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    Default Busy hands are happy hands.

    Over the last several weeks I've taken up canning as a hobby, so to speak. But it can be an expensive endeavor. However, once the supplies are bought and the action in the kitchen takes place, my mind and hands are in a much better mood. They move in positive directions, fulfulling the goal of filling the jars. The family, as picky as they can be, are in love with the lucious foods I am canning. I've not only managed to can a stewed tomato mix of celery, onions and garlic, but moved into the realm of exstacy when I see the gorgeous colors and experience the scents of various foods. Pickled watermelon rines, bread and butter pickles, a broccoli/caulif mix, caulifl and onions, wax and green bean mix, gr. beans alone, asparagus, kiwi jam, strawberry jam, strawberry/rhubarb jam, plum jam, pickled beets, salsa, and more. I have a bit more to can and then moving into another scent, that of which is baking fresh bread. The thought of that reminds me of when my mom used to bake it and the neighbor kids would come and want some. The scent of it emmanating from the oven floating around the house, is one way of experiencing Heaven. Amd then there's the homemade chilli I make that I'm wanting to can as well.

    A happy mind, busy hands and movin' bones are things that make for a busy, funfilled day. Better to use them, than to let them sit growing stale, stagnant and stiff.
    "Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground." Crosby, Stills and Nash......

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    Quote Originally Posted by Binky View Post
    Over the last several weeks I've taken up canning as a hobby, so to speak. But it can be an expensive endeavor. However, once the supplies are bought and the action in the kitchen takes place, my mind and hands are in a much better mood. They move in positive directions, fulfulling the goal of filling the jars. The family, as picky as they can be, are in love with the lucious foods I am canning. I've not only managed to can a stewed tomato mix of celery, onions and garlic, but moved into the realm of exstacy when I see the gorgeous colors and experience the scents of various foods. Pickled watermelon rines, bread and butter pickles, a broccoli/caulif mix, caulifl and onions, wax and green bean mix, gr. beans alone, asparagus, kiwi jam, strawberry jam, strawberry/rhubarb jam, plum jam, pickled beets, salsa, and more. I have a bit more to can and then moving into another scent, that of which is baking fresh bread. The thought of that reminds me of when my mom used to bake it and the neighbor kids would come and want some. The scent of it emmanating from the oven floating around the house, is one way of experiencing Heaven. Amd then there's the homemade chilli I make that I'm wanting to can as well.

    A happy mind, busy hands and movin' bones are things that make for a busy, funfilled day. Better to use them, than to let them sit growing stale, stagnant and stiff.
    That brings back MEMORIES TO ME OF ALL THE CANNING MY GRANDMOTHER DID . I remember going to her house and enjoying the many things she had canned. All were great except the beets, I hated them.
    Her canned fruits were to die for. My mother could never match my grandmother at canning or at cooking and my mom was a truly great cook herself. She had to be , she cooked for 13 people, 11 kids , she and my dad! -Tyr
    18 U.S. Code § 2381-Treason Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

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    We were just talking this evening about pressure cookers and how our moms and grandmothers used them everyday. It seems like my grandmother never left the kitchen .... I don't remember her being anywhere but in the kitchen or church.
    If the freedom of speech is taken away
    then dumb and silent we may be led,
    like sheep to the slaughter.


    George Washington (1732-1799) First President of the USA.

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    Guess it depends on how your hands are kept busy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tyr-Ziu Saxnot View Post
    That brings back MEMORIES TO ME OF ALL THE CANNING MY GRANDMOTHER DID . I remember going to her house and enjoying the many things she had canned. All were great except the beets, I hated them.
    Her canned fruits were to die for. My mother could never match my grandmother at canning or at cooking and my mom was a truly great cook herself. She had to be , she cooked for 13 people, 11 kids , she and my dad! -Tyr
    First of all, let me say I love your avatar and the phrase, "Execute all the traitors," that you have. We could begin with Jane Fonda, but then, that's another thread. LOLOLOLOL!

    My mom didn't do a lot of canning, but some. She liked to baked or was always busy cleaning when she wasn't playing the organ or piano. Anyway, I'm not into beets either, and only canned them as my hubby wanted some, and I have another two smalls bags waiting to be canned as well. I figure the least I can do is can him some damn beets. LOLOLOL! Surprising, it wasn't bad or difficult to do. Once I'd cooked them for awhile, I blanched them in cold water to cool 'em down and then slid my thumbs around them to remove the peel and root. Simple enough. Not too messy and an easy cleanup, providing the red color didn't splatter onto my clothes or whatever as they'd stain. I learned quickly, when rinsing the cooked beets, to keep 'em low and the water pressure down so they didn't splatter here and yon.
    Last edited by Binky; 10-08-2012 at 10:32 AM.
    "Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground." Crosby, Stills and Nash......

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    Quote Originally Posted by gabosaurus View Post
    Guess it depends on how your hands are kept busy.

