My First Homemade Sauerkraut Experience's :o)

When I wake up in the morning there is no telling what I'm going to get into! And that's the truth..I seem to have the job of rolling with the punches, in order to stay up to a task...I usually have a "first thing to do" on my list so I don't forget the important things that I could leave behind...So on that list (after taking my B/S and drinking a Zero coke :o) is mashing down my Sauerkraut and making sure it's still has water on top of it..That's after I have a quickie breakfast.
Well, yesterday I got a whiff of a Oder that told me "taste me, I may be ready" so I did.
I hadn't followed the instructions clearly, (used two times more the amount of salt I should have)  and quickly wrote Kelley to question "What next"..As I waited for an answer ( I was impatient) I took the bull by the horn and started "desalting" I put the whole mess in some cold water, swished it around..and then did it again...tasting it again that did the trick for me...Soooo,I decided I'd get it in a pot cooking for the next step, when it was good and hot and still looking good, put them into jars (6) and did the 15 minutes H2O processing..and low and behold!  Here are 5 (the 6th was put on the side to be first :o)
We had some today with Hot dogs and was so greedy we didn't wait to take pictures.
Cecil already claimed Hot Dogs with homemade sauerkraut again for tomorrows lunch, that's just fine with me...the kraut is better than what I've been getting at the store..
You may notice some dark green, I used the leaves too and they are good to go, nothing is wasted but the core. There must be a use for them too!

Getting back to Mixed Greens "Again"

I'm going to get off the subject of Greens soon enough , but for now I'm enjoying it.
This morning there was nothing pushing us, yesterday Cecil worked out the garden where we had the Collards planted (there in the freezer now :o) and another small plot of Broccoli Rabe. In the meantime it rained Tuesday and it seemed the Plot with the Mixed Greens just kept on growing and growing. When we picked them, we just snapped off the leaves and also I like to add the tender buds and some of the tender yellow flowers, I think  they give off some bitterness and we both like that taste in our greens..Cecil wondered where he got all that strength from yesterday to do all that digging..Greens, baby, greens :o)...We could very well dig up that little plot, but why should we! We are getting so many pots of greens from it every time it rains they grow more...l sit on my little orange stool and just pick at my leisure :o)..The little tubs ($1. at the Dollar store) come in nice and handy to use for both oof us...

Today I'm cooking too big pots greens we picked this morning to have for the whole weekend...when your hungry just get a plate and microwave...l made some cornbread too...get a slice  (I'll probably have to make more, we have eaten up half already , this was Lunch :o) yeah! right) it's going to be dinner, snack, breakfast and whatever else you want to call it ..I'm frying some chicken and that's it...(for now anyway, I need to rest).

This is the little plot that just keeps on growing and growing, it seems the more we pick, then it rains and she keeps on 
growing like the energized bunny :o) , for a while we are just going to let her keep on growing  until we are ready to plant something else in that spot ..after we till it up and give it something nice for all it's efforts :o).They say if your good to the land it will be
good to you...Well, Amen to that one. 

Ginny and the last of the Collards :o)

Is this "Tobacco Road" or not :o)  And is this a "Country Girl" or  a "City Chick" :o)  Boy! if my friends could see me now :o)  Don't I look good? or are you looking at my Collards?
When I was gleaning the Mixed greens yesterday I saw the Collards needed to be gathered and In a hurry before the warm weather bugs came ...Well, by this morning they had started to whittle at them ..so tired or not I had to get my butt in gear... Here they are being washed and cut up outside saving my kitchen...
Just in case you all hadn't noticed, I'm wearing a special Apron that I always feel "Smart" in :o) it's one that was made for me by "Ladydi" she loves doing a lot of quilting and sewing and does beautiful work , (by the way my Apron is reversible :o). It seems when I wear it, I do a good job and don't get too tired, maybe because I think I look cute in it. :o)
Also take a look at the other neighbors "crappy" fence. They moved in , put up a fence and moved out (good riddens, they were slack). since then there has been 3 "renters" now the Bank owns it...The other neighbors put shellac on their fence and it looks better. You can see the grass is just beginning to turn green and filling in..the Ornamental Pear trees are in bloom, (wish we had thought to plant pecan trees instead).
UPDATE: which sounds like more 6 1/2 lbs or 6 1/2 quarts  well , that's what I ended up with :o)

