Orange pumpkins now adorn roadside produce markets, fruit stands and fundraisers on church lawns across Surrey County.One of the great things about pumpkins is that they have a long shelf life and can be enjoyed from now until the long season after Christmas.Their bright orange will be decorating from now until Halloween and Thanksgiving, and will be filled with puddings, pies and cakes, along with decorations, jack-o-lanterns, harvest and Halloween displays for the next few weeks.
Round orange pumpkins with stems on top are best for carving jack-o-lanterns, but for pies and desserts, the best pumpkins are oblong pumpkins.They’re not always orange on the outside, but tan, beige, or bronze, and they’re tender on the inside.Due to their oblong shape, they are easier to cut, remove seeds and cut into chunks, boil to a soft mixture and texture, then drain and mash in a blender in grate mode or with a potato masher.To make a can of pumpkin, pour the mashed, drained pumpkin into a sterilized pint jar (one pint usually makes two pies), wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel, seal the jar and screw on the lid.Leave half an inch at the top of the jar.Treated at ten pressures for 50 minutes in a pressure tank.It is low in cucurbitic acid and therefore requires a longer processing time.
A crisp October night speaks to us about the spiciness of pumpkin bread.Not too sweet, not too spicy, but just the right recipe for a cold October night.Real pumpkin bread has a moist texture and is easy to make.For this recipe, you’ll need three and a half cups of all-purpose flour, two teaspoons of baking soda, half a teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, four large eggs, milk, a 15-ounce can of canned Libby pumpkin or a pint of canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup chopped golden raisins, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon vanilla seasoning, 1 tablespoon orange seasoning.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and set aside.In another large bowl, beat four eggs until smooth, add Crisco oil, milk and pumpkin.Mix these ingredients together and add the lemon and herb seasoning, raisins, and chopped pecans.Pour mixture into two loaf pans, grease well with Crisco shortening, and sprinkle with flour.Add a sheet of foil to the bottom of the loaf pan and grease and flour the loaf pan.Bake for an hour, if not done, bake for a few more minutes.When the cake springs back to the touch, it is done or when the toothpick comes out clean.Cool the bread in the pan for fifteen or twenty minutes.Once wrapped, run a knife around the edges of the pan and foil.Put in Saran clear plastic wrap.This will keep the bread fresh and moist.
Other trees delighted us with their golden, yellow, bronze, red, tan, crimson and beige leaf colors.We have been using leaf vacuums, rakes and blowers to transfer them to garden plots and compost piles and litter boxes.Oak trees are now harvesting not only leaves, but a lot of the noise of acorns bouncing off the metal roofs of barn buildings and sheds.My Northampton County grandma lives in a house with a tin roof.At this time of year, we spend all night listening to the sound of acorns hitting the roof.Watching acorns falling from trees, she said, “If you walk on acorns in October, you can walk on snow all winter.” As October passes, we may A hint of what Old Man Winter has in store for us.
Vines, stalks, leaves, grass clippings, pruning, and the garden leftovers from the seasons behind us can be the ingredients for next year’s garden improvement soil.The lawn clippings will help heat the compost, and you can also use the Plant-Tone Organic Vegetable Food and Black Kow Compost Cow to heat and break down the ingredients in your compost bin or compost.When you build a compost pile or litter box, you are creating an ecosystem that provides food for bacteria that thrive on organic materials.Most households with gardens generate more than 1,000 pounds of household lawn and garden waste each year, which can be turned into compost with very little space and effort.You can start composting with just one pitchfork and stir the compost once a week, or you can use several treated fence posts to form a litter box that is cheap and practical.
Halloween has arrived in supermarkets and hypermarkets, with colorful orange, yellow and brown displays of traditional Halloween sweets.All trick-or-treaters for no candy.This season brings several candy corns, including the old-fashioned orange, white, and yellow combo, as well as the orange, brown, and white Indian corn, and more recently, the brown sugar combo of tan, white, and yellow.Peanut crisps in boxes are also starting to appear in the lead up to Halloween.Other Halloween favorites are Hershey’s Kisses in the Fall Combo, Hershey’s Miniatures, Marshmallow Pumpkins and Ghosts, Halloween M&M Wraps, Three Musketeers, and various candy bars.We always love the displays Food Lion has in front of their supermarkets, which caught our attention in October.
Tranquility on an October evening.The twilight mid-autumn air is crisp and the nostrils moist, while the lower humidity makes the air easier to breathe in the coming night.The scent of new leaves also adds to the evening air.The graceful and soft sound of fallen leaves completes the magnificent experience of autumn twilight.
This pudding doesn’t have a crust, but you can use vanilla wafers or graham crackers if you prefer.In a mixing bowl combine one can (15 0z) of Libby Pumpkin or a pint can of pumpkin, three large eggs, one three-ounce box of instant butterscotch pudding mix, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 stick light margarine, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin One serving of pie spice can be condensed milk, a teaspoon of vanilla seasoning, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of maple seasoning (optional), and a half teaspoon of cinnamon.Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking sheet or plate and top with vanilla wafers or graham crackers if desired, or make pudding without crust.Mix all ingredients together and pour into pot.Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.Serve with Cool Whip or Dream Whip.
October is a joyous month with hay wagons, haunted houses, chicken stew, harvest festivals, Halloween parties, trick-or-treating, Halloween carnivals and costume contests, and cake walks.Combine all of these activities with hot dogs and marshmallows, morels, and a campfire, and you’ve got an evening of fun for all ages.
As we approach mid-October, there is a lot of talk about the first frost of the season.It won’t make any difference to cool weather vegetables.We know the calendar date for the first frost date is October 15th, but we usually don’t get a deadly frost until later in the month.Even as October moves on, it’s wise to heed frost warnings.Late-planted, late-planted tomatoes, especially for pre-frost harvest, should be harvested before frost arrives, wrapped in newspaper, stored in box lids, covered with newspaper, and stored in a warm room or basement.They should check for maturity once or twice a week.Put an apple or two in the box to promote ripening.
With the first frost date in just a few weeks, spring flowering bulb planting time is coming to an end.You still have two weeks or more to lay out bulbs or spring flowers.Bulbs can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Walmart, Ace Hardware, most nurseries and hardware stores.Buy a bag of bulb enhancer or bone meal to get your bulbs off to a good start.
“Monitor.” Teacher: “Johnny, can you pay more attention?” Johnny: “I’ve paid as little as possible!”
“Wow Buffalo.” Traveler: “Please give me a ticket to New York State.” Conductor: “Do you want to go to Buffalo?” Traveler: “No thanks, I’d rather take the bus.”
“Dream.” Dinner: “Is this a peach pie or an apple pie?” Waitress: “Can’t you tell by the taste?” Dinner: “No, I can’t.” Waitress: “Okay, so what’s in it? What’s the difference?”
“Dropout.” Bill: “Which school did you have to drop out of to graduate?” Jill: “Paratrooper school.”
In the summer of 2021, fireflies are infested.From mid-May to early July, fireflies are in abundance as we enter June.Their most brilliant show was on Monday night, June 21st.We counted 169 fireflies glowing in five minutes.We saw the first fireflies on the evening of Sunday 16th May.That night, we counted 49 in 5 minutes.We saw an exhibit almost every night.They appear to appear at dusk, peaking around nine o’clock in the evening.As the number of fireflies increases in the summer, more fireflies should be produced next year.
It’s always great to have something green and vibrant during the cold winter months during the coldest time of year.With dark green leaves and purple and yellow faces, dusty miller or coral bells serve as floral displays or Siberian kale, turnips, mustard greens, kale, onion wraps and broccoli.Winter gardens don’t have to be drab and grey.With a bed of crushed leaves as a winter blanket, winter greens can thrive and harvest in cold, harsh winters.
Mud caves can freeze on January mornings because winter really matters.A freeze in January is helpful for winter gardens, as the frozen turf kills overwintering insects and their eggs, as well as weed and fungal seeds in the soil.Cool-weather vegetables will thrive because they’ve now adapted to the icy breath of winter.
