If I needed proof that the kittens were meant to be in our household, I now have it.
All of our pets, and kids for that matter, are very food based creatures. For a candy bar, you could bribe them all to do most things. I won't say all, mainly because some things take more energy to accomplish and the kids may just not go for that. The animals on the other hand, will do just about anything for food.
See how the littles fit in with the group in this video:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I am not sure what I was thinking, but I let her do it.
She first bleached the color out of my hair, then added the purple/pink dye to my hair.
After the recommended time, I washed and conditioned my hair, making sure to rinse the dye out very well.
The color didn't take well in my hair, showing many different shades of the dye, but that is not because of something Skye did wrong. It's just how my hair responds to that type of dye. Not only that, but my hair has a tendency of going a bit brassy when its bleached, which we didn't have anything to correct that tone, so that didn't help the color.
Overall, she did a pretty good and thorough job, even if my hair didn't cooperate that well.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Again, they are just growing like weeds. Their personalities are coming out and their actions are just hilarious.
See the latest update here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I found this recipe a few years ago on Youtube through Heather at the Kneady Homesteader and fell quickly in love. I do adjust the sugar content at times or change up my pectin based on what was available to me at the time.
Heather posted that she got the original recipe from here:
I also used that same recipe while making this batch. For those unable or unwilling (meaning you don't want to go to another site), the recipe is as follows:
Making Jelly from Bottled Juice
6 cups bottled juice, any brand or any flavor just make sure it is NO SUGAR ADDED
2 boxes of regular or classic pectin ( I measured to see how much was in the 2 boxes and it was a little over 9 Tablespoons)**
7 cups of sugar or sweetener of choice **
1 Tablespoon of butter
1. First thing I did was to wash all of my jars, rings & lids in hot soapy water. I then put those jars into a water bath canner, filled it with enough water to fill the jars and cover them by an inch or two. Bring the water to a rolling boil and boil the jars for about 20 minutes to sanitize and sterilize them. Because these are being canned in a water bath canner, this is important to ensure safety of your finished product. After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to low to keep them hot while you make the jelly.
2. While your jars are going, get the rest of your ingredients ready. Measure out your sugar and set it aside in a large bowl. Take a 1/4 of a cup of the sugar and combine it with your pectin in another smaller bowl. The pectin will mix into the juice easier this way and it will help it not clump up.
3. The original recipe calls for adding the pectin mixture to the hot juice, but frankly I am just not that patient. I usually add it to the juice, whisking it in as I do, and then turn the heat on. I haven't experienced any issues doing it my way, but go with what makes you comfortable.
5. Once the juice comes to a rolling boil, that can't be stirred down, then add the rest of the sugar and the butter. For those of us out there that are new to canning, and I still consider myself a newbie even after a few years of doing it, a rolling boil is when the liquid inside the pot continues to bubble around your spoon as you stir it. I usually use a whisk for this to keep it from clumping, then switch to a spatula so that I can get all the jelly out of the pot.
6. While the lids no longer have to be boiled, you would still want them to be warmed up. I usually let my faucet run, our hot water tank is a boss and gives us steaming hot water without having to boil it, though I have also used my water kettle for this part too. I put my lids only, the rings don't need to be hot, in a small pot or bowl, then cover the lids with the hot water, whether it is from the faucet or from my electric kettle. If you don't have either of my choices, then put the small pot on the stove and turn it on until the water is steaming hot, then turn it off and cover the pot to keep the water as hot as possible for as long as possible. The lids no longer need to be boiled to work though so be careful to not go that far if you are using a pot on the stove.
7. Going back to the juice now, bring that back up to a rolling boil that can't be stirred down, then time it for 1 minute stirring often. I usually just stand there and stir during this time so that nothing sticks to the bottom or burns. Once it has been a minute, turn off the heat and jar your jelly.
8. If you are new to making jelly, you can follow the instructions on the link above for testing the jell of your jelly. I have not run into a problem with my jelly setting using this method so I don't usually check it. But now would be the time for that if you choose too.
9. When it comes to jarring the jelly, remember to leave 1/4 inch of head space at the top. This allows for expansion and contraction of the contents of the jar, expelling the extra air in the jar and creating the seal and that wonderful ping we all listen for.
10. Let the jars sit, undisturbed, until they are room temperature. I usually leave them until the next day and pray that the cats don't knock them off the counter. I have yet to find anything that completely deters them from their curiosity of things on the counter, so I just wash it more often.
11. The next day, remove the rings, wash if needed, and label the jars with contents and date the jelly was made. Any jars that didn't seal need to go inside the fridge and used up right away. Sealed jars should last on the shelf for the 18 months the jars are guaranteed to be by the jar manufacturer, or however long you are comfortable keeping them. I don't usually have any that lasts that long.
Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. 😊
** I make this with regular classic pectin, if you prefer the No/Low sugar pectin then lower the sugar to 4 1/2 cups. I have made this recipe with regular pectin and only 6 cups of sugar and it did turn out, though it was not as firm as it is with the full sugar amount. Again, do what is most comfortable to you and yours.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Well, in our house it seems like there are some things that are just big opposites.
Our smallest dog, Pickle, weighs in at about 10 pounds and he is the more aggressive of the three dogs. He is the first one to growl or bark at people or noises outside. Athos is our middle dog, weighs in at about 40ish pounds, and he is our resident whiner. Jerry Lee, our oldest dog, weighs in at about 80 pounds and he thinks he is a lap dog. At least with me.
We got Jerry Lee as a 6 week old puppy. He is a German shepherd and coon dog mix, with both parents weighing in around 100 pounds. I got him from someone that I was working with at the time. He is named after the German Shepherd in K9, a Bulushi movie.
Jerry Lee was with both me & the big guy in Indiana for the first couple of months, then moved to Illinois with the big guy and I only got to spend time with Jerry Lee occasionally. I came back into Jerry Lees life on a daily basis when I moved to Tennessee. Needless to say, Jerry Lee had picked up some really bad habits that have been a pain to train out of him. He is a work in progress.
Anyway, I was sitting on the couch watching TV after taking the dogs out for the morning. Skye was able to record Jerry Lee trying to get on my lap.
See the comedy of errors here:
Danielle
I was floored when I ran across a video about canning meatloaf on YouTube a few years back, but now I am extremely grateful. I mean, who thinks of things like this. I certainly hadn't, but love it now.
I didn't use any specific recipe for the meatloaf. I went simple, using onion, green pepper, a little Worcestershire sauce, a little bread crumbs, and a couple of eggs then mixing until it was well combined. Basically, flavors that I know we all enjoy.
Then I raw packed the jars, leaving a 1" headspace. Once all the jars were packed, I wiped down the rims with vinegar to cut any fat/grease from the meat, put the lids on finger tight, and placed the jars in my pressure canner.
In the part of Tennessee that I live in, we are above 1,000 feet in altitude so I do have to adjust my canning for that. For pressure canning, I need a 15 pound weight. Then I pressure canned the jars, following my canner's instructions, for 90 minutes, which is the standard for any jars containing a meat product.
Because I was pressure canning these jars, I did not have to worry about sanitizing or sterilizing any of the jars, though I did put the lids in hot water to warm up the seals. The pressure canning process takes care of sterilizing the jars.
I was very grateful I had done this because just a few days later my fridge & freezer went out. The 3rd fridge that we had in the apartment since last May. We lost anything that was in the fridge and freezer. I cried.
After the 90 minutes was over, I turned off the burner and let the canner depressurize naturally. Once the canner was completely cool, the pressure was down, I then took the jars out and let them sit overnight as well. Then the next day, I removed the rings, washed the jars well, and labeled them with the date.
Big Guy has already dug into one of the jars and assured me it was very yummy. Since he didn't leave even a speck of it left in the jar and wouldn't share it with any of the dogs (his babies, cats are my babies he says), I had to believe him.
Watch the process here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Remember that time I mentioned only having worn my winter clothes twice? This would be one of those times.
