Ever since Sunday....

Again, this hectic summer life, but how much fun! Summer always seems like a scramble to get in everything that doesn't happen in the winter. You're frantically putting up fruits and vegies, getting ready for a beef to go into the freezer, anticipating the corn ripening. Then there's the wonderful sales to go to, the thrill of the hunt. And of course, all the fun family outings that can happen only in summer.
This Sunday we finally made it to the Sunday Market in Astoria. We went after church, knowing we'd be having a full day in Astoria, then coming back to our "Summer Sunday" at church, which is always a great time of fun, fellowship, singing, etc. The Sunday Market was a great time, this being our first time to get there this summer. I've been thinking of doing the market for a couple years, with my Finnish Cardamom Bread and Marionberry Coffee Cakes, I know it would be well worth it. My greatest compliment is when someone tells me my cardamom bread is better than the Astoria bakery, but that's bragging. I have my Finnish Friend Kertuu to thank for the bread, so I'll share the compliments. She's always amazed at how much of that bread I sell.
Anyway, the Market was a great time. Great food. I had something I'm not positive what it was. The Mexican man was very soft spoken and I asked him a couple times to repeat himself, but as far as I can tell I had a "nachatamale????" It was a wonderful, huge tamale, with I believe chicken and pork, rice, potatoes, Mexican olives, tomatoes, peppers, RAISINS???? It had a LOT of stuff in it, and it was good. Seth, one of my 9 y0 twins, stayed normal and had some wonderful chowder. His twin, Ethan, had his first oysters (well, he beat me to that first LOL), Chantel had....Kangaroo???? Oh, yuck, I couldn't believe it. Randy had oysters and wild boar bacon. Well, they have a little more common stuff there, too, but....
We sat in the food area on picnic benches and listened to some great live music from "The Brownsmead Flats", had some great laughs over a few of their folk songs.
There were some great things for sale at the market, and I wished we'd gotten there even earlier. On the way home, ok who's kidding, we went around Astoria to a couple garage sales, and even over to Warrenton, which was not the direction of home. I didn't find much, EXCEPT this little vintage garbage can (the lady called it a garbage can, I'm wondering if it had been a diaper pail???) just had to come home with me. ONE DOLLAR!!!???? Yep, what a deal. I just love the green color. The inside of the lid is rusty, but I think I'll leave it. There is a bucket that lifts out to empty it, although it has a crack in it's plastic side, but will still be great as a trash can.

Waiting for me at home, were a pile of green beans fresh picked the night before out of my garden, and some boxes of apples that I still had to work with. But, now the beans are in their jars, the apples went into applesauce and apple pie filling, and I'm stalling with getting everything put back in order, which I'll do as soon as I get done blogging.
Great blessed life, great family fun, great bountiful harvest...thank you Lord!
Apple Pie Filling:
Peel 10 cups of apples, sliced, and mix with 7 cups of sugar (I used maybe 4), and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Mix well, then let sit, covered, all night. The juice goes to the bottom of the bowl. In the morning, pack the apples tightly into quart jars, heat the syrup remaining in the bowl and pour over the apples to 3/4 inch headspace. Process for 25 minutes in water bath canner, or 10 minutes at 5 pounds in pressure canner.