    I suppose. But when thinking about it, I would venture a guess that the hands of a serial killer are busy and keeping him happy as well. So it all depends on what makes ya happy. LOLOLOLOL! I prefer canning.
    "Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground." Crosby, Stills and Nash......

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    Quote Originally Posted by SassyLady View Post
    We were just talking this evening about pressure cookers and how our moms and grandmothers used them everyday. It seems like my grandmother never left the kitchen .... I don't remember her being anywhere but in the kitchen or church.
    My mom had one of those as well. I hated using it. When I bought my canning supplies, I opted out on getting a pressure cooker and decided on a very huge canning pot with a jar rack inside instead. I like the idea of it not blowing up in my face as opposed to taking the chance a pressure cooker could. Nope, never liked 'em. Never will. What worked for some, could be looked at as a health hazzard by others. I'm one of the others.
    "Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground." Crosby, Stills and Nash......

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    My grandmother canned but Mom didn't; she bought cans of food.

    Back BK (before kids) and I had a huge garden with 40 tomatoes plants we canned, stored and froze all our own vegetables to make it through the winter. When we moved WK (with kids) I sold all the old Ball jars at garage sales. I still have the canner though, and plan to take up the hobby again if I can ever get my garden here growing to the point where we have more than we can eat during the growing months.

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    Quote Originally Posted by glockmail View Post
    My grandmother canned but Mom didn't; she bought cans of food.

    Back BK (before kids) and I had a huge garden with 40 tomatoes plants we canned, stored and froze all our own vegetables to make it through the winter. When we moved WK (with kids) I sold all the old Ball jars at garage sales. I still have the canner though, and plan to take up the hobby again if I can ever get my garden here growing to the point where we have more than we can eat during the growing months.
    I wish I could grow a garden, but alas, I seem to kill everything as it all dies off. So I get all of our veggies and fruits at our local farmers market. Everything, that is, except the tomatoes. Those come from a friend of ours who works with a guy that has 200-300 tomato plants and which have grown a huge amount of them. They're given to us by the boxfulls. I went thru three big boxes and decided to donate the other three boxes to people around town. So those we get for free for as many as I want. Next spring we'll be heading to another town about an hour from here to check out their farmers market. I'm hooked and we just want to see what we can find that is reasonably priced. There's been several people in our area that also sell their produce or whatever at one of our local businesses. I only stopped once when they were having a bake sale. Didn't bother with the veggies as we'd already had a load bought from the farmers market.
    "Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground." Crosby, Stills and Nash......

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    ^Roasted tomato basil soup, yum.
    Last edited by fj1200; 10-08-2012 at 04:56 PM.
    "when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
    "You know the difference between libs and right-wingers? Libs STFU when evidence refutes their false beliefs." - Another friend
    “Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” - Paulo Coelho


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    Quote Originally Posted by Binky View Post
    I suppose. But when thinking about it, I would venture a guess that the hands of a serial killer are busy and keeping him happy as well. So it all depends on what makes ya happy. LOLOLOLOL! I prefer canning.
    I'm thinking Dexter...


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    Quote Originally Posted by Binky View Post
    I wish I could grow a garden, but alas, I seem to kill everything as it all dies off. So I get all of our veggies and fruits at our local farmers market. Everything, that is, except the tomatoes. Those come from a friend of ours who works with a guy that has 200-300 tomato plants and which have grown a huge amount of them. They're given to us by the boxfulls. I went thru three big boxes and decided to donate the other three boxes to people around town. So those we get for free for as many as I want. Next spring we'll be heading to another town about an hour from here to check out their farmers market. I'm hooked and we just want to see what we can find that is reasonably priced. There's been several people in our area that also sell their produce or whatever at one of our local businesses. I only stopped once when they were having a bake sale. Didn't bother with the veggies as we'd already had a load bought from the farmers market.
    I grew up gardening in the northeast under my grandfather's direction. I could grow anything there. Here is a lot tougher, in spite of the longer growing period. It gets too hot in the summer and the soil is a lot different, too much clay content.

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    Quote Originally Posted by glockmail View Post
    My grandmother canned but Mom didn't; she bought cans of food.

    Back BK (before kids) and I had a huge garden with 40 tomatoes plants we canned, stored and froze all our own vegetables to make it through the winter. When we moved WK (with kids) I sold all the old Ball jars at garage sales. I still have the canner though, and plan to take up the hobby again if I can ever get my garden here growing to the point where we have more than we can eat during the growing months.
    Quote Originally Posted by glockmail View Post
    I grew up gardening in the northeast under my grandfather's direction. I could grow anything there. Here is a lot tougher, in spite of the longer growing period. It gets too hot in the summer and the soil is a lot different, too much clay content.
    Even before your second post I was thinking of what I'm about to say-- now is the time to start your garden. I too have heavy, alkaline soil. Adding organics now is the key to a healthy garden. It takes time for soil to become rich. In fact, top soil is replenished naturally at one inch per century. When you find your garden performing poorly, it will require intervention. If I'm not mistaken, you're in California. California has a Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers/ wet winters. In those areas where there is natural deposition of organics, alluvial fans and such, this is done naturally during storms. In those areas where we find suburban developments, this is not occurring. Therefor, to correct this it becomes necessary to amend the soil. Soils are alive though, and just like you wouldn't eat a huge meal before exercising, neither should you feed your soil right as you plant it out. By adding compost now, mixing it in and allowing it to 'rest' over winter, your plants will thrive come next season. It does this by feeding the microbes which break down otherwise unusable elements and minerals; and likewise gives the good microbes a head start over whatever detrimental bacteria invariably make their way into your garden. Happy planting.
    He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.AeschylusRead more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/qu...zeMUwcpY1Io.99

