This year I canned for the first time. Well, technically I canned last year with my friends, but it is totally different when it is all by yourself. This year I did peaches, apple slices, and applesauce. I did it over the period of a week. I did the peaches first because they were going bad, so they needed to get done before they spoiled. I didn't mind doing peaches and it actually went pretty fast. Except I did something wrong, or something because I had 5 of the 11 jars unseal on me. As in they all sealed just fine, and then after 24 hours and before 7 days I had 5 jars repop and unseal. Oh it made me mad, I didn't lose them because I just finished opening them and dumped them in a bag and stuck them in the freezer, so that should work. However, the process for peaches really went smooth, and Kylee enjoyed it because she got to watch a "movie" while I finished it up.
Next was apple slices. I did seven quarts of those. I peeled and cored those on Wednesday, and then canned them on Thursday during nap time. I learned I need to not pack them quite as tight because you do need to get quite a bit of juice in there. I literally add almost no water to the jars, so I am probably lucky that I only had one jar not seal. It is now in the freezer. So, I learned I need to pack them more than last year and less than this year. I also learned that my jumbo Tupperware bowl will do about 4 to 5 quarts and so if I do like a flour container full of slices that makes about 7-8 quarts and a pie depending on how full I cram the jars.
Saturday we did applesauce. This was definitely the most time consuming of the three, but also yielded the most. Anyway, I had to borrow the apple masher thing from my friend, and hers hooks up to a Kitchen Aid, which I don't have. So, I borrowed that from another friend. I like that I didn't have to turn the handle, but it doesn't have as big of funnel at the top. It was good, but for me (mainly because I don't have a Kitchen Aid) it isn't worth the cost. I will probably go with a hand crank. However, if you have a Kitchen Aid its a pretty slick deal. Anyway, Gaupo and I got started around 9 with this process and it lasted until 4. After which, you have to clean everything. Yep, by the time dinner rolled around I was not in the mood to make anything. We ended up with fish sticks and veggies.
All that hard work yielded 11 quarts peaches, 7 quarts apple slices, and 35 pints of applesauce. We should be good for about a year. I have not sworn off canning forever, but it was really nice to have a break this week and I don't think I will do it again real soon unless someone wants to teach me to pressure can beans or chicken.
On a completely separate note my girls are growing up like crazy. Kylee can "read" Duck on Bike and really gets most of the words in there. She loves to run around our loop singing "Let it Go." She even does it with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It is really cute except it winds her up before she goes to bed. She can also "count" to ten in both English and Spanish. She loves going to the park mainly for swings, but also loves the slides and building "castles" which she promptly smashes. She is a little ball of fire that loves to go, talk, visit daddy and work, ask "Why" or "Why not," and loves being a big sister.
Tia is now 9 months and is starting to embrace this life she has. She is almost always smiling. She has different smiles depending on what she is doing. She has a sneaky on that says "I am not doing anything wrong, and she totally is." She has one that says "I am happy," and another that says "that was funny." This little girl of mine weighed in at 14lbs 13oz putting her in about the 5% for weight. She is 27.75 inches tall (55%). She can sit, but doesn't. She still does a push-up crawl thing instead of actually crawling. However, she has learned how to go up and down the stairs, crawl through the tunnel and go down the slides at the park. She also enjoys swinging, but doesn't sit back in the swing she leans all the way forward. (That is the exact opposite of Kylee) Tia is eating solid food. She loves Cheerios, crackers, fruit, re-fried beans, and veggies. She does not like baby cereal. She likes to play with her sippy cup and drink when she does, but if you try to give it to her she sticks her tongue into it and turns her head. She loves her sister and thinks that everything she does is cool and funny.
These two girls are a funny pair. They crackup at each other. Kylee loves "reading" and talking to Tia. Tia loves listening to Kylee and following her around. I am so glad they love each other.
