Things To Do When The Internet Is *Down*

It’s been a week without Internet…sorta’. They’ve been working on the underground DSL lines out here for about two weeks. Service has been sporadic at best. I did not realize how dependant I had become to the Internet…Google to be more specific. I go to Google for everything…I barely open a cookbook, dictionary or encyclopedia these days….I had to drag out the dictionary a couple of times this week...I ended up using Microsoft Office Word as my *go-to* dictionary. Thank goodness I had saved most of my families favorite recipes to a flash drive including my canning times. I wrote up a couple blog posts and saved them, too. I worked this week so computer time would have been limited anyway…but I did learn that I spend too much time on the computer…or Internet to be more specific. I got much more work out of myself than usual. I worked in the garden and actually cleaned up my garden mess instead of hoping someone else would do it. I spent more time with the bees and the chickens…not just a quick over-all look and then off to another project. I took the time to check out each chicken…I have 7 roosters, not the 4 I thought. I have 2 hens that should probably be put in the freezer (I won’t…they’ve become good friends), the hen house needs more shavings and straw and the honey needs to be harvested: NOW!

I Have To Cover The New Plantings:
I Have A Barn Cat Using My Beds For a Potty!!!
  Need To Make Sure The Grands Keep The
Gate To The Garden CLOSED!! 

I have a counter full of veggies I need to process. I had bell peppers, pimentos, chilies and anchos in the dehydrator. The last (hopefully) of the zucchini are drying right now. I have several pounds of red potatoes I’m processing in quart jars (I have a couple dozen pints already in the pantry). I hope to start the last of the tomatoes later today…I need to do the tomato canning I had planned on last weekend: Rotel, catsup and pizza sauce. I use the pizza sauce in just about all of my pasta dishes…it’s sweet and spicy: yummy! I cook down the Heinz tomatoes, run them through the Squeezo, put the puree in a huge roasting pan and reduce the puree overnight at 250 degrees…it should get really thick. I sweeten with honey to taste and add my salt and pepper to taste too…then into the jars and then my pressure canner (I don’t use a water bath canner for my tomato sauces). Viola’! This sauce then gets *doctored-up* when I start cooking with it…the spices and add-on can be Mexican, Spanish, Cajun, Italian…you get the picture…it’s a fantastic base.

Daily Harvest







Prepping The Zukes

My two granddaughters and I spent yesterday afternoon out in the fields picking green beans, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, butternut squash and watermelons. It’s not easy work, but they’re real troopers. I’m canning the green beans, tomatoes and pickling cukes. The butternut and watermelon will be dehydrated. I store about 100 butternut squash every year, what we don’t eat; I bake for the chickens on cold, wet days during the winter for a treat. I’m going to grind up the dehydrated butternut to add to bread and soups this winter…something new for me.

Heinz Tomatoes For Canning

Lucky Girls: 100 Acres of Watermelon

Little Lynda Showing Leah How To Find A Ripe Melon

Organic OP Moon and Stars Yellow Fleshed Watermelon



Green Beans Share The Watermelon Field:
The Girls' Would Rather Pick Melons



A Bit of Weekend Canning



Weekend before last weekend was the best!  My friend Paula and I canned about 150 pounds of tomatoes.  We planned on doing three to four hundred pounds…but  I lost my tomato picking help.  I had scheduled my son to bring out 4-5 ranch employees to meet me out in the tomato field on Thursday to pick for an hour…unfortunately I was called into work.  In a normal world, the fellows would have gone ahead and picked the tomatoes…but, my world is not normal.  I wasn’t there, so they stood around for 2 hours, and then went back to the shop.  My son picked them up and off to the next job they went.  Sam didn’t know they had not picked any tomatoes until later that evening when I asked him if he had my buckets of tomatoes.  We both just shook our heads when we put two-and-two together.  He didn’t know I had gone into work (I should have left him a message).  I picked my own tomatoes Friday early a.m. on my way to the cabin.  I managed to get several  5 gallon buckets full before I gave up.  It worked out for the best.  Paula and I processed the tomatoes we had and they filled up the only roaster I brought up and 2 BIG crock pots.  I reduce my sauces in electric roasters (I have 2, but could only find one).  Paula made apple sauce and pickled peppers along with her tomato sauce.  All in all it was a very productive weekend.  The weather co-operated and the old movies we watched in the evening were quite entertaining.  The canning left us exhausted, so we both slept in late and took a couple well-deserved naps.  Neither of us have the time to do more canning at the cabin this season.  She’ll be canning the rest of her garden and orchard produce at home with her family and I’ll be doing mine here at the house.



One Of Several Organic Tomato Fields



New Toy For The KitchenAid



I Ran The KitchenAid

Paula Ran The Squeezo...on the Deck!

