Savings and Goals Journal #16

Four out of six of us were down with a cold last week, so this week has been a week of catching up now that we’re feeling better. I did manage to do some canning, and we kept the gardens watered, but one afternoon I had no choice but to just take a nap! I’m glad we’re all feeling better and getting back to our normal routine.

In the Kitchen

Canning produce from the garden is now in full swing. I’m not sure I will quite get the 30 to 40 jars of green beans I was hoping for, but I think I’ll be close. I was disappointed that part of one row of the green beans I planted were not stringless. Next year I will read the packages more closely.

I find snapping green beans to be kind of tedious. I rarely take time to sit and watch television, so I put “Anne with an E” on Netflix while I snap beans. It makes it much more fun!

It looks like I might run out of canning jars before I run out tomatoes, and I don’t plan to buy more jars. If I fill the jars I have, that should be plenty of tomatoes for this year and most of next year. We will share any extra tomatoes we have.

I was trying to be so good and log each item I preserved, but this week I lost count. We canned green beans, tomatoes, and Cowboy Candy. I froze bell peppers and green chile. But I didn’t write down how much.

I had roasted two whole chickens just before we got sick, so it was nice to have the meat cooked up to make quick and easy things to eat when we weren’t feeling well. I’d planned to use the meat to make freezer meals, but that didn’t happen. I did use some to make a nice pot of chicken soup.

This week’s meal plan

• Sunday: Leftovers
• Monday: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, calabacitas (to use up some of that zucchini!)
• Tuesday: Leftovers
• Wednesday: Beef Nacho Casserole
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Chicken Spaghetti w/ steamed veggies and pasta
• Saturday: Leftovers

We are planning a simple Labor Day barbecue for our family. It will include things that don’t require lots of time in the kitchen since we’re spending so much time canning.

In the Garden

I’ve narrowed down the tomato varieties I will be growing in the future: Chocolate Sprinkles (a cherry tomato), Cherokee Purple, and Celebrity. I have several other kinds I’d planted this year as experiments, but I’ve chosen my three favorites. I don’t like how the Cherokee Purples split around the stem, but I think their great flavor makes up for it. I’ve found a new favorite food: Tomato Sandwiches. It’s just a sandwich with mayonnaise, a slice of tomato and salt and pepper. Delicious!

I’m sending extra tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers to my mom when my daughter goes to visit this weekend. We are harvesting lots of everything and have some to share. Grampy’s chile plants are doing well. He is picking and roasting chile every weekend.

Home and Family

Our grandson will be three years old in a few months. I’m beginning to put together some materials for a home preschool program for him. We do lots of learning activities with him, but we’d like a little more structure. I also went to the used bookstore in search of some classic children’s books. I am especially looking for a set of Little House on the Prairie books. It will be a while until the grandkids will be able to sit and listen to longer stories read aloud, but I am hoping to have the whole set by then.

My temporary duct tape repair of the vacuum cleaner hose did not last long at all until it came completely undone! Luckily my daughter turned the vacuum off before dust got everywhere. I was able to order a new hose piece for about $25 from Amazon. Thank you to those who suggested places to buy replacement parts!

My daughter brought in the fall decorations from the shed and put them up around the house. We used decorations we already had. I may buy something when the fall items go on clearance. We still have a few things to put out on the porch. I usually wait until Labor Day or a little after to change out to the the fall decor, but she offered to do it the other day while I was canning, and I wasn’t going to say no!

I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures fall will bring. October is my favorite month. I used to dread the shorter days of fall and winter, but now I don’t mind cozying up in my little house for the longer evenings. One of my favorite things to make on a cool fall evening is this Amish Cinnamon Flop Bread. It’s delicious and makes the house smell wonderful.

What are you looking forward to this fall?