My recent adventure ....

In Canning BEANS!!!

Can you believe I actually did it? I can't!

I still look at the finished product and can't believe that I did it... all by myself... well sorta? I did have to make a couple of frantic phone calls to my grandmother in the rehab center to make sure that I was on track and sure enough - it all worked out!

My biggest fear was that the pressure canner/cooker was going to blow up; I've always been scared to death of those things! Even as a small child, I would watch my mother use her pressure cooker to cook chicken or pinto beans and then when it was time to release the pressure or remove the lid - I was in another room!

I convinced Briley that snapping beans was fun and she decided to show a little pity on me and snap a few. Yes, that's my husband's leg in the back ground with his beer sitting on the ground - I took advantage of him too..... while we all sat on the front porch and snapped beans we enjoyed a little summer afternoon rain shower! A very quaint afternoon.

Next up was the boiling of jars and lids - good thing I swiped this big roasting pan from my Mom's house a few years ago - shhh... don't tell her! She still thinks she lost it in her last move! (Wink....Wink....)

In just under 4 hours I had finished canning green pinto beans and had a whopping 18 pint jars to proudly show off...and that I did! I promptly sent my mom a text message with a picture of all of the jars of beans so she could show my grandmother at the rehab center.

I feel like the torch has been passed to me - well the pressure cooker/canner torch, that is! My grandmother also gave me her instruction/recipe booklet with her many many years of handwritten notes in the margins! I will cherish those hand written notes for many many years to come!

I'm no longer scared of the pressure cooker/canner - so watch out! You just never know what my next canning adventure is going to be? I think I hear Salsa calling my name!