Erin is a mother of four and fledgling farmer in Virginia. She and her family live on four acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains where she raises a myriad of animals and a sizable garden.
She farms for the food— finding joy in from-scratch meals and the pleasure of sharing them with others. Her Homestead Mamas takeover runs July 12-14, and you can find her on Instagram @thecedarchestfarm.
I have been a fan of all things pumpkin my whole life. A friend of mine once bought me a shirt that said “you had me at pumpkin spice” and while my husband teased me relentlessly about it, the fact remains: it was true! Whether you are a pumpkin fanatic or you prefer the seasons definitively stay in their own lane… now what it’s October, I think we can agree: it’s time for some fall baking!
I probably don’t need to tell you that the canned stuff we find in the store isn’t really “pumpkin” at all, but rather a combination of various winter squashes. Pumpkins (the ubiquitous round, orange, ribbed squash) can sometimes make for good eating. But the truth is many of them produce a more watery flesh… sometimes lacking flavor, sweetness, and often yielding a consistency too wet to bake with well. But squash! So many beautiful, colorful, warty, oblong, and interesting squashes make for tasty, rich flavored baked goods. Let’s talk about a few!
Please join us by sharing, continuing the conversation below, and connecting with Erin at the following:
Here I chat with the amazing Erin of The Cedar Chest Farm!
When we first started selling cider in 2002, almost no-one even knew what it was. When Americans heard the word “cider” they thought brown unfiltered juice in a plastic jug. A lot has changed in the past 2 decades– cider now regularly makes national media…
It’s ironic in a way, to be writing a guest blog post for Homestead Mamas in the homestretch of harvest while I’m absolutely not manifesting any type of work-life balance what-so-ever. I’m writing to you while multitasking on cider production on what is probably my 40 straight 10 hour day of work. But it will be winter soon and things will ease up and over the past 20 years I’ve gotten used to the fact that folks are going to be thinking about apples, and ciders, and the people that grow and make them in the fall– when the apples are ripe!…
My dear friends, it’s been quite a long time I haven’t been here with you. Life has been hectic during summer (I think you know what I am talking about). Sometimes it feels kind of overwhelming having to manage the farm from Monday to Wednesday and the restaurant Thursday to Sunday. We practically never get a day off….
