Category: Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine

Our Life in Maine, My Craft Projects, Quilting, Recipes, Book and Media Reviews

Turkey Tracks: Let There Be Light

Turkey Tracks:  October 12, 2011

Let There Be Light

I keep forgetting that I’ve never put a picture of one of my favorite quilts on this blog.  I think it was among the most challenging quilts I’ve ever made, and I think it turned out well.  I designed it myself and drew some of the patterns, including the border, on Electric Quilt.  The quilt is made from a New York Beauty block, and I was inspired by any number of published quilters who have worked with this traditional block.  I remember the first time I saw a New York Beauty quilt years ago and how excited I was about making one myself.

The quilt is heavily quilted, with many different threads.  And, heavily beaded around the borders, as if the center is throwing light out to the edges.  Sarah Ann Smith took a picture of it–she’s got really good lights, etc.  But I can’t get the picture any bigger than this one without distortions.

Here’s the best I can do in my studio–and my camera distorts from top to bottom anda the colors aren’t right.  The splashes of bright green are lost, for instance.

Here’s a piece of the quilt–I used it to make my “business” card.  I put business into quotes as I don’t have any business to advertise.  We don’t really call these cards “calling cards” anymore, but I do give mine out to everyone I meet who seems as if they might be interested in some facet of this blog.  By the way, Vista Print makes beautiful cards for practically free.  I put this image on the front of the card, chose a coordinating color for the back, and put my information on the back.  Quilters could make different cards from details from different quilts pretty inexpensively.  When I reprinted my cards last month, I opted for GLOSSY on the front, and I really like it.

Here’s a close-up of the little version of the New York Beauty block:

 You can just see some of the beading, but even through it’s heavy, it’s also quite subtle.

I love this quilt.  I kept it, and it hangs in my quilt room!

I hung it in the judged section of the Pine Tree Quilt Show three years ago, and it only garnered a third.  I was terribly disappointed because I thought it was a first for sure, especially since Pine Tree judging is supposed to be about the merits of a quilt on its own, not in comparison to any other quilt in a curved judging event where percentages are considered for firsts, seconds, etc.  That’s judged quilting for you, though.  As much as people have tried to make quilt judging fair, it is terribly subjective, and the colors in this quilt are…different.  This quilt was a watershed for me.  I decided that I make quilts because I love to make quilts–good ones that are exciting and fun.  I don’t need someone else to tell me they’re wonderful because I know each one is, even when something has gone wrong along the way.

Turkey Tracks: Chicken Mischief

Turkey Tracks:  September 21, 2011

Chicken Mischief

Yesterday as I walked to the garage–on my way to the car to do an errand–I saw that four of our eight chickens were happily perched on the edges of the blue baskets (where we grew potatoes all summer) and were eating the now-lush greens!

Why didn’t I anticipate this turn of events?

I hauled out chicken wire and spread it over the baskets and so far…so good.

But’s chickens are VERY inventive.

Turkey Tracks: September Update

Turkey Tracks:  September 19, 2011

September Update

The garden is winding down, and our nights have been really cool lately.  We’ve been sleeping under TWO extra coverings.

The dehydrator has been running for most of the month.  This year, as I’ve already written, I’ve been drying our Sun Gold cherry tomatoes–planted for just that reason.  But, I’ve also been drying extra cucumbers and zucchini, and that’s been a really great project.  In other years,extra cukes would have to be pickled or lost.  And, I grated and froze zucchini, which wasn’t ideal as the grated zukes get bitter and very limp.  I really LOVE these dried cuke and zuke slices.  They can be used like crackers with dip, and I think they might reconstitute in soups or, in the case if the cukes, in some garlic and mint-spiced yogurt.   Corinne loved them all when she was here.

Here’s what they look like:

I harvested the dried beans I planted this year.  I only planted about 10 seeds as I thought they would climb.  They didn’t; they were more like a bush bean.  I  did not get a lot of beans actually.  Here’s what they look like:

One would have to plant a LOT of seeds to make this effort worthwhile.  I don’t understand about the color variation–but the dark brown beans look perfectly healthy…???

I walked past the blue baskets where we grew potatoes all summer one day a few weeks back and wondered if I could reseed them with some fall greens.  I topped off each with some compost from our bins and reseeded with radish, summer lettuce, spinach, and winter lettuce .  I did the same with the cold frame, which we dragged out from its summer storage and put back into the garden–well away from the snowplow’s path.

