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Saturday, September 17, 2016

LESSONS FROM A THREE YEAR OLD

Hello dear friends!  This will be an abbreviated post, as I'm squeezing it in between my granddaughter's naps.  Babysitting the grandchildren and two grandpuppies this week while their mom and dad are celebrating their tenth anniversary.  First, I'd  like to thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement.   I think it was F. Scott Fitzgerald that said that life begins anew in the Fall, and I always felt that way.  The beauty of the season always fills me with hope.

  This week we've spent many hours at the park and beach, making up bedtime stories, playing pretend and chasing a toddler.  We sing Old MacDonalds very loudly in the car and tell knock-knock jokes.  Felix, who's three, makes up jokes.  When I queried him where does he "get" them from, he said that they are just in his body and come out his mouth.  Isn't that a wonderful way to be?  It seems the older we get the more we over analyze and riddle ourselves with self-doubt, when all all the time what we really need is just in our body. Call it discernment, spidey-sense, gut instinct, or whatever, I believe that we all truly know what we need in our heart.

Lately my spirit is telling me that I need to stock up.  For the longest time it wasn't, in spite of doom and gloom the news was relaying .  Long ago, I stopped listening to financial news, it seemed we were always on the verge of collapse.  I discovered that is just the nature of news, they profit in making people fearful and worried.  The news is equally as horrid, always traumatizing it's viewers.  How many times do you need to see rioting or war scenes?   Can't do a thing about them anyhow.   Scare tactics keep people tuned in, though, and more viewers mean more money for the networks.  I often wonder what life was like before TV, when people just got their news via the newspapers.  It's quite a different thing to read about events then to watch the events over and over again all day long.  They don't call shows "programs" for nothing. That is why I always advice my fretful friends to turn off the TV.  Go outside and talk to your neighbors.  Spend time reading a good book.  Watch an old movie.  You'll soon find your outlook on life changing.  Truly, in spite of all the wars and rumors of wars, the world is really a wonderful place it you care to seek it.

So this week I canned.  I thought I was finished and was glad to pull up the plants, in spite of the fact, I could get more produce from them.  But then that little small voice starting prompting me to put up more.   We still had lots of peppers (it was a whiz-bang year for peppers) and tomatoes so I canned 15 jars of chili.   I couldn't find anyone else to give the extra peaches to, so I made up a batch of maple-vanilla peach jam.  The recipe I had  was outrageously expensive with a quart of maple syrup and a vanilla bean,  but it sounded delicious.  So I just made regular peach jam and stirred in a teaspoon of maple and vanilla extract.  Turned out wonderfully.   Then a local store had their annual sale of  sirloin roasts at $2.99/lb, if you bought a large one weighing over ten pounds.   I couldn't pass that up.  This is one of my favorite things to can.  I cut the meat into strips and season them with salt and pepper, brown them with a minimum amount of olive oil, deglazing the pan as I brown each batch.  Pour the meat and the juices into a stockpot and simmer while  preparing the jars.  Then pack the meat and juice into pint jars, about a pound of meat per jar and process at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes. This makes the moistest, tenderest meat you could ever imagine.  Great for stews, potpies, soups and heated with some sour cream and made into a stroganoff.

We also dried peppers and tomatoes. Our dried peppers and tomatoes taste better than the fresh ones in the produce aisle in the winter.   We just pour boiling water over them in a bowl and let them set until they soften up.  These are used in soups, casseroles, and pizzas.  We also grind the tomatoes to make our own tomato bouillon.  I used to buy the Knorr's brand, it adds so much richness to chicken and beef soups.  Also, we grow paprika peppers that we dry and grind to make our own paprika.  You can do this with chili peppers to make your own chili powder, too.  We grind ours in an old coffee grinder.

Speaking of drying tomatoes, here's the old-fashioned way to make authentic sun-dried ones:   Cut your tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds.  Place them cut-side down on a large clean board.  Cover with cheesecloth and lean the board someplace sunny outside, slanting the board enough so that the juices flow downward. Must have a hot dry spell of weather for this to work.

THRIFTY THING WE DID THIS WEEK

Dried peppers and tomatoes.

Canned chili, maple-vanilla-peach jam, and sirloin.

Harvested and dried bay leaves.

Harvest, tomatoes, peppers, peaches and pears.

Darned a hole in Ran's favorite shorts.

Mailed in a rebate.

The usuals: hang the laundry to dry outside, wash with our old wringer washer, ate from the pantry, etc.

Well, that's it for this abbreviated post!  Can you believe we are already half-way done with September?   I leave you with this quote by Oscar Wilde, "We're  all down here in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars". Hope you all find something truly magnificent every day!

