Homemaking Mondays: The Snow Has Come

 

Hello! 
Well the snow has really come and the ground is quite frozen

on top so it'll be sticking around a bit more. 

I love how snowy days turn the lake a pastel green. 

The birds are coming back to the feeders more now

and it's nice to get re-acquainted.  

This week has been lovely and the last touches

of winter prep are being done. 

The last one for me is to switch out the entryway 

to the winter things.

This week I received a lovely gift

from my parents through some of their friends.

They sent me some of the old things that 

they had that they were not using anymore.

I'm glad to have a couple extra pairs of sock stretchers,

and my mom's old butter bowl with paddle and block maker.

Then they also sent up the old butter churn.

I like to make butter at times and thought it would be 

so nice to put it back to good use.

Unfortunately the glass of the original churn got broken

although a new glass was found.

The glass is too big to make the churn functional

but it's still beautiful and I love having it. 

Perhaps one day I'll find the right sized glass for it.

I do have fond memories of using the churn

and it still works smooth as butter.

This week I learned something new about canning

that I'd not thought of and that is that you can put both meat and beans

in the canner at the same time as they require the same amount of time.

So...never will there be a partial load in the canner for these items.

I canned up some sausage, ham, chickpeas, and kidney beans.

I did the no soak method for the beans and they turn out lovely to.

Plus they are faster and I could make the right amount 

of jars to fill the canner.

With the lower light and coolness I think it's spurred 

the violets to blooming. 

Anyone need an african violet?

I couldn't help saving all the starters and have 

more then enough for myself. 

 I also am making a batch of jerky. 

It's still in the oven and fingers have torn off little edges

but it's still not quite ready.

In the kitchen this week I have finally 

gotten to covering up this space.

The cupboard doors were so warped when we moved in

that I took them off.

They are right under my main work space

so lots of flour and "stuff" gets 

filtered down into the drawers.

I just hung up a string with hooks but it seems to work well.

I got this curtain from the window 

as I took them down for the winter because

it's brighter in the kitchen that way.

I did put up a lacy white valance on the window 

so it's got something there but it's bright.

How has your week been? 

Have you been getting ready for winter?

Have you made something new in your kitchen?

I hope you have a beautiful day of homemaking!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer