The last week has been a whirlwind of activity, but our hearts are so full of gratitude.
We started with a wonderful Labor Day-where we truly lived up to the holiday’s name and did plenty of labor on the farm! We were invited to our son Caleb’s new house for supper and dancing. He treated us to homemade chili using tomatoes from my mom’s garden and cornbread made with ingredients straight from our farm. He even taught us a few dance moves! We had the absolute best time together until the mosquitoes decided to join the party and chased us inside.
The very next morning, we left early for a family day at the lake. We packed a big picnic with chicken and bacon-bagel sandwiches, chicken salad on our homemade bread, and some sourdough muffins and granola for snacks. Even though our rented boat died in the middle of the lake—leaving the boys to paddle and physically push us back to shore—the mishap didn’t steal our joy. The swimming and laughter on the water made up for it completely.
Back on the farm, our 90 tomato plants have been keeping us incredibly busy. We’ve been blessed with an abundant harvest, which means plenty of time spent making salsa, ketchup, and tomato sauce. This year, I stumbled upon a much faster way to prep them: I wash them, slice them in half, remove the cores, and simmer them in a large stock pot for about 30 minutes until the juices release. After straining some of the liquid, I just use a stick blender to smooth it all out. I leave the skins right on—it saves so much time, keeps the extra vitamins, and honestly, we don’t even notice them!
Between food preservation, balancing our year-round school routine (which we intentionally lighten up a bit during peak harvest), planting, harvesting, and weeding, we also got to celebrate our daughter Kailey’s upcoming wedding. Alena hosted a lovely bridal shower at our local park. She made a wonderful strawberry cheesecake using homemade ingredients (I hope to share that recipe soon!), and we played some really fun games. We were so thankful for the cooler weather, and the breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay this time!
Life is fast-paced right now, but we are just trying to savor these sweet, sometimes messy, and beautiful moments of family and harvest.