Did I say I was finished Canning?

If I recall, I said "I think" ;o)  I just can't help it y'all. I went to Walmart's and what did I see but a 10 bag of 
Russet Potatoes for $2.
Being my mothers child, I couldn't resist the bargain,that's like  a $1. for 5 lbs. so I bought a bag to make me feel good that I didn't miss a bargain. Well after processing them,and letting Cecil give them a taste test (just about a pound). I bought another bag today :o) .As you see I first peeled them and then sliced them up about 1/2 inch thick...laid them on my trays and baked them..didn't take any time at all to cool, then me and Penny ( Jilly won the contest by default :o) managed to get the air out and I learned how to operate Penny a little better. I got about 12 meals, all ready to use any way I like.

I'm really falling in love with "Penny" and glad the company made it easy for me to have the other one exchanged. Idea's are running away with me...I like to put food away, Cecil loves going to the store, I don't. So I can plan meals and not waste. Most folks are on a budget with the economy the way it is...but for some of us, it's a natural thing to SAVE.
My mother used to say she could live on what Cecil and I threw away < those times are long gone. Now I say that to my kids. Wonder will they be saying the same to theirs :o).

Living in a Winter Wonder Land in NORTH CAROLINA!

I never thought I'd see so much snow here in North Carolina, it's quite a surprise. Too bad I'm too old to get out there and have some fun in it :o)...It would just be my luck to break a leg (or my neck) :o)..So I'll enjoy it just looking out the window or watch the TV where some have sent photo's of their snow views and then I snuggle up in my "Chair Bed" more and sip on my "Zero"

 Don't have any special plans for dinner today.. I've got a big container of Collards I can whip into , just have to decide early what kind of meat to unfreeze.. Don't have to worry about anyone but Cecil and I for dinner, and sometimes we go light, cause we can.


UPDATE;  The door bell rang! and to our surprise one of neighbors had shoveled our driveway and cleaned the snow off the car. We didn't hear a thing! Wasn't that a nice thing to do :o) Not only did he shovel the snow he brought back an empty jar for more of my "Chow Chow". I think I got the best end of the treat, and he does too. Today that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :o) Now NC almost feels like home, if there were more "old fashioned" people around like him to make you feel you belonged.

Last bounty for 2010

Thank goodness! This is the last "Canning" for 2010...remember those pretty Red cabbage!, well Cecil covered them up just about evening in hopes they would "head Up".
Well they didn't "head up" and if we wanted to salvage them, I'd better get my butt in gear and go out in the cold and rescue them before the snow, sleet and rain they said was coming and Kill them.  Yesterday I did just that, They were cold and some leaves were "cold frosted" but were worth claiming.. I managed to get six good sized bags with about 1 1/2 lbs each from the total of the Red, Savoy and regular Cabbage. Not too bad for a first year of raising cabbage..Maybe next year will be better ..we now know to plant about the second week in August for fall cabbage to "head up" :o).. I was able to put the packs into one container so I could keep track of them in the freezer...by the way the "New Baby" worked out fine...so far  I haven't gotten many choices of names for "New Baby" to select from...everyone is busy with Christmas preparations..Well, at least I won't be canning . ( I think ;o)
This would be a good time to wish you all a Merry Christmas,  Prosperous New Year and Good Feasting!

Chicken and Potatoes

I'm a day late putting  this meal on the blog from yesterday, What your looking at is Sweet potatoes and white potatoes with onions,thyme and other seasoning and Agave nectar sprinkled all over ...just had to use up more of those potatoes before they started growing eyes :o)  Then I seasoned up a couple  of chicken legs wrapped some bacon strips on them and roasted them at the same time ..
while I prepared 10 more pounds of chicken legs to cook, debone and cut up for chicken salad & the latter I put into my "new baby"packets and promptly put them into the freezer .. which I got 6 packs /8oz each That's steamed cabbage for the veggie.

