What’s cooking?

What’s cooking… in my house usually very little. Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not much of a cook. My old way of thinking… I prefer to go out to eat rather than cook. So what does this have to do with alpacas? It has everything to do with country living and a simpler lifestyle. I’m finally realizing I need to change my way of thinking. I’m trying to get back to the basics of living off the land, farming, and raising my alpacas. I have to remind myself it may be a simpler way of life but no one said it would be easy. Let’s face it… it’s hard work but I love every minute of it.

I recently made friends with my neighbor Kathy and she offered to teach me how to can & cook country style. The other day she came over to let me know she was canning green beans and I was welcome to come to her house to learn. I was so excited and I couldn’t wait to get my first lesson in canning!

I found out it’s not that hard to can fresh vegetables… in fact she made it all seem so easy. We canned quite a few jars of green beans that day. Before I left she gave me a couple of jars of green beans and a jar of meat that she canned previously. I didn’t know you could can meat and it cooks right in the jar so basically all I had to do was make gravy and heat it up. With her simple instructions I was surprised how easy it was to fix the whole meal and it came out delicious too.

I took a picture of the jar of green beans… it represents my determination to learn to cook and can this year. We planted a large garden this year so I’ll be busy canning whatever our garden produces. I think some of our seeds got mixed up… there’s watermelon growing where the sugar snaps were planted… too funny!

Now I have to get busy buying all of the necessary equipment to carry out my canning plan… I’m going to have fun with my new adventure!