If you care what Gaupo and I are up to then keep reading. Gaupo is still working at the Library and loves it. He has had to work in the computer lab a lot which isn't his favorite of responsibilities, but he doesn't mind it too much either. We had our fence run into, and we are apparently in violation of city code with how big our weeds are on our side yard, so we have to get both of those things fixed. Other than work Gaupo teaches the 9 year olds in primary, plays with his kids, keeps our yard looking nice, and grills up some delicious food for us. I spend most of my time playing with my kids. Almost every morning I go running. Then after putting Tia to bed make breakfast, and dance to at least one song of "Let it Go" complete with blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I play with my girls and the park. I am the beehive adviser and Young Women Volleyball coach, so that takes up Wednesday and Thursday nights. I spend most of my time being a mom. Though I did read "Eldest" the week I canned and that was really fun. I love being a mom, wife, and YW leader. Everyone of those titles has challenges, but also great blessings and fun. That is kind of it for here. Maybe I will update this post with more pictures or videos soon.
Next was apple slices. I did seven quarts of those. I peeled and cored those on Wednesday, and then canned them on Thursday during nap time. I learned I need to not pack them quite as tight because you do need to get quite a bit of juice in there. I literally add almost no water to the jars, so I am probably lucky that I only had one jar not seal. It is now in the freezer. So, I learned I need to pack them more than last year and less than this year. I also learned that my jumbo Tupperware bowl will do about 4 to 5 quarts and so if I do like a flour container full of slices that makes about 7-8 quarts and a pie depending on how full I cram the jars.
Saturday we did applesauce. This was definitely the most time consuming of the three, but also yielded the most. Anyway, I had to borrow the apple masher thing from my friend, and hers hooks up to a Kitchen Aid, which I don't have. So, I borrowed that from another friend. I like that I didn't have to turn the handle, but it doesn't have as big of funnel at the top. It was good, but for me (mainly because I don't have a Kitchen Aid) it isn't worth the cost. I will probably go with a hand crank. However, if you have a Kitchen Aid its a pretty slick deal. Anyway, Gaupo and I got started around 9 with this process and it lasted until 4. After which, you have to clean everything. Yep, by the time dinner rolled around I was not in the mood to make anything. We ended up with fish sticks and veggies.
All that hard work yielded 11 quarts peaches, 7 quarts apple slices, and 35 pints of applesauce. We should be good for about a year. I have not sworn off canning forever, but it was really nice to have a break this week and I don't think I will do it again real soon unless someone wants to teach me to pressure can beans or chicken.
 |
| The finished bottles. |
Tia is now 9 months and is starting to embrace this life she has. She is almost always smiling. She has different smiles depending on what she is doing. She has a sneaky on that says "I am not doing anything wrong, and she totally is." She has one that says "I am happy," and another that says "that was funny." This little girl of mine weighed in at 14lbs 13oz putting her in about the 5% for weight. She is 27.75 inches tall (55%). She can sit, but doesn't. She still does a push-up crawl thing instead of actually crawling. However, she has learned how to go up and down the stairs, crawl through the tunnel and go down the slides at the park. She also enjoys swinging, but doesn't sit back in the swing she leans all the way forward. (That is the exact opposite of Kylee) Tia is eating solid food. She loves Cheerios, crackers, fruit, re-fried beans, and veggies. She does not like baby cereal. She likes to play with her sippy cup and drink when she does, but if you try to give it to her she sticks her tongue into it and turns her head. She loves her sister and thinks that everything she does is cool and funny.
These two girls are a funny pair. They crackup at each other. Kylee loves "reading" and talking to Tia. Tia loves listening to Kylee and following her around. I am so glad they love each other.
If you care what Gaupo and I are up to then keep reading. Gaupo is still working at the Library and loves it. He has had to work in the computer lab a lot which isn't his favorite of responsibilities, but he doesn't mind it too much either. We had our fence run into, and we are apparently in violation of city code with how big our weeds are on our side yard, so we have to get both of those things fixed. Other than work Gaupo teaches the 9 year olds in primary, plays with his kids, keeps our yard looking nice, and grills up some delicious food for us. I spend most of my time playing with my kids. Almost every morning I go running. Then after putting Tia to bed make breakfast, and dance to at least one song of "Let it Go" complete with blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I play with my girls and the park. I am the beehive adviser and Young Women Volleyball coach, so that takes up Wednesday and Thursday nights. I spend most of my time being a mom. Though I did read "Eldest" the week I canned and that was really fun. I love being a mom, wife, and YW leader. Everyone of those titles has challenges, but also great blessings and fun. That is kind of it for here. Maybe I will update this post with more pictures or videos soon.
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