u/GreenSalsa96

Now, what to do with just a handful of Raspberries?

Now, what to do with just a handful of raspberries?

I'm dropping 3 more varieties into my fall planting schedule. Planting elephant garlic, hard neck garlic, and soft neck Nootka rose.

This is in addition to the 50 from last year's harvest (that I originally planted from an organic grocery store).

Planted 52 cloves of garlic, a row of onions, and three short rows of lettuce as an experiment (oh and grabbed a carrot as a snack). How are you guys doing?

Friends at work exchange vegetables and fruits, i turned his candy roasters into pumpkin bread!

A mutual friend introduced us over dinner three decades ago, and I still owe her for it.

I came for spaghetti, left with the love of my life

Since then: multiple moves, dozens of deployments, years in combat zones, raising kids, grad school — and now we're standing on the edge of retirement together.

Through all of it, I can't imagine anyone else at my side.

Here's to the next 30.

A mutual friend introduced us over dinner three decades ago, and I still owe her for it.

I came for spaghetti, left with the love of my life

Since then: multiple moves, dozens of deployments, years in combat zones, raising kids, grad school — and now we're standing on the edge of retirement together.

Through all of it, I can't imagine anyone else at my side.

Here's to the next 30.

Ingredients

• Whole milk, warmed to ~40°C: 240 g

• Honey: 60 g

• Egg: 1 large (~50 g)

• Unsalted butter, softened: 55 g

• Bread flour: 480 g

• Yeast 7g

• Salt: 8 g

• Vanilla extract 15 g

Finish

•      Melted unsalted butter for brushing: 20 g

Cinnamon Honey Butter

•      Unsalted butter, softened: 113 g

•      Honey: 40 g

•      Powdered sugar: 30 g

•      Ground cinnamon: 3 g

My daughter wanted grilled cheese burgers and baked Macaroni and Cheese.

I'm really happy with my first attempt!

On a side note, the croutons on my baked mac and cheese came from leftover bread over the past couple of weeks!

Hawaiian bread

Fresh biscuits

Egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches

...and more bacon

Made 8 meals using a 3lb frozen chicken bag ($8), 2 cups of brown rice (<$1), 3 bags of frozen vegetables ($5), leftover Chinese takeout rice, and seasoned with peppers and herbs from my garden.

Total cost is well under $2 per meal.

I only do this about once a month and freeze everything. Throughout the week, we meal prep leftovers from dinner, so I have meals that range from ground beef and potatoes, spaghetti and meat balls, to repackaged Chinese takeout.

Really great way to save money, do portion control, and eat great.

I planted this tree six years ago when it was 2 ft tall. Will it ever fruit? What can I do to support it?

This morning, I used homemade pear sauce in my cinnamon rolls. That is pear sauce made from pears. My daughters helped pick, and I canned it last weekend.

One of our daughters is coming back home for an overnight sleep before a flight to Alaska. I wanted something to make her smile when she walks through the door and something to wake the family up this morning.

Recipe below:

DOUGH

160g lukewarm milk

50g egg (1 large, beaten)

60g butter, softened

50g white sugar

6g salt

520g bread flour

6g bread machine yeast

FILLING

40g butter, softened

110g brown sugar

15g ground cinnamon

50 g of pear sauce

ICING (optional)

60g sour cream

28g butter, softened

150g powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Refrigerate overnight, let raise an hour before baking at 350 for 30 minutes.

**Pear-Pineapple Sauce (Hot Pack, Water Bath)**

Makes ~4 pints. All weights in grams.

**Ingredients**

- 1500 g pear sauce (home orchard pears, run through a KitchenAid FVSFGA strainer)

- 400 g crushed pineapple, drained (reserve the juice)

- 60 g bottled lemon juice

- 100 g sugar

- 15 g apple pie spice

- ~250 g water or reserved pineapple juice, to thin if needed

**Method**

1. Combine pear sauce, pineapple, lemon juice, sugar, and spice in a wide pot. Thin with water or pineapple juice if the sauce is very thick.

2. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high, stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch. Hold at the boil ~5 min.

3. Ladle hot into hot pint jars, 1.3 cm (½ in) headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids fingertip-tight.

4. Process in a boiling water bath: 15 min pints, 20 min quarts (0–300 m elevation; adjust for altitude).

5. Turn off heat, rest jars 5 min in the canner, then move to a towel. Leave undisturbed 12–24 hr, check seals, label and date.

**Notes**

- Lemon juice is for safe acidity, not flavor — don't skip it. Pears sit near the pH safety line on their own.

- Sugar and spices are optional and don't affect safety; adjust to taste.

- Spice intensifies as jars sit, so err slightly light if unsure.

- Ratio of about 1:4 pineapple to pear keeps the pear forward; go up to 1:2 if you want it more tropical.

**Pear-Pineapple Sauce (Hot Pack, Water Bath)**

Makes ~4 pints. All weights in grams.

**Ingredients**

- 1500 g pear sauce (home orchard pears, run through a KitchenAid FVSFGA strainer)

- 400 g crushed pineapple, drained (reserve the juice)

- 60 g bottled lemon juice

- 100 g sugar

- 15 g apple pie spice

- ~250 g water or reserved pineapple juice, to thin if needed

**Method**

1. Combine pear sauce, pineapple, lemon juice, sugar, and spice in a wide pot. Thin with water or pineapple juice if the sauce is very thick.

2. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high, stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch. Hold at the boil ~5 min.

3. Ladle hot into hot pint jars, 1.3 cm (½ in) headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids fingertip-tight.

4. Process in a boiling water bath: 15 min pints, 20 min quarts (0–300 m elevation; adjust for altitude).

5. Turn off heat, rest jars 5 min in the canner, then move to a towel. Leave undisturbed 12–24 hr, check seals, label and date.

**Notes**

- Lemon juice is for safe acidity, not flavor — don't skip it. Pears sit near the pH safety line on their own.

- Sugar and spices are optional and don't affect safety; adjust to taste.

- Spice intensifies as jars sit, so err slightly light if unsure.

- Ratio of about 1:4 pineapple to pear keeps the pear forward; go up to 1:2 if you want it more tropical.