Monday Message

"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

We went to Omaha to go to the Winter Quarters Temple and on the way, just before hitting the Nebraska border, we started seeing tremendous flooding. I thought they had recovered from the floods as I have not heard any more about it on the news. I don't think the water will recede this year, the water table is very high and this has been going on already for a very long time. I am wondering if these farmers will even get into their fields by spring.  

This is not good. Do we even think about how these things will affect our prices on food or even the economy? 

Then coming back home, not too far from our house we saw a fancy newer tractor for sale by owner. This machine probably costs as much as a farm in itself. But I have never seen newer tractors for sale and I live in the heart of the farming land. Seeing this tractor really bothered me, a symbol that someone is quitting. Can we afford for farmers to quit? An old farmer getting ready for retirement would not have invested in such a machine as this.  Usually if one is losing a farm they have auctions and if a farmer dies they auction, farmers have a network also. This machine was washed till it sparkled and driven to the end of the driveway of a farm... This and the flooded farmland has me a bit rattled. We will have hard times ahead. All this coupled with rumors of a recession on the horizon...

We should all be prepared.

It hurts nothing to be ready for hard times. Yes, it is a bit of hard work but that is something we can do.

Earlier this week I was given some tomatoes and cucumbers so I had a full day of canning...

As I mentioned last week, I was gifted canning jars. Here you see them washed and ready to use.

While I did the pizza sauce and salsa, I dehydrated the tomato skins and added to the jar I started from my canning last week. I filled the jar and vacuum sealed it.

This will be used in soups to enhance the flavors and to not waste the skins.

I made the cucumbers into dill pickle slices and relish.

Jane Russell's Sweet Relish

4 c. Grated cucumbers
1 c. Grated green pepper
1/2 c. Grated red sweet pepper
3 c. Grated onion
3 c. Grated celery

I used a food processor to do these. I put them in my stock pot this time but usually I put them in my stainless steel big bowl. By the way, I double this recipe when I make it usually because I have the stuff on hand.

I stir this then...

Sprinkle over all 1/4 c. Canning salt 
Then I cover with a dishtowel, which is fine on stock pot but if I use the big bowl I put a cooling rack on then the towel to keep it from falling in.

Let this sit four hours.

Then drain well - really well - while you bring to a boil....in my dutch oven size pan..

3 1/2 c. Sugar
2 c. White Vinegar 
1 tbsp. Celery seed
1 tbsp. Mustard seed
Stir till sugar dissolved

Add the drained veggies into this boiling goodness and simmer for ten minutes giving a stir now and then.

Put them into your jars, jelly jars are perfect but I was out so pints it was. Process in water bath for ten minutes.

We need to keep working on learning new skills. I keep saying this because skills will bless our lives.

Work harder on your storage and learning frugal things like making the tomato skins into tomato powder.

And remember always be kind and helpful.