Here’s what the blue baskets looked like about 10 days ago.  You should see how lush they are now, and the cold frame is even lusher:

I didn’t expect to get this double use out of this project, so this has been fun.  Also, if we get a really cold night, I can throw a tarp over these baskets.

We’ve had the house trim painted–after seven years, it was time.  (Can’t believe we’re living in our eighth year in Maine!)  We used Greg Black’s Accent Painting, from Lincolnville, and are really pleased with his work.  (Greg had some of Rose’s meat chickens, so we met him the day we slaughtered chickens in early summer.)  The trim is all sparkly white now, mold has been scraped off part of the house where we get more rain drainage, and the upper deck and lower porch ceiling have been painted.  While the crew painted, John replaced back deck step boards that were rotting.  Didn’t he do a nice job?

Now he’s trying to solve the front door rain protection problem.  That door sits beneath the upper deck, and unless you put something, like a plywood board, on the upper deck, when it rains you get soaked at our front door.  We’re looking into some sort of plexi-glass solution–hung from or attached to the bottom of the upper porch.

The light has changed up here.  This back deck doesn’t really get morning sun any more.  So, soon we’ll be putting the deck wicker away for the year.  And, all the pots are dying pack now.   It’s ok though, as I’m ready to move inside to quilt intensely.

I love the changing seasons in Maine.

Turkey Tracks: Our Winter Turkeys

Turkey Tracks:  September 19, 2011

Our Winter Turkeys

Susan McBride Richmond and Chris Richmond live just up the hill from us, at Golden Brook Farm.  They have three children and are a source of ongoing inspiration.  Together they have put up three hoop houses, two of them large; have a large flock of chickens and sell eggs; and are presently raising some turkeys for winter eating.  We will get two of the turkeys around Thanksgiving.  Since we’ll be in Charleston, SC, for the holiday, we’ll have our turkeys for winter eating.

They are bronze-breasted heritage turkeys, and here’s what they look like now:

Turkeys are very social and will talk to you as long as you stand by a fence and speak to them:

This time will be the third that Susan and Chris have raised turkeys for us.  They have all been delicious!

And, last spring we got a lot of fresh wonderful greens from Susan’s second hoop house.   The third hoop house which is up and beginning to be planted will be icing on the cake for us since Susan will have greens this winter as well.  How cool is that!!

I wrote about Golden Brook Farm last fall when Susan and Chris hosted a potluck lunch and cider pressing.  This year they have purchased a cider press, and the event will be the weekend of Oct. 1st.  This year I’m bringing my camera!

Turkey Tracks and Interesting Information: Elderberries

Turkey Tracks and Interesting Information:  September 19, 2011

Elderberries

When we first moved to Maine, we were fairly focused on keeping trees from growing in the rock wall that buttresses our hill–between the front yard and the tiny meadow below the house.  We kept cutting back this one tree, which had roots deep into the wall and refused to die.

Some years later, Margaret Rauenhorst told me how beneficial elderberries were.  She makes elderberry jam, tinctures, and wine from them.  One day early last spring she made a gorgeous pie with the berries she’d frozen last fall that she shared with us.  Margaret and Ronald have a lot of the bushes on their property and are planting more.   Other friends also set about collecting the berries in the fall, Steve and Barb Melchiskey for instance.

While with Margaret one day last fall, I bought an elderberry tree and planted it on the slope next to our driveway.  Elderberries like wet feet apparently.  It’s thriving, bloomed this spring, and I was able to get about 1 cup of berries from it this year.

Not long after, I realized–from seeing the leaves on our purchased elderberry–that the pesky tree on the wall was also an elderberry.  So, we left it alone I collected those berries as well.  Here they are in my kitchen sink–ready to be picked off their stems and frozen:

Here’s what Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride says about elderberries in GUT AND PSYCHOLOGY SYNDROME:

“Black elderberry is a small tree, which grows pretty much everywhere from cold to very warm climates.  In spring it bears clusters of tiny whitish flowers, which at the end of the summer turn into small juicy black berries.  Medicinal properties of this plant have been appreciated for centuries.  Its flowers, berries, leaves and bark were traditionally used for treating colds, pneumonia, flu, sore throat, hay fever, wounds, eye infections and many other ailments….Black elderberry has strong immune-stimulating properties and it is one of the most powerful anti-viral remedies known to man….You do not have to be an experienced herbalist to use this plant….From the end of summer/beginning of autumn make it your bedtime routine to take 1-2 tablespoons [for family of four] of berries out of the freezer and leave them at room temperature to defrost over night.  In the morning juice them together with pineapple, carrot or any other fruit and vegetables you planned to use.  If you do it every day or every other day throughout the cold season your family will not have any colds.”

