Monthly Archives: October 2016

Tu-Na Eats: Ghost Pie

I expected some special visitors Halloween evening so I whipped up a little treat earlier in the day.

My mom taught me how to make a nice scalloped pie edge.

Each Halloween (well most of them) for as long as I can remember, I’ve made a special treat for our kids.

I fill a baked pie shell with chocolate pudding. This year I used a cook and serve pudding but some years I use instant; it all depends on how much time I have. After pouring the pudding into the pie shell, I cover it with plastic wrap to prevent it from forming a hard crust.

Although our kids are grown, my grandson was coming to trick or treat and that gave me just the reason I needed to continue the tradition.

After the pudding was set and cold (3-4 hours for cooked), I topped it with dollops of prepared whipped topping spreading it into the shape of a ghost. (Stir the topping first in it’s container to make spreading easier). You probably could use a stiff whipped cream if you were to eat it right away. Usually, I add brown M&Ms for eyes; none were to be found in this house today so this ghost has chocolate chip eyes instead.

Ding Dong…Trick or Treat…Run to the door to see who it is.

It’s Buzz Lightyear (my grandson) and Woody (my son).

After we all ate a piece of that ghost pie, they said goodbye and were off to ring other doorbells. So I went up into the attic to help my husband check for bats. After all, isn’t that what everyone does on Halloween night?

What I Learned Today:

One is never too old to stop dressing up for Halloween. (I am dressed up as a quilter–see the threads on my shirt).
Watch out for that bottom step on the ladder.
There are no bats in our attic. I had to see it for myself.

Question: How did you spend your Halloween? What are your Halloween traditions?

Tu-Na Travels: Sometimes I Win and Sometimes I Lose

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We checked our mailbox after returning home from a recent trip and found this interesting package.

The manila envelope contained my and my husband’s stamped passports and two little brown envelopes each bearing this thank-you note. Since his name was on the outside envelope, I reluctantly relinquished one to him.

While we didn’t win the Grand prize trip to Alaska or one of the twenty $100 shop hop gift certificates for completing all of the shops on the 2016 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop or any of the regional drawings from several of the sections, we did get this prize for finishing the state. Just in case you missed it, click here and then click here to read about our adventurous last day on the hop.

Inside each envelope was a beautiful hand-crafted necklace and a shop hop pin. I got the peach necklace (the one on your left).

My husband and I were among the 99 people who traveled around the entire state of Minnesota July 29-August 14, 2016 visiting ALL of the 72 participating shops. Those were pretty good odds to win the big trip but just not good enough for us. My husband reminded me that winning wasn’t the focus of the trip. He was right but it sure would have been fun.

This year’s shop hop pin is only 1″ square. Thanks Quilt Minnesota for a fun time and thanks for the statewide finish prizes.

What I Learned Today:

The 2017 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop is only about 9 months away (July 28-August 18, 2017).
I better start sewing faster to justify needing to go on it again.
Winning is fun but losing is disappointing.
I have many good memories from our 2016 Quilt MN Shop Hop trip and that’s the best prize of all.

Question: What have you won or lost recently?

Linking to Can I get a Whoop Whoop and Main Crush Monday (buttons on the sidebar).

Tu-Na Eats: Apples, Apples, and More Apples!

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Twenty-nine years ago it may have seemed like a good idea to plant a dozen apple trees.

Through the years, we lost a few trees to deer and the cold winter weather but we replaced most of those. We now have eleven trees remaining with nine of them having started producing in earnest in the last five years or so. However, last year due to a cold spell on Mother’s Day which froze most of the blossoms, we only had 6 surviving apples—actually only 5 since a wild turkey got one before we did.

This pic of one of our trees was taken by a friend of mine. You can see how loaded those trees are! Photo used with permission.

Imagine our surprise when every tree in our apple orchard produced abundantly this year.

The tree branches were bowing under the weight with some resting on the ground making for easy picking for me and others.

Mom and I are picking while our exchange daughter looks on. She is the one who received the plus quilt I made recently and which I’ll be posting about soon. Photo used with permission. Isn’t the sky in this pic interesting?

This past month, I have almost (but not quite) had my fill of fresh apple slices.

Here’s some Honeycrisp and Prairie Spies. We have two trees of each of these.

In addition, I’ve sauced them,

Naturally pink applesauce comes from some of the apples due to cooking them and running them thru the food strainer with their skins on.

turned them into delicious pies,

crisps, baked apples, and apple dumplings.

This is the first time I’ve ever made an apple dumpling. It was delicious!

I’ve even canned several jars of cinnamon apple rings.

I plan to make a few more jars of these.

My husband took 4 gallons of cider to a local vintner to be made into wine.

These are a couple of bottles left over from several years ago. We had two batches of different wine made: one with cinnamon and one without. Our latest batch won’t be done until sometime next year. Once it is finished, the vintner calls us to schedule an appointment to finish it up. At that time, we bottle it ourselves, cork it, and put on our own label. Notice our family crest which is on every bottle of wine that is made for us–even the rhubarb wine (but that’s another post).

My husband and I work together to dry many of them, some plain and some sprinkled with cinnamon.

