Homemade Maraschino Cherries...

Such a simple recipe for big results. I pressure canned maraschino cherries. I saw bags of fresh cherries last time I was in the grocery store, so I bought a bag.

The recipe was easy. 1:1 water:sugar ratio, plus lemon juice, and vanilla for the syrup. Then add a small piece of cinnamon, three whole allspice, and a splash of almond extract to each jar before filling with pitted cherries.

Bring the pressure canner up to full steam and let it vent for ten minutes. Put the juggler on the vent, and once the gauge is up to 11 psi, set the timer for ten minutes. Then remove from heat and wait for the canner to depressurize. By bedtime all the jars popped.

Now I have these jars of tasty cherries for Wisconsin-famous Old Fashioneds (Handsome makes delicious mixed drinks on the rare occasion I indulge), or even better, in or on homemade ice cream!

I accomplished other things this weekend, too, so I'll share more tomorrow. 

Second Try Success...

Our local Piggly Wiggly store is having their anniversary celebration sale. I needed to pick up a few things and saw a great price for chicken breasts, so I bought two large packages.

I canned them yesterday adjusting proportions, layering and how much I put into each jar to avoid ending up with underfilled jars. It worked like a charm. Just look at these jars.

Now we have seven more pint and a half jars of soup/stew/potpie/filling, ready to heat and eat. 

A Great Day To Can...

Chicken Stew

I managed to get quite a bit done yesterday! First up was a batch of chicken stew. 

In the past, a quart jar always had leftovers, so when I found pint and a half jars from Azure Standard, I had to get some. These are the perfect size for hearty meals for two. I'll definitely use them again. Also, I started the day with nine pounds of chicken breasts to fill all these jars.

My chicken stew includes cut up chicken breast meat, Yukon gold potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, and peas), and onions. 

Now there are six jars of stewed goodness on the shelf. All I need to do is add baked French rolls or buttermilk biscuits for a quick, easy, and healthy meal.

Cubed Chicken and Chicken Fajita 

Next was to cut up the rest of the chicken we bought for two pints of cubed chicken, and six pints of chicken fajita meat.  

I started by putting the taco seasoning in the bottom of each jar, followed by chopped green chilies, cut up chicken, and topped with roasted red peppers. 

Canned Yellow Onions

Last on my list was to chop up four beautiful, huge yellow onions I bought on my last trip to the grocery store.

For these, I used eight ounce jars, which are just right for opening and adding to any meal prep. They're almost like caramelized onions. 

It's my first time canning them, and I can't wait to try them soon. I went to bed "happy tired" having created all this goodness for the pantry. I have more to can later this week. More about that later, though, as I'm out the door to work today.

Shopping Our Pantry...

 

After a (for me) long day of work, all I really want to do is make a cup of tea and put my feet up, but (thankfully), I don't live alone. 

I always make that cup of tea (right after I change clothes into something comfortable), but I know that making (or helping make) dinner is also on the agenda. So, if I don't bring dinner home with me, the next best thing is to shop my pantry. It's for times like these that my/our canning efforts seem so worthwhile.

Last night, all I had to do was thaw out a few frozen shrimp, boil fettuccini noodles, and heat a jar of the Alfredo sauce I canned last winter. Add a few heat n' serve rolls, and in less than a half hour, dinner was served.

It was delicious, too, thanks to the great recipes I've gleaned from the channels I follow on Facebook or Instagram. I'm so grateful for the women who unselfishly share their knowledge and recipes. That's why I'm always happy to share what I find.

Handsome did cleanup last night, so I thanked him and went to bed early. My plan today is to work more on my monarch. I'm looking forward to making some progress on the first wing. Plus, the restful act of putting needle and thread to fabric is just what I need. I'll share an update tomorrow  

Tasty Beets...

I told you yesterday I canned beets  I bought them through Azure Standard, a source for organic and healthy products. I've been happy with everything I've received from them.

Once you set up an account, you can scroll through their selections, add to your shopping cart, and then you're advised of your last date to order to be included in the delivery. Your order isn't charged until that date, so you're free to go back and add or delete items from your shopping cart until that date. Prior to the cutoff date, you choose to either pick up at a location near you, or have the order shipped for an additional charge. My pickup is within 10 miles of home and close to the highway, so it's really convenient.

