Taking it to the Next Level

You know the feeling: that vague sense of ennui with the status quo when what was once new and exciting starts to become blasé. You know, deep down, it's time to take it to the next level. It's time to move forward and do something a little scary.

Something a little risky.

And then you do.

I canned with a pressure canner Steve got me for my birthday.

Oh stop. That is buck wild and dangerous. Those things explode!

Also, do you see how BIG it is? In comparison with my stock pot?

But if I wanted to move past jams and jellies, and add to my relishes and sauces, I needed a pressure canner. For things like chicken soup that I can grab all winter long as a last minute lunch or beans because we all know I rarely plan ahead for things like dinner.

And that wasn't the only thing keeping me busy and offline. Because sometimes when you have a new toy, your old toys get jealous. So I dragged out my water bath and canned tomatoes.

A lot of tomatoes.

And now, finally, I think I'm done for a while. I might make some turkey stock after Thanksgiving, but overall, it's time to put away my tongs and jars and enjoy the fruits of the summer.