Canning Season is here!

My first batch of peach jam, I make it in quarts for us...Jim takes peanut butter and jelly to work everyday, such a good husband, eats whatever I pack him :0) I've made cherry, strawberry and now peach. I love canning season...(at the beginning of the year:0)

First batch of green bean...I can't believe how easy it is to can. Make sure your jars are sanitized. Pack with clean, snapped green beans, add 1 t canning salt, add water, dry the top of the jar with a towel, put the lids on and put in the pressure canner for 25 min. on 10 lbs pressure. Then wait till no pressure in the canner, I usually take the pressure gage off when it's been awhile and take them out and listen for them to "pop". It's my most favorite sound ever. I joke with my husband that he could make me a lullaby cd of jars popping and it would put me right to sleep!

Next is raspberry jam, just picked these yesterday! We have such a cool yard. Jim's dad planted everything you could think of. I love it. (Alot of work, but I love it)

My dinner...

When Jim and Seth have macaroni and cheese, Mommy has something she thinks the boys won't like...so this is what I came up with and it was amazing!

I just bought a box of Thai Peanut, Thai kitchen brand rice noodles, which you can find them about anywhere these days for about $2.50 box. I made the noodles and put them aside and went out to the garden and picked:

1 small zucchini

1 small squash

1 hungarian hot pepper

1 small fingerling eggplant

Diced them up kind of small and sauteed them in some soy garden butter. I sprinkled garlic, salt and pepper and continued cooking until soft. Placed the noodles on my plate and then sprinkled the veggies over and enjoyed. It was sooooo good. (Sorry the picture looks a bit blurry, I'm using my sister in law's awesome camera and I'm still getting use to it.)

Zucchini Sweet Relish...

Zucchini Sweet Relish

10 cups zucchini (about 4 large ones)

4 cups onion (about 5)

2 green peppers

4T salt

Cut zucchini in half and take out seeds, don't peel. Using food processor, or small side of shredder, grind 10 cups zucchini. Mix and let stand overnight in refridgerator.

Rinse in cold water gently. Squeeze out excess water and then add...

2 1/2 c. white vinegar

6 cups sugar

1 T dry mustard

2 T cornstarch

2 t celery seed

1/4 t. pepper

1 t tumeric

Mix well, cook at a low boil for 30 min. put into jars. 1 batch makes about 8 pints.

This recipe is really yummy if you like to make your own tarter sauce.

Left over night...

I made chickpea cutlets (veganomicon) the other night and had some leftovers so I came up with this...

Hummus, chickpea cutlets, lettuce, sweet hot pickles (that I canned last year) and shredded carrot. Rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla and then placed on the George Foreman for some awesome grill marks :0)

It was a big hit with my family, although, Seth does NOT like hummus but he ate the wrap anyway, so it must not of been too bad. :0)

Garden Medley!

This is one of my most favorite meals.

I used 2 med. zucchini

2 med. squash

2 hungarian hot peppers

3 green tomatoes

green onions

put all ingredients in a frying pan with about a tablespoon of oil and fry until soft...

I love being able to walk out to my garden and just pick what I need and make dinner.

My nine year old has already informed me that he doesn't like squash and zucchini and I told that it's really early in the season to start complaining...I make this alot in the summer!

Not to be a downer (no pun intended)

If you need to eat beef, make sure you know who your supplier is....keep your families safe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25695741/ article on Ohio ground bf with ecoli contamination...yuck!

I will be posting food really soon, I promise. I just made garden medley as I call it, walk out to the garden and grab everything that's ready to be picked and fry! I took pics. yesterday, I'll post as soon as I put them in the computer.

I love photobucket, they have alot of funny and really cute artwork to share!

~ Peace People