You Can, Can Can Too!

How do you preserve the summer? I wrote earlier this week that I organized my Canning Cabinet. Organization is essential for canning with ease. I am NOT a canning expert but, I have had some success using the instructions from this little number:

Following this manual, I can break it down to some steps.

First, boil your jars and rings:

Score your tomatoes with an "X" on the bottom:

Here is where the pictures end but,

Next you boil your tomatoes for 30 seconds and then shock them in ice water. This will make the tomatoes easy to peel and seed.

Quarter your tomatoes and place them at the bottom of a hot pan and crush them with a wooden spoon.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Ladel into warm jars with a 1/2-inch headspace.

Secure the lids with the rings tightly and place in the canner.

Bring your canner to a rapid boil. Once a rapid boil is achieved, start the processing time of 45 minutes.

Remove jars from canner to a clean towel and allow to cool over night.

In the morning, check that seal by lightly pressing on the lid. If it doesn't make a popping sound, you know you did it right. If you didn't, refrigorate and use within a week or remove another 1/2-inch and freeze for up to a year.

2 Quarts and 2 Pints and Counting...

Inquiring minds wanted to know...

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Canning Cabinet

This week, I tackled organizing my canning cabinet. Here is what it look like before with all the dirty glasses and all disorganized:

And here is what it looks like now all shiny and labeled:

Now, I am ready to keep going and can up the rest of summer:-)

Playing along with Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

Processing Tomatoes

I wonder how many of these....

...will come out of my 55 tomato harvest?? Today, we will see:-)

Where Friday Night Lights Starts

Saturday Morning Sun:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

The Frost is Coming...

...so, I had to pull my tomato crop! 55 tomatoes!! They aren't ready yet but hopefully, they will ripen on the counter so, I will be able to can them this week:-)

Color Selection

This is what the house looks like now:

This is what we are planning on doing:

We chose the darker color so I could do a light shingle-type siding on the top of the side of the house (Pictures to come on this).

We are also planning on builiding a porch where my big garden used to be in front of that picture window. I never liked how the house wasn't square and that garden was always a challenge. I am still going to plant in front of the porch but will be much more manageable!

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Our Finished Basement?

Well, the basement repair guys left yesterday and here are the results:

Yikes!!! Now THAT is a nightmare!

On a positive note, I have straight walls AND, the hubby is even considering really finishing the basement now! That IS a silver lining:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

First Day of Second Grade

Gotta do that first-day-of-school shot!

And, you gotta have that first-day-after-school cookies and milk.