Last month Rob built me a clothes line. I think he was hesitant at first because he thought he would build it and then it would just become yard art. But, I proved him wrong. I love drying my clothes outside in the sunshine. I don't know what it is that makes me so happy. Some might think that taking clothes from the washer to the dryer is the easier option but there is something calming to me about taking my clothes outside and pinning them to the clothes line. When the clothes are dry it is so nice to just fold them and put them into the laundry basket... all ready to be put away. Bed sheets are my absolute favorite to line dry! Fresh, clean, crisp. I'm so easy to please. (most of the time!)
Last week Rob had a rain day from work so we took advantage of it and canned the 5 gallon bucket worth of green beans he had picked the day before. We tried freezing them last year but this year we decided to give canning a try. This, like the clothes line, is probably more work and definitely not more cost effective that buying a can of green beans at the store, but is simply gratifying. To see 14 quarts of beans sitting on my counter was worth it! Sort of. If you figure that we spent approximately $100 on supplies... the canner, the canning lids, the mason jars (which we already had), as well as the other incidentals and divide it by the 14 quarts we canned, we have green beans worth about $7 per jar! Good thing is we can use the canner for years to come and hopefully will get our money's worth...it might take a lifetime but feeling so self sufficient... if only in canning green beans... is payoff enough.
The bean snapper.
The bean washer.
The final product!
1 comment:
I remember the first time my sister and I decided to can tomatoes, it was a huge expense up front to buy the canner, jars, lids etc. We had some really expensive tomatoes that year, especially since my sister backed her car into my husbands (then boyfriend) car on her way to the store to buy more lids. The point I'm trying to make is, we have canned every summer since then and we have totally gotten our money's worth. (well maybe not if you count the car)
As for the clothes line... I like the idea, but it would never be a reality for me, how do you find the time?
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