Hi, Nicole! My neighbor grew tomatoes and peppers (lots of them) just so he could make his own canned salsa. He grew it all hydroponically and his yield was amazing. As I write this I am staring at a tomato plant with just one flower on it. I hope my yield is better than that. ;-) Good luck to you, and thanks for commenting.
Karen, you have my admiration - I have yet to can chicken stock. That better go on my bucket list. ;-) I love knowing exactly what has gone into my food and being able to pronounce all of the ingredients.
Carlie, I agree, that Strawberry-Vanilla jam sounds killer. So true about produce mark-downs. Yesterday I got a big bag of lychees - lychee chutney, here I come!
Hi, Valletta! Thanks for the heads-up about foodinjars.com. I just followed them on Twitter. I have not even seen those Ball jam-cookers you mentioned so will check them out next time I am at Target. I hear you on the grandma thing . . . :-)
Hi, Guest! Tx for your comment and may I steal your strawberry vanilla jam and apple pie ideas? ;-) That apple pie mix would be a great Christmas gift! My mother had some sort of gizmo for peeling and coring apples. That'd probably come in handy for this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
After reading how bad canned tomatoes are for you, I'm looking to start canning my own. I'm hoping my kitchen garden yields a good amount this season so I can get to work!!
I have tried using the oven as storage when guest were coming over...I forgot that I put stuff in there. Just a warning - Tupperware will catch on fire in an oven! I needed the fire extinguisher for that one. :)
All debt is evil. Sometimes a necessary evil, but evil all the same.
Pay off all debt. (After an efund of 6-12 months is established)
Once debt is paid....you are free...no one owns you....
Then aquire no new debt, save and invest and buy things with cash.
Spend less than you earn....do so for many years....
Retire with crazy amounts of wealth, and no payments
Also....stop buying more house than you need.
Never take an FHA loan. if you can't save 20 percent down....you can't afford to buy.
Mortgage insurance (no longer removable from most FHA loans) is additional interest
and no benefit.
Why would you even want to pay interest on something you claim to own so you can make someone else wealthy?
That's why bankers drive paid for with cash Bentleys, and most people drive leased BMWs. Your mortage interest is paying for their no mortgage mansion.
In the end...do what you want...Free Country (If you don't count the chains of your debt)
3 years ago, I started gardening and canning again after a 10 year absence. It has been well worth the time and energy. Our health and wallet has benefitted because of the effort. Food just tastes better homegrown and canned. I've also recently started canning vegetable soup and chicken stock. It takes a little time to prepare but I like the convenience of just opening a jar and cooking instead of having to thaw frozen soup or chicken stock.
I actually had a recent interview in which I told the employer that I needed to have one day to go in a check on a medical problem and would that be an issue? She actually asked me "do you have a thyroid problem?" which actually threw me for a loop. The ironic thing is, my thyroid was removed two years prior so not only did I not have a problem, I didn't even have a thyroid!" I kind of glossed over the question telling her it needed to be removed because they found a small amount of cancer and it was all good now but, truthfully, it did throw me a bit and I will be that much better at the next interview if something odd like that happens again.
"There would be no reason to can anything store-bought," Jenny? That's a pretty absolute statement for which I can find numerous exceptions, such as the time my grocer had a lot of peaches with slight imperfections marked down by 75%. Also, there are lots of things to can besides jellies and jams, as the picture under the title suggests.
Guest, your Strawberry Vanilla jam sounds delicious!
I just embrace the sweaty lifestyle of summer in DC! I go bikeriding in the am, and relax in the pool during the brutal days. Also, making ice tea and eating watermelons works too!
I love canning small batches. It brings me bittersweet memories of my grandmother :)
Last year I picked up one of those new Ball jam-cookers at Target on the clearance aisle (a slow cooker just for jam and jellies) and I love it! No worries about burning, boiling over, anything. I've made much more small batch jams than I ever would have before. I generally steer clear of "unitaskers" but this one makes sense for me.
I've noticed lots of new canning magazines, books and blogs out as well. I like foodinjars.com.
I think I would dispute the basic premise here that "cheap" is just "frugal" taken to extremes. To me, the difference between the two is in kind, not in degree. Frugal people are saving money for a purpose--or many different purposes. For many, if not most, having more to share with others is one of the main motivations behind living frugally. People who are cheap, in the sense of stingy, are doing exactly the opposite: pushing the burden of spending onto others to keep as much as possible for themselves. The examples you give, such as stealing cable or not tipping servers, are not "taking frugality to extremes"; they are missing the whole point of frugality.