Then I'm such a smarty pants, I took the stock from the first batch and this second batch and got These 10 quart jars of chicken stock..One is Corn beef Stock I saved for another dish..I'm not counting the first bag of chicken legs, that I cut the backs out in order to make some home made soup or just fry them up for a Saturday snack (or any day snack) :o)I got up this morning tired! but ready to finish up the project so I could sit back on my laurels :o) 

Thanks to Ladydi, the Lid Fits! :o)

If you all will remember me finding this jar without a lid in Goodwill store....Well thanks to Ladydi, It now has one that fits perfectly, looks neat and it matches my  "New Baby" ;o) it seems good things come to those who wait. Thanks Ladydi, that was a sweet thing to do...Plus the lid was wrapped in a beautiful hand made dish cloth, which I will use (when I have company and brag about it :o) Now send a name for "New Baby" :o)  Ginny

Say Hello to my "NEW BABY" :o)

She arrived Yesterday at about 12:30 pm, and I was too busy running errands before the great storm before I could tell you about her. I'm the typical "Grandma" crowding up the kitchen with all my "necessary" stuff I need to make a meal :o).  I didn't think her Black Dress went well with my kitchen colors, but Lo and behold it did and she makes a grand appearance :o)...I lifted her skirts :o) so you could get a good look at her..she is pretty all over ! She will  cut the size bag I need , and then she can vacuum the air out of the bag.:o) and then she will close it with a heated kiss.

I think she will be a great help to me during the "canning" season, and also with saving leftovers...Already she has saved leftover Pastrami for a sandwich. It's nice and airtight  too.She came just in time..I had her grandmother that I threw out about a month ago (after 30 years :o(  she was bad to the core years ago. Also, last night a package of the Cranberry beans burst! I had used one of those vacuum thingies and it wasn't secure enough to last! :o(
Yesterday I did pick up some Chicken Legs on sale, and when I'm rested a bit, I'm going to see how well she will save them for me..I have many idea's, and I'm willing to listen to some of yours...Do you think I should give her a name instead of "New Baby"? Send me your idea's about it.

Homemade Grav Lox with Cream Cheese (and Pickles)

While I'm waiting for my "New Baby" to arrive I'm eating my way through frustration, by the time it gets here with the weather delivery delays, I'll be as big as a house! :o(
I have to say that the Grav lox has taken some frustration out of my bite.:o) ( I'm trying make puns
and doing a poor job of it). Any
way your looking at a good bit that would have been a half package if I'd bought it.
My dill was limp from being frozen by the cold snap. but I used it anyway and it worked out fine. Next year I'll plant more and by then I hope to have some Row Covers to help protect it from bugs and weather.. Making Grav lox is pretty easy, just takes a little patient waiting for it to "cook"..
Place Salmon (Skin side down) in a glass dish , cover with dill
Mix dry ingrediants
1/2  cup kosher salt
1/2  cup sugar
1  tbl  fennel seeds (ground)
2  tbl White or Black Peppercorns (ground)

put dry ingrediants over dill, place other portion of salmon (meat side) on top.
place a plate on top of the whole thing, then place a heavy object (can,or covered brick)
let sit in Fridge for 1-3 days, it will "weep" , spoon that "weep" back over the Salmon.
on the 3rd or 4th day..wipe dry ingrediants off Salmon, slice thin in a slant and enjoy!
I got this recipe from my "barefoot contessa, back to basics" Cookbook

Sweet Potatoes again! :o)

These French cut Sweet potatoes are Half of one potato (already eaten) when I decided to show you another reason my B/S stays up :o(  The picture is a little dark on one part, you can see more of them at the top.
I've been trying preparing Sweet potatoes in more ways a monkey can shell a peanut :o)  ( I thought that was pretty good).
First I peeled them, cut them into French style, and deep fried them in one of my old trusty iron pots, (good way of getting a little iron naturally, good excuse for frying :o)  I  videoed them and really succeeded but decided to use this still pic.

Drained them on a paper towel and sprinkled a little sugar and salt on them while they were hot and we had a little feast.
Don't do a close up! unless you want to make some , they were delicious :o) and I have more raw potatoes too!

Chicken Wings and Stewed Potatoes

Today it's cold and dreary in NC, not a day to roam the streets and feel the cold, and if one did venture out! What a pleasant treat to find a steaming pot of Chicken wings and stewed white potatoes waiting on the stove...and a nice hot slice of Homemade Rye bread with "Homemade Butter" spread on it, and later maybe a little prickly pear Jam spread on it too!  :o).