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    Quote Originally Posted by logroller View Post
    Even before your second post I was thinking of what I'm about to say-- now is the time to start your garden. I too have heavy, alkaline soil. Adding organics now is the key to a healthy garden. It takes time for soil to become rich. In fact, top soil is replenished naturally at one inch per century. When you find your garden performing poorly, it will require intervention. If I'm not mistaken, you're in California. California has a Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers/ wet winters. In those areas where there is natural deposition of organics, alluvial fans and such, this is done naturally during storms. In those areas where we find suburban developments, this is not occurring. Therefor, to correct this it becomes necessary to amend the soil. Soils are alive though, and just like you wouldn't eat a huge meal before exercising, neither should you feed your soil right as you plant it out. By adding compost now, mixing it in and allowing it to 'rest' over winter, your plants will thrive come next season. It does this by feeding the microbes which break down otherwise unusable elements and minerals; and likewise gives the good microbes a head start over whatever detrimental bacteria invariably make their way into your garden. Happy planting.
    I'm in the Piedmont region, NC. It's all "residual" soils here, weathered in place from the bedrock. It tends to be about 40% clay mixed with fine silts. This area has historically been difficult to farm due to the easily erodible soils, and any topsoil was lost centuries ago. Every county in the region has a "Muddy Creek" in it, and the Yadkin River is a dull reddish brown. I am in a newer suburban development on 1/3 acre but the rear of my property wasn't touched with grading, so its better than most of my yard.

    I hear you with the organic material. My grandfather was a master that way. He had a "honey dipper" to empty the septic tank in the fall, hauled leaves from miles away and had a 55 gallon drum with a cover but no bottom for food waste that would dissolve a pine log in a week. We hauled cow manure, horse manure, and one time (only one time) chicken manure.

    My problem up until now was time. And I don't have room to keep an old pick-up truck or even a crap trailer, so everything I bring in is hauled in the back of my SUV.

    I've been gardening in the same 10' x 20' spot now for 15 years back there. I've roto-tilled it double depth every year. Every fall I dump all my leaves in it and invite my neighbors to do the same. I toss in lime, 10-10-10, milorganite and grass clippings as well. I add compost, but my little plastic bin has not been very successful. My huge three-compartment compost bin made out of RR ties in NY was magic; all sorts of stuff would just disappear into it. Along with garden and kitchen waste I composted lobster and clam shells, bark, and one time the stuffing from a huge down couch. Fireflies used to nest in it, and during the winter it used to glow green with their effervescence (no kidding). I recently started using Bokashi yeast to compost kitchen waste in 5 gallon pails and I'm hoping to get a decent strain of it going in the compost bin.

    I do use round-up and weed-b-gone on the lawn but sparingly, and a pre-emergent for crabgrass in the early spring and I hope that hasn't been my problem. I only add clippings to the garden sparingly during the summer (to keep weeds down) and during the fall leaf season.

    Over the years I also have been reducing down the size of my lawn from the outside-in, turning that area first into a pine straw mulch bed, and finally expanded the garden into the area with 2' square areas about 8' on center. In those I spade the soil, make borders with firewood logs, then add in 1/2 cubic foot bags of "garden soil" from Lowes mixed with composted manure. That has worked out well with squash and cucumbers. This year we got a bumper crop of eggplant.

    Two years ago I added drip irrigation to the system and that has helped me a lot.

    This spring we did something different in the main garden that was successful. I had some "volunteer" tomatoes show up, an my wife convinced me to replanted them, hoping we didn't get a weird hybrid. Instead we got disease-resistant tennis ball sized fruits, and we kept some seeds for an heirloom variety.

    Next month I'm sitting my friends dog, Sir Vincent Poopsalot. During that time I'll have access to his late 40's Chevrolet flat bed truck, and I plan on hauling a load of leaf mulch from the City yard and adding that to my garden as well. I know some folks that keep horses and I might get a load from them as well.

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    Illinois is prime farming, DuPage Country especially back in the day (around 1890 and before). When I had 3/4 of acre, my garden was wonderful! Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, corn, beans, etc. I weeded sporadically, but didn't seem much of an issue. While I used commercial fertilizers, we also composted, both yard and home. Coffee ground were good, and thanks to me, plentiful. Indeed, when we realized what the coffee grounds seemed to bring, we got them from family, neighbors and friends too. Threw them in with compost pile.

    I miss having a garden.


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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