Mountain Musings

Bounties of the Seasons

The flowers of summer...

...have been replaced by the gourds of fall.

For Bloomin' Tuesday.

 

~Deb

Swiss Chard Quiche

You may have noticed from one of Mom's recent posts a mention of swiss chard quiche. Basing it on an old recipe of Aunt Bunny's for broccoli quiche, I made a variation with some of our garden abundance of swiss chard. This was a perfect way to use it.

When I first had the idea, I made sure to look up recipes of similar dishes online, so that I could tell everyone it had been done before, even if the new quiche didn't turn out looking especially appetizing to some! Several large leaves of cooked chard were simply substituted for the 1 cup of broccoli. You can also sautee the stems of the chard, similar to celery, and add that in with the onions.

Granny suggested I freeze the chard to enjoy this again in the winter. Following is the recipe. See other Chard recipes at GNOWFGLINS Seasonal Recipe Round Up.

~Hannah

Bloomin' Tuesday ~ Cockscomb

Here's our Bloomin' Tuesday flower post of the week: Cockscomb or "rooster's head," as my mom called it when she took a garden tour during her visit this weekend.

This spring Hannah planted a giant cockscomb mix which ranges in color from dark pink to yellow.

This one pictured has an extra large cluster, while others in the patch are smaller and actually resemble a rooster's head a little more.

This flower makes a unique addition to a fresh flower centerpiece--when picked before the tiny black seeds mature.

I'm so very thankful I was able to participate this week! I have missed being outside in my garden these last couple of months. To see other Bloomin' Tuesday entries, please visit Ms Green "thumb" Jean's blog.

~Deb

Apples on a Monday with My Mom

I love it when my mom visits. It definitely makes any Monday special.

Here she is in the kitchen with Hannah peeling some of the Red Delicious apples she picked at the orchard last week. We've been eating all sorts of apple goodies since she arrived.

Today she fried these apples in our biggest frying pan for lunch--yummy!

Hannah served swiss chard quiche and beets from the garden.

We've had a wonderfully busy Monday harvesting in the garden, frenching green beans, baking granola bars, and making hamburger rolls for our meal tonight.

And I'm glad Granny was here to make Monday a special day. We will miss her when she leaves tomorrow. 

~Deb

Mazzotti at the Girottis

Today's church fellowship meal was a real hit. One of our church families brought Joe Mazzotti as their contribution!

Joe who? I had to google that when I first heard the name of this unique casserole. I found the recipe here and another copy here taken from an old Fannie Farmer cookbook. It was actually quite delicious!

The rest of our meal included: corn with roasted red peppers, fruit bowl, garlic bread, and cream cheese cupcakes with raspberries for dessert.

Here are a few folks headed through the line. That's my mom in the picture below who is visiting us this weekend. We always enjoy worshipping together on the Lord's Day, and we enjoy the fellowship meal afterwards each Sunday.

   

During the afternoon we all continued practicing singing "Come Thou Fount" in four-part harmony. We are enjoying using the Servens' "Glory, Laud, and Honor" CD teaching us how to sing!

Did you have an especially good Sunday?

~Deb

Seeds for Sale!

It's time to let any of you gardeners know about the new "country store" that's now a part of the Mountain Musings sidebar. Currently, we have stocked a supply of freshly harvested Hyacinth Bean seeds from the Girotti garden. Now you can grow this beautiful vine--it's very easy to grow, and is a unique plant to have climbing up anything, such as a bird feeder pole, garden gate, porch railing, or even spilling over a rock wall (we 've seen some like this at our local library). The purple stems, blooms, pods, and purplish/green foliage are a striking addition to the garden.

A short note on using the features of the new store: Click on the "i" symbols for store policies or product information, and the box symbol for shipping information. The arrows will scroll through all the products available.

Keep your eyes open for any more handmade or homegrown items that may find their way to the "aisles" of the Mountain Musings Country Store in the future. We'd love to share our handiwork with our readers.

~Hannah

New Hope Chest Items

This past month, I have had abundant time on my hands while at the hospital with Mom and Aunt Bunny. It was just perfect for finishing up some knitting and crochet projects.   

On the left are two baby blankets. The pink one has been mostly finished for months but was needing a border added. I was so happy to get that done after procrastinating for so long.

The yellow blanket was started on the last week of Aunt Bunny's rehab in Richmond. I crocheted a good two-thirds of it in a couple of days...it was funny how many of the nurses and therapists commented on it and how fast it was coming along! When you're sitting watching therapy for 9 hours a day, a lot can be done if you keep your hands busy. :) 

I finished the remaining rows and border of the yellow blanket last week after we got home. Just yesterday, I washed both blankets, and they are now safely folded and tucked away for future use. This makes three that I've made (for myself, that is): blue and green stripes for a boy, and now both the pink ruffled one for a girl, and the yellow blanket that can be for either a boy or a girl.

Also recently completed are two simple dishcloths. I hadn't knitted in a little while, so that got me back into it. Right now, I'm starting to knit my very first pair of socks! Awhile back, Mom received a free knitting magazine that had a very pretty sock pattern in it. I've been wanting to try it, and I even bought the yarn for it a long time ago.

It was always intimidating to actually start them though, so I've put it off until now. Once I learned how to knit in the round with double pointed needles and got into the pattern a little ways, it's not that hard. At least not yet - I haven't reached the heel, though.

That's what I've been up to lately! :)

~Sarah

Much Needed Therapy--Hers and Mine

Here's a tiny glimpse into our lives since Aunt Bunny came to be with us while recuperating from her hip surgery.

Sarah is our in-house physical therapist on days a registered one doesn't visit. She has done a great job helping Aunt Bunny with upper body exercises using cans of veggies for the one-pound weights. Strengthening leg exercises also make up their therapy sessions at the kitchen counter.

And here's what makes up my therapy session...notice the card table set up in the foreground in the above picture? We moved my craft area downstairs to be closer to Aunt Bunny, and I started some quilting therapy this weekend.

Back in August Hannah attended my monthly Saturday Sampler class at Patchwork Plus fabric shop since I was with Aunt Bunny in the hospital. Hannah made the quilt block you see below called Square Acres; I think she did a great job.

Here's the quilt block I made this weekend--with lots of instruction from Hannah; it's called Sixteen Candles. It was great to think about nothing but cutting fabric. It was a lot of fun, and I'm relieved my September homework is complete and ready to take to my quilting class this coming Saturday. I'm definitely looking forward to finding out what next month's quilt block will be!

~Deb

Remembering a Year Ago

A few weeks ago, our church fellowship had a special celebration. We brought to mind and gave thanks to the Lord for how He sovereignly worked to bring us together one year prior. Each head of household related the details of his family's experience of how we met and were drawn together. We then had a time of thankful prayer, and after some time in the Scriptures, we enjoyed our Lord's Table meal -- complete with a Sarah-baked anniversary cake.

It was a very encouraging time in the Lord, and we appreciate these dear folks with whom we have been knitted together.

"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth." 1 Chronicles 16:12

~ Tom