blogger mom

For the first time since we began gardening I was able to can salsa with my own tomatoes today.  Usually we only grow enough tomatoes to eat during the season and have had to rely on local farmers for any canning we do of tomato products.  I didn't can much, but my 18 tomatoes made 5 1/2 pints and there are plenty more on the vine for another batch soon.  I also already have two large freezer bags full of frozen tomatoes.  This feels like a major success.  I took the time to can green beans today as well.    It was very time consuming...pressure canning is such a hassle compared to water bath canning...but the 5 quarts on the counter make me happy and they will taste so much better than frozen green beans.  I love watching the jars pile up in the pantry and on top of the cabinets...jams, relish, pickles, peaches, green beans, and salsa.  Our garden, our work, now all neat and pretty on my shelves.

Trey and I spent time in the garden this afternoon pulling out the green bean and cucumber plants.  It's about time for a change of season in the garden.  Trey reminds me so much of his daddy.  He loves to have his hands in the dirt and he is ready to soak in any information we give him about gardening.  Riley and Evan are more interested than usual this year.  Riley has even spent some time reading Rodale's Garden Encyclopedia because he wanted to know more about some of the volunteers plants growing in our compost.

New hens have arrived and we have eggs to collect again!

More carrots, spinach, and lettuce went in today...fall is coming.  Cabbage is almost ready to go outside as well.  This is also a big accomplishment for us.  We have never done well with a second planting.