Pick, Wash, Peel, Chop, It's Canning Time!

Well, when the garden is ready for harvest...it is ready! Everything else gets planned around picking all those yummy veggies.

Today's harvest...

Green Beans, Carrots, Broccoli and Cucumbers. Potatoes are ready too, so we've been digging a few of those at a time for fresh fried taters for dinner. I'll be canning a bunch of those soon as well.

After a cooler than normal Spring and a slow start growing, I'm happy to say that the garden is finally ready for harvest.

A dozen and half jars of green beans today with more to come soon.

A dozen and a half jars of gorgeous carrots.

These are waiting their turn in the canner!

These gorgeous cukes will become a batch or two of Sweet Pickle Relish.

The recipe below is one of my favorites.

SWEET PICKLE RELISH

Yields a single batch of about 8 half-pints

1 quart chopped cucumbers (about 4 medium size)

2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium size)

1 cup chopped sweet green pepper (about 1 medium size)

1 cup chopped sweet red pepper (about 1 medium size)

1/4 cup salt

3-1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

2 cups cider vinegar

Combine cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain, rinse and drain again thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process filled jars 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath canner.

...and last but not least these nice little heads of broccoli

will be part of dinner tonight.

There is something very satisfying about having a garden and going out to pick fresh veggies daily either for a meal or to preserve for use later.

I know everything about where these delicious morsels came from and how they have been handled. With the things you hear in the news about problems and recalls of foods available at the grocery store...I enjoy the piece of mind knowing my produce is safe and fresh.

And I'm all about making the least amount of trips to the grocery store as possible. Easier on the budget and there are more fun things to do!

How does gardening and food preserving benefit your family?

I would love to hear about it, please do share!

Have a great day!

Toodles

Busy Summer Equals Short Hiatus

I know I have been slightly missing in action lately...the busy summer days have ended up in me taking a slight hiatus from blogging.

Between my daugther's 4H Club, keeping up with the garden and now canning all of the goodies coming out of the garden, hanging out around the computer hasn't happened for sometime.

My dear hubby almost has my workspace finished up in the workshop (stay tuned for pictures) so it won't be long now and I can get back to work on creating fun things out of my latest junk-a-licious finds and share pictures of all of the glorious bounty coming out of the garden.

Have a great day....until then :)

Toodles

Wandering In Toodlefetties Yard

Finally here in Central Oregon we are seeing some nice weather, still a little on the cool side for June but the sun is shining so you won't hear me complain.

Since it was such a nice morning I decided to get out in my yard and snap a few photos to share with you. When everything turns green and the flowers start blooming I just can't resist getting outside to enjoy it.

 This rusty old metal tool carrier has been hanging around for awhile

so I decided to add a few flowers and put it in a flower bed.

This particular day the sun was shining, the wind wasn't blowing and the birds were chirping and singing like crazy little feathered lunatics...

One of those little feathered families built this inside the horses shelter

Momma bird was a little more than annoyed at me for getting so close to her grassy abode. She kept fluttering from the Maple tree to the fence holding a big old bug in her mouth. I tried to get a picture of her, but she just wouldn't cooperate and stay still. I can't tell how many babies are snuggled in there but they sure make a racket when they are hungry.

The lilacs are blooming and smell so yummy!

 An early view of part of my garden, recently planted and...

things are starting to sprout, these will be big old fat tasty radishes...

  and I look forward to digging these potatoes.

 Miniature purple irises from starts that were given to me years ago by a dear friend who

has since passed away...they are very special.

 There's always a rusty element somewhere in my yard, like this old pitch fork

in this flower box nestled in the strawberry plants.

 My daughter's swing hanging in the big old poplar tree out back.

 These sweet little violets were the first sign of color this spring...

they are always a joy to see in the early spring.

 I'm still working on this little spot on the back deck...

don't you just love the little blue table?

I picked it up at a yard sale last weekend and the look on my hubby's face was priceless when he asked..."what is that for?" After this many years it cracks me up when he still has to ask these things.

I think it's perfect just the way it is so I will probably just give it a coat of clear sealer to give it a little boost of protection from the elements.

 and as usual something old, metal and a tad bit rusty!

I can't think of any other way I would rather spend my day, than out in my yard or garden. It's peaceful and relaxing...what fun things in your yard do you enjoy, please share I would love to hear about it.

Have a great day!

Celebrated Our 25 Years At The Beach

When my husband and I started talking about what we wanted to do to celebrate our 25th anniversary, the usual things came up like, dinner and a movie out, just dinner out, have a party - the usual.

We decided to take a trip to the beach instead. From where we live it's about a 4-1/2 hour drive so it takes a little planning because it's the kind of trip that means making arrangements for a neighbor and family member to keep an eye on our house and critters.

Originally we had planned on just a couples get-a-way but, we really didn't want to leave our daughter home so we made reservations for 3 at a beach side hotel...and then along came hubby's mom, sisters and some of their families who were also able to get reservations.

The weather was wonderful, which isn't always the case on the Oregon Coast, but we got lucky. We had some enjoyable family time, fun in the sand and some great seafood. I can't think of any other way I would have rather spent our anniversary.

And in honor of our special occasion the nice people at the hotel

included this on their reader board.

The trip was actually a little before the day of our anniversary, so on that evening we opted to have a quiet dinner at home with my parents over and hubby barbecuing on the new grill that was my gift to him, which he loved.

And my gift from him...

He knows me so well, or should I say he picked up on the hints I had been dropping.
So I was delighted to get this...

Great Potting Bench

made from reclaimed lumber with an old rusty horse shoe as an accent.

(Pardon the extension cords, we have construction going on and the contractors have them everywhere)

It couldn't be more perfect for me...My dear hubby isn't one to build things so he found the potting bench at a nearby garden center and, it was made locally. He has good taste and knew just which one I would like. I look forward to using it when I plant flowers in the deck planters this season, and having a place to keep my small gardening hand tools will come in handy.

What kind of fun and creative space do you have for potting plants? Please share....

Have a great day!

Toodles