Pressure Canning Pinto Beans

A couple of weeks ago I took a stab at canning pinto beans at home. This was my first attempt at canning beans (although I have canned other items before). I found the canning process to be relatively simple (click here to see how I did it) and was delighted that it turned out to to cost me only $.41/jar (much less than they are sold for at the store, see my cost break-down below)! Most of all, I was thrilled with the taste and texture of the home-canned beans...de-lish!
Here's the cost of the home-canned pinto beans:

Dried Beans: $1.60
Dried Onions: $.38
Dried Minced Garlic: $.03
Ham Soup Base: $.60
Mason jar lids: $4.00

I made 16 pint jars of beans, sooo...

Total price for each jar of home-canned beans: $.41

I have found that 15-ounce cans of beans at the grocery store cost $.89-$1.59 each. The name brand beans do go on sale for $1 each and I have at times been able to buy them for $.50/can when I combine a store sale with a coupon, but coupons for cans of beans are rare.

Woohoo...another domestic success! I will definitely be canning my own beans now! The canning process was simple, the cost-savings are wonderful, and I love love love that I am controlling the quality of ingredients that go into the food I eat! I'll be using these in burritos, chili, soups, and as a side.

Click here to see how I canned the beans!

My Husband's Hair Cut

Since I've been married, my husband has gotten his hair cut at a local salon, with the exception of two times, when I attempted to cut his hair with the help of friends. The first attempt produced a shorter 'do than hubs was used to; the second attempt proved more successful, but incredibly time consuming.

Now that I'm on my domestic quest, I decided to get serious about cutting my husband's hair (after all, they make it look so easy at the salon...I should be able to figure it out, right?). This time, I'm armed and ready with the knowledge from my two friends, my new 'can-do' attitude, and this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3hl6OBOSUk (I found this video to be both educational and entertaining; though it suggested the hair-cutting experience to be slightly more sexy than I found it to be)!

Here's the before pic:

My husband likes his hair short in the back and longer on the top of his head, so I used electric hair clippers with a short attachment to make the sides and back short and I trimmed the top a little longer than finger-length.

I shaved his neck and used blending shears to make the transition from short to long hair look nice.
And...drumroll please...here's his new 'do!
It may not be the best haircut he's ever had, but it's definitely the least expensive! I set out on this domestic quest to learn new things and hopefully save money in the process. Now that we both know that I can give him a decent hair cut (without spending the better part of a day), we should save about $180/year! Wahoo!

Valentine's Day Flower Arranging

Yesterday my sweet husband surprised me by having fresh flowers delivered to the door (Happy Valentine's Day to me!) What a delightful gift!! The flowers arrived packaged in a box and were wrapped looking like this.

While they indeed are beautiful this way, I thought I would practice what a friend taught me about flower arranging over a year ago.
She taught a class on how to make flowers look like they are professionally arranged...here's my stab at it. First she said to cut off the stems at an angle and remove any leaves that are low and may end up in the water. Then she taught us to arrange the stems in the vase, one at a time, criss-crossing the stems. I began with some of the greenery; I thought it would serve as a nice base for the flowers (notice the 'criss-cross' action of the stems in the vase!).
Then I added the red roses to the arrangement, spreading them throughout the case, and continuing to criss-cross.
I continued to add more of the flowers, criss-crossing and arranging them where I wanted. At this point I found that the criss-crossing provides support for the flowers so they will stay where placed.
I added all of the flowers, spreading the colors throughout.
And filled in with the rest of the greenery. I was glad I kept some of the greenery; I think it filled in some of the blank spots!
The finished arrangement.
Finally, I remember learning that to display the arrangement, it's nice to have a placemat, table runner, or tablecloth under the vase to 'ground' the arrangement.

After about 5 minutes, I transformed the roses-zip-tied-in-a-box to a gorgeous arrangement (...if I do say so myself!) Here it is proudly displayed!
A sweet reminder of my thoughtful hubs...and an accomplishment in my quest for domesticity!

How to Can Pinto Beans

Here's how I canned my dry pinto beans (this is a rather lengthy explanation for those who are not familiar with pressure canning):

Some things to note: I use a pressure canner (this is different than a pressure cooker). My instructions correspond with the guidelines in the owner's manual for my particular canner; these may vary depending on your pressure canner. You'll also need mason jars (pint or quart jars).

Time from start to finish: 3 hours

First, wash the mason jars and rings in the dishwasher.
Sort and wash the beans. Discard any rocks or undesirable beans.

Place 1/2 cup dried beans (1 cup if using quart jars) in clean jars. This does not seem like a lot of beans in the jar, but during the cooking process they plump up and nearly fill the jar!

Add 1 teaspoon dried onions (2 teaspoons if using quart jars), pinch of dried minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon (1 teaspoon Ham Soup Base) to jars.

Pour in boiling water, leaving 1" head space.

Stir gently and remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims of jars clean. Boiled lids for 10 minutes and place on jars. Screw on rings finger tight.

Now here's where the instructions get a little tricky; I will attempt to be thorough in my explanation. Place jars in pressure canner on trivet with 1" water (it is important that the pressure canner does not dry boil...this will ruin the canner). Use tray in between layers if processing 2 layers of jars.

Place lid on canner (use Vaseline on rim of lid every 3-4 uses and every use when canner is new). Tighten opposite wing nuts down together to keep lid level. Turn stove on high (most manufacturers advise NOT to use a pressure canner on a glass-top stove. You may use a propane camp stove outside instead). When you see steam coming out of the valve, time 10 minutes to “exhaust” air out of jars and canner. After 10 minutes of “exhausting”, place weight on valve (check manual, weight depends on your altitude) so the correct number is over the vent. The pressure will then begin to rise on the gauge. When the gauge shows the correct pressure, begin timing 60 minutes for pints or 75 minutes for quarts. Turn down heat, almost immediately, to keep the pressure stable. You will need to continue to turn it down throughout the cooking time. It is important to keep the gauge at the correct pressure. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CANNER! When the time is up, the heat on your stove will be very low. Turn the heat completely off. Don’t move the canner or take the weight off. Wait for the pressure to go down to ZERO. DO NOT OPEN THE CANNER EARLY! When the pressure has returned to zero, remove the weight, take off the lid (lift the side furthest from you first), and carefully remove the jars; do not put them near cool drafts (the jars will be boiling inside). The jars will seal after several minutes (you will hear “plink”s when they seal). If a jar does not seal, put it in the fridge for use in the next few days.
When the jars have cooled, take off the rings, wipe down the jars, and date them.
Take a look at my finished beans!
Store the jars (without the rings on) in a cool, dry place.

I will keep these in my pantry to use as needed (in soups, burritos, etc) and in a supply I use as food storage. I try to keep a year's supply of food in my home in case of emergency.

Happy canning!