Monthly delivery trucks bring the orders to the drop off location, and you should be there within fifteen minutes or so (whatever the coordinator says) to get your order. I'm usually on my way back home with my order within ten minutes of the truck arriving.

They offer bulk quantities, as well as smaller packaging, fresh or frozen items, lots of pantry staples, household products, and health and beauty items. You might be surprised!

If you're interested in learning more about Azure Standard, or would like to place an order to try it out, you can use my link HERE. There are no signup or membership fees, and you're under no obligation to place orders every month. If you try it, I'd love to know what you think.

Canned Beef...

Six pounds of local ground beef became seven pints of shelf-stable canned beef. No need to take up freezer space or wait for thawing. It's ready and waiting for future barbecues, tacos, or whatever else I'd like to do with it. Believe me when I say it's always worth the effort  

I didn't get to stitch today, but I did set up a new project. I'll share photos tomorrow  

Farmhouse Pantry...

Top to Bottom: 1) stewed tomatoes and pickles; 2) pears, pineapple, alfredo sauce, turkey meat; 3)potatoes, carrots, creamed corn, sweet corn and tallow; 4) rutabaga, sweet potato, green tomatoes, chili beans

Apologies for the lateness of today's post. I was called in to work early this morning (boss is on vacation), so I'm just getting around to it now. Because it's already after lunchtime, I'm going to leave this post up for tomorrow, too. There will be a new post after this one on Wednesday. Last weekend was Craft Day, so I'll be sharing what our latest project entailed.

1) zucchini relish, corn/black bean relish, bbq sauce, salsa, homemade rotel; 2) venison, taco meat, chicken breast, mexican seasoned chicken thigh, beef stew 3) canned butter, strawberry jam, jalapeño jam, cheesecake, black rasp. jam, grape jam, lilac jam

Now, for today's post. I promised photos of my home preserved pantry shelves, so here goes. While I admit there are some store-bought items in our pantry, most of what we eat these days is local, non-GMO prepackaged, or home canned/frozen. I'll try to give you a good idea of what's on each shelf in the photo captions.

1) dehydrated milk and cream, purchased chai tea (hidden) dried beans to can later, pizza sauce 2) Freeze dried pineapple, cowboy candy, pinto beans 3) various dried rice and grits 4) dehydrated ingredients for soups and stews, pasta and celery

1) Handsome's jam (in use) and Jif peanut butter (non-GMO and no Xylitol, which means safe for dogs), applesauce 2) baked beans, condensed mushroom and tomato soup mixes, turkey vegetable soup base, premixed seasoned rice 3) non-GMO purchased cereals 4) various pastas (Some day I'll make my own, but we buy them for now.)

I'm writing the copy on my computer, but adding the photographs through my cell phone, so I'll try to keep things straight. (Yes. My computer is still acting up.) sigh

1) hickory nut pie filling, apple pie filling 2) homemade muffin, brownie, sugar cookie and corn bread mixes 3) homemade vanilla (in process), Ghirardheli choco chips, hickory nuts and pecans

So, there you have it. I have more things on my To Do list, but this is where I do most of my "shopping" when it's dinner time. We do have meats in the freezer, but it's much easier to grab something off these shelves. (No thawing required.) 

I'm working all day tomorrow, but I'll be back Wednesday with the Craft Day post. See you then!

Canned Butter...

Canned Butter

On Monday night, when Handsome was at band rehearsal, I did a thing. After a lot of research, I've learned that this process (while unapproved by FDA) is completely safe and has been safely done by the Amish and farm families for generations.

The butter is melted in a big pot while jars and lids are being heated. The melted butter is then ladled into the jars, rims cleaned (not with vinegar, which could cause the butter to curdle), rings tightly attached, and then back into the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Place the jars on the counter to cool. Once the lids have pinged, intermittently shake the jars to make sure the butter solids don't separate while they cool. Once cooled, label and store. The butter is perfectly shelf stable for at least two years.

When I purchase butter, I wait until it's on sale for less than $3/pound, and then I buy a case of it. I've always kept the extra in the freezer until I learned about this method. Now, I won't be taking up freezer space, and the butter is ready to use whenever I need it.

