I haven't mentioned my Dad much. He's doing so good! He actually drove for the first time since his surgery, Tuesday! He drove again today, as well. He still gets really tired, though, and he has his heart pillow right there with him when he's driving. The surgeon released him, so all he has to visit now is his regular heart doctor. I'm so thankful for God's healing and His mercy! What would we do without it?
I am going to try something new. I read a blog about grinding your own meat, and I have a hand crank meat grinder. The couple purchased a big chunk of chuck meat from their regular grocery store. They ground it using their Kitchen Aid grinding attachment, and said that it was the best ground chuck they had ever eaten! I read the comments and others had been doing the same thing. They also agreed that it tasted much better than ground chuck they had eaten, as well. When you grind meat yourself, instead of buying pre-ground meat, you know what's in it. No fillers or additives. I don't eat much meat, but the guys think they have to have it at every meal. I've been doing a lot of cooking on the grill this week, since my kitchen has turned into a cannery. We like foods cooked on the grill, so that was a good excuse.
The pickles are almost ready to come out of the canner, so I've got to go! Hope ya'll have a great weekend and stay cool! Blessings from Bama!
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| All of these are nectarine jam! Poor basket of nectarines is ruining! |
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| Fig jam in the making. |
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| Fourteen and a half pint jars of fig jam! |
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| Six jars of dill pickles! I thought there would only be enough for two jars! |
great work has been a time since I have made any of these oh so yummy come see what I shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHi Annie! Thanks for stopping by! I will pay you a visit.
DeleteI stumbled upon your blog via Cozy Thyme Cottage and I am glad I did. I saw this posting as was curious what recipe you use to can your dill pickles. I have tried to can dill pickles over the years and I can never find a good method. Mine always turn out soggy and no one likes to eat them. I planted 10 bush pickle plants and I could really use a good dill pickle recipe or method. Is this the first time you have done this? If not, are yours crispy or more on the soggy side? Any help you could provide would be helpful. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog!
http://www.growitathome.wordpress.com
Joelle
Hi growitathome! Glad you stopped by and thanks for the comments! I have never made these pickles before, so I don't know how they'll turn out. I'm hoping crispy and crunchy, but I've yet to eat a homemade pickle that is. Come again!
DeleteI have been canning today too! Not as much as you though. Wow, I bet you are tired, but its a good tired, isn't it? I did 3 pints of fig preserves, 4 pints of concord grape jam, and 15 pints of ro-tel tomatoes. Tomorrow will be salsa day and I'm sure Saturday will be too. Our lima beans are ready to pick and by that time more tomatoes will probably be ready. Its busy, but a good busy.
ReplyDeleteSo glad your dad is doing better!
Hi MamaHen! Thanks for stopping by! Wow! You've been busy too! I've never made ro-tel before! I would like to have that recipe if it's on your blog. I love lima beans! We didn't plant any for lack of space and I'm the only one who eats them!
DeleteMe too!
You are doing a great job canning and stocking your pantry!!!!! Lucky family! Nancy
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDrool, drool..... is that fig jam from your fig tree?! One year, when I lived at a place with a very old, HUGE fig tree, it was the summer of fig jam recipe tryouts. Went through about ten different recipes until I stumbled upon one with a vanilla flavor too. Oh, it was the best of the fig jams that summer. sigh My new little fig tree's all-of-2-figs dried up in this heat even though we've been trying to water it every day. The tree itself looks good though, so hopes are high for next year.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe how much canning and preserving you get done! It all looks so delicious! This year has been a 'pickle' year for us and I'm on my 5th or 6th recipe to taste all the differences. My cucumbers aren't coming in well now though. For some reason they are 'blowing up'.... kind of like a water balloon... faster than just ripening normal for harvest, and that makes them full of too much water and seeds and that means not good for pickling. The chickens are lovin' that though, as they get all our inedible or unusable produce.
It is so good to hear your Dad is doing so well! Very good news! Have a good weekend!
PS Hope you are eating fried okra this weekend!! We also like ours whole, tossed with a little olive oil and grilled on the grill.... it is delicious!
Hi Lisa! Yes, those are from my fig tree! It has produced so much better this year. Try putting manure on it and water it in well. I did that in the spring.
DeleteYes, I'm glad he's doing good, too! I finally have enough okra to fry but it may be only a taste to go around. Never had it on the grill!
The only thing I canned recently were the pineapple zucchini. Yours all look great. I wish I could get enough figs off of my trees to make fig jam.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky! Maybe your tree will make lots of figs next year! Try putting manure around it and water it in well. I did that in the spring; don't know if that made a difference or not, but it sure has produced a lot of figs! That pineapple zucchini sounds interesting. Hope it turned out good!
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