Canning

While we were up in PA this past weekend I helped Dad & Sandy make and can tomato soup and hot peppers. My father works very hard on his garden, from putting it to bed in the fall to waking it up in the spring and nurturing it all spring and summer long. The bumper crop of tomatoes this season brought about some absolutely delicious cream of tomato soup -- everything that went into that soup was natural and from their garden, except I believe some celery and carrots, although the carrots most certainly could have come from the garden. My point here is, with all of the salmonella and other food scares, growing and canning your own food makes more and more sense. Our lot is heavily wooded and does not lend itself to a garden; however, when we move to Illinois, that's one of my list toppers - a home that has a spot for a garden.

I am going to try my hand at making preserves - I have a big gallon sized zipper bag filled with blueberries from -- you guessed it, Dad & Sandys bushes in PA, as well as about a quart of raspberries, just picked on Saturday. I'll let you know how the canning goes -- hopefully, we will have a delicious taste of summer to spread on our toast through the winter!