Enter for a chance to win a NutriMill Grain Mill

Laura, over at Heavenly Homemaker, is in kahoots with Paula's Bread. They're giving away a NutriMill Grain Mill and you really need to hit this button so that you might win one.

Fruit Trees!!!! I've got Fruit Trees!!!!!

This has been a long time coming...

I've wanted to plant fruit trees since we moved to this property 10 years ago. We tried to go the less expensive way and buy bare root trees. We brought them home and immediately placed them into water for 12-24 hours, as was suggested by the producer. Then we planted them.

They Died.

The next year we tried again. Again we followed the producers instructions, even check marking off at each step. AND!

They Died.

I gave up. Well obviously not entirely, cause fast forward to this year - 2011. I was driving past the farmer style store (obviously not fast enough - I'll have to work on that.) on my way home about a month ago, and there was a sign calling out my name: "Fruit and Shade Trees." I stopped and talked to the man in the greenhouse area. They were NOT bare root. They were three years old. They looked healthy. They were budding out appropriately for the time of season. They were outside, and had been outside for several weeks. I left. 

I obsessed about them for two more weeks. I went back to the farmers style store. I bought six trees.

1. 1 Sweet Sixteen Apple
2. 1 Granny Smith Apple
3. 1 Lapin Cherry
4. 1 Rainier Cherry
5. 1 Bartlett Pear
6. 1 Sungold Apricot

We planted them yesterday. 

Quincy helped.

Oh, and this time we used a Miracle Grow product to "fix" the roots system and help them establish easier.

I still need to buy and plant:

• 1 more Apricot - for cross pollination. They didn't have another type, so I didn't buy a second.
• 1 more Pear - for cross pollination. Same deal.
• 2 plums - I want one Italian and one Red type.

I'll be watching, and watering and worrying about them for quite awhile. Sure hope this works.

 

Oh, and we also decided to plant a couple children to see if they would grow more:

1 Boy Tree
1 Girl Tree

Yeah, cause that's what we need. More children.

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY!

Yep, in addition to being my birthday, May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day! So to celebrate I am going to post a really yummy Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Brownie Recipe that my daughter is making me for my birthday! Well I think you should make these at your house. And, sing Happy Birthday to me! Remember the candles! And hats... and streamers! Oh, and a banner!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES

1 c. butter, melted
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. Hershey's cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts (opt.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease square pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. In large mixing bowl blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, using spoon, beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually blend into egg mixture. Stir in Chocolate Chips and nuts, if desired. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool.

About 32 brownies.

Italian Pizzelles

Today I made these cookies for the first time. Read the end of the recipe to find out my story.

Italian Pizzelles
72 cookies
• 6 large eggs (I only had five today and it was fine)
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup salad oil (canola oil)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons anise flavoring or anise oil
Note: I used a full bottle of Anise flavoring and added enough (Watkins White) vanilla to make up the 3 tablespoons.
Beat eggs until thick and lemony colored. Add in, beating well the sugar and beat until thick. Beat in the oil and continue beating. Add in the flour. Add in the flavor.
Heat the pizzelle maker on stove top, or if electric plug in unit.
Drop tablespoon of batter onto iron and bake until golden light brown in color. I like mine very light.
Remove and cool on wire rack. Place cooled cookies into tin cans.
If you are using anise oil, use less than you would the flavor, as oil is stronger. But taste a few after been cooled and you can always add more flavoring as you go. I have also added a few tablespoons of cornstarch in place of some of the flour, so they stay crisp in those humid days. Hope you do try and like this heirloom recipe. Amount of cookies depends on the size you make them also. Also the batter can be covered and placed in the fridge for a few hours or overnight too.
My Story: I have a friend who used to make Pizzelles, I have a cousin who uses her grandmother's recipe. I love these light crispy, thin cookies, and I absolutely had to force myself to stop eating them. I wanted to make them myself, so I wouldn't have to beg my family and friends,but I didn't have a Pizzelle Iron. So, because I am a frugal person, I put an RSS feed onto craigslist for an iron. It took about 9-months, but finally someone had a Pizzelle Iron for sale for $25. They are normally $65. It had never been used! I snapped that right up! And I'm pretty proud of the results. My older son took most of them to a Boy Scout Court of Honor dinner tonight. I wasn't able to go, but they didn't bring any home with them. I guess someone asked if they could take the rest for their work tomorrow. That's a real compliment.
(Sure hope the chickens lay enough eggs tomorrow so I can make more.)