Monday, November 23, 2009

Wynn's Heritage Assignment

Wynn had a project for school to write about your heritage (or some part) and to make a little clothespin doll. She decided to do a viking because lots of people could do a pioneer and she wanted to be different.
My Family Heritage
By Wynn Gibbons

What I would like you to know about my family heritage:

A long time ago one of my ancestors was a viking. Vikings were warriors from a part of Europe called Scandinavia. Vikings were the best at building ships and sailing them. Their ships were called longships and the vikings would paint them lots of bright colors and put striped sails on them. If they were at sea and didn't know where the land was, the vikings would let go a bird, called a raven, and follow the bird to find land. Lots of people think the vikings had horns on their helmets, but they didn't.

In other parts of Europe women were not treated well. They couldn't do what they wanted. But the vikings were different. The viking women could have land, money, and even go fight with the men vikings.
We were supposed to work on the doll as a family. Wynn picked out the fabric and style for the clothes and decided on the kind of face and hair (and length). She wanted her doll to have spikes even though they didn't really have spikes.... Chaz helped out by carving the nubs off the acorn top for the shield so Wynn could paint it and by carving the sword. Wynn kept saying how her doll was the coolest and it would be the most awesome doll at school.
And yes, about the scrape on her nose and lip, she got hurt at her Papa and Grandma's house. She stole the little 3-wheeled bike Ellie had and, as she was zooming away on it, flipped over the front wheel and face planted. She cut the inside of both top and bottom lips too. I think half the ward asked about it on Sunday.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Canning Hotline

I was chatting with my sister and found out there is a canning question hotline. Any question you have, any time, free. Sweet. If only I had that at the beginnning of the canning season... Well, here it is for you:
1(888)823-3663

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Love-Hate relationship with canning



Some time around the end of August or beginning of November I heard much talk of canning and thought, "Why am I not canning?" I got the canning bug and proceeded to search out things to can. Then it all grew exponentially. I ended up canning more than I ever have before. This year I did:

  • peaches

  • peach pit jelly

  • apricots

  • pears

  • pear sauce

  • pear peel jelly

  • pear peel and peach pit jelly

  • sweet zuchini relish (anyone want some? I have WAY too much)

  • tomatoes

  • tomato soup

  • peach pear salsa (twice)

  • turkey

  • turkey broth

  • chicken

  • applesauce

...with some help from Chaz. (yes! Chaz!)

I am running low on canned beans (black and great northern) so maybe I'll get the gumption to do those sometime. Also, next year I plan on buying lots of carrots from my friends, the Donaldson's, and canning those as well.

Despite loving the feeling of accomplishment and how easy it is to pull a jar off the shelf and dump it in a pot, I must say...

I. am. SO. done. with. canning.