tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post3478669822050190455..comments2024-03-20T03:53:55.113-04:00Comments on Yankee-Belle Cafe: Disappointments and DessertsMissy Tippenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480008023330542958noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-90352802898657055952013-07-18T02:51:07.980-04:002013-07-18T02:51:07.980-04:00We have seedless grapes that are about the size of...We have seedless grapes that are about the size of dimes, and come in bunches as long as your forearms. So, so sweet, especially later in the season when they turn golden instead of just yellow.<br /> <br /> I grew up with dark purple seeded grapes and the smell of ripe grapes on the vine must be one of the best in the WORLD.Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-707482825941317902013-07-18T02:49:37.954-04:002013-07-18T02:49:37.954-04:00They grow mostly by the river, about 1/4 mile from...They grow mostly by the river, about 1/4 mile from our house. If I'm really feeling like being a picking monster, I bring a sheet of cardboard and lay it over the bush, so I can crawl to the biggest, sweetest berries on top!!<br /><br /> I don't buy the ones in the store. They're sour and tiny and taste like soap.Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-67293819266728264252013-07-17T22:57:22.377-04:002013-07-17T22:57:22.377-04:00Every September when I was a kid we went to my gra...Every September when I was a kid we went to my grandmas to pick grapes. Their farm grew them and sold them to Welchs. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-86798515717009884252013-07-17T22:55:22.549-04:002013-07-17T22:55:22.549-04:00I don't think most people know how blackberrie...I don't think most people know how blackberries grow wildly in abandon in Washington State. We stayed on Whidbey Island twice with friends and I was a picking monster. They are huge and wonderful and in abundance. And here I pay 5 bucks for a teeny little container. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-648789580002508862013-07-17T20:52:25.303-04:002013-07-17T20:52:25.303-04:00HAHAHAHA! I know, I'm thinking as I pick, of a...HAHAHAHA! I know, I'm thinking as I pick, of all the things I can cook with the berries.<br /><br /> He just gets IN THE ZONE and it's like he's been body-snatched by the fruit picker aliens. <br /><br /> Somewhere in his head, he's not going to stop until the close the gates... and they usually do that about 5 hours after we get their in the afternoons!!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-32875450978105277262013-07-17T17:29:10.030-04:002013-07-17T17:29:10.030-04:00Oh, my husband and yours would get along famously....Oh, my husband and yours would get along famously. Dave's farming family picked for local growers all the time. Fruits, vegetables, haying, pulling cabbage and cauliflower sprouts to replant on the 4th of July....<br /><br />And he and his mother tell stories of their prowess. It's not a normal family experience to them, it's a I MUST DO ALL I CAN DO BECAUSE I CAN...<br /><br />Kind of thing.<br /><br />I used to envy my friends who would just go and have a family outing.<br /><br />So my kids didn't get all of their competitive spirit from me! Dave's as guilty.<br /><br />But I cook better.Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-49853522612726766352013-07-17T17:26:32.273-04:002013-07-17T17:26:32.273-04:00Our hay this year is magnificent. Third cutting al...Our hay this year is magnificent. Third cutting already because we're so wet... so much rain, the grass crops are singing! But a lot of corn lots under water... A lot of things rotted in a month of rain every day, low temps and no sun. <br /><br />Each year is different and I always laugh when people talk about the average year for farmers, because the norm is usually extremes at one end or the other... with a few normals thrown in to tease you!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-61867838133835482762013-07-17T16:02:02.061-04:002013-07-17T16:02:02.061-04:00Our area's main harvest is beef. Last year was...Our area's main harvest is beef. Last year was bad for the ranchers - drought, so very little grass. Hay had to be brought in, and buying hay is expensive. A lot of the ranchers had to sell of a portion of their herd, which brought beef prices down. Blow upon blow.<br /><br />But this year, even though we're still low on rainfall, the grass is getting enough to grow. We're still mostly green, and everything is usually brown by now.Jan Drexlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05609332074458434806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-64999813889810653872013-07-17T12:56:50.368-04:002013-07-17T12:56:50.368-04:00Mindy, wouldn't that be great?? But we always ...Mindy, wouldn't that be great?? But we always say we'll pick more but we can never seem to get past that point. Usually by 150 lbs, the season is over or we're all picked out.<br /><br /> My husband could probably get there in no time, but I refuse to take him. <br /><br /> I took him to the blueberry farm once, and he started picking... and wouldn't stop. I had to remind him we WERE PAYING FOR THESE and not being paid, hahahaha!<br /><br /> The kids and I ended up sitting under a tree and waiting for him to realize we were hungry and tired and wanted dinner. It was several hours...Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-447800589301376292013-07-17T12:54:27.962-04:002013-07-17T12:54:27.962-04:00I don't know what we'd do if we lost our a...I don't know what we'd do if we lost our apple crop. I shudder to think of it.<br /><br /> Most of my friends are either apple or wheat or alfalfa farmers. Not much can kill alfalfa, unless something goes wrong at the harvest. Wheat is iffy, but still pretty hardy. It grows so fast that if one crop is gone you'll still have the winter wheat to fall back on because it's a late producer.Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-23272216576282854232013-07-17T12:51:50.642-04:002013-07-17T12:51:50.642-04:00Ohhhhh, I'm not a blueberry pie girl, but I...Ohhhhh, I'm not a blueberry pie girl, but I'll be cheering you on from over here in Oregon!!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-17703918252281235342013-07-17T12:51:20.446-04:002013-07-17T12:51:20.446-04:00P.S. Thank you! It strikes me that putting up sale...P.S. Thank you! It strikes me that putting up sales numbers might not mean anything to most people! Since even most writers can't see their sales. <br /><br /> Loling at myself. :D<br /><br /> Oh, well, it means something to ME!