Mmmm.... Canned Green Beans!

So, we have all these beans from our garden... they had/have to be dealt with...

So, why not can them?

No reason not to, except I don't have a pressure canner (it is much quicker and efficient to pressure can beans). 

I could borrow one, forgot to ask.

My dear mother-in-law told me that they can be water bath canned, it just takes about 3 hours in the water.

(I'm more comfortable using water bath than a pressure canner anyways.)

Cool! Off to google...

Where I found this link!

Most of my beans are snapped, so I got busy!

Sterilized jars ready to be packed with beans

The beans all washed and ready.

My setup of beans, salt, boiling water, and ready jars.

The jars all packed and starting their hot soak.

... 3 hours later...

Tada! 7 pints of beans!

Only 6 sealed, so one is in the fridge for a meal sometime soon.

A few pictures of our new home.

I will blog again soon with more pictures as we get everything set up.

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Five Months

Such a sweet little boy! The LORD has blessed us greatly with a good-natured son! I love him so very much and can no longer imagine life without him. He is so good, he is healthy, usually happy, and just as cute as a button! The LORD is so good and merciful to have given us such a sweet little boy to love and cuddle!

Lord, may we, as parents, gain/have the understanding to lead this little one in Your admonition and truth!

P.S. He absolutely loves his little pig (a.k.a. I love his pig)! Thank you Granny!

Garden

Bryant gave me a project to do today.

Planting a new garden!

We have tomatoes, lettuce, and strawberries (in the pot). Our box is almost full, and Bryant wants to plant a pepper of some kind also. It was fun filling up our box and the strawberry pot this morning.

Lord willing, this summer we will have fresh vegetables for a tasty addition to our suppers.

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Today's Adventures! March 3rd

Today we filled out the application for our new apartment. Lord willing we will sign the lease next week sometime. We came back to our apartment and started packing our stuff. Here is a picture of the mountain of boxes. :)

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Chocolate Chip Cake

I tried a new recipe today, though I haven't tried it yet it looks tasty.

I found a 4 egg yellow cake recipe and just added chocolate chips to it.

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) bag of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate today)

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Cream shortening and sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Mix well.
4. Add in chocolate chips. I saved about a handful to put on top. Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake 45 minutes, or until cake tests done (it took about 10 more minutes in my oven). Cool.

Optional: Ice or glaze

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon milk or coffee

Mix two ingredients. If too thick, add more liquid; if too thin, add more sugar.

*I used both coffee and milk in my glaze.

Our First...

Seedling!

Bryant noticed it today. It is our first (and second; to the left) seedling of the year! 

Yay! Tomatoes! 

Bryant set-up our growing area. It is next to the door that goes onto the balcony. I brought in a raised planter box that Bryant bought for me to grow our vegetables in. He bought a "seedling heat mat" to keep the little growing guys warm and cozy. We are borrowing a lamp that has a "grow-light" in it that somehow helps the seeds; I don't know how it works. Then we have our box with 24 planted pellets inside.

Our nifty set-up

We planted bell peppers, two varieties of tomato, and lettuce. I am excited to see all of the pellets, with little specks of green, filling most of our starter box.

I am thankful for the little box that fits in our home, and the means to get an early start on our plants. The Lord has been very good to us, and we are mightily blessed!

And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

~Psalm 107:37