Just cruising through the different blogs and am in awe of the talented people creating blogs. Whether blogging about recipes, art, photography, hobbies or foreign places, all interesting and offering insight.

Several weeks since I last blogged. We had a wonderful trip to Charleston then I came home and injured my back. So, definitely have not been in the mood for bending over a computer. Nothing like spending several days looking at the ceiling.

I have been in the mood for canningthe last few days! I have canned chow-chow, onion relish, pickles and pomegranate-green tea jelly. Just to make it more interesting, I came up with my own recipes for all of it. And the jelly, which was a complete invention, is really delicious, which motivated me to keep going! I was reading a recipe book and the author mentioned entering a recipe in the state fair. I may do that for the jelly next year. I will admit to one failure. I canned sweet potato butter and really didn't like the taste. Ironically it was the one recipe I took straight from a recipe book. I tried to doctor it up with maple flavoring and honey but I still don't like it. My sone loves it so I am going to keep a jar for him and toss the rest.

Today I am canning roasted pepper salsa, persimmon jam and I may can pepper jelly. I love every step of canning. You have to stay alert, time everything perfectly, be completely engaged in the process. Then, at the end, you seal it in a can and take a leap of faith that it will be worth eating. There is such satisfaction in seeing rows of beautiful food, that you have canned yourself. The only way it could get better would be if I grew the food mysef, as well.