Wifezilla's Rampage - Weekend Update w/ pics

[Wifezilla]

I have been canning and drying like mad. Well, mad for me working full time and dealing with Max every day . Here is how canning went as I tried to get a batch of pickled grapes put up.

1. Clean out the sink
2. Wash off the counters and the table
3. While I am gathering jars from storage, Max decides to cook, messes up the counter and trashes the sink
4. Wait for him to get done cooking and eating
5. Threaten him with death by wooden spoon if he doesn't cleanup
6. Reclean everything since Max cleans like a 2 year old
7. Finally get control back of the kitchen and put a nice clean towel on the table
8. Get water bath canner on stove and whatever I am canning cooking
9. Trip over a cat
9. Clean jars and put jars, lids and bands in the sink in hot water
10. Take a quick potty break
11. Come back to find Max has cleaned out his room and thrown a stack of dirty dishes on top of the clean jars, lids and bands
12. Trip over a different cat
13. Reclean all the jars, lids and bands
14. Fill jars and grab towel to wipe down jar rims
15. Discover the youngest cat had been napping on the towel and it wasn't actually clean
16. Grab a towel from the BOTTOM of the stack and clean the cat hair off the jar rim
17. Get the lids and bands on the jars and place in the canner
18. Trip over a cat
19. When jars are done in the canner, take them out and place them on the clean towel
20. Discover the towel was used by Max to clean out his pan before he cooked and that you just put your jars in a pile of grease
21. Clean off hot jars while trying not to burn fingers
22. Place on a new towel after carefully checking to make sure it isn't covered in cat hair
23. Trip over a cat
24. Grab a bottle of tequila, a lime and a salt shaker
25. Slam tequila shots while waiting to hear the telltale PINGS indicating jars have properly sealed

So this is the standard canning procedure around here. Despite my methods, I managed to can some peach jam, some pickled grapes, and the strawberry rhubarb jam.

I also dried a lot of grapes, tomatoes, herbs, and zucchini chips. Did a few trays of cherries too.

I have a case of fermented sauerkraut and a case of kimchi in the back fridge. I also bagged several batches of cooked cabbages and tossed those in the freezer. My first batch of "half sour" fermented pickles is maturing in a much bucket on the back table and 2 1/2 gallons of kefir are fermenting on the counter.

So despite the "help" of Max, Cookie, Xena and Zeus, I HAVE got some preserving done. Not sure if my sanity and my liver will hold out for much more, but as long as I have limes, I will keep keepin' on.

More grapes have gone in the freezer. Sunday the rest of the freezer will be filled with ducks.

 

[moolie]

Lol, if there's tequila involved there is no pain, right?

Sounds like a pretty typical canning day, just that your distractions are slightly different than mine. In place of Max I have two hungry teenage girls (I swear I don't know where they put all that food), only one cat left, and a burner that doesn't heat like the others so doing more than one thing at a time takes concentration because the timings are always different.

It's going to feel so good to look at all your hard-earned bounty on your stocked pantry shelves!

 

[AnnaRaven]

I have been canning and drying like mad. Well, mad for me working full time and dealing with Max every day . Here is how canning went as I tried to get a batch of pickled grapes put up.

1. Clean out the sink
2. Wash off the counters and the table
3. While I am gathering jars from storage, Max decides to cook, messes up the counter and trashes the sink
4. Wait for him to get done cooking and eating
5. threaten him with death by wooden spoon if he doesn't cleanup
6. Reclean everything since Max cleans like a 2 year old
7. Finally get control back of the kitchen and put a nice clean towel on the table
8. Get water bath canner on stove and whatever I am canning cooking
9. Trio over a cat
9. Clean jars and put jars, lids and bands in the sink in hot water
10. Take a quick potty break
11. Come back to find Max has cleaned out his room and thrown a stack of dirty dishes on top of the clean jars and lids
12. Trip over a different cat
13. Reclean all the jars, lids and bands
14. Fill jars and grab towel to wipe down jar rims
15. Discover the youngest cat had been napping on the towel and it wasn't actually clean
16. Grab a towel from the BOTTOM of the stack and clean the cat hair off the jar rim
17. Get the lids and bands on the jars and place in the canner
18. Trip over a cat
19. When jars are done in the canner, take them out and place them on the clean towel
20. Discover the towel was used by Max to clean out his pan before he cooked and that you just put your jars in a pile of grease
21. Clean off hot jars while trying not to burn fingers
22. Place on a new towel after carefully checking to make sure it isn't covered in cat hair
23. Trip over a cat
24. Grab a bottle of tequila, a lime and a salt shaker
25. Slam tequila shots while waiting to hear the telltale PINGS indicating jars have properly sealed

So this is the standard canning procedure around here. Despite my methods, I managed to can some peach jam, some pickled grapes, and the strawberry rhubarb jam.

I also dried a lot of grapes, tomatoes, herbs, and zucchini chips. Did a few trays of cherries too.

