Garden update

 

Here is the new strawberry bed right after being planted.

 

The big garden, it needs some weeding, but you can see

small plats in there!

Canning Pomegranate Syrup

I found some 100% pomegranate juice at Aldi recently for 1.49 per 8oz.

I have always wanted to try this and was really hoping that my kids would like it since it is so  healthy.  We all tried a little and all of us decided it wasn't anything we would look forward to drinking.  Darn it.  The next day I was making some ice cream and had the idea of turning some of the juice into syrup and trying it on our ice cream.  Well I wasn't real thrilled with it but the kids really liked it, Success!!  So I took the rest of the juice and turned it into 4 pints of pomegranate syrup.


Canning Log 2013

6  24oz Beef & Veggie Soup
17 pt potatoes
3 pt chicken stock
4 pt pomegranate syrup

Snow MAYhem 2013

This is a picture from last Thursday, May 2nd!!!
This was during a small break in the snow and wind.  I got over to the shed and got the sleds
back out for the kids.  Between Thursday and Friday we received 11 inches of snow!
School was cancelled on Thursday, which I told the kids I don't ever remember school being cancelled because of snow in May! 

I had planted 2 blueberries, 3 grapes, and a currant the week before this when temperatures were in the 70's.  It looks like they are all ok though, thank goodness.  It has warmed up again this week with temps 50-60's during the day and 40's at night.  Until tonight we have a frost warning and it is supposed to dip to 30'.  But after tonight the forecast does not have any temps below freezing.  So I am anxiously awaiting getting in the garden and planting, finally!!!   It has been really hard to wait so long but I guess I made the right decision. 

Canning Chicken Stock

I had a small chicken carcass from our meals this week so I put it in a small stockpot along with 3 carrots and 2 stalks of celery that were in the fridge, covered with water, and simmered it most of yesterday.  Last night I strained into a bowl and put it in the fridge.  This morning I skimmed off the fat and jarred it up and pressure canned it.  It smells & tastes so great!


Canning Log 2013

6  24oz Beef & Veggie Soup
17 pt potatoes
3 pt chicken stock

Canning Potatoes

I really love having canned potatoes on hand to make some quick meals.

17 pints of potatoes



Canning Log 2013

6  24oz Beef & Veggie Soup
17 pt potatoes

Canning Beef & Veggie Soup

 

Canning for 2013 has began!

I had some leftover beef roast that we had been eating on for two days and we were tired of it.  So I  needed to do something with it.  So I cut it into bite sized chunks and added it to jars, then I cut up some potatoes and carrots and threw them in the jars too.  Then I added beef broth and canned them up.  I used pint and a half jars because that will be a good size for us.



Canning Log 2013

6  24oz Beef & Veggie Soup

We are Moved!

Sorry to make you all feel deserted.  We finally got moved and spent our first night here on January 6th.  But we had so much unpacking and organizing to do, but I think I am about 90% done now.  The internet provider that we planned on using came to hook us up and figured out that their signal does not reach us even though they were sure it would.  And even though I had the phone transferred a week ahead of time it was still now working.  So we felt pretty cut off from everyone.  Which was ok since it enabled me to get at unpacking and organizing with only the kids to distract me.  And thankfully there were no emergencies for us or anyone else that needed to contact us.   We finally have internet so I will be able to provide regular updates on our journey in the country.