It took some special math to come up with the grand total of apricots I picked and dried this year (Papa, this is the revised amount...I forgot my first batch). Another awesome Freecycler let me come and pick apricots off one of her trees. After two trips to pick them and countless hours cutting, pitting, simmering, soaking, and drying, we have three one-gallon bags of dried apricots to munch on. I borrowed my neighbors 70's Excalibur dehydrator (I'm gonna get me one of those) and used my smaller Nesco to slowly finish the drying process. The kids LOVE them and munch on them every day.
While they have a new favorite snack, the kids are not upset that I'm done with the apricots. I heard, "are you done yet" about a million times over the 10 days it took me to get it all done. I've committed to playing with them for a few days before getting to work on the tons of veggies I have to blanch and freeze. With Justin starting hunting season this weekend and me working on harvesting everything from the garden, our kids will equate this time of year with being able to get away with almost anything because Justin and I are both very distracted.
7 comments:
Pretty much all I can say is .... WOW! (I know how much work that takes - from start to finish - tiring, but SOOOOOO satisfying. (And my experience is only from the going and picking end, not the planting and harvesting end.) Congratulations Pookie! Maddie looks a bit like an apricot ... good enough to eat. :-)
you are so hardcore, melinda. perhaps even the epitome of the word.
I don't think you're mocking me too much Stacy :) I don't think preserving apricots qualifes as hardcore. If Justin gets an elk and I have to help butcher it...that's hardcore in my book (and a little gross but having fresh game meat without hormones, antibiotics, etc. is worth it).
no. i'm not mocking at all. count it: you build a wicked awesome enclosure for your wicked awesome garden. you did something worthwhile with some 50 pounds of apricots (which i don't even buy because they're too pricey and they always go bad). you've told us a few stories of how maddie doesn't want to break a habit but then one day, after weeks of patient persistence, you happen upon the magic word and she's off. you recently decided that, in all of your free time, you'd take up sewing, took a class and have thus far made two (if not more) absolutely precious dresses for your daughter - out of recycled materials, mind you. oh yes, and you also do on occasion butcher animals for their meat. and that's just the tip of the iceberg!
i mean it.
you are hard-freaking-core.
Thanks Stacy! I need a cheerleader like you around to keep me going :)
seriously, I need to come visit soon. It's always so beautiful there!!
Love the pictures, as always.
your kiddos are getting so big!
you are the coolest montana mom i know. not only that, but my guess is that you're the coolest mom in montana... and that's a big state!
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