I used wide mouth jars, and filled them to leave 1" of headspace. Five pounds of butter yielded six pints, canned. It doesn't take that long to do either. I'd say it was a good use of an hour of the time Handsome was away, making great music.

Latest Canning...

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm - Canned Carrots, Sliced Mushrooms, Alfredo Sauce and Mushroom Pieces

I started more canning on Saturday. By the end of the day, this is what I had to show for it...six pints of carrot sticks, six half pints of sliced mushrooms, six and a half pints of Alfredo sauce, and two pints of mushroom pieces.  But wait, there was one more that day...

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm - Beef Stew

I also canned five quarts, plus 1 pint of beef stew. I prepared all the ingredients for this, which means nothing dehydrated or freeze dried. Everything was cut into bite-sized pieces - beef stew, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and tomatoes. 

The beef was partially sauteed and then put into my Kilner pot with the raw vegetables, beef broth and spring water. After that was brought to a boil and cooked for five minutes, all the ingredients were jarred, sealed and then processed in my pressure canner. Actually, everything I processed Saturday was pressure canned. The recipe I used was from The Complete Guide to Pressure Cannning by Diane Devereaux that I told you about when I first started my pressure canning journey.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that I overcame my fear and got the canner and book to give me this confidence? Looking back, I ask myself, "What the heck took you so long?" Reaching for it now is nearly second nature.

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm - Pinto Beans and Ground Beef Taco Meat

Sunday was spent with family, so I got back to my To Do list Monday. There were things I meant to do but couldn't get to on the weekend. After we got home from our son's home, I pulled out the gallon jar filled with pinto beans. I measured 110 grams and put that amount into each clean half pint jar. Then I topped them off with water to soak them overnight.

In the morning, I poured each jar (one at a time) into my strainer, rinsed off the beans and checked for any duds that I would want to remove, rinsed that jar and then filled back up with the beans. After I'd done that to each and every jar, I refilled them with spring water, wiped the rims, added lids and rings, and then into the canner. When they came out, I placed them on a towel and covered them to finish sealing. 

Then, I turned my attention to taco meat! I mean, what good are the pinto beans without the taco meat to accompany them? We recently purchased the deal offered at the butcher shop about three miles from here, and there were ten pounds of ground beef, individually packed. I grabbed four of them out of the freezer Sunday night after putting beans in jars, so the meat could thaw overnight.

The ground beef is also hot packed, so I browned the meat, put 2 1/2 t. of taco seasoning in the bottom of clean jars, and then added the beef. Once all six pints were filled with meat, I topped the jars off with boiled spring water, sealed and processed them. After they were finished and the canner had depressurized, I placed those jars on a towel and covered them, too. They sat overnight with the beans to cool down and seal. Hearing the jars "ping!" is the best sound when you've just done a bunch of canning.

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm - Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Last of all was a recipe I've been eyeing for a while. This is referred to as "rebel canning" because it's not an FDA-approved method. They don't like us canning dairy, but it's actually been safely done by homemakers for decades upon decades. That alone wouldn't have convinced me, but I also listened to three different, experienced canners who explained the whole "botulism" thing having done their own extensive research. They come from canning families who have also done this for decades, and they have successfully done these recipes for years, so I was convinced. (Fully disclosure - The Alfredo sauce is another rebel recipe, too.)

This recipe is done in the oven, where the cheesecake is actually baked the traditional method (jars sitting in boiled water in a pan) with the lids off. After I made the raspberry sauce, I topped the finished cheesecakes, added the lids and rings (this time really turning down the lids rather than "finger tight"), and back into the oven for ten more minutes. That was it. I had ten beautiful, wide-mouth half pints to show for it. Handsome tried one last night and gave it a big thumbs up!

I wasn't interested in making a big dinner after finishing all that so I grabbed a quart of beef stew that I'd put in the refrigerator on Saturday. That jar hadn't sealed (along with one half pint of sliced mushrooms, and one pint of mushroom pieces), so after I got that in the pan, I added half the jar of mushroom pieces to the mix. Once it was heating, I added enough of my homemade beef gravy mix (about a tablespoon) which thickened it up nicely. We enjoyed a lovely warm stew with a side of warm rolls, and declared that recipe another winner.

