Preparing for Flu Season and other Tidbits

Two weeks ago, I placed dried elderberries and raw honey in a canning jar.  I let it sit in a warm location to infuse.  

 The result?  

Elderberry infused honey

This, will help build immune systems here, while providing a healthy toast topper, tea sweetener, and more.

And don't discard those elderberries.  If you read through the comments on that site, they suggest uses for them.  I ended up putting mine in my banana bread recipe.  They did soak up some honey, but were still a bit crunchy in the bread (although delicious too).

The rain discombobulated my plans on Monday.  I had bedding on the clothesline, and I was getting ready to dig carrots, when it arrived.  I guess those carrots (and potatoes) will have to wait another day.

This cooler weather is surely to get me in trouble.  Yesterday I slept in about a half hour past sunrise, and then troubles appeared.  First we discovered one of the dogs, most likely the oldest, had an accident on the front room carpet.   Then, just after the kids got on the bus, Daughter came running into the kitchen.  Here, after the toilet was flushed, it backed up, but the chain was stuck, so it had been flushing on it's own, and I then had a bathroom floor covered in water.  

Although each "crisis" was time consuming,  I got 8 more pints of zucchini salsa canned.  Zucchini salsa requires the tomatoes to be boiled 1 minute then tossed in an ice bath, then peeled and chopped.  I started the early morning doing that.

(Zucchini Salsa, batch #3)

We still have a few lingering tomatoes, but those will be enjoyed either in a BLT, or salad possibly.  Hubby shared this salsa at work, and the guys loved it.  One brought in a jar of honey to trade for a jar of salsa.

I brought in some pie pumpkins, and was disappointed in our harvest.  Although some is better than none at this point.  There are more blossoms on the vines due to recent rain, so how knows if I'll get more.

I'm starting to stress about work that needs done before the snow arrives.  With Hubby's truck repairs, it's setting us back several days on getting wood cut too.  I'm late getting my garlic planted as well. 

I heard back from Taste of Home, regarding the onion-blueberry jam.  I didn't really get a straight answer either.  They are telling me that 16 cups of onions (and 2 of blueberries) should reduce to 6 cups.  I asked if they had their test kitchen actually make the recipe as it was written.  They are to get back with me again later. 

I've got one kiddo home with a fever today.  It's already starting.  I tried to remind them to constantly wash their hands now that school started, but to no avail, one is home sick.  Good thing I have the elderberry honey to sweeten her some hot medicinal tea with.

I was so tired at the end of the day yeseterday, that I left the towels I had taken off the clothesline in the laundry basket.  This morning, I entered the kitchen to find this......

Jasper.  He loves to jump on top of a filled basket of clean laundry. 

And try telling him to get off of it.