Dilly Beans & Pickles

From the garden 

to the canning jar shelves.

I planted one row of beans this year.

Here I am going through them,

picking off the ends and any beans

than don't meet my standards :)

These do not have strings to pull,

I like that!

We do our water-bath boiling

outside using a propane burner. 

Steve watches the pot and times 

the boiling period.

Here they are all lined up 

and looking pretty.

We did 14 pints . . . 11 Dilly Beans

and 3 Dill Pickles.

Did you notice this sweet little sign?

It was a gift this Spring from our 

dear next-door neighbors. 

They also gifted me with the bulbs

that grew these pretty flowers.

I forgot what they are called,

but I'll bet some of you know. 

Thanks for visiting.

Keep Smiling

&

Thank you all for your prayers.

Connie :)

 

Sauerkraut, Garden Veggies & Pies

Welcome to our garden.

The cabbage is looking good.

So, Saturday we made sauerkraut.

Picked and washed.

Shredded.

Chopped.

Then we put it in a food safe bucket.

You can buy these in the bakery department 

at Walmart or just about any grocery store.

Our recipe is 3 Tablespoons of salt

to 5 pounds of cabbage.
That's it nothing else :)

You put it in layer at a time.

Each layer adding a little salt and 

mixing with your hands.

After all the cabbage and salt are in 

the bucket, to start pressing it down

and the salt causes the cabbage

to release juice.

Once it has about a inch of juice covering
 the cabbage, we put a thin piece of plastic
cut from a flexible cutting board sheet
 on top of the cabbage.
Then we put two quart jars of canned goods
 on top of that to press it down. 
Next cover the bucket
(not tight, just to keep dust out)

and move it to a corner of the kitchen.
If you cover it with a tight lid the
 fermentation will build up and blow the top off, LOL 

You need to check it once a week and in 

about 6 weeks it has fermented 

and turned into kraut.  

Yum . . . very healthy too :) 

There are a lot of You Tube videos 
on making kraut :)

More fresh picks from our backyard.

 I'm using my last year's frozen berries 

to bake pies,

 because these are going to be
ready soon and I need room in
the freezer :)

That and the fact that,
we love pie :)

Life is starting to get busy
here on our little country acre. 

*********
Steve starts another chemo session
today . . . please keep him in your prayers.

Thank you so very much.

You have no idea how much each of you
have enriched our lives.

Connie :) 

Mailbox Surprise From A Dear Blogging Sister

Can someone living in North Carolina

actually have a heart as big as Texas? 

The answer is Yes!

 This lovely card and 2 yards of 

vintage printed fabric

arrived in my mailbox last week.

It's from Melba aka

"Henny Penny"

 

Melba is amazing!

She grows a marvelous garden.

Makes old fashioned Aprons & Sun Bonnets.

Raises farm animals with

as much love and care as children.

Then, on top of all of that

she and her husband live in a cabin

on a piece of property that they have worked

hard on to create a paradise. 

If you do not follow her blog . . .

you are missing the joy

on knowing this incredible soul.

You can find her blog here, just clink:

http://hennypennylane.blogspot.com/ 

Look at these children up close.

Aren't they adorable.

I've not been sewing much since 

Steve's diagnoses.

I just don't like being out in the Art Barn

away from him.

So, I dug out my old Viking and 

brought it into the house.

I haven't used this machine in years

and it is so far behind my new one

that it's more work.

I actually have to thread my own needle

and cut the threads after sewing.

"Poor Me, Right"  LOL

Have a sweet day . . .

Keep Smiling . . .

and if you visit and follow 

Melba for the first time,

tell her I sent you :)

Your blogging sister,

Connie :)