"Disorganization..... is merely the sign of a very healthy
individual trying to do more in a shorter period of time than
those lazy obsessively tidy types who can think of nothing
better to do than straighten objects in drawers and stuff like
that which only feeds their own egos and makes them think that
they are better than those of us who are truly gifted." Author
Unknown... although it could be Neil!
Obviously this above mentioned quote is a joke... just in case
you were wondering! As many of you know from reading my blogs,
I love canning! When I decided to write my cookbook, "Lovingly
Seasoned Eats & Treats", my main objective was not only to
have all my favorite recipes in one book, but also to have a
large canning section that wasn't filled will all pickle
recipes. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against
pickles, even though I don't much care for them... I just wanted
interesting canning recipes... like Chocolate Syrup, Pesto,
Marinara Sauce and stuff like that! I have a lovely canning room
and Neil made us a root cellar in our basement that I am
thrilled to have... and equally thrilled to fill every year!
P.M.S. is looked at in such a negative light... which I fully understand~ been there, done that kind of thing! Anyway several years back, even before I discovered Sink Reflections, my best friend and I were always looking for ways to organize and structure our homes and lives. One day on the phone we came up with the P.M.S. Plan! Prioritize, Minimize and Simplify our lives. Now, my friend loves to make lists as much as I do... she is now a mother of six with bundle number seven on the way, Lord willing! At the time of our P.M.S. she only had one child and I had three... life was a bit simplier in those days... but she is one of those ladies that likes to make really long lists and is filled with an exuberant amount of energy... she even chases ground hogs with brooms... at least back then she did. As I am ten years older than her, her lists at times seemed unreasonable... she put too much work on her back... so was birthed our P.M.S. plan. The motive was to help both of us look at what we wanted to accomplish in a day or week and then prioritize that list in level of importance; then look at the list and minimize it down to the most important and then simplify it down to what was really practical for our days. After the list was P.M.S.'ed anything extra that was accomplished was just a bonus. I have used the P.M.S. way for many things, especially when creating my routine's.
*Each spring we do an inventory of canned goods on the shelves as well as in the root cellar and freezer. This way I know what we need to preserve that season and what I have plenty of. I write this list in my Canning Journal... it is actually the first page to start each new season.
*After my inventory is complete I make a list of what items I need to can/freeze and the quantity I want to do. This is the second page in my journal for the current canning season. As each things get put on the can shelves, root cellar and freezer I have the sheer joy of crossing that item off my list! A job well done!
*As mentioned above I keep a Canning Journal... of course! Every year I date the top of the first page with the year. I include the date of item canned, what was canned, the quantity and the size of the jars used. If I purchased the ingredient, for ie. Blueberries for blueberry pie filling~ I will write down where I got the blueberries, if I picked or not, how much I paid per pound, how many pounds. I also make notes of which children or friends helped. I love making memories in my journals!
*During the canning season, we often have to move jars and reorganize if there is not enough room left for a particular item. I always keep similar items together. This makes it much easier for the children when I ask them to go and fetch me something. For example, I keep all my tomato based products together; Spaghetti and Marinara sauces, Bar-B-Que sauces, ketchup, salsa, pizza sauce and V-8 Juice. The only exception to the rule here is Tomato soup~ that goes with the soups I can. I can apple, peach, blueberry and cherry pie fillings... these all stay together; Fruits, juices, jams and condiments are beside each other; potatoes, carrots, beans, beets are together as veggies; meats are right beside the veggies, then broth and soups, and so on.
*I follow the same rule for the root cellar and freezers. I have several freezers: two hold frozen veggies and fruit, any freezer jams, and two hold meat items. I try to keep all beef, pork, venison and chicken together... again this makes it easier for the children.
*Each spring the freezers need to be cleaned out and purged. It never fails that things always seem to fall to the bottom and then the question, "where did that come from?" is asked. Be sure to always date and itemize all items put into the freezer~ this way there is no question as to what & when!
*The root cellar needs to be kept clean and organized through the winter. Unlike the jars and freezers, the items in the root cellar will spoil much more quickly. Certain items should not be strored togethe such as apples and onions or potatoes. My main goal is to always use the items that are ripening or not holding so well first and to be sure to purge and spoiled items. The old saying of one rotten apple will spoil the whole basket is true!
A great resource for root cellars is "Root Cellaring" by, Mike and Nancy Bubel, published by Storey Publishing, www.storey.com I will be going into a lot more on root cellaring this fall when the crops come in, so stay tuned!
