Where did the day go

This week has been busy, as the first week of school usually is. We have had band practice, bowling, and homecoming dress shopping. Toss in therapy, canning, beer making, vehical repairs and you can see why Sundays are suppose to be lazy, jammy day. So what do we do, you ask? We decide to go on a road trip.

We head out for an hour and a half drive from the highways to back roads to dirt roads. We are the hunt for chestnuts. We get out to the farm and speak to the owner. Unfortunately we are a couple of weeks early. To bad it looks like it would fun to pick chestnuts. So we will be going back out there in a couple of weeks. The monsters were a little dissappointed. The owner of the farm told us an apple orchard just down the road. So we went there and got the monsters some donuts and cider. I got a jar of sorgum. Not sure what it is but I thought I can use it some time. We then went to find a shoe store to find Band monster shoes for homecoming. See she has a size 13 foot. Trying to find her shoes is crazy. We will find something.

As far as canning is going I got 50 pounds of carrots done, peach pie filling and some apple made into apple pie filling. I was also able to get apples dehydrated. The monsters loved them. I think that I will powder them so that I can add it into things. Grim made a scotch ale that will be ready by Christmas. Tomorrow we will be making something that is called Skull Splitter.

Gotta Run,

Yart

The saga continues

I got all the corn done... 21 quarts only 1 didn't seal and I didn't catch it soon enough so I had to toss it. I got 12 - 4oz & 3 - 8oz jars of vanilla pear butter. Again one didn't seal but I caught that one in time. So yesterday we enjoyed vanilla pear butter on waffles. Yummmmm! Since all the work was done I took a two day break. I enjoyed it greatly! But once again I am back at it. Grim and I went and purchased 2 more bushels of corn yesterday. We got it all shucked and cobbed this mornining. I am typing to you all from the kitchen. I have the laptop set up on a tv tray. LOL! So that I can keep an eye on the pressure gauge. It is just a humorous sight to behold. This should give us enough corn for the year. I'm hoping, keeping fingers crossed. It will be almost one quart a week. So what this means is that I am going to have to can green beans again. The last time I canned them they were mushy, they tasted fine. I will have to find out what to do.

The next big venture is going to be carrots and potatoes. They just don't last in the basement, so they need to be canned. Fun, fun, fun..... I will buy a 50 pound bag of carrots and 100 pounds of potatoes. I guess this is the year that I invest in a couple more really good peelers. I can already hear the crying about not wanting to help...... I know I shouldn't cry in front of the monsters but whats a mom to do.... LOL!

School starts back this coming Tuesday. We tried to get everyone to sleep early but it just didn't happen. I haven't been sleeping well, dreams bad ones & dreams about my dad. But at least I know why I was dreaming like this. I got a facebook message last night that my estranged grandfather had a heart attack last Thursday (when the dreams started) and they just got around to letting me know last night. I'm not sure what I would have done if they would have let me know right away. Just like I'm not sure what I am suppose to do with this information. You know you make decisions and then a life time goes by and someone else wants to come back from the dead (basically) and change everything. Sorry about that. I guess I just needed to see it in black and white for it to start making sense.

And now for something completely different..... I went out to the garden yesterday thinking that the garden was pretty much done and ready to be put to bed for the winter (except for the garlic that will be planted in October). I go over to the beefsteaks and they are just green none have turned for fear of Bunnicula. So I decided that I would pick all the green ones. Then I head over to the roma's. They haven't done sh** so far this season. Well, this cool weather is what they like. They have set flowers and got small greens ones everywhere. So instead of ripping them out I was out there tying them up so the damn rabbit didn't get anymore as they turn. What truely weird weather we are having. I think we did better with the garden last year in the cold and rainy instead of hot and humid of this year.

We are having a ham today for dinner. It is very cool and damp today. So before I get the potatoes and carrots I will be canning ham and bean soup for the first time. It should be good. But anyways, I really need to get the freezers cleaned out. Grim is suppose to go hunting in November. So I have to get off my butt and get it done.....AHHHHHH! LOL! Well, tons to do!

Gotta Run,

Yart

Wednesday Musings

Wow, were has the time gone. It is already the 4th of November. I guess that I am just posted out or is it because I don't fell like I need to post every day. But in my defense I have been super busy. Where to start?!?

Monday, I decided to run to the store and get two chickens. We were going to have baked chicken for dinner. I cleaned them and stuffed them with onions. Then I had Grim go and get me some carrots out of storage. Needless to say, he brings up both of the 25 pound bags. They are rotting and need to be processed right away. I don't know what happened they should have been fine in the cold storage?!? So I go through the bags and salvage what I can. I lost about 5 pounds, 10%. I washed and cut off all the ends. Got dinner going and after dinner went to work bingo. Band monster peeled all of them for me. Once I got home from bingo I diced them all up and into the fridge they went.

Tuesday, the monsters didn't have school due to election day. So we all slept in. I got up and made sure all of my facebook apps were ok. Then I started to pressure can the carrots. It went alot faster then I thought it would. The last thing I pressure canned was meat and that takes forever. But I was able to get 21 quarts done last night. (3 more quarts, maybe? to do). I made hamburgers for dinner and Band monster had practice.

Band monster had practice, because they are going to state finals this weekend. So the instructor wants them in tip top shape! We are going into finals in 7th place due to issues with the judging last weekend. Not happy with the judges. They know better. Since we are freshmeat, this is our first trip to finals. I guess that there is a ton of stuff that we can buy. YEAH! Sorry had to toss out some sarcasm. Like band hasn't cost enough. That is why I work the bingo's to off set the costs.

Today, Picky monster had a half day of school. We have conferences this afternoon. I will be leaving in a few minutes to run to the Legion to help with an Audit for the District. I am hoping that it will only take a short while. I am very disappointed with the group as a whole right now. And unless there are big changes in the near future I won't be a part of the active group. There is very little participation and I can't do it all my self. And with having been busy with band and school and monsters not much has been done at the post.

Once all that is done, I still have to do dinner?!? Get Band monster to practice, finish the carrots and work on the hat more!

Gotta Run,
Yart

Friday

Woo Hoo! No football game tonight. The monsters are just going to grama's for a visit and Grim and I will be heading down to our hometowns monthly walk. They have been trying to increase foot traffic in the city and they came up with this. The town museum is all done up for Halloween. It is fun every year.

Grim and I went to the farm market for the last time yesterday. I got a ton of squash, 100 pounds of potatoes, 50 pounds of onions, 50 pounds of carrots and a bunch of pumpkin's for the monsters. They were only $1.50 per carving pumpkin. Not bad the monsters were a little upset but they each got 2 to carve up so that made up for it. I also got 8 pie pumpkins. Oh, and a ton of green peppers and a hubbard squash made there way into the cart. I processed the green peppers and got 8 quart bags of chopped and sliced peppers for the winter.

I also got started on making the apple pie filling. Only problem was the apples that I got for that are more suited for sauce of some type. I didn't know this when I bought them, went off the recommendation of the salespeople. Not to fear. I cooked down some last night and the rest will go tomorrow. I will be making carmel apple butter. Haven't tried the recipe but it sounds so good. If it is I will post the recipe for everyone.

I will have pictures later to make up for the lack of a post yesterday, later!

Gotta Run,
Yart