I Think I’m Back {again}… lol.. & a Canning Recap!

I’ve been a crazy busy girl around here the past couple of weeks.  Stacey Flores came to visit for a week  had sooo mcuh fun! (I have some fun pics and maybe a video or two to share, too.)  I worked like crazy last week and had a lot of other things going on, too.

Basically my sporadic posting on this blog boils down to one thing, my health.  For the last couple of years I have had really bad health. It finally came down to severe iron deficiency anemia (which went undiagnosed for a long, long time) and some issues with my heart that were due to the IDA.   It has been a rough, rough road and I had to wear my “game face” way too long.   HOWEVER, comma, but, my health seems to be finally getting better and I am feeling the excitement and finally have the ENERGY to do the things I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. Without getting into too many details, today marks 4 months since I had a minor procedure that basically prevented further major surgery and pretty much “saved my life”.   I just feel like doing all the projects around the house and in my home that I haven’t been able to do for the past couple of years.   I have just felt this zest for life and doing things over the past several months and have not wanted to spend as much time on the computer.  I HAVE been crafting here and there and making jewelry but have not cared about photographing it and sitting at the computer long enough to blog about it because I’ve been too busy DOing things. LOL! Anyway… for those of you who hang with me on Facebook you have seen me posting about the goings on. Facebook seems to be so much easier lately because I can have the laptop on in the kitchen or front room and stop and post tidbits as I walk past the computer throughout the day.

This year we’ve been focusing a lot in our home on getting our food storage/emergency together and have canned and bottled foods like crazy people over this summer.  I’ve been doing some major couponing and getting LOADS of stuff we use for free. (I ONLY use coupons on items we actually use.)   We have also been so blessed with being gifted a lot of free fresh goodies (cucumbers, grapes and apples) and found some incredible sales on meats and other goodies. These are goodies we will eat throughout the next year and a half and then start all over!  I am EXTREMELY grateful that my husband will do this with me.  At first I think he did it just to

Here’s a list of what’s been keeping me/us busy:

59  Quarts of Apple Pie Filling (many for gifts)
17   Quarts of Applesauce
7     Quarts of Apple Slices in light syrup
6     Pints of Apple Butter
13   Quarts Peaches (Red Haven Peaches)
44   Quarts of Tomatoes (crushed)
20   Quarts of Dill Pickles (1/2 were gross, so they got tossed 8 wks later)
9      Pints of Chili Sauce (like a tomato relish, B’s Great Grandma’s recipe)
11    Half Pints of Roasted Red Pepper Spread
7      Half Pints of Ketchup
11    Half Pints of Dill Pickle Relish
14    Quarts of Concord Grape Juice Concentrate
11    Small Jelly Jars (1/2 of a half pint) of Grape Jelly
13    Quarts Chicken Noodle Soup (minus noodles)
20    Pints of Chicken (in chunks)
6      Quarts of Chicken Broth
19    Pints of Beef (in chunks)
6      Pints of Beef Stock
8      Pints of Cranberry Apple Preserves (with orange pieces, too)
6       Half Pints of Cranberry Apple Relish (w/pecans and brown sugar)

And currently simmering in a big pot on my stove:
Cranberry Apple Butter (1 big batch) to go in half pint jars

I think that’s everything.

I think we’re done canning.

Except for some more apple butter…

But I think we’re done canning.

I hope.

 

Here are a few snapshots of our 2010 adventures…. You can click to browse through the album (it will open in a new page) or or you can glance over the small thumbnails below. :)

 

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