Monthly Goals Update and This Week's Goals

Eeek!  I just realized that it's nearly 1/2 way through the month and I'm just getting started on my Monthly Goals.  It's hard with the schedule being so packed to get stuff done, though, so I have to say that I am happy that I'm getting things done despite not having a lot of time.

So, onto what I got done this last week!

1.  I canned some raspberry jelly (seen up top).

I ended up dyeing a dishtowel doing it (used it to strain the juice from the fruit instead of cheesecloth), but it got done this last weekend.  My daughter hates jams because they have seeds in them (but she'll eat the fresh fruit all day long...go figure), so I figure this way she has no excuse.  I was impressed that one freezer bag of raspberries yielded the required amount of juice for the jelly recipe in the Ball book with a bit left over, when they said that at least 12 cups of fruit would be required to get that amount.  So, yay for juicy fruit!  I'm going to take the rest and use it to make jam, probably this weekend with the way the schedule is shaping up, but we shall see!

2.  I canned applesauce!

I ran into reduced apples when I went shopping at Fred Meyer last week and bought eight bags, so I was hoping that I would have enough to do both applesauce and apple pie filling.  Sadly, though, some of the Granny Smith apples in the bags, which were huge and hard, were all rotten inside, so I ended up having enough apples to make applesauce only.  I'll just have to buy some extra apples to make pie filling.  At least the applesauce got done, though, which is the most important part :).

Seen in the picture is not only the applesauce but also the apple crisp I made for dessert last night.  Small kitchen problems...it was the only spot I had to let the crisp cool *laugh*.

That was all I got done of my canning goals this weekend.  I'm hoping to be more productive this week, although the way my schedule is it's going to be at least Friday before I can get much done in the way of canning and sewing. 

3.  On the sewing front, I did get a bit of embroidery done!

I started work on a pillow case (they came in a set of two) that I was gifted.  It's not hard work, but with the embroidery going over the entire pillowcase there is a decent amount of work there.  I'm hoping that these turn out well as I want to gift them for Christmas presents :).

4.  I did manage to get the heaters in the kid's rooms cleaned out and fired up this week.  The nights are cold enough that you are okay sleeping under a heavy quilt or comforter but come morning, since the kids sleep with their doors closed (their insistence, not mine) their rooms are pretty chilly when I go in to get them up in the morning, so I've been firing up their heaters for a little bit to take the chill out of their rooms.

This week's goals are kind of all over the place, but hey, hopefully I can get it all done!

This Week's Goals:

• Can Rose Hip Jelly
• Can Raspberry Jam
• Can Blueberries
• Can Cherries
• Prepare potato basket project and figure out liner
• At least cut out sleep pants for son
• Make two skirts for daughter
• Work a bit on fall themed quilt
• Continue to work on embroidery
• Start work on reorganizing pantry and closets
• Fix hole in daughter's pants
• Figure out birthday gift for daughter's friend's birthday party this weekend
• Get oil changed on car

And there you are folks.  My goals for this week.  Hopefully I can get it all done.  How about you?  Up to anything this week?

By the way I do plan on doing a month in review for August.  Mainly because I realized that I didn't really get to do much I'd planned on but a bunch of stuff I wasn't planning on.  Weird the way that happens.