There is something so rewarding about doing all this work over the past three days. Seeing everything on the shelves and knowing that we don't have to leave home to do a lot of grocery shopping; knowing exactly what is in the food we're eating; and the gratitude I get from family who enjoy the fruits of my (and sometimes our) labor is just the best feeling in the world. Bonus is that I sleep like a baby on the nights after I've been in the kitchen all day! I'll share photos of the full pantry shelves later this week.

I'm off to the station for my six hour shift today. I'll be back tomorrow to share the recipe for the cinnamon rolls that I make. I'm not a recipe miser. If someone is interested, I think recipes should be shared. The more the merrier! This recipe is expecially simple and easy, and has tremendous (feedback) reward for the effort. So, you won't want to miss tomorrow's post with the recipe! Gotta run...

MMM MMM, Good...

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

I baked four packages of four cinnamon rolls yesterday. I woke up early, and had them rising in the pan by 10:30. They bake for less than half an hour, so I only had to wait for them to cool enough to frost. I had that done by 2:00 pm or so.

One package went up the hill to Andy and Shelly, and two of the packages went to Kim and Teresa at work. That left these beauties for us. Handsome and I shared one after dinner last night. There's nothing quite like a fresh cinnamon roll.

I'll be canning today. I have all my recipes pulled, the jars are waiting, and I can't wait to get started. My first batch will be mushrooms. Then, I'll clean and cut carrots for the jars. Last project for the day will be canning Alfredo sauce. I'm pretty sure I'll be ready to quit by then. Photos on Monday!

The wind is blowing and we were getting snow as I write this. It's still so cold, but I bundled up when I went to work, and we're staying in all day (except that I think I need to refill bird feeders). I'll be back to chat on Monday, but of course, I'll share a scripture with you tomorrow. Be warm and safe, dears.

Weekend Production...

Turkey Meat in Broth, Turkey Soup/Stew Mix, and Turkey Broth

Over the weekend I made more bread for the freezer, and then did a bit of canning on Sunday. I made four loaves of farmhouse bread, and then added a round loaf of Asiago bread. The whole house smelled wonderful and the kitchen was a warm spot, too. Bonus!

On Sunday I put a mostly frozen turkey in the pressure canner and cooked it along with vegetable scraps and spring water from the local artesian well. To make my life easier, I tied the turkey in cheesecloth with a separate bundle for the veggies. It was a snap to pull the turkey without it falling apart back into the broth, and all I had to do was pull and toss the vegetables.

After opening the turkey "bag", I pulled all the meat off the carcass and set it aside in a large bowl to cool down a bit. I tied all the bones back up in the cheesecloth and then tossed them after they were completely cooled.

Turkey Meat and Broth on the left. Turkey Soup/Stew on the right

I have a big can of Augason Farms Vegetable Medley Blend for soups and stews. They're dehydrated, so easily stored. It also contains a soup seasoning, which is nice. I added about a half cup to each pint jar, and topped it with about a half cup of the turkey, leaving an inch of headspace. Then I added turkey broth from cooking the bird. 

After I jarred up all the soup/stew mix, I canned six pints of just the turkey meat and broth. That can be used for casseroles, potpies, or even sandwiches later. I did set one pint aside for the casserole I made for us for dinner.

When all was said and done, I had five pints of turkey meat in broth, ten pints of soup/stew mixture, and three quarts of turkey broth. I left them covered on the kitchen island overnight, and will clean and label everything this morning. All the jars have already sealed. yay!

I'll take it easy today as I'm working again tomorrow. I have some mail to get ready to post, and a few boxes yet to pack for shipping. That should keep me busy for the rest of the morning. 

It's darn cold here, so the girls aren't out for very long at all. Crystal always teases to go out, so I've opened the door for her, only to have her curse something in cat talk and run back up the stairs. I have to laugh every time. Tease. Tease. Tease. Nevermind. lol

I hope you're all safe and warm. I know Tennessee has been hit pretty hard with ice storms. I contacted a friend who lives there, and thankfully, they still have power and are okay. How are things where you are? You're all on my mind as this weather passes. Take good care.

