Peaches

This year I wanted to try something a little different than just canning peaches. I bought some delicious local peaches. I'm surprised we had any left to can because they were so good we kept eating them.

I don't remember now who I heard talking about brandied peaches but it sounded pretty good so I went looking for a recipe.

I actually learned something. You can put a peach in hot boiling water and then in cold water (like tomatoes) and the skins come right off.

Lee helped with the "skinning" and all the slicing.

Then I measured out 4 pounds of sugar covered with water & brought to a boil. Yes, you read that right 4 pounds of sugar. I read it, then read it again and then read it one last time to make sure 4 pounds was the right amount

I then added the peaches.

The almost finished product.

Doesn't this look yummy? I sneaked a taste and it was good!!!

The finished product.

Happy Birthday Charlie

Yesterday my baby turned 4 years old.

About 2 weeks ago I picked Charlie up from preschool and as we driving along I looked at him in the rear view mirror and at that point said to myself, "He has lost his baby looks and he looks like a little boy." I came home and told Lee that my baby was all grown up. I knew this day was coming but it came really quick. Me & Charlie made a deal. He told me that when it was just us I could still call him a baby but not around other people.

Charlie was so excited to open presents that we did not make him wait for his party to open the ones from us and some others who could not not make it to the party.

Here are a few favorites (or maybe just the ones that he half-way looked at the cameres).

Spiderman Silly Bandz

Batman over-the-door basketball hoop

Batman toy

I buy the boys a book every year for their birthdays. At the school book fair I found Charlie's Superhero Underpants....now who can resist that title??

Batman Cake (thank you Erica!!)

Lesson Learned

I have really enjoyed canning the last several years. There is something very satisfying about preserving fresh, locally grown food for your family to enjoy.

I decided to try banana peppers this year. I love to add banana peppers to my sandwiches & I was able to get fresh banana peppers at the Farmer's Market on Saturday from our good friends at Correll Farms. As you can tell from the picture below they have all kinds of peppers (& a lot of other vegetables) which they grow at their farm.

I looked in my trusty canning book for a recipe but could not find one for banana peppers so I went straight to the Internet. I found several recipes and they were all pretty much the same.

I mixed vinegar, sugar, pickling salt & water together and brought to a boil. In the meantime, I began cutting the banana peppers into rings. It clearly stated to wear gloves while cutting the banana peppers but do you think that I wore gloves? Of course I didn't! I prepared my jars & went to ladle the vinegar mixture into the first jar and WOW that opened up my eyes. I got all the jars prepared and placed in the canner. While the jars were processing I washed my hands really good and started cleaning up and then I got the "sensation." It was the feeling like my hands at "fallen asleep." I washed my hands again and then again......

Needless to say if my banana peppers turn out tasty and I decide to can them again I will be wearing gloves....lesson learned.

Here is my finished product.

The recipe suggested I wait 2 weeks before eating them so I'll have to report back on how they taste then.