RYE  Bread Rising

Hope the bread turns out the way I expect..this is the second rise...Have to wait for it to rise and then punch it down again, put it  on a sheet and wait for it to rise again, then into the oven... usually Saturday is the day for beans, but I felt like this "Comfort" food today..Hope everyone is staying warm and toasty,especially  here in NC where the weather is usually not this brutal.
UPDATE:
The Rye bread wasn't too bad in taste etc. I wish I had made a larger loaf, this one went too quickly!, :o(  I'll have to make another real soon. This one just wet the appetite for more :o)

Frustration tolls

Everyone knows when things don't go right and are out of your control, it leaves you with a bitter taste and a bitter tongue!  I won't be able to say what I want to and be considered "pleasant", So I'll keep my mouth shut about it. "My new Baby" got here! Not a second too soon as far as I was concerned, Alas! "My new baby" couldn't and didn't make a sound! she opened her eyes so I knew she was alive, but not functioning like she was supposed too. Talk about being frustrated, that was my first name #$^& < and that was my last name. :o(
After a couple of calls, (that took all morning and part of the afternoon) the problem is initially solved, once "My new baby's replacement arrives within 7-10 days.  I had so looked forward to playing with "My new baby" and had many idea's on how she could be such a good partner to have in my "Homesteading endeavors" I wasn't pleased with the color of her dress, but figured "what the heck" I got a bargain! Have to give up something! If I have to wait a week, why shouldn't you!, I want somebody to be frustrated right along with me :o(.... At least I did have one thing go right today! It was time to take my Grav lox out of it's brine.
 I had a slithering of cream cheese and Rye bread with it and a little onion...WOW! Delicious, I think it's the best one I've made yet!
Stay tuned and I'll let you know when "My new baby" arrives.

Just Checking in

I haven't posted a few days, been busy as a bee doing nothing :o) or trying to do nothing but rest. The weather is cold here and that Snow flurry that turned into a pile is still hanging around. Other than going to the Dr's nothing gets me out of the house..good thing we have delivery from the Internet to the house, we are really getting lazy :o). Sometimes you get a better bargain online, usually I miss them! This time I didn't :o) and I grinning from ear to ear...I was going to show you "My New Baby", but darn if the camera wouldn't take a picture :o(  I tried a few batteries and even the ones that was re-charging,didn't work...ugh! I'm going to get new batteries (not today, I'm in for the night). I hope I don't need a new camera..if so you will have to wait a bit...stay tuned to the Saga.

Two Surpises in One Day

First Snow

Three hours later from Bedroom window

The First surprise came about 10 am, Cecil and I had what we call a "wake up breakfast" Toast and our favorite drinks, his is always coffee. After sitting in our "Chair Beds" and just relaxing to wake up! The door bell rings! ugh! I thought, the first morning I didn't make my bed early and someone is ringing the door bell! Cecil checks it and says, it's some Man!. He opens the door and this man walks into the room, and it's my Son :o)  what a surprise, his siblings knew about it but kept it quiet.  I haven't been out of my apron since, he eats three times as much as Cecil and twice as often :o).

The Second surprise was Snow! it promised to just be a flurry and I decided I'd better go pick some greens before it got bad. I picked all the turnips so I wouldn't lose them and I'm glad I did...they were absolutely delicious < my son remembered we ate the tops in NJ and Cecil was surprised that he hadn't remembered when I told him so. We women are always right :o) I don't have time to spend this afternoon  gabbing on the blog, I've already cooked two pots of Greens

(turnips and mixed) and a pan of cornbread, that's half gone.

Saturday's is usually my "Bean" Day and I won't deviate from it ..I have some nice smoked ham hocks and some "field peas"  I will cook them today, and tomorrow I'll bake that Pork Roast I've been marinating for the last two days.

My Son brought us some treats from NY.. Pastrami sandwiches (enough meat in them for three big sandwich's instead of one) and some NY Knishes and don't forget the pickles  yummy...