As we enter the first full month of winter, which is also the longest of winter, keep an eye out for viewing containers of cabbage and kale.On cold winter nights, have several towels handy and hold the cabbage and kale containers tightly together so you can lay a towel over them to keep them from freezing.One towel should cover both containers.Whenever you water them, don’t overwater as this can cause freezing.Every morning when the temperature rises above freezing, remove the towels and fold them up for the next night.
By the time we reached the second week of January, only a handful of leaves remained on the mighty oak.My Northampton County grandmother always said that when oak leaves were hanging on their limbs, “they were just hanging around waiting for a snowstorm to bring them down.” We may soon have the first There’s a lot of snow, which is sure to be good news for kids of all ages.This will be good news for garden plots, as some weather legends say we can expect a bumper summer when snow bends the limbs of mighty oaks.Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Instead of just keeping a towel on your front porch to protect annuals in winter, keep a warm blanket and sled near the house so you can work out on your front porch on cold mornings and enjoy the warmth as you sip Winter sun while having a hot cup of coffee and removing a towel from winter annuals.The winter sun and northerly winds strengthen your immune system, make your body stronger for colder temperatures, and start your day feeling better.If winter mornings are a little cold, you may want to carry a pair of warm gloves with you.
On a cold winter day, there’s no dessert like a hot apple pie in the oven topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.This is an easy recipe without the crust but it tastes great.You need 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons plain flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 2 cups diced apples, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, A stick of light margarine.Combine flour, salt, baking powder and set aside.Combine sugar and beaten eggs and add to flour mixture.Add all other ingredients except margarine and mix well.Pour into a nine-inch pie pan or pan sprayed with Pam’s baking spray.A little margarine.Bake at 325 degrees until firm.Serve with whipped cream.
When the January winter winds blow from the north or south, we expect to see a fluffy white snowfall, feasting our eyes on the snow on a cold winter night, letting it “speak” to us.There is a majesty, purity and magic in the snowfall.On a cold winter night, the snow crackled and crackled as the temperatures dropped, and street lamps and bright moonlight shone on the freshly fallen snow.It reflects on the crystals, making them sparkle like small diamonds.The breeze is blowing and the outside world is a bit like a Klondike bar!
Birds are active all winter and drink water in winter.We can make it easier for them to find water by emptying the basin of ice and refilling it with fresh water every day when temperatures rise above freezing.Repeat this activity and pay close attention to the bird’s movements during the bath.Put food in the feeder and refill as needed.
Annuals and perennials on front porches and decks need water in winter, but not as much.Put your index fingers in the medium in the container, and when they feel dry, use water until they get wet, but don’t soak them in water.Overwatering can cause the medium to freeze and be harmful to the plant.A little water can go a long way in winter.
We’re not referring to instant coffee, but fresh coffee that’s hot, black, strong, and will wake you up and cheer you up when you’re soaking up the sun on your winter porch.A good cup of coffee starts with a very clean stainless steel coffee pot and a proven coffee brand, and fresh cold water, not poured but measured in cups, with one teaspoon of coffee per cup.Sprinkle the coffee with salt for extra flavor.Brew the coffee until you can see the coffee turn brown through the glass on the coffee pot, and the steam pours out of the spout, giving off the aroma that only stimulated coffee can produce.When drinking coffee, only hot is good.We remember a tough training sergeant in Army Basic Training who said he hated the three things in that order, cold coffee, wet toilet paper, and trainees.Stronger than a spike, he was a fine soldier and a leader of men.He is strong but always by your side.
Winter may not seem so early, but things are getting brighter every day, literally a minute every night.We’ve had a quarter of an hour of daylight since winter started in late December.Birds in winter seem to have noticed this, and they seem to be more active in water basins and feeders.
