Tag Archives: canning

Complaining, Venting or Whining…Cannot decide!

August 15, 2014 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

In Psychology Today, complaining, venting and whining are described this way: “Complaining and whining can be distinguished by the nature of the dissatisfaction and by our motivation for expressing it. Complaining involves voicing fair and legitimate dissatisfactions with the goal of attaining a resolution or remedy. When we voice legitimate dissatisfactions but do so without the goal of attaining a resolution we are merely venting. And when the dissatisfactions we voice are trivial or inconsequential and not worthy of special attention, we are whining.” I guess I am slightly complaining in this post about what took place last night. Or, I guess you could consider it venting as it’s over and done with so there is no goal of resolution at this time and to some it could seem like whining since the first part of this post is inconsequential since it was yesterdays issues. Either way, here we go…

It’s been a year since being diagnosed with Lymes Disease and all of the wonderful co-infections that come along with. I am pleased to have come so far in my healing and really have nothing to complain about. That being said, I would very much enjoy getting through a day without a headache. For the last few weeks I have been getting these mild headaches that hit in the afternoons. Most of the time I get through them with a little peppermint oil on the temples and back of the neck, however, last night was very different. I was beginning to wonder if my husband should take me in to urgent care it was so bad. Usually laying down with my eyes closed helps, yet last nights migraine actually got worse as I lied down. Not sure what triggered it other than I was once again on my feet getting things done in the kitchen. It took 2 Aleve (which I hate taking unless absolutely necessary), 1/4 of a melatonin and 2 TBS of liquid Magnesium over an hours time frame before I could lay down and fall asleep without the continual throb that was keeping me wrapped up in the fetal position. Praise God I slept all night and woke up refreshed and surprisingly not tired.

Hence the reason I was unable to share what I accomplished yesterday as far as canning and fermenting. Well, we tried something new and I am excited to taste the end result.

Fermented Fennel, Onion, and Carrots – Taking the fennel and trimming it up, I then placed it in the food processor using the mandoline tool to slice it thinly. Doing the same with the onion and mixing together in a large bowl. I then switched out the food processor tool to the shredder and shredded the carrots. After mixing all together I added sea salt and mixed thoroughly once more. Gathering up some clean sterilized jelly jars I began spooning in the fennel salad mixture pounding each spoonful down into the jar with a wooden mallet. Leaving 1 inch at the top I then added 1 TBS fresh whey and filtered spring water. I will again leave these out for 3-7 days to ferment prior to putting them in the fridge. Burping daily of course. 🙂

The second recipe I made was supposed to be a fennel jelly. I thought maybe I could use the trimmings of the fennel to make a pepper jelly like sauce. Well, after boiling it down all it smelled and tasted like was apple cider vinegar. So, rather than throwing it all out, I went out to the freezer to find something to resurrect the ingredients. Well, it worked. It is really yummy too!

Cranberry, Fennel Chutney Sauce

1 – 1/2 Cups Fennel bulb and fennel trimmings

1 – 1/2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

5 to 6 Cups sugar (because I cannot do the sugar, I used birch tree Xylitol. Next time I would likely use only 4 cups as it was quite sweet.)

4 – 5 Cups cranberries, finely chopped

2 small onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. Cinnamon

I boiled down the Fennel, Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar until it came to a rolling boil for about 5-10 minutes. Then I strained out the liquid and placed it back on the stove adding in the cranberries, onion and cinnamon. I again brought it back to a boil. Turning off the burner I added natural pectin. Unfortunately I hadn’t followed the pectin recipe and it clumped up, so for future I would have kept the fruit and onions in the final product. This time however, because of the pectin clumping, I strained out the fruit pouring it into clean sterilized jars and put them into the hot water bath to seal. Serving it over some cheese with some crushed walnuts will be a yummy winters treat for the family.

Still have to do something with the beets and the cabbage. Maybe today!

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1Chronicles 16:11

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Why bother…?

August 14, 2014 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

(This painting hangs in my kitchen… It’s so me!)

Why fermentation? Why canning? Why grow your own food when you have grocery stores on every corner? Why go through the work?

Oh my, so many questions. I’ve heard it all. I’ve even heard, “Sherry you are too sick to be doing all of that”, or “I did all that when I was younger and see no need to keep doing it. I hated doing it then with my mother why would I do it now.” Well, the primary answer to everyones “why” about this topic is this:

Neighbor, “Yeah we have so many tomatoes this year that Sally (name changed) is thinking we should make some pasta sauce. We just aren’t sure what to do with so many.”

MY husband, “Oh yeah. Can the sauces so you have them this winter. It was great this last winter when Sherry was so sick and I prepared the meals, those canned sauces really helped out when I needed them.”

