You're Cordially Invited.......

"You're Cordially Invited".....is the name of the article from the Nov/Dec 2011, Hobby Farm Home Magazine, which includes several great recipes for cordials and liqueurs made from fresh picked fruits.  Today I was thinking about the raspberry infused vodka I started back in late October when I picked my last harvest of fresh ripe raspberries.  I know that I have to be patient but the little "sneak" taste was wonderful.  This particular recipe takes about 7 months from beginning to end and is absolutely beautiful in each and every step.  I plan to give away most as gifts. 

You can use this cordial in a variety of ways

• Served Straight
• Poured over ice
• Mixed into other drinks such as margaritas
• Mixed into seltzer water

I have included the recipe below, but if you ever get a chance to subscribe to this magazine I know that you will enjoy the recipes, the gardening ideas and the articles about farming, sustainability, fiber crafts and more.
























Raspberry Cordial

INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups vodka
3 cups sugar
2 cups water

PREPARATION
Mix raspberries and vodka in a sterilized gallon-sized glass jar with a tight fitting lid.  Let stand in a dark, cool place for about four weeks.  Shake and stir every two to three days.  Rack the mixture by straining through a fine-mesh sieve or a standard fine mesh strainer to remove berries. 

Bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear.  Remove from heat and cool to room temerature.  Add this to strained raspberry liquid and stir well.  Pour into sterilized glass containers and age in dark, cool spot for at least six months. 
Happy Waiting!

Makes about 6 cups.

Seeds of Change Giving Garden in first part of transformation!

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it. ~Author Unknown

Linda and I cleaned out two of the raised beds in January. 

We found a dry day and took advantage of it!  We dug out overgrown

lavendar plants and turned the ground under.

Today, J and I removed the remainder of the old lavendar plants and

worked the remaining beds to get them ready for some "Black Gold"!

...Just like fine wine....aged manure is well worth the wait!

Here is a list of some of the Heirloom Veggies we are planning on growing this year.  Every day I check the mail for my seeds to arrive from Seed Savers Exchange.  They are a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.The selection of seeds that they have is amazing and through their site you can access forums and blogs about seeds and gardening. (Check them out via the link above)

Only a few more months before Spring and can hardly wait :)

• 
  
  Ideal Market Pole Beans
• 
  
  Chioggia Beet
• 
  
  Dragon Carrot
• 
  
  Scarlet Nantes Carrot
• 
  
  Paris Market Carrot
• 
  
  Udumalapet Eggplant
• 
  
  Charantais Melon (Wishing for a really hot summer!)
• 
  
  Nyagous Tomato
• 
  
  Five Color Silver Beet Chard
• 
  
  Galeux d'Eysines Squash
• 
  
  Muscade de Provence Squash
• 
  
  Cincinnati Market Radish
• 
  
  French Breakfast Radish
• 
  
  Plum Purple Radish
• 
  
  Federle Tomato
• 
  
  Speckled Roman Tomato
• 
  
  Isis Candy Cherry Tomato (these sounded delicious!)
• 
  
  Blondkopfchen Tomato
• 
  
  Black Krim Tomato
• 
  
  Amish OG Melon
• 
  
  All Blue Potato
• 
  
  Desiree Potato (pink)
• 
  
  La Ratte Fingerling Potato

Stay tuned for more pics!  Were are going to work on our "home grown" tomato cages next!

Pumpkin Harvest Muffin Recipe ~ Delicious!

I found this great recipe in my "Colorado Collage" Cookbook, Junior League of Denver.  Great recipe with lots of room for variations.  You could add dried cranberries, nuts, pears.....try it, you will like it :)

Simplicity at it's Finest

I was searching through some old family photos last week and found one of my mother's "fruit and veggie" cupboard. Oh... the beauty of freshly canned fruits and vegetables! It brought me back to the long days of summer, in which all 8 of us kids would sit around the green sagging picnic table and snap beans. A few would be lost here and there from bean fights but nevertheless, look at those jars of goodness.....A True Work or Art! Thanks Mom for the memories and the lessons in life we learned from working and playing together.