A Well Roasted Chicken

When I took this chicken out of the Oven , it was such a beautiful succulent looking Bird. I have been showing you mostly Canning so I thought I'd give you a break :o) and myself too!  I had it with some Candied yams, Cornbread and of course Greens :o) This time it was Mixed Greens..Wonder would I have been able eat it if I raised it :o(
I'm waiting for my Cabbage to "head up" we were late in planting them and the weather has really turned cold. Cecil covers them (tucks them in ) every night to keep the frost off them and uncovers them in the morning. The Red cabbage is still such a beautiful color..I'm thinking they will be delicious little bites. I'm going to be well stocked with selections of greens this year :o)

Still Canning "Collards" this time

Collards

I think we are becoming quite the farmers! This is another crop of Collards that we have grown on our "Almost and Acre" farm :o)..Yes, the Food closet is getting quite full of delicious eats! We are "Homesteading" in a small way, but I will say this "it's the way to go". I know exactly what's in the jars and where it came from. It's said "you are what you eat!" Somebody told me I looked good !, and I want to believe it :o) if only I could knock that sugar count down :o(  That Dr. put me on Insulin injections S*** I fought taking it long enough, one less pill to take so insulin better work. I still have some Rutabaga and Cabbage to put away ( a little at a time). I'm thinking the cabbage can be put away like the collards,(pressure canned) the leaves are similar in texture, any idea's anyone.

Time to make "Chow Chow Relish" + UPDATE

Now that I have so many Greens to Harvest this time of year from a beautiful bounty! What's a girl to do but make some nice Chow Chow to go with them :o)  I'm a little late doing it, since I've had Greens since Spring! I like to say "Better late than never" :o)  Above you can see all the veggies I will be using in the "Chow Chow Relish" I got the recipe from the Ball Book of Canning, and added a few veggies of my own. like those red hot Jalapeno peppers and a few more colorful veggies. It's funny how so many veggies shrink (All those you see are in the container below)  after 4-6 hours when salt is added. Tomorrow I'll do the boiling of spices and jarring it up... 

UPDATE: BELOW

Afer a good night's sleep and pushing the morning's work I end up with 13 jars of Chow Chow Relish!  Don't count the 13the Jar, that's the one left for Cecil to try :o)  We usually like it with Greens, but today it was tried with some hot dogs on a bun < it sure was good :o) and Cecil is happy as can be, I think I should have more than tripled the recipe this batch doesn't look like it will be here for long.

Happy Thanksgiving Wishes,& Recipe curtesy of Mr. H. fellow blogger

Wishing you all a Blessed Thanksgiving Day, above  is a "Carrot Cake" my recipe is from an Old Cook book!  Below is a recipe curtesy from a fellow blogger  Mr. H.

Orange Pecan Sweet Potatoes with cranberries -
Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chunked and cooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped raw cranberries
2 tablespoon Corn Starch
1 cup orange juice
2+ tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Lightly butter a 3 quart baking dish and add sweet potatoes and pecans.
Combine brown sugar and corn starch in a small saucepan. Gradually add orange juice, whisking to blend.
Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.　 Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Pour over sweet potatoes.
Top with cranberries
Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, until edges are browned and bubbly.

November 25, 2010 12:19 PM

              

Clarifing a few making butter steps

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       I've had a few questions asked about the making of butter that perhaps I didn't make it clear enough for some...So here is a few steps that I hope makes it  more clearer .
          A 16 0z container of what?  Heavy Cream
     Step 1,Pour that into the processor? Yes

             Step 2
                         What setting do you use to churn the butter and for exactly how long???  put the processor "ON" so that it is   
                          running steady! As it runs you will see the cream change into something that looks like whipped cream (that's     
                          just what it is) let it continue to run, and in about 4 minutes you will see it change again, it will start to "slouch"  
                         around and separate into a ball (butter) and  liquid (buttermilk). how easy is that
             Step 3. 
                        How much water or whey comes off and then what do I do with that  Maybe a cup or less, Save it and use it to make               biscuits, Now that you have Butter, you will do it again and next time you will know just when to add your spices to    it.....I plan to add my spices next time when it passes the "whipped cream" stage...Hope this explains it better...Ginny (who else?)

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pudding!

