Sunday Bits #44 (beer bread, canning, retro tiles, late summer in the garden)

We have had a busy week. Hemingway had surgery on his paw, is now hopping around with a big bandage on his foot, but seems none the worse for wear. Whew! Now to just get the big boy healed up, back up and running.

We've also started our canning and food storage. This will go on for the next 4 to 6 weeks as we harvest and clean out the gardens.

Bick's style pickled beets.

We made our first batch of pickled beets, will share the recipe after we taste it... make sure it is delish. Of course, we have somehow misplaced the recipe we used 2 years ago and so are on the hunt for a new one that we love. I have a half dozen recipes pinned on my Pinterest canning board but none that say I made this and loved it. Why, oh why?

I made a few jars of refrigerator pickles, too. Aren't they pretty? Canning gives one such a sense of satisfaction. We will make canned, shelf- stable ones with the next batches but I really just wanted some that were ready now, something fast and easy. The cukes are coming in hot and heavy so lots more canning to do yet.

I have an assortment of this and that for you this week... a few garden things, some decor stuff (you need to check out those retro backsplash tiles!), and yummy recipes, of course. I'll be sharing canning recipes very soon, too, plus a garden recap in a couple of days... things sure are happening on the daily in the garden.

You all have probably heard about good ladybugs versus bad ones? Native ones versus non-native? Here is a good read about them, a little bit of food for thought. Now... I know that I won't be squashing anything any time to come, but I also don't buy ladybugs. What about you? What are your thoughts on this?

After you have harvested, dehydrated, frozen, and canned, what to do in the garden? This is a really good write up. Don't forget #9 while everything is still fresh in your mind.

These 5 things to do for/in your garden right now. I'm off to do #4 ; )

Which also leads into these things that you do in your garden next month...

These three next posts are all from the same blog... I went down that rabbit hole, you all ; ) Love it all so much that I signed up for the newsletter.

I love this small cottage (in-law suite) with the shiplap walls and all, but those tiles in the kitchenette and on that coffee bar are to die for! I am trying to figure out how I can use them in the new fancy she-shed we are building.

This kitchen storage blurb, so many great ideas, and (not to pat myself on the back, but) we have many of the same things in our new kitchen. I will post about our kitchen and bath reno after gardening season is done.

These whimsical decorating ideas. I do not do much colour in the house, it would stress me out, lol, but I do add pops of fun and colour into the home. Adding those pops with some of these cute whimsical ideas would work so fine!

Our yummy Green Tomato Chow Chow ~ so very, very yummy!

This one is a couple of weeks too early, I think, but I'm sharing now so that you can pin it or save it for what to do with your surplus of produce, especially tomatoes. Less time consuming and laborious than canning into sauces.

You really have to check out this recipe for Tomato Junk... a tasty and easy way to deal with all the things in the late summer garden.

Green tomato chow-chow

Here is my own recipe for Green Tomato Chow-Chow. This relish is so delish that we make sure to harvest at least one batch of unripe tomatoes each year, sometimes more; ) We use it on so many things but love it on fish burgers, veggie dogs and sausages, normal sausages, hot dogs, and burgers... so many things. We will be making some this week! You want to use nice, firm green tomatoes, don't make it with tomatoes that are blushing.

I have some really yummy fall dessert recipes to share with you all... no more berries! We are now into pumpkins, squash, and apples.... even though it still feels like summer out there.

Check out these apple-cider cinnamon rolls!

And these 22 apple recipes, too.

This beer bread sounds so super easy to make, and yummy, too. I wonder if I can use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose? Hubs is diabetic and I would hate to make a loaf just for myself.... or would I? Hmm. Let me know if you make this and if you love it... would you tweak it? Maybe make it with half and half?

This is on my must make list. See what the grandies think of this... they love canned Zoodles, so maybe homemade spaghetti-o's would also go over well?

And to finish... Here are all of the Starbucks fall drinks rated from worst to best. Now, I don't do generally do fall flavoured bevies.... but after reading this, even I am tempted to try the #1 pick.

Hemi hiding out in the living room. Squeezed himself in by the sofa (sorry about the cat blankets).

Hope you all are having a lovely, productive weekend ~ Tanja