I am still trying to catch up on stuff from last summer. One of the best parts about living here is I get to enjoy the fruits of my Dad's labors in the yard. We are not serious gardeners around here, but Dad does grow tomatoes.
Here are his little tomatoes and bell peppers starting early in the summer.
And here is the jungle they became. We canned quite a bit of tomatoes and tomato sauce.
I've never really done much canning before the last couple of years. My parents had not canned much in years, but together we really got into it the last two summers. It's really not very hard. My dad bought a propane stove that we set up on the back patio, so we keep the mess and the heat outside the house. We can just hose down everything after. I have especially loved going through my grandmother's old recipe book and trying out her pickle or relish recipes. Although, it has lead to some confusion when they include lines like "2 milk pans of cukes" - I mean, how much is a milk pan?!
These are my favorite thing we canned this summer - my Grandma Johnson's recipe for mustard pickles.
We also canned dill pickles and bread and butter pickles. Can you tell we were drowning in cucumbers last summer? We made marmalade with the oranges and lemons my dad grows in the yard. Due to generous friends and neighbors who shared their harvest with us, we also made blackberry, stawberry and plum jam, as well as canned some beautiful pears. I never thought I would be into this sort of thing, but it is fun to still be pulling off our shelves now what we grew last summer.
Dad also grows some great flowers. Including a lot of calla lillies (my favorite flower) they planted for my wedding. Despite all the planting, I think there was only 1 calla blooming at the time of my wedding. Little did I know I would be enjoying them for years to come.
This is an amaryllis that a friend of my parent's planted when she was staying here. We get to think of her every years when it blossoms.
I am no great flower arranger, but this is an arrangement of roses and callas we made for a Relief Society activity. It's great to be able to cut this stuff right from the front yard! Thanks, Dad!
Here are his little tomatoes and bell peppers starting early in the summer.
And here is the jungle they became. We canned quite a bit of tomatoes and tomato sauce.
I've never really done much canning before the last couple of years. My parents had not canned much in years, but together we really got into it the last two summers. It's really not very hard. My dad bought a propane stove that we set up on the back patio, so we keep the mess and the heat outside the house. We can just hose down everything after. I have especially loved going through my grandmother's old recipe book and trying out her pickle or relish recipes. Although, it has lead to some confusion when they include lines like "2 milk pans of cukes" - I mean, how much is a milk pan?! 
These are my favorite thing we canned this summer - my Grandma Johnson's recipe for mustard pickles.
We also canned dill pickles and bread and butter pickles. Can you tell we were drowning in cucumbers last summer? We made marmalade with the oranges and lemons my dad grows in the yard. Due to generous friends and neighbors who shared their harvest with us, we also made blackberry, stawberry and plum jam, as well as canned some beautiful pears. I never thought I would be into this sort of thing, but it is fun to still be pulling off our shelves now what we grew last summer. 
Dad also grows some great flowers. Including a lot of calla lillies (my favorite flower) they planted for my wedding. Despite all the planting, I think there was only 1 calla blooming at the time of my wedding. Little did I know I would be enjoying them for years to come.
This is an amaryllis that a friend of my parent's planted when she was staying here. We get to think of her every years when it blossoms.
I am no great flower arranger, but this is an arrangement of roses and callas we made for a Relief Society activity. It's great to be able to cut this stuff right from the front yard! Thanks, Dad!
4 comments:
Way to go, Miss Holly Homemaker! That is so awesome that you canned so much delicious food. I have never canned anything. I tried to make strawberry jam one year (supposedly the easiest kind of jam to make) and it totally didn't turn out. Obviously I have a ways to go.
That sounds like a seriously amazing summer. I have dreams of learning to can. Your gardens are wonderful!
Thanks guys. You know me - Holly Homemaker :)
Cath - come on out this summer if you want a lesson :)
holy cow u canned a lot! I have thought about doing some canning... but then i'd have to garden and not so good at that... i'd like ur pickle recipe :) i guess u did a couple, how about the dill mustard one?
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