Saturday Meanderings

Happy Saturday and welcome to another edition of Saturday Meanderings. An impromptu trip to the mountains for the Labor Day weekend is in store for me. What a week of peaks and valleys but I’ll explain more next week. Today I’d like to just share all the good things that happened since last Saturday.

This is my second trip (about 185 miles one way) to the cabin in one week. Our state has been blessed with so much rain. Typically, this time of year, our mountains are brown and dry, but not the case this year. Everything is so green and lush, looking more like Switzerland than Arizona. A blessing to help reduce our drought conditions and potential of forest fires.

The wildflowers are abundant and colorful. With the big sky and all this to look at (in addition to the road), the 3.5 hour trip goes rather quickly.

So much rain is beneficial to the pear and apple tree. Last year we had no fruit on either tree and this year, the crop looks promising.

The first trip to the cabin last weekend was to check on the progress of construction of a new deck. More to come on that but it seems that nearly every contractor doesn’t spend the time or attention to detail on the last 5% of the project. Unfortunately the last 5% is what everyone sees so the deck is not complete to my satisfaction. Hopefully the punch list will get remedied soon.

Finally the tomato sauce is finished!

Of course, the last 20 pounds of tomatoes to process ended up being the most difficult. The food mill bit the dust and stopped working. Out of frustration, I took the cooked tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and pulverized them (skins, seeds and all) in a Vitamix blender. If you don’t own one of these blenders, I cannot recommend this brand enough. Within seconds I had sauce. Surprisingly the end result is a thick sauce that didn’t require a 50% cook down reduction. In the photo below, those are the jars that are more orange, vs. a deep red.

The pantry is full of jars of sauce and no more canning for me this year (thank goodness). I think 70 lbs. of tomatoes may be a bit too much!

Fall Garden Preparation

Soon I will be planting the fall garden and this week, I made a check list of what needs to be done beforehand. Surprisingly, a few plants are able to make it through our exceeding hot summers. The grapevine arch is lush and full providing a nice respite from the harsh sun.

Earlier in the summer, I put a few sprouted potatoes in the dirt just to see what would happen. Since I have never formally grown potatoes, I’m looking forward to see if in fact there are any below ground. But the sweet and white potato vines love the heat apparently, as they look rather good in the raised bed.

Of course, my poblano pepper plant also loves the heat and it is still producing fruit.

Soon all the dead and dried plants will be pulled; new compost put in the beds and a soil test to let me know what nutrients I may be missing. More to come on the Fall garden.

Very cool house with a” makes me nervous” pool

Check out this fabulous home nestled in the cliffside of Zihuatanejo bay, along Mexico’s coastal landscape. I am always dreaming of a house on the ocean and this one doesn’t disappoint. The perspective on the above photo is stunning, however, here is what the infinity pool looks like from a distance.

You can see more about this beautiful home here.

Getting in the Fall Mood

Anytime I get to peek into my friend, Kim’s home it’s a treat. Her blog, Shiplap and Shells never disappoints. Her latest post, 7 Simple Ideas for Creating a Warm and Cozy Cottage Kitchen for the Fall, will inspire you to decorate for cooler temperatures. I need to find an excuse to go to the Pacific Northwest just so I can visit her!

My End of Summer Cocktail

It is still so hot here, and there is nothing more refreshing than a fabulous cocktail. Since I am trying to watch my sugar intake, this week, I tried making Ranch Water, a recipe I got from my friend, Rachel at The Pond’s Farmhouse.

Three simple ingredients: tequila, lime juice (fresh is best), and sparkling water. That’s it. It tastes like a super skinny margarita. Since tequila is made from agave (a plant), is this vegetarian?

You can see Rachel’s recipe here.

Homemade Meatballs: Pan fry or oven bake?

My friend, Stacy, from Bricks ‘n Blooms, has a very detailed post about making meatballs. I find it interesting that she refers to tomato sauce as Italian gravy~I’ve never heard that before! Anyway, check out her post. I am now dreaming of making homemade meatballs to go with all that sauce in my pantry! You can see it here.

I am dashing off now to enjoy some down town in the mountains. It may be a bit warm for up here~in the low 80s, but hoping for afternoon thunder storms every day. Have a truly wonderful Labor Day weekend and let’s celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers.