My Views Yesterday...

I was making great progress, as I sat in my favorite stitching spot. This wing part will be completed soon.

I take frequent "stretch" breaks for the benefit of my legs, back, and hands. Sometimes I get up and make a cuppa tea (or grab a snack), and other times, I stretch in place and check to see what's going on outside our dining room windows.

Yesterday, I was looking out the window more frequently because we had storms rolling through and it got really windy and rainy. I noticed movement in one of the dark tracks you can see in the field. At first I thought I was seeing deer because of white tail flashes. I was wrong.

Handsome grabbed our binoculars and we realized I'd been watching two foxes playing with each other. Even as it started to rain, they continued running up and down the right side, chasing each other. It was adorable! 

Coincidentally, I'd also seen gophers running around in our yard, and had really just been wishing we had foxes.

I hope they're denning nearby, because those gophers are digging holes in our yard. You can just imagine how that could harm Bella or Carly if they stepped in a hole while running around. They could do catastrophic damage to a leg or foot.

I think these critters might be the perfect meals for the foxes, and a much better alternative to us trying to get rid of them (the gophers, not the foxes). I think we need to put up a sign saying, "Foxes Welcome". In the meantime, I hope they'll continue to hang out nearby!

Good and Plenty...

 

It was a very productive day yesterday! I canned Breakfast in a Jar (BIAJ), as well as ingredients to make a favorite sandwich (Emeril's Kicked Up Stuffed Garlic Bread), the venison that started all this, and finally, onions, and small jars of onion/green/red peppers for future use.

I'm disappointed that my quart jars of raw peppers, onions, and Italian sausage reduced to only half-full after they were processed. They were crammed full beforehand. They've all sealed, so I know they're safe, but I'll need to do something different next time. 

All in all, there are 3 quarts of Emeril's Garlic Bread Filling, 4 quarts plus 2 pints of BIAJ, 3 pints of sliced onions, and five small jars of onion/pepper mix. Everything sealed already, so I'll remove the rings, wash my jars, and place them on the pantry shelves. 

Today will definitely be a stitching day. I need a rest.

Breakfast In A Jar...

These are most of the ingredients for my current canning project. I also have bulk Italian sausage that will be browned and added to each jar. I'm making quarts of Breakfast in a Jar from My Basic Homestead on Instagram. I've been following her for a while and really like her recipes.

This is the recipe I'm using (in case you'd like to try it yourself), but I'm omitting the eggs. I'd rather add fresh eggs later when I prepare the jar contents for a meal.

I know that it doesn't take long to make this meal any day of the week, but I don't always have all the ingredients on hand. This way I can be assured of a tasty breakfast or brunch anytime, just by pulling a jar off the shelf.

I'll process these jars  along with the venison pints I prepared on Monday. They'll time out the same in the canner.

It got into the 80s yesterday, so I didn't want to heat up our non-air conditioned farmhouse. I'll do this early today before the temperature rises today, and will have them out of the canner by mid-morning. First my morning cuppa, and then I'll tie on my apron and get busy. See you tomorrow!