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Preserving Summer’s Bounty
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Have you ever wanted to taste a strawberry in the middle of the winter? How about have some homemade salsa or pickles? Then read on for my quick tips for home canning!
Unfortunately home canning is a dying art. My great-grandmother taught my grandmother to can, who then taught my mother, who then taught me. It isn’t difficult and while there is a small investment to make to start, you’ll only have to buy these things once! For starters you’ll need either a water bath canner or pressure canner. The type of canner depends on what you want to can. For the most part, water bath canners are for high acid foods, jams and jellies and pressure canners are for low acid foods and meats. You’ll also need a canning accessory kit which includes a funnel for filling jars, a pair of tongs specially designed to pick up hot jars, a magnetic lid grabber, and an instrument for measuring head space (the amount of empty space between what you’re canning and the top of the jar). Lastly, you’ll need canning jars, lids and bands. You can find them at most supermarkets and big box stores as well as at your local commissary. You may want to invest in a recipe book but most recipes are readily available online.
Now that you’ve got your canning gear, it’s time to figure out what to can! Most military families don’t have a permanent enough home to start their own huge garden, but you can easily grow tomatoes or strawberries in a planter on even the smallest porch or patio. If that isn’t an option (or you don’t have a green thumb) find a local farmer’s market or community co-op to buy fresh grown produce. The fresher your ingredients, the better your canned goods will taste. My personal favorite thing to can is jam. Store bought truly can’t compare and it makes an excellent gift.
Personally, I only can things that can be canned in a water bath canner, so the tutorial will be based on that. The first step is sterilizing your jars. Fill your water bath canner enough so that the water will cover 1-2 inches over the tops of the jars. Bring it to a boil, then put your jars in and let them boil for 10-15 minutes. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over your lids and let them sit until you’re ready to fill the jars. When the jars are done I place them in my sink (which I’ve also sterilized and filled with hot water) until I’m ready to use them. Next you’ll need to prepare your recipe which of course depends on what you’ve picked! Now you’ll need to fill your jars using your funnel (be aware of the head space required for your recipe and be sure to measure accordingly), wipe off any excess from the lip and threads of the jar, put on the lid and screw on the bands. Once all your jars are filled you’ll need to process them in your water bath canner for the amount of time the recipe calls for. After they’ve processed remove them from the canner (use your tongs, they’re HOT) and let them sit until cooled. You may hear some pops, but don’t worry! That sound is just your jars sealing up. If any jars do not seal then you should eat the contents within a week or two to avoid contamination with germs and bacteria.
Now revel in the fact that you’re a crafty modern woman who is able to can her own food. Enjoy the fruits of your labor by yourself or share them with friends and family. Don’t forget to include your kids and hand down this tradition to them. They may be teaching it to their kids someday!
“Do these jeans make my homecoming look big?”
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My phone rang…”This is your Family Readiness Officer, informing you that we have recieved a stop-mail date…”
It is the end of July and there is a light at the end of my deployment tunnel…I can’t send any more mail! Now comes what my Chaplain calls “The Four Horsemen”, “Will my husband have changed?“, “Have I changed?“, “Will he still love me?“, “Will he be supportive of the decisions I have made?“. These are the questions that plague us all when the reality of our loved one returning home (soon!) hits. Fortunately for me, I can answer the question, “Will he still love me?“, pretty easily. I have no doubts there! After our first deployment together of course we have both changed. I have become more confident, more independent, and I’ve discovered that I am, in fact, one tough cookie. I’ve also discovered many more recipes to pack back on the 29 pounds my husband has lost! With homecoming on the horizon I can’t help but think, “Will he like the new me? What if he has become a different person? Will he like the number in our bank account?“.
Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond excited for the buses to pull up and for my handsome husband to step his boots onto American soil again but homecoming is the one aspect of military life that civilians really don’t understand. There are hugs and kisses and balloons and a ride off into the sunset (all in slow-motion and with perfect lighting)…but when you’ve learned to live alone (or to be mommy AND daddy) sharing your home again can be stressful. I am very prepared for my eye to twitch when I find a pile of crumpled, dirty cammies on the bedroom floor (at least the first dozen times or so…) or coffee dripped on the counter. It’s unreasonable to expect the perfect movie ending to a long seperation. It’s kinda like breaking in a new pair of jeans. At first they can pinch in all the wrong places but after a couple weeks of wearing them you have that comfy worn in feeling and you don’t ever want to take them off.
When I ride in past the gate, park and stand with my “Welcome Home!” banner, I will be about to put on those brand new jeans….but I know soon enough they’ll be like a second skin. And then those “Four Horsemen” can ride off into the sunset alone.
Yum…veggies!
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Since June is “National Fresh Fruit and Veggies Month“, I’ve decided to spotlight my favorite summer vegetable….zucchini! Although zucchini is treated (and known as) a vegetable, it’s botanically considered a fruit. Zucchini (also known as “summer squash”) can be green, yellow, or light green and it’s shaped similiar to a cucumber. You can also eat the bright yellow zucchini blossoms. It’s easy to cultivate and produces large amounts of fruit. They are really low in calories and contain folate, potatssium and vitamin A. Who knew healthy could be so yummy!?!
