snapshotmiki

You don't need to peel the tomatoes before freezing. Just wash and put in gallon bags and throw in the freezer. The peels will slip right off when they thaw. Freezing makes the water in the tomato swell up and does the same thing as scalding them. Thanks Scrubbielady! I'll try that with whatever I do next--have some in the windowsill now.

I'm so sorry to hear about Abbey. I hope you are doing better. I sure know the pain doesn't just go away but time does help.

Hi Ann! Some of my watermelons got blossom rot. Is that from not enough water? Seems I read that. Good morning! Sunday was tomato day! Did 19 pints of stewed tomatoes with jalapenos and 8 quarts and a pint of plain tomatoes. It wasn't even messy since I had been scalding, quartering, peeling and bagging them in gallon bags as I went. Had 35 pounds of tomatoes which would only have made 7 quarts of sauce. Guess I'll buy sauce. DH loves the spicy stewed tomatoes! I was nervous about using the pressure canner since I haven't had anything to pressure can in 2 years but it went well. Did 2 batches in pressure canner and had the water bath going for the plain tomatoes too. We now have wild blue/ Exede satellite internet and it works great here! It's been such a fight with the mi-fi and broadband card for the past year. I've hated even getting on the computer til now. I know that like the tv, it can go down in bad weather but the mifi didn't work at all half the time in good weather. The garden is about played out now. This weekend I will pick some green tomatoes for mincemeat and maybe marmalade. Still a few watermelons and getting a few cucumbers still. We are supposed to be getting a gas grill soon (finally). I am looking forward to that as we haven't had a grill since we sold the house in FL over 10 years ago. I finally bought a new and large cast iron skillet. I have plans to get a griddle next and then a dutch oven. I missed the cast iron and now have the room for it. Got a new little girl from rescue! Her name is Peanut Butter! Pea for short. Don't know what she is except small, maybe 2 pounds. She is a little darling! Certainly does not replace Buddy but she love to be held and entertains the other two! She is not afraid of either of them! Will post a photo when I take some. Better get ready for work which is still a hoot! I love it!!! I work 3 days this week. So that's all from the small farm today!

I hope you have more taters than we did, Philbe! I have 4 frozen gallon bags of tomatoes, scalded, peeled and quartered. Made cucumber relish the other day, dill pickles today and will be making bread and butters on Thursday. No cucumbers next year. Also should be pickling some jalapenos Thursday. I made Candy Apple jelly a few days ago. So nice to do some canning, it relaxes me and the food processor makes it so simple for the relishes.

Thanks Ambergris! I got it!

Have 4 bags of tomatoes frozen and a fifth started. Had to put them in BIL's freezer. Made dill pickles today, Thursday I made bacon brittle. A little strange but ok. DH loved it.

Thanks for the good wishes! I think this is the 2nd time I have tried for chickens. Not giving up! We decided to wait to celebrate the anniversary as DH has had serious back pain for the last two weeks and is finding it hard to be happy right now. He went to the chiropractor again today. Too bad he has to help work a herd of cows tomorrow. I don't think he will be doing the jumping up on the fences and running that he usually does. A friend, actually my new boss, stopped and gave me another 10 ears of corn yesterday so I froze them this morning. Also scalded, peeled and quartered my first tomatoes today. Froze them too until I have enough to make and can spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. Canned another 8 pints of Dilly beans. Last night we found 8 little watermelons! They hide well. Time to go water the garden so see you all later.

Our 23rd anniversary is officially the Chicken anniversary to me! Don't have them yet but saving towards them. This time last year we were just out of the travel trailer and into the mobile No garden planted yet As of today I have more than enough tomatoes, bell peppers, cukes and jalapenos to can. Our house is a home now and if not for the loss of our Buddy, life would be about perfect. But it sure moves on, doesn't it? l no longer am at the dairy but at a mom and pop grocery maybe two days a week and finally have time to do projects at home. Today I am making ice cream and corn bread, then running to town for anniversary Chinese food I love having more time! That is it for now but updates (and chickens) shall hopefully soon follow!

Hi Annarchy! What I don't miss are shades of brown and beige! I love all the green here. And when the honeysuckle and jasmine are in bloom, it just smells like summer! We did not get near as many potatoes as we thought we would, maybe 5-8 pounds is it. Glad there are so many tomatoes! My watermelon plants are trying to push out the habaneros so we will see if there are more or not.

Our small garden is doing amazingly well! 18 tomatoes and each plant has so many fruits on it that they are falling over after being restaked with bigger stakes! So many jalapenos, bell peppers, banana peppers and pickling cukes! Have been picking snap beans for a couple of weeks. Going to harvest potatoes and have no idea what we will find. They are in big lick tubs. I have watermelon blooms but no fruit yet. The only thing not doing well yet is habaneros. We have one little one so far. We have only 3 squash plants and they are doing well also.

That's great !!!!!

Momo, do you still use the baking soda/ water paste? DH and I used it for about a year and a half and then my hair started falling out at a big rate. First thing I did was go to a doctor to make sure my thyroid level was good. Then I researched some and found out that was a common side effect after a long period of use. Anyone else used this for a long time with good results?

Thanks Mt. Rider! Just got it!

Thanks you all! We planted flowers on his grave Sunday. I told God again that I wished He hadn't taken Bud from us and I heard "What if I hadn't given him to you to start with". Might have been easier but we would have missed out on so much!

Thank you all for your sympathy and comments! Buddy had a great life once we found him! He had no seizures for the last 9 months, great health and a big back yard to run and play in! I'm so sad he's gone but glad it was fast and not dragged out for months. You are all appreciated!

We lost our sweet Buddy today. He had not had a seizure in 9 months. Yesterday we saw county workers spraying for mosquitos and DH closed up the house right away but we think it got in the backyard also. He was in seizure this morning for an hour and a half. The medicine did not help but he had been off it for 8 months. He was still seizing when we got to the vets and he agreed that it was best to let him go. He said he might be able to stop it but for how long? Buddy was a schnauzer with the heart and personality of a Golden retriever. The sweetest boy we have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was pure love! We brought him home and buried him in the back yard but he will be in our hearts forever! Goodbye my little love!

Baked a pork roast, shredded potato casserole and tomato aspic. Left the diced veggies in instead of straining and discarding like the recipe says.

Happy Birthday to both of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praying for you!

I went into town to pay a bill and visit with a friend who is just out of the hospital. Picked up a few groceries and high tailed it back home. Housework one so just playing on the computer and watching a few recorded shows with dh. Not epic but wonderful!

Oh man! Sorry I missed it!!!!!! I hope you had a wonderful day surrounded by lots of children!!!!!!!LOL

You all ever watch "Betty White's - Off their rockers"? It's great!

Just keep her snuggled up close! They give us so much!

Hope you both have had a good and "quiet" day!!!! I'm so thankful it wasn't broken! Something happening like that can both make one very grateful for what they have and remind us that life can change in a second! A very Happy Anniversary to you both!!!!

Happy Belate Birthday Kappy!!!!!!!!