We have nut trees in our yard. It appears that a couple generations back the farmer who owned this place really liked black walnuts and chestnuts. All summer long  I've been watching, and waiting, and contemplating how to know exactly when the nuts would be ripe and ready to try.  And  also how I'd get to them before the squirrels did!

Well, last week a front came through with high winds howling in off of the lake.  Of course, the kids wanted to go outside in the wind storm... so out we went. When we got out there we realized that it was practically raining nuts! HEY!  They're ready!



The girls helped me by picking up ALL of the walnuts under this tree!

And I picked up the chestnuts (or, as my girls call them "prickle-nuts) that fell to the ground.

Here's what we ended up with!

We ran inside just as the rain was starting.

The next day, I hulled the chestnuts ( WITH GLOVES! as indicated in the photo above).

Here are the hulled chestnuts.  I have them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator right now, but I'm planning on roasting some of them to eat either tonight or tomorrow, and also to use some as part of the stuffing to make stuffed winter squash for a get-together we're having in a couple of weeks. 

Well, the leaves raining down in the yard made a huge mess and we spent the afternoon mulching them with the lawnmower and spreading them on the garden beds.  A great solution to our gardening and landscaping needs, considering a load of wood chips usually puts you back about $300. And we'd probably need at least one, if not 2, every single year to properly tuck in our yard and gardens for their Winter nap.


Sitting on the kitchen table from this week's haul are a few Acorn squash.  I wait all year for the opportunity to use this ingredient as I find it tastes best during the cold months of the year.  It can be a meal unto itself, or it's lovely served with pork tenderloin.  I love serving this to guests as it's pretty to look at as well as delicious.