Finally found a canned spaghetti sauce recipe that is a keeper. Called my Mom yesterday to get my aunt's recipe. I had forgotten about it and my sister reminded me when we were together last time. I made a couple of simple changes (asterisked) for our taste preference but this makes a rich, thick sauce no matter which way you make it.
1 medium onion* (original uses 1 1/2 cups onion)
1 medium sized bell pepper, seeded*
2 cloves garlic
Grind these in food processor and put in pan. Add the following.
7 cups tomato puree
24 oz tomato paste
1 cup olive oil
2 cups water
2 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbls dried oregano
1 Tbls dried basil*
Simmer for 30 minutes and then take out bay leaves. Continue simmering until the thickness that you desire for your sauce. Put in jars. Process 40 minutes for pint jars and 45 minutes for quart jars in water bath canner. Makes 5-6 pints.
Happy cannning!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Television
Read a statistic today that surprised me. 90% of people in America pay for their TV whether it be cable or satellite dish. We are part of the 10% who do not pay for it. Several years ago Chuck was laid off from work. To save money, we decided to get rid of the cable. We thought that as soon as he found work we would get it right back. What we found instead after a short period of withdrawal that we really did not miss it. Most of all we found that we watched TV less because we were not tempted by the amount of choices on the TV.
We have been trying more and more to decrease our TV time. We still usually watch local news headlines and weather most nights but a majority of the time that is it. Most nights we read, do projects or play games. We have a couple of shows that we try to watch each week but turn them off if they are repeats.
Our decrease in TV watching has been good for our family. We tend to be more active, spend more time interacting and doing other things. I don't know if we will totally ever get rid of the TV but we try not to let it control our lives. This also saves electricity in the long run.
I challenge people to think about their TV watching habits and see if you can decrease them. Now is a good time of the year to try when the days are longer and there are so many more things to do. We continue to work on our viewing habits here but find we are much better off the less TV that we do watch.
We have been trying more and more to decrease our TV time. We still usually watch local news headlines and weather most nights but a majority of the time that is it. Most nights we read, do projects or play games. We have a couple of shows that we try to watch each week but turn them off if they are repeats.
Our decrease in TV watching has been good for our family. We tend to be more active, spend more time interacting and doing other things. I don't know if we will totally ever get rid of the TV but we try not to let it control our lives. This also saves electricity in the long run.
I challenge people to think about their TV watching habits and see if you can decrease them. Now is a good time of the year to try when the days are longer and there are so many more things to do. We continue to work on our viewing habits here but find we are much better off the less TV that we do watch.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tomatoes
Finally able to pick my first tomatoes that I could keep in a couple of weeks. We have had so much rain until now that I was having problems with blossom end rot. Finally was able to get to Lowe's the other day and get some powdered lime. Put it down and the tomatoes are looking better.
Unfortunately, I picked them and don't have enough to do much with them but there are too many to eat before they go bad. A couple of years ago someone told me to freeze them. I tried it and it worked well. That is what I am going to do with them this AM. I will wash and core them. Next, I will remove the bad spots and then throw them in freezer bag and into the freezer. Next time I can I will pull them out to thaw and then use them with the rest of the tomatoes in whatever I am canning. This way they won't go to waste.
Hope your tomatoes are producing well for you. If you don't have any hope you are taking advantage of the ones at your local farmers market.
Unfortunately, I picked them and don't have enough to do much with them but there are too many to eat before they go bad. A couple of years ago someone told me to freeze them. I tried it and it worked well. That is what I am going to do with them this AM. I will wash and core them. Next, I will remove the bad spots and then throw them in freezer bag and into the freezer. Next time I can I will pull them out to thaw and then use them with the rest of the tomatoes in whatever I am canning. This way they won't go to waste.
Hope your tomatoes are producing well for you. If you don't have any hope you are taking advantage of the ones at your local farmers market.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Zucchini
Wanted to share what has become our favorite zucchini treat. It is called Zucchini Carrot Cake and here is the recipe.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/1 cups flour (we use 1/2 whole wheat pastry and 1/2 regular flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups grated carrots
Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add oil. Combine dry ingredients and add. Beat several minutes, then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Eat plain or frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 stick butter (softened)
6 ozs cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Cream softened butter and cream cheese with vanilla. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat thoroughly. Beat in an additional 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar until frosting comes to spreading consistency. Frost cake and enjoy.
