My week in iphone pictures

Happy Friday!  I have been going crazy for learning how to can. All of the sudden, my garden started growing larger, and I was reading more and more gardening blogs that talk about people canning this or that. So, I decided I needed to learn how to can and preserve my harvests well before they come in and I have too much veggies to even conceive of canning!

Bread & Butter Pickles I canned....so crunchy,tangy and delicious!

 I made bread and butter pickles on Wednesday! Yum! My grandfather used to can everything, and he always made bread ad butter pickles. I was inspired by my Dad talking about his father's bread and butter pickles, and decided to give it a go!
  After pouring through a bunch of blogs, and numerous possible recipes, I settled on one that lightly cooked the cukes in the brine, yet still allowed them to be crunchy. I love them, and out of the 3 bottles I canned, there is only one left....that is only 2 days! Guess I will have to make more!

SMASHING!

 I have been pathey finally came in the mail yesterday! Man, the journal is more beautiful than I imagined! I love the idea and I am loving smashing so far!

Fresh Herb Ice Cubes

I have an over abundance of herbs in my garden that were going to bolt, or go to flower if I didn't act quickly. I don't call them flavored weeds for nothing! Those things grow super fast! So, in one of my gardening magazines, they suggested an easy way to deal with fresh herbs, is to freeze them in ice cube trays. Thnk how easy it will be when I am making a soup or a pasta gravy and I can just go in my freeze and pop in some fresh basil or oregano. MMMmm! I wound up freezing, basil, oregano, lemon verbena ( some of which is currently siting on my window sill in a mason jar infusing some honey!), pineapple mint, peppermint, and spearmint.

Half Sour Deli Pickles! 

Finally, this was my first exploration of the week, half sour, no vinegar deli pickles. Mmm. These are my favorite because they are lightly cured, but still mostly taste like cucumbers.  The above picture is my second batch, which I am making for a birthday dinner we are having for my Dad tomorrow.  I got the pickle loving gene from him, I think.