Canned Soup Mix Recipes...

Yesterday I was asked about the recipes for my canned soup mixes, so I decided to share them with you from the source where I found them. The YouTube channel is called "Wicked Prepared", and the hostess is from the northeast part of the United States. She's got some other great videos, and although she refers to herself as a prepper, I'm there for the recipes that help me create the best food for our family.

You can watch the video and then find links to all her recipes under the caption for the video. Just clink on her video description to locate them. If you have trouble linking to the recipes, let me know, and I'll try to help. (HERE'S a direct link to the video, too)

There are three recipes (remember these are for the condensed soup versions). These are shelf-stable dry mixes for Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Chicken Soup, and Tomato Soup. She shows you how to make them, and then has sources for some of the ingredients. I just made sure I purchased non-GMO, organic alternatives for the healthiest options (in my humble opinion).

I'm mixing up some dry, seasoned rice mixes today. I purchased half gallon jars yesterday, too, so I have plenty now for my other mixes. It's always nice to see everything lined up in the pantry, and believe me, I've got enough things prepared now so that we'd be well-fed should we get a storm that snowed us in for a week this winter. I even have dried whole milk and cream so we'd be able to make Handsome's favorite morning cereal or our coffee. 

I hope you enjoy watching the video, and be sure to let me know if you try them. I'd love to know what you think. If you're traveling tomorrow, please be safe. The farmers that came into the station yesterday all told me to hunker down for the storm they say is going to hit us over the next few days. I'm going to take them at their word. The rain started last night, and the wind is up. I'm hoping if it turns to snow, we're just not blasted all at once. Nothing like a Thanksgiving storm to wake us up, right?

KP Duty...

That's how it felt for a while yesterday. I took twenty pounds of potatoes out of the fifty pound bag to process. Peeling, rinsing, cutting up, rinsing, soaking, rinsing...Potatoes were the center of my universe for much of the day. 

Once I'd rinsed away the starch that would cloud the jars, I was ready to start filling them with all those beautiful spuds. In the end, twenty pounds of potatoes were canned into twenty four wide mouth pint jars. Three didn't seal, but I had a plan for that eventuality, too.

I made potato soup with ham. Handsome thought it was delicious, and I wasn't going to try to convince him otherwise. It was just the comfort food we needed after both of our busy days. The best part was that there was exactly one full quart of leftover soup, so we can have that for lunch in the next day or so.

I work tonight, so I'm planning to rest and stitch feathers today. I think I've accomplished enough for one week, so I'll take it easy today. I hope you have a great weekend, dear friends.

Cool Beans...

Goddaughter #1, her son and daughter, and yours truly

They arrived by 10:00 Saturday morning, and we were off to the races. I had baked breakfast pizza that we all munched on while we worked. My eldest niece, Jen, her son, Liam, and her daughter came to learn and participate.

Great Aunt Donna and Liam

They made a special trip last weekend, just so this young man could deliver venison for his aunt and uncle. He harvested a beautiful ten-point buck during Minnesota archery season the previous weekend, and then froze about ten pounds of meat to share with us. As it was still hard frozen when delivered, we went to Plan B for the day.

Filling Jars

I had all the supplies to make a baked beans recipe (sans baking, as it's all done in the pot), so we got busy with that. Liam loves to cook and he wanted to learn how to process food with the pressure canner. 

Good to the last drop!

Liam's little sister sat across from us, watching the entire process as she did a little coloring with her mom. As we went through the process, I explained the whats and whys. 

First we made sure the jars were washed and clean with no chips along the rims. Then we placed them in the canner so they could warm up. Lids went into water and onto the stovetop so they'd be ready when we needed them. 

One pot held the navy beans, where they first boiled and sat for an hour. Then, they were rinsed and simmered for another thirty minutes to be ready to go into jars. While they were simmering, we measured out the tomato juice, tomato sauce, spices, chopped onion and vinegar, along with a bit of brown sugar. 

Liam - who loves all things culinary - was in charge of chopping up the raw onion, and stirring the combined ingredients until everything was ready to put into jars. Then, he did the heavy lifting to empty out the very last drop of sauce that topped the beans in each jar.