I have a case of fermented sauerkraut and a case of kimchi in the back fridge. I also bagged several batches of cooked cabbages and tossed those in the freezer. My first batch of "half sour" fermented pickles is maturing in a much bucket on the back table and 2 1/2 gallons of kefir are fermenting on the counter.

So despite the "help" of Max, Cookie, Xena and Zeus, I HAVE got some preserving done. Not sure if my sanity and my liver will hold out for much more, but as long as I have limes, I will keep keepin' on.

More grapes have gone in the freezer. Sunday the rest of the freezer will be filled with ducks.

OMG Thank you! That sounds like my house but I thought I was the only one.

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm not alone?!?! Whheeeeewwww!

 

[abifae]

You DID tell him to clean up! Roy leaves his dishes in his room too lol.

 

[moolie]

No food in the bedrooms here, but the girls often forget about a dish or two every few days in the basement family room--then it gets shoved under a sofa or something and doesn't see the light of day until the girls do their weekly tidy and vacuum down there (forced labour, you know ).

 

[Bimpnottin]

I have been canning and drying like mad. Well, mad for me working full time and dealing with Max every day . Here is how canning went as I tried to get a batch of pickled grapes put up. Here's how mine differs a little from yours:

1. Clean out the sink Clean out dishwasher and reload dishwasher, do the big stuff that doesn't fit
2. Wash off the counters and the table Put away whatever has been put on the dropzone of the counter
3. While I am gathering jars from storage, Max decides to cook, messes up the counter and trashes the sink Get the "bathroom" call from my 3YO
4. Wait for him to get done cooking and eating Wash hands after wiping a butt or changing her, again
5. Threaten him with death by wooden spoon if he doesn't cleanup very similar approach here
6. Reclean everything since Max cleans like a 2 year old hmmm, oh wait, she just turned 3, so we're pretty close here
7. Finally get control back of the kitchen and put a nice clean towel on the table Clean towel on the counter
8. Get water bath canner on stove and whatever I am canning cooking
9. Trip over a cat Trip over dog who is begging - like that every works!
9. Clean jars and put jars, lids and bands in the sink in hot water ditto
10. Take a quick potty break yep
11. Come back to find Max has cleaned out his room and thrown a stack of dirty dishes on top of the clean jars, lids and bands Discover I've missed the question from my 4YO about which side of the sink is dirty, so snack dishes and half a cup of juice have been dumped all over my canning jars
12. Trip over a different cat Probably a kid or a toy, this time
13. Reclean all the jars, lids and bands
14. Fill jars and grab towel to wipe down jar rims
15. Discover the youngest cat had been napping on the towel and it wasn't actually clean Discover 8YO was trying to do a science experiment by using more of my baking soda, that has now all spilled over the towel on the cupboard
16. Grab a towel from the BOTTOM of the stack and clean the cat hair off the jar rim Rewash jars so they don't taste like soap
17. Get the lids and bands on the jars and place in the canner
18. Trip over a cat Definitely the dog again, probably has to go for a quick walk, and it better be a quick walk to the end of the driveway where she BETTER do her business!
19. When jars are done in the canner, take them out and place them on the clean towel
20. Discover the towel was used by Max to clean out his pan before he cooked and that you just put your jars in a pile of grease Kids used it to clean up something, probably fell on the floor where it picked up white dog hair on a white towel, and they put it back, so now everything is hairy
21. Clean off hot jars while trying not to burn fingers
22. Place on a new towel after carefully checking to make sure it isn't covered in cat hair
23. Trip over a cat
24. Grab a bottle of tequila, a lime and a salt shaker Wish I could grab something, but it's only 9:30 in the morning and I'm watching 5 kids ages 8 and under
25. Slam tequila shots while waiting to hear the telltale PINGS indicating jars have properly sealed Think longingly of the wine coolers in the fridge, but make myself a cup of tea - or grab a Pepsi and drink that.

 

[JRmom]

I don't think a little pet hair ever killed anyone! Around here, a meal is considered a success if you don't find a dog hair or two in your food.

 

[Wifezilla]

if it wasn't for the house full of kids, I would use the "it's 5:00 somewhere!" excuse.

As for pet hair in food...LOL...supposedly exposure to pets boost immune function and reduced allergies. That being said, once this group of cats is gone, NO MORE INSIDE ANIMALS!! If the food then tastes funny without the hair, I can go two houses down and get some dog hair from my fluffy buddy "Dog". (original name for a blue heeler, huh?)

 

[savingdogs]

thanks WZ for my morning cheer-up....I'm like AnnaRaven who thought my kitchen was the only one like that. With me, it is the five dogs and four cats and three teenage-types (Note: I have two teenagers and ONE husband in actuality, but the husband can be like a big teenager at times, so he counts).

Since I'm such a promoter of pet ownership, I must say, "May there be a pet hair in every jar." .......