When life gives you lemons..

Feel a little smug that you got lemons.

I haven't blogged in a while. Honestly, it is hard this time of year, to haul your cranky self out of bed in the morning, in the cold and frost, and try to cram a full day's work in before the sun sets on you at 5:00. Obviously, I am not a winter person.

There is a golden lining to the cloud over my head today, though. Our little lemon tree in the greenhouse has gifted us with 14 lovely lemons (not counting the ones that have already been consumed in the form of whiskey sours). So what does one do with such sumptuous, sunshiny orbs? Why, one makes limoncello, of course.

Thank you, little tree.

One thing about farming the way we do-when you are tired and sore and filthy, and you have been slaving away with snow in your face and cold wind blowing through every dern layer you have on, and your lips are chapped as heck, there is always something to warm your heart. Lemons work. I have a young hen who is just like her mama, who I adore, and that's pretty cool. Things of this nature keep me going. I think if everyone really understood where food comes from, and how it gets to their plates, the world would be a very different place.

We are also still harvesting apples. Apples are such individuals in the fruit world. There are so many different types, and the potential for many more. This Lady Williams apple waits until the winter to ripen.

It is so thoughtful, she waits until everything else is dead and gone, and then makes the best apples you can imagine, a perfect balance of sweet and tart. They are best enjoyed right off the tree, in my opinion.

While I am being opinionated, may I suggest you add Michael Pollan's 'Botany of Desire' to your winter reading list? He explains so well the fascinating history of apples in America. Also, pick up a copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver. I thoroughly enjoyed it, except that I felt she insinuates that chickens are dumb, a popular myth that I wholeheartedly disagree with. But, that is a rant for another day...