Life as I know It

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San Luis Obispo, California, and South Bristol, Maine, United States
Author ~ Illustrator ~ Lecturer

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Her Hands Darted and Dived Like Swallows



Mission and Brown Turkey Figs from the trees I planted 7 years ago. Some of the crop will be dried, some preserved, some cooked and soaked in brandy (Sicilian style). But most of those incomparable figs will be popped into our mouths (and the mouths of our grandkids who love the figs).


Dear Friends,

Oops, where did our summer go? Week after week I have meant to post something, but life keeps jamming itself in between me and my work. This is the first big block of time I've had without any assignments. My first time off in eight years. It is the waiting game for me, waiting for my book release, waiting to see if Random House will exercise their option on my newly finished work, waiting for the apples to ripen, the figs to stop exploding everywhere, waiting for life to slow down a tad so I can get caught up. Although I am a patient person, waiting is the toughest thing for me to endure.

Lots of wonderful letters and cards (and gifts) have come my way. Thank you for writing and voicing your concerns that "everyone is stopping blogging and just posting on Facebook." I won't let you down Darla, Laurie, Julie Marie, Nell, Lori in Indiana, Anonymous (who ARE YOU?), so many of you who don't connect via Facebook. It just takes me a little longer these days.

Jeff and I had our first stay at Lake Tahoe. Wow, it is so incredibly, deliciously beautiful. I wish we'd had more time to explore, but we did take long walks during both the day and the starry nights. My favorite area was Sugar Pine Point, part of the California State Parks. It is lovely and pristine and perfect for hiking, swimming, and a good, old-fashioned picnic.


Sugar Pine Point at Lake Tahoe (California State Parks). 
Tahoe is so clear you can see to a depth of about 80 feet. Amazing.

After Lake Tahoe we drove to Boise, Idaho, for the wedding of my nephew and his beautiful bride.
The wedding was held high atop a mountain above the thriving city. We danced, laughed, and enjoyed the joyful family time.

The next day we went to the Basque Festival in the Basque section of Boise and arrived at the huge pans of paella a few minutes late. Too late, but the aroma was heavenly.


