Can I have MOST of your Daily Trash Please????

Do you ever think that people have just plainly given up on your sanity.??? 

First the Canning, then the dehydrating, then the Chickens, then the Hoarding of Food...... Then the asking your friends for their egg cartons, newpapers, old mason jars........  lmao....Yes the list grows...

So after doing our Jack-o-lantern Jars.....and then putting my Brown Sugar in a jar......I'm running on the LOW ....on extra jars.... I don't want to use my Canning Jars....cause well, They have a purpose... and I don't have many of those left.... Until that is I go to the Store and Use my Coupons that were in Sunday's Paper...??  PLEASE TELL ME YOU ALL SEE THE BALL/KERR Jar Coupons in the paper!!!!!!  They are going on Clearance this week or next..... because unfortunately the season is coming to a close......then you get a $1.00 off......HELLLLLLLL YAAA!!!  I'll take some of that...

Anyway....So I think I just need to make a piece of paper that looks like this.....

COULD ALL MY LOCAL FRIENDS BE SO KIND AS TO KEEP THESE ITEMS FOR ME TO COME PICK UP.....

NEWSPAPER COUPONS

MASON JARS

EGG CARTONS

SPAGHETTI, PICKLE JARS....OR ANY REUSABLE TYPE GLASS CONTAINER OR PLASTIC FOR THAT MATTER...LOL!!!  

I may as well tell them to just leave their trash out next to their mailbox every day and I'll be by to pick it up.......LMAO...

I really enjoy getting stuff for free....and the friends that I ask are more than willing to give me the stuff.....Sometimes , I just feel like if everyone I knew Knew what I was doing....they would probably have me committed.......LMAO!!!

If you did a craft and it worked....CLAP YOUR HANDS!!!!

Okey Dokey Folks........  I may seem to get excited easily these days....but that really happens not all that often....It just must be the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and Mercury and Pluto are all lined up.....  Yes, I know about Pluto.... Poor dog got kicked out the Galaxy.

I decided this morning that the boys and I were going to do a KID type Project because Canning, Dehydrating, Refurbishing Furniture (Oh yeah, I haven't shared any of that with ya'll yet.. lol)  are all MOMMY Projects that they get to help with.......  Right now we are preparing for a Yard Sale....YUCK!!! Boring!!!  So, I figured we should do something fun, that they would enjoy.  

I originally was going to take my friend Two Llama's (its a facebook page) You should check them out....they are a Hoot!!  
https://www.facebook.com/2LlamaDrama

Anyway, back to what I was saying....I was originally going to make these Jars that she's been making and look really cool.... which you can find Here.......... at her webpage.

http://www.twollamasandawholelottadrama.com/home/2012/07/30/upcycle-turn-your-spaghetti-and-pickle-jars-into-colored-solar-lighted-gems/

After starting them.......I realize they are probably going to be a bit too light for my tealight jack - o -lanterns I wanted to make..... Sooooo, I searched around on Pinterest (yes, it is most definately a very useful site....It's like how Google USED to be)  and I found this.....

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/10/pumpkin-jars-add-treats-candles-or-nothing-at-all.html

I ALMOST followed the directions to a T......  but, that's not really the way I roll!!!!  Sooo, here is what I did differently.....hmmmm where to start......

Definately Shake as much out as you can.....it DOES TAKE FOREVER TO DRY...........

I went to the local Hardware store here in town......Talked to the Paint Lady.......and we decided that Interior paint....The Cheapest kind they had would work PERFECT.....I picked a semi dark Orange color.......and she made the paint for me......

NOTE THIS......It does NOT TAKE ALOT OF PAINT TO MAKE THESE JARS!!!!!! lol

IF you are going to do this craft with your children.......... I TOTALLY SUGGEST putting the Orange Paint in a day or two ahead of when you want to do the craft with your children........  I would just let them put the FACE on the Jar..........  I'm even thinking about putting   " MOM "  on the OTHER SIDE!!!  You can't see it....So no harm.....  it won't mess up anything........