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-46943276635004720672013-07-17T12:50:12.303-04:002013-07-17T12:50:12.303-04:00Well, not to be too indiscreet... but eating a pou...Well, not to be too indiscreet... but eating a pound of blackberries isn't that same for small people because in about half a day there are *ahem* intestinal issues!<br /> Blueberries are a little gentler on the system. :D<br /><br /> We're lucky to live in a wonderful valley, right in the middle of the desert, but yes, some years the weather and the fruit just can't work together. And it's a heart-breaker.Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-30539574800176482842013-07-17T12:47:45.349-04:002013-07-17T12:47:45.349-04:00Our watermelons are really late over here! Usually...Our watermelons are really late over here! Usually, by the Fourth, we've got Hermiston melons ready to go... But this year we had to survive on California imports! :D<br /><br /> Thank you! Not sure what happened on the 14th, I think it was picked up by some 'book of the day' site but I never did find out where!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-37873706058128202032013-07-17T11:26:35.589-04:002013-07-17T11:26:35.589-04:00Here in Texas, we're mourning a poor peach cro...Here in Texas, we're mourning a poor peach crop. Like Ruthy's apples, it was a late freeze that killed the peach blossoms. :( Can you just imagine how the pioneers felt, when they had to live off of the land and could never count on anything from one year to the next? Of course, they weren't as spoiled as we are, so they learned to adapt. Which is why we have so many wonderful recipes today!<br /><br />Virginia, I can remember picking wild blueberries with my grandparents when I was a kid. We'd simply pull off the side of the road, go into the woods, and pick 'til our hearts content. Or we ran out of buckets:-) Sigh. Such fond memories. Memories your children will always carry in their hearts. And who knows, maybe next year will be a bumper crop and you'll have 300 lbs!Mindy Obenhaushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15049730175697756032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-70744666369000160022013-07-17T10:36:24.800-04:002013-07-17T10:36:24.800-04:00I hate crop failures. We're apple country. Las...I hate crop failures. We're apple country. Last year's warmth, then sudden freeze snap killed the apple blossoms, so the apples were pricey, kind of scarce and cider was never so expensive... So I hear you. <br /><br />But I love the pics and I think the pudding, cookie, blueberry mix sounds delightful! It's like a trifle on the farm.<br /><br />Just lovely!!!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-3957717624745331082013-07-17T09:47:11.922-04:002013-07-17T09:47:11.922-04:00I'm weeping blueberry tears for you, Virginia!...I'm weeping blueberry tears for you, Virginia! It's not quite blueberry season up here. But soon. I'll think of you when I make my first blueberry pie. :-)<br /><br />Loved all the pics and the nostalgia, though!Kavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03719229222267994577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-60836049316453932092013-07-17T09:03:07.368-04:002013-07-17T09:03:07.368-04:00I hate the years when the weather and fruit don...I hate the years when the weather and fruit don't mix...the frost takes the blossoms...or the rains come at the wrong time, or not at all...or the heat saps all the energy out of the plants....<br /><br />What I hate worse is living in a place where fruit isn't grown :) The only downside of living in the semi-arid Black Hills. I'm working on the back yard fruit production though...in our mini-yard.<br /><br />But don't you love it when other fruits come to the rescue? Yay for black raspberries! It's hard to discourage them :)<br /><br />And yay for your sale numbers for Leaving Liberty!Jan Drexlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05609332074458434806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-43093696495003013242013-07-17T06:09:30.642-04:002013-07-17T06:09:30.642-04:00There are a lot of problems with all kind of fruit...There are a lot of problems with all kind of fruit this year. I haven't had a good melon yet. :( <br /><br />But as you say, other good thing happen. Congrats on your success with Leaving Liberty.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992124840135021260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-30776990138953672722013-07-17T02:55:56.521-04:002013-07-17T02:55:56.521-04:00Oh, TASTY!!! The lemon and sugar is just the right...Oh, TASTY!!! The lemon and sugar is just the right touch! It's like an uncooked pie with no crust... Ok, it's not like a pie at all. But it's delicious!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-79720115449513415452013-07-17T02:17:32.199-04:002013-07-17T02:17:32.199-04:00I can't even imagine how good those must be, i...I can't even imagine how good those must be, if I already find the store ones so delicious. <br />My favorite way to eat them is in a berry salad- fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, with a little sprinkled sugar and lemon juice. So good!Cindy W.http://lucindawhitney.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-49523752848054675362013-07-17T01:50:23.276-04:002013-07-17T01:50:23.276-04:00Cindy, thank you again! Those stamps were the high...Cindy, thank you again! Those stamps were the highlight of the whole month! Yee-haw!!<br /><br /> We don't really buy the store blueberries because they're so flavorless. But right off the bush, they're amazingly full of sweet flavor! <br /> The kids were very disappointed, but we're moving on. :) I guess sometimes we have to lose something before we really appreciate it.<br /> And next summer, I'll be extra, extra, EXTRA glad for blueberry season!Mary Jane Hathawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996627730074514978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7945786327884906788.post-62787582851379766492013-07-17T01:38:12.073-04:002013-07-17T01:38:12.073-04:00Aww, I can so feel your disappointment over the bl...Aww, I can so feel your disappointment over the blueberries. And to think, I had never heard of blueberries (or cranberries, for that matter) until I came to the US, at the ripe old age of 23 and half. I don't buy them too often 'cause I'm the only one who likes them around here. <br />Congrats on LL being such a success! So well deserved!<br />And I'm so glad the JA stamps have brought you some consolation. ;)Cindy W.http://lucindawhitney.com/noreply@blogger.com