Labor Day Weekend

Labor day weekend is always a big hunting weekend for Rob, which usually means 3-4 days of me being home with the kiddos with the endless fighting :) This year when Rob took off across the state to hunt with Denver I decided to go back to Nucla for the weekend and consume Cindy's kitchen with canning of veggies.

I have never canned before but became very intrigued by it all this summer when we were in Nucla. Rob's grandparents have a HUGE garden. I really wish I would have taken pictures of their garden, because I have never seen a home garden so large. I am so grateful of them sharing so many of their veggies labor day weekend (and all summer) and thankful that Cindy took the entire weekend to teach me how to can. We spent one full day out in the garden and then two 12-hour days canning the vegetables, that we are now enjoying in the middle of winter :)

I decided to take pictures throughout the weekend to share with everyone all the work that goes into canning. Family has given us food before that they canned but I never fully realized all the work and hours that went into canning that food. I can now say I have a much deeper appreciation for the cans of food I have gotten from family in the past.

Here is one of many boxes of tomatoes that we received from the garden.

The tomatoes were washed and blended into spaghetti sauce and salsa.

Grandpa took on the high demands of the kiddos. We couldn't have done it without him taking on the three little terrors :) Kynnlie found lots of little things to keep her entertained!

Out back at Cindy's we picked all her grapes and filled this bucket to make us some grade jelly.

Rylie got in to help us out here. She learned all about the process of smashing and draining of grapes to get the juice out. It took lots of muscles to drain the grapes!

The juice from the grapes. (I didn't add the picture of sugar but I was shocked at the amount of sugar goes into jelly!)

Cucumbers, cucumbers and more cucumbers! These were washed and cut for two different types. We made sweet dill, and bread and butter pickles. For the dill you stuff the jars and then add all the ingredients and cook.

This is the bread and butter pickle mixture. We sliced them all and then they had to sit and soak for a long time!

Finished product of the sweet dill pickles!

Once again grandpa taking on the kiddos! This time the big kids out for four-wheeler rides.

Kynnlie entertaining herself with a box. She was so proud that she could climb in and stand up in it :)

Jackson being a little ham when I am trying to get the last picture to show our works from the weekend!

And here is the outcome! All this done in three days!

Thank you again to the amazing family that helped with this! I am so proud to say that I learned a whole new world of cooking. And I hope that I can continue this, and that my girls will follow in these footsteps!