Fall Is Here!

Fall is finally here and we have leaves all over our deck. I guess we had better hurry up and enjoy the whole week it will be here before winter sets in. We are enjoying the foods that taste good in the fall so this week Hailey and I made Stuffed Acorn Squash.

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

The Acorn Squash was called Danish squash in the store but I have always known it as Acorn Squash. At any rate you need to buy one or two depending on the size of your family. ( 1/2 a squash is one serving size.) Cut squash in half from stem end to blossom end. The shell is hard so I always use my biggest, sturdiest knife. After removing and discardig seeds, place squash hakves, cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. (You can use a little cooking spray on the baking to avoid sticking.) Remove squash from the oven when inside flesh is cooked and soft.
When squash is cooked remove from the oven and fill cavity with the following:
1 T. butter
1 T. brown sugar
Browned ground sausage
A little diced onion (browned with sausage)
a little shredded cheese (optional)
Heat stuffed squash again for serving.
Eat by scooping squash and stuffing mixture out of shells. (They look pretty on individual plates and can be eaten out of the shell at the table.) The recipe book also suggests that they are good served with applesauce on the side.

\Applesauce\

This week Hailey and I made applesauce. I am not going to give a recipe for applesauce because you can buy a canning book or get pamphlets at the Extension service with step-by-step instructions.
The applesauce we made yesterday tuned out beautiful and all the jars sealed so that gave us a feeling of success. The only hitch was that I couldn't find my canner or canning supplies but luckily Hailey had borrowed some so we managed fine. Probably I gave them away when I gave away all my quart jars and can't remember.
One thing that makes a big difference to me is the variety of apple used. We couldn't find any canning apples around here so we bought some when we visited Treasure Valley last weekend. The lady at the fruit stand said apples are about 6 weeks late this year but we found some Jonathans and bought about 1/2 bushel. I have tasted applesauce, both commercial and home canned that tasted like cardboard. My favorite apples to use are Johnagold or a mixture of Johnathans and Golden Delicious. Red delicious, while good for fresh eating, do not make good applesauce. I don't care for Rome apples either for making applesauce. I have made pretty good applesauce out of Criterions, a new variety.
The nice thing about these Johnathan apples was that they had very red skins so when cooked with the skins on, and put through a "Foley Food Mill" or "Victorio Strainer" they make a pretty pink applesauce.
At supper last night we didn't want to open one of our precios new jars of applesauce so we made "quickie" applesauce" by peeling and cooking about 1 and 1/2 inch pieces of apple in a small amt. of water. (about 1/4 in. deep ) When cooked, mash the apples into a chunky applesauce. It was white because the apples were peeled and delicious when served warm. It is also good if refrigerated and eaten cold.

Life Goes On

We have had a busy but good summer. Now it is September, the air is getting cooler and we are bracing for winter. It is supposed to snow in the mountains this weekend. I think we will watch the General Conference broadcast at the cabin this weekend and build a fire.
Last weekend we went to Treasure Valley. Emily and Kennedy stayed with us in a hotel in Meridian. We attended Bernell Norris' funeral, Ralph had meetings at BSU and we got to visit with Ben, Emily and family who attended and participated in the funeral as well. It was nice to see some old friends but we are both glad to be home again. Eastern Idaho is seeming more like home all the time.
Sara had a good idea. Each week I cook something with Hailey, a young married girl who lives in our basement and comes to help me four days a week. Its kind of a symbiotic arrangement. At least I hope she enjoys it. She does all the cooking. I just keep my usual spot on the couch and provide recipes and suggestions. Then we split whatever we have made. I feel like I can make a tiny contribution, new recipes and techniques for a new mom, and one night a week that Ralph doesn't have to make supper.
Sara's idea is to publish our weekly cooking fare each week on my BLOG. I think it is a good idea and about the only productive thing in my life right now. So I will start with my next BLOG.

Update

A quick update:
We are headed back up to the cabin after spending this week in Rexburg. Dad has finished building a paint booth in his shop. He is planning to paint the MG green and paint some detail on the model As. At the cabin he moved the plathouse from in front of our cabin to Paul's property by Hungry Bear Market so he can use it for a tack shed. Grandma is fixing up Grandpa's old log tack shed for a playhouse. I think everybody is happy. Dad still has a lot of work to do on the water tank and well in front of our cabin. Grandma Kern is dealing with this first year after Gr andpa's loss the best she can.
All of our kids are busy with family life. Sara and Josie were both involved in Girl's Camp and now everyone's getting ready for a new school year. Josie and Blake are moving to Michigan on August 24. I think even Dad will be glad to start school after his many summer projects. Happy Fall!

I was going to wait until I could post pictures but I probably should give you an update anyway.
Ralph took his mom and sister to a concert last night. It featured a girl in our ward singing with somebody Beck, a boy singer that others know about but I have never heard of. I got to stay home and listen to Grandma Kern's new dog yip in his cage for an hour and a half. Not many functions are held at 9:00 o'clock in the the morning before my body completely shuts down. Ralph is good to bring me pictures or a program. Misst Babcock, the girl, specializes in jazz music which I've tried to like but haven't made it yet. Ralph said his favorite song was "The Prayer" which Emily performed with two other girls at her High School graduation.
We will probably spend most of Augusr at the cabin which I am looking forward to. He has only one month summer vacation and has it filled with projects. Today he is picking up his third Modek A in Utah, meeting with a photographer in Salt Lake so they can collaborate on the book he is writing, and attending his aunt's 80th birthday party. He manages to stay busy but I think there could be worse problems.
The girls and husbands want to take another hike so they will probably go with Ralph into Yellowstone Park about the third week in August. Josie and family, Sara and family have already been up to Island Park once or twice this summer.
We found a wild strawberry patch in bloom and I hope there are some ripe berries left by the time we make it up to the cabin. Ralph made two new swings in our back yard. The Grandkids have been picking lots of raspberries from our backyard and making signs that say "Welcome to Raspberry Park!" This week Hailey and I (Hailey did all the work.) made Raspberry/Peach jam. Hailey, her husband and their new baby rent our basement apt. downstairs. She has become a good friend and helps us out with a lot of things. Happy Summer!

Ashtyn went to Golf Camp with some of her cousins in Driggs, ID the following week and stayed the night at our house before Ralph took her home this Saturday. It was a delight for us to have her here. She picked a bouquet of snowball flowers for me. It was so beautiful we had to take a picture. (See below) I guess all the rain has been good for them. We each had a piece of oatmeal cake for breakfast and called it our "bowl of oatmeal". Each of us decided not to tell her mom. It was fun to have her here but I think she was glad to get home with her own family.

A Fun Week

Last week our entire family was here for kind of a mini-family reunion. Wd were glad Ralph had finished the room over the garage so we could accommodate everyone. The room turned nicer than we thought - so much so that Ralph is interested in staying in this house instead of building a new one next door.
All our daughters and one daughter-in-law ran a half marathon in the Teton Dam Marathon. Two son-in-laws ran too. I worried about them getting rained on but weather for the race was beautiful. I didn't give any thought however to what it would be like to have 13 grandkids cooped up in the house while it rained the rest of the time. Chad saved the day and rented a "Bounce House" which eventually got rain-soaked too.
Ralph parked his recently acquired Model A a couple blocks from the finish line and put all he grandkids in it. They honked the "ah-oo-ga" horn at each runner to encourage them at the end of the race. Everybody in our family finished well and were proud of their accomplishment.
We also had delicious meals provided by each families' contribution. The weekend was wonderful! I was tired out from doing nothing but it was worth it because of all the good memories we made.