Me? I'm running around getting ready for one of my busiest times of the year and that's seed planting time!! I have a tendency to let my garage get out of control. If there's overflow that's where it goes. I've got boxes of empty canning jars, packing boxes and all of my planting paraphernalia along with my pumpkins and squash sitting in the garage. That's fine - but every Spring I have to get things a little more organized and clear space for planting, because this is where the tiny miracles begin.
I got my plant grow light out, dusted off and rolled it into the basement where it's warmer and am washing up any containers that I may have skipped over last year. I want to be totally ready to go when the time comes. It was my greatest of intentions to save all the seeds from my veggies this last season and I did save some, but this year I really want to make a concerted effort to save them. This requires careful labeling, of which I am TERRIBLE about doing!! I start out really well. I then plant the seeds and plant way too many because I'm afraid they won't come up. Then most of them come up and I panic and just start transplanting them as fast as I can and always seem to lose track of which is which. If indeed I do manage to keep them all labeled the exact same scenario occurs when I'm transplanting them to the garden. I just get way too excited and in a giant hurry; so this year I need to try and stay very calm and tell myself I have plenty of time, no rush, do it right and label or mark everything. I simply cannot mess this up and I am NOT going to plant so many seeds. You heard me here - now, I've got to hold myself to it!!
I've used some of the beef, venison, and sausage that I canned this past year but I've not tried canned pork loin or chicken. Tonight I'm going to try the pork loin. I know it will taste fine but I want to figure out a tasteful way to fix and present it. I'm wanting to keep it somewhat ordinary but I'll need to prepare it a little differently, coming from a jar. The meat is already cooked but it's pale and any cook knows a pale meat generally isn't considered visually palatable. I'm thinking that I need to very gently get it out of the jar, since it will literally be ready to fall apart and then transfer it to a pan with some oil that's already very hot and brown the meat. I'll sprinkle on some of my Pork Herb Blend which has that delectable cumin as one of the ingredients and fry until lightly brown. I will then take it out, put it in another dish and put it in the oven on low heat, take the juice from the can put it in the pan and make a nice gravy. It could be any type of sauce or gravy really. I could use broth, lemon juice or wine or make a milk gravy. So it's pork and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, deviled eggs, and applesauce. Wish me luck!!