tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post8538576560918827491..comments2024-03-25T12:21:56.752-05:00Comments on Sweethearts Of The West: The Changing of the SeasonsCaroline Clemmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-25959845776976568562015-09-26T19:42:48.356-05:002015-09-26T19:42:48.356-05:00Thanks for visiting ladies! My mom used to can a l...Thanks for visiting ladies! My mom used to can a lot, and though I did some when my boys were younger, all I do any more is jam and jelly for the grandkids mainly. However, my youngest son has canned everything from fish to salsa and loves it. He also smokes lots of different meats and makes his own sausages. :)Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13455014446926888377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-3371625818975487162015-09-25T09:53:11.246-05:002015-09-25T09:53:11.246-05:00I never read the books, but I did watch the series...I never read the books, but I did watch the series of Little House on the Prairie back when it first appeared--and it still plays on the Hallmark Channel.<br />From my memories of the north Midwest in my short time of living there in Nebraska was how very harsh the weather was. Although my family originated in north central Pennsylvania and dealt with harsh winters, I had been raised in North Carolina where everyone gets excited at the thought of snow. It's like magic dust. As cold as it was in Nebraska with its subzero temperatures and blizzards, I'm certain it's worse further north. I wouldn't want to live there.<br />Having gone through the Great Depression, my parents were gardening and canning fanatics. Pop always had a huge garden with neat rows of vegetables he liked to show off. He also liked to try new vegetables and was super happy about his bumper crop of broccoli. He and Mom canned together. They experimented every year making a different recipe for catsup. I have no idea why. They were just driven. I could rat on them about some of their disasters, but I have to give them credit for their efforts. They loved it. My sister and I learned to love gardening and canning from them. I must agree with Caroline about chemicals and harmful ingredients in the market place. Now that I'm older, I just have a little raised bed garden or plant a few things in pots because I enjoy it. It's not enough to make a difference in the pantry and certainly not enough to can. My older sister still does it the old way. She goes to local growers for things like peaches and strawberries when they're in season and the whole family gets together to help her prepare and can them. It's fun.<br />Well, I've kind of rattled on a bit here. Obviously I enjoyed your post, Laurie. I wish you wonderful things.Sarah J. McNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-83422468613590997032015-09-24T11:53:23.721-05:002015-09-24T11:53:23.721-05:00Those stories make us grateful, don't they? I ...Those stories make us grateful, don't they? I used to can dozens of vegetables and fruit each summer in preparation for winter. The important thing is that we would have been able to eat with staples from the grocery store if I hadn't canned the food. We wanted freshly processed vegetables and fruit that we knew were not sprayed with harmful chemicals. Now, we just buy what we want. Much easier if not quite as tasty.Caroline Clemmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-75139897132462517542015-09-24T07:54:15.227-05:002015-09-24T07:54:15.227-05:00Odd, that never once in my entire life did I belie...Odd, that never once in my entire life did I believe I must prepare for a long period without enough food. That's why we love history and yes, the Laura Ingalls Wilder books taught us some of that, even through a children's book. My mother was born in 1916 and surely had enough food much of her life, but even in the 1950s she was literally hoarding food by freezing, canning, etc. At any given time until she passed away at age 94, she could have fed 20 people, easy. Thanks for reminding us to be thankful, Laura. Lovely.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.com