Spring

It is amazing to me, the turning of the seasons. Watching how the natural world progresses. When I was younger, I abhorred the fact that I had to spend so much time at work doing something that seemed so senseless as collecting more numbers for a bank account no matter what it was that I was collecting, selling or creating. It wasn't tangible to me. I never felt a sense of accomplishment. When I made mention of this once, and only once, an older woman chuckled at me and said that my job paid for my house, food, car and everything else. I was gently admonished, but it filled me with a since of pity because of the dependency I had on someone else to help me do what I needed to do. I accepted it, began a career and have been unhappy with it. While I know that I will never be able to get away from a need for employment because I will have to have money no matter how frugal, no matter how self sufficient and reliable I am, it doesn't mean that I have to slave to the system.

Spring is coming and all winter I have despaired over the fact that I will have no garden this year as I am moving north shortly. My family is already there, our lives are in a storage unit and I am stuck here until the end of my assignment staying with good friends. The closer my move comes, the more entertaining the ideas of what I will do to the property when I get there. While I have sat and pondered this while pouring through seed catalogs and looked endlessly at the species of orchard trees I will purchase, I can't help but be excited that I will get to do all of this and prepare for the first actually planting that I will get to do next year. The sting of having to spend most of my time in the service of someone else doesn't seem so difficult to bear when I weigh it against how much I'll not have to spend because I'm busy growing, making it and just doing the home chores myself.

I have taken my initiative from such people as Patti Moreno, Rhonda Hetzel, Fred Dunn, Gayla Trail, and so many more and I hope you can, too!

Good Read

http://www.journeytoforever.org/seeds.html

Almost done

We're almost done. It has been a very hard last couple of weeks but we're nearly done with getting everything out. I'm just beat! But we're pleased even if we're sore, exhausted and ready to hit a spa and lounge in a jacuzzi (I so wish!).

I'm very pleased that we're nearly finished, not only could we all use a rest before I put the family on a plane, but we can all use some time together before they all fly off to the other side of the country. I'm looking forward to the time period between them leaving and me arriving passing by with lightning speed. I don't want to be away from my husband, children and pets.

On a very cool note, friends of ours that are putting me up so that I can save up as much fundage as possible, are considering taking their vacation around the time that I'm leaving so that I don't have to trek across country alone in a 24 foot truck with a mini van dangling off the back of it alone. Which I think is very cool. It also means that I won't have to get the biggest truck, I can get the smaller one and not have to pay as much. Which also means less open space and less damage to stuff.

Getting everything squared away is somehow very satisfying if not exhausting. This move came as a very difficult decision, there were many factors that played their hand in it. It is probably the worse possible time every in the world to move and start over but we're just not finding what we need where we are. The planning began before this nightmare that is our economy began to come into full swing, but we're going to march on and hopefully we'll come out on top for it.

Wish us luck!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Canning Butter

Canning Butter

Use any butter that is on sale. Lesser quality butter requires more shaking (see below), but the results are the same as with the expensive brands.

Heat pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals. One pound of butter slightly more than fills one pint jar, so if you melt 11 pounds of butter, heat 12 pint jars. A roasting pan works well for holding the pint jars while in the oven.

While the jars are heating, melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a large spatula, stir the bottom of the pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes at least: a good simmer time will lessen the amount of shaking required (see below). Place the lids in a small pot and bring to a boil, leaving the lids in simmering water until needed.

Stirring the melted butter from the bottom to the top with a soup ladle or small pot with a handle, pour the melted butter carefully into heated jars through a canning jar funnel. Leave 3/4" of head space in the jar, which allows room for the shaking process.

Carefully wipe off the top of the jars, then get a hot lid from the simmering water, add the lid and ring and tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool. Once a few lids "ping," shake while the jars are still warm, but cool enough to handle easily, because the butter will separate and become foamy on top and white on the bottom. In a few minutes, shake again, and repeat until the butter retains the same consistency throughout the jar.

At this point, while still slightly warm, put the jars into a refrigerator. While cooling and hardening, shake again, and the melted butter will then look like butter and become firm. This final shaking is very important! Check every 5 minutes and give the jars a little shake until they are hardened in the jar! Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.

Canned butter should store for 3 years or longer on a cool, dark shelf. Canned butter does not "melt" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated upon opening, provided it is used within a reasonable length of time.