Pressure Canning: Garden Vegetable Medallion Soup

We have been getting ready for the fair.  Anna and I made up this one today. 

Garden Vegetable Medallion Soup

2 C shelled peas
2 C diced green beans
2 C zucchini medallions - 1/4" thick
2 C new red potato medallions - 1/4"
3 C carrot medallions - 1/4"
4 C sweet corn (cut off cob)
5 LARGE tomatoes, diced with skins on
10 C water
diced parsley, S & P to taste

Put all in a kettle - heat only till hot DO NOT BOIL
Put into clean warm jars, add 1/4 tsp. salt, leave 1/4" space at top.
Process in pressure canner for 25 min @ 10 lbs.
Makes 7 Qts. or 1 full canner

Tip:  we used our kitchen aide slicer

Maybe a blue??? 

Blessings from Wisconsin.

 

Update:  9/5/12.  We received reds, as we didn't pressure cook it long enough - should be 60 - 75 minutes depending on the size of potato.  We have tasted this - really good. 

 

 

http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/09/down-homenumber-1.html

I Take Offense To That!

The one I don't like is obviously the fat American one.  I have a good sense of humor - when things are funny, but common!  I know I am a fat American, but that isn't the only reason I don't like this.  It just shows again what the world really thinks of us....I wonder if they would have made those bags when we bailed there keesters out of WWII - no wait, it would be in German instead!  Just me - I know, I said I wouldn't get political on here.

Blessings from this fat American!

Happy 80th Birthday Mom

My mom, Christal, turned 80 on July 24.  We had a birthday party for her last night.  I really don't like my picture taken, but, here are some of my family's photos.

Here are my siblings.  We are missing my brother Henry, who is a missionary and unable to make it.

My sister Bonnie and her family.

With Bonnie's family, they had a chance to take a 5 generation picture with Mom.

This is my sister Lynn's family.

This is my brother Frank's family.

My sister Lori's family. She has 2 sons and a grandson that live far away.

Here is my family with boyfriends.

My mom had 6 of her own children, but invested her time and efforts into other kids over the years.  Some we consider our family.  This is Deb and Dave.  Deb met my sister when my mom was at the hospital having me.  These two have been best friends ever since.  In the summer Deb would come up north with us to Crandon to visit my grandma.  This is where she met Dave, who happens to be my cousin's cousin - we share an uncle.

This is Rocky.  He actually was my cousin's best friend.  When my sister Lynn was little, everyone was jumping on a bed, she happened to be the last one to jump on and the bed broke.  My cousins and everyone teased her that because she was so fat, she broke the bed.  She went outside my aunt's house crying and Rocky came outside to comfort her.  He has been a part of our family since.  He has spent many a winter living at my parents house - he taught me how to play many card games like spades and cribbage.  He is the most resourceful, frugal person I know.  I wanted him to write a "coffee table" book on his adventures - he is a veteran and has lived a colorful life.

Well, there you have it.  We had a wonderful time.  

Blessings from Wisconsin. 

Too HOT to stay MOTIVATED

I know...it has been a HOT summer everywhere!  I don't really remember a summer with this long a stretch of hot, humid and dry.  

We have had to conserve our water.  I haven't been able to water my plants and garden.  It's the garden or the animals and us.  I even had to do laundry in town. 

Thank the Lord for air conditioning.  This heat has really affected my motivation.  It's almost too hot to do anything - inside or out. 

One time a customer said "that Jacky, she doesn't let any grass grow beneath her feet."  However, I have been lacking in motivation.  

The bible says (NIV) "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men"  Colossians 3:23

I read a little story about a boy that was talking with his grandmother before she passed.  She made a statement like:  "I wish I had done that when I was young..."  Determined not to make a statement like that at the end of his life, he wrote out 127 goals for his life.  At the age of 47 he accomplished 103 of these goals.  

If you don't have some goals in your life, you will find that you have little motivation to get up in the morning and little satisfaction as your head hits the pillow at night. 

My "to do this summer" list has very few things crossed off...It will just have to be my "to do this fall" list. 



Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Frisbee Dogs

Wausau, is the largest city near us.  It really is only 12 miles or so away and not that large.   The area is really rather a combination of several cities that have grown and linked together.  I grew up in Schofield, Wisconsin - which is connected to Wausau. 