I love canning! I just followed the directions in a package of pectin when I got started 4 years ago.
My most requested jam is Strawberry Vanilla. It's strawberry jam made from the pectin instructions with the addition of one vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise that goes into the pot to boil with the strawberries, and you take it out as you put the jam into the jars.
It's just different enough to be unique, and just normal enough that everyone loves it!
Apple pie filling in a jar was also a big favorite--just request some help for slicing all those apples!
We don't eat much jam, so for us, freezing any extra garden stuff is a better option than canning it. There would be no reason to can anything store-bought.
I'm an avid listmaker too. Am I the only one who sometimes adds things to a list even after I've done them, just to experience the joy of then crossing them off immediately? And re-reading old lists is a killer - what an insight into how life changes.
The to-do lists in my old diary had items on them like, ‘buy flights’ and ‘get cholera jab.' Just to torture myself I looked at my list from yesterday. It said, in order: ‘kiwis, nappies, ice-cube trays, paprika, phone school.’
I spent the better part of my university career working for a small trading desk. It took me two years to realize the importance of creating a plan when it comes to trading or investing. Perhaps it was because I was young and foolish but regardless, until you sit back and think about what exactly it is that you're trying to achieve with each trade or investment, you're bound to fail. Word of advice to the beginners or less experienced. You must have a game plan that you adhere to at all costs.
Popsicles and and lemonade on the rocks. If you want to be cool this summer make sure your freezer is well stocked with popsicles and make sure to keep the ice trays filled. I can't think of anything better on a hot day than the feeling you get from sucking on a nice cold Popsicle, (root beer is my favorite flavor), or a big glass of lemonade filled with ice cubes. This can cool your core a few degrees. And when you're cool on the inside you'll feel awesome on the outside.
We run the AC a few hours in the evening, turn it off before going to bed, and then turn on the ceiling fan. That takes care of the humidity so that we can get a decent night's sleep.
Hi, Nicole! My neighbor grew tomatoes and peppers (lots of them) just so he could make his own canned salsa. He grew it all hydroponically and his yield was amazing. As I write this I am staring at a tomato plant with just one flower on it. I hope my yield is better than that. ;-) Good luck to you, and thanks for commenting.
Karen, you have my admiration - I have yet to can chicken stock. That better go on my bucket list. ;-) I love knowing exactly what has gone into my food and being able to pronounce all of the ingredients.
Carlie, I agree, that Strawberry-Vanilla jam sounds killer. So true about produce mark-downs. Yesterday I got a big bag of lychees - lychee chutney, here I come!
Hi, Valletta! Thanks for the heads-up about foodinjars.com. I just followed them on Twitter. I have not even seen those Ball jam-cookers you mentioned so will check them out next time I am at Target. I hear you on the grandma thing . . . :-)
Hi, Guest! Tx for your comment and may I steal your strawberry vanilla jam and apple pie ideas? ;-) That apple pie mix would be a great Christmas gift! My mother had some sort of gizmo for peeling and coring apples. That'd probably come in handy for this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Jenny! Thanks for chiming in.
Have to disagree w/your second sentence, though. The money that can be saved . . .
After reading how bad canned tomatoes are for you, I'm looking to start canning my own. I'm hoping my kitchen garden yields a good amount this season so I can get to work!!
I have tried using the oven as storage when guest were coming over...I forgot that I put stuff in there. Just a warning - Tupperware will catch on fire in an oven! I needed the fire extinguisher for that one. :)
All debt is evil. Sometimes a necessary evil, but evil all the same.
Pay off all debt. (After an efund of 6-12 months is established)
Once debt is paid....you are free...no one owns you....
Then aquire no new debt, save and invest and buy things with cash.
Spend less than you earn....do so for many years....
Retire with crazy amounts of wealth, and no payments
Also....stop buying more house than you need.
Never take an FHA loan. if you can't save 20 percent down....you can't afford to buy.
Mortgage insurance (no longer removable from most FHA loans) is additional interest
and no benefit.
Why would you even want to pay interest on something you claim to own so you can make someone else wealthy?
That's why bankers drive paid for with cash Bentleys, and most people drive leased BMWs. Your mortage interest is paying for their no mortgage mansion.
In the end...do what you want...Free Country (If you don't count the chains of your debt)
Lots of water and a swim in the lake!