Neighbor, “Maybe they can help one another and do the canning together.”

Said and done! Two verses come to mind when I consider this conversation exchange. The first is from Proverbs 31:10- 18 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.” Keep in mind that as I type this I am aware that it sounds boldly prideful on my part to consider this verse and my husbands conversation. However, when you realize that the title of this portion of Proverbs is titled “A Woman Who Fears The Lord” you understand that all that I do is pleasing to the Lord. I understand who the Lord is and why I am here.

Now, I also must admit that the human side of my being, living in a self indulgent world also realizes that homemaking has become a taboo word for women. The thought amongst our peers is that we were either too stupid to make it doing anything else (and yes I’ve even heard of one persons interpretation of my being a stay at home mom described as “not being highly educated”) or we have an overbearing husband who chains us to the house without allowing us to have a mind of our own. That being said, I have to also admit that worldly thinking can and does creep in sometimes. My worldly thought on the conversation was this, “Thank you Lord that my husband appreciates the sacrifices I have made. I was not at the pool, tennis courts, golfing at the club, sitting down watching soap operas (are those still running?) or going out spending money with friends buying designer clothes and enjoying lavish expensive lunches (as many of my friends did at our last place of residence). I will consider this my paycheck… A wonderful compliment from my husband.” Now, being that I started it out as a sort of thanksgiving prayer, one would assume this was not worldly, however, I would argue with you that it was very selfish on my part to look to myself with pride expecting praise from someone for something I’ve done and sacrifices I made. Really? I’ve made no sacrifices, this is my JOB as a wife and mother. Going to the Word of God you see that Proverbs 31 has much more to say past verse 18. And, it’s all to please the Lord. Does that mean there is no laughter and fun? Of course not. There is great joy when you all sit down together for a meal, or when the aroma of dinner tantalizes your husbands nose when he walks in the door, and the pleasing look in his eyes when he knows that he doesn’t have to worry about one more thing after a full day of work away from those he loves.

Gardening, canning, fermenting, and housework is done to please the Lord. Not to please anyone else. Now, in pleasing the Lord, I am also pleasing the family. It’s a win win.

The second verse was from Titus 2:3, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Again, God honoring to teach the younger women (Sally) how to please the Lord by also pleasing, preparing, saving money and working for the good of the family.

Now, that I’ve shared what’s been on my mind the last two days, I need to share why it’s been on my mind. Yesterday began canning day. With the harvest coming in from our own garden and the local CSA it’s time to begin preparing for winter. Oh we enjoy enough of our harvest now, however, we also enjoy it all winter long. The first comment of my being too sick actually came to reality when I was on my feet all afternoon without sitting down for a break and by dinner time my right leg was numb and I felt like I was again dragging my right foot. Oh swizzle sticks! (as the little girl next door says) Today is a new day and we will try again. Taking breaks this time so as not to overdo.

Yesterday I canned the two day project I was working on. Chicken Stock. Yes, I canned it. I did some reading and educated myself so as not to ruin anyones day with illness. I made my chicken stock the day before, cooking it in the Nesco all day. Then I poured it into jars, refrigerated it and skimmed off the fat the next morning. I then put it back into a stock pot (2 – 3/4 gallons of it) just to the boiling point, poured it into clean hot pint jars, added a tsp. of salt and placed on the lids and began the canning process. Because water baths are not sufficient enough for chicken stock, I used two of my pressure canners at 10 lbs. of pressure for 20 minutes. I made 23 pints of stock. (See previous post last fall on making the chicken stock.) Disclaimer: I would NOT can any chicken that comes from the traditional conventional marketplace. I would only can organic, non-GMO fed chicken stock that was homemade with all organic ingredients using pure unadulterated water sources.

After the chicken stock I moved on to making fermented salsa. I took the beautiful ripe organic tomatoes from the CSA (mine are not done yet), one very large onion, a large bunch of cilantro and about 10-15 garlic. I put them all in the food processor and gently processed them down to a mildly chunky state and poured it all into a bowl. I took clean jelly jars and a few pints placing 1 tsp. salt and 1 TBS fresh whey in each. Then I scooped the salsa into each jar leaving 1 inch space at the top. Wiped each clean and put on the lids. I then shook the jars to mix in the whey and the salt. Placing them on the counter on top of a towel I then unscrewed the lid of the jar so the air would be able to flow. I will leave them on the counter from 3-7 days, burping the jars each day to release the fermented gases before putting them into the refrigerator.

Fermented foods have been a long tradition in many cultures and is wonderful to help aid in digestion. We see the importance of eating yogurt, this is the same only using fresh organic vegetables. Each month my doctor wants to know if I am continuing to eat my fermented veggies, juicing, kefir and kombuccha of which the answer is always yes. We both agree it helps tremendously.