P.M.S. is looked at in such a negative light... which I fully understand~ been there, done that kind of thing! Anyway several years back, even before I discovered Sink Reflections, my best friend and I were always looking for ways to organize and structure our homes and lives. One day on the phone we came up with the P.M.S. Plan! Prioritize, Minimize and Simplify our lives. Now, my friend loves to make lists as much as I do... she is now a mother of six with bundle number seven on the way, Lord willing! At the time of our P.M.S. she only had one child and I had three... life was a bit simplier in those days... but she is one of those ladies that likes to make really long lists and is filled with an exuberant amount of energy... she even chases ground hogs with brooms... at least back then she did. As I am ten years older than her, her lists at times seemed unreasonable... she put too much work on her back... so was birthed our P.M.S. plan. The motive was to help both of us look at what we wanted to accomplish in a day or week and then prioritize that list in level of importance; then look at the list and minimize it down to the most important and then simplify it down to what was really practical for our days. After the list was P.M.S.'ed anything extra that was accomplished was just a bonus. I have used the P.M.S. way for many things, especially when creating my routine's.
*Each spring we do an inventory of canned goods on the shelves as well as in the root cellar and freezer. This way I know what we need to preserve that season and what I have plenty of. I write this list in my Canning Journal... it is actually the first page to start each new season.
*After my inventory is complete I make a list of what items I need to can/freeze and the quantity I want to do. This is the second page in my journal for the current canning season. As each things get put on the can shelves, root cellar and freezer I have the sheer joy of crossing that item off my list! A job well done!
*As mentioned above I keep a Canning Journal... of course! Every year I date the top of the first page with the year. I include the date of item canned, what was canned, the quantity and the size of the jars used. If I purchased the ingredient, for ie. Blueberries for blueberry pie filling~ I will write down where I got the blueberries, if I picked or not, how much I paid per pound, how many pounds. I also make notes of which children or friends helped. I love making memories in my journals!
*During the canning season, we often have to move jars and reorganize if there is not enough room left for a particular item. I always keep similar items together. This makes it much easier for the children when I ask them to go and fetch me something. For example, I keep all my tomato based products together; Spaghetti and Marinara sauces, Bar-B-Que sauces, ketchup, salsa, pizza sauce and V-8 Juice. The only exception to the rule here is Tomato soup~ that goes with the soups I can. I can apple, peach, blueberry and cherry pie fillings... these all stay together; Fruits, juices, jams and condiments are beside each other; potatoes, carrots, beans, beets are together as veggies; meats are right beside the veggies, then broth and soups, and so on.
*I follow the same rule for the root cellar and freezers. I have several freezers: two hold frozen veggies and fruit, any freezer jams, and two hold meat items. I try to keep all beef, pork, venison and chicken together... again this makes it easier for the children.
*Each spring the freezers need to be cleaned out and purged. It never fails that things always seem to fall to the bottom and then the question, "where did that come from?" is asked. Be sure to always date and itemize all items put into the freezer~ this way there is no question as to what & when!
*The root cellar needs to be kept clean and organized through the winter. Unlike the jars and freezers, the items in the root cellar will spoil much more quickly. Certain items should not be strored togethe such as apples and onions or potatoes. My main goal is to always use the items that are ripening or not holding so well first and to be sure to purge and spoiled items. The old saying of one rotten apple will spoil the whole basket is true!
A great resource for root cellars is "Root Cellaring" by, Mike and Nancy Bubel, published by Storey Publishing, www.storey.com I will be going into a lot more on root cellaring this fall when the crops come in, so stay tuned!
'Tis Grilling Season... here are some BBQ Brush On Butter
Recipes along with a few more canning ones from my cookbook!
Enjoy friends!
To 1 stick of salted softened butter add one of the following and mix thouroughly. Let set in fridge for at least 3 hours so flavors blend through! NOTE: The herbs are all dried.
Cajun Style Poultry Brush On!
1/2 tsp. oregano, crushed
1/8 tsp. thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. cumin, ground
dash of red pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Lemon Basil Fish or Veggie Brush On!
1/2 tsp. lemon peel, finely shredded
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. basil, crushed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Parmesan Butter Brush On!~ great to brush on veggies or even use in pasta or spread onto bread to make garlic toast!
1 Tbsp. fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. parsley, crushed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Garlic Butter Brush On~ great to brush on veggies or to make garlic toast
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Chive~Tarragon Brush On~ great on red meat and veggies!
