Two Soups

 I actually canned something today.  5 pints of chicken/star noodle soup.  

Made from the chicken bone broth I made yesterday and the chicken meat I pulled off those very same bones several weeks ago.

I forgot to add the dehydrated green peppers.  uggh.  Oh well.  I'll do that on another batch that I may make tomorrow.

Found the cat!  Oh, I may not have told you.  I put our cat, Soup, the non-housetrained one, in the garage a couple mornings ago because I was disgusted and the weather was getting nicer.  THEN had to open the garage door briefly. Of COURSE he sneaked out but we didn't notice right away until I noticed he hadn't touched the food I placed out for him. I saw Soup on the security cameras yesterday so knew he was around.  So last night, I had the garage door open 5 inches, left food and the litterbox in the garage and put a security camera on the opening.

I closed the garage door this morning and then sat out there calling Here kitty kitty kitty!  and out he came, looking for food.

HA!  silly cat.  

And you would have gotten away with it too!!  If it weren't for my brilliant trap skills!

Off with her head!

 I got a call from Leon's mom Tuesday that Leon said he was ready for a haircut!!!!

I suggested to get him to Great Clips right away before he changed his mind!

again.

She got him there and here is the before.  He hates brushing his hair but insisted on long hair.  I think he was envisioning his hair to be like an anime hero.

And here is my gorgeous grandson with his new doo!

He's going to be so happy with that!

I canned 12 jars of pickles yesterday morning and am SICK of it!! I looked into other options.  Found where you can make cucumber chips by slicing them thin (I've learned... it's supposed to be thicker than this), tossing them with oil (1 tsp), apple cider vinegar (2 tsp) and salt (1 tsp) and putting them in the food dehydrator for 4-8 hours.

Let them cool (or not) and they taste good on their own or dipped.  I used ranch.

REALLY good!  I actually bought more racks so I can make more at a single time.

And THEN for "the dumb thing I did" award.

I went out to mow the yard over my lunch yesterday and as I started out under the deck, I accidentally raised my head too soon and smacked the top of my head onto the edge of the deck. YIKES!

I stopped right away and headed inside.  I've seen enough 9-1-1 episodes to know that this means a concussion or a brain bleed or Typhoid. 

After he quizzed me on all the major birth dates of everyone in the family 

and seeing if I cooked my "9"s,

 

Ryan helped me find the ice pack and after taking the obligatory photo, I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the couch.

I rented "The Deep" with Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte for $.75 and held Aggie for over an hour while she napped.

Being a grandma is the best!  When she started fussing, I handed her off to her parents and went to bed.

About to "head" out now and finish mowing.  Wish me luck!

Feeling like Canning

So before work today, I separated out the ten pound tube of hamburger I purchased a few days ago.  I cooked up 5-6 pounds of it in prep for future taco nights.  I hope it tastes good!  I added a teaspoon of salt to each pint.  

Then while that was cooking on the stove, I pulled out a yellow cake mix and whipped that up.  greased up 6 clean pint jars and lids and filled them half way.

Wiped off the rims with wet paper towel before baking them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

As soon as they came out of the oven, I popped on the lids and sealed them up tight.  

4 out of the 5 sealed successfully!  That means one for eating by myself later when no one is looking. 

Then jarred up the drained cooked meat in pint jars, wiping the rims with vinegar to clean the grease off.  Pressure canned this for 75 minutes.  At 11:41, the little thingy has probably released, and I can open it and let them cool. 

So another 10 jars of stuff to find a place to tuck in the house.  Where am I going to put all this?

I don't know, but just to have some cake on hand for whenever I want a treat? yum...

Feeling Kind of Thankful now

I felt like canning yesterday.  Meri was over, doing music class with Leon and I had a few minutes to myself, so I opened the fridge to see what I had.  OOH!  I bought carrots the other day!!!  Did those.  They filled three quarts so I filled up the empty spot with a quart of water that I had in the cupboard.  That water is SO pure now.  I use it all the time for a space filler.

I looked around for something else...  What do I have?...  

OOH!  Leftover chili from Saturday!  So I canned two pints of the leftover chili.  I'm sure the beans are really mushy now so this will probably be used for chili dogs and that is OK!

