Good Morning, All!!
Why is it that every time I start these threads and have to enter the name of a new month, it surprises me
Time is certainly passing quickly!
Yesterday was spent mostly on the run; first with grandkids, then a gathering with some friends - I got in the door at 9pm and was ready to fall into bed! Not sure if that means that it was a busy day, or if the one 'girly' beer I drank with my BBQ ribs hit me hard - or if I'm just getting old
On the plus side, we'd gone to a larger town for dinner and one of the crew wanted to stop by a locally owned grocery store on the way home for some of their specialty bakery items for a gift to another friend, and I wandered over to the coffee aisle and finally found the brand/type of coffee those hussies on night shift got me hooked on. I was able to reach 4 bags of it, but had to ask for help with the 5th one - and that person decided to keep it to try, the big rat! Guess it was just as well as I only had 4 coupons for it anyway - but at least I added something to the stockpile 
Today, I plan to catch up the laundry, get some recently home canned foods carried down to the storeroom and rotated into storage, and get a bunch of clean, empty canning jars sorted and boxed. I'd like to bring in another dishwasher load's worth and run them through as my jar connection tells me she has another truckload for me and I need to make space under the shed porch roof for them. My co-worker Buddy is on vacation and needs something to do, so I will probably send him after the jars...
I also need to pick up around the house before the cleaning lady comes on Tuesday - things like that jumble of shoes and boots by the kitchen door, the leftover tableware/etc... from the wedding, clean but empty sugar buckets, etc... and get caught up on the laundry - I can hang sheets out on the line today if I want as all the corn nearby has been harvested, but the beans aren't quite ready yet, so it won't be too dusty. Might hitch the little wagon to the lawn tractor and go to the nearest corn field and pick up some missed corn so the grandkids can have it to feed the squirrels and turkeys this winter.
Tomorrow and Tuesday are work days, Wednesday I'm going on a field trip to the local orchard with younger grandson's pre-school class. I will bring home a bushel of apples from the trip; then on Thursday I will put the same grandson to work with the apple peeler/corer/slicer to prep enough apples to make a batch of Dutch apple jam; here is the recipe if anyone would like to make some:
6 cups chopped apples
1 & 3/4 to 1 & 7/8 cups water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 generous teaspoon allspice
1 pink box SureJell pection (pink is for low sugar recipes)
1/2 teaspoon butter (to reduce foaming)
2 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
Place apples, water, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice in a large pot, mix together. Add butter and pectin (SureJell) and stir in well. Bring to a rolling boil, add sugars. Bring back to a rolling boil, the boil one further minute before removing from heat. Ladle into jars to 1/8" from the top and seal as you normally would - I wipe rims, put on canning jar lids and ring bands, then invert for 5 minutes before turning upright, but many people waterbath can their jams and jellies.
Depending on how long the short person's interest - or arm! - holds out, I think I will try to make 4 batches - one plain apple, one with dried sweet cherries, one with golden raisins, and one with cranberries.
No clue on Friday yet; depends on what the grocery sales are when the paper comes on Monday - might be canning chicken and beef, might be working outside trying to get the garden clean up finished up, mulch down, etc...
Back to work on Saturday/Sunday; then I've got almost two weeks off on vacation - a real one, this time (I hope )
Guess I'd better go get something useful done beyond laundry and dishes - you folks all take care out there; don't let the election antics get you too worked up!!
Why is it that every time I start these threads and have to enter the name of a new month, it surprises me
Time is certainly passing quickly!Yesterday was spent mostly on the run; first with grandkids, then a gathering with some friends - I got in the door at 9pm and was ready to fall into bed! Not sure if that means that it was a busy day, or if the one 'girly' beer I drank with my BBQ ribs hit me hard - or if I'm just getting old
On the plus side, we'd gone to a larger town for dinner and one of the crew wanted to stop by a locally owned grocery store on the way home for some of their specialty bakery items for a gift to another friend, and I wandered over to the coffee aisle and finally found the brand/type of coffee those hussies on night shift got me hooked on. I was able to reach 4 bags of it, but had to ask for help with the 5th one - and that person decided to keep it to try, the big rat! Guess it was just as well as I only had 4 coupons for it anyway - but at least I added something to the stockpile Today, I plan to catch up the laundry, get some recently home canned foods carried down to the storeroom and rotated into storage, and get a bunch of clean, empty canning jars sorted and boxed. I'd like to bring in another dishwasher load's worth and run them through as my jar connection tells me she has another truckload for me and I need to make space under the shed porch roof for them. My co-worker Buddy is on vacation and needs something to do, so I will probably send him after the jars...
I also need to pick up around the house before the cleaning lady comes on Tuesday - things like that jumble of shoes and boots by the kitchen door, the leftover tableware/etc... from the wedding, clean but empty sugar buckets, etc... and get caught up on the laundry - I can hang sheets out on the line today if I want as all the corn nearby has been harvested, but the beans aren't quite ready yet, so it won't be too dusty. Might hitch the little wagon to the lawn tractor and go to the nearest corn field and pick up some missed corn so the grandkids can have it to feed the squirrels and turkeys this winter.
Tomorrow and Tuesday are work days, Wednesday I'm going on a field trip to the local orchard with younger grandson's pre-school class. I will bring home a bushel of apples from the trip; then on Thursday I will put the same grandson to work with the apple peeler/corer/slicer to prep enough apples to make a batch of Dutch apple jam; here is the recipe if anyone would like to make some:
6 cups chopped apples
1 & 3/4 to 1 & 7/8 cups water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 generous teaspoon allspice
1 pink box SureJell pection (pink is for low sugar recipes)
1/2 teaspoon butter (to reduce foaming)
2 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
Place apples, water, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice in a large pot, mix together. Add butter and pectin (SureJell) and stir in well. Bring to a rolling boil, add sugars. Bring back to a rolling boil, the boil one further minute before removing from heat. Ladle into jars to 1/8" from the top and seal as you normally would - I wipe rims, put on canning jar lids and ring bands, then invert for 5 minutes before turning upright, but many people waterbath can their jams and jellies.
Depending on how long the short person's interest - or arm! - holds out, I think I will try to make 4 batches - one plain apple, one with dried sweet cherries, one with golden raisins, and one with cranberries.
No clue on Friday yet; depends on what the grocery sales are when the paper comes on Monday - might be canning chicken and beef, might be working outside trying to get the garden clean up finished up, mulch down, etc...
Back to work on Saturday/Sunday; then I've got almost two weeks off on vacation - a real one, this time (I hope
)Guess I'd better go get something useful done beyond laundry and dishes - you folks all take care out there; don't let the election antics get you too worked up!!
There were a plethora of parents that turned out for the field trip so I offered to give up my seat - the kids and I will go to the orchard some time during my vacation (starts Sunday at 19:30 woo-hoo!!) instead 
