A GooD TimE at the Old BarN on SatuRdaY NiTe!

First off let me say Happy Fall Ya 'All!!! there is a definite nip in the air...I am just itchin to light a fire in the wood stove.....the kids (kittys) would love it...but it just not that cold yet...but its going to be by next month...can't believe this month just flew by... we have had rain for the past couple of days..but Mike was able to work on the deck..its almost done..ran out of wood..but it looks so goood.....will take photos when the project is completed...Well on Saturday we got invited to to make homemade apple cider....Oh I was so excited about doing this as I haven't had fresh pressed cider in years!..read on below....

It was a dark and stormy night...literally..it rained all day..and we got started at around 6:30pm..so it was getting dark...lol..luckily we were under a covered tent as it continued to drizzle some..but that didn't stop us from having fun..There were about 13 total that showed up with food and containers in hand...I was going to be taking some of this yummy nectar home with me..so we took 4 containers...That is a very old cider press that the owner picked up here in washington and had it refurbished...it was neat...

we all hovered around it..to take in its beauty and to see how it worked...Well I will tell you it worked like a well oiled machine...with all of us taking turns throwing in the apples to taking a turn at cranking it...to taking the big stick to turning it to mash it down to the juice..we were also well oiled in it as well.. we all had a job and worked like an assembly line...it was so much fun...Our wonderful hosts Ken and Rose had appetizers for us cause we were working up a sweat crankin that thing...Ken made sure that everyone got some Hard cider..I took a pass as I don't drink...and I am as always the "Designated Driver"...But I did get some of the sweet stuff as it was rolling out of the bottom...I actually chewed my drink....lol..

here we are at the front of this contraption...I don't know this fellas name..but a nice guy..that is my hubby and me..checking it all out...

and here I am taking my hand at crankin this bad boy...I will tell you it is hard work!...and if you are out of shape it will kick your butt...which it did..sure gets your heart rate up quick...

I'm just gettin started here..so it was pretty easy....so I thought....:)

now here I am making a real lather here..I am going so fast the phone camera was taking blurry photos...lol...

Now I am moving like greas lightning...thought I would start a fire and burn myself up....lol...it got so much harder when they started throwing in more apples....this old broad couldn't take it...so I stuck to throwing in the apples...

and here I am doing just that...we had about 4 boxes of these to throw in..these are just the apples that fell on the ground..they haven't even started picking them yet...that was alot of apples..and I also learned that coyotes love apples..that is a part of their diets...who knew!!!

here is just some of the bottlings..we added them up that there was 19 gallons made that night and we took home our 4 plus 4 more that night...so the guys are making hard cider from some of it...and I am keeping some of the rest just for me to enjoy...we have the kids coming for dinner this thursday and apple juice is their favorite so this will be a nice treat for all...After we were done pressing the apples we headed in for a nice potluck feast..this was around 8:30-9pm..we had meatloaf...macaroni/potato salad..by yours truly...we had a spinach/cheese tartlets..they were so yummy...getting the recipe for that one..we had a mixed green salad...and for dessert we had a chocolate torte made by our neighbors Winnie and Drew, they invited us and took the photos as well..(I forgot my camera)...and a German plum cake...oh it was good and I have the recipe to share with you all...so good warm...we sat and visited while we digested..their home is on 8 acres of land..used to be more but it was sold..it was originally a dairy farm...so it was just the setting for this occasion..I hope I get to be invited back next year...as we had such a wonderful time and getting to meet some folks that we didn't know...great start to our fall wouldn't you say?

German Plum Cake

by Rose Houston

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

10 plums minimum (can be italian or any kind you prefer)or even canned.

1-3 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar, add eggs, stir in flour..Pour into greased 9 inch spring form pan. (she used metal pie dishes). Place halved plums skin side down.. Mix remaining sugar and 1-3 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle on top..

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes...She said to check your oven and maybe lower the temp to 350-375 and check for doneness..

They do live in an old house, not sure how old the stove is...so just check it...

It was like a pound cake with warm plums...

we had the leftovers last night with whip cream...yum!

well I hope your first day of fall is off to a great start...if you make this cake let me know what you all think...:)

last but certainly not least..these are my sunflowers this year..I cut them and put them on my dining table...I just love sunflowers and they got so tall and were starting to fall...and I just knew the rain would muck them up..so I cut them and brought them in to enjoy...:)