Thrifty Clothes: Value Village's 50% Off Day

Buying clothes second hand is thrifty and less taxing on the world's resources. It's true that you might not be wearing the latest looks but who makes trends and why do we feel like we have to follow them? The truth is I've never been a trendy person. I just cannot bring myself to buy something that will be outdated in only a few months. You'd never catch me in a pair of jeggins - yikes! If it's comfortable, flattering and modest count me in.

If you buy second hand clothes you might be interested to know that tomorrow (August 30th) is Value Village's 50% off day (September 6th in the US). Brave the crowds, it's always fun to see what you can find.

From the Rabbitry: A Fat Doe

About five weeks ago we bred Sofia and Galahad. Everything went fine so naturally we expected a new litter about thirty days later. We left on our road trip South twenty-eight days after breeding the rabbits, so I gave our house sitter (my sister) a quick lesson in baby rabbit delivery. She was glad that it wasn't an involved process. You just need to do a quick check on the kits and remove any stillborns.

While we were gone I waited to hear from my sister, but there was no call. I imagined that everything went fine. Sofia built a good nest and the kits were all alive. As soon as we returned I checked Sofia out. No babies...? Odd. But the breeding was textbook. Did I palpate? [sheepish look] No... (You can check if a rabbit is pregnant by palpating their pelvic area around 10-14 days after breeding). I haven't mastered the art of rabbit pelvic palpation so I slacked off.

Rabbits don't go in-heat like other mammals. Instead female rabbits experience induced ovulation (release of eggs) after being bred by a buck (male rabbit). This means that breeding is frequently successful, but not always... this is why I should have palpated. Now I have no litter and one fat rabbit. Darn!

This is one of Sofia's offspring from earlier this summer.

And Now I'm Canning Prune Plums

The beets are done and safely stowed away downstairs. Now onto the prune plums. I picked up a 20lb case from the truck man. They're perfectly ripe and make for a juicy snack.

Prunes + Port = Yum!

I've managed to can about 10lbs already. I'm trying an assortment of things since this is the first time I've canned prune plums. So far I've tried Whole Plums Preserved in Honey, Plums in Port & Prune Plum Jam (from Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods) and Plum Sauce (from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving).

Prune Plum Jam

Any prune plum canning suggestions? I still have 10 lbs left.

A Road Trip South and Canning Beets

Last weekend we made a road trip South to visit our friends. Last week our city was blanketed with thick smoke from local forest fires so we were happy to hit to road. Things were better in the South.

It was snowing ash the day we left.

On Friday we visited friends at their parents' organic produce farm. We got to visit and gorge on tasty organic food - it was great! The tour of the farm gave me crazy aspirations and Hubby unfortunate allergies.

Yum Basil! I want an organic produce farm.

Monkey playing with our friends' daughter.

We got to scope out the local farmers' market on Saturday. I was jealous, but our friends bought fudge and eating some made me feel better. I ended up buying 10lbs of organic beets. I don't even like beets, but they were cheap and would travel home well.

The rest of the weekend we relaxed. Hubby played loads of boardgames with his friend and Cindy and I splurged on delicious ice cream from the Marble Slab Creamery, chatted, nursed our babies and watched Julie & Julia. We also got to visit with our priest friend. He showed us around the town; I think he wants us to move down there. I must admit that the thought has crossed me mind.

Touring the town with Father.

Our little girls hanging out.

Sweetpea is working on sitting but gets tired easily. Good thing Bunny is such a good sport :)

I've been canning beets for two days now. Half the beets were canned as Maple Pickled Beets and Onions and the other half as Caraway Pickled Beets from the Ball (Bernadin) Complete Book of Home Preserving. I have 13 pints (500 ml)... what am I going to do with all these pickled beets!?

Book Review: Radical Homemakers

I came across this book by accident. I was looking online through my library's list of books published in 2010. I saw the title Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture, was curious and put it on hold.

I wasn't sure what to make of the cover photo. At first I thought is was a woman passing a baton in a relay race. Then I noticed it was a rolling pin. The women wielding it looks like she's ready to lay the smack-down. She's obviously not in a kitchen, unless her kitchen is outside... maybe she's chasing some kids out of the house with the rolling pin.

Oh yes, about the book. To start with the book is divided into two sections. Part 1: Why, looks at the history of homemakers. It compares homemakers pre- and post-industrialization and examines Betty Friedan's claim that women in the 1960s were dissatisfied with being home and experiencing "housewife syndrome". Part 2: How, is a compilation of her observations of qualities and behaviours that she observed among radical homemakers that she interviewed.

According to Hayes, "Radical" homemakers are those that enter the process of renouncing, reclaiming and rebuilding. They are renouncing the money-centered-consumerist way of life and reclaiming the lost art homemaking for the improvement of themselves, their spouse, family, community and environment.

I found part 1 of the book interesting. It examines and challenges our society's view of the homemaker. I also gleaned some interesting information from part 2. However I found some of part 2 to be less applicable because it was written for people living in the US. I also found the second part to be repetitious at times and had a difficult time finishing the end of the book.

Overall, it's an interesting book. It challenges and provokes but the suggestions made are clearly not for everyone and Hayes doesn't pretend them to be.

Macaroni and Cheese

Whenever I make macaroni and cheese the sauce goes grainy. I think it has something to do with cooking the cheese at too high of heat. Anyways, I made a nice creamy mac n' cheese and I'm so happy that I want to share with you the recipe. I use a macaroni and cheese recipe I found on epicurious.com and adapted it a little.

I didn't change the directions of the recipe, only the ratios of some of the ingredients which I've listed below:

Topping:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

2 cups elbow macaroni

Sauce:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 cup sharp (old) cheddar
salt and pepper for seasoning

Monkey and his auntie

Canning Blog Round-Up

Between canning and reading books about canning, I've also been checking out a few canning blogs. It's inspiring to see what other people are canning and it's giving me a few ideas for next year. Check out some of these blogs to see who is canning what.

Canning Across America

Food in Jars

Tigress in a Jam

Tigress in a Pickle

What Julia Ate

Well Preserved

Canning Book Reviews

While I've been canning away, I've had the chance to look through a few canning books.

A good book for beginner canners, Canning & Preserving for Dummies explains the process of canning simply and thoroughly. The book isn't limited to water bath canning; it also covers pressure canning, freezing and drying. I didn't use any recipes from this book because there aren't a lot of them. However, it is a good beginner reference book.

The Bernadin (Ball in the US) Complete Book of Home Preserving is filled with recipes. It has recipes for jams, jellies, butters, conserves, preserves, marmalades, fruit, salsas, relishes and chutneys, condiments, pickles and tomatoes. Most of the jams and jelly recipes depend on store bought fruit pectin for setting, which is fine is that's what you want.There is a section on pressure canning, but it's not extensive. The instructions on canning are few compared to other books. I made the peach salsa from this book and it tastes delicious!

If you want to learn about making jams, jellies and other soft spreads without using store bought fruit pectin The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and other Sweet Preserves is a good place to start. The first 30 pages of the book cover the history and basics of preservation. Pectin is discussed in length and there's even a handy list of fruit pectin content. The book is divided alphabetically by fruit starting with Apple and ending with Zucchini. Because the author is from California and lives in Oregon, a lot of the recipes are based on fruits from those states. There are recipes for tropical fruit too. Even though there are many recipes that I wouldn't make, because of the availability of the fruit where I live, the layout and writing style of the book make it pleasant and easy to use.

Canning Food

I'm in the throes of canning. When I tell people I am an avid canner I get some quizzical looks and a lot of questions: Can't you buy that canned food from the grocery store? Isn't it a lot of work? Is it safe? How do you can food? What do I can? I thought I'd answer their questions here.

Can't you buy canned food from the grocery store or what's the point? Of course you can buy canned food from the grocery store! Do I? Occasionally, yes. But, I can't control the quality of the food in store bought canned food. I can't control the levels of salt in a store-bought can of tomatoes or of sugar in a store-bought can of peaches. I don't know when the food was picked (was it at the peak of ripeness?) or where the food was grown. Canning your own fruits and vegetables gives you control of what you and your family will ultimately be eating.

Isn't it a lot of work? It is work. A lot? That depends. First, it depends on where you get the produce. If you grow and pick it yourself it'll be more work than if you get it from the grocery store. I don't grow much produce so I get most of my canning produce from farmer's markets and u-pick farms. Second, it depends on what you want to can. Tomato ketchup takes way more time and effort than raw packed tomatoes. Raspberry jam is easier than crabapple jelly. The first year I canned food I put up jams. If you use store bought pectin (and follow the instructions) it's fairly simple.

Is it safe? Food safety is a real concern. When you are canning produce certain steps need to be followed to ensure the food will be safe to eat later on. Jars need to be sterilized and the canned food needs to be proceeded in a boiling water bath for a certain amount of time. Some foods (those low in acid) cannot be processed in a water bath unless acid is added (like pickles). The best way to ensure you're canning safely is to read an up-to-date canning book (check out your local library).

How do you can food? To can food you need some basic equipment. At the very least you need a water bath canner and canning jars with rings and new lids (don't reuse old lids). Some good places to find inexpensive canning jars are garage sales, thrift store, and Freecycle.org. Other equipment that you might find helpful include: a canning funnel, a jar lifter, and a canning lid magnetic wand. You don't need these things but they may help prevent scalds and burns :) 

Once the food is prepared, the jars are sterilized and the lids heated, the process of canning is simple. Fill the hot sterilized jars with food leaving a gap between the food and lid according to the recipe's recommendation (head-space). Wipe the jar rim clean and place the hot lids on. Tighten the screw bands to finger tip tight and then place the filled jars into the canner. Bring the water to a boil and leave the jars in the boiling water  for the amount of time stated in the recipe. The time depends on the type and amount of food you're canning. When the jars are finished processing remove the jars and let them cool on the counter undisturbed until completely cooled to room temperature.

What do I can? Over the last few years I've canned raspberry, saskatoon and rhubarb jams. Crabapple and red currant jellies. Apricots, pears and peaches in a light sugar syrup. Tomatoes, tomato salsa and ketchup. Peach salsa. Plum butter. A variety of pickles. Some chutneys and weird things like pickled watermelon rind.

Morning Prayer with a Toddler

I'm not a morning person. I never was. Now that I have two little ones, I can't sleep the morning away. I have to get up and and put my grumpy game face on. I get out of bed when I hear Monkey yell "Maman! Maman! Poopoo!" from his room. He has a consistent first-thing-in-the-morning poop. The potential for disaster gives me the adrenaline boost I need to jump out of bed and start my day.

Poop aside, I've been trying to make prayer as part of our morning routine too. We are keeping things very easy and simple. Here's the morning prayer that we chose:

Morning Prayer

My God, I offer up to Thee

My soul and heart, Thine own to be;

And all I do or hear or say

And all my work and play.

Amen.

This prayer comes from Religion in the Home (1938) by Katherine Delmonico.

Monkey isn't that interested in morning prayer. He'd rather eat breakfast and create messes instead. I've tried to attach actions to the prayer, which has helped. I'm also trying to figure out the best time to say this prayer with Monkey. After breakfast seems to work better than before breakfast.

What are your thoughts? Do you or would you pray in the morning with your little one(s)? What are some of your favorite family prayers?

Monkey's morning grogginess :-)

The 40th Wedding Anniversary

This last week has felt like three instead of one. A nice Sunday's rest is just what we need around here. Thursday I spend 12 hours cooking for my in-laws' 40th anniversary celebration dinner; it was hard work. At the end of the day I was beyond myself. I felt relieved, happy, irritated, angry and so many other emotions. I came home and watched the final episode of Hell's Kitchen season 7 and it gave me perspective... at least I wasn't cooking for Chef Ramsay! Here is a pictorial summary of Thursday and the celebration on Friday.

The fridge was very full. I guess that's to be expected when cooking dinner for an estimated 75 people.

I was very eager to get started.

My SIL loves raw meat :P

This large pot of chili had to be stirred every 15 minutes for about 6 hours. My SIL's biceps are noticeably larger.

Here's 32 lbs of pork butt for the pulled pork.

The Matantes cutting cheese.

Here's how we cooled the large pot of chili before jamming it into the fridge. My SIL massaged the pot to speed up the cooling process.

After a good night's sleep we were ready to get the party started. Making punch is a thrilling activity!

Do we look good or what :)

Father blessed my parents-in-law and the food.

We did it!

And we had way too much food...

The happy couple lounging on their new swinging chair (a gift from the guests). My niece is looking scared in this picture, they must have been swinging really fast!

Canning and BPA

I am now in the throws of canning. The last few days I've been working away in steam filled kitchens filling jars with peaches and tomatoes. Next it'll be more tomatoes, pickles and jams. I've only got one small burn on my arm. There's no way to come away from so much canning unscathed.

This year I'm quite motivated to can food. Store bough canned food is often packed in tins lined with epoxy resins which contain Bisphenol A (BPA). The lining prevents food from making direct contact with the metal (a good thing) but as a result BPA leaches into the food. BPA is suspected to affect neural development and behaviour. Little ones, especially under 18 months, are particularly sensitive to BPA which is why Canada has banned BPA from baby bottles.

Health Canada recently published a survey of BPA in canned food in the Canadian market. For the survey, they tested 78 canned food items (soups, tomatoes, vegetables, tuna) from local grocery stores. The items with the highest levels of BPA were tuna and then canned soups. Health Canada claims that the current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging is not expected to pose a health risk to the general population, including newborns and infants.

Now here's the thing. When it comes to chemicals in our environment the approach is often innocent until proven very guilty. I prefer the approach guilty until proven completely innocent. When Health Canada tells me that BPA through food packaging does not to pose a health risk then I might relax.

Canning your own food is one way to reduce the amount of BPA in canned food. I say reduce because canning lids also contain BPA - darn! At least it's the lid and not the whole container...