Surviving as a Single Parent

Canning Beef & Veggie Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 20:17:00 +0000

Canning for 2013 has began!

I had some leftover beef roast that we had been eating on for two days and we were tired of it. So I needed to do something with it. So I cut it into bite sized chunks and added it to jars, then I cut up some potatoes and carrots and threw them in the jars too. Then I added beef broth and canned them up. I used pint and a half jars because that will be a good size for us.

Canning Log 2013

6 24oz Beef & Veggie Soup

We have moved!!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:45:00 +0000

Sorry to have been absent for so long. We finally moved to our house in the country on January 6th. And then we were without internet for 25 days. So I will finally be able to post again.

Remember if you want to check out our new adventures in the country check out my other blog:
http://footprintsofsustainability.blogspot.com/

Canning beans & beef

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:53:00 +0000

I was able to get a 2 lb bag of Northern beans on sale for $1, so I thought I would try canning them up to have on hand for quick use. I was surprised that it produced 8 pints. I also got some good beef roast on sale, so I bought two, one to eat and one to can. My first attempt at that too. Five pints of cubed beef roast.

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
21 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
20 1/2pt pizza sauce
5 pints salsa
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce
7 pints diced applies
8 pints northern beans
5 pints beef roast

= 134 jars of food preserved for later

My baby is 4!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 04:09:00 +0000

We recently celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday! She is four now!!

She was very excited to get the Mickey Mouse kitchen that she had wanted for a few months now. And after we got that all set up we went rollerskating. That was also by request of the birthday girl. And the day was topped off with an Angry Bird cake!!

Several times she told me that it was the best birthday she has ever had! The smiles said it all!!

Canning diced apples

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Picked some apples off a friend's tree last month that she didn't want. The kids ate quite a few and I decided to can some diced in a very light syrup and see how the kids like them in the middle of the winter.

7 pints diced apples

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
21 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
20 1/2pt pizza sauce
5 pints salsa
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce
7 pints diced applies

= 121 jars of food preserved for later

Canning pizza sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Made a batch of pizza sauce:

20 half pints

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
21 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
20 1/2pt pizza sauce
5 pints salsa
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 114 jars of food preserved for later

More spaghetti sauce!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 03:11:00 +0000

I was able to can another batch of spaghetti sauce this weekend.

5 24oz jars

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
21 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
5 pints salsa
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 94 jars of food preserved for later

Canning Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 02:55:00 +0000

I wasn't going to make any salsa this year, but as you can see I changed my mind. I made a big batch and we used about half of it at a get together and I canned the rest.

5 pints salsa

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
16 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
5 pints salsa
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 89 jars of food preserved for later

Canning Spaghetti Sauce Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:41:00 +0000

I canned another batch of spaghetti sauce up last night:

7 24oz jars
1 pint jar

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
16 24oz spaghetti sauce
6 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 84 jars of food preserved for later

I am feeling really good about the amount of food I have put away this year. I will have a few more batches to do yet before the move.

Canning - more potatoes & peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 03:15:00 +0000

I dug the last of the potatoes and fried up a big batch of the little ones for supper yesterday but there were still some little ones left so I canned them and all the peppers that were ready too.

3 pints potatoes
3 1/2 pt chili peppers

2012 canning:

16 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
9 24oz spaghetti sauce
5 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
3 1/2pt chili peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 76 jars of food preserved for later

Canning More Spaghetti Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 02:35:00 +0000

I had another batch of tomatoes ready, so that means more spaghetti sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce:
5 24oz jars
1 pt jar

2012 canning:

13 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
9 24oz spaghetti sauce
5 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 70 jars of food preserved for later

Canning Spaghetti Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:42:00 +0000

Found a new recipe for spaghetti sauce and when we were taste testing it we gave it a thumbs up!

4 - 24oz jars
1 - 1/2pt jar

2012 canning:
13 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
4 24oz spaghetti sauce
4 pt spaghetti sauce
2 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 64 jars of food preserved for later

Canning more Ketchup

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:55:00 +0000

Last time I canned ketchup I put about 4oz in the fridge and the kids and I tried it and we all thought it was great! So I made more!

Today's ketchup 10 - 12oz jars & 1 8oz jar.

