Sunday morning, blue and bright....

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor....I have been up for hours, made a big Sunday breakfast for the Irishman and myself and he is off to his Sunday morning meeting and I am settling in to compute for a while.  I get on a little every evening or so, mostly Facebook, and have been so busy it's making my head spin. 

  Things are finally slowing down, and though I have okra to pick this morning and maybe a few tomatoes, that's about all.  I started an inventory list and even I am impressed with how much I have accomplished in the way of food preservation this summer. lol Here's the beginning crock of sauerkraut that is bubblihg away in my kitchen, even as we speak...

  Right at the beginning of the process my food processor stopped working, and I had to thin slice 16 heads of cabbage by hand.  As you can see it's not perfect, but I got the job done.

 

Here are beautiful jars of my "famous"  Peach pit jelly.  After peeling and pitting and slicing up all the peaches for freezing, you take the peels and pits and boil them and make jelly from them. The ultimate in food recycling, using every last bit and making do. It's horrendously sweet, lol, but it tastes like peaches. I generally make jam, and use the low-or-no sugar pectin.  But I still have some jam left from last year, so I decided to forego it for now. I can always make fresh jam from  my frozen peaches if I change my mind.  This jelly is a gorgeous ruby color.

 Yesterday I finished up the garlic finally. Sort of.  I pickled 8 pints of whole cloves. The rest of the 25 pounds of garlic is in the dehydrators. The whole house smells like garlic. I will grind up the dehydrated to use as garlic powder.

 

This is a typical picking out in the garden, the tomatoes and bell peppers and okra have done very well this year. I have over 40 quarts of frozen bell pepper strips and 3 gallons of whole peppers for stuffing. I just dried more tomatoes last night, and will probably dry whatever else comes out for this year. I will have some green ones left for making chow-chow and maybe even for some fried green tomatoes. Don't eat a lot of fried foods, but that sounds good this year. 

  My life has been very full and hectic. The little part-time gig sitting with an Altzheimers patient came at a time when we really needed the extra money, and I had the least amount of free time I ever have. But I managed to split my days in half and get things done in shifts. I am very tired and am glad to see the canning about done, I can promise you that.  lol   It's amazing what a person can manage when they set their mind to it.

  I have to go check my chooks. The Australorps and the Buff Orpingtons have started laying [finally!] and are giving me 4 eggs a day pretty much.  Soon I will have eggs to sell, probably. Then they will be earning their keep. They are great chickens and very docile. 

  Between hubby and our renter, we have been keeping the yard mowed and the little tasks done without my help.  Miss M has been a godsend...she is a hard worker and always wants to pitch in and help.  I feel really blessed.  She just popped in to tell me that Schnucks has pork butt on sale for .99 /lb...gonna have to pick some up. Hopefully I can find room in the freezer...it is full.  

  OK.  I have some errands to take care of before I leave for town at 12:30.  I have really missed blogging and reading and hope to catch up soon.

  Happy Labor Day weekend, all.

Namaste,