Canning For Christmas

Yes, with Christmas only 79 days away, I've started getting ready!

I've had a nasty week this week! On Monday I was mowing on the ride on John Deer, when I felt it haul & trap something in the blades. I had a couple of stumps removed & thought I was tangled in a spreader root...no it was the hose for the downstairs sub-pump! it now was in a 1/2 dozen pieces & I knew duck tape was not the answer. I phoned Bill, my husband & he laughed & said 'No worries, I'll fix it before Thanksgiving Day, when I visit.' I still felt badly as I had mowed over a dozen times & never had that problem.
Then on Wednesday I was putting the mums in the new garden with a big spade & dug up several large stones, no rocks! then I went to jump on the spade again to dig deeper & it moved quickly sideways. I was thrown to the ground but before connecting with the ground I hit the totem pole decoration in the garden...right in my left ribs, wow that hurt, it burned like nothing I had ever felt! As I lay on the ground collecting what had just happened.  I was hoping that no one saw me (no one meaning my neighbours!) how stupid I felt as I got up & grabbed that spade & started digging to get it over & wanted to go in the cottage to further assess my injury. As I finished up my neighbours came home, as they came up the driveway they both waved. I waved back in relief that they had not seen me crash to the ground!
Well I had rib injury to my top ribs & now four days later I'm still using an ice pack twice a day. I've more relief standing so I've been canning as you stand for long periods of time cutting & preparing for the recipe.
I have an open house for neighbours & friends & last year I gave the guest some of my grape jelly as a wee Christmas gift from me & they all loved it, some asked for more after they finished their jar!
So this year I made Chow-Chow for my guests.
Here was my 'standing day'.

 I picked the green tomatoes out of my neighbours garden, we had frost warnings for the next two nights & they said to help myself.
Mary-Beth talked of her Chow-Chow & how nice it turned out, hummmmm
So into my Fanny Farmers Cookbook I went.

 So I too was going to give Chow-Chow a try. Green tomatoes were washed & chopped - for what seemed like forever as it was to be chopped small.

 This batch was done for my 'Green Tomato Relish' recipe, it was to be salted & had to stand overnight...till tomorrow. :-)

On to the Chow-Chow...

 The tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, & peppers were all chopped. Doesn't it feel like Christmas with these colours!

 Then the cauliflower was added, it so looks like Christmas now! Pieces of Santa's beard all through the Christmas colours. LOL

 But wait the onions & green beans are now added to this festive recipe. What perfect Christmas colour & texture & a lot of chopping!

 Cider vinegar & spices, with a bit more boiling to soften the veggies.

 Then the hot water bath...

 And Voila! Here's New Brunswick Chow-Chow to be enjoyed this winter!
I was so tiered that once the ice pack hit my ribs, I fell fast asleep on the couch,I don't think it was visions of sugar plums that were dancing in my head!
But I did feel relief that I was now getting ready for the open house for our friends & neighbours.


Now to finish the Green Tomato Relish...

 So much easier that the recipe of Chow-Chow!

 And now some yummy relish for the winter to take back to Ontario.

 As I look at the labels I wrote out this morning, I had spelled tomato with a 'e' - Tomatoe -Oops.

With my guys coming in for Thanksgiving, I started baking for them too! Here are some Maple Tarts & Maple Walnut Pie, made with navy beans blended in the blender. A perfect way to get protein & fiber into them!

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving. I'll be blogging on our Thanksgiving Project... a 12' x 20' shed, that will be going up after the Tuesday delivery of all the supplies.
Handsome & Handy my guys are! One of my many thankfulness to my best life. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!