Beef Barley Soup & a Birthday!

Mmm, mmm, mmm... this recipe is so good! I went searching for canning recipes because I was bored (yeah right), actually I was surfing around Paul Noll's site looking for the ratio of water/sugar for canning peaches when I came across the soup recipe. His site is amazing, he's actually kept track of how many pints/quarts of jars him and his wife have canned... since 1966! They truly are expert canners, yet they still have time to answer personal emails (I sent them one last year and within a few days he responded). It's because of his site I bought a steam canner last year and I love it! Very seldom do I use my hot water bath canner anymore because the steam canner is just so much easier to use; less water, less weight, less time.
The only thing I did a bit differently with the soup was add a beef broth mix and, instead of a rump roast, I cut up stew meat from a cow we butchered last year. The recipe says it makes 11 quarts but after hubby came in for lunch and then the kids did their taste test I ended up with 8 quarts. I was a bit short on the barley, but after getting the soup on to boil I made apple and cherry juice, as well as 7 loaves of bread, not much time to run to town ;)

Hubby is off to camp and Sydney will start school on Tuesday, then Jevan starts on Wednesday. I'll drive Jevan in on his first day but I may have to drive him in and pick him up for Thursday and Friday too. For the first week the kindergarten kids only have half days to get them used to school so they won't start full days until next Monday. I'm hoping to talk to the daycare downstairs and see if he can stay there for three hours until Sydney gets out and then the two of them can ride the bus home together.

I've held off mentioning my Mom's birthday, it was August 30th, because my brother and I went in on a gift together for her and she hasn't received it yet. I've told her to expect a parcel in the mail within a few days but I haven't told her what it is. And because she is a faithful reader of my blog I'm not going to spoil the surprise, you really think I'd mention it here Mom?? LOL LOL Anyway, a big birthday hug and loves to you, I miss you and hope you come up soon!

Sydney giving Oma a makeover, aren't Oma's great for putting up with their grandkids? lol