ALMOST, but not quite.

~~~~~~~~


HOME

Homecoming is always good. Fruit trees laden, berries popping, basil and cilantro flourishing, figs exploding everywhere (with birds, raccoons and opossum fighting over them), and everything ready for eating or preserving.



A Tribute to Gladys Marie McKinstry (aka Gram)

Gram McKinstry's tiny, freckled hands darted and dived like swallows as she worked in her kitchen. She was the master pie maker, quickly rolling out chilled dough, draping it over her rolling pin, and laying it across her masterpieces. Without missing a word in her "how-to-make-perfect-pie-crust" sentence, she crimped the dough and with the edge of a fork quickly etched leaves, tendrils, and flowers into the top of each pie. Remarkable and beautiful, and I WISH more than you'll ever know that I had taken a photo of those works of art.

The Hottest Day in August

The Dog Days of summer were the times you'd find us sitting at the old oak table in Gram's tiny kitchen. Usually on the hottest of hot, miserably humid Indiana days that could melt a glacier, Gram would say, "Time for canning. I'm nearly out of 'chila sauce'." Yep, you read it right, "chila sauce." (And I STILL call it that in her honor).

Gram and I would tie on our aprons and pull a motley assortment of pots and bowls out of her pantry. We'd wipe down the oil cloth covered table, move the toaster out of the center and onto the counter, and get busy.

Gram and Gramp had a small, but VERY productive garden that was just steps from the kitchen. The great thing about it was that the "Redbird," the Cardinal, was always flashing in and out of the trellis of 'Heavenly Blue' morning glories that shaded her back porch. He kept his bright eye fixed on everything that we did out in their garden.

We'd pick bushels of fat, juicy tomatoes and tote them into the kitchen, wash them quickly, and slit a tiny X in the side of each one. Then we'd plop them, one-by-one, into a tall enamel pan of boiling water. They'd barely be in for a minute, then another quick dip of a big spoon and they were back out and sitting in a colander atop a cookie sheet.


Gram and I would grab a tomato, toss it from hand to hand and gripe about how hot it was, then slip off the peels and move onto another hot one. I could feel the sweat running down my scalp and soaking through my clothes. Gram said that ladies don't sweat, so I guess I'm not a lady because I sweated copiously.


We canned and preserved tomatoes, grapes, berries, dilly beans, and more. I lost myself in her little kitchen, lost myself in her stories about family, about the small town of Apollo, Pennsylvania, where her parents had a bookstore/general store. We laughed, cried about the death of her sister, bemoaned the state of world politics, and somehow, without keeping track, we'd work our way through buckets and baskets of produce.

On cold Indiana mornings, when the sun barely shone through the windows, Gram could pry off a lid, or lift off a thick plug of wax, and spread the taste of a bright summer day onto her toast. Or, she'd shake some "chila sauce" onto her eggs and onto Gramp's potatoes. She'd remember the hot days we worked and laughed together in her kitchen.

For the past three months, I've thought a lot about all my grandparents and the ones I was lucky to inherit through marriage (Gram McKinstry). I started to yearn for the feelings I'd once shared in Gram's kitchen, so I took to the hardware store, bought lids, rings, jars, pectin, lemon juice, and lugs of produce.  Now what? I asked myself. I'd forgotten so much, too much to do things correctly. So, I signed up for some preserving classes taught by Master Food Preserver (same idea as Master Gardener) Ingrid Hilton. Once a month for the past three months I've attended one of Ingrid's wonderful workshops at Avila Valley Barn in Avila Beach.

The Avila Barn is great just as a place to visit (especially with kids). They have organic produce, baked goods, gifts, animals, hay rides, and fabulous food in their deli. Now they're hosting food preserving classes and a special boxed lunch from the deli (where they smoke their own meat).


The boxed lunch.


Classroom under the arbor at Avila Valley Barn taught by the fabulous Ingrid Hilton.


Ingrid and her family cart all of her canning paraphernalia to the classes. Not an easy chore.




Ingrid and her "team," Krista and Nicole, her daughters who grew up canning and preserving.


Sauerkraut in the making


Wondering what to do with all your old rings? Ingrid ties them together and uses them as a rack for the bottom of her water baths.

Gram Would be Happy

So now I've refreshed my memory (somewhat) and had some triumphs and some resounding failures.  I walked away from my grape jelly (went outside to the garden and forgot myself), and it turned into clear concrete. I could not get the spoon out of the jelly pot and had to throw everything away. I was laughing so hard that Jeff thought I was having a nervous breakdown.

I did remember one of the most important short-cuts Gram taught me, and I'll share that secret with you. 

ALWAYS keep a good supply of cream of tartar on hand. All the scorched pots were half filled with water, and I added a few tablespoons of cream of tartar to each one and gently boiled them. What looked like irreversible damage soon worked itself loose and with a bit of scraping the pots are now fine.

