The last of September

271/365
Pouring (really really pouring) rain on the car window. I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for Robert to just run in and grab something - 2 minutes  (translation 20 minutes).

272/365
Canning spaghetti sauce.  I made a double batch of sauce which gave me enough jars that it took three rounds to can them all.  This was two rounds down, third one in the canner, all the dishes that I had washed (for the fifth time that day) and my celebratory glass of wine.



273/365
Yoda and Wilbur cuddling.

Final summer days

224/365 - Simba was not amused by the puppy's antics.  Leia was bouncing around, shaking her toy and trying to get me to throw it for her.
 

225/365 - The grand parents took the kids camping for a couple days and on the second night Robert and I went out to hang out with them for a bit.  We were able to go because the campground was only about 30 minutes away. If I had known they were going to camp so close (they were going to go about 2 hours away) I would have tried to get a couple days off to go with.
 

Some other photos from our time at Jones Creek Campground.


226/365 - Leia is always trying to get someone to play with her, and with that cute of a face it's hard to say no.
 

 227/365 - Had to make a Costco trip and Adam went with to help me lift the heavy stuff (dog and cat food bags) and hoping to get free samples.  Since they didn't have free samples out on a weeknight I bought him a strawberry sundae from the concession stand and while we were waiting for it I noticed the reflection of the lights in his glasses and thought it looked interesting/cool.
 

228/365 - Friday I FINALLY was able to get out to the garden for the first time in a week during my lunch break and picked a bunch of green beans. I cleaned and canned them into 7 quarts. :)

Canned garlic

Sunday I avoided my computer and editing pictures and canned the garlic I harvested last month.  I decided to mince it and can it because we have found that we use a lot of the store bought minced garlic and if they can do it, how can I do it. So to the internet I went to figure out how to do it.



I used this post as a guideline.



This huge head of garlic had 27 cloves in it by itself.



Garlic clove.

Carus helped me peel the cloves (Adam helped a little too) and it did take quite awhile.   I reserved some of the smaller cloves to replant this fall for next year.



After they were all FINALLY peeled and rinsed, I minced them up with my food processor (seriously love that thing).

I put the minced garlic in a pot and covered it with boiling water.  After letting it sit for about 5 minutes, I drained it reserving the water and then packed the garlic in half-pint jars leaving about 1/2-inch head room.  I then added about 1/8 tsp Citric acid (used the Ball Citric Acid stuff) and used the reserved garlic water to cover the garlic in the jars.  I removed air bubbles with a plastic spoon, cleaned the rim, and put on the lids and rings.  I processed the jars in the pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure for 45 minutes.

I'm very happy they didn't turn bluish-green, which is a possibility because of a chemical reaction between the garlic and metals in the water or utensils used to process it.  I used plastic as much as possible and crossed my fingers.  It would have still be safe to eat, it just looks weird.



It's taken 3 days to air the garlic smell out of the kitchen.

Can you do the can-can?

218/365

I like canning food.  It makes me feel productive and industrious.  Especially if I'm canning something I grew myself.

I only got two jars this time, but I'm hoping for enough summer left to get quite a few more.  I'm not having the greatest gardening season this year though so I'm not holding too much hope.

Last week

A shot from my cake smash session last Sunday.  These babies are so stinking adorable!  They loved their cupcakes - and we enjoyed the leftover cupcakes.



My hosta is blooming.  The leaves aren't looking that great though.  I have a few plant munching bugs this year and I don't use pesticides (because of my plant eating dog) so I just have to deal.  It's not too bad though.



My dahlias in the front are blooming after taking so long to come up that I thought they didn't survive the winter.



And my lavender bush is doing AMAZING! I don't think it has a lot of bugs that snack on it though so...



My neighbor has a garden bed just over the fence full of wildflowers and these ones are tall enough that I can enjoy them over the fence.



Friday we had a game night and played Blokus, a pretty fun and fairly easy game.  I was red, Adam green, Carus yellow and Robert blue, and because I usually win the game I got ganged up on and lost that round.



Saturday I canned some spaghetti sauce since we've been out for about 2 months now.

And then another week went by...

Time flies when you're having fun...or working and staying busy.  Imagine what time does when you're doing both.  Sometimes it feels like I do nothing but work and cook dinner and wash dishes and go to bed to get up early to do it all over again... and sometimes it doesn't.  Right now - completely and totally does.

Now onto a bit of 365 catching up and maybe this week I can stay on top of things just a bit more.  I don't like "getting behind", it makes me worry I'm going to lose count - which really I don't have to worry about that this month with the numbers lining up with the dates, but still. It sets a bad precedent on some self-imposed time table. I'm probably just crazy, don't mind me.

Wednesday, 23/365
Nothing super exciting, just doves in the backyard.


Thursday, 24/365
Trying to make leg warmers for Carus for drress up day at school.  I didn't get them done. :(


Friday, 25/365
Dress up day at school.  They wee dressing up in the theme for the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Carus chose 80s.  We let her wear eye-shadow and I just about hyperventilated - my baby is wearing makeup.




Saturday, 26/365
It was time to can another batch of spaghetti sauce.  I got 18 quarts, 4 pints and about 2-1/2 quarts not canned and just saved for dinner tonight. That should last us until June or July or so. Special thanks to Jessica for coming up and keeping me company. :)