Robbins seem to be with us all year round, many of them in the winter.We do believe most of them stay in our area and everything we see looks well nourished, has plenty of elasticity and color, and definitely doesn’t shiver.With enough warm, sunny days, they’re sure to get enough food.There are enough barns, sheds, outdoor structures, eaves, hollow logs, areas under buildings, and even piles of hay for them to find shelter, protection, and warmth, and of course enough insects to overwinter to keep them afloat. Winter. We wish them longevity and prosperity because in winter they are a welcome reminder and harbinger of spring.
American Bee Balm winters behind the front porch, away from cold winter winds.It has been trimmed so we can protect it with a cover on cold nights.We have a layer of crushed leaves at the bottom of the container and feed it with a handful of Flower-Tone organic flower food every month.On sunny days, we remove the lid and let it receive some sunlight.It only needs a small glass of water.It will survive with just a little winter protection.
Many weeds and grasses go dormant in winter, but chickweed survives through the winter, especially around the edges of the house and near where rose bushes grow.The great thing about chickweed is that it has shallow roots that can easily be pulled up and thrown out of the area.
“One for three.” Employee: “I’ve been here for 11 years, doing three men’s jobs for one man’s salary. Now, I’m getting a raise.” Boss: “Well, I can’t give you a raise Salary, but if you tell me who the other two are, I’ll fire them.”
Different Types of Sermons: Rocking Horse Sermons – Back and fourth, back and fourth, but nowhere.The Robin Sermon – Repeat, nothing new.A hodgepodge of sermons – a little bit of everything, but nothing solid.Jericho Sermons – Seven times around the theme.
Served for lunch.Chef: “Sir, can I bring you lunch?” Captain: “No, just throw it into the sea to save time.”
long wind.Jan: “My pastor is amazing, he can talk about anything for an hour.” Fran: “It’s okay, my pastor can talk for an hour without a topic.”
The high-altitude air becomes cold enough to form tiny ice crystals, the elements that form the halo when the moon is full or near.It’s a beautiful sight, especially during Christmas.My mum and grandma in Northampton County counts the stars in the halo.According to my grandma, the stars visible in the halo will determine the number of days we see snow.On the other hand, my mother said how many inches of snow we can expect in these visible stars.Both of their predictions passed multiple times simply because when halo-forming ice crystals formed high up in the sky, it was also cold enough to produce snowfall.That’s why sometimes it doesn’t have to be cold to snow, but upper-level temperatures can bring us snow.
Will it bring us a lot of snow as the new year prepares to start?There is a good chance that there will be a lot of snow this month.Snow in January can benefit garden plots by freezing the turf, killing weed seeds and destroying pests, eggs and larvae.Snow also adds nitrogen and other micronutrients to the soil.Snow will sweeten radishes and Siberian kale.Snow will beautify the winter landscape, making it look like a marshmallow world.Last but not least, it will make a lot of kids and grandkids very happy!
Even though it might snow in January, there’s a lot of green in the garden in winter, and the snow won’t bother.Siberian kale can be harvested with a layer of snow, along with mustard, radishes and broccoli.The benefit of cool-weather vegetables is having a vibrant green garden in the cold winter.
This gift opens on December 21st and is still being given every day in the form of an extra minute of daylight.We will continue to receive an extra minute per day until June 21st.The difference may not be noticed until we get to Valentine’s Day.
This day is known not only as Epiphany, but also as the Twelfth Night, Old Christmas, and the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmas.This is the day when the King of Kings, Jesus, the newborn Messiah, was revealed to the Gentiles, the Magi-King from the East.It was the day when the light of the world was revealed to them after a long journey from the east.Their quest did not end in Jerusalem or Herod’s palace, but in a house in Bethlehem.They arrive and worship the king of the king and give him gifts.
In Rodent, North Carolina’s Outer Shore, Epiphany, or Old Christmas, is celebrated every January 6 with grilled oysters, a special musical celebration, and a visit by the legendary bull “Old Buck” to highlight the event and Bring gifts.It will be an interesting place to visit.You won’t have to worry about a hurricane in early January, but you will have to worry about finding “Old Buck.”