From what I have heard from other residents in the area, this was the first snow storm they had in quite a few years. That made me smile. They really thought this was a bad snow storm. I doubt they would have made it through an Indiana or Illinois winter. But then again, I didn't want to go through another of those winters either.
It sure is pretty though, but I really really hate the cold. Shoot, I think two of our dogs have never seen snow at all. Jerry Lee has, when he was with us as a pup. I would tie his harness to Skye's sled and then he would chase us around the yard trying to eat my pant legs, luckily I was wearing Carharts, the same ones I was wearing in this video actually. Athos and Pickle were both born in Tennessee as far as I know. Their reaction to the snow was a little funny too.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is that time again. Time for the monthly Mighty Fix to be sent out again.
I look forward to this coming every month. Getting a new item, an item meant to make living green a little easier, so much fun.
See what I picked out this month:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I grew up in the north. I was born and spent my first 13 years, roughly, in the south side of Chicago, the neighborhood of Canaryville. When I was going into 8th grade, my family moved to the suburbs of Chicago, Alsip.
From there, after the divorce from my first marriage, I headed east into Indiana. It didn't hurt that I had family all through different parts of Indiana.
Needless to say, I have driven in snow many times, for many winters, and through many storms.
I still remember a bad snow storm we had in Indiana when Skye was younger. I lived 45 minutes to an hour from where I worked. The snow was so bad that they let me leave work early, before the roads got any worse. Despite leaving early, it still took me over 3 hours to get home. The blinding snow was creating blowing snow drifts across the road causing blizzard like conditions. I couldn't go any faster than 30 miles an hour and that was pushing it.
The snow here in Tennessee is different. Mainly, because they don't usually get any. This year was different I guess. Come with me as I drive through the snow, running errands before the snow really hit. I removed the sound, private conversations during the drive you know, and added some music.
Before you start worrying, I had my phone on a stand attached to my dash board. I did not drive and film. That is just too dangerous.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Have I mentioned that I moved to Tennessee to get away from Indiana winter? NO, well the weather apparently followed me down here this year.
Between snow flurries and tons of rain, the temperature dropped here lower than I have seen since moving here. Hell, I haven't worn my winter coat or boots since moving here, until now.
These images were reminiscent of my childhood in the city. The icicles would form down from the roof and hang down from the gutters. As a kid, it seemed like the icicles were special treats from the heavens. We would open a window, grab one, then eat it. Don't even think I don't cringe at the yuckiness of that now, with my germ and OCD issues.
See the miniature icicles that Tennessee produced this past winter. I know this video is being posted in July, so enjoy the thought of cold weather during the heat of summer.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This is not the first time I used something other than my stove top to brown ground beef. The previous version I recorded was done in my crockpot back in Indiana.
This time around, I was browning a much larger size batch so I used my big turkey roaster. I broke up the meat as much as possible, and throughout the cooking time, to break the meat into smaller pieces.
I would check it every half hour to hour, stir and break it up some, then cover and let it cook again. As the meat let off fat, I would use a turkey baster to suck as much of the fat out as I could.
Unfortunately, I did loose some of the footage of this process so I couldn't show you a final picture of the beef. Doubly unfortunately, the fridge went out about a week after this and I did end up losing all of the meat that we had not eaten for dinners, including a good chunk of this meat.
I cried. I won't lie.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We don't order the filters from Cirkul every month, but we are trying to be a bit healthier when it comes to our drink choices. We are all big soda lovers, but the calories and the sugar (diabetic here) are not the best option.
Now, before you say it, I don't do diet soda. I have a bad history of migraines. The doctors are trying to help me get them under control. The artificial sweetener in diet sodas makes my migraines worse, plus it has a funky after taste that I just can't tolerate.
And last but not least, NO this is not a sponsored video. I am very much invisible to Cirkul.
See what flavors we got in this month here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is that time again. Time for a yummy batch of fruits and veggies, delivered right to my door.
I just love the service and no this isn't sponsored.
See what I got in this box here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