Sauce In The Roaster

One of Two Crockpots of Sauce

Crockpot Applesauce

Pickled Peppers

Paula Trying to Get The *Shot*

Staging For The Perfect Photo

Sauces, Peppers and A Jar of Dehydrated Mushrooms

My Favorite Picture

Plumber: Take Two

Well, I met my plumbers...sorta'...one showed up. He was an hour and a half late, had no tools, measuring tape, paper and pen or a flashlight.  He didn't take notes and kept asking me dumb plumber questions...which I kept answering: "I really don't know...that's why I ran an ad for a plumber...I want the pipes repaired or replaced and then weatherized...then I need a toilet installed.  Here's the septic tank, the well house, the waterlines, the bath house where I want the toilet, bathroom sink, shower w/tub and here's the kitchen sink.  The pipes are all on the OUTSIDE of the buildings...nothing is under the cabin...see how the water comes shooting out when I turn the hot water line on?  I have to keep it closed off...I want that fixed."  I didn't even tell the guy I wanted an on-demand tankless hot water heater.  By the end of the interview, I asked him to give me a rough estimate to just replace the outside hot water lines, nothing else: just replace the hot water line.  He then told me he would charge me by the hour plus an additional $75 a day for fuel (he has a big dually).  I asked him if he had a smaller vehicle...nope. He just can't bid the job, because he doesn't know what it's gonna' cost until he prices things out and then estimates the things I need...yes, that's why I need a bid..."Nope ma'am, I don't do bids..by the hour, only."  Well, sir:  I don't need you to do my plumbing..bye.  The other fellow called and said he'd see me on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.  He never showed up.  Guy number three called from the bar in Butte Meadows late Saturday afternoon and asked me to come and pick him up and take him down to my cabin because he shouldn't be driving. I asked him hand the phone to the barkeep: ME: "Lou how long has this guy been sitting at the bar drinking?"  LOU: "Been here for a least 4 hours...whiskey and water with beer chasers..you don't want him down at your cabin."  ME: "Thanks, Lou...tell the guy I've hired somebody else." DAMN IT!!!!   I think my ad in Craig's List may not have been too bright of an idea...and here I thought it was a winner!

I was so frustrated with my plumber interviews I took a long ride on Sunday instead of heading straight home. I love the meadows that are just everywhere here...lots of cattle, wildflowers, old apple trees, broken down corrals and long ago cattle homesteads.  It was a nice calming drive. Again I was reminded how lucky and blessed my life really is.  I need to just relax, calm down and my plumber search will eventually come to fruition...no need to stress...life is too short.

These Three Meadows Are Less Than One Mile From
Each Other And Within Walking Distance From My Cabin

Lovely Old Apple Tree I'll Be Visiting In October

Stopped at Tractor Supply in Chico and picked up 3 Flock Blocks (Fall treats for the hens), 4 cases of pint canning jars and 10 boxes of regular lids and 10 boxes of wide lids...everything was on sale: $5.00 for a case of jars (and I had $1.00 off coupons) and $.99 for the lids (and I had $.50 off coupons)...so I did good!  My tomato canning weekend marathon up at the cabin is this coming weekend.  It looks like my friend Paula and I will be canning over 300 pounds again this year.  I purchased a fruit/tomato press for the Kitchen Aid and I will have my Squeezo.  I plan on doing 48 1/2 pints of tomato sauce, 48 pints of pizza/spaghetti sauce, 12 quarts of ketchup, 12 quarts of stewed tomatoes, 12 pints of stewed tomatoes and 24 pints of Tami's Rotel (you'll have scroll her great blog to find it...I printed the recipe and saved it).  I still have 15 pints of tomato sauce, 4 pints of pizza sauce, 4 quarts of spaghetti sauce , 4 quarts of stewed tomatoes and 8 quarts of whole tomatoes (won't do those again) from last year's canning. I know it sounds like a ton of tomato products, but I can for my whole family...I'm the "grocery store".  I'm also taking the dehydrator to dry my Thompson seedless grapes for raisins.  I've been drying figs for three days and think I have enough to tide us over for the Winter. 

Meeting The Plumber

I meet with one of three plumbers tomorrow and the other two on Saturday to see about the new toilet, tub and shower and winterizing the pipes to the cabin.  Things seem to take me so long to pull together.  The plumber that was suppose to meet up with the gals last weekend never did show up and they didn't let me know until I was already on my way up Labor Day weekend...so yesterday I ran an ad on Craig's List: Wanted Plumber to install toilet,  and winterize cabin plumbing up at Butte Meadows.  I do NOT pay by the hour, but by job...I will have the monies held in escrow.  It's beautiful up there right now and the trout are biting.  Please call: xxx-xxxx and leave a message.  I received more than a dozen calls is less than 12 hours...I had to pull the ad!  I must say, there's not a whole lot of good about this Great Recession...except you can get some great remodeling done and/or home improvements at some really reasonable prices...that is if you're lucky enough to still have a house!  Tomorrow after work I will head back up to the cabin.  My brother will meet me there, because he too wants to have some plumbing work done.  I'm going to stop at my friend's and pick some figs and other fruits from her orchard to can while I'm up in the mountains...can't wait.

