Summer Vacation

Luke in is cool new shirt (thanks Chris and Erin!)... Mustache!

School has been out for a couple weeks now and I still have a whole month before I go back! Ahhh.... It's so nice to just work and not have to worry about studying. I have been blogging (duh), gardening, canning, working some extra hours, and spending as much time outside as possible with Luke.

A couple of weeks ago, a girlfriend and I (plus kids) wen to a local farm to pick blueberries. The kids had a great time but they didn't pick much, they just ate tons of fresh berries. We got them super cheap, about $1.80 lb.

Ready to Pick!

yum!

I turned what was left of the berries into Jam. It was my first time and I think could get really into this. First of all... it saves a ton of money. After my initial investment of jars and lids, it cost me about $1.31 per jar of homemade jelly. Secondly, this way I know what's inside it. Have you tried to find jam without high fructose corn syrup for under $3... impossible! And the most important reason... it's delicious!

Aren't the jars pretty?

Then I tried my hand at some Salsa Verde. We love this stuff. Alan has made it before but we have never canned it. The picture above is of the tomatillos, jalepenos, and green chilies getting ready to be roasted in the oven.

Then you throw it all in the blender with onions, garlic, lemon juice (to increase the acidity for preserving), spices and cilantro. After that, let everything simmer for 20 minutes and it's ready for canning!

The finished product. This one was even cheaper than the jam, about .89 per jar!

This is what Luke was up to when I was canning.

Our blackberries aren't quite ripe yet.

Bee!

Luke picks the blackberries as soon as they ripen.

Showing me the blackberry he found.

Here's what left of my veggie garden. My cilantro is already gone and the red/green leaf lettuce has gone to flower (meaning... not producing anymore). The tomatoes are just now starting to ripen and the zucchini plant is going crazy!

These are baby romas... they should be ready in about 1-2 weeks (if we have a lot of sunshine).

The crazy zucchini is taking over the garden.

Can you spot what's weird about this picture (it's the inside of my refrigerator)? There is a small plastic turtle that I have found 3 times in the fridge now.

We went to Toy'R'Us the other day with Luke... just to play. He became fixated on this turtle and wanted it more than anything else in the store. He carries it around and pets it.