The picture at right is the view to the west looking out into the bean field that butts up to our property. I took this a few evenings ago. It's been getting quite cool in the evenings which has been creating a lot of fog. I thought that tree way out in the field looked really cool so I took it's picture. Anyway, the cooler evening and morning temps have made it feel like fall around here and maybe fall is closer than we think being that the kids are back to school now. As Becky stated the other night, another school year is starting, and it's official now. Riley just got on the bus here and Tate will be getting on at his mother's soon. I've almost got a little bit of nervous belly for them this morning. lol. stupid. I've changed my hours at work so that I can be here to get the kids on the bus in the morning so that we don't have to pay the sitter to get them on. That's one of the perks (flexible hours) of family businesses, I guess. Anyway, the twins don't start until tomorrow, but they've got some literacy test or something at the school this morning. After that it's hurry back here (pick Kennedy up on my way home) and get ready for the appliance repairman to get here. The darn oven quit working a week ago. They came out to check it out and narrowed it down to three possible parts that need replaced. The only problem is there is no way of testing to see which part it actually is. So, with that being the case the repairman suggested we start with the least expensive part and go from there. Today he is bringing that part (a sensor, I think). Pray that it's this thirty dollar part and not the two hundred dollar or more computer.
The other night I was looking in our pantry and I was kinda proud. I've been trying to can and freeze some things for wintertime when we can't get local fresh veggies and fruit anymore. Here is what I saw:
We've had a good tomato crop this year and so I've made a lot of pasta sauce. I made a few quarts of tomato juice and also some jars of creole sauce. The creole sauce was a recipe in my Ball canning book. It's pretty good. I use it like BBQ sauce. The book says it's good for grilling chicken or fish in. I'll let you know about that one.
Earlier this summer Becky and my grandma Mason went picking strawberries. They canned some strawberry jam, strawberry-rhubarb jam, and quite a few pints of strawberries in syrup. Delicious. I'm glad that we don't truly have to live off of what we've grown and preserved. We'd be dead by about December first. Still, we'll try more every year to grow as much of our own food as possible. Before winter hits I'll be culling my old laying hens and making some pre cooked chicken and canning jars of chicken stock for soups. I've not made stock before so I need to do a little research on how to get it done properly, but the canning book Becky got me has a recipe in there for it so I'm sure it'll be fine.
Well, off for now. There are lots of things that need done around here. All of the chickens are taken care of for now until this evening, but dishes need done and the house needs straightened. Until next time...
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