Hugs
Jane


37 comments:

  1. Aww what special time with the grandchildren! I think you should write down Felix's joked...would make a good book...or at least embarrass him when he is a teenager. :D Happy Anniversary to your son and daughter-in-law.
    Thanks for the tips on stocking up! I have been feeling the nudge too, but my garden is pretty much kaput now. The deer jumped the fence and feasted on what was left of my beans. I will have to see what I can find on sale.
    Love the quote...I need to remember to look up at the stars. Thank you!

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    1. Well Kathy, Felix's jokes go something like this: What do you get when you cross a table and a piece of paper? A paper table!

      Glad to know that I'm not the only one feeling the nudge. There's often a dip in the stock market in October or November so maybe that's it? Anyway, It doesn't hurt to be stocked up. The only insurance that you can eat!

      Those naughty deer. There's so much green this time of year, but they still prefer the garden. They ate all of my squashes. I think they are just spoiled.

      Well we're off to the park! Hope you are having a restful Sunday!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Hope you had fun at the park! I'm sure those grandchildren are fun, but exhausting too.
      ah 3 year old humor...I remember when my son was around 3, he was helping me rake leaves and he said, "leaves falling down, too many to pick upppp." :D

      We had a nice Sunday afternoon. Took a short drive to see a covered bridge and a local pond (puddle). Also tried Korean food for the first time. It was good, but not my favorite cuisine. Do you like kimchee? My son tried squid. :P

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    3. Sounds nice a peaceful, Kathy! Just got back from the second leg of babysitting and to say that I'm tuckered out would be an understatement.

      I have a pretty touchy stomach, so I don't go in for too much pickled things. That's why I make my own sauerkraut, so I can control the sourness. The only squid I've ever eaten is calamari and it sure is tough. Of all the wonderful things on Earth to eat, I'd say squid is pretty low on the totem pole! Hope you are enjoying your week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  2. Yeah! A nice post from Jane for my Sunday relaxation. You are amazing with your canning. I never thought of canning meat. But then I don't have a pressure cooker. I like your drying of the peppers and tomatoes! That is so cute what Felix said! That is the key...we need to be around children more to add joy to our days! Hugs and enjoy your day! Andrea

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    1. Well I tell you one thing Andrea, you certainly get your exercise chasing after a toddler! I think I may be too old for this! Ha!

      Just think, soon you'll have two grandchildren to enjoy too! I guarantee you'll be glad your husband retired. It takes two adults to watch one one-year old!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. Hi Jane! You're right, we should stop being slaves to the news outlets. It's a waste of time. and I don't believe anything the liberal ones put out anyway and only 1/4 of what the conservatives have to say.

    Our gardens stunk this year, but a little at a time, I am buying all we can afford to stock the shelves with. We just never know...

    I think it's so sweet that you have your grands for the week. Cute, but exhausting as I well know. I'll remember you in my prayers. ;)
    Hope you and the kiddies have a grand week!
    Toni

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    1. Good evening Toni! 1/4, you say? Must be feeling very generous. Ha!

      It never hurts to stock up. If nothing else, it saves time to have the pantry well-stocked. I hear that we are going to get a lot of snow and I hate driving on ice, so maybe that's the prompting I'm getting.

      My babysitting stint ended today. Now I'm resting up. There's a reason old people can't have children. Ha! Hope you are enjoying your evening!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. We babysit our grandchildren and they are so much fun. We love it too! We are kept busy and never ever regret it. I love all your canning! Doing a great job.

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    1. Hi Vickie! I seem to recall that you have your grandchildren quite a bit. Well, you're a better woman than I am, Vickie! After five days, I was glad to hand them back to their parents. They are wonderful children and not much trouble, but I've discovered that the constant prattle is a bit hard on me. Do you think we are ever going to get any Fall weather?

      HUgs
      Jane

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  5. If I lived close to you I'd come help you can so I could learn, it sounds so smart.

    I agree September is flying by!

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    1. And I'd be glad to show you Rhonda! It's fun. Except for the times when everything ripens at once.

      I know! September just whizzed by! At my age I'm all too aware of tempus fugit. Hope you are enjoying a nice leisurely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  6. Chasing after little ones is a full time job....no way I could do that AND CAN! ha ha LOL But you know what?--my Grandmas and great Grandmas did. They had to---that was the way of life back then. And people had such large families to take care of as well. Life is much easier these days. But simpler and safer back then. Isn't spending time with the grandkids so wonderful? Enjoy!

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    1. Hello Debbie! I just read your wonderful post on being a grandparent. What a precious little granddaughter you have!