Well, there was plenty of space in the canner still so I fried up some spicy sausage and made scrambled eggs in a couple more pints.  There are about 7-8 eggs between the two.  I added the sausage, salt, pepper, eggs and I don't remember what else, probably just that.  I added a 5 pint of water so the canner would be full.  

They came out looking like this.  

And to be honest, I couldn't remember what I'd canned just by looking at them!  One never sealed and I SHOULD have put it in the fridge last night but forgot.  So the unsealed one got dumped this morning.  I'm willing to take that chance with carrots, but eggs?  nah.  I opened the other one for breakfast today.  It was pretty good!  I probably won't can them like that again though.  At least not with meat in it, because with meat inside, you have to can it for meat times and that is just TOO long for eggs.

Then I took the Halloween stuff dOWN!

It's the Thanksgiving season now.  And the freaky pilgrim people are out.

Sorry Maddy!  I'll move them around the corner when the pups are here.

Traditions, Kittens and Canning

Wait, what holiday is it this weekend???

:) That's Robb's stocking.  Left there since Christmas.  On that day, everyone wrote down memories and tucked them in.  Then while unwrapping presents, we start from youngest to oldest.  So everyone can see what everyone else gets.  It take a while but makes it all so special.  So when it came to Robb's turn to unwrap, we read a memory.  The memories are still tucked inside and yesterday I decided to open a document and type up more memories.  I plan to print them out, cut them into single memories and tuck them in.  But this way, I can type them up quick when one comes to mind.

We might need an Easter stocking...  

I'll think on it when I have more time and come up with something.

On Tuesday night, Taco Tuesday, the kids were all over for tacos.  We've done the 2nd week of making the tortillas fresh.  We made too many this time, so I stuck some in the freezer for next week.  Or for making Doritos, yes I found a recipe and have added a couple things to my shopping list this week!

After we were done eating, Meri and Ryan ran back to her house and brought over her 5 week old kittens for us all to ooh and aah over.  The kitten's brother, Kevin, Leon's cat, did NOT like these little monsters and hissed at them from a safe distance.  The kittens were adorable but not enough that I want another cat in the house.  I need another cat like I need another hole in my head.  And no, I'm not getting my ears pierced again either.

But they sure were cute!

I've done more canning and yesterday, canned 2 pints of steel cut oats with fruit and 3 pints of brown rice.  I tried one of the oats this morning for breakfast.  I'll be making more of that!!

If you're interested, it's 1/2 cup steel cut oats to one pint jar.  Also add 1/3 cup fruit (apples, frozen berries, etc.) 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cinnamon.  Fill up with water or apple juice, wipe rims with vinegar or water.  Then pressure can for 20 minutes.

When reusing common jars, I tighten it up good.  For the regular canning lids, I tighten, then pull it back 1/4 inch.  I have very good luck with most everything sealing so far.

If I DO hit a dud and one doesn't seal, it goes in the fridge for use first.  Usually that's due to the lid not twisted correctly or a crack in the rim that I didn't see.

I ate the oats in the pickle jar this morning and it was really good.  I dumped into a bowl and microwaved for 1 minute, then added some heavy whipping cream.  It was very good but I probably won't do the apple juice again.  It just seemed too fruity for it's own good.  I'll try the one done with water tomorrow.

Back to work.  Ryan is off work today so he'll be monitoring Leon's school work today and I can move my laptop up to the sewing room.  It's quieter in there AND I can sew during my breaks.  I haven't had a chance to yet this week.  Leon is at his mom's next week so I'll work from my sewing room each day.

Have a wonderful day and get your taxes in!!!!

Kitchen Busies

It's been a busy week.  I got the tires all figured out.  For the moment.  The sweetness hasn't been looked at since Monday and that's ok.  Maddy and Matthew's car is doing just fine so no rush on the sweetness.  Jen's car will be fixed by tomorrow.  

Yesterday morning I got some saurkraut in the works!!  I found a recipe on a canning site I belong to that said how to do it with a seal-a-meal kind of setup and I HAVE that setup!!!  So it's fermenting nicely in a lower cupboard and I'll get it stuck in the fridge or canned on 4/20.

