I enjoyed a blast from the past as I peek into canning booklets from Ball and Kerr companies dated from the 1940's. Did you know Ball is celebrating 140 years of canning this year? I'm celebrating a week of canning that has produced quite a lot for our pantry. It's amazing how blessed we are with zucchini and pickles. In between making refrigerator pickles and discovering new ways to use zucchini. I also canned some chicken for some chicken broth and chicken soup that is shelf stable. I also enjoyed time in my garden harvesting some onions and a couple of potatoes, hanging out with my kitties while my husband takes down a tree. Starting week 2 of #everybitcountschallenge of 2024, I invite you to sit back and relax. Welcome!

This past month has been hectic which only serves to remind me to slow down and smell the flowers…so I did. The garden has kept me very busy, not to mention getting a new roof. Now with a new green metal roof I feel like Diane of Green Gables.

The weeds, mostly crabgrass, has been out of control and the grasshoppers have devastated my marigolds. They eat them down to the stems almost overnight. I replanted a row of marigolds and in less than a week it look like an apocalypse scene. I learned they also like yarrow and did a real number on them too.

Despite the setbacks I tried to find beauty in everything that grows in the garden. I even had to admire the grass seed heads in the morning sun. I was rewarded with two visits from some winged friends. Have you ever seen a baby hummingbird? Or a hummingbird moth? I caught both on camera for a sneak peek at our pollinating friends, some honeybees and a bumble or two.

Summer Canning

I started the canning season off with three delicious salsa recipes. Peppery Pear Salsa on page 214 of The Complete Book of Canning by Ball set the stage. I had 10 organic pears in our produce basket this last time and what better way than to make some salsa!

Next I did a combination of peach and pear salsa that also featured tomatoes in the Summer Salsa recipe on page 202. I’m learning when to pick the jalapenos for the best level of heat. These were picked early and some didn’t yet have seeds, and the ones that did were mild yet. The next batch will have some sizzle!

The third salsa was the Peach Salsa on page 215 of The Complete Book of Canning. I’ll try to find links to these recipes for you to try. I didn’t find these particular recipes on their website but I did find this page of canning recipes for you to check out.

I managed to complete a couple of watercolor paintings, a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and bake some Blueberry Zucchini Bread on the days it rained. It rained a lot these past couple of months. Now for some summer sunshine to make everything grow and bloom!

In the meantime, I am enjoying the summer and the garden. How’s your summer so far? Slow down and enjoy it while it lasts!

The art news these past few weeks isn't what creatives want to hear, Instagram training AI with artist's posts, Adobe's Terms of Service that are hogwash, and Windows Recall grabbing screenshots from personal computers. I share my solution and the animations I've been working on, learning more every day. I share my feelings about autism and what it means to me personally. Make sure to watch the video until the end, you don't want to miss meeting Mr. Crabby and friends.