My Cup Runneth Over

It seems the more I pick the more they grow :o) Every time it rains a little the greens take off again, and greedy little me picks them again! Today one pan goes into a pot , and the other two go into the freezer ( I ran out of jars). The Collards will have to be picked this week also, and they too will go into the freezer ( and a couple of neighbors), some are almost beginning to go to seed, and can't be saved through the summer. Although once I had some that lasted 3 years...I won't push my luck with these..they have multiplied themselves greatly for me.. Guess I don't have to tell you what I'll be doing today :o)

Hooray! Spring has Sprung!

We have been waiting for Spring this year with great anticipation!  Our heads are full of idea's and we are hoping the bodies will do our bidding's :o) Cecil said he was going to wait for rain so the ground would be softer for digging! I think watching me work one of the Boxes put him in the mood to try it today...and it was working so good he couldn't stop :o). The Sun is shinning and it's just  a pleasant day to work in the yard. Notice the Peach Tree blooms in the upper right corner of this photo, we are all smiles about it.
Year before last we had some beautiful Canna's growing down that line ...but somehow last year they didn't make it , I think it was just too cold so this year we decided to use that area and try our hand at planting some potatoes, they should do well there. Nothing like every thing beginning to bloom up to give encouragement to work the land..The greens are going mad in the garden, I will have to put them in the freezer..who thought I'd be putting up greens in March!  No matter ,I'll put them up and work the land for other veggies.
Now we are happy the neighbors put up that fence, this way they keep their dogs in their own yard.

The Genes Continue on with the Name

Say hello to Cecil the 4th Generation

Here he is finally! Labor with this one was tough, now he is here and looks like he may be a handful ..he's a big guy already ,at least his Mama can cook , and if he is anything like his Father, grandfather (funny to realize my son as grandfather :o) and great grandfather he is a good eater ...Can't wait to see him in person and I know he will look entirely different, they change every day until they come into their own. I can still see both of his parents in his face even though he is just a baby still! My oh My, we have been blessed to be here to see him...I think I'll go pick some greens to celebrate his arrival again :o)
UPDATE:
Took just about 10 minutes for Cecil Sr. and I to pick these two pans of Greens :o)
In no time to wash them (twice because we "cropped" the leaves :o) and into the pot. A nice batch of my fried corn bread with Jalapeno peppers, onions and chopped country ham (fried to season greens, which I only used a little they were good enough! The joys of eating greens from your own land at our age is better than s** :o) (well almost). hehehe

Today was another very busy day!

Slicing Cabbage for Kraut

First thing today was take the collards out of the box and fix them for dinner and tomorrow get the rest out of the garden and put in the freezer, since I'm all out of jars.
Then I got quite busy with making Sauerkraut. Every since Cecil and I had the Ribs cooked with potatoes and kraut we have been itching to have it again...Next time I said " we will make our own Kraut" and so today was the day (Cabbage was on sale, but next time I'll have grown my own :o). It didn't take long (20 minutes) to slice up the cabbage with today's new gadget..and my only problem at first was "Where's my Old Fashioned Crock"? When I moved , did I leave it? Was it broken and no one said anything? was it in the shed? none of the above...So what can I do ugh!

Make do, is what you do! So I used one of the many flower pots I just had to have :o)  and it worked out just fine..It's Ceramic, doesn't leak, it's pretty too :o) and it holds a lot of cabbage..Your looking at three very large cabbages (including the leaves),and they didn't fill the pot up, so that just shows me how much to make next time :o)...nothing but Cabbage and salt..(kosher salt I used).

 I covered it with a pillow sham that fit the top just right with a large rubber band..I'll change that into a string to tie..( I got tired and had to sit) inside I have a plate covering the cabbage with a weight to keep it down in it's water..I told Cecil when it starts to ferment it will smell, neither of us cared if it did :o)  don't have a basement anymore. I got the instruction from my new friend Kalle..visit her at her blog and see all the good things she
does.
http://kellesneverdonefarm.blogspot.com