I feel like I'm in a time warp.

Yeah, I know. It's starting to be 'hip' to be organic, close to the earth. My SIL and I have started doing some canning. She, because she thinks the world's going to go crazy this winter and the grocery stores will be empty. Me, because I like the taste of fresh food in the winter, and it won't taste like aluminum.

Anyway. In the last two weeks, we've bought:

• 6 boxes of tomatoes. This ended up being around 55 quarts canned, and 6 jelly jars of tomato jam (don't knock it til you've tried it!)
• 2 bushels of apples. That's a lot of freakin' apple butter.
• A bushel of green beans. Snap, snap, string, repeat...
• 2 bags of peaches. Peach butter is...pretty similar to apple butter.
• 10 dozen ears of corn. 10 dozen. That's 120 ears of corn. To shuck, silk, cut, and cream. It only made 11 quarts. And, that stuff gets in your eyes. It burns. Oi, does it burn.
• 4 quart boxes of new potatos.

Word to the wise, here: Canning involves boiling water. Boiling water may cause second degree burns through two layers of clothing. I'm sorry, nephew-in-law.

I've also discovered something about my child: she enjoys raw corn. Immensely. I considered, briefly, placing a fence around the corn as I prepared it. I'm pretty sure she ran off with a few ears, though.

So, should the shelves go bare, rest assured that there will be food in the house of Scharbrough. Anybody have any good recipes for tomatoes, green beans, new potatoes, and apple butter? Hmm?

OH! And, thanks to Misty, I've learned how to crochet. I told you, I feel like I'm connecting with the past.

Just call me half-pint.