OH, We Used a Sharpie Marker to make the face....... and the great thing is...... if you mess up on the face... you can lick your finger and it comes off.....    Yes, I messed up a few times....  LOL

Also make out the wire hanger things ahead of time......Kids really don't like that part...... or at least mine didn't....

And lastly........  I'm seriously considering putting green pain on the top part of the jar.........I may spray paint it....just to make it look even more like a Pumpkin.....  

I used a Tea light and it was VERY  difficult to get it in the bottom without flipping over...plus, my jar is still a little wet....... I used Salad Tossers.......worked perfect......and I used a Long Grill Lighter to light it.....

HERE is what I am thinking is GOING to HAPPEN............. It will have a fire in it.......and melt the paint......Sooooooooooo,  I am recommending to my "PEEPS"  that you use the battery operated tea lights or in fact use what my friend "TwoLlamaDrama used   " a Solar Light"  ......will be looking into those......and will let everyone know.......

Wooooooo Hoooooooo

If you didn't know.........Now you know.........  Canning makes me HAPPY  ;)))))   If canning makes you happy clap your hands!!! Clap Clap......  lmao....  Okay...I'll stop now......

Today has been an AWESOME day....  I used some coupons and Store Ads and Saved a Bunch of Money....That always makes me happy..... We eat alot of Hambuger Helper in this house....Kids LOVE IT!!...  and I got it for 75 cents a Box today.....and it wasn't even the Generic kind....which I have been known to buy.....I'm Cheap.......Sometimes..... When I feel like being cheap....    I went to 3 different Grocery stores.....and they were all really close to each other so it didn't cost anything extra to drive to them... Seriously got at least 50 meals for $160.00.....  thats not bad at all......I'm pretty happy .....I think if something was to happen and my husband had to come home and find a new job or whatever the case....We'd be Okay on food for awhile...  I bought some Ground Turkey today....  $1.99 a lb.....  I'm going to make some in Helper and see if the boys even can tell a difference......  

I also stopped at my Trusty Farmers House today and picked up some Tomatoes for Salsa.... 13 lbs of Tomatoes definitely doesn't make very much Salsa......Oh well, it will still come in handy....  It was so good that I almost didn't even Process any of it...I figured I could just eat all of it....LOL.... But rest assured... I didn't and I canned 5 Pints.......

I also used my Red Pepper Recipe that I got from my Friend "D" ......OH MY FREAKING GOD.....That stuff is sooooo gooooood....  I posted the recipe in my Notes on the Prepper Facebook page.... You can find it here..

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-bi-polar-prepper/red-pepper-jelly-recipe/343271655759943

On the Go all day.....The boys took the Wii upstairs to watch Netflix.....so its not that Loud Down here today...Unless they are hungry or Thirsty......

Speaking of Boys............  I have the boys on a rotating schedule on When they take care of the Chickens..... My oldest is still doing an Awesome Job manning the Coops......  the Littlest one needed some more responsibility with caring for the chickens so they switch off back and Forth......  One feeds in the Morning......the Other feeds after school and cleans to coops....then its Opposite the next day.... so they both get to do the easy and hard stuff.....  The babies are really coming along with the boys too....In the Morning, the baby chickens allow the boys and I to Pet them........

They have also started this thing that I call Flight School......All 4 baby girls get up on a Coop and Take off , Fly as far as they can across the Enclosure....Then the next one does it.....  It's not making it very likely that I will be letting them run the Yard anytime soon.... I seriously was considering it.......  I know the Older Girls will come home too eat and Roost......sighhhhh....  Not sure what to do....Guess they will stay there for awhile...

Oh and LUCY laid an egg today...... This half banny...... She's so stinking cute for a little bitty ass chicken.....Lays these little bitty eggs....She started laying almost two weeks ago..... August 13, 2012. That was the first egg... We have only had 3 since them.......Now that I have a day to remember....I'm going to see exactly how many days until she lays again......  I'm not really complaining....cause Raven isn't doing anything....but Molting.......so she won't be laying for awhile....

Spinning and Spinning and Spinning

Holy freaking Cow Balls!!!  Yes, I say that alot... My mind is spinning out of control tonight....  I'm weighing odds that making your own laundry detergent is a good idea and actually works.... My husband and I talked about it...and he pretty much told me that if it don't smell good he won't use it....Good thing he don't come home till Christmas  huh!!                       