Dried apples make a sweet snack. We’ve made about 24 gallon bags of plain and 6 quart bags of cinnamon apples that have mostly been given away to family and friends. We are still dehydrating as there are still plenty of apples to be done this way.

And we’ve given lots of apples away to friends and family. We’ve even sold 5 boxes to a local food co-op.

I just love this pic that my friend took of some of our Prairie Spies. I think they make excellent pies but are not good keepers due to easily being bruised. They’ve now had a good frost–down to 26 degrees F.–which helps make them sweeter and maybe will help them keep better. Photo used with permission.

But the majority of those luscious red or yellow apples gets pulverized into cider with our hand-crank cider press.

We work in our car garage to keep flies and wasps under control. First the apples are loaded into the hopper to be chopped into little pieces. My friend S. sure enjoys helping us out and has come several times. I think she’ll be back to help us again as she left behind not one but both of her great Norwex cleaning cloths that were used to wash the apples.

This friend of ours has cheerfully come every time we’ve cidered this year. Either D. really likes to help or he enjoys our company. I know that we couldn’t have done this much without his help and we are grateful to him. The motor runs the chopper but the press is hand-cranked.

About 16 pounds of apples goes into a gallon of cider.

It’s quite a process and we rely on family and friends to help us.

We wash, rinse, quarter, and cut out the stem and blossom ends (just because I think that is where the dirt hides even with good washing). The core is left in the apple to be crushed. We have lots of fun that just doesn’t seem to end this year.

Even the little ones bring apples from the trees or put them in the water. They taste test some of them too.

Everyone’s efforts are rewarded with a meal or two at our table (including at least one but usually several apple items) and lots of cider and apples to take home.

The gallons are not completely full allowing for expansion during the freezing process. We’ve learned from experience that there needs to be lots of head room now to avoid cleaning out a very sticky freezer later.

So far we’ve made 213 gallons of cider this year. That’s a lot of washing, cutting, and pressing of apples happening at our house over the last four weekends.

So where do we store all this cider? We keep a few gallons in the refrigerator to drink for 7-10 days. The rest gets put in the freezer. No, we don’t have enough freezer room for it all ourselves nor could we drink all of it even if we did. So we call our friends and family for help. Unfortunately for us, they are no longer answering our calls and we still have 3 trees left to pick.

What I Learned Today:

There is nothing as good as a freshly picked apple; it is sinfully crisp and sweet.
I am running out of apple recipes to make.
The difference between apple cider and apple juice is that apple cider is unfiltered and uncooked and apple juice is clear because it’s been filtered and is cooked. Cider can be pasteurized (that’s usually how you find it in the store).
My husband and I prefer to drink fresh-pressed raw apple cider but we tell others how to pasteurize it if they want.
It’s nice to have a large family and lots of friends especially during apple harvest season.
My husband is planning one final cider-making fun day for this season; that’s what he said last week.

Questions: Are you an “eat them fresh” or “bake with them” kind of apple person? What do you make with apples?

Linking with

Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for Let’s Bee Social (button on the sidebar)

Beth at Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday (button on the sidebar)

Silly Mama Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? (button on the sidebar)

Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making

Tu-Na Travels: Tu-Na Helper’s Side of the 2016 Quilt MN Shop Hop

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You’ve heard from me about how fantastic our 2016 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop trip was and I know at least a few of you have asked what my husband had to say about it. To satisfy your curiosity, I asked my husband if he’d share his thoughts about the trip. He was my helper: paid for everything, chauffeured me around, found things for me in shops that I had missed, and was in charge of taking interior and exterior shop photos while I interviewed and shopped. Without further ado, here’s Tu-Na Helper….

Hi everyone! Who’d have thought that I would be the talk of the internet (or at least this blog) and I am not even running for President! Yes. I accompanied my wife Karen on the MN Shop Hop not only this year, but for a total of three years now. I’m sure some of you think I may not have a life of my own. Not true! I have my own interests and hobbies that keep me more than occupied at times.

Here we are taking a selfie at the giant mosquito poster just outside of the Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe in Paynesville, MN. Had I known that this would be my internet debut, I would have combed my hair!

But first, where did my nickname come from? Well, we offered to bring my sister-in-law along for a day on the hop. Karen explained to her that she was going to blog about our journey and that I was taking photos for her blog. Karen told her that the name of the blog was “Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats”. My sister-in-law immediately piped up and said ” Oh, so that would make you Tu-Na Helper”. We had a good laugh about that. But unfortunately for me, the nickname seems to have stuck. What makes it even more unfortunate is that I do not even like tuna (fish)! Oh well, I’m a tough guy. I can take it.

So why would a husband agree to spend all this time shopping for fabric with his wife? I guess I do not think of it as lost time. I get to spend quality time with my wife doing something she enjoys (which also means she is in a pretty good mood). I enjoy looking for unique quilts and decorations that can be found on display in the shops. We also get to see areas in Minnesota that we otherwise would not get to see. Even after three times around the state, we manage to find something new and interesting. We are usually pretty focused on getting to our next destination, but we do look for some unique eateries for our evening meals. A couple of my favorites were Sherwood Forest near Nisswa, MN, and The Sawmill Saloon in Virginia, MN.

