Sweet as a Georgia Peach

As the summer is winding down, so is our garden and the selection of wonderful cheap produce in the grocery store. But, have no fear; canning is here!!

Canning is an art that is almost all but lost, but thanks to hipsters and hippies it is starting to make a come back!

So last night, I decided to put on my most ironic t-shirt and over sized glasses and give canning peaches a try.

It is actually pretty simple, but a little time consuming.

The secret ingredient to any type of canning is to have a very large pot. I am talking huge lobster pot. (You know what I mean, the type that is either black or blue with white specks all over it.) Fill the pot almost completely with water and bring to a simmer.

Once you are simmering, very gently drop your peaches down into the water. Let them get all nice and toasty and when you can easily peel the skin off with either your fingers or a fork, then plunge them into an ice bath.

When they are cool to the touch start peeling. I found it was easy to use a fork to start the peel and then you can just pull it off. Once peeled, cut them in half with a knife.

After you are finished halving the peaches, start making your simple syrup. If you have never made a simple syrup it is actually, well, pretty simple. We decided to make a lighter calorie version where we combined 1 cup of sugar with 3 cups of water. (If you want a more sugary syrup then do a 1-to-1 ratio). You stir until the sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil and then turn down the heat.

Before you add your syrup you need to put the peach halves into jars. Then, cover to the fill line with the syrup. Make sure to wipe all of the syrup and peach stuff off of the rim, put the lid on and tighten the collar.

Next step is to plunk the jars into the boiling water. For where we live in Pennsylvania, we set them in the water for 35 minutes. When your time is done, bring them out of the water and let them cool. If you press on the lid and it doesn't making the popping sound, then you are good. If it does make the popping sound, don't worry. You can still eat the peaches, you just have to use them soon and refrigerate.

As you can see the process is pretty easy, but it does require some time.

I hope you give this forgotten art a shot. In the end it will help you save money and will give you a sweet reminder of warm summer days in the dead of winter.

I'm Making a List, and Checking it Twice

I think that it starts to become the norm, rather than an exception, that we never take time to smell the roses.

Life gets in the way of simple pleasures like going for a walk through the neighborhood in the evening, visiting a favorite restaurant or even sitting down to send a long over due email to a friend.

This summer I am going to try and change that. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my "Summertime Bucket List." This is going to be my list of things I hope, no; make that I WILL accomplish over the course of the summer.

1. Finish a great classic book

2. Go on a picnic

3. Eat at "Riversedge Cafe"

4. Try to make cake pops

5. Go to the drive-in again

6. Give myself a nice at home mani/pedi

7. Visit the local winery

8. Try strawberry wine

9. Find a hammock for our front yard

10. Send long emails to friends, and respond quicker to their emails.

Wish me luck on my quest this summer!

How to Beat the Summer Heat

It is hard to believe that Memorial Day has already come and gone. It seems like only yesterday I was complaining about how much I hated the months of January, February and March and couldn't wait for the Summer to be here.

As the temperature rises, I can't hold back the childlike glee that is inside that looks forward to the extended hours of daylight, warm breezes cruising on by and especially the thought of little day trips here and there. But, as I continue to read about the recession, and see that all of our extra money is being poured into our new home, I start to feel a little sadness about summer 2009.

Ever since I have been born, I have been going to Kennywood each summer. (It comes with the territory when your father worked there for many years when he was in high school.) I couldn't wait to ride the first ride of the season, and inhale the sweet smells of motor oil and Potato Patch Fries. We would go at least once, maybe even twice a season.

So in my anticipation of our annual trip, I decided to visit Kennywood's website and see what new things they have in store. As I was surfing around I saw how much tickets are this year: $33.99. What the heck! Did they mysteriously double the amount of rides and attractions so that it would justify charging this much? As I scrolled over the rides and shows section of the website, I saw that only one new ride was added to replace one that they had taken out last year.

Now for the sake of doing easy math let's just say that tickets cost $34. For my husband and I to go it would cost $68 for tickets. Parking would be about $15 so now we are up to $83 before we even enter the park. Well if you expect to get some of those tasty fries and a drink for two people it will cost about $30 which will now make it $113. I always like to take my chances and play a few games (the ping pong pool and I are still at war) you can easily spend another $30. So for a couple to go to Kennywood, park, eat and play a few games it will cost you $143! I won't even figure out the cost for a family of four! And Kennywood has some nerve calling themselves a great American amusement park.

So unless we get free tickets to Kennywood, which might happen, we will not be going this year. So will end another Summer tradition.

Another thing I like to do in the Summer is maybe go to a concert. Well, I do have to say that no one that I really want to see will be traveling to our area. Kev has threatened to take me to see Bob Dylan in Washington, PA. I told him that Simon and Garfunkle was about as mellow as I can handle, and I don't think that I can sit through listening to a man who sounds like he has a box or rocks in his mouth.

But, what I am most sad about, and it is going to completely make me sound like a spoiled brat, is that we will not be able to make it to Disney World this year.

Since our honeymoon, we have decided to try and make it to Disney each year around our anniversary. If we would save up money during the year, and make a few cutbacks we could do it. But, since we bought the house and have to make renovations, we aren't going to be going this year. But, to help "ease our pain" my parents have offered to take us on their vacation this year to wonderful Branson, Mo! Yes, you heard right. The playground for senior citizens. The land of early bird specials, Tony Orlando and hip replacements! I think I might have to make a separate entry about the wonders of Branson.

But, as we do approach the Summer, I do take comfort that we will find ways to make it fun, and little trips to make it exciting.

Hey, anything beats sub-zero degree temperature!