Saturday Meanderings

Since I didn’t have the time to write a Saturday Meanderings last week, this one will cover all the good things (and some not so good) from the last two weeks. Happy Weekend to you!

It’s Galette Season!

I love making galettes and it’s a great way to showcase all the wonderful fruit that is in season. If you haven’t made one of these, or don’t bake, trust me…..this is E.A.S.Y. and anyone can do it.

What is a Galette?

Galettes are freeform and baked right on a baking sheet. Pies are baked in a sloped pie pan, often with a top crust. With a galette you use the same pie crust dough, but the edges of the galette are folded over the center filling, leaving a wide opening from which the filling can be seen.

This week I made both an apple and cherry one. You can use really any fruit~peaches, apricots or berries. Links to galette recipes are in a 2021 Saturday Meanderings here.

An Expensive Week

We have a well on our property which provides water for the garden and orchard. Unfortunately, the well pump and associated equipment broke and rendered the well inoperable.

Negotiating big equipment to the back of the property is challenging. Also, it is not an ideal time for the well to quit as it is heating up in Phoenix. The cost to fix this is ridiculously expensive, but a necessity, as using city water would be astronomically more.

Last year you may recall we replaced the front deck on our cabin. Even though the work was done by a licensed contractor, the new deck is a big disappointment. Twenty-six (yes!) items wrong with it from not being structural to not being level…it’s a mess.

The only solution is to tear it off and rebuild it (with someone who actually knows what they are doing). My advice~make sure your check references on anyone who does construction work. Just because someone has a license, does not mean they know what they are doing.

It’s been a pricey week.

Wonderful Gift

Earlier this year, my sweet neighbor across the street passed away. In cleaning out her home, her daughter and I became acquainted. Look at the pretty rocking chair that she gave me! I cannot wait to refinish it and feel so honored to get this as it comes with a lot of history. Lucky me.

Annual Yarnell Memorial Run

This is the third year my daughter, Julianna and I participate in this special memorial run. Here is some history about this wonderful event:

On June 28th, 2013, a lightning storm sparked what would become the deadliest wildfire in Arizona history. The Yarnell Hill Fire claimed 127 structures and the lives of 19 brave men as the country watched in helpless shock. These men belonged to the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, based in Prescott, AZ, where many of them also resided.

On June 7, 2014, the first Yarnell Memorial Run was held in Memory of the Hotshot Crew to raise funds to support the work of local firefighters. The success and support was amazingly vibrant, prompting the Memorial Run to become an annual event. Participants have the privilege of running through the area of town known as Glen Ilah, which is where much of the burn robbed residents of their homes. In 2014, the burned area was still quite noticeable, but as time’s magic healing process has taken effect, flowers have bloomed, grass has returned with vigor and homes have been rebuilt. The Yarnell Memorial Run has grown, giving runners and walkers four different options including a 5k, 10k, 19k and family/child friendly Fun Run & Walk.

Enchanted Forest table

This week we participated in a charitable event, where each table host chooses a theme and decorates their table accordingly. I will be writing an entire post about it because there are so many details, but here’s a peek at my Enchanted Forest table. It was a surprising success!

For the same charitable event, there is also a dessert auction. I made this delicious Apricot Almond Tart (with fresh apricots!) and am very happy it sold immediately! The recipe is in a 2020 post and you can see it here.

Huge Fruit Harvest

This is the week for apricots and picking the last of the peaches. Typically I make pies, jam and salsa, but really didn’t have the time this year. Instead, I sliced and pitted the fruit and froze as much as possible. Now bagged and dated, I am hoping to use them throughout the summer.

A big garden surprise is finding plums on our newly planted tree. The tree didn’t look very healthy and we had already lost its partner earlier in the year. Quite frankly, I expected this tree to die too, so I didn’t pay any attention to it. Low and behold it is full of delicious plums. Since I didn’t thin them, the fruit is on the small size but big in taste.

Did you know that the silvery white film on plums (and grapes, blueberries) is a naturally occurring substance known as the “bloom”? It acts as a barrier against insects and bacteria and helps to seal in the fruit’s moisture. The bloom is also a sign of freshness, since it fades with time and handling. And all this time I thought it might be an insecticide!

A Weird Egg Anomaly

Fart eggs (also called fairy eggs, diminutive eggs, cock eggs, wind eggs, witch eggs, dwarf eggs) are teeny tiny eggs laid by normal-sized hens. They usually are just egg white, just egg yolk, or possibly a teeny tiny miniature egg. It’s like an oops, mistake that happens in the chicken’s reproductive system and this tiny egg comes out instead of a normal sized ones.

Even though they are perfectly safe to eat, I just collect them in a bowl. Eventually the contents dry out and I have these perfectly made tiny eggs. Isn’t Mother Nature full of surprises?

Do You Wear Skorts?

I don’t have great legs so I tend to shy away from skirts above my knee. However, during a recent trip to Costco I did pick up 3 skorts. Not only are they super comfortable, but really affordable too (I think around $15.00) I was pleasantly surprised and am wearing them with a simple t-shirt. Plus at my age, no one is looking at my legs!

You can find them online (different style than what is offered in the store) here.

Well, that’s a wrap to Saturday Meanderings. Wishing you a glorious weekend and If you are celebrating Father’s Day, please cherish the father (or father figure) in your life. The next few weeks will involve some traveling for me so I hope to continue to blog, but if not, I will catch up with you as soon as I can.

Be well and stay safe out there!