Speaking of canning.  Yesterday I canned 4 pints of corned beef, 1 jar of Mexican beans with meat, 5 pints of leftover leeks from St. Patrick's Day and got two Instant Pots going with various bits of meats, bones and veggies I gleaned from the freezer.  It made a ton of broth and lard, which I'll be canning both.  

Today I canned 4 quarts of corned beef, 5 pints of coleslaw and will can the broth and maybe lard this afternoon.  I've got another corned beef in the fridge and will make that into corn beef hash tomorrow if I feel like it.

I also have the leek ends that I'd cut off from SPD and they're sprouting nicely...  It'll be nice having some growing in my herb garden!

I'm so ready for spring, I can taste it!

I met with the bride's mom at JoAnns last night and she's getting the fabric ordered for the final dress.  Meri will be by later and we'll get the stuff ordered for the bridesmaid dresses too.  Then I'll be over the canning kick and back into sewing mode.

I haven't sewn for myself in such a long time, except for a pair of bell bottom leggings that I got for cheap and edited them into skinny leg leggings.  :)  I love them and have worn them a lot.

There are some days when I look down at my clothes and say, "wow, I've made everything I'm wearing!"  Today it's just the top, but I love that feeling.  I mentioned that "everything I'm wearing" bit to the bride's mom and she said, "gasp!  Even the sweat shirt?"

Well... not that.  It was Robb's.  But the top and leggings underneath were mine!  If I'd made the sweatshirt, she'd definitely question my sewing and fitting abilities... :)

Ok, back to work.  Have a great Thursday!  The weekend is almost here!!!

Cooking, Canning, Living and Learning

What a weekend!  I wish there were six more to fit MOST of the same things in it!  And it's kind of blurry, so I may not get all the items done in the right order...

Friday night, Maddy and Matthew brought over make and take pizzas for everyone!  Then Maddy, Matthew, Meri and (bf) Ryan had a D&D session with Ryan and Jen.  I mostly fussed around upstairs thinking about the things I should be doing and then binged watched some more Modern Family.  I'm committed to 11 seasons...  Well into the 7th now.  I take breaks and then come back to it.

The next morning, Ryan said that I should join them in D&D sometime and really it's too much right now.  I can't commit to a book, much less a game that was one of Robb's favorites.  Laying on my bed passively binge watching a tv show is all I can do right now for relaxation.  And that's ok.

On Saturday, I thought I was going to redo the bodice on the wedding dress sample, but decided to can instead.  I cleaned a bunch of chicken bones out of the freezer and made bone broth.

At the same time, I found some ham bits in the freezer too, thawed them and canned ham and bean soup.  Calculated out the carbs and it's 35 per pint.  One didn't seal so I had it for lunch yesterday.

That afternoon I went to pick up Leon from his mom's and saw these two pumpkins!

Luke

 

and Nova.

Their hugs just get me!

Sunday morning, I got some yogurt going.  By that night I was concerned that it was still just milk...

And this morning, I realized what I'd done wrong.  I forgot to wrap up the IP with blankets and let it incubate for 12 hours!!!!  I'd stuck it straight into the fridge after adding my starter.

I'm so used to doing things from memory that I forgot the most important part!

That would explain my LAST failed batch last weekend...  And I blamed the thermometer that time.

Yesterday after church, Maddy and Matthew came over and did some laundry.  Maddy waited patiently for me to try a homemade ketchup recipe and get it water bathing,

 then we hung out on the couch and looked through family pictures out of a tub that Robb's sister had given us.  She'd been sorting all her mom's pics and I got anything that had to do with Robb or our family!  I WILL add scrapbooking back to my hobbies someday.  I've got boxes of pictures in the garage that my kids have never seen of the early years.

As Maddy could attest, there were TONS of Meri pics.  Gma was Meri's primary babysitter from birth on during the days while I worked.

We were stumped as to the meaning of this one.

Maddy was sure that this is Meri's backup plan jobwise.

Ryan informed us it was because she didn't have pockets...

oh.

For supper, I had already riced a cauliflower on Saturday and had it stored in jars in the fridge.  So Maddy and I made a cauliflower/zucchini/green pepper fried rice and served it with the blue bag chicken from Aldi.  It turned out pretty good!  I have a quart of that left for lunches this week.