We have found this good with or without frosting. I ususally only put the frosting on if I am serving it to company or taking it somewhere. Even without frosting this cake does not last long when I make it for here at home.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/1 cups flour (we use 1/2 whole wheat pastry and 1/2 regular flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups grated carrots
Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add oil. Combine dry ingredients and add. Beat several minutes, then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Eat plain or frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 stick butter (softened)
6 ozs cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Cream softened butter and cream cheese with vanilla. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat thoroughly. Beat in an additional 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar until frosting comes to spreading consistency. Frost cake and enjoy.
We have found this good with or without frosting. I ususally only put the frosting on if I am serving it to company or taking it somewhere. Even without frosting this cake does not last long when I make it for here at home.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Zucchini
Have spent the past two weeks working on zucchini a friend shared with us. Zucchini is so versatile and can be used in so many ways. We chopped and froze several bags of it. Next, we made several batches of bread which we froze for later use. Last, we have made zucchini brownies, chocolate cake and carrot cake with it. YUM!
Our favorite way to eat it cooked is on the grill. We slice it thin and then Chuck marinates it while he is grilling it with Italian dressing. It is so good!
Here is the recipe we use for Zucchini Chocolate Cake that is a hit here. We put a few chocolate chips on top and do not frost this cake. It doesn't need it.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk (we use soy)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (we use 1/2 pastry whole wheat and white flour)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
6 oz chocolate chips (opt)
Cream sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add. Stir in zucchini. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan. If you choose, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly across top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Cool, cut and enjoy!
Our favorite way to eat it cooked is on the grill. We slice it thin and then Chuck marinates it while he is grilling it with Italian dressing. It is so good!
Here is the recipe we use for Zucchini Chocolate Cake that is a hit here. We put a few chocolate chips on top and do not frost this cake. It doesn't need it.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk (we use soy)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (we use 1/2 pastry whole wheat and white flour)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
6 oz chocolate chips (opt)
Cream sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add. Stir in zucchini. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan. If you choose, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly across top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Cool, cut and enjoy!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Fall Garden
Mary and I have spent the past couple of days getting the garden prepared for fall vegetable planting. We harvested the onions and the rest of the broccoli. We have put compost back down on the beds we harvested to replace the nutrients that the previous crops used. We have also prepared some new beds around the raspberry and grape plants.
Because we are not in a hurry to beat the summer heat, we are planting seeds instead of transplants for our broccoli and cabbage. Later on whatever does not come up from seed, we will replace with transplants from the nursery.
Fall vegetable gardening will give me 2 crops instead of one. Some plants even grow better here in the fall versus the spring because the spring weather heats up here so fast. Peas are a good example of this. The best part is if I keep things covered during the first frosts of fall I will still be having fresh vegetables into November.
If you have some rows in your garden which are empty or almost done, you might want to consider planting a fall vegetable garden.
Because we are not in a hurry to beat the summer heat, we are planting seeds instead of transplants for our broccoli and cabbage. Later on whatever does not come up from seed, we will replace with transplants from the nursery.
Fall vegetable gardening will give me 2 crops instead of one. Some plants even grow better here in the fall versus the spring because the spring weather heats up here so fast. Peas are a good example of this. The best part is if I keep things covered during the first frosts of fall I will still be having fresh vegetables into November.
If you have some rows in your garden which are empty or almost done, you might want to consider planting a fall vegetable garden.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
cookprint
In preparation for my class, I have been reading a book titled Cooking Green and it is written by Kate Heyhoe. In this book it talks about reducing your "cookprint". Many of the techniques are easy to do. It also talks about being an "ecovore" which basically means eating with the environment in mind.
At first, we started our journey into sustainable living not because of the environment as much as we needed to conserve money where ever possible. Our youngest daughter has many medical challenges and I had to quit working even on a part-time basis. I had read from various sources some of the techniques mentioned in the book before and had already incorporated many of them on an economic basis. One thing that I have found about decreasing your carbon footprint through my research is that the added benefit is that it saves you money. This applies especially in the energy consumption area. Even if your not buying all the environmental reasons, the economic reasons may be worth it.
