Raising a healthy Jane (or just being a healthy grown-up Jane) comes from good food and proper nutrition. Grab your aprons, I’m on kitchen duty with food to spare and recipes to share! When time allows, here’s where you’ll find one of my how-to-convert-to-an-organic-diet recipes.
Winnie Nielsen says: Heirloom tomatoes look delicious! I got this Williams Sonoma flyer this week that had a cover showing a pie that had a ricotta/basil filling and sliced heirloom tomatoes over the top. It was topped with more torn fresh basil, ground pepper , and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Oh my! this could be a photo of all the heirloom tomatoes I raise and save seed from for my little seed company Amishland Heirloom Seeds. I see the long pointy ones with squiggly stripes that are called “Speckled Roman”, and the big yellow one could be one of several, like “Pineapple” or “Golden Queen”. I do so love the diversity of tomato varieties and all their wonderful flavors. The brownish ones in the photo could be any of the so called ” blacks” and they have a deep, rich, winey flavor. Most of these black ones come from the former Soviet Union, the deep dark secret of the “Cold War”, was how great their tomatoes were and we didn’t even know they existed!
Winnie Nielsen says: Lisa, your tomatoes sound beautiful and I bet they taste fantastic! I hope you get a big harvest this year and enjoy all of your favorite ways to eat them, Yum!
thanks winnie, yep they are amazingly beautiful!and lordy the tastes are so wonderful =from sweet to creamy to smokey and so forth. please check out my website sometime to see 100+tomatoes I grow and sell seeds to:
http://www.amishlandseeeds.com
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hi again winnie,
oops still getting used to typing on my laptop outdoors, am used to my regular keyboard
ok my website address is really:
Winnie Nielsen says: Such an adorable face! Those eyes are beautiful!
MaryJane says: Jersey.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, it is greatly appreciated. I have never seen any Jersey’s in the region I live in as pretty and with as good of confirmation as yours! 🤗
Winnie Nielsen says: Hi MaryJane- we are at Daytona Beach and THIS morning I am looking out at the ocean and the inner coastal waterway where life is calm. The police called me at 5am this morning to ask if I had any safety concerns to being before the judge this morning at 9 am. It occurred to me the guy might get out on bail! He is only 19 years old and already has a hefty criminal record. This breaks my heart . He certainly wasn’t born with the desire to spend his life in jail. Other than a stress headache to beat the band yesterday, I am so lucky and my life this morning is blessed! But I am left felling we have much to do in our nation to pull kids up and out of poverty and see that they get an education and a chance to live lives like we do. I kept thinking about that yesterday being the 4th of July. We are not all free today in our country because our jails are full of kids that never got a chance.
Thank-you MaryJane for your sweet response of caring. It meant a lot to me. I am so glad I picked up your magazine at Tractor Supply one December. I never guessed it would lead to new friends and so much love and caring all the miles between Idaho and Florida!!
MaryJane says: I was hoping to hear from you. Happy to think of you on the beach letting the waves help wash it away. What is that famous quote, something like, none of us are free until all of us are free? We have a young man here we employ that we’ve stuck with (going on three years) through thick and thin, in and out of jail, probation officers, ankle bracelets, etc. Up until a couple of weeks ago we drove him to jail every Friday night for weekend stays (hubby loaded him up on books to read). In addition to my husband, who has taken it upon himself to parent him, he has probation officers, judges, and counselors who are also there for him. He has a good work ethic but has made the WORST decisions about booze, money, etc. He helped us haul hay yesterday for the 4th. Knowing everyone was going out to celebrate and party last night, I said as he was leaving, “Straight and narrow tonight, K bud?” He said, “I promise.” It’s been two steps forward, one step back. We also recently hired his new room mate who we think is a good influence on him. It’s all about opportunities and people believing in you, right? When a kid grows up without that, well, guess what can happen?
