Summer is here!

Summer has finally made it out this way! Which is why I have not been posting. Over the last few weeks we get a day or two of sunshine then its cloudy and rainy again. Sunshine.. Rain. Sunshine... Rain. But this past week? PURE SUNSHINE! I have been absolutely loving it. It's been nice to be outside. Not to mention when it's nice the hubby BBQ's. Which in a way kinda means I don't have to cook. Granted, I still prepare all the rest of the meal but I don't have to be cooking over a hot stove in a stupid apartment WITHOUT a/c. Oh how I wish it was next spring already so we could move! Anyways. I have been been busy busy.

My garden has gone through a growth spurt with all this awesome weather.
I was able to harvest 5.5 oz arugula and 6.7 oz  of spinach. Just this past week alone! I just love picking a salad from the garden and then being able to eat it so fresh. Now if only my tomatoes would get the news that summer is here and grow. What I wouldn't do to be able to go out to the garden right now and eat one right of the vine.. sigh.

I was also able to get some Jelly canned for my munchkins this past week as well. They are huge PB&J fans. We tend to go through quite a bit of jelly and canning my own has helped us save a little money. So far, we have 8 pints of Pineapple Orange Jelly and 7 pints of Apple Raspberry. I still have quite a bit more to can, but at least it's a start.

Over the winter, when I was down and missing summer. I picked up the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving book. I need to plan and prepare and avoid at all cost that it was cold, snowy and well cold outside. lol I haven't regretted this purchase since I bought it. It has so many AWESOME recipes. I have a gazillion little sticky notes to mark all the recipes I would like to try and those my family would like me to make. lol Last count there was about 40. If I get to them all.. this will be one busy canning summer for me!

OH! And my strawberry plants. My sweet sweet strawberry plants. First off.. I haven't killed them, like I did my last batch of plants. lol They have survived and have finally produced me some strawberries! Although, it's only been about 4.2 oz but hey.. it's a start right? Hopefully by the end of summer I'll have enough and be able to make a jam.

On a sad note.. something ate my amaranth. So now I need to find something new to plant there that will grow fast and not take many months. Maybe some spinach or some other greens? Any ideas?