Meri stopped by and grabbed some groceries to take to her staff meeting and brought back a quart of the taco meat and most of the rest of the fixings.  EVEN MORE meals ready to throw on the table this week at a moments notice!

Then this morning, I made a bunch of sugar free cherry jellos to keep on hand in the fridge for when I need something to snack on or a sweet treat.

AND I just found out what happens when everyone in the house does their own laundry and then tries to be nice to the person who ran the last load in the washer. My clothes get pilled and shrink...

sigh...  I will never leave a load in the washer before bed again.

It's looking like it will be a long week.

Is it Friday yet?

Crazy Safe & Ready for an Apocalypse

Sunday...  after church I picked up some groceries and headed home to get it all prepped.

I found chicken at Sam's Club for 99 cents a pound for thighs and drumsticks.  Leon loves the drumsticks and I'm a dark meat kind of gal.  I also picked up a ten pound tube of hamburger.

Once home, I threw all the chicken into the oven and roasted the heck out of it. and let it cool.

Simultaneously, frying up all ten pounds of hamburger.  Made a third of it into taco meat and sealed up 3-4 cups at a time in my new seal mate thingy I got for Christmas!

Even if you jump out of air planes, you do NOT know anxiety until the sealer is sucking out all the air and all of the sudden the juices get pulled out and start rising toward the machine. 

SEAL!!! SEAL!!! SEAL!!!!

I never did get any into the machine but cripes, what a rush! 

Here's my sealer!  Isn't she a beaut?

I also sealed up the cooked hamburger into 2 cup packages as well as 5-6 drumsticks per bag as well as 2 cups of cooked chicken and tossed it all in the deep freeze.

Regarding the freezer, when I got home, I put some frozen pizzas and other freezables out there and realized that there was a huge white garbage bag just sitting in there taking up space.

OHHHH!!!  Those were the turkey carcasses from our big Thanksgiving reunion!  I hauled that inside and started pulling things off and filling up my Instant Pots for turkey broth.

Pretty soon, the turkey chunk was really solid and still way too big to fit in even my pressure canner which can double as a jumbo pressure cooker.  So I put the whole shebang turkey chunk into the microwave for a minute at a time, pulling off bits between each minute.

Oof what a mess.  While trying to pry a turkey wing out of the frozen thing, I BROKE one of my good butcher knifes...  The tip broke right off!  I dug it out of the meat.  Don't worry!  No surprises here!

 I filled up two Instant Pots and two pressure canners with them.  I think there were 5 turkeys in there.  I don't know. It was a big greasy mess.  The microwave & tray got cleaned soon after.

I let them pressure cook with water, salt and some poultry seasoning for 3 hours into a beautiful bone broth, then drained it thru a towel into other containers to let cool.

So yesterday morning, I started filling my canning jars with the broth, cleaning the liners on the pressure canners and got the broth canning.  It took 5 loads but I canned 21 jars, mostly quarts.  Only one didn't seal and I didn't realize that until this morning, so I had to dump it.  I don't feel comfortable leaving turkey broth out all night unsealed...

Call me crazy...  or at least safe. 

So the jars all got cleaned up this morning, the rings pulled off and jars stowed in boxes.  Not quite sure where I'll tuck this batch but I can probably safely make soups until next Thanksgiving.  Broth of any sort is one of the easiest to make and can, so I'll probably keep making it.

Tonight is Taco Tuesday and hopefully all the kids can be here.  I'll stick one of these taco meats in the crockpot this afternoon.  Jen was going to make fish tacos too.  

Maybe I'll open one of my salsas. hmmmm

Do you have any set tradition meals per week that you do?

Quarantine Day 9 (11?) All you never wanted to know

Thanks to all my faithful readers!  I take a break for months at a time and you guys KEEP coming back!!

I am blessed with the best imaginary friends ever!

JRE - my kids are so helpful!  There are just some things I don't let them touch. :)  If you ask my son, he'll say "I'm the backbone of this household!" Plus he found Robb's bagpipe sweatshirt yesterday!!!  Who knew Robb had hung it up?! a sweatshirt??
Sam - you are so faithful!  AND you're in the same part of the country as me!  Some day....  we're going to meet up for coffee. or a donut if I'm not dieting.
Michelle, Anne, Rachel, Practical Parsimony and others - so encouraging and caring!
I value every single one of you!

