Sunday in my kitchen
I think this image had a big impact on my childhood. I know it did for Hels. At age 7, she declared that this was one of her favorite Laura and Mary images because it made her feel so cozy.
Hels spent Sunday in my kitchen processing a 1/2 bushel of apples. She worked all day making applesauce.
She was very satisfied when she finally got it all labeled and stowed away in the freezer. Our freezer isn't as cozy as Laura and Mary's attic, but it still feels great! It is full of blueberries we picked, strawberries we preserved, veggies we processed.
I also spent the day organizing food. Under all the tomatoes we canned from this summer is a case of canned tomatoes that we got at a case-lot sale. We also got cases of TLC crackers, chicken broth, tortilla chips, laundry detergent, and other such things. Now when I go to the grocery store I usually only have to go around the edges of the store.
Meanwhile, Lou fell in love with the idea of having "a beaver" which, in Ballet Shoes, is something like "elevenses" or a late morning snack. She whipped up a batch of cookies and made tea.
Nels came in from his current building project and we all sat and "had our beaver."
It was a busy, productive Sunday! I love how my girls are beginning to feel comfortable cooking. Now if only I could get them to make dinner once in awhile. Perhaps that's a winter goal.
those cookies look great!
Your kitchen sounds so cozy. It's such a good feeling to have preserved food stashed away for the winter. I've always loved that image from Little House and the Big Woods and the description that goes with it.
Oh, I did enjoy this post - Laura and Mary and Ma and Pa....a part of my youth and beyond as I would read through all the books every few years - maybe once again. And seeing applesauce in progress....
What a fun day. We were contemplating starting an afternoon tea again. Various evening activities throughout the week wreak havoc on our dinnertime so this is a way for us to still come together. Thanks for the reminder! :)
I love that image too, for its cozyness and how tenderly Laura is holding her corn-cob doll.
I'm enjoying my son's new abilities in the kitchen too. Yesterday he got out all the bowls and silverware, mashed up a banana, and mixed it with some leftover apple/pear crisp for his snack with his sister! Not bad for a six-year-old. They really feel capable and grown up when they do things like that, don't they?
Those do look like yummy cookies!
LOL--Lou made the cookies because she doesn't like it when I make them...I cut back the sugar and add nuts/oats...she likes the full load of sugar.
What a lovely and cozy day. :)
My girls have requested having afternoon teatime again. We love those great 1800's and early 1900's books and they seem to have really rubbed off on the girs and their requests lately.
And how nice for the girls to enjoy the fruits of their labors!
I love having so much in our freezer that we have made or preserved. It does seem like we have some sense of seasons and harvest and providing for ourselves, rather than being provided for, in a way. Love the photos~!
I only encountered the Little House books when my dd started reading them. So I missed all the wonderful imagery through my childhood. I love it now though.
You'll be out of a chef job soon enough! I love it when my girls bake too:-)
*Love* this season and all of the cozy preparing that goes with it for the cold months ahead!
I made applesauce years ago in a crock pot, are there any little tricks or advice you would give about how your family goes about making applesauce?
I love those illustrations, and I'm pretty partial to elevenses, too. :>
Helen quarters apples, puts them in a stew pot with about an inch of water and some cider. She boils them until soft then runs it through the foodmill. She adds cinnamon and sugar after running through the foodmill. I don't add sugar :)
Love,love,love that image fromt he Little House books! Its always been one of my favs, and Little House in the Big Woods was always my favorite book. Blessings.
Thank you so much for your "how to" Sarah! No sugar and all ; )
my girls and i are currently reading the little house series. there are newer editions, but i picked the one with the same illustrations i enjoyed as a girl. when we read little house in the big woods, they, too, paused on that picture for a LONG time.
thanks for sharing about the creative processes of your children. gives me something to look forward to as my little ones grow.
Your home sounds very cozy..lots of food put up for winter.Yummy looking cookies too.
We absolutely love Little House in the Big Woods!! We read it around here every couple of years. My kiddos love when we have our afternoon "teas". Your blog is delightful and inspiring.
I think that image meant a lot to me too. I loved those books, the tv show and anything to do with Laura. My best friend and I used to play "Laura & Mary" and we'd always include in our play "Pa's going to skin us alive". Your post brought back sweet memories.
Ah...we made applesauce too...wish my teenagers would be interested. They WILL cook dinner but they just want to go to the mall. :/