canning up a storm

Good Morning Everyone,

I am sorry that I have not been blogging recently, but I have been inundated with produce and fruit and I have had to get most of it process or lose it, which I do not waste anything.

An update of the living situation here:  As of now, it is very quiet.  There are the three rentals still open,  a lot of people have been by to look, and the words from the lookers were not at all nice about the property's that are  open.  I am sure that my ears will burn as most of the people looking mentioned why is the house next to the rental nice with flowers and a mown lawn and this place is a piece of s***.  I am sure that the owners are fuming at that comment.  So yesterday, very late in the day, some squirrly looking guy came over and mowed the lawn of the rental next to me, and this morning very early, the so called maintenance man was over, putting in a new interior door from the NFH when the guy was beating the old lady and put her through the door, which you could hear in my house.
Rentals here are over priced, and what is available, I wouldn't let my dog live in which is what these places are.  We are getting new people in this community from other states, and I have been told by my neighbor lady across the street, who is also a land lady, that people who are moving here are going to city hall and complaining to the mayor and city officials about the conditions of rentals.  I am standing ready as I am sure the owner of my area will surly blame me for this rush of complaints from the city officials,  he usually does.  I do hope though that his ears get tired of the insults from would-be- tenants about his properties.  He deserves every word and insult he gets, and hopefully a fine or conditions that have to be met.

My neighbor lady, the land lady, has given me a huge amount of white flesh peaches from her tree.  They are going to be gone after Labor Day, on and off until the 16th, and I have the tree to myself.  So I have been picking peaches and canning my brains out, literally.  I do not let free fruit or food get away from me.  So I have been doing this for a few days.  I have to get it done, because some strangers have been stopping by the neighbor lady asking if they can take the peaches, so I have been on to this and trying to get the fruit off of the tree.  I am for now, just processing them and freezing them in freezer bags.  I treat them with fruit fresh, sugar and lemon juice and take them over to my parent's freezer.  Mine freezer is absolutely full, and I am going to take a hint from GLD from her blog to clean out the freezer, yikes!!

So, really other than that, I haven't been doing too much.  It has been fairly cool here lately, but yesterday and today it is supposed to be up in the high 90's and then cooler weather is coming our way, which I hope will filter down to some of you south of me.  My garden is slowly fading away.  I pulled up some cucumbers, and have picked a few melons, which I am surprised about.  My tomatoes are still slow, but I am getting some.  My neighbor man across the street has been gone also, and I have been making raids on his garden for tomatoes and green peppers.  I have been waiting for some the of the peppers to turn red as I want to make a pepper spread for crackers and I need colored peppers.  I will make some mild and some a little hot.  If you want, I will try to post the recipe, it is my grandmother's so I really don't have a "recipe" so to speak, but I will keep track of amounts and post later, when I get a batch to make some.

Other than that, I have just been busy putting up some food and just staying out of every one's way.  I am also starting my fall ritual of buying things on sale to put away.  I keep a full stocked pantry for winter, but something i have noticed lately and I am now careful about buying is that the stores are keeping track of what you buy.  A few weeks ago, I bought 6 bags of sugar and the checkout lady asked why I was buying so much.  I would of just ignored this, but it was her tone of voice that alerted me to her inquiry.  I just told her I am making pickles and jellies and jams, (which I am), and she went on about checking me out.  But I am reading from other's blogs, that in some area's of the country, people are being questioned about if they are hoarding.  Top be honest, around here, it would be that no one questioned what you bought.  As we are in ranch and farm country, farmers and ranchers buy a lot especially starting this time of year for the winter, usually to get them through the winter as where these ranches are located, you may be snowed in for a month and a half or more.  Also they have ranch hands and have to feed these men and when you are located 150 miles or more from a large town to get supplies, you just can't get in the truck and go to the grocery store every day or week.
So I am now careful when I go and where.  If I have to, I split my purchases over several days, when sales are going.  And I don't make conversation about what I am buying.  I am personally shocked of this behavior now. It is now a sign of the times.

Well, I think that I had better get off my soap box.  I need to start on my peaches and later the tomatoes.
I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week and to my US readers, have a wonderful and safe Holiday Labor Day weekend.

Love and Hugs to all.
Thank you for all of your support and comments