And Anne!!  This post is being created today because of your question about my canning equipment.

Robb gave me an electric canner for Valentines day, the day before he passed.  I started looking up recipes to try mid March to pass the time.  I had a lot of time and it kept me busy.  When we had the twins here, I needed something to do in the kitchen because I was on the main floor a LOT.

I joined some canning groups on Facebook and gradually settled on some Rebel Canning groups as they appeared to be less judgmental and I just didn't need people telling me what I can or can't do.  I'm being safe, but if you say that something is NOT safe because I don't add a teaspoon of salt to it or jump backwards 3 times before cranking the lid on like USDA says I should do, forget it.

My mom canned tomato sauce all my life living at home and if I had tomatoes that I wasn't sick of canning, I'd do it the way she always did.  According to these ladies though, they'd kick you out of their fruity little club if you so much as mention any process that doesn't coincide with their ideas of what's safe.  If you're one of these people, please don't be offended by my comments!  I can be snarky.

The Rebels are safe too, just not as preachy about it.  Cultures all over the world have waterbathed and pressure canned for generations before USDA came along with their notions.

SO anyway, enough on my soapbox.  ON TO what I do with my canner!!!

I loved my electric canner so much that when I saw another on sale, I got it.  Nesco and Carey are made by the same company now so it's virtually the same machine and same instructions.

 

The items on the left are my pressure cookers, NOT to be confused with pressure canners.  They prep my food, like making bone broth or cook food, but the pressure canners seal the deal.

One of my favorite things to make and was a huge hit for Christmas presents this year was pulled pork.  Maddy gave me the recipe for this one.  PULLED PORK RECIPE.

Sorry about the cat butt. Kevin!!!!

It was SO delish so I tried canning the end product.  I was convinced that it would probably end up really dry but I was really surprised and it was so good!  I even mailed a pint to my boss in Florida, who loves to eat every part of a pig, his words.  He sent me a picture of his plate with the pork on it and enjoyed it for a few meals!

Before

After

I guess he liked it!  I'll have to send him one every Christmas now.

So... make the pork loin recipe in the Instant Pot for 90 minutes as the recipe states.

THEN put it in jars, fill up to an inch headspace with leftover broth and pressure can for pints (75 minutes) or quarts (90 minutes).  These are the meat times.  If there is ANY kind of meat in a recipe, can for these times.

I cut up a corned beef and peeled and cut up some potatoes, then canned for those times and WOW the best corned beef hash I ever had!  Most expensive, but it was worth it.

Note to self: watch for corned beef on sale...

Other things I like to can a lot is bone broth, any type.  Right now I've got turkey bones making broth in the Instant Pot for 180 minutes.  I threw in the bones, a couple stalks of celery, some green onions, salt, pepper, a couple bullion cubes and a splash of apple cider vinegar. 

Then I'll strain it thru some kitchen towels and pour into jars, wipe some vinegar on the rims and can for pints (30 minutes), quarts (35 minutes).  

I reuse the lids and whatever jars I can get my hands on.  Until the lids are damaged, there is no reason not to reuse them.  They're pricey.  I'm pretty sure that's why some people say they're only a one time use item.  NOT ME!  Follow the money... Ball and other lid companies are making a killing... 

Something else that my kids appreciate (except Leon) is Burritos in a jar. A combination of dry beans, brown rice, cooked hamburger or raw chicken chunks, rotel, taco seasoning and broth to round it out, then canned.  Just heat up and serve on taco shells or tortillas.  Add your favorite taco toppings and voila, dinner is ready.  This is a main staple of our Taco Tuesday dinners.  All the kids come here for that.  Of course it's been on hold with the quarantine fiasco...  Can't wait to start it up again!

I'll post that recipe some other time or you can google it.  I have made adjustments to the recipe and left out the rice, increasing the meat.

I've also canned potatoes, carrots, pineapple, made my own maraschino cherries, rice, soups, stews and other things.

I got up early and got some stuff going before work today. 1) the turkey broth  2) made sugar free jello in half pint jars - stuck in fridge - just enjoyed one.  3) made Holiday in a jar. explained below.