      I canned in two steps. One day I cut up the meat and the second day I got up early and canned it before the babies awoke. I used to can this way when my children were small. If there's a will, there's a way! Are things cooling off down your way, yet?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. Hi Jane! Add grandchildren (a wonderful diversion) and you had a busy week! My garden keeps producing past what I thought it would as well. I keep having to figure out more ways than usual to can tomatoes this year. A big success was peach salsa so I will have to add it to my list for next year as well. After trying some that was purchased and liked it at a family member's home I just added some fresh diced peaches and brown sugar to my regular salsa recipe I use every year and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to using it with chicken. I think it would be great that way.

    As for stocking up I always seem to get that feeling this time of year. For me I think just the old fashioned "stocking up for winter" like our grandparents and a pantry full of full canning jars makes me feel more of a sense of accomplishment than my paid employment. With that in addition to a pantry of other supplies I have always tried to keep up I am trying my best not to let any election, financial news or world events affect how I feel. I really learned something during the depths of the recession by watching those I know or heard about as well as my own situation that helped any fear. Those who did well, were able to maintain their life and then bounced back the quickest were the resilient ones who just forged on and used their creativity to make the best use of their resources and did whatever they could to improve their situation. (I imagine it was the same during the depression.) I know of someone who ended up in a pretty dire situation that fared far better than someone else I know who only had to give up some luxuries (and couldn't do it). No matter what would happen I think you are clearly part of the resilient and creative group. You already do many (many!) things and have wonderful skills that are well beyond the level of many others and you're also much more prepared than most. For myself I'm trying to believe that if things did "turn for the worse" I'd worry then (probably a lot), but still be able to manage. I hope you have a great week! -Sharon

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    1. That's funny Sharon, I thought of canning peach salsa also. I froze the peaches and will deal with them later. How much brown sugar did you use?

      Oh yes! I remember the great recessions of the 70s and 80s when the wages were frozen but the cost of living was sky rocketing. Funny it didn't seem to bother us any. It just was what it was. I truly believe as you, that the right mindset, plus some skills and creativity will see you through anything. Thanks for giving me an idea for a blog post!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. The sugar decision was the hard one. The store bought version I tried obviously had a certain amount, but I didn't want to make it too sweet. I guess I should have used an actual recipe for the salsa to save all the mental gymnastics over what to use but that would have been too easy I guess (haha). I ended up adding about a cup for a large batch (I think I ended up with 22 pints) and for me that was about right but I'm sure it's all a matter of taste. My other issue was to try to cut up the peaches small enough but not too small they would disappear.

      You are right about past recessions (and I do remember seeing the famous signs in the city here financed by Boeing employees/unions in the worst part of the 70's in this area that said "Will the Last Person Leaving Seattle Please Turn Out the Lights". It seems like a long time ago now!)

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    3. Thanks for the info, Sharon. I guess the safest bet is to just add a little bit at a time and do lots of taste tests.

      The late 70s were the first time I ever saw homeless people with signs saying they'd work for food. Growing up, our tiny community pulled together to help those without a job or there was always the county poor farm. I remember buying apples from one man that gleaned apples from abandoned orchards and would go around the neighborhoods selling them out of the back of his truck. Everyone bought a bushel, even if they didn't really want any apples. People seemed to be kinder back then.

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  8. Interesting you've felt the need to stock up... I've had that bug, too... The almanac states this will be a cold year with lots of snow. Thus, I am piling up food like a crazy woman; Mister needs to get on the wood pile, but it is hard to think about it when the temperatures are in the 90s.... This week, it shall be done!

    Babies are for the fleet of foot, strong of back, and stout of heart... I'm none of those... Ha!

    Have a marvelous week!

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    1. We're supposed to have a cold winter too, Matty. It is hard to believe. Here we are almost finished with September and we're still sleeping with the windows open. Ran and I were just having this conversation today. Maybe we won't have to use the woodstove until December and won't need so much wood. None the less, the chimney sweep comes tomorrow.

      Me either! I thought I was in pretty good shape until I chased Violet around for five days. She's in the monkey stage. ANd completely fearless. Oy!

      Hope you are having an easy week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  9. So true... The world is really a wonderful place. We just need to spend our time enjoying it ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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    1. Yes, and stop fretting about what "might" happen. As I always tell my husband, what will be. will be, no use worrying about it!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. I am canning small potatoes today. I've never done this before but it's pretty easy and my crop was not that great. Not many big spuds. Not happy. I need to change type of potato maybe. Also needed to mow this afternoon. I am ready for that chore to wind down too :) What will I do all winter :) Had a busy weekend with grandchild over night and also went to a big Applejack festival where this grandchild was in the marching band. They won 1st place. Very impressive band and the middle school band won too. Says a lot for the music program at the school. He's a freshman this year and a trumpet player. The middle school lets them start band in 5th grade so they get lots of training. Nannie

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    1. I always can the little ones that don't store well, Nannie. Just discovered that they make the best roasted potatoes. They're great in hashes and potpies, no parboiling. Pain in the you-know-what to prep for canning though aren't they? All that scrubbing, peeling and cutting up. We grow German Butterballs. Not the largest potatoes, but they sure are tasty! I had good luck with Red Pontiacs this year.

