Roger's View

Roger is currently at Camp Marmal in

Afghanistan

 

Its a German base where only Euros are used.

Applesauce again

Okay, maybe it's time I admit that I've gone too far.

I guess its just a distraction from my boys being gone.

Weck Canning Jars

So look at these jars!  They are beautiful!

They are not cheap, and all the blogs explain that they are more difficult to use and are not for beginners.  Please! I can do ANYTHING.

Yeah well ... I didn't do so well.

They do not have the two top system that pings.  They are jars that haven't changed since the late 1800s so they have a rubber gasket and glass top.

How do you know if its sealed?  The tab on the gasket points down (see pic)

 More than 1/2 my weck jars have failed and are now in the frig.  

They are beautiful, but what a pain in the ass!

A moment of Zen, Ruined by a Pointer

I love a nice long HOT bath.
Everyone should have a nice big soaking tub. Last night I was taking a bath, after a very long week at work.
It was quiet and I must have almost been asleep, when....Daisey jumps into the tub on top of me, scaring the CRAP out of me!

I've never had a dog that likes the water, and Daisy loves water. It never occurred to me that she would "join" me. She scared me, and I must have scared her because she jumped out and proceeded to run her soaking wet body through my house!

Basket, Smashket

I volunteered to create a "basket" for a Pointer Rescue Fund Raiser.

 I started out trying to put the toys in a large bucket, but I quickly realized that the basket shrink wrap was more creative than I could muster.

So, here is what I ended up with.

I prefer function over "fluff".

Now I have to send it to Nationals for a silent auction.

I would totally bid on this, wouldn't you?

Yes that is a foot long rubber chicken in a bikini...

Blame it on the HoneyCrisp

The whole reason I decided to learn to can was because of the HoneyCrisp apple.

 Last year I discovered these apples at a local orchard.  I've spent 11 months (as have my colleagues) waiting for HoneyCrisp apples.  I decided the only way for me to be able to have them all year long was to can them.

I made lots of applesauce and apple butter.

This was alot of work. The apples have to be cooked, and then put through a food grinder.

 I've spent all weekend working on this. I now have a more automated food grinder on order.

 Apple butter takes applesauce 10 hours in the crock-pot to reduce

The applesauce is really good - the apple butter... is okay, I'll have to see what the critics say.