Today, I will be creating and making fermented beats, fennel, cabbage recipes which I will share at the end of the week.

P.S. I am college educated with a 4 year degree. 🙂

Thank you Lord for the blessing of a family to care for. Thank you for the knowledge you have provided regarding health, nutrition, foods, and the human bodies response to unnatural man made resources. Thank you Lord for the daily strength that can only come from you as I open my eyes each day feeling weary. It is only through your almighty grace that I continue on. Lord I pray that I can honor you through all that I do, say and think. Help me to keep my focus on you and you alone so that all I do on this earth will be glorifying to you. Amen…

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Another Fall Favorite Recipe

October 29, 2013 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

A few years ago a friend of mine introduced me to a tomatillo. For those of you who do not know what a tomatillo is, it is a small green, tomato like vegetable that originally came from Mexico. The tomatillo grows inside a husk and when it is ripe, the tomato looking green vegetable fills out the husk and the husk splits open. Many times I find the tomatillo literally falling off of the vine when they are done.
The tomatillo has many vitamins making it a wonderful healthy treat on salads, in soups, or with a little bit of cottage cheese. The tomatillo has a sweet yet lemony taste to it. If picked too early, it can be quite tart.

This year, was my first attempt at growing them at my home as well as at my friends garden where we had an entire row of them. Just like the soup, the recipe I’m about to share is another one that I crave when thinking about fall and winter. It makes a yummy meal enjoyed throughout the colder months, and reserving any jars of it until the next harvest is nearly impossible. There are many uses for the Salsa Verde, however, my favorite is with chicken. This is such a simple recipe, whether you can the Salsa Verde yourself (my preference) or whether you buy it in a store. In fact, I shared it this weekend at our church’s fellowship potluck meal. Easy and quick to make.

Salsa Verde Chicken

1 pint Salsa Verde (recipe below)

4-6 Organic Chicken Breasts

4-6 slices, or 1 cup shredded Raw Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9×13 glass baking dish. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Place chicken in bottom of baking dish and pour the entire pint of Salsa Verde over the chicken. Make sure to cover every piece.

Bake covered with foil or glass cover in oven for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken is cooked through. Remove foil or cover and place cheese on top of each chicken breast. Close oven and cook another 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

For our fellowship meal, I boiled up some chicken breasts, cut them into round slices and poured the salsa verde in layers over the chicken in the crock pot. I then turned on the crock pot to low and cooked until ready to serve. (unfortunately, I forgot the cheese in this picture. )

Salsa Verde

Approximately 8 cups tomatillos, husk removed and washed

1 1/2 -2 cups chopped onions

2-4 hot peppers of choice, seeded and chopped

Approximately 1 cup chopped cilantro

Garlic cloves, I use about 6-8

1 Tbs. sugar, (optional)

1/2 cup lemon juice, (or use 1 cup and omit the lime juice)

1/2 cup lime juice, (or use 1 cup and omit the lemon juice)

2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup red peppers, mainly for color especially if you use a green hot pepper

I place all ingredients in the blender and blend until chunky smooth. Then you have the option of cooking it down on the stove for a few hours until much of the liquid evaporates, or go ahead and place into clean, sterilized hot jars for canning. The result of not cooking down is that the salsa verde will have a bit more liquid to it. If you do cook it down, it will also have a bit more of a potency to it as there is less liquid and the flavors will be more pronounced. Especially the peppers. I prefer to cook it down, however, if time does not allow, you will not have wasted your time in the above prep and can still can it. I did it without cooking it down two years in a row and it was just fine, just had a bit more liquid from the juicy tomatillos.

Be sure to leave a 1/2 inch at the top of the sterilized hot jar when filling. (I always add an additional 1/2 tsp. per pint of salt after filling the jars.) Wipe clean the rim and place the heated tops on the jars and the ring. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for approximately 20 minutes.

Keep in mind that if you buy the salsa verde in a store, my experience is that they usually are much spicier than the home made.

If you have leftovers, get some tortilla shells, roll up the salsa verde chicken in them and place them in a baking dish smothered with the leftover sauce (omitting some of the liquid) and bake until heated through. Top with cheese, a little shredded lettuce, sour cream and serve. Makes a nice lunch the next day.

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Healthy Eating starts in the Home

October 13, 2013 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

Genesis 1:29
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

People ask me quite often how long have I been eating healthy and organic. I tell them it’s been a 20 year journey. Honestly, it began just after my husband and I were married. I read a book that helped me to see beyond what I thought I knew about food. To add to that book, my cousins soon to be husband had a heart transplant and his doctor told him to only eat real butter, real sausage, real foods. If you cannot pronounce it, stay away from it. I remember thinking how different that was from what I was buying and from what I had known about food. I mean, isn’t low fat supposed to be good for you? Shouldn’t vegetable oils be good for cooking? What do you mean real sausage and real meats? What about all the fat?