3 years ago, I started gardening and canning again after a 10 year absence. It has been well worth the time and energy. Our health and wallet has benefitted because of the effort. Food just tastes better homegrown and canned. I've also recently started canning vegetable soup and chicken stock. It takes a little time to prepare but I like the convenience of just opening a jar and cooking instead of having to thaw frozen soup or chicken stock.
I actually had a recent interview in which I told the employer that I needed to have one day to go in a check on a medical problem and would that be an issue? She actually asked me "do you have a thyroid problem?" which actually threw me for a loop. The ironic thing is, my thyroid was removed two years prior so not only did I not have a problem, I didn't even have a thyroid!" I kind of glossed over the question telling her it needed to be removed because they found a small amount of cancer and it was all good now but, truthfully, it did throw me a bit and I will be that much better at the next interview if something odd like that happens again.
"There would be no reason to can anything store-bought," Jenny? That's a pretty absolute statement for which I can find numerous exceptions, such as the time my grocer had a lot of peaches with slight imperfections marked down by 75%. Also, there are lots of things to can besides jellies and jams, as the picture under the title suggests.
Guest, your Strawberry Vanilla jam sounds delicious!
I just embrace the sweaty lifestyle of summer in DC! I go bikeriding in the am, and relax in the pool during the brutal days. Also, making ice tea and eating watermelons works too!
I love canning small batches. It brings me bittersweet memories of my grandmother :)
Last year I picked up one of those new Ball jam-cookers at Target on the clearance aisle (a slow cooker just for jam and jellies) and I love it! No worries about burning, boiling over, anything. I've made much more small batch jams than I ever would have before. I generally steer clear of "unitaskers" but this one makes sense for me.
I've noticed lots of new canning magazines, books and blogs out as well. I like foodinjars.com.
I think I would dispute the basic premise here that "cheap" is just "frugal" taken to extremes. To me, the difference between the two is in kind, not in degree. Frugal people are saving money for a purpose--or many different purposes. For many, if not most, having more to share with others is one of the main motivations behind living frugally. People who are cheap, in the sense of stingy, are doing exactly the opposite: pushing the burden of spending onto others to keep as much as possible for themselves. The examples you give, such as stealing cable or not tipping servers, are not "taking frugality to extremes"; they are missing the whole point of frugality.
I love canning! I just followed the directions in a package of pectin when I got started 4 years ago.
My most requested jam is Strawberry Vanilla. It's strawberry jam made from the pectin instructions with the addition of one vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise that goes into the pot to boil with the strawberries, and you take it out as you put the jam into the jars.
It's just different enough to be unique, and just normal enough that everyone loves it!
Apple pie filling in a jar was also a big favorite--just request some help for slicing all those apples!
We don't eat much jam, so for us, freezing any extra garden stuff is a better option than canning it. There would be no reason to can anything store-bought.
I'm an avid listmaker too. Am I the only one who sometimes adds things to a list even after I've done them, just to experience the joy of then crossing them off immediately? And re-reading old lists is a killer - what an insight into how life changes.
The to-do lists in my old diary had items on them like, ‘buy flights’ and ‘get cholera jab.' Just to torture myself I looked at my list from yesterday. It said, in order: ‘kiwis, nappies, ice-cube trays, paprika, phone school.’
I've written some more about the agony and joy of lists here if you're interested . . http://goodwebguide.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-joy-and-agony-of-making-l...
I spent the better part of my university career working for a small trading desk. It took me two years to realize the importance of creating a plan when it comes to trading or investing. Perhaps it was because I was young and foolish but regardless, until you sit back and think about what exactly it is that you're trying to achieve with each trade or investment, you're bound to fail. Word of advice to the beginners or less experienced. You must have a game plan that you adhere to at all costs.
Popsicles and and lemonade on the rocks. If you want to be cool this summer make sure your freezer is well stocked with popsicles and make sure to keep the ice trays filled. I can't think of anything better on a hot day than the feeling you get from sucking on a nice cold Popsicle, (root beer is my favorite flavor), or a big glass of lemonade filled with ice cubes. This can cool your core a few degrees. And when you're cool on the inside you'll feel awesome on the outside.
Yes, very nice tip. I'll have to try asking for a discount the next time I chat with someone.
Don't forget to check out the traffic at ALL times of day. You don't want a house on a shortcut route that every commuter drives through twice a day.
I love eggs!
We run the AC a few hours in the evening, turn it off before going to bed, and then turn on the ceiling fan. That takes care of the humidity so that we can get a decent night's sleep.