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Silent Sunday #14: Fall Harvest
harvest
And the Waving Wheat, Can Sure Smell Sweet
When the wind comes whipping down the plain, Neeeebraska. yup, not Oklahoma., but western Nebraska near Palisade.
Some people consider us a fly over state without much scenery, but I would argue there is something amazing at every turn, if you just know what to look for and why it’s important.
For example after stopping at this field you can hear a rustling sound as wind blows through the dry wheat. There is an illusion of waves moving across the prairie in an endless roll, never hitting the shore.
The wheat may look soft, but the heads and beards are actually quite coarse. Pick off a spike and break off one of the 30-50 kernals, rub it between your fingers and inside is a single grain of wheat. Put it in your mouth to taste the nutty taste. Look out across the horizon at the old abandoned homestead and the clouds rolling by, sigh. It’s peaceful, yet not quiet as the wave roll in the background. It’s soothing.
From this field of over 640 acres comes bushels of wheat which will be made into bread that you will pick up in your supermarket for just one dollar. The farmer was paid less than 0.05 for that loaf.
Other Ag Facts About wheat
America’s Bread Basket
- Each American consumers, on average, 53 pounds of bread per year.
- Assuming a sandwich was eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it would take 168 days to eat the amount of bread produced from one bushel of wheat.
- A family of four could live for 10 years off the bread produced by one acre of wheat.
- One bushel of wheat will produce 73 one-pound loaves of bread.
- In 1997, Kansas‘s wheat farmers produced enough wheat to make 36.5 billion loaves of bread, or enough to provide each person on earth with 6 loaves of bread.
- Farmers receive approximately 5 cents (or less) from each loaf of bread sold.
Want to follow a wheat harvesting family? Head over to Nebraska Wheatie
Related articles
- June Wheat (smalltownnebraska.wordpress.com)
- Bring on the Heat! (nebraskawheatie.com)
- Early wheat harvest is on the way in Oklahoma (newsok.com)
Day 287/365: The Best Caramel Apple Dip in the World
The Worlds Best Caramel Apple Dip
Found this Caramel Apple Dip recipe several years ago, and it’s the best I’ve every had. I should know, I’m a caramel apple addict. Every year I lose my index card and have to dig for it again, but it always turns up in a drawer, or my recipe box, in the wrong section.
So I’m posting it here for posterity, then I can always do a search where ever I am. Yes, the recipe is at the bottom and I did eat all the apples on the plate and the 1/2 cup of dip in the bowl. Yes, I’m a pig, oink, oink, smile.
The fastest way I’ve found to slice apples is obviously with a STURDY heavy duty apple slicer, don’t get the cheap variety, but the ones with big handles for lots of leverage. If you’re slicing lots of apples, say for a Fall Harvest Party or a Halloween get together then you will want to treat them so they won’t turn brown.
How to Keep Sliced Apples From Turning Brown
Amco Dial-A-Slice Adjustable Apple Corer and Slicer
You can soak your apples in a bowl of water mixed with either citric acid and water (found in canning supplies) pineapple juice, lemon juice, or a salt water bath. The choice is yours. Here are a few suggestions
- Honey and Water: 2 TBSP per cup of water
- Salt Water: 1/8 teaspoon per sup of water
- Lemon Juice and Water: 1 Tablespoon per cup of water
- Fruitfresh: 1 teaspoon per cup water
Caramel Apple Dip Recipe
Here’s the recipe as I found it in Taste of Home’s Simple & Delicious magazine 2006
Ingredients & Directions
- 1 package (14 oz) caramels
- 20 large marshmallows
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (mmm butter)
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (full octane cream, mmmm)
- Apple slices
- Place caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute.
- Add marshmallows (which in my opinion don’t count as sugar) ;
- Microwave for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in butter and cream until combined.
- Serve with apple slices. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield 2 1/2 cups
I have made this every year and every year it is a hit. The last time was for a football and harvest moon party and I made a double batch and kept the dip warm in a small slow cooker. Seriously, there were kids filling cups of caramel to and scooping it out like candy. I’m the same way, my husband asks me, “Having some apples with your dip”, yup, this apple dip it THAT good!
Oster TSP100 Serving Platter with Center Warming Pot
Hamilton Beach 33416 Party Crock Set, Red
Apple Recipes for Fall
My neighbor has apples and I’m looking for good apple recipes I can fix and freeze, or even can. Something besides applesauce, maybe even a good apple pie filling recipe. If you have one please share. In the mean time I’m going to be scouring Pinterest and some recipe books.
Apples Cookbook: 101 Recipes with ApplesThe Apple Cookbook, 3rd Edition: 125 Freshly Picked Recipes
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