Harvest home and moon

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all ok today.

I just noticed the typo in yesterdays title, it should have read Balloons, not Baloons,note to self, I must remember to check the title as well.

Busy morning so far, washing blowing on the line, fruit cakes in the oven and brownies waiting to go in, I am tired of buying chocolate bars for the lunch box, and this must be much better.  The fruitcake is a boiled one and instead of using golden syrup, I use honey, this gives a much nicer flavour and has to be better for you doesn't it, also I had some chopped dates that needed using up.  I tried something different this time, in anticipation for the christmas cake, instead of costly sherry, I soaked the fruit overnight in earl grey teabags (already in the cupboard) and the fruit was lovely and plum and smelt very mellow this morning without the sweet smell you normally get from sherry.  If this works I will use it in the christmas cake.  Brownies, again I had some cocoa powder about to go beyond it's sell by date, and I bought some white chocolate instead of plain for my piece of chocolate a day to aid cholesterol reduction, so used that up as well.  So, pantry sell by dates checked as well. My pickled onions from year before last look very enticing and should go down a storm at christmas, it always pays to keep them for a couple of years, although truth was, when I was baking for the Country Market, I couldn't make them fast enough, people were coming back week after week in the lead up to christmas to get more as they tasted so good. The secret ingredient, one large helping hand from my better half!  So with the pantry stocked with home made goodies, and  yet more apples to collect and turn into apple sauce, I am feeling very virtuous.

Thank you for joining me gain, and I wish you all well wherever in the world you are.

Harvest Home (Chris Spurrell)

The spring planting was done and fruits ripen under the sun

The farmers have worked hard through the year

Now is the time to reap what they sowed

The wheat and the barley are about to be mowed

Carrots, turnips, potatoes and swede

All the food that we really need

Cabbages, cauliflowers fresh runner beans

All have to be picked before day is done

So everyone is working hard out in the sun

The apples for picking and the pears from their trees

There'll be lots of fresh fruit for you and me

Bundles of hay stacked neatly in the barns

And there it will stay and come to no harm

We have all worked hard but not alone 

To bring the harvest, harvest home.