Dr. McBride goes on to say that for one person 1 teaspoon of the berries daily is a good dose.

Here in Maine we can buy Avena herbs elderberry tincture, and I always keep it on hand.  And, I keep an elderberry tea on hand as well.  At the first sign of anything going wrong, I start using the tincture and drinking the tea.  Knock on wood, but I can’t remember when I had a cold last.

Turkey Tracks: Ailey Brings Her Parents To Maine

Turkey Tracks:  September 18, 2011

Ailey Brings Her Parents to Maine

At barely 10 months, Ailey got her parents organized for a September trip to her grandparents home in Camden, Maine–to celebrate her father’s birthday.  It was Ailey’s very first trip to Maine, if you don’t count last year when she came while still growing!

They all arrived on a rainy day that threw up a few possibilities of delay, but Ailey nixed those and they came in mostly on time:

After the 2-hour drive north with her parents and her Lovey, she right to Pop Pop, which pleased him enormously:

Ailey loved the two dogs around Pop Pop’s feet and belly laughed over and over in delight at their presence.  In fact, she is a happy baby who laughs a lot.

Ailey loved hiking and took her parents off to hike several times.  Here she is on the Rockerfeller property just above our house, property which they so graciously allow us to enjoy.

We loved Ailey’s purple hat!

Heading for the pond bridge:

And, into the woods without the hat:

Around the lower pond:

Ailey loved our chickens, and I think Bryan got some good shots.  If he sends me one or two, I’ll post them here.  Hint, hint.  Meanwhile, she’s got chickens on her pj’s:

Ailey came prepared for several kinds of activities.  Here are her dancing shoes:

Ailey wanted to see Hope’s Edge, the frogs there, the tire swing, and all the food.  She hadn’t expected to see Farmer Tom’s tractor:

Here she is with her parents at Hope Edge’s “front door.”

Ailey couldn’t quite take in the frogs in the little pond back of the shed.  And, Bryan’s weight on the tire swing made the limb groan with ominous cracking sounds.  So Ailey will have to grow into those pleasures at Hope’s Edge.  She did enjoy seeing all the animals (cows, sheep, chickens, horses, tiny ponies).  And she loved watching her mother cut and arrange some flowers from the cutting garden, which is fading away now.

Corinne with sluggish bees on the New Zealand zinnas:

Pop Pop, Bryan, and Ailey at the far end of the cutting rows.  Note the glitter shoes:

Corinne’s flower arrangement:

Pop Pop measuring out the copious amount of food we took home:

Here are out onions and garlic drying in the Hope’s Edge barn.  The onions are strung in layers up the rafters of the barn:

Here’s another view:

Ailey brought her parents to Maine, in part, to celebrate her Daddy’s birthday.  So we did just that!

Here’s his birthday dinner:

Baby lamb racks, La Ratte fingerling potaotes with baby white onions (our garden), green beans (Hope’s Edge), native golden chanterelle mushrooms (gift of Charlie and Joan Herrick of Northport), slow roasted saladette tomatoes, sweet/sour style (Hope’s Edge), dried French toast from breakfast, and fudgy, homemade chocolate cake made with local butter, our eggs, real cream, really good chocolate (Lovey).

All in all, we had a wonderful visit!

Turkey Tracks: Quilt in Progress, September 2011

Turkey Tracks:  September 18, 2011

Quilt in Progress

September 2011

Here’s a peek at the quilt I’m working on these days:

And, here it is coming together on the design wall:

This quilt is such a happy quilt.  I’m so enjoying working with it–which hasn’t been often enough since I’ve been so busy processing harvest food.

The fabrics are all Kaffe Fasset prints, which I love.  And though it can seem jumbled a bit at this stage, I’ve seen it made up, and I really like it.  I bought the kit from Marge at Maine-ly Sewing in Nobleboro, Maine.  She sells online too:  http://mainelysewing.com/

It’s on Lucy the long-arm now, being quilted with lime green thread, which is looking quite pretty, and with a “sweet pea” pantograph.  The backing is a lime green print I got on sale at Quilt Diva’s in Rockland.  It has a linear print of leaves whose panels were QUITE hard to line up properly in order to get the right width.

I haven’t decided what to name it yet.  Happy Quilt isn’t quite right.  Layer cake isn’t either.  It will come to me…

Turkey Tracks: More Socks

Turkey Tracks:  September 18, 2011

More Socks

When I first started making socks, I bought a fair amount of sock yarn at various sales around and about Maine.

