We're having such a beautiful weekend, weather-wise. We had the kids over yesterday and we cooked a huge pot of soup over the fire. The soup was potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, onion, rosemary, thyme, all from the garden with a lot of rabbit meat thrown in:) Added some carrots and celery (store bought unfortunately). It was very good!

It was a wonderful weekend. This weather makes me want to go camping.

We are on the search for a Nubian doe goat. I really miss the goats! I even miss milking and taking care of the milk. I think we will do things a little different this time we have a milker. She can raise her babies, but when I need to milk, I'll just separate them overnight and milk her in the morning. That way we don't end up with too much milk and I won't have to bottle feed as much. I don't know at this point if that will work or not, it will depend on the doe. I just want a little fresh milk for the fridge and a little for making soap. Hopefully, she will cooperate, or we'll have to figure out something else. Need to find her first! Wish us luck.

We have some more rabbit cages coming soon. We will be getting three more does next weekend. For sure, there will be two Champagnes, maybe three. We'll see what happens and what he has available.

I currently am taking a break. Busy morning so far. I have 6 quarts of rabbit in the pressure canner and 3 quarts of tomatoes in the water bath canner. I haven't even done chores yet, which I am quite sure the rabbits are NOT happy about! As soon as the canners are done, I'll get right to that.

We are in the process of making plans to build some shelves downstairs in the laundry room for the canned food. It will be basically floor to ceiling shelves that go from one doorway to the other. Should hold lots of jars:) I have run out of room upstairs for the food. I guess that's really good though. Shows there's lots of food!

The tomatoes are coming on nicely. The Porters are producing nice fruit, as well as the Big Reds. First impressions of the Porters with canning them, they are nice little tomatoes to work with. They work up quickly and stay together instead of turning to mush like the Big Reds.(by the time the skins split on the Big Reds, they've cooked a little more than I would like them to)

The other day, I bought some chicken quarters and got them canned. They look good, except that you can still see some fat deposits in the jar. Comparing to the rabbit jars that have NO fat deposits, I am a little disappointed. I know I cut the fat off, it just seemed to make some of it's own anyway. I don't like to see fat!

If a real live person is reading and enjoying this blog, please feel free to comment. It would be nice to know who I'm talking too. Thanks!

Did a little work in the garden today. We also made tags for the tomatoes out of used canning lids. Since we have so many varieties, it will be so much easier.

Tomato time is here! Picked some cherry tomatoes, along with a few each of our Campbells, Porters and First Pick. Yummy!

Got another cabbage this morning along with another mess of green beans and about a dozen cucumbers.

I was very excited this morning to see the tomatoes. I SAW RED!! We will be picking tonight! I held back and waited for Dewayne to help pick the first glorious red fruit that we will both greatly enjoy.

Now I need to get in gear and finish the laundry and get back to cleaning. Bummer, I'd rather be canning:)

I have noticed lately how cool it is to go to Macomb to get groceries and not need much. With the rabbits and garden,, there's very little I have to actually go and buy. I'm still stocking up on canning jars. I know I'll be needing them more and more as the tomatoes start. We have been canning the rabbit in the wide mouth quart jars. We don't have to cut them up as much and they fit nicely (without the rib section. They will be cooked for more soups)

Okay, so I didn't get as much done on Tuesday as I had planned. Turns out I got to babysit a sweet little baby girl instead:) Mommy had to take Camden to the doctor for a VERY swollen ear. Poor kid, it looked so painful. We think he had spider bites on his ear and a couple on his neck. He's fine now.

Wednesday is when I canned the rabbit and started the sauerkraut.

 I am "taking the day off" today since it is our anniversary:) Twenty-six years today. Can't wait for another 26+!

Tomorrow I plan to harvest again. Probably beans and more cucumbers for pickles. We went out back last night and picked a couple of gallons of berries. This weekend we plan to get more. Some day soon will be a major jelly makin' day! Tomatoes are just about there. We're watching a couple that just make you want to drool at the sight of them. Today or tomorrow? Can't wait!

Due to the heat all week, I have to check critters more often. I have been misting the rabbit shed about every hour or so. The huge fan helps but the misting brings down the temperature for a little while. They have been handling things nicely. NOTE: To cool a rabbit quickly, take a wet washcloth and drape over their ears, or get your hands wet and rub the ears, being careful not to drip water down into the ears. I also have taken a mister bottle to them before. Cool their ears and it will cool them. If they look wet around their mouth and they are breathing very rapidly, get busy quick!

Harvested this morning, watered, chores done. Now it's time to get started on the day. On the agenda: start sauerkraut, can more beans, make mulberry and black raspberry jellies, maybe even get some more pickles made. I'll see what happens and how much I actually get done. Wish me luck!

After an amazing supper last night, we had company. My dad and stepmom came over to visit and we had a nice chat and a nice walk around the property. Different evening for a change, no work!

Five quarts of green beans canned,  baking powder biscuits and zucchini bars baked, kitchen organized better (had no place to put all the canning jars and canned items).

 Will be having shredded rabbit on the baking powder biscuits, chilled tomatoes and cucumbers, steamed green beans and mashed potatoes (all from the garden) with rabbit gravy (made from the juice of the canned rabbit, very concentrated rabbit yummyness). .Zucchini bars for desert. This is truly a 'homemade" supper:)

A few of the harvests so far.

Cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans and calendula flowers. 

A quick pass through the garden tonight.

The harvest on Saturday morning.

The tomatoes are getting closer to being ready. 

We have done several quarts of beans (15 so far) and will have several more:)

Zucchini and cucumbers are doing nicely. Got seven packages of zucchini grated and put in the freezer so far and seven quarts and four pints of bread and butter pickles.

We had such a beautiful day today. All of the kids were here. We all went out as a family to pick berries and had a great time reminiscing about the years past. We really got a lot of berries, a lot in the bucket and a lot in the bellies:)

Dewayne grated up seven packages of zucchini for the freezer today too. Tomorrow I plan to make jelly, can green beans I picked yesterday and see what else I can come up with.

Got seven quarts and four pints of bread and butter pickles done. Woo hoo!

It's been busy around here lately. We have seven more rabbits canned, the first three quarts of green beans, tomatoes are starting to turn their beautiful colors, and cucumbers and zucchini are going completely crazy.

Besides trying to keep up with the normal stuff and the start of canning, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl to our family. Our granddaughter, Cadence Jolene was born 7/5/13. She is welcomed home by her big brother Camden. We went to see them at home yesterday and Camden came running out to tell us, " I have a baby sister in the house. She's not in mommy's belly anymore!" He was so cute and so excited! Love those grandbabies!!