Here is another hint. Don't taste jelly. IT IS HOT. How did I forget that? Also, wear shoes that cover your feet (I learned this the hard way). And, always have a healthy and flourishing aloe vera plant close by.

Make it Fun!

Yesterday my friend Linda and I spent most of the day in her once immaculate and well-outfitted kitchen. We strapped on our aprons and set to work.




Gram and I never used an ice bath for our boiling hot tomatoes. Dropping them into the ice bath cooled them by 50% and made it easier to remove the skins. Look closely at the bottom of the photo above–I use these Chinese wire and bamboo tools to lift fruit and veggies out of the boiling water.


Gloves for working with hot peppers. Don't try doing it with bare hands.


We roasted trays and trays of peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. The roasting caramelizes the veggies and tugs out their deep flavors. I think roasting the veggies is the key to this salsa being so tasty.



Salsa, or what Gram called "chila sauce," bubbling in the pot. 


The final step is to toss in some fresh cilantro-which we forgot to do. So we added it to each individual jar of salsa and shoved it into the liquid.


All's well that cans well.

Everything tasted fantastic. Now we'll let them mellow and intensify for a month or so. I did a happy dance every time one of the lids popped, which signifies that it sealed properly. It is so satisfying to see your work shining/glowing from a line of jars. 

Another Hint: Don't buy the green or blue "vintage" canning jars. Your canned goods will look brown (mine sure did; these above are Linda's clear jars, much better).

Here is the simple salsa aka "Chila sauce" recipe Ingrid Hilton shared with us (with some modifications).

4   cups of onion
6   cups fresh mixed mild peppers (we chose red/orange/yellow bells, but NO GREEN ONES)
1   cup fresh mixed hot peppers (you can adjust)
12  cups fresh tomatoes (about five pounds)
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/3 cup pepper flakes
3 tsp. salt (we halved this and figured people could salt to their taste)
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup vinegar
1 cup cilantro (we used more)

Wash tomatoes and use an apple corer or melon scooper on stem end.

Cut tomatoes in half and roast them face down in the oven. Pull off skins, chop tomatoes and pour into a large pot.

Chop onions, garlic, and peppers, and roast in oven. We added our garlic during the last few minutes of roasting the onions and peppers. You don't want your garlic to burn because it gets bitter. Add all to pot of tomatoes. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, but DON'T BOIL. At the end of cooking time toss in the cilantro and stir. Don't forget it like we did!

Ladle mixture into your hot, sterilized jars, wipe inside tops of jars (so it doesn't spoil on the shelf), screw on bands JUST till finger tight, don't crank them because you want air to escape from bottle. 

Put jars in boiling water bath (cover at least 2 inches above lids) and process for 15 minutes. 

Lift out jars and set on a towel to cool. REMOVE THE BANDS after the jar lid pops and seals.


I don't mean to insult you, but when Jeff asked, "What are the bands?" I figured that there might be one or two of you out there who do not know what they are.

You don't want to store your jars with bands on because you won't be able to detect a badly sealed jar or spoilage. Store in a cool, dark place for about a month.


AND THE LUCKY WINNERS of the One-Hour Cheese book drawing are-
(Thank you, Workman Publishing)


CONGRATULATIONS TO:

(please send me your mailing address and I will forward to Workman Publishing)

and

Khadijah-Wide Earth
(please send me your mailing address)

Stay tuned. My next posting will have a fabulous give-away of a great book An Ocean Garden-the Secret Life of Seaweed by Josie Iselin.


This exquisite book will change the way you look at the seaweed strewn on the beach, but then, that is Josie's calling, to open our eyes to the beauty around us. You may know her for some of her other books:







So stay tuned and be sure to leave comments on the posting to be eligible for the new drawing.





Heartfelt thanks


I'll finish this too long posting with a HUGE and heartfelt thank you to all of you who have sent Trowel and Error into its 12th printing. Thank you, thank you!

Signing off from this too long missive and wishing you all well.

Love across the miles and faretheewell,

Sharon (Look below to see what I just found!)


Yippee! A special give-away to all of you who leave a comment on this blog posting. I found that I have two copies of this special, old-fashioned cookbook. Leave me a note and be entered into the drawing. Good luck!

52 comments:

rebecca said...

Oh, SO good to read your post. (I'm from Indiana, but I'm not "Anonymous".)

Canning/Preserving school looks and sounds WONderful. I'm ready to matriculate :)

Actually, I have the pleasure of having friends who have gardened long and well. They are generous with their produce. I recently shared my grandmother's sweet lime pickle recipe with Donna and helped her finish the canning process (the preliminaries involve a 24 hour soak). Yum, yum.

Julie Marie said...

Sooo excited to see your post dear Cousin!... love all of the photos of your fruits and veggies... you and your friend canning up a storm!... I visited the local Bangerter Farm today and bought everything I needed to make my yearly salsa tomorrow... just finished up freezing all of my corn on the cob!... so much satisfaction in doing these time~honored things, and I believe it keeps us closer to our past and our loved ones who are no longer with us... LOVED your story about "Gram"... I could just see everything in my mind that you wrote about... such happy memories for you... that should be in a book as well... can hardly wait for your new book to come out come Fall... thanks for all of your canning "tips"... I do know to remove the bands always... I had a neighbor when we had our little farm, and her hubby thought he was helping and pushed all of the lids down on her canned beans!... oops!... she had to re~process all of them!... love hearing that "pop" and knowing all is well... thanks also for sharing Grams Chila sauce recipe... my mama always made chile sauce too... I don't think they called anything salsa way back when I was a little girl!... sending much love to you!... Hello Jeff!... xoxo Julie Marie

Julie Marie said...

Oh yes... congratulations to your winners!... xoxo

Vee said...

A lovely canning tutorial, Sharon. It has got to be more pleasant than it was back before AC. The sound of the jars sealing is a happy sound all its own. I haven't heard it for four years and may never hear it again, except when reading a post like this.

No Maine this year I take it. This is too bad because it has been the finest summer in many a year.

Thank you for all the beautiful photos!

Pondside said...

I have done that same Happy Dance with each ping of a sealer! This was a lovely post, and I'm so glad you found yourself with the time to write it - although I rather think that you made the time, as I don't believe you have time just hanging around there, waiting to be filled!!
Congratulations on your 12th reprint. I will say 'you're welcome' as I have given this book, and others of yours, as gifts more than a few times in the last couple of years.
And so, a closing 'thank you' to you for such a heart-filling post.

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Thanks Sharon. Yes, don't try the jelly and always wear shoes not flip flops and NEVER I mean NEVER leave the jelly pot unattended! xo P.S. Making another round of raspberry jam tomorrow, but the stink bugs are trying to ruin the fruit! Grrr! They don't know who they are messing with, do they?

n/a said...

Sharon, good to see you 'back,' although I'm one of those who've followed along on Facebook with you as you've enjoyed your summer, and congrats to your winners. We're muddling through the hot remains of summer temperatures here in southern Alabama, and I, for one, am looking forward to cooler weather. Eager to try out that fire pit!

Terra said...

I am glad you are both blogging and on Facebook, I am too, and I enjoy them both. Tahoe, a Basque festival and a family wedding, and then a canning fest. All good things, and congrats on the 12th printing of Trowel and Error.

Jenny said...

I really enjoyed reading the stories about your grandmother - such fun memories. Love all the canning tips too!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I loved your post today, Sharon! I haven't canned in years. Lovely memories of your grandmother. Lucky you, to have spent such wonderful times with her. ♥

La Table De Nana said...

Canning and preserving..heartwarming..
The chila sauce sounds great..
And yes congratulations on the 12 th printing..wow.
So envious of your very own figs.
We love them..but can only buy..
In France we picked the off the trees..so good.
Can't believe all your produce..so lucky...

Bonnie K said...

My mother taught me to can. Since it was child slave labor, I was sure I would never can when I grew up. Guess what. I can all of the time. I have also turned jelly to concrete. Unfortunately it was a batch of buffalo berry jelly. Buffalo Berries are incredibly hard to pick and rare to find. It wasn't a good day. I'm glad you have such wonderful memories of canning with your grandmother. It is good to have traditions. Thank you for sharing the chila sauce recipe. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Wowza! What a great post. Read like a novel, loved it. I too have returned to canning as hubbie and I leave one farm for another much smaller one. Our goal is to produce 100% of all our own food within 3 years.So far this year I have canned tomatoes and beans but now I feel equioed to do the chila sauce. Thank you so much for the recipe!

Lori ann said...

hello dear sharon!

lovely lovely post! avila beach hmm? i need to go there and check out the classes. i'm very much like you and don't remember all that my granma rose taught me about preserving. it's been many years since i have (when my children were small and i was a stay at home mom)but i've been thinking about 'putting up' again.
huge congratulations to your nephew and his marriage and to you too on your book (one of my favorites). and the seaweed book, oh MY! i'm dreaming of that one.
congratulations to the winners of the previous post!
sending love up the coast,
xxx lori

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a wonderful post!!!

I enjoyed every bit of it.

You are an inspiration to me dear Sharon.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

Deborah Shire Gardener said...

Such a bountiful post! I have completely enjoyed reading it, and will revisit many times, I am sure, for I love blog entries such as this one. I think I missed the bit about Facebook versus blog. I have a Facebook page that supports my blog {or is it the other way around?} but am seriously thinking about abandoning the FB page completely. I just love to write and share my photographs and blogging fills that need in a way Facebook cannot. Long may blogging reign! I'd love some more followers, so please stop by some time!
Anyway, this entry of yours is a true delight, and I have enjoyed it immensely ~~~ Waving from Across The Pond ~~~ Debs in Wales ~~~

Pom Pom said...

Hi Sharon! What a great post! I just made my very first EVER batch of pickles from my own cucs and my first time growing dill! Yay!
I'm glad for you (second printing)!

Lorrie said...

What a lovely catch up post. Lake Tahoe's clear water is stunning.

Canning is happening here these days - salsa, applesauce, blueberry peach compote - and more to come. Such a productive time of year. Those pops when the lids seal are one of life's most satisfying sounds.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Thanks Pom Pom,

It is actually its 12th reprint, which is shocking and joyful news for me.

You'll probably have a tough time eating your homegrown and home canned pickles. I just stare at mine and smile. Eat them? Really??? Yikes, but I love them and love looking at them.

S

Lori in Indiana said...

Dear Sharon,
The canning jars filled with goodness remind me of stained glass windows! My mouth is watering ...

Ingrid Hilton said...

Thank you Sharon for being part of our class, enjoyed having you and Linda there so much. Avila Valley Barn is such a great setting for canning classes and getting fresh produce if you don't have a garden. Loved seeing all the pictures, especially of you and Linda canning in her home. Love it when someone continues to use what they have learned. Like I said I feel I am empowering people when I teach them how to do something new, and it's the best feeling. Yes doing the happy dance to canners music is the best. Hope to see you soon. Ingrid Hilton

n/a said...

Sharon, please enter me in your drawing for one of Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow Cookbooks! Would love to add it to my small collection, and appreciate this opportunity.

Sharon in Alabama

Laurie in Los Osos said...

I took. Ingrid's latest tomato canning class and will make my first batch this week

lymills said...

Oh Sharon…this was such a bittersweet memory lane trip for me. Seems I have canned all my life, from cutting the pits from apricots for my mom, in NorCal to picking tomatoes and making spaghetti sauce here in Houston, TX. Mom has Alzheimer's now, when I visited her recently I took some peaches which I had preserved…fed 'em to her, and I could see her blank expression change to excitement as she ate each nibble from the spoon. This was a really joyful blog to read…remembering good times with her.
Thank you!! Lynda Mills

Gert said...

Love this post! Did not know about removing the bands!

I would love the Gladys Taber book you talked about on Face Book! Gladys is my favorite writer!

Blessings.
Gert

Anonymous said...

How kind of you to give away the Gladys Taber cookbooks. It would be an honor to own one. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness ! Love her and would love to win a cookbook ! Thank you.

Sheila Pepe said...

Forgot my name ! Would love a Gladys cookbook !

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Laurie in Los Osos,

Then we were in class together. I was there too.

Love Ingrid and her spirit.

S

Keep tuned for the Gladys drawing. You may win the cookbook.

Teri said...

I loved this post Sharon. I have never seen this cookbook so it would be good to win it and then peruse all the pages and make something yummy. You went right past my turn off when you went to Tahoe (assuming you went up Hwy 80). Wished I would have known. I would have waved at you when you went by! I bet you will be heading off to Maine soon. The picture that I loved the most was the one of your gate. Just something special about that view!!!

Anonymous said...

Would love the Gladys Taber cookbook! Yummy! How nice of you to give away a copy!

Khadijah said...

I am so thankful to have found your blog, this is absolutely lovely! Your readers are correct, I think, about the problems with just posting to Facebook. Facebook is like a quick call to check in, but blogging is sitting down to have a cuppa with a friend. Thank you for keeping up with the blog, especially because I've only recently found it!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Thanks for all the e-mails and PRIVATE thoughts. I am always happy to connect with you.

Teri dear, we arrived in Tahoe via tiny roads till we were nearly there. No 80! I loved Tahoe.

Yes, Maine soon and my favorite time of the year there.

Love,
S

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I adore Gladys Taber's books and had forgotten there was a cookbook!

I love how Susan Branch has Taber's quotes throughout her calendars. Oh, and you definitely deserve another printing! Such a great book.

Dee Dee Osborne said...

Sharon, it was so great to see another posting on your blog. I was afraid you had finally decided to give it up for good! So happy that's not true. And what a great drawing. I copied one of Gladys Taber's recipes from one of her books years ago when the kids were still small and still use it. It was for ham pot pie. Would love to have a copy of the actual cookbook.