2012 canning:

13 pints potatoes
8 pints corn
10 3/4 pt ketchup
12 1/2pt ketchup
4 pt spaghetti sauce
1 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 59 jars of food preserved for later

Canning Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 01:45:00 +0000

I have always frozen my sweet corn and I love it that way. However, I am out of freezer space, so I canned some corn and we will see how we like it.

8 pints of sweet corn

2012 canning:
13 pints potatoes
8 pints corn

11 1/2pt ketchup
4 pt spaghetti sauce
1 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 48 jars of food preserved for later

Canning Spaghetti Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 01:23:00 +0000

Canning for today:

Spaghetti Sauce 4 pints and 1 half pint

Canning for 2012:

13 pints potatoes

11 1/2pt ketchup
4 pt spaghetti sauce
1 1/2pt spaghetti sauce
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

= 40 jars of food preserved for later

I have started another blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 01:05:00 +0000

I have officially started another blog which will be all about our new journey on our little homestead.
Here it is:

http://footprintsofsustainability.blogspot.com/

Here is a picture of the south of the house with the driveway finally finished! That was a lot of rock to get all raked out the way we wanted but it is very fulfilling to see it finally done. My goal is to be completely moved in by October 1st.

Canning Ketchup

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:37:00 +0000

Tried my hand at making ketchup today for the first time and it turned out really good!

Canning today:
11 1/2 pt Ketchup

Canning for 2012:

13 pints potatoes
11 1/2pt ketchup
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

Canning - Potatoes & Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 02:29:00 +0000

It was nice to be able to harvest food from my own garden and have enough
to eat fresh and put away some for the winter!

Canning for today:
5 pints potatoes
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers

Canning for 2012:
13 pints potatoes
4 1/2pt bell peppers
2 1/4pt chili peppers
3 pints grape juice
2 1/2 pt nectarine sauce

Garden Pics 7/28/12

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Here are pictures of my new garden at the acreage.
All taken on 7/28/12

the whole 20'x60'

Corn

1 Bushel gourd plant

2 watermelon plants

Plus 20 tomato plants, 13 potato plants, 3 pepper plants, 2 cucumber plants, and a row of peas!

A little break

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:05:00 +0000

Obviously in this season of my life I don't really have the time to post all of my purchases. I started doing this to keep myself accountable to keeping my purchases as low as I could. But now with trying to get the house out at the acreage remodeled enough so that we can start moving. So, what I have done is to hang a paper on the fridge and whenever I come in with a purchase I write all the info down on the paper. This is how I will keep doing it until I need to change again.

I doubt anyone is missing seeing those posts, but in case somone was wondering what was going on I thought I would let you know.

After the move and completion of the house, I hope to have time to post regularly again. And I hope to share some pictures too.

Fleet Farm $38.42

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:20:00 +0000

2 dozen pint jars 7.69 sale
2 3pks (32ct) finish diswasher packs 11.88 sale
1 fels-naptha bar soap 0.97

$40.11 + 2.81 tax = $42.92 Total

-3.00/2 cases Kerr jars coupon
-0.75 finish coupon
-0.75 finish coupon

$38.42 PAID

Fareway $5.36

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 01:48:00 +0000

Blue Bunny ice cream 2.99 sale
AE Lemonade 0.99 sale
ActII popcorn 3 pk 0.99 sale
green grapes 0.89 sale

$5.86
-.50 Act II popcorn coupon
$5.36 PAID

Hy-Vee $13.89

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:22:00 +0000

watermelon 2.88 sale
3 Pillsbury brownie mix 1.19 sale
3 85% ground beef 2.48 sale

$13.89

Potatoes from the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:44:00 +0000

When I was growing up the first meal from the garden was always creamed potatoes and peas. It was a much anticipated meal and we would all eat until we were so full we couldn't stand to put anything else in our mouths.

Well, since I bought the acreage, I finally have a garden!! I was too late to plant peas but I got potatoes in the ground. So, I was hoping since the potato plants had grown quite large and bloomed nicely that there would be some small potatoes down there for me to dig out. So I carefully dug out half of one plant and got these 8 small potatoes. I am so happy to get these out and will be creaming them up tonight for supper.

Nectarine sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:50:00 +0000

The kids hadn't eaten up the nectarines yet and they were getting soft so I cut them in half, pitted, skinned, cooked them down into sauce form. Then I poured them into two 1/2 pint jars and canned them up!