3 weeks!

Closing in on the 3 week mark!

Here's what we still need to do...

• Find wedding rings.  We want vintage/antique rings.  We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules. (we're going tomorrow night!)
• Pick out specific/purchase his clothes (Got his shirt, need pants still)
• Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants") (Got them picked out, just need to give out the info!)
• Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!) (DONE!!!)
• Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size.  She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics.  I hope to talk to her today. (Nope... :-/ )
• Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?) (In progress.  Got the order coming along nicely, as well as logistics)
• Figure out my hair/makeup situation.
• Meet with photographer.
• Do up our favors (Maybe tonight?)
• Start writing thank-you notes for gifts already received

We're getting closer every hour, but is seems as though my list is growing, not shrinking!  We're chipping away at it though, and I'm confident that everything will fall into place.

In other news, I've done some more canning this week, and plan on doing another big batch of salsa this weekend (we eat a TON of salsa!)

One Month to go!

In just one short month, my wonderful fiance and I will be tying the knot!  I'm so excited to share this special day with him, and the rest of our lives together.  Things are coming together: table centers, my dress is being altered, his vest/tie ordered.  Still some things we need to do, though:

• Find wedding rings.  We want vintage/antique rings.  We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules.
• Pick out specific/purchase his clothes
• Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants")
• Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!)
• Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size.  She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics.  I hope to talk to her today.
• Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?)
• Figure out my hair/makeup situation.
• Meet with photographer.

There's another list, but this seems to me to be the most pressing of items.  Everything else is just icing on the cake :)

I've also been canning like a fool.  From the last update, I canned:

8 pints salsa

4 pints tomato sauce

3 half-pints and 1 pint peach salsa

And I plan on canning something this evening to give as gifts (**Shhh....some of the recipients read this blog!!)

As life gets a bit more hectic, I hope to stop in here more frequently to share, and maybe sort out my thoughts and make lists, all in the guise of keeping in touch, but really, keep myself organized.  

29 days!

A Quick Update

Just wanted to toss out a quick update!  39 days until our wedding! My dress is being altered, invitations are out, hotel room and honeymoon booked.  We're just settling all the little things before we tie the knot!

I've been canning like a fool, even though our weekends are super busy, I try to get one thing put up each weekend.  I've also been experimenting with some vinegars and flavored liquors.  

List of things I have canned, pickled, frozen, dried:

Strawberry Jam (5 jars)

Blueberry Jam (5 jars)

Zucchini & Corn Salsa (2 jars)

Chicken Stock (4 quart jars) (Used my new pressure canner!)

Crushed Tomatoes (5 jars

Whole peeled Tomatoes (1 jar)

Dill Pickles (6 jars)

Strawberry vinegar (2 bottles)

Blackberry Vinegar (3 quart jars)

Raspberry vinegar (1 bottle)

Refrigerator pickles (I think I've made about 6 quarts, but we keep eating them!)

Zucchini/Yellow squash refrigerator pickles (3 1/2 quarts)

Cranberry Honey Mustard (1 quart)

Frozen Blueberries (5 quarts)

Frozen Strawberries (3 quarts)

Frozen chicken Stock (3 quarts)

Dried tomatoes (1 batch cherry tomatoes, 1 batch roma tomatoes)

Dried strawberries (Handful, but they got moldy ):   )

Strawberry Vodka (1 jar)
Cherry Amaretto (1 jar)

Blueberry Vodka (1 big jar)

Blackberry Rum (1 jar)

Raspberry Vodka (1 big jar)

In addition to all that, I morphed leftover black beans and rice into 15 vegetarian burgers for the freezer!

I'm coming along in my plans to be more self sufficient this winter, I keep buying jars and filling them!  I plan on at least 2 batches of salsa (Hopefully with tomatoes from our garden, there's plenty there, I just hope they ripen all together!) and maybe another batch of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.  

As soon as this humidity dies down, I want to dry some herbs too.  

Also, in the fall (after our wedding!) I want to use the pressure canner to put up some convenience foods: Soups, chili, beans, etc. 

How are your winter canning/preserving coming along?