Shelby

Ok, so, like I said, I'm packing up a box and I need to get it to the post office. I'll post this really quick, get that done and I'll be back Dinner last night was venison meatloaf. I had great intentions. I made a big one so we'd have some to freeze and some for meatloaf sandwiches later this week. I baked it too long and it got a bit dry. Sigh. It should be good on sandwiches, though. Cornmeal fried okra, mashed taters and 'maters to go with

I gift a lot of cherry tomatoes, zukes and cukes. I don't gift my big tomatoes until I can't can another one...which never happens lol. Honestly only very very special people get a few big 'maters here and there. We LOVE our tomatoes and it's hard to part with them. I'm actually getting ready to pack up a box and send it to Colorado to my mom. I'll take pics. Oh I feel your pain on the black walnuts....a few years ago we planted too close to one of those here. Not good.

Good morning, everyone and happy Monday! It's me again....that girl from Kansas. This is VERY spur-of-the-moment. I was sitting here yesterday thinking of all of the canning etc. that I needed to do this week and I thought, well, why not ask you guys if you want to spend the week with me while I do it? I got the ok from Smithy so away we go! This will not be nearly as organized as my first blog was. But, really, when does a sequel ever measure up to the first? Most of you know all about me--if you missed my first blog you can read it here. Nothing much has changed around here. Same furry babies, same house, same husband . Right now we have field corn planted all around the house. In the outer fields we have soybeans that were planted after the wheat was harvested. Sorry for the blur....it was so humid the camera kept fogging up. I just came in from the garden. I snapped a few pictures....for more (and prettier) pictures you can look in the gardening thread. I always start out saying that I will not let a weed grow in there. By August I'm like..."Oh what's a few weeds" lol. Here's a total list of what I planted this year: 7 cucumbers 8 basil 23 okra 4 rows assorted lettuce 20 peppers-thai, jalapeño, bell, banana 4 rows peas 5 cilantro 1 tarragon 2 dill many many red and white onions 7 eggplant 3 rows spinach 57 tomatoes 5 cherry tomatoes 7 rows silver queen sweet corn 11 squash 4 watermelon 2 cantaloupe 6 pumpkin I killed the cantaloupes...and I tried damn hard to kill the squash lol.....sigh...squash bugs came early this year and we sprayed with some kind of stuff. WOW the plants did not like it, but they've come back and are producing. I just love okra flowers Found some more smut

Andie, you are a treasure. I just love reading about your life. You should write a book! Thanks for the additional info, RG. I like shelling beans, too. Very relaxing

No, you cook your food how you like it. That makes you a GOOD cook. You're also a good cook if you can make the same things for others the way they like it

BUMP! It's that time of year again. I just went to my fave site for buying Hatch and I see they've gone up $10 in price. Has it been a tough year for growing?

Very nice, Chris! I'd love to hear your pickled egg recipe. I have some eggs to use up, too and my husband loves pickled eggs.

Yes, just a water bath canner. I'm plain jane lol. It's a 6 jar canner--I use quart jars. I have a bigger one but it takes forever to boil on one burner. No no that's a great idea! I hadn't thought about that. My remaining 5 jars canned up good. Sigh. Wine is good lol.

I've googled, too. Some people just let it continue to can, but that scares me a bit especially with tomatoes. Do you think the seeds from the exploded jar would work their way into the other lids and not let them seal? Plus, the glass....mine was an intact bottom that exploded off but if that touched another jar maybe that would make it explode? Sigh. I dunno.

DAMN!!!!! And a few other choice cuss words. I've canned for years and years. Only once before has this happened. I put a batch of tomatoes in and a few minutes later BOOOOOOM. The bottom of a jar blew out. How do you guys handle that? I took the remaining filled jars out and threw them in my still warm dishwasher. I cleaned my canner and am now begging the water to boil again. It's time for a glass of wine.

They sure are pretty.

Crock pickles (half sours)

Anna, how do you shape your loaves?

Beautiful, Franci! The Parrozzo sure looks pretty. That's a great idea to make bon bons out of it!

Yes, I think that would work just fine. I'm no pressure cooker expert, but I think as long as you don't get them too soft that would work. I make a quick pickle that I just keep in the fridge, so yes, just prepare like you were going to can them but throw 'em in the icebox instead.

How did I miss this topic for all these years? I have never seen nor heard of these. I love the picture of the pods with the seeds. Looks like an alien life form I'd love to taste these someday.

Anna--Your eggs look so light and fluffy. Oooooh Dejah, those ribs look so tender. Baselerd, if it wasn't so dang hot here I'd be copying your ramen....that looks wonderful and that egg is perfect. Liuzhou, I stared at your pasta for a long time. Wishing it would propel itself over here next to my computer. Kay--I've seen your meatloaf and it is mouthwatering! I need to make some soon--we're craving meatloaf sandwiches with 'maters on top. My ISP went out Tuesday evening and was out for like 36 hours or so (yeah, I was counting lol). They won't tell us what happened...space junk hitting the satellite??? Hacked by a 6 year old in a foreign country?? Sigh. All I know is that I missed Egullet. My husband has decided that he likes....dare I say loves.....okra. It's a miracle. We had wings to go with this, but my focus was on what's shown

I suddenly feel super unorganized I'm terrible at lists. I need to make a list of things that I need to make a list of.

Quickles

Venison steak on the grill, mashed 'tater casserole, corn, zoodles and 'maters.

This year the garden is like it was years ago. A good producer. Especially the tomatoes. My peppers? Not so much. Too much rain? I dunno, but they are not doing well. I've gotten some nice jalapeños and a few bananas...not one bell. But, I'm not complaining. I'll take the tomatoes over peppers any day. My counters are full. I've canned 13 quarts of 'maters and 4 quarts of juice so far. It must be perfect tomato growing conditions because we are getting HUGE ones. From all different plants. This one is the biggest weighing in at 1.66 lbs.

I love a good Jucy Lucy, Suzi! Need to make one of those before summer ends. I'm NOT ready in the least for summer to end....it seems like it's flying by. I always get a bit maudlin when Kerry and Anna are done with their trip We were hungry for chicken on the rotiss. So, in keeping with Kay's Southern theme, we had chicken, mashed 'taters, gravy, Silver Queen, stewed tomatoes and okra and 'maters on the side.

I'm glad I'm not the only person that has bacon leavings LOL. Oh Chinese sounds so good right now. It's times like this that I almost wish I lived in a city.....almost..... Heck, I'd pay for delivery to here if someone would do it..... Glad you guys are home safe and sound!

I made pizza last night and had some leftover dough so breakfast pizza for us this morning. I used some leftover bacon along with onions, peppers, mushrooms and 'maters.