Adventures of canning #1

I'm going to wonder off the weight loss thing for this post, but I guess it can be helpful to those who eat out often because they don't feel like cooking or they are always on the go! So, my husband is constantly finding something new to do. With the end of the world around the corner, my husband decided that since he is going to need to know how to survive, he should take up canning. Every paycheck we both sit down with our budget, pay the bills, put into savings, and then split the extra money up between us. Well, with his money he decided that he wanted to buy some mason jars and a pressure cooker to start his canning adventure. He has a lot of things on his 'wish list' that he'd like to learn to do, but he says that this is the most useful and realistic for our family at the time so he chose to start out with this one. Canning is a great way to have meals all prepared, you can take them to work for lunch or have them ready to go in the cabinet or freezer if you don't feel like cooking that night (this happens a lot in our house) So here's how to do it!

First off, you're going to want to sterilize the jars. You can do this by running them through the dishwasher (no soap) or boiling them on the stove.


In the canning section at walmart, they had a funnel so we definitely swiped it since it would make things so much easier and less messy!


Then you're going to scoop whatever you're canning into the jar, we did chili :)


Then you're going to pack it down to get all the air bubbles out.


Then throw the lid and the twist top on and get it tight


Then you're going to want to fill your pressure cooker up to the first line with boiling water. (read the instructions and it'll tell you where to fill) We got this pressure cooker at Walmart for $60. My husband said that this was a good price. We filled it up and turned the stove on so the water would boil while we were doing the jars. When the water is boiling, set the jars into the pressure cooker.



Then put the top on and lock it on there. On our cooker, the top knob will rock back and forth to let you know when to set your timer (this all depends on the cooker). When the knob started to rock back and forth, we set the timer for 90 minutes to cook.



When the 90 minutes are up, take the cooker off the burner and let it cool. When you are able to grab a jar, take it out and let it cool out of the cooker. Some tops may not have sunk in yet, but they will when they cool since the heat will suction down into the jar.



Then they are all ready to store or freeze! We just put ours up in the cabinet and will be eating them later on. We'll let you know how it tastes :)

A letter to my daughter

Caroline,

I know that you can't really understand everything that has happened in the last 21 months that you've been brought into my life. You might have realized that I have looked different. My face some times is thinner but then grows larger, so does my 'stummy'. Mommy has had a lot of trouble with keeping on track. I tell myself that I can't do it anyways, so why try. I always forget my reasoning for starting to lose weight and be healthy in the first place when I get into that mindset. Do you want to know what my reasoning is?

The reason why I want to lose weight and be healthy is because of you. I want to fit on the slide at the park. I want to slide down it and hear you laugh. I want to chase after you when I look the other way for one second, and when I turn around there you are at the very top of the play set deciding whether to climb back down or to jump off and scare the crap out of me. I want to tell you yes when you see your pink trike and beg to go for a walk in it. I want to be able to carry you around when you refuse to walk or be in your stroller and not be out of breath after 5 minutes. I want to walk you to the bus stop on your first day of school, even if the bus stop is a mile away. I want to teach you how to run and strive for what you want in this world. I want to be there cheering you on if you choose to do a sport. I don't want you to be like me when I was little. I don't want you to think bad about yourself. I want your confidence to shine so bright that you aren't afraid to take chances. Most of all, I want to be your role model and I want you to be proud of me.

You are the most amazing thing that has happened to me. You make me want to be a better person and I just wanted you to know that you are my reason for being a better person. I love you and I'll always be here for you.

Love always,
Mom