My latest passion is for CANNING

I have been EXTREMELY busy this year with canning and freezing. Although I have canned for many years, this year we have gone all out! My eldest daughter, my Mom and I have been canning our old regular recipes (salsa, tomato sauce, applesauce , etc) and trying a few different things.
My Uncle Bert gets tons of potatoes from a farmer that grows potatoes to sell to restaurants... for free. He then donates them to churches and food banks.  He graciously let my family come and get some too. I brought home over 5 bushels. I think we spent a whole week mashing, cutting into hash browns or french fries, deep frying part done and freezing. I even tried canning a few quarts. We have already ate some of the mashed and the french fries. They were DELICIOUS!!
One of the recipes that I have to can every year is one that I got from my sister-in-law a couple years back. Sweet Pickle Relish made from zucchini.

Here is the recipe:

SWEET ZUCCHINI RELISH

10 c. zucchini, ground
4 c. onion, ground
2 large green peppers, ground
5 Tb. salt
 Let stand overnight (refrigerate)

Add:
1 Tb. mustard seed
1 Tb. celery seed
1 Tb. turmeric
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 c. sugar
2  1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

Bring to a boil - 10 min.
Add  2 Tb. cornstarch, dissolved.
Boil 4-5 more minutes. Stirring regularly (Tip: If you use a white plastic spoon, it will permanently stain it green, LOL)
Put in jars. Hot water bath for 10 min.
Makes 7 pints

I like to can mine in 1/2 pints because we don't use it that often. But we can't hardly eat a hotdog now without some of this relish on it and it's really good added to chicken salad.
The instructions are pretty straight-and-to-the-point. If you're going to try and make this and need some more explanations, please send me an email or a comment and I will get back with you.

Except for a few more raspberries, the garden has been all cleaned up and is ready for winter. Now I will spend some time canning things like "Meals in a Jar", homemade soups or chicken. Or maybe I will get lucky again and have a friend bring me over some deer meat to can.
I will have lots more room for all my canned goods soon. Remember that craft room that I was going to show you?

Well now it's getting turned into a pantry! PERFECT! This room is situated right off the kitchen and will be so handy! Can you tell how excited I am? I'm going to be installing the shelving in the next couple of days. Since I haven't been doing much crafting lately, it makes so much more sense to make this room the best ever pantry.

If you like to do jam & jelly canning, or you would like to win some homemade vanilla extract and tarragon vinegar....check out Canarella's giveaway on my sidebar.


I am linked with:

Yes I AM Still Here!

August means Canning & Freezing almost every day!

Frozen zucchini, corn, green beans and lots of berries!

Tomatoes and stuff made with tomatoes (lots of Salsa)! Sweet relish, ham & beans, madiera mincemeat and more.

The start of my canned fruits...pears, cinnamon pears, amaretto pears, peaches(still have more to do), fruit cocktail! And the apples are just getting ready to pick.
I didn't take a picture of my jelly stash! Cherry, grape, raspberry.

I still have lots more to can & freeze, but it will be worth all the work come this winter!



My sister-in-law had a baby shower for her daughter a couple of weeks ago. She asked if I would make the cake and I said "sure!"
I love to decorate cakes, but this one was giving me fits. The bottom sheetcake did not rise right. Not sure why, but it was flat. I didn't want to stay up all night baking another one, so I bought a frozen one decorated with blue flowers. The duck cake that I made, turned out good. I placed it on top of the bought sheetcake and it looked really cute, UNTIL... the bottom cake thawed! The blue flowers started running down the sides of the cake. The new Mommy still loved it!

My daughters made duck cupcakes to go along with it. They were adorable too! (darn it! Those pictures are on my daughters camera)



I really am anxious to get back to sewing soon! I'm getting a little behind with the BOMs that I have started.

LET ME OUT OF THE KITCHEN...PLEASE!!!!

Canning, Freezing and more Canning!!!


I'm beginning to fill like a prisoner in my own kitchen. Whew!!
The tomatoes are finally starting to end. I thank the cool nights for that.



I do want to try a recipe that I found to make Enchilada Sauce. I'll make that tonight and if it turns out ok, I will post the recipe.



The freezer is almost full also! I think I have enough zucchini to make zucchini bread for awhile. But my family could eat that or pumpkin bread every day if I would cook it.

Remember those chickens that Kelly got for Easter? (I think I posted before about the chick mansion that Kelly & Grampy built... LOL) {{{{ AFTER LOOKING THROUGH MY OLD POSTS, I SEE THAT I NEVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THEM YET. SO THAT WILL BE ANOTHER POST.LOL}}}} Well, they are laying eggs now! We are getting about 6 eggs a day. So I got a pasta maker and we've been making our own noodles. Dang, am I becoming little Miss Homemaker or what???
I'm hoping to get this "Winter Food Storage" thing done soon.

On the 1st of October, Hubby & I are planning to go to Florida to stay with some friends for a few days. Thennnnn....I need to lock myself in my craft room and get some stuff done. I've closed my Etsy shop and plan on reopening about the 15th. You will have to check it out. I have some pretty cool things planned (pumpkins, turkeys and ugly dolls).

OK OK
Enough talking!
It seems that when I get on the computer, I could use up the whole day.
Later.....

Cherries are done!

Unless my brother brings more over this weekend....cherries are done!
14 qts of frozen, 7 half pints cherry sauce (oh so yummy on ice cream), 13 half pints of cherry jelly and 2 qt. juice. I love how jellies sparkle in the light. LOL



Does anyone have any suggestions for the yellow squash? My daughter has a recipe for a casserole that is pretty good. This is the first year for growing these. I'll have to do some research on whether to can or freeze.
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I promised a few pictures of Alaska from our vacation. These are the pics of the whales. They are so huge but still beautiful. We were told that they are having there babies at this time and they aren't as playful as they usually are. They were just skimming at the top of the water then you could watch there tail fin go under.
Absolutely amazing!!!!



And the Eagles were magnificent...oh and I can't forget the moose!


I took over 1000 pics and I will be posting some more. You just have to see the glaciers!!
Later...........Judy