FALL is my favorite time of year

The leaves have fallen off the Ash Trees,

I am slowly collecting them and piling them high in the garden to be tilled in. 

I will also be adding large barrels filled with goat manure I hauled up from the farm,

and sawdust from the firewood we have been cutting up in the back yard. A portion of the garden spot in Roosevelt is in an old gravel driveway.  I have been working

 on building up the soil and adding in loads and loads of humus over the past few years. 

these plants have been moved indoors and placed in a sunny window

I enjoy this time of year.

  The cool crisp mornings, the smell of frost in the air.  I hurriedly squirrel away

the last of the garden produce.  Digging potatoes and hauling boxes and boxes of them downstairs

into the cool basement storage room.  Carrots are next on my list. 

 They will be sliced, steamed and frozen.

TRY THIS:  Select 10 or more carrots and cut the bottom portion of the carrot off one inch from the top. Trim back the green tops to one half inch and then plant together in a pot using garden soil or potting mix. Leave just a small portion of the carrot and the green tops exposed. Place in a sunny south window.   Water frequently. The carrots will re-grow their lacy tops and make a beautiful houseplant.

Carrots purchased from a grocery store will also grow new tops.

The canning is done. I will be harvesting the last of the tomatoes from the vines hanging

 in the wood shed and making more oven dried tomatoes.

The crisp cool air reminds us that winter is on it's way. 

 Trips to the mountains after our winter wood is something else I love about fall.

Driving to the top of the world (well almost) 

 we gather in enough wood to get us through the winter.

Taking along a picnic lunch and plenty of water we spend several hours filling our

8 foot long trailer to the top.  Sure do miss the youngin's help, especially when there

 are 4 or 5 more loads to get. 

 After a long day's work out in the cold weather, nothing can compare with a nice warm fire in the wood stove and a cup of this decadent hot chocolate! 

Home-made hot chocolate mix:

4 cups dry powdered milk

2 cups powdered confectioners sugar

1 and 1/2 cups cocoa powder

1 cups non dairy creamer (try your favorite flavor)

1 12oz. pkg. of white chocolate chips 

Mix  together all ingredients except the white chocolate chips.  Splitting the batch in half, place half in a food processor.  Add half of the chips and pulse until fine.  Repeat a second time with remaining ingredients.  Stir both batches together and store in an airtight container.

  Use about 1/3c. mix in a mug and fill with hot water or milk.

 I carry it one step further and stir it with a plastic spoon I have dipped in melted chocolate.

To make the spoons use regular dipping chocolate and simply dip the spoons in the chocolate and place on a sheet of wax paper.. Make enough to get you through the winter and store in an air tight Freezer Bag.