Today was the day to tackle the 6 boxes of peaches on my dining room table. As of now I have 4 down and 2 to go. I ran out of lids, so I get a reprieve until tomorrow. I think canning is like child birth. You forget how horrible it is until it's time to do it again, but in the end it is all worth it. How's that analogy?Have you ever neglected the syrup boiling on the stove for so long that it turns into rock hard candy/caramel-like substance? Lucky.
(after most had been emptied down the drain)Yes, I wanted to cry. And then, when I turned on the water in the pot it splattered all over. Hot, messy, instantly hard spatters. I hate splatters.
Not only did I neglect the syrup on the stove, I neglected the children. No lunch. So they snacked: on dry Corn Chex, caramel corn from Sunday, cheese sticks and whatever else they could reach. Meanwhile, they had an I Love Lucy marathon all afternoon. Before that though, I asked Chandler to give Kate a bath. With strict instructions to stay by her the whole time because children drown all the time in bath tubs. That was news to him. I scared him into watching her closely in the bath. I thought I'd bought myself at least 30 minutes of Kate-free time. No such luck.
Not 8 minutes later and she was back under foot. Pulling the stuff out of the cupboards. They even got her dressed. I just knew all boys were colorblind. Shirt is backwards too. I should mention that Brian took her along to Carson's soccer practice, which was all fine and dandy until I asked if she got out of the car. Of course he told me. I couldn't leave her inside! Oh my goodness. So there's the explanation for those who saw her, it wasn't a fashion statement afterall.
Then this evening as I'm upstairs getting out of the shower, Chandler rushes in telling me that Kate burnt her fingers. Sure enough. She opened the oven while our gormet frozen pizza was baking and burned her fingers. Brian was running cold water over her little fingers while the aligator tears fell. We then remembered what my Home-Ec sister taught us. Mustard for burns. That did the trick for sweet Kate. All better now. So file that away for a day you need it. Miracle cure, seriously.
I feel better now. Good night.
13 comments:
I was thinking about you canning all afternoon.
Give Kate ice cream for breakfast. Burns hurt and ice cream makes everything better. You'll win mom of the year award for sure.
I love the childbirth analogy, although, ironically, I don't know what childbirth feels like. But it seemed perfect. Loved this post, loved Kate's stylin' outfit. Sorry about her fingers. I forgot to say in the last post that I had that picture of those guys sitting on that beam eating lunch hanging on my wall all through high school.
I saw Kate at soccer in her trendy duds! My assumption was that daddy dressed her...oops! At least she was wearing her bracelet.
Thanks for the mustard tip...
All I am hearing about canning is how horrible it is - childbirth, seriously that bad! No thank you, not for peaches!!! I will suffer through WInCo. I think I will not be so excited to learn to can as of yet.
i've been doing tomatoes, but peaches are waiting in boxes for me too:) i have been waiting until after bedtime to do them because i just can't bear the thought of my kids underfoot while i try and work with sticky stuff!!!
Your jars look beautiful! I understand what you mean about the "labor" of canning.
I have to admit, I'm not too sad that I won't be canning this year, with living in a rental and no place to store anything.
Good job!
p.s. Kate is adorable!
Ooh, those peaches look so good.
Mustard for burns? That is the craziest thing I've ever heard. I will try it next time though. Do you know what it is in the mustard that works?
Marilyn: I don't know what is in the mustard that provides the remedy, I just know it works. I've used it many a time.
nice analogy.
kate is adorable in anything and everything.
i learn something new from you every time -- are we talking dijon mustard or cheap yellow-container mustard?
Natasha
I do like the analogy... I know it was hard work, but they look so beautiful...
Good Job...
Mustard for burns is news to me.
I just heard vinegar wrapped on bandages around the wrists for fever. I'm not sure about that one.
Great job on the canning Natasha.
Wow, I'm always impressed with women who can food. My mom used to can and it always made huge messes (I helped with washing and cutting and eating fruit - much more fun). And then her spoiled children refused to eat things she canned because we always thought store bought was better (little did we know then).
Canning is one of the many thankless tasks that homemakers do. Good job.
Your peaches look great. This year I took it easy and bought two boxes at a time and did them slowly. I still hated doing box number six, but it wasn't as bad as previous years. However, I didn't can anything else, unlike your 60 quarts of tomatoes. Wow you are amazing! Are you canning anything else this year?
It really would be boring if the kids all sat on the couch with their arms folded while you canned! Look at all the fun pictures, Im jealous, it looks great! Your amazing!
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