Canning Day!!! Spicy Chili Beans

 

      After several days of wanting to can, only to realize that I was missing one thing or another, it finally happened!  I spent yesterday canning.  I got my pinto beans soaking overnight and into the next morning.  Then I drug out my wonderful, amazing, incredible camping stove.  (I really love this stove, can you tell?).  I got it all set up and ready to go.  My new pressure canner fits wonderfully on there too! 

All I had were small jam jars, but that’s ok.  This little farm experiment is all about using what you have and not crying over what you don't.  I put my beans in, spices on top of that, water on top of that and a lid!  I then shook them, to get the spices mixed in.  Only problem is that now my lids and the rims of the jars were dirty! <sigh>  I had take all of the lids off and wipe them clean then put them all back on.  There is a bit of a learning curve here though.  I have never used the pressure canner and assumed that you needed to cover the jars.  I don’t know why I thought this, since you don’t do this in a pressure cooker…but I did.  I got the whole thing loaded, then double checked my instruction manual.  OOPS!  Everybody out of the bath!  The water was hot, so this was tedious work with the little jar lifter thing I have.  It took a while to set the whole thing up again with only 3 inches of water (before the jars are put in). 

 By the time it was all loaded up again, the bottom layer of jars were submerged!  It worked though.  I turned on the gas and watched the pressure gauge go!  10lbs of pressure and 240 degrees for 75 minutes.  I didn’t realize it when I started, but we were actually low on propane.  The stove went out a couple of times, so I had to keep an eye on it.  With the flame turned down and a little prayer, we made it the full 75 min.  Everything came out great!  Bryan had to help get the lid off of the cooker.  Apparently, you have to use Vaseline to lube the seals so you can open it.  OOPS!  Now we know.  More learning.

                For dinner we had a wonderful taco salad with hamburger cooked in spicy chili beans. Mmmm….Samantha (my super bean lover) was in awe over the beans.  She kept on saying how amazing they were!  Everyone loved them, except Brendan who is very anti-bean. Lol  

                All in all, my fist canning experience with my new canner was a success!  I can’t wait to do more!

Spicy Chili Bean Canning Recipe:  (8oz jars)

½ c pinto beans – washed and soaked overnight

1 Tsp Cumin

1 Tsp Chili Powder

½ Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Garlic Powder

½ Tsp Onion Powder

Birthday Fun!



Not my actual cake (I didn't have one)
I found this online and thought that it
was cute!



Yesterday was my birthday.  I am blessed by the grace of God, to have had another year on this Third Rock.  When I turned 36, I decided that I would just go backwards to 34.  Yesterday I turned 30 again!  Now if I could just get my body to realize that it is 30, I would be set!



Our local feed store - Right in Down Town San Jose!



In celebration of my birthday, I dragged the kids to the feed store in town.  We talked to the man there about chickens and he gave me the names of some good local breeders.  He said that I should be able to get a juvenile (Pullet I think it is called?) hen for just $15!  All of the ones that I saw online were about $35.  This is good news since everyone that I talk to tells me how stinky the chicks are.  I would also be worried about them becoming dog treats!  This way, I get a hen that is getting ready to start laying and not have to worry about keeping them alive in the house.  WHOOT!



Did I mention that it was big?  It's big.



Last night, Bryan and the kids gave me gifts.  Bryan gave the the biggest, baddest canner to beat all canners.  I love the fact that it is called the "All American" company.  The entire thing is made in the good ol' USA!  The kids each gave me canning books, so I am ready to go!  I went out today and got some beans to get started with.  I also picked up the ingredients for soup.  I am going to try to get both of those canned this weekend.  We will see how it goes. :)  Oh, did I mention that this sucker is big?  Take a look at this pic.  It doesn't even fit on my stove with out touching the Micro hood!  I guess my super camp stove is going to come out of storage and I will be canning outside!  On the upside, it will keep the heat out of the kitchen this summer.  With our winter being so dry too, it looks like it shouldn't be a problem for me to can now too.  I just hope we get some good rain in a few weeks!  This is our rainy season and there isn't a cloud in sight! 



My sad dog bathroom. 
I can almost envision my tomato
 plants now.



More good news:  I talked to my awesome, wonderful, amazing nephews and they agreed to come down and take out my lawn.  They will use a sod cutter to take out the Bermuda grass and then haul in compost to put on top!  We can't rototill because of the sprinkler lines.  This should work though!  I love it when things come together.  God is so good and provides exactly what we need - including a wonderful family. We are blessed.