Jerky treats leave nearly 600 dogs dead...

Jerky treats leave nearly 600 dogs dead in 'mysterious outbreak', FDA says

Please read the above article.

My best recommendation is read where the treats are from.  If they are from China I wouldn't buy them.

a little bird

Got “Enough”?

Struggling with the concept of “enough”? Americans are obsessed with “more”, which often results in stress. “Enough” is different for everyone. Slow down. Stop pushing the “more” button. Think about what is enough for you…

·         Enough challenge

·         Enough clothes

·         Enough food

·         Enough prestige

·         Enough income

·         Enough house

·         Enough car

·         Enough time for the goals that matter to you…

Stop buying into someone else’s definition of enough. Figure it out for your life. Your stress level may go down. 

This was in public newsletter - I think it is full of wisdom.  Sometimes we all want bigger, better, more.  Let's take a time out and enjoy some 'enough'.

a little bird

Grapes

The grapes are DONE!!!!!!!!!!  I'm so glad to have that checked off my list.

DH and I went out this morning and got them all picked. 

 

Here are some of the finished product.  I will wash the jars and take the rings off tomorrow.    But the kitchen is cleaned up and the canners are washed and drying to be put away for awhile.

 

I like to can and I love having our home grown food put by for winter but I am always, always glad to have it done by the end of the season. 

a little bird

My day in pictures

This peels, cores and slices

 

apples in 1 gallon of water and 3000 mg of vitamin C tabs crushed to prevent browning

 

peels, cores, chucks for making apple juice for jelly

 

 

tomatoes, peppers, onions, kale, cabbage, garlic, beets

cook until tender and wonderful

 

press through the food mill

 

wonderful veg juice

pressure can at the time for the longest vegetable added

 

Some of the food put by

apple slices, vegetable juice, apple jelly

12 quarts of vegetable juice
10 pints of apple slices
7 1/2 pints of apple jelly

I still have a  half box of apples left but not tonight.  The kitchen has been cleaned and is now closed.
a little bird

 

Another blog - really...

What was I thinking... Do I really need/want one more blog.  Do you sometimes you have a great idea, or at the time it seems like a great idea, but then reality sets in... do I honestly have time or even material to generate another blog?

I thought a blog just dedicated to sewing would be fun - and maybe in the future.

But my life is such a blend of events and tasks.  Sometimes I'm sewing, sometimes I'm canning, or putting food by, sometimes I have fun family events and news to share.  I don't live a catagorized life and that's a good thing I like the mix.  All that to say - I'm just not sure I can keep three blogs going.  I will stick with The Sweet Little Bird as my main way of sharing who I am and what I'm up to.  And in the event that there is someting marvolus in a sewing event or project I will post it to Robin's Bobbin.

all the very best,
a little bird, Robin's Bobbin, Hives and Honey Bees (aka me)

Case Lot Sales

I love the case lot sales!!!  I wait for them with great anticipation!  Well out west they have arrived.  I like to buy my evaporated milk when it goes on sale for 1/3 to 1/2 the price I would normally pay.  We buy other things too... beans, DH likes canned beans, fruit, always good to have on hand for our granddaughters if I don't have fresh to slice up, dried veggies, wonderful for a quick add to soup or stews, vital wheat gluten, perfect for when baking bread, and the list goes on and on...

If you too have case lot sales you your area, I would highly recommend buying items you would buy anyway.  Don't buy things you wouldn't eat, it's a waste of money - but if you use a lot of evaporated milk and are going to buy it anyway, like I do, then it pays to buy it when it's on a good sale.  Sometimes as much as 40 cents off per can, that really adds up.

Happy day and get to the store for the case lot sale!!
:-)
a little bird

Plums

 

Yummy plums!!!

 

I was given a lovely box of plums today.  I think they are Damson.  They taste wonderful.

 

We will keep some out for fresh but I currently have two canners going, 18 pints.  I still have enough for one more canner but it's too late to do more tonight.  I got a late start...

 

We have tomatoes on the vine.  I think we will pick Thursday so I can put them up Friday.  That's the plan anyway.  :-)

Not much else going on.  We will probably have a freeze Thursday night so need to get everything but the grapes picked.  The grapes like a freeze to sugar.  Then it will be time for grape juice and maybe some grape jelly.  That just sounds good.

Happy day!

a little bird