2 Tbsp. chives, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon, crushed
2 Tbsp. parsley, snipped
Canning Recipes taken from, "Lovingly Seasoned Eats & Treats". We all love condiments but don't know how to make them! Here are two great condiments that most people enjoy!
Chocolate Syrup, by Jean Smith
1 cup Dutch cocoa powder
3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cup hot water
1 Tbsp. vanilla
SPECIAL NOTE: These measurements are to make 1 quart. Adjust measurements for how many pints or quarts you want to make.
1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl; pour 1 cup hot water into pot and add dry ingredients until thouroughly mixed; add remaining water; mix thouroughly until smooth.
2. Bring mixture to a boil; boil for 2 to 4 minutes, until sugar is dissovved, stirring constantly.
3. Revove from heat; add vanilla.
4. Fill pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
5. How water bath for 15 minutes.
NOTE: This foams up a lot while boiling. Stirring is crucial. You can take the pot off heat to let it go down a bit, always stirring, if it seems like it is going to overflow.
Ketchup
2 galons tomato juice
7 Tbsp. salt
2 small onions
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves, ground
3 cups white vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup Permaflo (thickener)
1. Put 1 1/2 cups tomato juice and peeled and quartered onions in blender; run blender until onions are well blended; pour into learge kettle with remaining juice; cook until juice boils down 1/3.
2. Add vinegar and boil again; bring to a gentle, rolling boil.
3. In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and blend thouroughly; very slowly stir the spice mixture into boiling liquid- if you dump it in, it will clump!
4. Boil for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
5. Put boiling mixture into jars, placing lid and ring on each jar as you fill it.
6. Water bath for 15 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.
Happy Day,
Jean
www.fordragonfliesandme.blogspot.com
www.wreninthewillow.blogspot.com
www.farmgirlwisdom.blogspot.com
To 1 stick of salted softened butter add one of the following and mix thouroughly. Let set in fridge for at least 3 hours so flavors blend through! NOTE: The herbs are all dried.
Cajun Style Poultry Brush On!
1/2 tsp. oregano, crushed
1/8 tsp. thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. cumin, ground
dash of red pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Lemon Basil Fish or Veggie Brush On!
1/2 tsp. lemon peel, finely shredded
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. basil, crushed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Parmesan Butter Brush On!~ great to brush on veggies or even use in pasta or spread onto bread to make garlic toast!
1 Tbsp. fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. parsley, crushed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Garlic Butter Brush On~ great to brush on veggies or to make garlic toast
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Chive~Tarragon Brush On~ great on red meat and veggies!
2 Tbsp. chives, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon, crushed
2 Tbsp. parsley, snipped
Canning Recipes taken from, "Lovingly Seasoned Eats & Treats". We all love condiments but don't know how to make them! Here are two great condiments that most people enjoy!
Chocolate Syrup, by Jean Smith1 cup Dutch cocoa powder
3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cup hot water
1 Tbsp. vanilla
SPECIAL NOTE: These measurements are to make 1 quart. Adjust measurements for how many pints or quarts you want to make.
1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl; pour 1 cup hot water into pot and add dry ingredients until thouroughly mixed; add remaining water; mix thouroughly until smooth.
2. Bring mixture to a boil; boil for 2 to 4 minutes, until sugar is dissovved, stirring constantly.
3. Revove from heat; add vanilla.
4. Fill pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
5. How water bath for 15 minutes.
NOTE: This foams up a lot while boiling. Stirring is crucial. You can take the pot off heat to let it go down a bit, always stirring, if it seems like it is going to overflow.
Ketchup
2 galons tomato juice
7 Tbsp. salt
2 small onions
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves, ground
3 cups white vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup Permaflo (thickener)
1. Put 1 1/2 cups tomato juice and peeled and quartered onions in blender; run blender until onions are well blended; pour into learge kettle with remaining juice; cook until juice boils down 1/3.
2. Add vinegar and boil again; bring to a gentle, rolling boil.
3. In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and blend thouroughly; very slowly stir the spice mixture into boiling liquid- if you dump it in, it will clump!
4. Boil for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
5. Put boiling mixture into jars, placing lid and ring on each jar as you fill it.
6. Water bath for 15 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.
Happy Day,
Jean
www.fordragonfliesandme.blogspot.com
www.wreninthewillow.blogspot.com
www.farmgirlwisdom.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment