Canning tomatoes

I didn't wake up this morning and think, 'Wow, today's a great day to spend in the kitchen hovering over boiling pots of things and getting covered in tomato juice!'  But that's what happened.  And some lamb broth making (now also covered in lamb tallow...), more garden harvesting, cleaning, bread baking, veg. dehydrating, moving heavy objects, and taking my landlady out for errands.  This was also one of those days where I found myself in public with various food splotches on my clothes and dirt all over my unshaven legs.

But even though I am coated in a layer of sweat now, too, I feel like I am actually making some progress in my summer goals.

(summer squash, straight eight cucumber, lemon cucumbers, less ripe tomatoes --> ripe and ready to be sauced tomatoes)

All of those ripe tomatoes only made 3 pints of plain sauce.

(cherry tomatoes next to house model and wood glue)

All of that is just from today, besides two green bell peppers.

Two cans of tomato sauce with veggies that I made a few days ago, but canned today.  They will be used up first.  That is also my French press <3

Purple pole beans.  Would not do these again- they have strings!  At least Jon eats them.

Dehydrating some cherry tomatoes and hot Portugal peppers.

Whole wheat bread ready to go in the oven.

Canner on left, lamb bones stewing on right.

Whew.  I am exhausted and I smell like lamb tallow (which I am saving, by the way, to use to fry something like potatoes in...somehow I think a lamb scented candle wouldn't meet Jon's approval).  But there is good food cooking/canning/growing.

My pantry is growing.

I haven't made yogurt, cheese, or butter for a few weeks while my parents are getting the cell count down, but now that it is on track again, I have dreams of mozzarella cheese and maple yogurt.  I've been getting fish and cookies at market for the vendor price, and have been trading my time and labor for eggs, lamb, and chicken.  Our grocery budget is extremely small, and I have been meeting it.  I really do miss ice cream, though.  We are getting a freezer from a family friend next month, and I am already thinking of all the ice cream that I am going to make!  

Summer has been extremely busy with translating, visiting friends and family, and working in the garden.  We mostly survive on my pizza, stews, sausage with veggies, pasta, berries from the woods, raw and cooked veggies, and bread.  Its working.  I am pushing through all of this canning and dehydrating now, to enjoy my own veggies in the winter.  The garden seems to be pushing me to my limits, though, and I wish that we already had kids that I could give chores to!  The orange pumpkins out there are calling me to make pies...