Winnie Nielsen says: MaryJane, what a loving and important thing you and Nick are doing to try and help your young farm helper who got so sidetracked from a healthy and productive life when he was too young to understand all the consequences. Once they reach adulthood and have been in and out of the justice system , change comes so hard and jail itself just hardens them even further. I once was doing a health day focus for a group of 7th graders and the teacher made a remark to me how the one thing that kept him teaching was the need of the huge numbers of “throw away kids” . Throw away kids was a term that hit right to the matter. We have all seen kids whose moms or parents have no parenting skills or real desire to help their kids have a chance at life. As babies, the moms get lots of attention but the the child grows older and care becomes a challenge, the parent is too busy with her own limitations to care. The kid just grows up with lots of exposure to crime and little or no supervision. By 7th grade they are behind grade wise and already getting involved in risky behaviors. Throw away kids in our country? It is unthinkable but it is true. Thomas Jefferson had no idea when he penned the words of the Declaration of Independence that we would be so indifferent to our children. But then , he was a slave owner by choice. That issue and poverty have kept so many deserving children and young people from ever having what we take for granted. I commend you for trying to give someone a chance. I know it is very hard. I want to think that perhaps love and gritty Farmgirl stance will win in the end!! You are a role model!
My sister and I caught our first trout of the season. We were supposed to be on our way home about the time I told my dad I wasn’t leaving until I caught a fish, and look who tried to eat my hook.
I was pretty proud when Dad grilled them up for dinner.
Mia was mildly concerned when she thought she was supposed to eat the tail! She seemed a little confused by a variety of things, including her Santa pjs in the middle of summer. 🙂
Winnie Nielsen says: How did you like your fresh caught trout StellaJane? It looks very delicious on your plate. Poor Mia, I can fully understand her reaction. Somehow the fish looks sad on the plate without it’s head!
Terry Steinmetz says: Oh girls, what great catches! I hope you enjoyed them, as a fresh catch is THE BEST! Great job!!
Oh My Maryjane and family, trout! Perhaps you heard about my ordeal of eating trout and only trout for over 6 months when I was camped out in the NH White Mountains many years back ? MJ remembers my tale ( or is it tail?).
But kudos to your fish catching skills Mia and Stellajane! yep, pan fry them fast and you just give the tail and innards to the cats or coons. Heaven knows I fed a whole slew of them that year.
Winnie Nielsen says: Yellow roses are a favorite of mine. They just remind me of sunny , happy summer days.
Winnie Nielsen says: This is such an interesting combination. Does it have a rose flavor or just a general fruit flavor? Also, why is it not canned in a water bath? Too delicate?
Last weekend I made Florida Wild Plum jelly from the plums in my daughter’s yard. We don’t always get a good crop but this year was a bonanza. With a distinctly different flavor, it is a rural regional favorite I learned from my son-in-law. My thickener was ChillOver powder which performed perfectly! The wonderful aspect of using ChillOver powder is that I can use less sugar overall in my recipe. I believe the result gives a stronger more vibrant fruit flavor instead of the heavy sweet result you get using pectin.
MaryJane says: The jelly has a subtle rose and dandelion flavor. It is relatively sweet, but since it uses ChillOver Powder, the amount of sugar can be adjusted to your personal taste (reducing the amount of sugar will change the final volume).
Here’s what my DIL Ashley (MaryJanesFarm food guru), had to say about processing the jelly in a water bath:
The acidity of the jelly is low, making it susceptible to the growth of botulism bacteria. To safely can it, it would need to be processed in a boiling water bath with a temperature of at least 240°F. Since we did not test this recipe using a pressure cooker, we don’t have a designated process time. Also, in order for the contents of each jar to reach 240°F, the time to process would vary depending on the size of jars you are using. If you would like to can this jelly, refer to a canning manual for guidance.
Winnie Nielsen says: Makes perfect sense to me! Sounds like freezer jelly is the very easiest and safest option. The flavor sounds quite interesting.
Most days we get outside, now that school is out. Our days are full of picnics, long bike rides, day hikes on the ridge behind the farm, farm visits to help Nanny Jane milk the cows, and trips to the local swimming pool.
Yesterday, it poured rain. We, of course, welcomed the rain (we were behind on moisture), but for a 7-year-old and 5-year-old, this sounds like a good day to pick a fight with your sister. Ha, I had other plans!!
I had the girls draw their favorite pictures with a water-erasable marker on a tea towel, reminding them to keep the designs simple. Then, using an embroidery hoop and a yarn needle threaded with embroidery floss, the three of us got busy. The yarn needle isn’t sharp—perfect for beginner hands. The tea towel works perfect because the cotton weave is loose and easy to stick the yarn needle through. It’s so fun to watch them concentrate and see the look of accomplishment on their faces after they’ve embroidered their entire scene.