It's my first time ever making this, so I'm sure I'll make adjustments next time.  I thawed a turkey over the last few days and last night cut as much meat off as possible and cut it into chunks and refrigerated until this morning.  I also baked the rest of the carcass and legs and wings for the rest of us for supper.

1) In a jar (either size), fill about half way with raw turkey chunks.

2) pour in some slightly watered down gravy and run a butter knife along the inside sides of the jar to work out any air bubbles in the meat section.  

3) add a layer of mashed potatoes that I made last night.  Or don't.  Your kitchen, your rules.

4) fill up the rest of the jar with stuffing.  I took a box mix and added 2 T melted butter and some hot water until it was JUST moist but not soupy.  Stuff the jar full to the 1 inch headspace.

5) wipe off rims with white vinegar on a paper towel and cap them.

6) pressure can for meat times. pint (75) quart (90)

This is how they came out.  I may decrease the amount of turkey next time.  Not sure.  We'll see if they seal properly.  If not, then we're having Christmas for dinner again tonight!!!

Anyway, that is my adventures in canning so far.  I've used my electric canner for steam bathing, which is basically the same thing as water bathing.  The instructions come with the canner.

If you are looking for a new hobby that will also benefit you in the long run. Get one of these!

Also I love being able to set it and after flipping the little dial to seal, I can forget about it for 90 minutes or more.  I don't need to babysit the stove and make sure the pressure is exactly right all the time.  It's all done for me.

So those were all the PROs.  Here is a some CONs.  (not many)

1) they only fit 4 quarts in each one OR 5 pints OR 7 half pints.  I have two so if I'm on a roll, I can fill them both up.  But still.  If I had a stove top one, I could probably do 30 at a shot.  Maybe not, but 4 seems like a low quantity.  For me, it's fine.  How ambitious am I going to be at 7am?

2) They will add to your appliance collection on the counter.  Eventually I'll get a cabinet to keep them in, but will they ever just go sit in it?  Probably not.

I think that's it.  They make it easy to can things.

And just to finish the post, a little funny for you.

:) but I'll wait to crack into these until I've reached my dieting goal. 

or given up. 

or am in a bad mood.

Quarantine Day 8 (10?) New Benchmarks

 Guess what?  I started my diet last week, FINALLY!!!!  

The first year of grief and then Christmas really got the better of me and I'd gained 20 pounds from the weight I was at Robb's funeral, which had been my lowest in decades.

Today my weight loss was 5ish pounds!!!!  I've gotten down to my weight that I was at Maddy's wedding. WOOHOO!  I'd used that benchmark for a LOOONNGG time.

I am 15 from my funeral weight benchmark.  And I'll get there.  

It's difficult to cut out breads, potatoes and sugar, but I am doing my best. 

I spent 20 minutes yesterday morning, peeling 2 bags of carrots and then dry canned them in my electric canner for 30 minutes.  They look awesome.  Someday when I crack one open, I'll roast them.

I bought a couple turkeys on sale around Christmastime for cheap and am thawing one right now.  I plan to can Christmas in a jar tomorrow or even later today.  That's when the bottom later is raw turkey, then some gravy, then a layer (maybe) of mashed potatoes, and finally a layer of freshly mixed stuffing and pressure canned for meat times.  It'll be great to have pints of that around for a quick meal when I'm feeling Christmassy!  

Last night, when I got off of work, I was disgusted by the state of our refrigerator.  Things get spilled, congested, stuffed in.  I knew we had groceries but didn't know where things were.  So I sat on the floor and started pulling everything out.  Scrubbing every nook and cranny and there were a lot of them.

It suddenly looks like a brand new fridge!  Well except for the duct tape holding the crispers together.  And yep we have groceries!  Just less now.  And that's ok.  

Good thing I didn't take a pic of what it looked like before.

Over lunch yesterday I sewed on the sample wedding dress.  If I ever get out of this quarantine, I can have my first fitting with the bride and if the dress is done by Valentine's day, she'll be dressed to the nines for it!!!  It's going to be so pretty.  

Here is all the tulle overlay that I'm gathering to fit at the waist.

I hope it fits well and all I have to do is make a duplicate in white!  I can do that!

Ok, Back to work.  Lots to do this morning!