      That's wonderful about the grandchildren! Sounds like they are in a great school system.

      I'm tired of the gardening and canning too. The thing is, I have so much canned and prepped to make meals easy, that come winter I'll have too much time on my hands. I better lay in some more skeins of yarn. Ha!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. I'm inspired to write the thrifty things I've done this week:
    Started working 3 jobs.
    Baked my own bread.
    Made granola bars from scratch.
    Let down the hem on a skirt that shrunk a bit.
    Mailed in a rebate.
    Bought the fixings to make my own breakfast sandwiches instead of spending $4 a day on store bought ones.
    That's all I can think of at the moment! As usual you inspire me Jane!
    Cheers,
    Dana

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    1. How do find the time to bake your own bread and work three jobs, Dana? Thanks for commenting on my blog, you must have a hard time finding the time to do so!

      That's a good list. I always forget about 90% of what I did each week. I like reading your list and it reminds me that I need to send in a rebate also. Just reading other's gives me ideas, so maybe next week you'll share again? Please?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  12. Dear Jane,

    Your grandparenting adventures sound so fun! Three-year olds are so funny, aren't they? I hope you are keeping a record of all the jokes. :) I agree that stocking up extra is a great idea this fall. We've just gleaned a lot of apples from an elderly couple who couldn't use them; more canning to do!

    Love,

    Marqueta

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    1. Three year olds have a sense of humor all their own don't they, Marqueta? That's wonderful that the elderly couple shared their apples. I see so many trees with the fruit just falling off, that no one is using, it's such a shame. We only got a handful of apples this year. Too dry. So we'll eat peaches instead. I'm sure that's a metaphor for life in there somewhere. Enjoy your apples!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. Hi Jane...yes I am quitting AGAIN! sorry I am so fickle! My husband says I act like a true addict. Hugs,Andrea

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    1. I'm sorry to read this Andrea. I was looking forward to reading posts about your new home and how retirement is suiting you. I hope you'll stop in here when you can and let me know how things are going.

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Thanks Jane, I will. I'm guessing retirement for me won't be much change unless you count trying to get used to my husband being around. Luckily where we are moving he will have more to do. We used to joke of how we need to each have our own home because he likes to listen to talk radio all day and I hate listening to anything all day! Hugs,Andrea

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    3. Ha! When Ran retired, people warned me that he'd be underfoot all day, but in truth I hardly see him. He's always outside working in the garden or in his workshop. He has his own man cave where that is "soundproofed" where he goes to practice his guitar. As a matter of fact, I usually have to hunt him down if I want to talk to him.

      Hope I hear from you from time to time!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    4. hi! I think that will be the case here for a few years...as my husband already has new flooring planned for the entire house. (It is carpeted right now). I heard on a religious program once, when a lady complained her retired husband was always following her around the house and driving her crazy...to just say to the husband, let's kneel down and pray and the husband would likely all of a sudden find something else to do..ha... But in my case my husband would probably be fine with praying as he prays more than I do! Hugs,Andrea

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    5. Ha! That's funny! Ran and I were going to do Bible studies together but he always finds something that needs doing shortly after we start. Just as well, he's not the only one with a short attention span these days.

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  14. Hi Jane, your Felix sounds like one very smart little guy! :D You have been very busy with all your preserving. I have never canned meat before but plan to try that this year if we are given lots of venison and elk from my son Chris' hunting trips. Thank you so much for the instructions on how you do it. :)

    Be blessed!
    Debbie

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  15. Canning venison and elk is a good idea, Debbie, it tenderizes it. If you have any questions about hw to g about doing it, just shoot me a question, I'd be glad to help. Lucky you getting so much wild game. No worries about what's in it, like antibiotics and growth hormones. If I had my druthers, I'd only eat meat that was hunted or that I raised my own. Did you enjoy your trip?

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. I'm with you on the wild game...so much healthier for us all! And thank you for your offer to help me if I need it on the canning. That is very sweet and kind of you. :) And yes, we did enjoy our trip and wish we could go back there again soon. I think I could enjoy it even more now after my Ah Ha moment that you just commented on. :)

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