I found this quilt design particularly intriguing. It is called Gentlemen’s Agreement and was displayed at the Calico Hutch Quilt Shop in Hayward, MN.

On this trip we also took time off one afternoon to take a sailboat ride on Lake Peppin. It was both exhilarating and relaxing. On our way back to the dock we saw this hearty group of sailors out for a spin. I could not resist taking a photo or two. One never knows what wonderful sights you will come across when you take in the world around you.

I do enjoy helping Karen find some of the fabrics she needs. I have a fairly good eye for color matches if she has an idea of what she needs or a piece of fabric she is trying to match or contrast. I also monitor her spending to some extent. I know that it may not seem that way now that you have seen her loot, but believe me, it could be worse.

One of the sayings she frequently hears me remind her of is to “Spread the love”. What I mean by that is that she should not buy all the fabric she wants in one shop. Since we plan to visit all the shops on the hop we try to spread our purchases to as many shops as possible. We did not find items to purchase in every shop, but there was only a handful that we missed. The shops all go through a lot of expense and effort to hold the shop hop. Their reward is some additional business, sales, and recognition. While I understand that it is unrealistic to make a purchase in every shop, I feel that is also rude for a hopper to run in, get their passport stamped, and run back out without even looking around the shop a bit. Half the fun of the hop is talking to the shop’s owners and staff and seeing some of the fantastic quilts they have in their shops. Sorry about that, I will get off of my soapbox now…

A little more about my role as “Tu-Na Helper”. Using the Quilt Minnesota website to get the list of participating shops, I plan our route using an online site to find the most efficient route. While this is very helpful, it usually changes more than once along the way. Load the car, fuel the car, and we are on our way. My new role as photographer for the shop hop posts kept me busy while Karen would talk to the staff and do her shopping. I always ask someone on staff if they have any issues with me taking pictures in their store. Most shops have no problem but there are a few who prefer that no photos be taken. I honor those requests. I take my photographer role ‘very’ seriously. So seriously, in fact, that I took over a thousand photos! See what I mean!

This cute little saying met us at the door of Sadie Rae’s Quilt Shop in Wilton, MN. It applied pretty well to Karen. The amount of creativity that is shown in all the quilt shops is simply amazing. And yes, I said “cute” and I am man enough to admit it.

We usually do not know where we will end up at the end of the day. By mid afternoon we have a better idea and I can check ahead to see where we can get a room. It’s more exciting that way don’t ya know! The only time we had much of an issue was last year in the southern part of Minnesota along Interstate 90. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally overlaps the Quilt Hop and every room within 30 miles of I90 was booked. In calling around I tried the Old Railroad Inn Bed & Breakfast in Jackson, MN. Luckily, they had just had a cancellation from a biker who had engine trouble earlier in the day and was not able to get to Jackson that day. We had a great night there!

Earlier I stated that I had my own interests too. I am an avid gardener and tend to supply my family with all the summer vegetables they can handle. We have a small fruit tree orchard as well. We have nine apple trees that are providing a record harvest this year. We have been cidering apples these past two weekends and have already pressed 134 gallons of apple cider with our cider press along with the help of family and friends. So what do you do with that much apple cider you may ask. Well, you ask everyone you know if they have any freezer room to store it. So far so good! Actually, fresh apple cider is a great tasting healthy drink. If that doesn’t suit you, we also take several gallons of cider to our local vintner to turn into apple wine. Doesn’t that sound better!

This is the reward for a day’s work at the cider press.

I also enjoy photography and reading ( I prefer science fiction stories). Having retired from an information technology job I still try to keep up with what’s new in that field as well as any new personal technology developments. I have started entering my photos in some local contests with limited success.

This photo, “Apache Lake Vista”, earned an honorable mention in a people’s choice photo show.

This past week our local library had their annual used book sale. Books are sold by the pound at the sale, at one dollar a pound. Now that’s a deal! I got a little carried away, but in my defense I was shopping for four people. I even picked up one book for Karen. However, the vast majority were books for me. My purchase totaled sixty dollars! When I told Karen how much I spent she didn’t make a fuss. After all, what could she say after all the loot she picked up on the hop? Hmmm… I wonder if the library book sale is still open tomorrow…

Well, I think I have used up enough space here. I hope you enjoyed it. I know Karen is excited about her blog and hopes that you will continue to follow her posts. Her blog is currently being read in 42 countries. I certainly never expected her to have so much success in such a short time. Enjoy life and stay safe!

What I, “Tu-Na Helper,” Learned Today:

A person can get pretty cold while picking apples on a windy 40 degree F day.
We would never be able to use up all our apples without the help of family and friends.
Happy wife, happy life.

Question: What is your favorite apple desert?

Thanks to my husband for being a good sport and writing this guest post. I’ll be back soon with a story about that plus quilt and some apple eats.

Linking to

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop (button on the sidebar)

Finished or Not Friday (button on the sidebar)

Em’s Scrapbag Moving It Forward

Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday (button on sidebar)

Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making