 This may be the last of the Sweet Potato Saga :o)
I did these the modern lazy way! Your supposed to "grate" them by hand, but I was too lazy for that motion, so I used that new fangled machine called "Food Processor":o) it came out alright but to be honest the "hand grate" method is better. The potato grated is finer and makes for a better presentation and taste in the mouth. There is a difference. Next time when I'm not all tuckered out maybe I'll sit in my "chair bed" and just grate :o) Even if I didn't hand grate, I don't think I'll have any left overs. I only have a couple of pounds left, maybe I needed a root cellar :o)

Candied Sweet Potatoes to freeze ;o)

Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato ,Sweet Potato and more! These two pans will go into the freezer for another time. I was surprised at how quickly it was done, l peeled, chopped and then seasoned them up. Wrapped them with Tin foil and into the oven at 350* I think that's my favorite cooking temperature for most foods. I'm not finished with Sweet potatoes yet! I still have more that will become Pies and the rest will be eaten slowly. Maybe today I'll have one baked with lamb chops for dinner, and maybe I'll make a small pan of candied for the weekend. I can't complain about sweet potatoes this year.:o)

UPDATE:from 11/18/10 Sweet Potatoes now Canned :o)

Nineteen jars later :o) + one that didn't seal :o( that one will become a pie today, which will make Cecil very happy.
I still have some on the Patio, peeled and in Lemon Water. I will make some Candie Potatoes for the freezer today after I purchase some tins..and purchase more sweet potatoes to have on hand while the sale is on...Also Sweet Potatoes are supposed to be good for Diabetics :o)  (those are  the best excuses I could come up with to buy more.:o)
If you do a close up, you will notice that the jars with the label are the first batch I did , I boiled them and then peeled, jarred,and added hot water> I didn't like they way they had to be handled. They were hot,and became mushy when put into the jar. Although the jar was fully packed after canning,I can only make pies, cakes and another whipped potatoes recipe. So I did the second batch My way I peeled them, cut them up in large pieces (chunks) , jarred them, added the boiling water and pressure cooked  10  lbs pressure for 1 1/2 hours. To me they came out pretty neat..I can make candied yams, sweet potato pies, Cakes or whipped potatoes, whichever I choose. Maybe I'll bake a few the weekend :o) Sounds to me Potatoes are like a Chicken, you cook  them in many ways.

Sweet Potatoe's On Sale

Well Ladies, Sweet potatoes are on sale today and I've been waiting for them. I knew they would drop from $.99 lb. to about $.25 lb. for the Holidays and I'm taking advantage of it. They have been doing that here for a few of years...I have about 10 lbs in the Canner already :o), but I didn't like the way the process went..The book says wash, boil, and then peel, but by that time the potatoes are too hot and mushy to handle..you can't go sticking holes in them every minute..so I'm going with my own method. I've washed the rest of 30 lbs. Peeled them and have them sitting in water with some Lemon juice to help them keep from turning brown. Tomorrow I'll cut them up, jar them, add boiling water, and pressure cook them @ 10 lbs pressure for 1 1/2 hrs. < That will be sufficent to cook them enough. If I'm not too tired I may buy more and make a couple of tins of Candied Yams and freeze them for "Company Time" the others I can use different ways.
By Morning I will have  decided how I'm
going to cut these, I'm not sure if I want to
slice them thick, or dice them thick, Right
now I'm tired and I need to think clearly. I'm just happy that I was able to get them the first day before they were all picked over. I think Cecil did a good job selecting  sizes too, it was easier for me to peel. Lets see what tomorrow brings...


                                                                

Update: on Making Butter

I wasn't too satisfied with the consistancy of the Butter I made yesterday , it was quite soft and still had more liquid than i noticed..
So this morning I "re-Churned" it an extra 4 minutes to make sure I had as much liquid out of it, and to see what would happen and I'm glad I did. Re-Churning took out more liquid and then I was more satisfied with it .
Next time I'll do it longer the first time  < that's an important part of making butter.
I made biscuits for dinner tonight with leftover mashed potatoes, Rutabaga greens and beef and gravy. I don't have to tell you it was good :o) Look how much butter is left now :o(, that was a 16oz container I started with that means I will have to make more. The butter is very tasty and I will add some spices maybe next time..Probably next week.

Let's make some Sweet Homemade Butter

In the olden days ( should say a step up from the floor model churners :o)  this item was done in a large bottle and was called "Butter Churner"  next to it is the Modern "Churner"
Which is a dream today for making your own Sweet Homemade Butter that you can add your own Herbs or Spices to taste.. I chose not to add salt to this batch, which took all of a minute and less than two wow! it surprised me to no end...I was sure I'd have to separate the whey or buttermilk before I got Butter..no such thing with this new finagled Processor my daughter gave me. It went so fast I thought I had blacked out for a minute :o).

