Salsa, Relish and Pickles

My First attempt at pickles.  These are bread and butter, they were so easy.  I used a Ball packet of spices and I'm going to compare that to the recipe my mom made when I was a kid.  Pickles have to sit a few weeks.... to pickle. 

 

 

Then I tried Salsa.  Salsa is a bit tricky to do in a water bath (NOT attempting a pressure cooker my first year) !A water bath canner can be used for high acid (tomatoes and pickles) and high sugar (Jams and Fruit)

 Salsa needs more acid to be able to be safely canned because of the onions and peppers, so you add ALOT of vinegar.

I ended up with PICKLED AWFUL salsa.  I canned a few jars and then added more than a pound of brown sugar to the mix to try to cut the vinegar.  I've ended up with a sweet/spicy mix that we are now calling "relish".  I guess relish can be what ever you want it to be.  I can see this working well on Chicken.  I think I saved it.

Note:  My neighbor explained to me that you often put vinegar on collard greens and he thinks the vinegar salsa might work really well on greens.  I'll gladly give it ALL to him.

I really don't have time for this ... but apples are coming and I've got to get them done before I go on vacation!

How Crazy Daisy spends her days....

 

A love-bite for her foster brother.

A little chewing exercise

 

Bringing her foster Dad his shoes

 

Basking in the pool

(Yes, I mowed today)

On the butterfly chase

My prince?

I stepped outside last night (barefoot) and about stepped on this guy.

He scared the crap out of me!   He's the size of a small dog!

I screamed like a girl

For my boy, blackbery jam

When Spenser found out I made Peach jam, he asked for blackberry.

When he found out I made Strawberry, he was a little louder about where the blackberry was.

So blackberry jam I finally tried.  I come from a place where blackberry's grow along side the road.  And now they want me to pay 4 dollars/quart!?!  This is 20 dollars worth of blackberry's!  That is absurd!

AND .. these blackberry's were not sweet - they were very tart.  I had to add lots of sugar, and in turn lots of pectin.  Turns out, my pectin didn't dissolve well, and a couple are lumpy ... another lesson learned.

At this cost, they are going in these little 4oz jars!

Strawberry Preserves

This was super easy, and I must say...

They turned out so good ... I might not share!  Yum!

Roger and I visit Luray Caverns

http://www.luraycaverns.com

 

Discovered in 1878

 

This is an actual reflection

 

It is estimated that it took 4 million years to make.

Peach and Tomato canning

Well, I started out with grand plans of jars and jars of peaches.

Turns out, peaches are difficult to make look pretty. We ended up with some peaches, but lots of jam.  We (Roger helped) made Vanilla Peach jam and Cinnamon Peach Jam.

 

White and yellow peaches

 

Jam making

 

We then moved on to tomatoes.  They were MUCH easier.

End result!

All jars "pinged" and are sealed ... so I think we did it.
It was alot of work, and I made a sticky mess - but I kinda liked it.

I'm trained for this ... kind of, sort of... Okay not really

I am trained in sterile technique, so I'm thinking I outta be able to figure this out.

I have to get THOSE peaches, in THOSE jars in a way that keeps botulism out of it.

Okay so, I don't know what I'm doing ... but I'm gonna try canning.  Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Meet Daisy-Mae

Our next foster is Daisy-Mae.  She is a 5-6 month old lemon/white little girl.

She was with her breeder until she was about 4 months old, and then has been in another rescue situation for the last month.

Her breeder did NOT socialize her.  She is timid, but not really scared.  It's just that everything is new to her and she has to learn.

She thinks she is the "Great White Hunter".  She loves things that fly, and holds a beautiful point.

She loves the water, unlike any pointer I've seen.  She lays in it, at times with only her nostrils out.

Transporting a dog by ground and air

Once in a while I help out with a transport.

This is where we move a dog from one place of the country to another.  Sometimes it involves 3 people, sometimes 20.  This time it took a bunch of people and A PLANE.

 Pointer Rescue had tried to move Waldo twice before, only for such a long transport not to fill. This time a wonderful gentlemen stepped in and offered to fly him from Indiana to Maryland for us.

I was on the Maryland side to pick up Waldo.

When I asked the Pilot "Where you coming to Hagerstown anyway"?  He said "No, I just wanted to save people a bunch of driving".  He was turning around and going back home.

If I didn't already have a foster coming to my house, Waldo would have stayed with me.  He was such a gentlemen.

Thank you to everyone that helped plan, beg, drive, put up and fly Waldo to us.

Forced Early Harvests

I planted most of the potatoes and onion in these "Grow bags"

The biggest advantages to these should be being able to plant anywhere and harvesting

 

Since the bugs ate all the leaves off, I thought that I should harvest one of the bags of potatoes.  I will leave one bag to see if they can survive.

I dumped them out on a tarp and started spreading it out.

 

This might be part of the reason my onions didn't make it.  

It is the only garden thing he got into.

 

My bug forced harvest

  

I might add, these potatoes were fabulous!

More hungry garden pests

F&!GO*%$!!

Now, what the heck are these bugs? They kinda look like big lightening bugs, the first night they ate all green on my potatoes, and now they've cleared a tomato plant.

Bugs seem to love my organic ideas.

An eaten tomato plant

Eaten Potato plants

I've found that garlic oil (from Costco) with baking soda (for my white powdery mold), and milk seem to work the best.

The problem is that I didn't pre-treat so by the time I realize they are there - they've cleared a crop in one night.  I guess I need to just start spraying every few days.

.... Why would you put a nest there?

Really?  You put a nest with 3 baby birds in this small tree, with this at the bottom?

This is what bird dogs do!

Piston goes home

Piston found his forever home and headed to Tennessee today. It was sad to see him go as we were just thinking about keeping him.  Ollie loves Piston

That is Ollie growling.  He sounds like he is viscous, he's just playin

Piston's new name is Smithey Piston.  I'm told it's because in the south you have to have two first names.

We found him a wonderful home were he will be spoiled and go to doggie daycare.  I hope to post some updates on him soon.

It was sad to hand him off today to his new Aunt and family.  They were leaving DC from a vacation and are taking him to his new mom.

... Be a good boy Piston.  We miss you already.

Today's Haul

Turns out some day I just might be able to be self sufficient.

Squash - or - Watermelon?

I need help identifying what is growing in my garden.

Is this acorn squash - or watermelon?  I know the little green one is just a small gourd.

Actually... what's the difference between a squash and gourd?

You eat one and not the other?

2010 Baby Chicks

We purchased another batch of baby chicks.  I think there are about 40ish. The post office called me today to ask me if i wanted to pick them up early.

We learned alot about chickens with our last batch.  How better to care for them, protect them, and how to get colorful eggs.  We lost a couple to dogs and a lot more to foxes, but ended up with many many wonderful eggs.

 We purchased quite a variety this time, but it's hard to tell based on the chicks.  We purchased white and brown egg layers, green and really dark brown egg layers.  Less chickens with "head gear", because they can't see well and aren't the smartest things.

These chicks will be living in the coop fenced off from the big chickens as it is warm enough for them to survive with just some extra heat.

DEATH TO THE GRASSHOPPER!!!

 WTF?  

The grasshhoppers have eaten my squash, literally overnight.

Last night when I watered they looked perfect (and I've been harvesting lots!) and between last night and now the grasshoppers have found them!

I have a huge locust investation, this is just a small picture, they are covering my fence, all the tree trunks and anything green I have.

How do I get rid of them?  I'd like to be "green" about it, but I'd be up for about anything right now!

 

If they go near my tomatoes, I'm pulling out the pesticide!