Our portion of the day's work

By the end of the day, we had processed a total of nineteen pints of beans. The recipe had an error, calling for 1-1/2 cups of beans for each quart, so the first batch of jars only had 3/4 cups of beans in each pint. I realized that we were going through a lot more tomato mixture than beans, but those jars were already in the canner. We adjusted for the second batch by putting the correct 1-1/2 cups per pint into the jars and ended up with leftover mix. I'll be doing more beans later this week to use up all the ingredients. Anyway, the second batch of jars processed perfectly and were brimming with beans as they should have been.

Handsome with Jen and Kids

Of course, we took lots of photographs before they left late day. We agreed to meet up on Sunday before they left Wisconsin because the beans were still too hot to jostle around in the car for them to go to my mum's house where they were spending the night.

Proud Aunty and Uncle

Jen was complaining about how she looked in the photographs, and after looking at them, I told her that she was gorgeous, but I looked like I'd been canning all day. lol

Then I shared another lesson with her. In the end, the only thing that matters is that you stand for the pictures. They're proof that you lived. These are memories of a wonderful day spent with family. Some day she and her children will look back on them and remember the time they spent with their aunt and uncle. Her mum - my sister - is gone now. All we have left are our photos and memories...and the love. That's what matters. Not that we weren't wearing makeup or it was just sunny enough so that we were squinting. Not that I'm wearing a comfy, old baggy pair of jeans and weigh more than I'd like right now. We lived, loved, and spent time together. These pictures are proof.

Jen with two of her three children

Here's my beautiful niece with two of her three children. The eldest doesn't come often. He has other things to do at his age, but he's always welcome. 

I met them all again at their stepdad's on Sunday to hand off a box of sealed and cooled jars of beans. I also sent them home with some of our previously canned venison, jams, relish, and other tasty treats. Liam was shopping in our pantry. I showed him how to save the empty, clean jars so they could come back here to refill later.

Jen had a very special gift for me, too, on Sunday which left me in a puddle of grateful tears. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow. This is a wonderful weekend, indeed.

Pepper Jelly...

This is usually made with a combination of red, yellow and green peppers mixed with jalapeños, but I only had a single red pepper and the rest were green. So, Green Pepper Jelly it is. The ratio of sweet peppers to jalapeños is 4 cups sweet to 1/4 c. spicy. That means there's just the slightest kick to the jelly.

I ended up with a total of six 8 ounce jars, plus the majority of a half pint jar. This one is also meant to use as an appetizer over cream cheese or goat cheese. I love it either way.

I have a little more chopped green peppers, so I think I'm going to pressure can a few jars of those mixed with chopped onions and celery. Then, when I need the "trinity", I just have to open and drain a jar when I don't have fresh in the fridge.

I won't be doing that today, as I got a message yesterday to see if I could come in to work for a few hours this afternoon. I'll be there at 1:30, and back home before dinner. I'm glad I can help out, but I'm still not ready for a six hour, no-sit shift (say that fast three times!). This works much better for me.

I'm going to stitch this morning, and then head to work. Tomorrow will be another canning day, but today, I'll take it easy.

I'm "Lichen" This A Lot...

Adding More Lichen To My Fence Board

Monday I canned and baked. Tuesday I stitched. I made good progress on the fence board, and added more lichen to it's surface. I'm about two thirds complete on the horizontal board now.

While the right edge appears to be the end of the board, my left side will appear to fade away. I want to show that it actually continues out of frame without actually stitching it. It will look like a jagged edge. Once the horizontal board is done, I'll do the post, finishing the bottom with the same jagged edge. 

I have more apples from Dawn and Pete, plus potatoes, ground beef, hickory nut pie filling, and more peppers to can, so I'm not planning any stitching for today. I'll likely do the apples and green peppers today, as they'll spoil first if they sit too long. I'll do potatoes this or next week. I have fifty pounds of those, so it will likely be a marathon session when I get to them. 

I will have another stitching day this week, so you'll definitely see more progress before long. It's a good way to rest my legs between canning sessions where I'm on my legs the entire time. I'll be sure to show you more as soon as I get it done.