Next up, they want to embroider their handprints and something written in their sweet little handwriting. These make great gifts too, a tea towel to treasure forever.
Winnie Nielsen says: Meg, I love your daughter’s horse design. You know what? I have been re-reading your Mom’s Idea book and decided I had to get out my embroidery thread and hoop. A MJF Swap landed me a cute package of farm patterns and two plain cotton tea towels. Yesterday, I embroidered my first towel with some sun flowers for the August dishcloth swap since I had just knitted a sunflower pattern cloth. Gosh, it was fun to see the end results and now I am inspired to complete some more towels for gifting (and keeping)! Tell your girls that a big girl across the nation was doing just the same thing that they were doing and smiling at the results!
Megan says: Oh how fun, I will tell the girls. I love embroidery. It is so rewarding and I do love gifting them too. Have fun!
Winnie Nielsen says: I don’t know what these flowers are but they sure are beautiful. The pinks and purple are striking against the dark green. What a view!
MaryJane says: That’s my patch of Lupine.
Saskija says: You are very blessed to have a view like that.
It’s always pie season, right? Maybe it’s a tad early for fresh-from-the-garden pie, but the rhubarb and a few starter strawberries are coming on in my neck of the woods. I’m thinking it’s time for pie.
Of course, there is the age-old issue of making a proper crust. I was lucky enough to learn how to make a crust before I learned that a pie crust involves a fair amount of confidence. A child rarely lacks confidence. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been making the exact same crust as featured in my mom’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook. Her cherry filling is also a regular at my house.
But if you aren’t confident about your confidence when it comes to making a crust, I know a secret and so does our very own Susan Dahlem (Sister #15). In her Not Quite June Cleaver Bakes a Pie book, she shares the beauties of getting it right with … gasp, shortening.
I’m not a proponent of shortening, so as soon as you get more comfortable with your pie crust skills, I would absolutely replace the shortening with butter … better for you and much tastier! But to get started, try it. Spectrum does make an organic version for the better-for-you part. The difference between butter and shortening is that shortening doesn’t get too soft about the time you’re ready to roll your crust out, so you don’t have the same time crunch—less stress for the beginner.
To help with the worries of getting the crust right, Susan has some delicious recipes for fillings, too. And once you get past the beginner stage, she also has a variety of crusts to try. I’m looking forward to trying my hand at an entirely new crust and filling.
calle says: My dear mother taught me at age 4 or 5 how to make pie crust and Crisco was the thing.
Today I long for a Gluten free, chemical free flaky crust.
As I love to make Quiche Lorraine, but can’t as we have not found a great homemade gluten free recipe.
Megan says: I have yet to try a gluten-free crust. Maybe I will have to keep you posted! And yes, the trick is a flaky one. 🙂
Winnie Nielsen says: There is nothing so perfect as a pie with a flaky crust. I too learned to make a crust with Crisco shortening, but switched to butter because the taste is so much better. Right now, blueberries are in season here with U Pick places everywhere. Our household favorite with blueberries are pancakes, but a blueberry pie with the perfect crust might be a close second! It has been awhile since I made a pie, but I do have your Mom’s Idea book so I can revisit the crust recipe. Your rhubarb/strawberry pie sounds wonderful. I vote an enthusiastic YES for one of those soon!!
Megan says: Winnie, A blueberry pie sounds mighty fine!!
I’m from the South and its always, always LARD to make a perfect crust, no substitutes ! My step-grandfather was the best baker of anyone I ever knew and ofcourse it was cold water and lard to make a perfect crust for his legendary pecan pie ( with a kick of homemade bourbon ) and various other home-grown fruit pies. He always rolled it out on an old marble table, he said the secret was to keep the dough cool.
Megan says: Yes, lard is also a very good route to go for a perfectly flaky crust. Susan does make that suggestion. Here’s to a marvelous pie!
What a SWEET surprise! Thank you for sharing my book! I am working on the next one in the series–Not Quite June Cleaver Bakes a Cake!
Blessings & Bliss!
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((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-Susan
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Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
This kinda looks like a Bluebird except the top seems too grey. However, there may be a difference between Eastern and Western Bluebirds? Or this is just the shadows that make the top feathers look grey?
Is this a western blue bird? looks a bit different than ours in PA. just love blue birds, you know ” the bluebirds of happiness ” ?