The Sink and Washer Have Been Removed: The New Toilet and Vanity Will Be Installed Here

This Is A Hand Made Shower Stall...It's Been Removed and Will Be Replaced by a Huge Claw Foot Tub With Hand Held Shower and Outside Will Be an Outdoor Shower.

This Little Bench Sits Between The Shower and Toilet Area...This Has Been Cement Boarded In And Will Hold a Built-In Linen Closet

It's really going to be fun to see the looks on the plumbers' faces when they see this bath house!  I blew them away with Outhouse discussion...they thought I wanted to install a toilet in the outhouse!!!  Gosh I need to make myself better understood.

Not Nearly Enough Time In My Day!

Well, it's 1:00 p.m. and I have 12 pints of pickled beets, 12- 1/2 pints of poblano/ancho, pimentos and Hatch chili peppers each and 12 pints of apple butter cooling on my counter.  There's 12 pints of jalapeno pepper jelly and 12- 1/2 pints of the same in the water bath being processed.  I have the Asian pear juice for jelly waiting in the queue along with the last 20 pounds of Asian pears needing to be sauced. I have the figs and grapes in the fridge and the elderberries in the freezer waiting to be de-stemmed.  I don't think I'll finish by 3:00.  My feet hurt, the sink is piled with dirty dishes, the stove is a sticky mess where the pepper jelly boiled over...and oh my goodness, the floor: YUCKY STICKY GOO everywhere!! Gosh...I really LOVE canning!

Peeled Big Huge Beets

Beets Out of The Bath

Cut Up Asian Pears

Asian Pears Meet The Squeezo

Pear Sauce Cooking Down To Butter

Messy Kitchen With Pepper Jelly Cooling

Pepper Jelly Boil Over: YUCK!

Just to let you know, I'm over the CORN thing.  I went and looked at my pantry (lots of pints of corn there), then the freezer (yep, plenty there, too) and then of course this year I dehydrated two whole cases...so I think I have enough corn and it's okay with me for the tourists to enjoy their fair share.  Funny thing...one of the fellows that works for us put in a small patch of taco corn behind my mother-in-law's home (he lives in a small guest house on the property) and he dropped off several boxes of really buggie corn for the chickens.  I need to remind myself how lucky I truly am and quit being so whiny....but the kid at the stand was a snot!

Corn In The Pantry

Corn In The Freezer

Well I need to clean the kitchen, load up the little pickup with the canning supplies and get up to the cabin before dark.  It should be a nice couple of days...I've noticed the mornings down here are getting cooler...it should be a lot cooler up in the mountains...nice canning weather.

Canning Resumed

I haven't been doing my regular weekly canning since starting the new job and then there was the four day weekend at the cabin.  I'm planning on heading back up late Sunday afternoon and staying until Tuesday...so I've ramped up my canning to make up for lost time.  Early this a.m. I ran to the local ACE Hardware to pickup more jars: 2 cases for $11.00 and I had a handful of $1.00 off coupons....so I get 20 cases.  10 cases of regular mouth pints and 10 cases of 1/2 pints and quilted jelly jars....FLASH! Read the fine print dummy: pt. regular mouth (in English: pt.= pint).  Because I bought soaker hoses and hose repair kits and a few other on sale items I did not notice my mistake until I got home and reviewed the receipt...I'm not happy.  To add insult to injury: I took the long way home and stopped by my favorite corn stand (the reason I don't grow corn) and was told by some snot-nosed tweeker "We don't sell by the case."  Ok...give me 300 ears.  "No lady, then we'd run out and not have enough to sell to the TOURISTS on their way to the Coast or Lake."  Are you serious?  I know the guy that owns this stand, we're friends, my brother bought his first airplane from him, our kids grew up together: damn...so no more corn for me to can and put in my NOT 2 cases for $11.00 jars.  I'm canning Asian pears I rescued from the school lunch garbage...doesn't that sound yucky!?  I take a couple white 5 gallon pickle chip buckets of *thrown away* lunch foods to my chickens every day...they love the treats...I'm not a fan of the processed foods we serve the kids, but I'm ok with the chickens getting them.  The Asian pears are beautiful.  One of my Farmers Market vendors grows them.  We had over 6 cases served to the kids...I managed to save 2 five gallon pickle chip buckets of the pears.  Today I'm making *applesauce*, *apple* butter and  *apple* jelly.  I'm also putting up some more pickled beets, poblano peppers for chili rellenos, Hatch chilies, pimentos and jalapeno pepper jelly.  I have about 5 gallons of peaches to can and the same amount of figs and elderberries.  If all goes well I'll start dehydrating the peppers and then prep the Thompson seedless grapes for dehydrating so I can have raisins. Whatever I dont' finish by Sunday will go up to the cabin with me to be finished up there.  Gosh I hate hauling all those supplies up the hill...I wonder if this is the year I purchase a second set of canning supplies for the cabin...what do you think?