So, I’m systematically working away at…making socks.  Which isn’t a hardship because I’m clearly obsessed with making them…

OK, I took a break this summer and made a sweater that I’m sewing together now, so I’m sure you’ll see it here soon.

Anyway, here’s the current pair of socks “in progress.”

But, aren’t they pretty?  They are a Kaffe Fasset yarn that makes the funky colorful designs.

I’m looking forward to making more of Cookie A’s intricate patterns, but…not until I use up the yarn I already have.  Cookie A’s designs wouldn’t show up well with a yarn like this one.

As I write, on the second sock I’m past the heel turn and well into working down the stitches on the gusset.  On to the toe!

Turkey Tracks: Roasting Tomatoes

Turkey Tracks:  September 15, 2011

Roasting Tomatoes

September is the “red” month in Maine.

Or, in other words, September is when our tomatoes turn…red.

September is when my kitchen gets really interesting:

Those gorgeous yellow and Black Krill tomatoes on the left–and more red tomatoes–come from my neighbor Susan McBride of Golden Brook Farm.  The large red tomatoes to the right are ours; they’re Brandywines, and I think they are probably the best eating tomato in the whole world.

I’ve made a dense tomatoes sauce that I freeze in past years.  But, now that we don’t really eat pasta very much–too much of a carb hit–I looked around for a different way to preserve tomatoes for the winter–and, indeed, for early summer since our tomatoes take much longer to ripen.  Remember that summer doesn’t really arrive in Maine until July 4th!

Last year I made tomato soup and froze it, and it’s been so delicious all year.  And, I roasted tomatoes and put them into smaller jars.  It takes a LOT of tomatoes to fill a pint mason jar.   But, the flavor is dense and very rich.  So that’s what I decided to do with this year’s crop extras.

ROASTED TOMATOES

Start the oven at 375.

Put on a pot of water to boil–a large one if you have it.

Put a large bowl filled about half way with ice in  your sink.  Add some water, not too much as you don’t want to spill out the cold water when you put in the tomatoes.

When the water boils, drop in tomatoes to fill the pot, and after about a minute, lift each out and drop it into the ice water.

Let your pot reboil and add more tomatoes, etc., until all are done.   Meanwhile, take out the cold tomatoes, run a paring knife around the stem section to remove it, and slip off the skins.  Chuck up the tomato into a baking pan.

For about five pounds of tomatoes, add a chopped up onion, 4 to 5 cloves of garlic smashed and roughly cut, a couple of handfuls of basil, some salt, and a drizzle of really good cold-pressed, organic olive oil over the top–no more than 1/4 cup total.  Mix it all up with your hands–GENTLY.

Here’s what things look like at this stage:

Cook the tomatoes for about an hour, then stir gently.  Now you have to start checking on them about every 30 minutes.  And, when they start to “cook down,” more frequently.

The smell all over your house will be absolutely mouthwatering!

Here’s what they look like all finished up, which will take at least 2 hours total:

Load the tomatoes into pint mason jars–a canning ring funnel is a great help with hot food going into mason jars.  Be sure to leave at least an inch at the top for freezing expansion.  Cap the jars and put them upside down on a counter so they form a vacuum–you’ll see the cap is pulled down.  And, yes, you must freeze them.  You cannot can tomatoes cooked in oil–too dangerous.

Use these gorgeous tomatoes to enrich winter soups, to drizzle over meatloaf or stuffed peppers–saving a bit for some sauce on the side, or over pasta.

Enjoy!

Turkey Tracks: Love Lies Bleeding: Hope’s Edge Flowers

Turkey Tracks:  September 2, 2011

Love Lies Bleeding:  Hope’s Edge Flowers

Today is Friday, and on Friday’s I got out to Hope’s Edge, our CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) farm,  to pick up our food.  I take a Mason jar and a pair of scissors along with me and cut a bouquet of flowers from the three long rows of flowers Farmer Tom plants for us each year.  I can fill the jar with water so the flowers don’t wilt hopelessly on the way home.

How pretty is this view?  Not even Hurricane Irene diminished this view.

Each week the selection of flowers changes as different varieties come into their own.

Here’s a bouquet from a few weeks ago.  Outrageous, huh?

That amazing dark pink draping “flower” is called Love Lies Bleeding.

Here’s last week’s bouquet:

And, here’s a picture John took on a recent visit that I really like:

Hope’s Edge folks are hard-working folks who raise the most amazing food for us to eat!  We are so blessed!

I wish for you a CSA program like Hope’s Edge.