August 2021 Update

Jenny/ August 9, 2021/ Uncategorised

Wow! I swear time travels faster each year 🙁 I can’t believe August is already here! We’ve been super busy this summer with a very large garden (45 tomato plants, 12 peppers, potatoes, corn, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, herbs and now fall beans and cabbage. The kids started back to school the first full week of July so that’s been interesting 🙂

The 3 older kids are doing schoolwork each day now. Of course they’re always learning and we certainly don’t stop that for our Spring/Summer break however we do stop “structured” learning for the most part and concentrate on “abstract” learning. Now, however we’re back to a routine. Its definitely not a strict schedule but we do get through our subjects most days. Lilly has insisted on joining Gabe in their first year and both are progressing nicely. Jake is really enjoying his Bird Book Study and so is Gabe. I can’t actually say he’s loving Grammar (hehe) but he is learning it and without very much complaint (because its short and sweet and to the point).

All the kids have been learning a TON of life skills. The 3 older ones are incredible at helping me cook and Daisy is learning rapidly. They all are excellent at doing laundry and Gabe and Jake can do it from start to finish. Lilly and Daisy can fold towels, washcloths ect like an adult (I kid you not!) so most days the kids do the towel laundry and help wash and dry the others. Jake is a pro on folding anything (I can’t actually say he enjoys it) and he and Gabe are learning to do it without complaining. My philosophy is “you’re part of this family, you’re needed and you’re going to help”.

The kids are responsible for most clothes folding.

Everyone has been helping in the garden. We picked about 35 dozen ears of corn from our garden and I processed about 32 into frozen corn off the cob. It was a job that required all hands on deck, from picking, husking, blanching and cutting off the cob. Jake helped by watching Daisy while I cooked.

Blanched sweet 🌽

Now its tomatoes. They are starting to come off like crazy! My goal is 200-250 quarts of tomato products, from spaghetti sauce, salsa, tomato sauce ect… We already put up 50 pounds of peaches this month, corn relish and elderberry jelly, and lots of tomatoes!!

blanched tomatoes ready to peel!

This was our first year to process this many elderberries!

our Amish Paste tomatoes are HUGE!

I hope you enjoyed our update!

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About Jenny

Jenny is a homeschooling mom of 4 and wife to a wonderful husband. She enjoys reading, a good cup of coffee, and spending time outdoors with her family. You can find her writing about Jesus, homeschooling, and life on her blog Our Inconvenient Family, and contributing regularly at Lifeschooling Conference.

2 Comments

  1. How do you process your elderberries? I have some I need to get done, but need a good process to use. I want juice, preferably canned in small jars so none goes to waste.

    1. I put mine in an instant pot with a tiny amount of water (I used 1/2 cup per gallon of berries) and pressure cooked them for 10 minutes with the vent closed. Then I let them sit for 30 minutes and poured them through a mesh bag. I squeezed it until it was as dry as I could get it. Hope this helps! I would add a bit of lemon juice to each jar you can too.

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