Peach Red Pepper Relish

I finally started canning this past weekend. I started with one of my favorites that I haven't made for probably 3 years now. Mrs. Smith's Famous Peach Red Pepper Relish found in Fare For Friends cookbook. The recipe was actually given to me by a former landlady who we became close friends with. It is delicious served with chicken or pork, and also on crackers with cream cheese. Delightful!

Below is a link to a wonderful story that I found while surfing this morning at Canning Across America website. It's a reminder that we are never too old to touch another life in some way, even if it's just through canning. Please take time to read this all the way through, and may it touch your heart and inspire you as much as it did me.

Riding the Preservation Train

How to Make Pretty Pincushions - CraftStylish

How to Make Pretty Pincushions - CraftStylish

What sweet little pincushions! Tiny little pincushions made with the caps of 1 or 2 litre soda bottles. Some of the embroidery stitches used on these pincushions are explained as well. I can't wait to try one of these - they look addictive. :0)
See this and more at www.Craftstylish.com.

Well, we finally got a bit of rain. We were so happy to see it that my DH and I sat out in the garage and watched it rain. Funny how it can just relax a person. The cool breeze created by the falling rain and the sound of it falling just soothes my soul. It’s like we’ve been holding our breath for weeks, just waiting for this rain. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to replenish wells and depleted rivers and lakes. Just enough to tide things over for another couple of days, at least for my flowers.

Another week in the 90’s and a chance of thunder showers is about all that is in the forecast for CT. Watched a small storm cell develop about 30 minutes west of here last evening. We even got an advisory of potential hail. The funny thing is, it danced around over that area, headed for here, and then it doubled back on itself and petered out. Never got a drop. I was so hoping… Pretty sad, isn’t it, when it gets to this point. I am worried about our well going dry again at any time, so I’m still being real careful.

Had a nice time yesterday – went up to the Brookfields in Massachusetts. Nice area, mostly hilly and wooded, a few historic homes and a farm here and there. We stopped and ate at Howards Drive Inn in West Brookfield. You can see a photo of the place and read about it here. http://www.visitingnewengland.com/howards-drive-in-restaurant.html Great seafood, btw, if you are ever out that way. They give big portions and have homemade fries like you’d find at the fair. I had the ‘Scam’, which was scallops and clams (strips, can’t abide the bellies!), fries and cole slaw. More seafood than I could eat, and believe me, I did try! The coleslaw was just average – seems it’s never as good as I can make at home. (really, the recipe is so simple, you wonder how it can taste so bad some places…), but then again, I may have a slight prejudice for mine.

We also stopped at Brookfield Orchards. You can read about it at this link - http://www.brookfieldorchardsonline.com/. It’s an interesting place – an apple barn/indoor flea market. They have a place to sit down and enjoy their apple dumplings with ice cream. I bought 3 to go. They were pretty good. The pie crust was a bit chewy, but the flavor was good. Just warm it a bit and top with vanilla ice cream. Nice way to end the day. I bought a bag of Lodi apples, first of the season, but haven’t tried them yet. I remember them as being tart, like a nice green apple. Would make a great pie or crisp if I don’t eat them out of hand first. :0)

What we did notice, was how quiet it was. No distant sounds of traffic, airports, anything! It was wonderful. We miss that so much. The other thing we noticed was how little traffic there was, especially on the back roads. I just wanted to park in a hay field for a couple of hours and sigh with relief. It’s my kind of place.

The Saint John River in Beechwood, NB Canada

Having spend so many years living in the country in New Brunswick Canada, Maine, and rural northwestern Indiana, we are used to the quiet way of life. And I miss it dreadfully. I could just cry some days. The summers seem to be the hardest here. I long for the cooler nights, days in the 80’s instead of 90’s, and really, a lot of summer days are in the upper 70’s. The air is so fresh, sweet smelling and clear once you get above Portland, it's just wonderful and invigorating. I so look forward to that whenever we travel north to go home for a visit. And I love how the traffic really thins out going up I-95 once you are above Freeport.

We also found a small lake this weekend that had about 5 boats on it total. It was great! It was so quiet. Our local small lake here has so many boats, people, cottages, etc, that the water is murky, oily and smelly. Last time we were there a couple of weeks ago, it smelled so much like boat fumes that we had to leave. Pretty sad.

Well, that’s it for now. It was good to get out of town yesterday and see something different in our region. Sometimes it’s hard to make oneself leave the house and fight traffic, but, it was a good thing, as Martha would say.

Heat Wave....

It's been one hot summer so far. And we are just getting started. This thought alone is enough to depress me. I don't mind warmth, even a few days around 90. But over a week of upper 90's and low 100's with not much relief in sight is just too much. All next week in the 90's too. And this is just the beginning of July!
Coupled with the fact that I can't remember when we last had measurable rain, it's also very dry. My well went dry temporarily while watering my flowers last weekend. That was enough to scare me into conserving water any way I can.
Now I won't even do two loads of laundry in a row. I've been saving water by turning off the shower while soaping up, and turning the water off while brushing my teeth. I also have a Tupperware bowl in the kitchen sink to catch all the 'gray' water that I used during the day, like when washing fruits and veggies, or rinsing things off. As long as it doesn't contain meat/dairy/oil products or soap, it's ok to use for watering your plants. I then pour the bowl of water into my watering can, and use this to water the potted flowers on my deck. This has been working out great. I have had just enough to keep them watered.
I also use the water from my dehumidifier for watering the plants too. I hope this is ok. At this point, I think it's better than losing them completely.
Someone also told me to place a bucket under the air conditioner unit to catch water from that, but I don't think mine gives off all that much. They do run alot though, as in this heat, it's hard to cool the house down. It never gets below 78 - 80F in here, even at night. We only have the two, the other being in our bedroom. Oh thank God for that one!! At least we can sleep cool.
I suppose in a way we aren't as acclimated as some people might be. My hubby is a native of New Brunswick, Canada, and I spent most of my adult life in further north. I love cool weather. It could stay below 80 all summer and I'd likely be perfectly happy. Ok, maybe low 80's with a swimming pool would be nice. :0) What I really don't like is the humidity. I hate sweating! LoL
But when the temps get into the 90's, I go into hibernation mode. I just don't even want to go anywhere. Not really a good thing.
Anyway, I am trying to get productive during this heatwave, which includes organizing my basement. It tends to be a catch all for whatever I don't want upstairs. I do have a scrapbook/ craft/sewing area down there, but I've been rather lazy at doing anything. I also have a TV area, which has been great in the evening, as it's a bit cooler down there. Although the dehumidifier gives off an amazing amount of heat, so it's not as cool as it could be. And being a walkout, it is exposed to more heat from the outdoors too.
As another way to conserve water, I've been keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge, so we don't have to run the faucet until cold water comes through. This can save quite a bit. And not to mention we are in love with our ice maker.
Well, I hope you all are keeping cool out there. This heat can be tough. I caught a woodpecker trying to drink water out of my hummingbird feeder. He couldn't quite manage the holes, but he did drink water out of the moat on top. Poor thing!

ANTS, ANTS , ANTS THEY 'RE EVERYWHERE!

(Instead of pics of ant carnage, I decide a couple of nice ladybugs would be better. :0))

Help! I'm being invaded!
I came down this morning for coffee and opened a cupboard door, and oh my word!
Several ants scattered into the dark recesses of the cabinet. As I opened more doors, it became apparent to me that I had been invaded overnight.
Yes, I'd seen what I now believe were a few scouts the past few days, but chalked it up to the annual parade of a 1/2 dozen ants that we usually get. Nothing like this.
Before I was even able to have my coffee, I went on an ant rampage. After nailing as many as I could with Kleenex, my shoe, and and hot water, the floor and counter was littered with ant carcasses. Not a pretty site. They were in my spice cupboard, in with my raisins, examining my amaretto that I use for cooking. They were even wandering around my dish cupboard, but only a couple of less than enthusiastic ones.
I hate to kill anything, but ants or spiders...well, it's them or me. I am thankful that they were ants and NOT spiders. I would have run screaming from the house and not come back without an exterminator!!
I dug out my Ziploc storage bags, and bagged anything that I thought they might like, and put it in the fridge for now. Then I wiped out the inside of the cupboards with Clorox wipes. That oughta do it, don't you think? Oh, and I need to mop my floors. Any residue on counters and floors will attract ants, even the garbage cans. I'm a clean person, but I guess I need to step it up a bit.
In a panic, I ran for the garage, hoping that the ant bait I had last year was still there. I found some ant bait with borax and proceeded to set some out. I shoved Max, my cat, into the garage (where he is howling to come back in) , then sprayed with Raid around the perimeter of the kitchen (house and garden variety), and outside around the french doors.
Then I read the directions on the ant bait which says not to contaminate the baits with Raid.
Too late. Oh well.
So I am finally sitting down for a minute with my coffee before I tackle my foodstuff again and resume my hunt for more ants. I need to go outside and powder the perimeter with more ant killer, but since it's already 80F, going on 96 today, and humid, I think I'll wait until it cools off this evening.
Then, watch out!