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.

Niece Time...

It's always wonderful when family visits, and even more so when they bring someone special they want you to meet. My niece/Goddaughter, Jen came to visit so we could meet her special friend. You can tell from the photograph that they look quite happy together.

They came out to the farmhouse, so I had a light brunch prepared for them, and Handsome, Jen, her friend and I sat on the porch visiting for quite a while. Jen brought her two dogs...fourteen year old male and fourteen month old puppy, too. Jen was quite sure that neither would run off, but for most of the time, we closed the gate on our porch stairs to keep them close. 

At one point, Jen took her older dog off the porch to air him out, and she was more than a little surprised when he perked up his ears, put his nose in the wind, and trotted off on his otherwise unsteady old legs. The rest of us sat on the porch giggling as she had to chase him down halfway across our neighbor's field. He looked like a pup again, wind in his ears as he loped across the field. She came back with him after a bit. She was winded, and he seems quite proud of himself. It was pretty cute.

After our visit, they were heading to see her dad, and then to a backyard concert at a friend's. Their schedule was pretty busy, so we were more than happy that they'd made time for us. We're already looking forward to their next visit back to Wisconsin.

Father's Day was quiet. Our sons spent the day with their own families, but called their dad to check in. We mowed the yard, and later, I made a special dinner for Handsome. I expect this week will go pretty quickly, so it was nice to just relax.

We're planning on setting up a "recovery bedroom" downstairs for a few weeks. I don't want to try to negotiate a steep staircase on crutches, so this will be the best option. I have to decide what I want to have downstairs, so I'm going to make a list. Handsome rarely goes into my studio rooms, so I'll try to cover all the bases.

Otherwise, I expect to be working on my bluebirds today. I work tomorrow, and I can't think of a better way to rest my knees. I'll share my progress during our next visit. Happy Monday, y'all!

Goddaughters...

These are my two beautiful nieces, who are also both my Goddaughters. Jen on the right is the elder of the two. Jordan is the other. We had the most wonderful time visiting last night! Of course, I was also visiting with my mum and stepdad, one more niece (Jen's sister, Aimee), my sister Jan, and Jen's two kids. 

Jen and Aimee's stepdad (the man who raised them, not my sister's widow), also joined us for dinner. It's always been good to see him, as we've always continued to consider him family. My great-nephew went home with him afterward to spend an overnight with his granddad - away from the hen parties.

The ladies visited with their nana before I got there, and I love this photograph to commemorate this visit. There was a rousing round of Jeopardy played on the television as we all ate dinner together, followed by jocularity and hugs.

I can't wait to see all of them again today. I'll head back to town after lunch as they decide the what's and where's of our next activity. I think roller skating (for them) is on our agenda. I'll be an enthusiastic bystander. Lord knows what I hurt next if I were foolish enough to participate!

I'll be sure to take more photographs from the sidelines, and share with you on Monday. Here's hoping your weekend will be equally rewarding. 

Family Time...

Photograph of Handsome and me with our two eldest nieces from 2023

I'm working today, but I'm looking forward to seeing these two beauties, my other niece/goddaughter, and great niece and nephew this evening.

The tall niece next to Handsome is flying in from Colorado, and the smiling face next to me is my eldest niece/Goddaughter who's also coming from out of state with two of her kids. One more Goddaughter, not in this photograph will be joining the gathering this weekend, too. They'll all be staying with my mum and stepdad. Sister Jan will also be joining the festivities.

Tonight there'll be a pizza party, and tomorrow afternoon, I'll go to watch them all roller skate at a local rink. No worries, though. This ol' bird will not be lacing on any roller skates. I'll be a cheerleader only!

Now to head off to work and put in my seven hours before I get to visit with some really important people. Go cup in one hand, and my handbag in the other. I'm on my way. Happy weekend! 

Girl Time...

We baked cookies, made hot cocoa mix, homemade pizza for dinner, and lots of time reminiscing about family and good times. This was a precious day and overnight with my eldest niece/goddaughter and her daughter. It doesn't happen often, so that makes the time shared even more valuable. 

I'm on my way out this morning, but when I return from work, my sister, Di will be here for another overnight. I'm also tickled about the time I can be with her, as she usually reserves the overnights for her own kids and grands when she's in Wisconsin. We were able to carve out a little sister time, and I'll make the most of it. 

I really have so much gratitude for each and every day Handsome and I have together, and adding cherished family members to the mix is a true bonus. I'll say it again...

Happy Thanksgiving Week To You and Yours,

From Everyone at Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm 

Full House, Full Heart…

 

I still can’t share more about my houseguests today because I can’t risk spoiling a surprise. However, I know you’ll love this photo of pretty Miss Carly for now. I’ll get lots of photos today, and then I will reveal my secrets tomorrow.

I’m keeping this short for today so I can focus on family. We have some fun things planned, and I’ll be sure to catch an image or two for you. More later, but I’ll close for now. This will be a fun slide into the weekend. Wishing you the same!