Sep. 19, 2008 - Canned Pears...

     For six years we have had a pear tree, and just this year we were accurate in our timing, and were able to save a whole bushel of pears before they hit the ground, and then we found a recipe, and started the canning process. Altogether we have 14 jars of sugar pears.


Batch 1


What your poor fingers have to go through to can pears


And then we decided to have a pear...uh photo shoot. I have never asked a pear, "Can you give that hint of expression?" "Purse your lips a litte..."


Anyway, this is my favourite picture of the bunch. The sunlight gives them...something.


And this is all we have for this year....but there are still a few pears left at the top of our tree, and we probably will can a few more. And they make delicious pies...Breezy made a wonderfully scrumptious pie on Tuesday...somewhat due to our pears. :)
For those following Ambrose Daley...I will post his sequel in a few days...I just needed to get this post in before it was too late. :)

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Jul. 19, 2008 - Gardening...A Skill We Should All Know

     Gardening is a great way to learn homemaker skills, provide for a family, and have the joy of growing plants and being keepers of the earth.

     Proverbs 31: 16, "She considers a field and buys it, and out of her earning she plants a vineyard."

     Genesis 3:19, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.."

     Proverbs 6:8, "Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."

      Nowadays, people don't really keep gardens, except for those who need homegrown food to provide for their families, or hobby farmers, or even the families who want to know that their food is healthy for the family- like us. But it is not hard to keep a garden, and people who don't have room only care for two tomato plants which give enough tomatoes for a small family. Some use the tomato plants that they hand upside down in a soft little chute thing- Mom and I are not the upside down growers- we like our plants upright and in the ground- though people get great success with the newer ways for growing plants in a small area. Clay pots are great for any plant, and are also a space saver for patios and such.

           We keep a garden every year, and some years are not very good- due to weather conditions. We always plant tomatoes and green beans...and a few others that we plant some years or not. Sunflowers, cucumbers, and cabbage are some of our other plants that provide nourishment for the family. And this year, we have given some land in the garden for my aunt and uncle for their own first time hobby garden.
                            

      As women and keepers of home, gardening falls right into our path. There will be a time when as mothers- we will need to decide between store boughten vegetables when we can grow our own healthy produce. A young lady, should know the basics of gardening...for when she needs to know the proper skills she will not have to guess too much on how to handle seeds, watering time, and extra care for their garden.

     Planning a garden, what plants grow best together, when to plant in the year, when to weed or hoe, space needed for a plant, and the proper care for each plant- when a plant needs to be trimmed, supported, and so on are some things that we would need to know.

    Tomatoes need some help when they start to grow down to the ground, and when their limbs extend to the ground when they become full of healthy green tomatoes. Also one needs to be searching for tomato worms...disgusting worms with a horn on its rear. You can spot a worm by looking underneath the plant and checking for its bowel deposits, and then look upon the plants leaves and stems. Usually it is easy to find such creatures- for their destruction is everywhere.

    Green Beans will need some hoeing, and plucking of weeds, and a smart eye on the look out for those that are ripe, for one day one can be ready, and one day later it is already bad because it became overripe.

         This is our first basket of green beans this year. Mom picked them and then we came inside and snapped them while we watched Penelope. Snapping green beans is a fun exercise that makes you feel as if you should be wearing a long skirt, and a lace shirt with puff sleeves. Therefore gardening does have its advantages, and I thoroughly believe in everyone having a garden-whether small or large, for benefits come everyday, and the thrill of growing your own food lengthens your neck to hold your head high. No more market veggies for us!

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