Happy Homemaker Monday

Today I will be pretending I do not have a garden. Well, at least until dinner time (or even tomorrow) anyway. There is a need to tidy up, and other to-do's that I need to catch up on.

I'm really missing Mom.  There were so many moments I just wanted to pick up my phone and call her.  Today I will be super busy.  Hopefully it will keep my mind focused.

GrannyJ if you could give my your email again.  I will send you my address.  It keeps saying I have the wrong email.  I apologize.

Blogger has done away with email notifications.  I'm on the hunt for a widget or some sort to put on my blog right now.  If I find something that works, I will update you all.  

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I will link up when she posts.

The weather  . . .

72°/52°F and cloudy

As I look outside my window. . . 

It's early, so it's a bit dark outside.

Right now I am . . .

Making another pot of coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

I'm keeping a look out for a holiday craft show to participate in.  There are many going on this month and October, but I just don't have the time until the garden is completely done, and then top that with the living room repair job.

How I am feeling . . .

Tired.  I'm not used to the work schedule my husband has right now.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Have no idea yet.  First priority is down some coffee to fire up this tired soul, and  get the fridge cleaned out.

What I am reading . . .

On my TV . . .

Annie's Pointe (movie we picked up at an antique store)

On the menu. . .

-Cabbage sausage soup
-have no idea yet, I have several new recipes to try, including a new pesto recipe (that I hope will freeze well).  Has anyone every made green onion-basil pesto?

To-do list for the week. . .
-clean entire fridge (freezer on another day)
-label all my canning jars and get stored properly

-clean both bathrooms

-catch up on any laundry

-clean window blinds

-tidy up computer area

-take more trash downstairs from upstairs

-help my husband put the last of the kitchen trim back in

-start clearing out the front room (big job but has to be done)

-call chimney sweep

-dehydrate oregano and thyme

-freeze more green onions and chives

-water plants

-vacuum

-sweep and mop kitchen when I'm done cleaning fridge out

-take a few photos for tomorrow's post (ha ha! it's on the list)

-adding as I remember today....

From the camera . . .

Oddly, I do not have any photo on my camera right now, other than the photo of my current book.  I guess I will need to work on that this week, ha ha!

Prayers . . .

For Daughter E to find affordable health insurance (she is also moving to another salon), and for Daughter K too.

Canning Continues and other ramblings

I got 5 more pints of tomato soup canned.  It takes most of my day, but that is 5 more meals for two, and so good.

                                           

In between watching and stirring the pot, I have been catching up with laundry, restocking camper ornaments (making the pieces, just have to put them together later), and creating more hair clips.  I'm also creating more embellished paper clips.  I have not booked a fall craft show just yet.  I keep seeing them for October, but I cannot commit with the canning still going on.  I do better in Nov. and Dec.

Rosemary made it out of the dehydrator.  I need to check my pantry to see what else I need dried.

I'm now writing out a winter prep to-do list, but I have to get cracking on the living room.  I have boxes now, so I am ready as soon as the tomatoes are all put up.

What's on the list?  Splitting wood, ordering propane (this time I will make sure it's delivered before the cut off date), pulling the garden,  drying herbs before the weather gets too cold, and a few other to-do's.

It's another foggy morning here, and the last few days we are hearing fox and coyote.  We also saw an eagle fly over the house.  

Disturbing news in our state - the death of 3 million chickens at another egg producing farm died due to bird flu.  I guess I better get that new coop built, so we can focus on a meat bird coop as well.  

Crazy Busy Puttin' Up Time

 It was finally time to start freezing tomatoes.  I cleared off the kitchen table.

I also put rosemary in the dehydrator and snipped green onion for freezing. Our green onions have superb flavor this year. It's  a race against the clock this time of the season.  I'm trying to get the tomatoes in before it's too late.  I baked a breakfast for us, for the next few days too.

I heard some restaurants are not offering green onions on their menu due to shortage of supplies.

We woke up to a very foggy morning.  The air is very cool, but they say we'll heat up again.  

Labor Day Events ~ Rain

 We had a very busy Labor Day weekend.  We had invitations for 3 birthday parties and a cook out.  Golly, all we wanted to do on Monday was get our kitchen and front porch in order.  I have to admit, it was nice getting up this morning to a tidy kitchen.  Although I still have tomatoes on the table.

I had to start bringing in the tomatoes to ripen on the table.  They were splitting outside on the vines.  Crazy weather this year.

I'm not the only one cleaning house.  Daughter E dropped off two boxes of yarn.  Her best friend's mother was also cleaning house, and had 5 people move back in, so she sent her yarn my way.  I will need to sort it, but it's out of the kitchen now.

However, there are tomatoes in my living room too. No kidding.  Like I said, the rain/soil situation this year was causing them to split if we left them ripen on the vine.

Before the rain arrived, I was able to fall plant 80 cloves of music garlic.  It's been raining here ever since, and woke up to more rain.

I'm frantically working on the tomatoes, pulling the garden for the year, and now clearing the living room to at least get that floor fixed before winter.  The only problem is that money doesn't stretch very far anymore.  Supplies are an issue, but I will be packing up the living room to prepare.  It is a must-do repair.

Granny J, I think I wrote your email down wrong.  Well first, I got confused and emailed another person (crazy busy weekend), and then my computer said I had the email incorrect.  If you are reading this ....I apologize, I wrote it down wrong.

Rain moving in.....

 

Well, here we are to the weekend.  The one and only perfect holiday weekend day to take the motorcycle out, and my husband left at 4am.

I have tomatoes to deal with, so that is happening after I down a pot of coffee and figure out a breakfast with minimal cooking.

I put up 22 1/2# of tomatoes yesterday, but here is the situation....I brought 38# back inside (bwahahaha!).  Oh my.

My husband is laughing, but I have no idea how I dealt with our 500# year.  I do need to freeze some tomatoes, can crushed ones, and make another batch of soup and pizza sauce (will gift the kiddos).

He joked "tomato fight" as the plants are literally almost dead, tomatoes falling off and some rotting as I try to keep up.  The summer heat waves were the cause of the late ripening.

I'm hoping to get my fall garlic planted.  Rain is moving in late Saturday and for several days (unless that changes).

Sunrise ~ More Canning with Tomatoes ~ Question

I woke up in time to see this beautiful sky.  I did however, sleep in, and did not get to see my husband before he went to work.  He is taking over a supervisor position for a few months.  Let's just say the coffee pot is pre-set at 4:30am now. 

Unless I try and put up another table in the living room, I am plum out of room for ripe ones.  I'm trying my best to get things canned, but I can only do one sauce/tomato recipe in one day.

We have surpassed 200 pounds of Amish paste this year.  There are more out there, and the plants are dying.  Sheesh, but so thankful for the stock up with all of them.

The recipe I use for the Lemony -Tomato Basil soup is from this magazine.  Looks like a magazine, but thick like the ball regular canning book.  I think I bought it at TSC farm store.  I canned another batch of this soup.

It is also the same magazine that has the BBQ sauce recipe that I can.  To me, it's the best one we've tried so far. I canned a batch of this too.

Question:  I bought a  motion sensor hand soap  dispenser a year ago and paid like 20-some bucks.  The same Simplehuman brand today costs $50!!  I kid you not.  I really want one for both bathrooms, but don't want to paid a fortune.  If you use one, what brand is it and do you like it?

Loofah Update

 

August 19, 2022.  Loofah buds starting to develop on the vines.

August 30, 2022.  Tiny loofah.  Not sure it will have the chance to grow fully with it being so late in the year.