Saturday, August 03, 2019

Productive Saturday

This was a very productive Saturday in the kitchen. I THOUGHT I had finished with all of last year's salmon and FOUND MORE....I have decided not to process any tomorrow....and hit it again next week. Izaak is to blame for the craziness in the kitchen today. Stay with me.....

I woke up with great energy. I found all the salmon tails in the freezer and pulled them out to make jerky. If I use other pieces I have to pull the pin bones...and I don't know how. It looks tedious. I watched Cory do it for a few minutes. 😏

I also pulled what I guessed would make one canner load of salmon. It did.

I filleted my finger. It hurts. Since I was bleeding, I checked my fasting blood sugar. 110. Not great but better than it could have been.πŸ˜‰ I learned there are special gloves I can use in the future to keep from slicing my fingers or filleting my palm. I got all the skin off a LOT of salmon. I set the salmon, which was to become jerky, in a marinade. I combined both the recipes from  yesterday and I think we're all happy. 😜 I cut the other salmon into chunks and covered it. It needed to thaw before I canned it.

Dad and I headed to Fred Myers. There doesn't appear to be a paper on Saturday, at least it isn't delivered to the Valley....we ran into Dakota and Izaak as we went in. Izaak told me pork roasts are on sale and he was going to can some. Hmmm....that reminded me the chicken is on sale (buy one get one free) and I have been waiting for a sale to replenish our canned meat.  I stocked up.  I also picked up 25# of blueberries. See....Izaak brought this on me. ::wink:: ::snort:: ::gasp:: It certainly had nothing to do with over-ambitious planning.

Dad and I got drinks and set and enjoyed our coffee and conversation.

When we got home I realized I was going to be canning until 3 a.m.  I've been thinking of buying a second pressure canner and Michael thought this was a good day to just do it. I've not snatched one worth the price being asked on the for sale lists....I have been looking since about January.  Krista and the men childs (Nolan and Alex) volunteered to find a canner.  Of course,this is the EXACT wrong time to buy a pressure canner in Alaska. It's also a hard time to find things like sugar, kosher salt, jars, lids and rings. πŸ˜… They went all over the Matsu Valley. They called stores in the Anchorage Bowl without luck. As they were out, I remembered, BreZaak have a canner. I called and diverted the kids to pick it up. 🐽 They DID manage to track down wide mouth lids, thanks to another searcher of canning supplies. I HAD stocked up...but I've canned over 103 jars of food this week...from 1/2 pints to quarts, but all wide mouthed. Izaak gave me 6 or 7 doz pint jars....shew.

ANYWAY -  by mid afternoon I had jerky going - as well as 2 pressure canners.

Krista sanded the rockers - we'd inadvertently painted what shouldn't have been painted. 

I love the way they turned out. 

Dad picked up one of my current books. SCORE. He read the whole thing...we discussed the method as I worked in the kitchen. I have a new garden bed Alex made. We want to try this method in it....Dad is ready to give it a shot. We'll work on getting it started next week.

I kept working in the kitchen.....the play structure was enjoyed. 

Playing UNDER the trampoline is a favorite. 

Krista came in to make SUGAR FREE drinks....and I went outside to join them. Both canners were up to pressure...what could go wrong? 😜

Slowing down...living wide awake and fully present....in the midst of the chaos. 🐽

KRISTA cooked dinner. Score.  The kids cleaned up. They are all such a blessing. The pressure was up for the last batch of meat.  Dad, Stacia and I ran to return BreZaak's canner (and get hugs from the kids), while Michael and Krista kept an eye on the pressure. LOL 

We got home and played a round of Farkle. Realizing it was 10 p.m. we stopped at one round....Michael won. We thought Dad had it, but Michael zoomed from behind with a big roll and snatched victory from him. 

Jerky making tip of the day....line the bottom rack with a fruit roll up tray or even foil. I didn't put any meat on this tray....but it was worth the loss of space..... It only took one load of jerky to realize I didn't want to clean this mess up every time.....

The bottom was clean and the insert soaks; whereas the base/motor does not. 

Today's results....32 1/2 pints of salmon, 22 pints of chicken, 6 pints of pork, 4 pints of dried beans and 7 bags of salmon jerky! OH - and 12 pounds of blueberries frozen. Getting ready for winter....

I am getting into the rhythm of an Alaskan summer this year. We spend as much time as we can outside....and we are squirreling away the salmon.

It is just after midnight and it's DARK outside. I'm up to see if the predicted Northern Lights materialize. I'm not sure if I should wake people up if they do...tomorrow is church and Michael has to preach....