When we were starting our family, I read about MSG not being good for you so I checked every label and avoided it when I was pregnant. I learned about High Fructose Corn Syrup when our son was very young, so we avoided it and only let him have soda on special occasion (although now, it’s completely avoided). By the time our daughter was born, I was learning about organic foods and was already buying it when I could. When our son was 5 he was tested for allergies and we found out he was allergic to tomatoes, wheat and dairy. So, once again I read all I could and changed what the pantry held. When we moved to our current home, in a completely new state, I learned about raw foods, Kombucha, beet kvass, fermenting, soaked and dried nuts, and my all time favorite book Nourishing Traditions and the Weston Price Foundation.

More recently, with my Lymes diagnosis, 3 of the 4 of us testing positive for Celiac, and food intolerance testing, 3 of us needed to again rethink how our bodies handled the food choices we made. We now eat nearly 100% organic and most of our meals are cooked in our kitchen. We belong to several food co-ops for discounts and eat raw as much as possible. This summer we had two gardens and also our CSA vegetable share.

I have learned over the past 3 years that from August through early October life will be spent canning all that the harvest produced. Canning Chili sauces, Salsa Verde, Pasta Sauce, Victory Sauce, beans, Ketchup, jams & jellies, fruits, and fermenting pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, carrots, corn relish and oh so much more. Another great process to keep some of the fruits is to dehydrate them. Great snacks for the family on road trips or when your walking through Disney. 🙂

There is nothing like opening the cupboard or fridge and seeing it filled with the harvest that you spent the summer caring for with tenderness and eagerness. This year, my mom, my daughter and one of my dear friends were a tremendous help since I was getting sick half way through the summer. Canning and preparing the harvest for winter is not easy. It’s literally a labour of love.

The journey has been long, yet well worth it. People ask me why we eat the way we do when we still get sick or in my case, I still have Lymes. I tell them that I feel this journey has been a blessing. It’s been one that has taught our children more than a conventional health class, and is continuing to teach skills that will carry them through adulthood for the benefit of their own families one day. By growing your own vegetables, canning your own harvest, and preparing and utilizing what you have for future meals saves money as well. We don’t spend as much over the winter months when we have all we need in the cupboards.

Along with my blogging of Why? I look forward to sharing some of our favorite menus, recipes, and healthy household alternatives that have been learned through many years of studying and research. I tell everyone that it’s not something you can just do in a day, it’s a process. Just like a new Christian and his/her sanctification, it will not happen over night.

When you think about it, what could be better than God’s naturally grown foods!

Why?

Why a Blog?

September 14, 2013 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

Why start a Blog? During uncertain times it seems there is so much to say.

It’s canning season and I find myself wondering why more women do not spend time canning God’s wonderfully grown vegetables and fruits so they may warm the bellies of their families during those cold winter months. The answer is always clear, there isn’t time. Running from work, to school, to after school activities, meetings, exercise classes, sports games and all the extras society wants us to believe are important. What ever happened to sitting down with family to discuss the day’s trials, watching a good movie or better yet reading a book, picking the fruits of the earth, or teaching a child what it means to be a child. I pray for all women around the world today, that they find a connection with the Lord and that they find the time to hear the birds chirping in their yards, make a chocolate cake for their family, and smell the flowers that their children pick.

Why do I think of such things? Likely because I find myself with much time to do so. As my very active lifestyle has come to a bit of a halt and I must slow down. You see, I was recently diagnosed with Lymes disease. The fatigue is horrible , yet the pain in my joints and muscles is an even greater distraction as it wakes me up even during the night. I feel as though I am dragging my foot even though it plants itself on the ground every time I place it there. As my family and friends are supportive and loving, I still find myself resting while they go on with life and activities I am unable to expend the energy to participate in. I am determined that this will be short term, I take precautions and am following a strict healing protocol. The time resting has helped me delve into books again, catch up on my quilting and try to can the veggies that I worked all summer to grow. This of course is taking 4 days during a week vs. the one it usually takes. One could also add in that I’ve been spending quite a bit of time thinking and praying.

That is why I am blogging. I feel like I finally have the time to share with others things I’ve learned in the last 40+ years of being a daughter, 20 years of marriage, 18 years of motherhood, 6 years of homeschooling and a life long career in observing God’s creations. Perhaps too, I feel it is also healing to write about my thoughts pondered and share with others who possibly have something to say and need an inspiration.