Christmas cacti bloom from Thanksgiving through December.Now is the time to pluck all the flowers and feed them once a month with Flower-Tone Organic Flower Food or Miracle-Gro Liquid Plant Food.Check for moisture by inserting your index finger into the soil.If the soil isn’t moist, use a sprinkler can and water, but don’t overwater.Check for moisture every eight to ten days.When the cactus overwinter at home, check the foliage.If the leaves look red, the cactus is getting too much sunlight.You can fix this problem by moving the cactus in the room to a place with less sunlight.
The winter sun shines on the front porch.In fact, the sun is always so dazzling, but people seem to avoid it in winter.They seem to forget that it is a free source of vitamin C.The front porch in winter is a great place to start your day by breathing in fresh air through your nostrils, boosting your immune system and clearing out germs.A cup of coffee on the front porch tastes better and keeps you warm from head to toe.Bring a blanket if the wind blows from the north, but don’t let the wind prevent you from enjoying the benefits of the sun in winter.Plants and vegetables need to harden to withstand extreme cold, and so do we.Start your winter days by enjoying the sounds, colors and sights of winter and be aware of all the hidden beauties that winter has to offer.The air in winter is easier to breathe with less pollutants, and another advantage is that there are no flies, mosquitoes or insects buzzing around.
There are a few items to keep near the porch or carport during the cold winter, they are a can of de-icer, a snow scraper (in the car and on the porch), a pair of gloves, a can of WD-40 fuel spray, Oil the snow shovel.Oil spray to keep snow from sticking to the shovel, snow shovel and sled of course to keep ears warm, and last but not least, a gallon of windshield washer with de-icer solution.Keep the windshield washer tank full every week.
Weed doesn’t rest because of its winter.We always say that when you see one in the garden, no matter the season, pull it up.During the winter, chickweed, Bermuda grass, wild onion and other weeds continue to grow.Check your garden frequently to pull these noxious weeds by their roots.
Keep bird feeders full when the ground freezes or snows.Birds will visit feeders, and you’ll make their job of finding food easier.They’ll also find your home a bird-friendly place, and they’ll keep returning.In winter, when the water in the basin freezes, empty the tub of ice and refill it when the temperature rises above freezing.
Check lawn mowers, weeders, leaf blowers, and tillers weekly during winter.Start them up and let them run for a minute or two.Keep fuel in them all winter so they can start.We use a lawnmower to fold leaves and a weeder to trim wild onions in the winter, so we want them to run when we try to start them.A riding lawn mower needs to run until it gets hot.It doesn’t hurt to run the lawn a few times to keep the parts running smoothly.Carry a can of fuel with you all winter and don’t let the machine run out of fuel in the winter.Have plenty of fuel for your two-stroke engine.
Pansies are winter hardy flowers that add greenery and color to winter landscapes.Their leaves stay green all winter, making their yellow, white, purple, pink and tan flowers really stand out.Don’t water them too much in winter to avoid freezing the medium in the container.Feed them once a month with Flower-Tone organic flower food or a pansy booster.
Salmon stew or chowder is great to warm you up on cold nights.It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it only has a few ingredients.You will need 1 can of Double Q Alaskan Salmon, 1 half light margarine, 1 can evaporated milk, 3 cups milk, 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, salt and pepper (to taste), 2 or 3 teaspoons in a glass of water corn starch.Place salmon and liquid in a four-quart pot, mash salmon, add margarine and melt over medium heat.Add evaporated milk and three cups of milk.Bring to a boil over medium-low heat.Add salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning.Mix three teaspoons of cornstarch in a cup or cup of cold water and stir until dissolved.As the salmon mixture comes to a simmer, add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time until the chowder is thick.Serve with crackers or oysters.
“Half and half.” The woman desperately got into the car and yelled at the man in the back seat of her, “If you’re half a man, help me get in the car.” The man replied, “If you’re half a woman, you don’t need any helped!”
“News broadcast.” The husband said to his wife, “Are we indigestion watching the six o’clock news, or do we lose sleep over the ten o’clock news?”
Post time: Jan-19-2022
