Picking Peaches

Tuesday night, our Bishop's wife called and had us go pick some peaches and nectarines. Their backyard is amazingly stunning. Colton thinks it's Heaven, I'm pretty sure. Braxton and Kaydon picked peaches while Colton and I picked nectarines. I'll be baking and freezing peach muffins for my breakfasts and then slicing and freezing peaches for lunches and snacks. Miss T supplied us with a good amount of bottled peaches, so I won't have to can these ones. Blessed!

Tomayto Tomahto

This past weekend, my amazing bishop and his wife brought me A LOT of tomatoes. Braxton and I worked and worked to get them canned. 3 1/2 dozen pints of tomato sauce and tomoto soup base.

Now for corn, cherries and grape juice.

Warm Apple Crisp

Wednesday night, I didn't have to work. So, on my way home from my full-time job I stopped and purchased some vanilla ice cream. After I made dinner, did the dishes, helped with homework, made lunches, did laundry, and pooped - I made some amazing apple crisp. As soon as it came out of the oven, I called the boys to the table and served hot apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream. It was perfect.

Canning - Almost Done!

On Saturday, I was able to finish up the canning - for now. The peaches are done and the grape juice is done. I am so thankful for the juice steamer that my grandparents bought me. It made the juicing process so much easier! The juice is delicious!!!

On Saturday night, I made some yummy apple enchiladas with our apple pie filling. The house smelled so good!

Canning, Canning, More Canning

I have never canned. I have never done anything, really, that has to do with being domestic. :) I like watching baseball, football, and wrestling. I like to bake - cookies. I like to cook - dinner. That's it.

This year, I realized that I had to do something for financial reasons. My mom offered up her apple tree to us. My brother and sister-in-law offered their apple tree to us. One of our peach trees was producing like crazy. Martha gave us a lot of amazing stuff, and walked me through freezing, canning, etc.

So far this past month, I have bottled one dozen quarts of applesauce (which Josh made and it's beyond delicious), two dozen quarts of apple pie filling, and two dozen quarts of peaches. We also did pickles earlier. I used the rest of our apples to make four dozen apple cinnamon muffins. I baked them, bagged them, and froze them for breakfasts or snacks. I also bagged and froze a dozen bags of peaches. I love grabbing these for easy lunches! We have about another two dozen quarts worth of peaches to bottle.

Soon, we will have grapes ready to make grape juice and pears ready to bottle. I still have corn that needs to be cut and frozen, as well as tomatoes that need to be made into salsa.

I am beyond grateful for the examples of my mom and grandma, who canned all my life. We always, always had bottles of fruit in our house. I am grateful for the lessons that I was taught young so that I can be the wife and mom I need to be now. I am also so, extremely grateful for the fruit and veges we have been given and for the tree that produced our peaches.

Apple Picking

Last night, we went to Uncle Brandon and Aunt Carrie's house. They have an apple tree that is VERY productive. ;) We picked and picked and picked. Colton's job was to pick up all of the apples that fell on the ground and he did a great job! I will be canning applesauce and apple pie filling for the next week and I can't think of anything better!

I am so grateful for the fruits and veges that have been sent our way. They are feeding my family and it's a huge blessing. Our own peach tree is trying really hard to get those peaches ripe. I will be slicing and freezing them as they come. I love to stick them in my lunches everyday to eat. They are delicious and healthy!