Some simple "cookprint" suggestions are fairly easy to do. Here are a couple of basic ones to get you started.
-boil water and cook on the stove top using lids on your pans
-use your oven for more than one thing (I usually do 2-3 baking things at a time or use it for supper and then throw something in to bake when supper is done)
-only preheat oven when necessary. Several items can be put in a cold oven and started especially casseroles and baked potatoes.
-learn how long your oven takes to preheat. If preheating is needed, preheat your oven only when you are close to putting the item in the oven.
-Thaw frozen meats, etc ahead of time in the refrigerator. It helps cool down the frig some.
-Use your oven sparingly in the summer. Not only does it use energy to heat the food but if you are using A/C it adds heat to the house that your A/C must then use energy from in order to take the heat back out of the air.
Happy cooking!
At first, we started our journey into sustainable living not because of the environment as much as we needed to conserve money where ever possible. Our youngest daughter has many medical challenges and I had to quit working even on a part-time basis. I had read from various sources some of the techniques mentioned in the book before and had already incorporated many of them on an economic basis. One thing that I have found about decreasing your carbon footprint through my research is that the added benefit is that it saves you money. This applies especially in the energy consumption area. Even if your not buying all the environmental reasons, the economic reasons may be worth it.
Some simple "cookprint" suggestions are fairly easy to do. Here are a couple of basic ones to get you started.
-boil water and cook on the stove top using lids on your pans
-use your oven for more than one thing (I usually do 2-3 baking things at a time or use it for supper and then throw something in to bake when supper is done)
-only preheat oven when necessary. Several items can be put in a cold oven and started especially casseroles and baked potatoes.
-learn how long your oven takes to preheat. If preheating is needed, preheat your oven only when you are close to putting the item in the oven.
-Thaw frozen meats, etc ahead of time in the refrigerator. It helps cool down the frig some.
-Use your oven sparingly in the summer. Not only does it use energy to heat the food but if you are using A/C it adds heat to the house that your A/C must then use energy from in order to take the heat back out of the air.
Happy cooking!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wind Turbines
When we were in Iowa we saw several farms with the new wind turbines on them. I (and Chuck) have been fascinated ever since in them. We asked various relatives out in Iowa about them and they said they are becoming more predominate there through a grant program.
After returning home, I did some research and found out about the Iowa grant program. The state gives them a 0% loan for up to 50% of the installation cost and then the farmer must obtain the other 50% through traditional means. The interesting thing was reading through the individual case studies they had on the site. Most of the turbines cost $30,000-$60,000. The farmers were recouping their money within 6-10 years. I was amazed by these numbers. The neat thing is with this program, that any extra electricity the farmer produces is bought by the local electric company. According to the website, Iowa now produces 14% of its electrical needs with wind energy.
Along those lines I picked up a book the other day at the library about 2 guys traveling across country in a "french fry" car as they called it. It is a old diesel station wagon that they converted to run on old frying oil. While reading the book, there was a chapter about wind turbines in Minnesota. In southeastern Minnesota there are elevated rolling hills called the Buffalo Ridge. Because of its geographic location there is a constant wind there. Farmers have been diversifying and several wind farms have developed there. They are producing a large amount of electricity in this area.
Wind energy is not the answer for everyone but it is neat to see states take advantage of their geographic location and encourage clean energy. I am still researching the topic because it has peaked my interest. I will share some more facts interesting facts if I dig some more up.
By the way the book I mentioned about is an interesting read. It is called, Greasy Rider and is written by Greg Melville.
After returning home, I did some research and found out about the Iowa grant program. The state gives them a 0% loan for up to 50% of the installation cost and then the farmer must obtain the other 50% through traditional means. The interesting thing was reading through the individual case studies they had on the site. Most of the turbines cost $30,000-$60,000. The farmers were recouping their money within 6-10 years. I was amazed by these numbers. The neat thing is with this program, that any extra electricity the farmer produces is bought by the local electric company. According to the website, Iowa now produces 14% of its electrical needs with wind energy.
