- just when I have a plethora of Apples!

“The Lord is good to me,

And so I thank the Lord.

For giving all good things to me,

The sun, the rain, and the apple tree.

The Lord is good to me!”

Look at the  beautiful apple trees at Bauman’s orchard.

And we had a wonderful picnic with Luke and Willow and their friend Audra, and Jordan and Frank and AIDAN, and me! 

And then we went on a hayride all around the orchard!

This is an apple in my hand.  Actually, you couldn’t see my hand if I held

the apple! 

Anybody got any really good apple recipes to share?

It’s a rainy day and I love it!

I can’t help it!  I LOVE rainy days!

And if it is thundering and lightening and pouring down rain- I’m on my front porch just enjoying the show!

I’d rather watch a thunderstorm than fireworks.

But- it is just a quiet rainy day- I can hear the slick sound of the cars going by on my street and am surrounded by that slushy sound that rain has when you sit close to the window.

Today, I’m off to play with children.  I have crafts and books and yummy snacks for us to make and eat.  I’m happy.

Because if there is anything I love more than a rainy day- it is playing with kids on a rainy day!

Hope your day is filled with your own particular happiness-

AS long as it doesn’t interfere with my rainy day!

So far, 4 people are eligible for the drawing- Elizabeth,Kim,Cynthia and Lilly-you are still welcome to comment (please continue- I like hearing from you!)- but you are all in the drawing as of today!

Martha and Jill need to comment once more to be eligible.  I am open until Friday, midnight.  Then I am going to pick a name out of a hat and let you know on Saturday who won! 

I’m still looking for anyone with lavender they aren’t going to harvest.  If I find some I’ll make more wands for all of you.  Anyway- just thought I’d let you know where you stand.