Canning!

I picked a bunch of berries this summer and threw them in the freezer to can later. Well, its march now, and I have a Saturday night with the house to myself (jonah’s band is playing in eugene) so I thought I might make jam.

This store on killingsworth with its jars in the window reminded me of it!

Green Bean Canning!

A week or so ago I canned up some green beans. Mostly yellow wax beans, I think, and some really big green pole beans. My housemate got them from her babysitter, one of our crisper drawers was completely stuffed with them, so I decided to take action one night!

Turns out I only needed two of the five jars I washed out, but thats fine. I tried a recipe I found online, hope it turned out okay, cause I haven’t cracked either of the jars open yet! But don’t they look pretty?

Cloudy Morning

Hi All, not much to say right now, just thought I’d better get a post up about something! Thank you all for your kind words about the Oscar cat, it was sweet to read those comments. Its funny, the times I miss him most are when he was most annoying: trying to climb into the laundry basket while I was putting the dirty clothes into the washing machine, checking out the wet laundry in the dryer, or attempting to put his dirty self into my lap (or a friend’s lap) while sitting outside trying to enjoy dinner. Ahh, good times.

Last weekend I got rained out of the Saturday Market. It was dumping, literally. It was going when I got up at 6:30, and didn’t stop til mid-afternoon. It made me really happy, cause I had already called in and cancelled my spot, and that usually means that the weather will cooperate with the vendors who did not wuss out, and be pretty. But this time it just dumped, and made those of us who did wuss out feel pretty darn good about our decisions. And I had a great three day weekend instead, which is RARE for me.

We brewed beer, we built fires, I read a really crappy suspense novel, hung out with the dogs (we had Ruby too, that dog has really mellowed out! Kinda makes me have hope for Opal), fixed the truck (Brandon did that, his first time ever fixing something himself on a car, he was really proud), helped my dad rip up carpet, and made tomato sauce from the garden. Good weekend.

My parents are putting their house up on the market at the end of the month. Which means alot of last minute projects for them, all on a house that is BEAUTIFUL and will sell quick, I’m sure. Its in the Hollywood district, and pretty much on the best street for a kid to grow up on ever. They have lived there for 27 years, and are now looking for a home to retire in (but not anytime soon, they aren’t that old!). Its exciting for them, and I’m excited for them, but I am still sad. Its where I grew up, and I will still be spending alot of time in the neighborhood after they move because I have a bunch of friends there. Since my extended family lives far away, the families on this street ARE my extended family. Many of them have been there since I was little, in the case of one family, I am still best friends with their daughter! They are another set of parents for me.

So I will still see the ‘hood, but that house won’t be mine anymore. Its okay, whoever moves in will love that house too, I just hope they don’t do to much crazy stuff to it, I’d never survive!

Oh, and we also made our own ketchup last week! You have to make your own ketchup, you won’t ever want heinze again. Its amazing. The sad part is, it takes 4 quarts of tomatoes, and it cooks down to 5 little canning jars. As Brandon put it, these are all ours, we aren’t sharing!

Maggie