16 pints and 8 half pints

That’s how much apple butter I got out of the bushel of apples I bought on the way home from Bill’s reunion a few weeks ago.  I just finished up the last batch last night.  Now I have to find somewhere to store all my canned goodness.

I have about 5 pints of tomato sauce and a few quarts of chopped tomatoes as well.  I froze some zucchini and summer squash and that’s about all the preserving I got done this summer.  My garden did not produce well enough to can any more than that.  We ate the green beans that we got – we only got one batch and everything else pretty much withered and died. 

I wasn’t able to buy at the farmer’s market either since they didn’t do much better than I did.  Oh, I was able to put up a few pints of green beans from the farmer’s market but that was about it.  I don’t like to buy just from anyone – I want to make sure they were grown organically and locally and a lot of the farmer’s markets this summer were trucking in produce because they didn’t have much.

I have used some of the Tattler lids that I had bought last winter – and reused a few and I really like them.  They don’t have that ‘pop’ when they seal but once they are cooled you can hand test them and if they are sealed they wont open without using the tool (or a knife) to pry the lid off.  You just have to remember to screw the rings down tight as soon as they come out of the canner.

I looked yesterday for some pretty Holiday fabric to cut into squares for decoration on the Apple butter that I will be giving away as gifts – didn’t find anything I liked so I’ll just have to keep looking.  I have also started knitting a scarf that I will be giving away as a gift this year.  I’ve made plenty of scarves in the past but this is the first time I’m changing colors (putting stripes in it) so it’s a bit of a challenge.  I can’t just knit away absent mindedly – I have to count rows and change colors on the correct row and try to make sure I still have enough yarn to finish the other side.  I’ve been back to Wal-Mart twice for more yarn – I guess maybe I’m knitting tighter than I used to or maybe it’s the yarn – not sure but it is looking pretty nice so far.

I have to start working on a skirt for Aubri’s Halloween costume.  Yes, she has a costume party to go to on Halloween so she has decided to dress in Ren faire garb.  I don’t have a problem with that since she can wear it to the fair next summer.  We picked out the fabric last night and I prewashed it so it’s ready to go tonight.  Skirts don’t take a lot of time so I should be able to finish it tonight and we can start working on accessories.  I may have to lend her some for now until next summer when she can get her own.  I’ll try to remember to post pictures.