Gardens done In,72 hr kit check

Well that freeze pretty well took care of the garden, we have gotten almost everything out. We have some broccoli and the last of the tomatoes but I don't know if those tomatoes will get much further.

I did make some green tomato relish with  some of the green ones that fell off, were knocked off etc, from freezing and wind.

Green tomato relish

To 8 cups chopped green tomatoes in a large pot you add 1/3 cup canning salt, stir and let sit for a few hours o over night.

 

Then rinse, and let drain for a bit.

Add 1 or 2 bell peppers chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 and 1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon celery seeds

Then in a cloth tie up and 2 tablespoons pickling spice and drop into chopped ingredients. Boil this 2 hours and then jar up while hot..

Boil 10 minutes in a water bath canner or steam canner.

 

A picture of a few jars of relish.

 

 

 I also managed to get a few more pints of tomato sauce made on Friday with the almost ripe ones and the ones I had to ripen in the kitchen window. 8 pints and 1 quart. Better then getting nothing like last year.

I have been drying more herbs and still have sage and tarragon to dry.

We hung the beans to finish drying and our seed corn.

 Here a couple more of the finger puppets I have made, Sort of dragon's.

  Scarf I just finished.

Here is Dave starting the dig on the leak we had and the pipes when he finished.

 It is the time of year to see to your batteries in smoke detectors and things in your 72/96  hour kit; other wise known as a Bug Out Bag B.O.B., or Go Bag etc.

Make sure your clothes all fit and in the children's that the clothes are replaced with clothes that will fit in the coming 6 months,things like a size or 2 bigger then they wear at this time depending on how fast they are growing. 

This includes socks and shoes. Boots can be tied to the outside by their strings if you have to, same with tenna shoes. Make sure since winter is almost here that you and yours have warm things to change into in their kits. Wool socks, long johns, flannel shirt etc.
 Check the food and see if the dates  are still good and nothing has been opened and replace.
Tie a canteen to the side of the packs that can be filled quickly.
On the inside a few of those 4 oz water packets work well.
4 oz water packets work well for extra water in the backpacks from beprepared.com
4 oz water packets
 

Fall is in the air

Monday night 10 September we had our first frost and did again for the next 2 nights also. We had the first fire in the wood stove of the season Tuesday night.

Dave continues to work on the fencing. The new corner in the upper field.

 
New gate area.

We managed to get some more canning and drying done. We picked all the beans and pulled all the hops, squash etc etc.

Low and behold there is a leak in our plumbing in the back yard. Dave will begin digging up the area as soon as he is able and that may be when he gets home today or as he can tomorrow on Saturday. Gads always something. 
After Kathy showered this morning I had to go up to the well house and refill the tank. Not one drop came out of the faucet.

Daughter Coral emailed from Afghanistan and things are dicey there, lots of sirens of incoming missiles and getting shot at :(. 

Our youngest grand daughter Aspen is growing like a weed 

 and so is great grand daughter Jaydah.

Recipes:

Creamed chipped beef (Grandpa Harold's favorite)

Make a white sauce of

1 tab. butter

3 tab. flour

2 c. milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Then after thickened add 2 or 3 bags of chipped beef. Stir and heat serve over bread, toast or rolls.

Party meatballs

1 ½ pounds hamburger

2 eggs beaten

½ onion minced

½ c. bread crumbs

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

*

1 ,12 oz container chili sauce

1 c. tomato juice

½ c. dark karo syrup

2 tab. lemon juice

1 tab. chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. hot sauce

Mix together the first 8 ingredients. Make this into balls. Bake 350 deg, oven 20 minutes or until done, drain. Then in a large skillet mix together the remaining ingredients and bring this to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the meatballs, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

More fencing to do

Not much new going on here that's for sure.

Our daughter Coral is now over in Afghanistan :(

The surgery on my foot went well and I am sitting here with it in the air.  Supposed to keep off of it.  So I have been knitting and reading etc.  Finished a pair of fingerless mitts and a cowl.

Dave is up working on the back fence, putting up new fence and tearing out the old.

Last Saturday he had some help late morning until around 5 or so.

Recipes:

 Basic Tomato Sauce

2 pounds Italian tomatoes

2 tab. olive oil

2 gloves garlic smashed

½ c minced onion

1 & ½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Pinch of sugar

Peel and dice tomatoes. Heat oil ass garlic. Sauté over a low heat, add onion cook until soft. Add basil, salt, pepper and sugar, let simmer a few minutes. Cook 30 minutes. Can in water bath or steam bath.

 

Jellied Cranberry sauce 

1 pound cranberries, that’s about 4 and ½ cups cranberries 

1 c. water

2 c sugar 

Grind or chop to med. course cranberries. Then combine with water and sugar in a pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally until the fruit is translucent, 10 – 15 minutes. This can be forced through a food mill or put in a blender.

To can:

Reheat sauce to boiling and put in hot jars, water or steam bath.