Canning Gone Wild...

There are few things in my life that bring me joy that is indescribable, especially when it comes to being domestic. There are tons of things I love to do like scrapbook, play rockband, and other such things. But there is not much in the domestic realm of life that I enjoy as I do it, and love to sit and look at my completed work when it's done, but canning is the top of that short list. Too many other things you do being a mom are so repetetive, as soon as you finish a load of laundry all the way through the process to folded and put away in a drawer there is already another load of something waiting. It is never finished no matter how much you do it. Dishes, dinner, and cleaning the house are the same things. They never stay done. It always seems you do do dishes just in time to dirty them making the next meal, as soon as you mop something gets spilled on the floor and it needs to be redone. Most of the things you do around the house are that way. You spend time cooking a meal that then you have to convince, cajole, trick, or force your kids to consume let alone enjoy. And it doesn't seem to matter what it is, and how much they like it, rarely does everyone just eat quickly, and enjoy a meal you make. Now I know that part of my job is to teach children to experience new foods and get used to them so hopefully they are more like John and like everything and less like me and way too picky, but it gets really old day in and day out. But canning, oh the joy of canning. Why do I love to can???

1. Typically you do it with a friend, and you just visit while you work.
2. You are usually sharing the load wtih the friend giving you a feeling of friendship
3. The array of colors you find in the jars is just beautiful
4. Knowing that I've followed a prophet by obeying a commandment to prepare my family's food storage gives me peace
5. Knowing that we can eat even if we have no money relieves fear.
6. Knowing we are eating things that have less preservatives making them healthier
7. They taste way better than store canned
8. Finding something at a great price and knowing you couldn't buy the not as good stuff for that cheap.
9. Knowing that most if it will stay in your cupboard for many months to come reminding you of what you accomplished.
10. Knowing you won't have to do it again for a LONG time to come.

But I just love to sit and look at the rows and rows of food I canned all by myself or with friends. The next week I can sit and look at what I accomplished and it's still accomplished. I absolutely love that!

So over the last month, I have canned for my family 75lbs of tomatoes, and 50lbs of peaches, and 10lbs of carrots. WOOHOO!! I also have gotten to help some friends learn to can some things like peaches and chicken. I've had over the last year or two the opportunity learn to can many fun things that I had never known you could can. In the last 12 months I have canned:

1. peaches
2. peach pie filling
   
3. apple pie filling
4. applesauce
5. pearsauce
6. whole tomatoes
7. diced tomatoes
8. potatoes
9. spaghetti sauce
10. beef chunks
11. chicken
12. pork
13. hamburger
14. sausage
15. carrots
16. beans of many asst types
    
17. jam's of many flavors
    
18. and butter!

Also, in a jar, but airvac instead of water bath I did chocolate chips, rice, millet and other things like that, that you can't do in normal #10 cans! Too much fun!
Recently, it has been said to have 3 months supply of foods you use on an every day purpose. So I am always looking for ideas of meals and such I can use with the items I store. I have started with my "sevens". 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 7 dinners. Putting as close to a well rounded meal as possible. The theory of the 7s is if you are doing a 3 months supply of every day meals, you would store the supplies to make each 7 meal 12 times. That provides each meal once a week. You start it one meal at a time or one month at a time. So here is my list of 7s.

Dinners

2. Spaghetti
3. potato soup and crackers
4. Chicken & Rice casserole
5. pork enchiladas & beans & rice
6. chili and cornbread
7. beef stew
8. shepherd’s pie

Lunches

1. Macaroni and cheese
2. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
3. chicken salad sandwiches
4. meat & peaches & crackers
5. hotdogs
6. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
7. shredded beef and barbeque sandwiches

Breakfasts

1. oatmeal
2. cold cereal
3. waffles
4. pancakes
5. peach cobbler
6. muffins & applesauce
7. apple crisp

So that has been my fun lately! Tell me your 7s if you have any cause I'm always looking for ideas