         LOL!!    I guess it never hurts to try it....

So I've been thinking about that...and the 40 different things I need to get at the grocery tomorrow.... Oh and then my friend "T" made some Salsa today and canned it.... So, I am thinking...""SHOULD I MAKE SOME SALSA""  We as a family LOVE homemade Salsa.... My husband makes some really good Salsa....  I'm trying to decided whether I should do that or Peaches...  Asked my "MR" and he said if I gave him the option to eat Chips and Salsa or Peaches....He's pick Chips and Salsa every time...  I should probably make that....It would give me something to use my Pint Jars for...  I thought I was done with Tomatoes for the year... HA HA HA!!

I also am thinking about how I really need to get some Nesting boxes up off the ground for my hens...Right now the two hens that are laying eggs lay them in the little coop in the corner... but they all have been kicking the Straw OUT of the coop and it seems like the Minute I fix the Coop back up...they both get up in their coops and lay down to lay their eggs... but they mess them up....and take all the straw out...  sighhhh....    I really need to start planning for Fall and Winter for my Chickens.. Need to find really Cheap Wood.... Or Free Pallets.... Need to research that...

Oh and I'm running out of Storage Shelves for my food.....Don't want to put them in the garage.  Need to work on fixing that little problem too..and I am starting to Plan our Means out on a Weekly basis since School is in session.  Lots and Lots and Lots running through this brain of mine....  

Pear are Over and will the Snapping ever stop

My canning of Pears is finally over for the season.  I have a whole lot of Pears..... I have Spiced Pears

I have Pear Jam 

and I have Pear Preseves and some Jam 

I have a little bit of pears left....but not enough to do anything...so I'll feed them to the chickens....My Pear Canning Chapter is OVER!!!  

For Future reference  

http://www.pickyourown.org/pearjamandjelly.htm

My husband really likes Peaches and has asked me to can him some.... which brings me to my next bit of information.....  I've been working pretty hard to make sure that I am networking per say with the farmers around here.... Letting them know that I Can food.... (not to many people I am finding out still can or care to)

It's just easier to go to the Grocery...... Yes, Yes it freaking is.....

But anything in life worth having.....you have to work to get...

In my opinion....

Anyway...   I was coming back from our Local Back to school Fair in town and seen that a little farmers market that I have seen time and time again was still open.....I have never remembered to stop by or it was closed anytime I've wanted to go... so we stopped by in there...The people were packing up..

I told them, I was just looking for prices..

He asked what I was looking for...

I told him...just prices some of the stuff I am canning... and I said mainly Peaches right now.... 

Guy proceeds to tell me that he will be out of Peaches for Good in the next day or two, that I should get them if I wanted them for canning.  

I start calculating in my head how much his peaches are..  I ask him if that $2.29 was as low as he will go.....  

He started mumbling and getting all huffy at me....said...How Dare I ask him such a question...He doesn't need people like me, always trying to get something for nothing.

As I was walking away.....I told him that I in fact would be taking my business elsewhere....and Tuttle's Orchard would be getting my Peach Business this year.  I got in my truck and left....

Here's the deal.......  Tuttle's Orchard has Peaches $30.00 per half bushel.  That is roughly 25 lbs of Peaches.... This guy was selling them for $2.29 a lb.....I'll do the math...

      25 

x$ 2.29

$57.25          Now I didn't think that I was out of line asking the guy if that was in deed his bottom line price!!  There is quite a price difference there......  Some farmers will discount you if you buy by the half or full bushel......

And the bad part about it was....You can just tell that this is just the guy who stands there selling stuff.......He is NOT the farmer....looked like the heaviest thing he's ever picked up was a watermelon....

Long story short on this matter.......I made sure all my local friends heard about his Assholeness.......  I hope he realizes what he can do with those Georgia Peaches he was selling........SOME PEOPLE!!!

....I am buying all the stuff I am canning locally.....I tell anyone that asks.....Where to find what type of veggie ...

I need my own damn garden......that is all that there is too it...I want to be able to can my OWN Veggies......  so next year.... thats my plan......get my own garden going......

