Attempted Cannings: Part Deux

I am not a domestic diva in any way, shape or form.  I’d like to be more domestic–and I’ve had small successes in the kitchen–but I still feel like I have a long, long, long way to go.

Luckily, there are people in this world who help out the domestic diva flunkies (like me) and others who just want to learn.  These people are patient and kind while helping out people like me.  I’m lucky enough to have an awesome County Extension program–right at my little, Holly Homemaker-wannabe fingertips.

I recently participated in a workshop–taught by some of our Extension staff–that helped show a group of young gals how to make jellies and jams.  It was a hands-on workshop and I left with some products that I actually had a hand in making–that people can actually eat and enjoy.

Here’s the proof…

Making sure we know the recipe...

Our Extension Specialist reassuring us that anybody can do this...

"Are you sure we can do this??"

Starting to get our hands dirty in the jam and jelly making...

It's time to make some magic!

Throwing in the pectin. I'd like to state that after this workshop I promptly drove to the local grocery store and purchased A LOT of pectin. It was on sale, and it's good until 2014. It was a win-win.

Apple Jelly, anyone?

Anyone?

How about now? Apple Jelly, anyone?

Throw it in the water bath but don't steam your face trying to take the picture!

Water bath time minus the scalding, blinding steam that could have very easily melted my camera.

Dearest Santa, I would really like this super cool jar grabber that Ball makes. I know I have the old one and have NEVER used it, but I think this new jar grabber might just rock my canning world!

Strawberry freezer jam.

This batch is ready for the freezer. Aren't they pretty??

And of course we had to hold a tasting session of the finished products...

Oh. My. Goodness.

Oh. My. Goodness. Again.

I love me some good old fashioned, homemade strawberry jam. Who knew I would ever have a hand in making the stuff?!?

No food poisoning took place.

No fingers were accidentally severed.

No explosions happened in the kitchen.

And, our Extension Specialist is willing to hold another canning session for us.

She likes us!  She really, really likes us!

Plus, I left the workshop feeling like I could make jams and jellies in my own kitchen.

Success!

Of course, have I attempted to make any at home since the workshop??

Not yet.

But that’s just it–I think I could do it by myself.

God bless our County Extension staff for they know not what they have done.

A portion of my pectin stash.

Watch out people, I have assorted varieties of pectin and I now know how to use it!

Wordless Wednesday: Who Invited the Paparazzi?

In another attempt to stay within the (unknown to me) Wordless Wednesday rules, I’d like to tell you about some excitement that we had around these parts two weekends ago–in as few words as possible, of course.

You didn’t know about this excitement because I didn’t mention it in either of the TWO video blogs that I threw together last week for AgWeb.com’s A Day in Agriculture event.

Did I mention that I had vivid dreams about editing deadlined video last week?

Vivid dreams.

Well, I did.

And I kinda liked it.

So unless you follow me on Twitter and caught a simple tweeted image that I posted last week, here is some breaking news…

America’s Heartland–a weekly series that airs on PBS stations around the country and on RFD-TV–sent out a couple of really nice guys to shoot footage and gather information for an episode they are working on about a couple of young, fashionable, hard-headed, intelligent women who somehow married a couple of crazy, dirt covered, nice, loving, funny, hard-working Kansas farmers (who also just happen to be cousins).

You might recognize one of those farmers…

So tell me Mr. Baldwin, what’s life REALLY like living with your wifey??

Can you also tell me, Sir, what it’s like to be doing something while you’re being shot by two cameras??

The segment is about our lives on the farm and how Katie (my cousin-in-law) and I blog about our experiences.

Our poor, poor husbands. 

Katie’s blog, New To The Farm, can be found by clicking here.

Anyway, I wanted to share just a few pictures of our visit with America’s Heartland. 

I got a kick out of them.

Street Cred, Yo!

It’s the Crikey!! calf. 

So tell me, Mr. Baldwin, what do you think about your wife becoming part of the Kansas paparazzi??  Wouldn’t you rather work WITHOUT someone in your face with a camera???

Seriously, why is this lady shooting a picture of me shooting this tractor?!?

I also shot video of their visit, and I’ll get to that in a video blog later –I want to sleep easy for at least a few more days.

I shall call it “Behind the Scenes”. 

Plus, when we find out when the episode is scheduled to air, we’ll make sure to share that information with you.

If you’re wondering whether or not America’s Heartland is on your PBS channel, you can click here to find out.

I’ll share some more pictures later that’ll show you what kind of fun we had, but I have to unload my camera first.

I think I ought to look for the elusive Wordless Wednesday rules, too.

I think I just broke them.

Again.

Wordless Wednesday…Corn, Corn Everywhere!

It’s no secret that I take a lot of pictures. So I’m going to try out this Wordless Wednesday theme and see what I (and you all) think of it.

The rules (if there are rules for it) are simple:  less words and more images.  Easier said than done–at least for me.

For my inaugural Wordless Wednesday I thought it might be nice to share some pictures from this year’s corn harvest.  I’ve been able to go out in the fields a couple of times after school to shoot some pictures this year.

The weather has been nice, the classroom has been vacated at reasonable hours, it’s the start of fall harvest and I think I’ve already used too many words.

Enjoy!

This is what the corn looks like before the combines go through. Isn't it a pretty yellow?

View from the combine: This is what it looks like when you go from your classroom directly into a combine without stopping at home to change first. What can I say, I ride in style!

Adam is operating the combine and Dwight is driving the tractor that is pulling the grain cart. The combine unloads the corn into the grain cart while everyone is still moving. I will call it synchronized dumping.

After the grain cart is full, it unloads into a semi truck in the field. Once the semi truck is full, it will head over to the local grain elevator.

Dave--one of our semi truck drivers--oversees the corn filling the trailer. It's very important to fill the trailer as evenly as possible because the load gets heavy.

Dave's cameo appearance

A trailer full of corn before it heads over to the local grain elevator in Groveland.

Stripped corn cobs. It amazes me that combines can do this.

There is not an ear of corn inside this husk. Again, I'm amazed that combines can do the picking.

After the combines go through, this is what the corn stalks look like. We will soon put cattle out here and they will be able to enjoy a nice fall harvest buffet of corn stalks.

 

So there you go, my first Wordless Wednesday post.  I was concerned that I’d feel like I duct taped my mouth shut–but I feel just fine.

What are your thoughts on the Wordless Wednesday concept?