All Thing considered this will become a regular routine for me making my own butter. I'd like to add some Herbs and Spices to it..It will be a great experiment to find how each Spice or Herb will affect the taste of butter...Guess I may as well attend to the Laundry now that the Butter is done.Thank goodness at  least the washing machine will do the job..no more hot tubs outside and washboard..in the City of NY as a child we had a bath tub in the Kitchen covered by a Tin Top, the top was removed for Laundry day and bath night.. If you were lucky you found an Apartment that the Tub was in fair shape inside...they were sometimes used to make Homemade Liquors "Moonshine". People in those days did what they had to do to survive, I guess Just like today, only it's done in different ways.Being old has a lot of advantages (sometimes :o)  Some like to hear about the "Olden Days" , I can only go back so far, when I do it brings a smile to my face reminiscing. Heck! I remember when milk came in a glass bottle and there really was cream on the top.

Saturday's Cobbler and Part of Sunday's Dinner :o)

This is Saturday's Pear and Apple Cobbler.
This time I used my head and made it in a larger pan, it was just juicy enough, next time less sugar in the middle, but the Crust is just the way Cecil likes it...Crispy and Sweet< doesn't that sound like a description of me :o)

Here's Cecil showing the size of the Rutabaga and greens while I take the picture
It felt real good to be able to go to the garden and pick a meal for Sunday's dinner.
It was time to pick that Rutabaga and I'm glad I didn't have to  shoot Cecil in the foot, he has had a taste for them for the last two weeks. I've still got a little Country ham to use as seasoning, so we both will be happy campers!

I wanted you to see all the dirt on the bottom and how large this one grew, the leaves in the sink are from it and I snapped a couple more from the others to make a good sized meal. Next year we will
certainly grow more of them. This is the first time we have grown Rutabaga also. I know I don't have to say how proud we are,and blessed, our cup is truly running over.

The Photo on the Right is showing the
Rutabaga cut..the dirt part goes to the compost the rest will be sliced, diced, boiled and I'm hoping to add my own "homemade butter" :o) I'se a Farmer...

I'm still Canning Greens

I'm waiting for the Canner to finish the time limit to take the jars out! I have to say Cecil and I have been well blessed with Greens this year...(every year, but these we grew :o)
We worked all day yesterday picking and cleaning mixed greens and this morning I got  them into the Canner ..I don't have to cook we are having leftovers Okra & Tomatoes with a pot of rice ( I used one of the ugly carrots :o) with it, and some backbone with gravy :o) Later I'm going to make a Cobbler for the weekend.. I wanted to show you the growth of the "Side Garden" :o) We are very proud to use every inch of space that we have  been blessed with (except I don't have no chickens :o(

This is a long view and it's the left side of the house and I think it's really neat. the Broccoli Rabe didn't do so well this fall,but it was great during the Spring so I forgive it.

This is a closer view of some of the Collards and Red Cabbage.

I think the Red Cabbage is doing so well, and I'm proud as the dickens of them. Do a close up and see their beautiful hue :o)  I hope they have the time to "head up". This is the first time Cecil and I have planted Cabbage and we are so proud of them. They will go into the freezer, I think canning would make them mush. I meant to get a "Foodsaver"by now so it would suck out all the air of the package...I have that little Ziploc thingy, but I think the Foodsaver might be a little better.

The Savoy Cabbage isn't doing too badly, but it's obvious it's not as large and full as the Red Cabbage, it's welcome just the same. I have some regular Cabbage and also some Collards in the Box and Garden.

UPDATE: Here are 6 nice full jars of Mixed greens that will be mighty tasty during the  Winter.I didn't add any bacon to thisbatch.Just added some salt.Now to get my Cobbler going and that's it for today.I tried to lighten the left side but keep running into trouble but you get the picture.

  

This Post is about a Complaint and a possible Solution!!