FMI:  Tuttles gave me a Bushel of Green Beans....late in the season for $35.00  and of course  

$30.00 for a half bushel of peaches....     

These are just notes to myself...in case I need them later...LMAO... Why not put them in your blog.....Hey.......Whatever works....

Nothing else Matters!!

He gets off the airplane......You make sure that your two boys are the first ones that get the hugs from their daddy......They really miss him, they Need the first hugs.....As you stand there wishing you could be the one getting the First Hugs.....Not only do you Need the first hugs.....but you deserve the first hugs....  But alas, you stand with tears in your eyes waiting your turn.  His smell is intoxicating.....All the memories come flooding back.....
"Damn, he smells good"

There is so much you want to do and say, and you have 56 hours in which to do and say all of these things.  You lay in his arms and everything is right in the world.....You can tell that no one has been sleeping in his arms, all of your worries wither away out of your mind.  He's home......  

You do your best to make him feel at home....His favorite foods and drinks... He gets the T.V. Remote (which the boys control while he's gone).  You can tell he feels a little out of place....because we have a routine....and filling into our routine is different than what he's used to...

And then just like that.....It's time for him to go....This is the bad part of the visit.  Everyone is on edge....Everyone is sad..... He wants to stay home with us....We want him to stay home with us......He knows he has to go.......and we know he has to go.... He holds in all emotions......I cry like there is no tomorrow. ;( The boys are crying and are very sad to see him go.  He hugs us and tells us he loves us....and walks thru the terminal.  There really is no use looking because he won't look back....  He's just got that personality....You know he won't look back......He don't want to see you crying.... 

You sit in your car and try to explain to your children the reason why daddy has to be gone.....You explain to them that the pain will go away and that daddy doesn't want you to cry..... You tell them that their daddy loves them and wants them to have the Moon and the Stars and is doing everything he can to make that happen for them..... All the while, they cry in your arms.  They don't understand..... Hell, I really don't understand.  It is what it is.....and that is all I know.  

On the way home you hope that you made the trip as best as you could for him, and that he will remember it as a nice trip home.  You hope that he didn't get a bunch of grief about the muffins that you made him going thru security..... actually you are really hoping that he didn't throw them out before getting to security.....You hope that his flight back to Dallas is an easy flight cause you know he hates to fly....but he does it for us.  

For two whole days you've been nothing but a hot mess.....But tomorrow its time to put your Mommy Big Girl Pants back on ......You can't stay an emotional wreck forever.....Those babies need to see that with every storm there is a rainbow.  They need to know that no matter what, You are a Metzger and you need to deal with everything that comes your way.  It's how you choose to deal with things that makes you or breaks you.  Mommy is allowed a little   
le-way because she is the only Female in the house.... and I am the Head Hen....and if I need two days to cry about my husband being gone for another 3 months without me being able to touch him......I will take those days.... and everyone will be okay about it.  This life is Not easy......Hell, this day and age...a Good Marriage isn't even easy.......and then add 1000 miles between the two of ya...  

We will get through this like we have gotten through all the other obstacles that we have been through in the last 12 years.  Sometimes you just need a day off.  And when you don't have family around that is willing to step up and say "HEY, WE"RE TAKING THE BOYS FOR THE WEEKEND" well, you are stuck with what you get.....an hour here......6 hours for school there....  

I guess my point in this blog is......Don't forget how much of a Bad ass your partner is......and how much you love them......and how much they do for you.... cause more than likely....they won't forget.......

It's back to the Grind!!!

He'd Die for me and I live for him!  Nothing else really Matters! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjXFRSuSnh4

Pear Jam no, I didn't say Pearl Jam!!! lol

Today will mark another day that I have accomplished something that I thought would be damn near Impossible.......  I made my very own Pear Jam!  and it tastes Awesome!!!!

