Random Tidbits ~ Relaxation Day!

Woke up to fog today.  School even closed after they had a 2 hour delay.  The weather is strange, but I got my motorcycle ride last night.  Hubby is sweet. He came home and said "ride after dinner?"  and when I said "where?" he said "you pick" I'm doing it for you.  It's really for both of us.

We delivered Jack Daniel's fudge.  Word got out, after leaving a few pieces at Hubby's nephew's house, and even after dropping it off, we got another call for more.  I will most likely make another pan for his family to try, and hopefully mine too.

I canned a double batch of tomato paste yesterday, using up the very last of my 4 oz. jars.  I'll need to make a trip to town for more jars this year.  I am down to a few pints and half-pints.  

I don't know how I did it, but I blanched dandelions and got them in the freezer, as well as prepared a meatloaf, cut up potatoes to cook and mash, and got corn on the cob shucked for dinner, as well as canning.  I prepared everything, and had the veggies in pots ready to put on the stove, but my paste was not ready to can, hence one burner short of getting dinner done.  I did the potatoes first, as they keep hot longer, and one kiddo assisted, and learned how to mash them.  Then I put the corn pot on. 

My intentions were to take the leftover corn (and the meatloaf), remove it and can corn relish, which I do need.  However, they ate most of the corn.  So, today, I get to relax.  Sort of.  As for the intentions of the meatloaf, I wanted to make one to top it with a botched batch of ketchup.  My very first canned batch of ketchup was botched.  First time I messed up.  

I heated it too long, and it began to caramelize.  It was only 4 half-pints, but I got to thinking.  It would be wonderful on meatloaf, vs. tomato paste.  It was, so my mistake turned out to be a good thing.  A usable thing.  Nothing wasted thing.

Oh, the tomatoes are on the table, but it gives me a day to look up recipes and make sure I have ingredients for the next canning day, and the days after that.  If I'm desperate, I can always thaw corn from the freezer for my relish.  When I have a tomato free day that is. 

I have to clean the coop, clean a bathroom, blanch the last of the dandelions, put away washed dishes......and reunite with the front porch.  First I am brewing a jar of nettle tea.  Then I am delegating jobs.  Kids are home and that's a bonus for my declared "relaxation" day here today.  I may even get another tincture started, and crochet work resumed.  I almost don't feel like exercising, but I will.  That's one thing I can't skip out on.  The scale hasn't moved this week, so it motivates me even more.