I’ve seen a few bloggers preparing packages for IBOL, I have been cleaning up the sewing room and I knew I could definitely fill a box myself. What an inspiration to be involved in this too!!! http://ibol.wordpress.com/building-a-bundle/ , here is the website to go get information. Just send them an email and they will get you the address.
Here is a picture of my bundle, I added some ribbon and embroidery thread after I took the picture. Wrapped it in one of the larger pieces of fabric and tied it with a ribbon.
Now its off to the post office plenty of time to reach the destination. The latest date to mail is September 7th, this will give the package enough time to reach Iraq before there unit comes out of Iraq.
Sunday we went to visit a friend Linda, who raises goats. The purpose besides visiting a our good friend was to purchase some of her cheese. It is so delicious, after weaning the kids she makes goat cheese from there milk. Linda got a real chuckle about me asking if I could take pictures for my blog. I think she thought I was kidding……… oh couldn’t resist the pun……
Friendly little guys………
We arrived as they were enjoying there late morning feeding. The closest goat there is the buck, he has the biggest thickest neck. Kind of does what he wants, which is eat at the moment.
And this is what I will look like if I keep eating the Dill and Garlic flavored cheese. It very good, and fresh!!
After taking our purchase home we had a class on preserving fruit and vegetables at Allysons Kitchen.
Our instructor was a very knowledgeable “Master Food Preserver, Bonnie Koenig. Her website , Intellifare.com has some excellent links on food preservation.
We canned Peach Pie Filling, Hot Salsa with Tomatoes and Pepper and Dilly Bean and Pickles.
We are going to start doing some canning, after a few years of not doing any, we are enjoyed getting some updated tips.
One very important one I will share is NOT to use your Grammy’s recipes. Vinegar was much stronger years ago and so the quantities are not correct. You can get very inexpensive books, Ball is a good one with the correct recipes.
We each got to pick two items, one of our choices was a bag a Clear-Jel, which is a cornstarch product that stands up to the high heat process of canning. If you use regular cornstarch it will separate and be watery………that wouldn’t be to nice. This product is used in the pie filling as a thickener.
The Dilly Beans take two months to achieve their flavor, it will be hard to crack open these pretty jars and use them up.
Bonnie is going to teach a class in October on canning smoke salmon. We are planning to take the class in Redmond at the extension service. Canning meats is the main thing we want to do this year.
We have been doing some planning for enlarging our vegetable garden next year. Bonnie has a very productive garden so we are encouraged that we can have some success too. We certainly have the space!
I have started sewing up some 4 1/2 inch basket blocks for a JLW exchange. I will make 25 of them, 5 sets of 5 blocks. They go together pretty quickly , I made a couple up to get familiar with the pattern.
It’s the last weekend in August, can it be true, I love summer, we wait so long for it to arrive, then poof. It’s all good because fall is really beautiful in Central Oregon. Well not like New England, but almost!!
Summer blessings,
Carrie
10 comments:
Very nice idea for the Iraqui Bundle.
The goats are very cute :o)
Love the goats... they are kind of fun animals.. My Mum and Dad had a goatfarm before they started with cows... they sure have some personality...;o))
Love your new little blocks... :o)
Goats, food and quilting...whew what a post! LOL
OK...I can see I'm already loving that little quilt block...go figure coming from me right?
Got my bundle mailed already, Carrie - such a great cause! I love goats and goat cheese - Mr. Squash does not like the cheese - he thinks it tastes like sweat - LOL! We plan to can a lot once we move to the Squash House - kind of a fun thing to do together, don't you think?
Cheers!
Your beans and other canned goods look positively delish, Carrie. That was interesting info about vinegar. I wonder why they changed it? Did they say? You've been very busy these last few days of summer. You're sure right; it's gone by much too fast!
Nice assortment that you sending over. Those goats are adorable and I already feel like that one looked, lol. I've had something like those dilly beans on a bus with a bunch of hockey parents heading to a game several years ago - YUMMMMM, haven't had them since. Your little block is wonderful, but then I love basket blocks - have a great weekend
Hugs - Karen
Love the goats...those jars just look yummy. Oh those little basket blocks are as cute as they can be.
It looks like you had a wonderful outing. The canned veggies look so good! Think of how it will be cracking open a jar in the middle of winter!Yuuummm!
Love the basket block:)
Lots of fun and interesting stuff going on in your life. I used to love goat cheese until I got some so strong that it tasted just like goats smell. Now I am afraid to eat it.
Hi Carrie! What a full and fun filled day you've had! Gotta love those goats, especially felt for the pregnant one, lol, I seem to recall feeling that I looked like her at some point. The care package you made and sent will be so welcome, a great idea. It's been a while since we have canned anything much, but I do recall how nice it is to find a row of goods ready and waiting. Thanks so much for sharing your day with us. :o)
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