Along those lines I picked up a book the other day at the library about 2 guys traveling across country in a "french fry" car as they called it. It is a old diesel station wagon that they converted to run on old frying oil. While reading the book, there was a chapter about wind turbines in Minnesota. In southeastern Minnesota there are elevated rolling hills called the Buffalo Ridge. Because of its geographic location there is a constant wind there. Farmers have been diversifying and several wind farms have developed there. They are producing a large amount of electricity in this area.
Wind energy is not the answer for everyone but it is neat to see states take advantage of their geographic location and encourage clean energy. I am still researching the topic because it has peaked my interest. I will share some more facts interesting facts if I dig some more up.
By the way the book I mentioned about is an interesting read. It is called, Greasy Rider and is written by Greg Melville.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Canning
The other night I hit upon a mecca of cheap and free produce. We spent the evening and into the early morning (2 AM) canning it all. Between therapy appointments for Makenzie and errands that had to be done we did not get started until after supper. With the wonderful help of Chuck and Mary and Makenzie in front of a movie we did it assembly line style. 30 jars of jam, 4 quarts and 1 pint of peaches, 8 quarts of spaghetti sauce and 6 bags of blueberries later we finally finished it all. We will definitely enjoy our hard work later this winter.
I tried a new jam combination in the process of all of it, blueberry-peach. The reviews here at our house were overwhelmingly that it was a keeper. Mary was pretty skeptical at first but changed her mind quickly with the first taste.
Chuck came home last night teasing me that he had brought home 200 lbs of pears to do that night. I said sounds good. He just laughed. Although the work was hard doing this together as a family brings us closer together.
I am usually the canner around here with Mary's assistance but Chuck will pitch in when there is a big task ahead of us. I have always been appreciative of this. Sometimes we need the extra hand. I learned canning while helping my Mom and she learned canning from her Mom doing it the same way. This has been the process for generations. Even if Mary decides not to pursue canning after she leaves the house she will have the skills if she needs them someday.
Many people have lost the skill of preserving their own food. The good news is it is not that hard. Pick up a simple canning book that has the basics or find a friend that knows how to do it and help them can a couple of times. Most of all if you do can make sure your children help you so they can carry on the skills to the next generations.
what kind of things do you can? What are your favorites?
Happy Canning!
I tried a new jam combination in the process of all of it, blueberry-peach. The reviews here at our house were overwhelmingly that it was a keeper. Mary was pretty skeptical at first but changed her mind quickly with the first taste.
Chuck came home last night teasing me that he had brought home 200 lbs of pears to do that night. I said sounds good. He just laughed. Although the work was hard doing this together as a family brings us closer together.
I am usually the canner around here with Mary's assistance but Chuck will pitch in when there is a big task ahead of us. I have always been appreciative of this. Sometimes we need the extra hand. I learned canning while helping my Mom and she learned canning from her Mom doing it the same way. This has been the process for generations. Even if Mary decides not to pursue canning after she leaves the house she will have the skills if she needs them someday.
Many people have lost the skill of preserving their own food. The good news is it is not that hard. Pick up a simple canning book that has the basics or find a friend that knows how to do it and help them can a couple of times. Most of all if you do can make sure your children help you so they can carry on the skills to the next generations.
what kind of things do you can? What are your favorites?
Happy Canning!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Green shopping
This fall, I am teaching a sustainable living class to home school high schoolers. I have been doing a lot of research for the class over the past couple of months. Last night when I was looking through a list of resources I came upon a great website. It is www.worldshopper.com. It gives large companies, stores, etc a letter grade based on its environmental and community record. It is drawing on 20 years of fact gathering. It was very enlightening. I plan on looking at it and adding it to my facts when trying to be more "green" with my dollars. Check it out when you get a chance.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Family
This past weekend, I attended the 2nd tri-annual Wehling family reunion. The family members who currently own the Wehling homestead (the house is pictured at the top) hosted the get together. There are over 300 family members directly descended from my great-grandparents. There were over 150 of us there on Saturday. We all gathered for the noon meal each bringing our food specialities to add to the smorgasbord. It was evident that Grandma Wehling's good cooking skills continue in many of her descendants today. We ate and visited with those who we had not seen for a while.
One of the family members had made a train out of old plastic barrels. He gave rides to the children. Another family member brought his horse and buggy and gave rides around the property and down the gravel roads. There was volleyball, corn hole and other outdoor games.
