chow chow

DISCLAIMER: Seeing as I'm having a puny day, I didn't actually photograph my jars,
but found a  picture online that looks like mine.

The purpose of chow-chow is to use up all your vegetables in the garden before the first frost. It is basically a relish, and can be made of whatever raw or unripe leftovers you have. You can make it hot and spicy, or you can make it sweet, or vinegary. I've seen recipes use green beans, cauliflower, broccoli...you name it. Below is the recipe I used.


Ingredients:
Onion (I used 1 red and 2 yellow, though my base recipe called for 10 green onions)
Green peppers (which I also had some orange peppers I used as well)
1 cabbage
1/2 c canning salt
1 T celery seed
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
2 T mustard seed
6 c sugar
4 c vinegar
Green tomatoes

Chop or shred all your vegetables, and mix with canning salt. Let stand overnight. Rinse and drain well. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Heat until it boils, stirring occasionally. Put in jars. Seal. Place in canning bath for 10-15 minutes (once boiling).

I did discover after I was finished that many people use pickling spices in place of the seeds and tumeric. That might have been the cheaper way to go (although I already had the celery seed on hand). I sampled  little while I was jarring it, and was pleased with how it tasted. Reminded me of what the ladies in the Cordova church used to make, and was a small reminder of my childhood.  My family ate relish with peas (black-eyes or pink-eyed purple hulls),  though I've seen people ate church gatherings eat it with collards, or cornbread, or even meatloaf. I suppose like any food, it's all in how you like it.

salt

Sometimes I think my high school teacher was right: we really do live in pockets of ignorance.
Yesterday, while reading various chow-chow recipes, I kept coming across this ingredient: canning salt.
Now, I know there are different types of salt:

• iodized table salt - what I use
• non-iodized table salt - looks the same, but without iodine in it or on the box
• sea salt - which comes from the sea, looks like little rocks and is very popular in France
• kosher salt - which I've only seen and heard of, but have no idea how salt could be clean or unclean
• and rock salt - which is absolutely necessary for making homemade ice cream :)

So while I was at the grocery store, I looked, and sure enough there were boxes of canning salt. According to the box, it's best used when canning vegetables. For some reason the salt is absorbed better and doesn't discolor the veggies nor sink to the bottom of the jar. I decided to google it and see what more I could learn, but after reading one page decided I have no desire to be a salt connoisseur.

And now I'm curious: what kinds of salt do you use or prefer?

for every thing there is a season...

This week has had a lot of season changes.
For our church family, as we faced a sad, but necessary decision.  For every thing there is a season...
For a friend, as she heard unwelcome words that sometimes love is a choice and any marriage is worth fighting for...a time to love, a time to heal, a time to cast away stones...
For a Christian acquaintance, who bid her 7-year-old daughter farewell...a time to die, a time to mourn...
For an old roommate who is grieving the loss of her triplets 13 years ago today...a time to be born, and a time to die...
For a Christian blog friend, receiving bad news with a 2nd opinion...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance...
For my garden...a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

For something I didn't plant this year, my voluntary watermelon vine did quite well. Better than the vine I DID plant last year, actually. The three smaller melons aren't ripe yet, but seeing the low temps coming the first of next week, everything in the garden got picked or mulched yesterday.

And I'm trying something new this year. Instead of waiting for all these green tomatoes to ripe/rot, I'm trying my hand at a pickle-dish called "Chow-chow".  Growing up the older ladies would sometimes sell this at bake sales or give us a pint at Christmas, but I never knew until this year it was a way to use up last minute items from the garden (when there's not enough to put away but you don't want it to go to waste).  We'll see how it turns out.

I'm finding the passage of Ecclesiastes 3 especially comforting these days. As the vibrant colors of summer give way to the decay of fall and the marvelous temperatures (and brighter night skies!), I'm amazed yet again at just how relevant (and timely) Scripture is to our lives. For EVERY thing...how cool is that?

essence of insanity

You walk into the bathroom, and the toilet lid automatically lifts, playing music while the touch screen comes on. It has a seat warmer, a bidet with dryer (a sprayer that will wash you and then with the touch of the screen turn into a hair-dryer like apparatus to dry you), it requires occasional re-booting, has no levers, and is rectangular in shape. It also costs over $6,000 (just verified on the website...it's currently on sale for $4,000). To read more about this contraption you didn't know you needed and absolutely can't live without, here's a link to the article in yesterday's paper: toilet review.

full speed ahead!

the ever-growing stash

glow sticks from Mr. Hanks

candy and treats

the gun

the ammo: foam with suction cup "darts"

the not quite finished turkey

Friday is coming.

Last 2011 State Fair post...(unless I go back!)

Drumroll, please! :)
Even though I didn't finish my quilt in time to enter (but am already planning what I want to do for next year!), here's my personal favorites from the best exhibit of all times: quilting!

Geometric designs are becoming more and more popular, especially as more men enter the quilting field. I love them!

This quilt captures three of my favorites: country living, landscape, and a silhouette. Notice the tobacco leaf in the corners, and the detailing of the tilled soil. Someone spent a LOT of time on this.  Very deserving of its yellow ribbon (not sure what place that makes it).

Stars aren't my favorite pattern, but I absolutely adore the colors here! The checkerboard/striped border adds to the playfulness, and reminds me of the Eric Carle line of fabrics. (He's the Hungry Caterpillar author and illustrator, for those not familiar with the name.)

A very elegant black and white pattern. I recently had a request for a black and white quilt, so this especially caught my attention.

HARRY POTTER! and DETAILS!!! two of my many favorite things!

Almost all the books had titles machine embroidered on the spine. I can't even begin to fathom the amount of time spent piecing, appliqueing, and planning on this quilt! This quilter earned their Blue Ribbon!

A star pattern I actually like - the diamonds and squares seem to set enhance the design, and I love the colors.

Again, a landscape quilt, and one that clearly earned its ribbon!

Duotone quilts aren't all that common, but they always make a splash. This one clearly deserved its place among the Best of Show!

Another black and white in a pattern I think is marvelous!

 

 

Lord willing, next year, the 2012 NC State Fair will be hanging one of my quilts! :)

NC State Fair, part 3

The following pics are a mixture of exhibits from the Hobby & Crafts contest entries and the 4-H entries:

For Kimberly, who loves fairies:

A close up of a fairy with her mushroom...don't you love the acorn hat and leaf wings?

Steps lead up to the pebble path and mailbox.

And the walnut wheelbarrow with tiny vegetables...

And the fairy in front of the grape vine porch and pebbled pool.

An origami dragon..too cool!  I think this was in the youth division, but I didn't look to see what age range.

The Temple of Heaven from China...one of my favorites! It was positioned too far away to read the tag, but I'm assuming adult level.

Not sure if this is a wood carving or a stone/clay work. Either way, it makes me think of Lord of the Rings!

I hate we didn't make it to the vegetable exhibit. One of my neighbors won the blue ribbon (2nd year in a row!) and set a new state record this year for his giant watermelon. He's already prepping the soil for next year's crop! Way to go, Todd!