It was too late in the day to start canning, so I put away everything that I could. Then I opened one of the 6 lb. bags of frozen hash browns, filled my dehydrator trays and got them to drying. Six pounds of hash browns dehydrates down to two quarts of potatoes. One bag done - three to go.
Sunday morning I started on the 20 lbs. of sausage. I browned it, drained it and packed it into jars. Into the pressure canner it went. I got 24 half pints and 9 pints of sausage crumbles plus 40 sausage patties in the freezer.
There are a whole lot of onions in a 50 lb. bag! The second batch of chopped onions is drying now, and it will probably take me until the end of the week or longer to finish drying the whole bag. But I sure am glad to have them.
I needed a break so I checked Facebook to see what my kids were up to. The first photo I found was of my oldest daughter. She is on a business trip to Florida. I'm not sure exactly where she is, but the photo had the caption, "Should I take this baby alligator home?"
Youngest daughter had posted a picture of my granddaughter Nicki's first day of school - both first grade and Senior year. When Jeri called this afternoon I told her I thought Nicki wouldn't let her take a first day of school picture. Jeri said she didn't give Nicki a choice. It is her last school year. Mom was getting a picture. I wonder where the time went. Seems like only yesterday that first picture was taken.
Oldest son in Phoenix posted this picture taken this morning. This is a freeway.
He called me earlier today to see if I had seen the picture. I told him I thought Arizona had "dry heat." He laughed and said that the storm in California was sending rain to Phoenix and there was widespread flooding. He said he was OK where he was, but there were people stranded everywhere. They either got caught in the water or didn't realize it was as deep as it is and just drove in only to get stuck there. He told me about a police SUV driving out of the water with people clinging to the top of the vehicle after they were rescued. I said I supposed I had better not tell him what nice weather we are having here in Minnesota. He said come February, we'll talk.
So I've goofed off enough. Time to get back to chopping more onions for the next dehydrator batch. Will post as time permits. It is a lot of work right now, but I surely am glad to be able to restock and will be even more glad to have all of this on the shelves come winter.
Isn't it great to be stocked and feel ready for Winter!? I have been taking inventory of the pantry and basement this last while. Have just a few more things to get and I could probably hibernate for a good long while! The Winter winds can be bitter cold here in the NW part of Texas...comes down out of Canada and Colorado with nothing but a barbed wire fence to slow it down! :) it really rests a body's mind to be prepared. Don't work too hard and flare up ole arthritis again, ya hear! I can surely relate to that. Take care.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
CottonLady...Yes, it really relieves the mind to be well stocked before the cold blustery time of year. With our bitter winters here in Minnesota, I would be perfectly content to stay home from December until April! I, too, have a few odds and ends to get yet, but the worst of it is done. I am pacing myself so as not to irritate the arthritis. Much of the work can be done while sitting, as chopping onions, etc. I know you understand what that is all about.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!!!!! Happy Dance For You! Pace yourself.. I know I should take my own advice.....but do pace yourself....wish I was closer we would blast through all those goods in no time!!!
ReplyDeleteMary...I tend to think that I can work like I did 30 years ago. Not so!! I learned a hard lesson when I was laid up this spring, so I am more careful these days. I only have one more canning session this week - 4 large bags of frozen blueberries that I'm breaking down into half pint jars that are just right for pancakes, muffins, etc. (or a nice evening snack). Sams hamburger was the same price as the grocery, so I will get that in another week or so to can. I wish you were closer too, but not so much for the help. I have lots of time these days, so now that I have the basics covered, there is no real rush to hurry up and get it all done quickly.
ReplyDeleteWow - that was quite a haul! Glad you're working through it - just not sure I'd want to dehydrate 50lbs of onions... ;)
ReplyDeleteDani...I'm not crazy about dehydrating 50 lbs of onions either, but when I can get them in that quantity at half the price I would pay at the grocery, to say nothing of having help hauling them home, it is well worth it. And once dried, they will keep for years. I am doing more and more of that kind of thing now, considering how uncertain our future is. I would rather buy in bulk and have it stored away as opposed to believing the stores will always be open and full of food or believing that the prices will never go up!!
ReplyDeleteDarned good thing I like the smell of onions. :)
I'm speechless. We have some stocked but not as much as we should. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteRob...Keep in mind that I do things differently than many folks. I have limitations on how much I can carry home from the grocery at one time, so when the opportunity arises to go hog wild and stock up when I have help, I take full advantage of it. And basically, I have just me to take care of. So I can pick and choose where I want my money to go. You don't have that option much of the time because you are taking care of your family. I don't have to buy things like diapers or school supplies. Makes a big difference in having the ready cash for stocking up. I think you do a great job. I didn't do near as well when I still had family living with me.
ReplyDeleteAre these not the strangest times?
ReplyDeleteYou did well to stock up. I did the same here not long ago, filling the pickup with nice to have items. Partially because of general unease with how the world is going, and partially because I was concerned there would be some kind of attack on 9-11 and that would set off panic buying.
Harry... Yes. These times are unlike any I have ever seen. It is kind of like a collective holding of breath, waiting to see what will happen next. I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteWhen the opportunity presented itself, I stocked up for the very same reasons, plus the fact that I really don't want to be fighting ice and snow over the winter. Much better to stay in my cozy apartment! Some folks just store, but I use from my storage every day, so there are still holes to be filled, but at least I was able to get enough of the basics to get me through. That's a good feeling.