I want to know if anyone else out there is being bombarded by telephone calls from Health care companies or any other telemarketers ...they start off with "is there a diabetic in this household etc..."
Or they have gotten real smart and show up on the TV as a local county dept. which makes you think it's something you need to address by answering the phone...
All these calls are coming into my home from 9:15 am until 8:30 at night.
Many of these calls were coming from "Call Central" , I have tried to re-dial them , I've gone on line to no avail...online there isn't anyplace you can connect with them, unless you want to use them for your business...At one time the "Atterney General's office would be able to stop these calls....
After much complaints, and @#%^& I was finally able to get some information from my telephone provider that I'm hoping will help..I called the "Do Not Call" number that I got from "Google" and placed myself on the register for "do not call"  I hope this is the end of the calls I have been receiving and also be of help to someone else who is being annoyed and driven insane by these type of  calls...

Lousy Looking Carrots :o(

Are these the lousiest looking home grown  carrots you ever saw? Maybe so, but they are more than enough to add to a couple of dishes (I do mean a couple too) like a tablespoon with some onions and salute before adding rice to it...what a delicious taste.
I only planted one little cube of Arugula, and it has lasted all summer , I'm left with just a couple of hands full to pick at a time, they taste pretty good on a sandwich too.
Back to the carrots, I had three more that went on the compost pile..when I pulled them up...it seemed that something had lodged right into the middle of them and survived living off my carrot.. At least now I know that carrots aren't so hard to grow, and that's encouraging. The beets were no where to be found...maybe something totally destroyed them :o(
I'm still up to my waist with greens :o) it's exhilarating to see them, and to realize they are Mine all mine :o)

Just couldn't leave the blog hanging today

Isn't this plant just one of the prettiest thing in the fall...I've had it so long I've forgotten it's name!
I brought it with me from NJ. it used to sit near the front door in the corner as you came up the steps..here it sits in the corner near the back door on the Patio. I think it thinks it's in the same place :o) it gets shade really most of the day but rays of sunlight gives it what it needs.

Here is another transported beauty from NJ. I didn't take such a good picture of it, I needed to bend down a little...but my back said "straighten up girl before you throw something out of whack" and I quickly did.
sometime you have to follow your mind, if I threw my back out , I wouldn't be able to put away Cecil and my picking greens again today. It seemed to take us much longer today than last time, then we realized we picked more :o)  (we are greedy little guts when it comes to greens)
We started about 11am (I slept late)  and we picked and picked...each time we said that's enough we would see one that looked to good to leave, and before we knew it we had picked all day :o) it was like eating potato chips  we couldn't just pick one :o) As I write this blog ....this is what's waiting to be washed , blanched, and jarred..after I add some bacon in the bottom of each jar..guess I'll be up half the night :o)
I took this picture twice (once to remove the towels covering the so the wind wouldn't

blow the leaves away..and then to show the three containers full, and one of the containers I had on the table is hiding behind a container of ivy leaves ..Oh well!
Professional photographer I'm not..green grower, :o) that's my name.

Wasn't I supposed to be resting today?

Last night we had a storm and it rained cats and dogs, I slept through it all even  the thunder and I'm glad I did..I was supposed to just rest today in order to ready and able to put away some Brocolli Rabe tomorrow., since they had grown much from the last rain.
Cecil checked out the property this morning too see if we had any damage, and coming back to the house remarked how the greens had grown so much, I peeked from the Patio and decided I better walk down there and get a closer look. Before I knew it I was picking them and muttering to myself "never put off tomorrow what you can do today".. Well, they looked so good and Cecil took pity on me and decided to "hire" himself to me... So as we worked he saw that it's not an easy task to pick and clean a lot of greens! He did everything he could to get fired :o) but I reminded him I would be the one to cook them and he better earn his plate ..so he gave up and went to work :o)...the chair is empty cause I'm taking the pictures.

This was a perfect day to get the job done. It was windy and cloudy, but that kept Cecil, me and the Greens cool. we had a good system going and had a little fun doing it. Talked about the kids and old times etc. I wanted to make sure I had more greens this time than last..(4 jars)...By the time we were done
it was nice to sit in the "Chair Beds" for a rest. Dinner was Bar-b-que sandwichs made from the last of the delicious Pork roast I made Sunday.

The jars will be cleaned tomorrow and put into the "Canning Closet".
It feels real good to get that job done, and I'm pleased that I got  7 fully packed quarts. Cecil says he wants a little rice and he is good to go...Give me some hot fried cornbread with Jalepeno's and I'm good to stay :o)
Turned out to be a good day,
lets see what tomorrow brings!!