Wausau has changed over the years.  They have a "green space" called the 400 Block right downtown.  This area use to have several old historic store fronts - but, they were demolished.  I love old buildings and didn't like that they did this.  However, now I see that this 400 Block area has become like the old time town square.  There are many events held here all year.  I really like it.

One we went to last night was the Frisbee Dogs.  These dogs are from Michigan and have performed at NFL and college football games, David Letterman and small events like this one.

They were too fast with the tricks, but I tried to get a few pictures.

This German Shepherd is also a search and rescue dog.  He was really smart and caught the most frisbees.

The dog in the Superman cape is retired.  She just comes along with them.  At the end he had all the dogs come out and race to catch the frisbee.   She couldn't keep up with the younger ones, but when they caught it, she would grab the frisbee too and both dogs would run back to the guy.   She did this several times - it was really cute.   You could tell, she liked the attention from the crowd. 

I enjoyed it and will come again next summer - Lord willing.

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Tiki Isle Rescue & Rehab

Tiki Isle Rescue & Rehab is "for the birds."  No, really.  Jason Krueger has helped many exotic birds and nursed them back to good health.  I first met Jason many years ago at a 4-H small animal clinic at Marathon Park in Wausau, WI.  I was happy to see him this past Friday at the flea market. 

The smaller bird is 28 years old and the larger one is 11.  Did you know they can live to 80.  When Jason rescued the smaller one he had no feathers on his chest - he plucked them out along with his skin. He was left alone for years locked up by himself.  He was a real cutie.  The larger one said many words and liked to be held like a baby.  He even let you kiss him - those who know me, know I can't resist kissing all kinds of critters....

One sad story Jason told me was about a recent bird he rescued from a "crack house."  Where the owners were burning it with pipes - he actually had a hole on the side of his head. 

I so enjoyed holding the birds and walking around with them.  I would really like a bird like this someday. 

Tiki Isle Rescue & Rehab
Jason Krueger
603 Seymour Street
Wausau, WI 54401
(715) 551-8366


If you would like to buy one or see if you could help in some way.

Blessings from Wisconsin. 

July 6 - National Fried Chicken Day & July 7 - National Chocolate Day

If there is one thing I think I am pretty good at....it is making fried chicken (I don't make it too often).  I know I'm not a southern gal, however, my grandma Kincaid was from Kentucky.  I can't tell you how many times I watched her and my Mom fry chicken (chickens...we have a large family) over the years.  Every Sunday after church we would have it.  My mom always fried chicken in an old Club Aluminum pan.  I was lucky to find one years ago at an auction.  Simple flour, salt & pepper in a paper grocery bag.  Put the pieces of chicken in there - shake it many times - and put the pieces in hot grease.  Make sure you use enough oil (I use old time vegetable shortening) to cover the pieces of chicken. 

I didn't have a chance to take a picture of my cake before it was cut into.  Both were really good!

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Saucy Beef Tips in Crock Pot

Saucy Beef Tips and Sticky Rice:                          

I used our home raised beef - sirloin.  Cut your meat into chunks for browning.

I made a mixture of flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.  Dust the chunks of meat in the flour mixture.  Fry the meat.  I used both oil and butter.

You only want to brown the meat - not cook it.  Don't toss out the extra flour - once meat is removed, use that for the rue.  Just dump the extra flour mixture and brown it up a bit. 

Once the flour is browned, I added a jar of my home canned tomatoes.  Stir up the bottom of the pan to get all the drippings.  I also added 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbs. beef base along with 2 Cups of water.  This will depend on how much juice is in your tomatoes.  Cut up a sweet union and put in crock pot.  Dump all of the meat and gravy in the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hrs. or medium/high for 4 hrs.  Or, until the meat is done - it will be very tender. 

Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. 

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Random Hearts Thursday

Because I haven't linked up for a while...here are 2 random hearts.  One from a 4-H project I did:

and this one, was a gift from my niece.  She made me a little garden in an old stoneware dish.  The nut shell made a cute little heart.  Thanks Jessi!

Blessings from Wisconsin!

random hearts

Big Farm Breakfast

We worked on unloading the wagons early in the morning, before it was too hot...I made the "farm help" bisquits, sausage gravy and scrambled eggs. 

Yummy!  Blessings from Wisconsin.

Pictorial Walk Around the Farm

Blessings from Wisconsin!