There are so many different ways to prepare zucchini. My mom cans zucchini pickles and relish every year and makes a few batches of zucchini bread (it’s similiar to banana bread and the zucchini helps keep it moist) as well. It’s great cut in half, soaked in vinagrette and grilled or with the middle scooped out, stuffed with bread crumbs and cheese, and baked. My favorite way to eat it is cut it into small “coins” (slices about 1/4 inch thick) and to saute it with garlic, onions, basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Try looking online for some great recipes or asking friends how they like to prepare it.
I’ve always been the weird kid who wanted seconds of asparagus, spinach, and brussel sprouts simply because I grew up with my parents eating and growing them. So this month, why not head over to your local grocery store or farmer’s market and try a new fruit or vegetable? Maybe your husband or your kids will find the veggie they can’t get enough of and will be begging you for seconds, too!
“A friend loves at all times.”
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est friends that I am thankful for this year on June 8th, also known as, “Best Friends Day”!
I have my best friend from elementary school, Maegan, who I can go weeks without talking to and when I pick up the phone and call it’s like we just talked yesterday. I have my best friend Pamela, who I grew up with and spent almost everyday after school with. I have my best friend Molly, who has been there through my toughest life moments and was my maid of honor when I got married. All of these women mean a lot of me and keep me grounded to my life back home.
Of course, I also have my best friend Cait, who I met while my husband was walking our dog and who has been a constant help in my new “marine dependent” life.
I can always talk about deployment and field operations with my other friends, but it takes a lot of explaining and they try but still don’t really understand. The second I tell Cait about these things she laughs and we rant and we both feel much better. I know I helped her get through her husband’s deployment and I am so thankful I have her to help me get through my husband’s current deployment. When I am worried she listens to my fears, and lets me complain about things I have no control over with a non-judmental ear. She also lets me know when it’s time to put on my big girl panties and suck it up!
While my husband is deployed I have a lot more free time on my hands and Cait is always there to include me in her plans with her husband. They’ve brought me on shopping trips to Raleigh and countless outings to the beach and for that I am very thankful. Neither of us can cook for less than 4 people (our husbands’ single friends love us) so she invites me over for dinner very often since I don’t cook very much while I’m alone. Of course friendship isn’t just about what a friend can do for me, but more about the feeling that you are not alone in your struggles. I’m reminded of a favorite quote, “Joy shared is joy multiplied, while a sorrow shared is sorrow divided”. We revel in each others’ joy (homecomings!!) and help bear the burden of each others’ load together (long deployment nights spent worrying). And who else will look at me and say, “Ooh-Rah”, with sweat pouring down their face when we have a great workout at the gym?
Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful for all the spouses I’ve made friends with!
It’s just that Cait and I share that special something that will keep us friends even when my husband and I move back to Maine and are once again considered civilians. She’s told me time and again if I ever missed this crazy life I could always come visit her at another duty station. She will always be on my Christmas card list, and I will always think of her when I lay my head down at night and review all the reasons that I’m blessed in this life.
She’s not just a friend while my husband is active duty, she is a friend I will cherish and love for the rest of my days. I can only thank the Marine Corps for bringing us together.
Springing Into Healthier Habits
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The sun is shining and the temperature is rising. That can only mean one thing; springtime is here! It’s definitely giving me inspiration to reach my health goals.
GET INTO THAT BATHING SUIT
I’m not quite used to the North Carolina weather yet. It’s only April and I’ve already been to the beach twice. That’s nothing like Maine where we’re crossing our fingers that we don’t get any April snowstorms. Unfortunately, that means I need to get in my bathing suit a lot earlier than usual so I’ve started a workout routine to shed some extra pounds. I’ve got access to the base gyms for free, which is really helpful.
This week I had a free consultation with the Nuco personal trainer and she showed me some exercises to help my problem areas. She kicked my butt! I’ve been going to the gym for an hour five to six days a week for about two months and I can already see a difference. I’m not expecting to be in my bikini with a six-pack but just aiming to be more in shape.
TIME TO CHECK OUT THE FARMER’S MARKET
I’m also trying to eat better. Now that it’s spring I can start visiting the Onslow County farmer’s market down here in Jacksonville. I’ve always grown up with garden grown food so it’ll be a reminder of home. Nothing is better than spring peas! Two of my girlfriends are also dealing with deployments so I’m going to have them over for dinner and cook them something great and healthy too.
GROW IT YOURSELF
I know it’d be even easier if there were healthy foods growing right outside my door. So today I invested in rosemary, tarragon, basil, and a great planter. I love the greenery out on my balcony and getting my hands dirty. I am a farm girl after all! They look awesome and they smell great too. Now I just have to make sure my naughty dog doesn’t take any nibbles out of them.
Needless to say, I’m so happy for Spring to be here so I can get more active and eat fresh foods! My husband will be pleasantly surprised when homecoming day is finally here. I’m going to be one hot mama!