Autumn Salad

    Today was very productive. In addition to tons of laundry, I canned nine jars of applesauce, cleaned three bathrooms, washed floors, and mowed the lawn. When I see 'nine jars of applesauce' written down it doesn't look like a big deal, but it is! I always consider home-canned foods as treasures. Maybe it's because it takes a bit of work to get from raw produce to can-on-a-shelf. Anyway, I canned nine jars of applesauce today. The family will be so pleased this winter when we bring a jar up from the basement to eat with our roast pork.
     I thought it would give mom something to do if I asked her to help with the applesauce. I started by having her quarter the apples and I planned cut out the core. But, when I saw her technique I thought for sure there would be bloodshed. So I switched to doing the quartering and had her cut out the core. My heart skipped a beat many times during our prepping of the apples.  I hope mom feels pleased to know that she contributed to the process of putting all those pretty jars on the shelf.I know
     We're still enjoying salads for lunch even in this cooler weather. Our current favorite is red leaf lettuce, slices of ripe pear, cubes of cheese, roasted pecans, and honey Dijon dressing. We've switched from peaches and almonds on our summer salads to pears and pecans for fall.
     While mom took an afternoon nap, I went outside to mow. It was a gorgeous day and I was so happy to be outside! The leaves are just about at their brightest colors and I couldn't resist bringing a small pile inside. More on that later...