My long story short was this......  My dad bought me these 8 oz Jelly jars by accident when I was suppose to be getting Pint Jars..... Well, can't really complain about it when someone is giving you something just because you have started a new project and they want to help you along in your project.  So I have kept them.....I even tried to can Corn in them.... HAAAAAA  Don't ever try that.....its a FAIL!!!  I'll just tell ya that now....Corn and 8 oz Jelly jars do not Mix....  Anyway....So these 2 cases of jars have been sitting here all the while I'm beg, borrowing and stealing.......  Not really stealing getting them for a steal some places...... Quart Jars.... Everything I have Canned has been in Quart jars...

My Friend and I were talking yesterday and she mentions that on some Sale group she belongs too a guy had posted that you can get ALL YOU CAN PICK Pears for $3.00.  I of course decided that I would Jump ALL OVER THAT!!!!!  My Boys and I went down there today.....and got some Pears......According to my Scale........80 plus lbs of them....Whooopppppssss!!!!  So I have alot of pears to be canning....

This picture is Missing the first 10 lbs that I have already made into Jam!!!!  

Here is the recipe I followed........

http://www.pickyourown.org/pearjamandjelly.htm

I am realllllly digging this Pickyourown.org site.......  it is very very very helpful when you are Beginner Canner like Myself.

As for my Pear Jam......  I used my Blender....(Don't ask)  and I guess it only has one setting that works....and it cut those pears up like Applesauce......Not complaining.....it looked and tasted pretty darn good....and Honestly......I reallllllly have No FLIPPING Idea what exactly it's SUPPOSE to Look like when you are done.......So Winging it is the name of this game.....I'm going to take a jar over to my Friend who cans alot of fruit....and have her tell me what she thinks....and what I could do better.....I have a whole Lot of other Pears to can so I want to make sure I don't screw them all up......  
So my jars are officially out of their water bath.........Which I also did for the first time today....Used my Pressure Canner.....Yes, its possible......  and I already hear them making that sweet sound of Clicking.....  We are good to go.....  

The boys and I tried it on a piece of toast.....and all three of us gave it our Seal of Approval....... I won't be surprised if there is a Jar open in the morning with Breakfast....lol

Soooooooooooo, if you live in North Central Indiana........I have the Hook up on some Pears......  lol....  I'll pass the savings along........

Training them Young

I have been working pretty hard trying to make sure that I am not doing ALL the work for the Chickens and Their Coop.  I have been trying to make sure that BOTH 10 yr old and 6 yr old get their hands dirty when it comes to helping out with them.....  Summer is almost over, so that brings new obstacles.  I'm trying to work out a Plan that makes it so that the boys are still feeding the Chickens before they do anything else in the morning....  and then they can help clean and such after school....  

They are not protesting....I thought for sure that the new would wear off of the chickens being around.....and they wouldn't want anything to do with them....but so far....so good......  My oldest has gotten the canning down to a science I think. He thinks canning is Awesome!!!  1 point for Mom!  

They have learned so much this summer about being self sufficient ........Only I wish I could have taught them more.....Video Games/Tv is Not going to consume their brains.......

Spaghetti Sauce vs. The Bi-polar Prepper

Okay.....So the Spaghetti Sauce is Completely Complete......  Oh My Freaking God!!!!  Finding a recipe that I liked, and making it work for me.....was NOT easy.....

I must say this before anything else...... IN THE YEAR 2012, DO NOT BUY TOMATOES AND THEN USE THEM FOR CANNING SPAGHETTI SAUCE.  
Without the cost of jars and everything else....Just Tomatoes alone...... its almost $6.00 a jar for Spaghetti sauce......HOLY Shit balls!!!  Fyi..... that is one of my favorite sayings.....  

Make sure that if you are going to Can Spaghetti Sauce you start early in the Morning....because it is a very very very long process....... Canning Stewed and regular tomatoes is sooooo much easier.....  Spaghetti sauce is hard.....well at least for a Newbie like me.....

This is the guidelines I somewhat followed...... it did turn out pretty good....it just took forever..... 
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1766,135185-253198,00.html
I did Not use the Red Wine Vinegar!!
It is totally more Cost effective to grow your own tomatoes and then make spaghetti sauce out of those.... Yes, I guess that is a GIVEN....but spending anything around $1.00 a lb is too much......and I was getting a deal for them......It was the cheapest I could find in all the surrounding counties...I did my research....