Dee Dee Osborne

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

You brought back many good memories to me with this post, Sharon! My matrenal grsndmother lived in Pennsylvania and I remember visiting her home when I was a child and watching her can foods from her large garden. Years ago my husband and I, and our children, would can a couple bushels plum tomatoesto use as tomato sauce. It was an assembly line of peeling, crushing, pouring into the jars and then the hot water bath to seal the lids. I like your "chila" recipe and wil try it! I also enjoy sauce like that served on eggs.

Lake Tahoe is so beautiful...I'd love to maks a visit there again one day!

I would love to see the Glady's Tabor Cookbok! There is something so precious about well loved, vintage recipes.

The high mountains in Colorado had snow this morning...autumn is on its way!

Gardeningbren said...

What a warm and heartfelt post. So pleased to see you are blogging again. Re the recipe, roasting would make all the difference, so hopefully, I will get to make this. Tomatoes just coming on in the garden.

Judith Johnson said...

I love your blog and feel like you are a kindred spirit. When you had your shop in Cambria I loved that too. Thank you!!!

Instagram.com/melissasnotes said...

Ha! I could have used the hint about using gloves on cutting my peppers for my own salsa! Love reading Gladys Taber.

torchy said...

Your delightful posts are personal and charming, Sharon. This one about canning resonated -- I've been teaching my adult daughters and DILs to preserve!

I can't think of a better way to be introduced to Gladys Tabor than through her cookbook!

torchy said...

I use my MILs old canner and tongs. I'm especially wild about the 2 dozen blue Mason jars I scavenged from her basement. One zinc lid was marked in pencil: Peaches 1929!

Dee Nash said...

Darling Sharon, this post brought back such good memories of my mom, Grandma Nita and I canning. My grandmother made chili sauce for her pinto beans, and I still love it. I've made it several times when we have a bumper crop of tomatoes. Ours has some sugar, cloves and cinnamon in it. Yum! I haven't canned in so long. I might have to take a class too. Mostly, I freeze these days. Hugs from Oklahoma dear girl.~~Dee

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Memories flooded my mind as I read this blog post.
I remember all the gardening, orchard, arbors of the past.
But now in a simple cottage for one and eating so little - just do not do this anymore. Maybe a little salsa :)
Now at soon to be 80 nothing is the same but I smile at all the memories and love my children sharing their memories of mom
and her country home of 40 years ago. Love Gladys Tabor :)

Farm Girl said...

Okay I will admit to laughing too when I read about your jam. I am so glad you had a laugh too. I think making jam always does come with lots of learning experiences.
I am glad you had a good time at your classes at the Avila Barn, it makes me want to jump in car and visit. I love that place.
I love your stories always of your Grandma.
I am so glad you are better. As much as I have enjoyed my garden this year, I admit to being glad fall is on its way. Your photos are amazing and I am so glad you shared that cream of tarter secret, because I have been known to wander outside to look at something and burn my pot to a crisp. Always lovely stopping by.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Oh Torchy, LOVE the note on the lid.

S

Farm Girl said...

Oh, P.S. I would love to be entered to win a wonderful cookbook from one of my heroes. You being the other. :)
Kim

Charlotte said...

Would love to be the winner of this nice cook book.
CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net

From the Kitchen said...

Sharon: I've once again gone over this lovely post. How I wish my Indiana kitchen/pantry had all of this goodness lined up for the winter bears!! I will e-mail you my address straight away and look forward to some cheese making. Thanks you.

Best,
Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Dear Sharon,
Alas your blog postings go to my junk folder and I do not know how to fix that. I found this one and really enjoyed it. It has been a few years, but Jim and I have canned tomatoes that we bring back from Ohio. We just think those are the world's best!
I recognize so many of the commenters from Susan Branch's blog. I just must remember to check that junk folder!
Congrats on the 12th printing, I shall keep an eye out for it!
Chris in West Texas

Vicki Boster said...

Sharon- such beautiful photos of your canning and preserving-- I'd like to follow you around your beautiful kitchen someday:)
I'd so enjoy the class about canning-- everyone has their own unique recipes for canning-- I find it all intriguing.

Congrats on your amazing reprint of your beautiful book- what an achievement- you must be so proud:)

You seem to always make the best and take the best of every season and turn it into a beautiful celebration. I'm truly in awe of the beautiful food photos!!
Love
Vicki

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear Friends,

Check out who won the cookbook. I won't be able to mail out the prize until after we return.

Cheers!
Sharon

The Quintessential Magpie said...

It looks like you had a wonderful summer, Sharon!

Thank you for sharing Gram's "Chila" recipe with us and congrats to your cookbook winner!

xo

Sheila :-)