Cold Weather Potato Soup

1 3/4 cup instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoon chicken granules
2 teaspoon dried onion
1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Mix several batches and put into quart jars to give as gifts.

For canning, I clean and cube some of the meat. I also slice some fresh garlic...I fill hot sterilized pint jars with the venison cubes, leaving one inch of headspace. (the meat will expand).
Then to each jar I add a sliver of garlic.
Adding  no liquid to the jars of meat, it will make it's own juice.
Wipe the rim of the filled jar and place a hot lid on top, then screw the band on tight. Following Ball blue book I pressure cook the meat.

Rice Mix

1 cup long-grain rice

2 tsp bouillon granules (I use 2 cubes)

3 teaspoons dried herbs

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and cap tightly until needed. For my family, I double this for one meal. As long as you use the entire jar for one meal, you will have an even ratio of rice to flavor.

No bouillon? How about powdering the dehydrated veggies of your choice: I use tomato, onion, green pepper, nettle , mixed in equal parts with Nutritional yeast, and substitute it for the bouillon. I omit the salt because the bouillon is salty enough.

more food storage

Last night Aaron and I canned 21 qts of venison in the pressure canner. The kids were amazed and loved the fresh tenderloin. Aaron took them out to see the deer before we started processing it. Cam helped Aaron with the butchering while I cleaned the meat,cut and canned it. Then they came inside to help me because I was taking to long cutting it into chunks. We ran out of jars and Aaron had to make a run to the store. I need to really hunt the garage sales again this next summer for canning jars. How is this homeschooling. Well meat doesn't really come from plastic wrappers at the store. Enough said.

I am thankful for...

1. God's unconditional love.
2. Aaron and how he is the glue in my life.
3. My kids no matter how far away or how grown up
4. My job and how wonderful it is.
5. My full pantry of home canned foods

I couldn't log on my computer was being stubborn. We have been doing alot around here again. Pitty-pat has been working in her workbook. Tippy toe too. Little man and Daddy have been studying his colors and all the kids are working on spelling and recognizing the words for the colors.