After the meal, we gathered by families and had our pictures taken together. Then the 4 surviving members of the original 12 children pictures were taken by themselves and then with their spouses.
Being at this event reminded me of how important family ties are to many of us. This family, although large, has maintained ties over the years. It was fun to hear stories from growing up many years ago. We were able to tour the inside of the house. It has been modernized but the original woodwork and floor plan still exist. The woodwork has been restored to its original beauty. It was neat to see where my Grandma and uncles were raised for many of their growing up years. Most of all I enjoyed the sense of history that I have when we are all together.
Family Farms/Vacation
We returned last night from a week's vacation in Iowa where we stayed at my uncle's farm. We had a wonderful time. We also met my parents and one sister there. Spent some much needed time alone with my hubby as well as attended the Wehling family reunion which is held once every 3 years. Had a great time all week.
Being on my uncle's farm in Iowa has brought up many thoughts to blog about. The first one I would like to share is the general sense of remembering where our food really comes from these days. Most of us do not grow even a large portion of the food we eat and probably are at least one generation removed from living and working on a farm. With this, it is easy to forget the labor that goes behind the food we eat each day.
Unfortunately, factory farms seem to be producing a larger portion of our food. I hope we do not lose the individual farmer. We will be a much poorer people if we do. They daily work close to the land and animals that produce the food we eat. Not many of us milk cows or feed livestock on a daily basis anymore. It is easy to forget the work that goes behind that food. One person once told me that if maybe we had to grow all of our own food we may not be as likely to be as wasteful as we are with our daily food. On a limited basis here, I have found it to be true in our household. Food that we have planted, grown, weeded, harvested and maybe preserved is much lass likely to get wasted. We know what it took to make that food that we are eating and seem to appreciate it more.
The other thing that became evident to me is the individual farmer seems much more in tune with nature and the land they work. They need to keep the balance in check because their livelihoods depend on it. In addition, they are close to the land which produces some of the food that they eat as well as their main source of income.
Although I was not raised on a farm, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit them on a regular basis-my uncle's farm in Iowa plus other family and friends in Indiana. I feel privileged to have known them all. My recommendation is the next time that you pick up that package of meat, bunch of lettuce, bag of apples, or other farm grown product, remember the work that is behind it getting to your grocery cart.
Being on my uncle's farm in Iowa has brought up many thoughts to blog about. The first one I would like to share is the general sense of remembering where our food really comes from these days. Most of us do not grow even a large portion of the food we eat and probably are at least one generation removed from living and working on a farm. With this, it is easy to forget the labor that goes behind the food we eat each day.
Unfortunately, factory farms seem to be producing a larger portion of our food. I hope we do not lose the individual farmer. We will be a much poorer people if we do. They daily work close to the land and animals that produce the food we eat. Not many of us milk cows or feed livestock on a daily basis anymore. It is easy to forget the work that goes behind that food. One person once told me that if maybe we had to grow all of our own food we may not be as likely to be as wasteful as we are with our daily food. On a limited basis here, I have found it to be true in our household. Food that we have planted, grown, weeded, harvested and maybe preserved is much lass likely to get wasted. We know what it took to make that food that we are eating and seem to appreciate it more.
The other thing that became evident to me is the individual farmer seems much more in tune with nature and the land they work. They need to keep the balance in check because their livelihoods depend on it. In addition, they are close to the land which produces some of the food that they eat as well as their main source of income.
Although I was not raised on a farm, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit them on a regular basis-my uncle's farm in Iowa plus other family and friends in Indiana. I feel privileged to have known them all. My recommendation is the next time that you pick up that package of meat, bunch of lettuce, bag of apples, or other farm grown product, remember the work that is behind it getting to your grocery cart.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
4th of July
Hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July. Our city celebration was yesterday since today is Sunday. We went downtown to see the parade and walk around the festival. Last night we went to a friends house to eat supper and then downtown again for the fireworks. Nice day.
Today we are going to church followed by a pie social. Next will be finishing laying our mulch on the new flower bed. Tonight will be dinner with friends here followed by our own personal fireworks. Good 4th of July weekend.
How did you celebrate the 4th this year?
I will be without computer access for the week so this will be my last blog post until the 13th.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July!
Today we are going to church followed by a pie social. Next will be finishing laying our mulch on the new flower bed. Tonight will be dinner with friends here followed by our own personal fireworks. Good 4th of July weekend.
How did you celebrate the 4th this year?
I will be without computer access for the week so this will be my last blog post until the 13th.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July!
Friday, July 2, 2010
First Tomatoes
Mary found and picked our first tomatoes tonight. Will have to get bacon tomorrow at Farmer's Market and make BLT's for supper tomorrow night. I always love eating our first tomatoes. This year the winners were our yellow ones which have always been my favorite.
A neighbor down the road brought me starts of her 4 O'clock flowers. Cleared some area tonight and planted some of them. Can't wait until they grow and bloom. Also, planted the little flower beds we made around a hard to mow part in our front yard. Finished my planting time tonight with the geraniums I bought yesterday to keep the Japanese beetles off of my strawberries. I have been picking the bugs off and feeding them to the chickens. The beetles don't like the smell of geraniums so hopefully that will keep them away all together.
Tomorrow, we get our load of mulch and I am hoping to get the rest of the front flower bed done. After we are done with that it is off to 4th of July celebration and parade downtown followed by fireworks tomorrow night. (Lexington has celebration tomorrow since 4th is on Sunday.)
Hope you all have a joyous 4th of July this weekend.
A neighbor down the road brought me starts of her 4 O'clock flowers. Cleared some area tonight and planted some of them. Can't wait until they grow and bloom. Also, planted the little flower beds we made around a hard to mow part in our front yard. Finished my planting time tonight with the geraniums I bought yesterday to keep the Japanese beetles off of my strawberries. I have been picking the bugs off and feeding them to the chickens. The beetles don't like the smell of geraniums so hopefully that will keep them away all together.
Tomorrow, we get our load of mulch and I am hoping to get the rest of the front flower bed done. After we are done with that it is off to 4th of July celebration and parade downtown followed by fireworks tomorrow night. (Lexington has celebration tomorrow since 4th is on Sunday.)
Hope you all have a joyous 4th of July this weekend.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Canning season
Last night our friend brought us several cucumbers and zucchini so today the canning season officially began in our house. I just finished making bread and butter pickles with the cucumbers he brought.
Canning can be hard work but also very rewarding. Nothing is better than opening some of your canned goods that you have made and eating them. You will be surprised how much better they taste than store bought.
If you have not canned before, it is a good idea to invest in a basic canning book which will help you with terminology (like head space) and basic safety practices. Initial investments are not huge-water bath canner, jars and lids. Jars can seem expensive but you will use them year after year. When I started I simply bought the jars as I needed them. I also found several at yard sales.
Another option for new canners (as well as experienced canners) is prefabbed mixes you add to your produce. These can be found in the canning aisle of most major grocery and big box stores. Some brand names are Mrs. Wages and Ball. They will increase the cost of your end product but are helpful for those who are very busy or intimidated with the canning process. Mixes include several products for tomatos along with cucmbers. You simply follow the directions on the back of the package. I have used the Mrs. Wages brand and find them to be delicious.
Canning can be hot, hard work but I always look forward to it each year. There is nothing like making your own homemade food. Happy canning!
Canning can be hard work but also very rewarding. Nothing is better than opening some of your canned goods that you have made and eating them. You will be surprised how much better they taste than store bought.
If you have not canned before, it is a good idea to invest in a basic canning book which will help you with terminology (like head space) and basic safety practices. Initial investments are not huge-water bath canner, jars and lids. Jars can seem expensive but you will use them year after year. When I started I simply bought the jars as I needed them. I also found several at yard sales.
Another option for new canners (as well as experienced canners) is prefabbed mixes you add to your produce. These can be found in the canning aisle of most major grocery and big box stores. Some brand names are Mrs. Wages and Ball. They will increase the cost of your end product but are helpful for those who are very busy or intimidated with the canning process. Mixes include several products for tomatos along with cucmbers. You simply follow the directions on the back of the package. I have used the Mrs. Wages brand and find them to be delicious.
Canning can be hot, hard work but I always look forward to it each year. There is nothing like making your own homemade food. Happy canning!
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