What are YOU doing for Labor Day weekend!?

Yesterday was a very BUSY day here at Heavens Door Acres. Morning chores...feeding, watering, throwing hay...making sure everyone was as comfortable as possible with the heat and humidity that threatened! WOW has it been HOT! After morning chores I went to the garden and picked green beans. Yes, I pick green beans every other day. Since there are only 2 rows about 30 feet long, I can get away with every other day. They are really coming on strong right now...about 7 pints every other day. Won't be long until that part of the pantry is full! YAY! So yesterday was picking and canning day. I had a pot of tomato's I had peeled and prepped for spaghetti sauce...so I put them on the stove to cook down all day. Oh, and speaking of tomato's....I read about some people that save the skins, dehydrate them, then blend them into a powder to use for flavoring stews and soups. So, this was another project I started. Save the skins....

Spread them out on your dehydrator trays....

I let mine dry over night. I wanted to make sure they were completely dry.

After I blended them down, I put this into my coffee bean blender, to make a finer powder. And there you have it. A great tomato powder, to flavor you soups and stews!

I can't wait to try it. Super easy, just a little time consuming. NOTHING went to waste! While making supper, I got the call that our pork was ready to pick up. YAY! What a great feeling to fill the freezer with our own home grown pork. In just about 10 day's, our bacon and hams will be ready....I can't wait to have fresh bacon again!!

All of the fussing over the summer ... hauling water to them pigs, cutting and hauling arm loads of weeds for them to munch on...was totally worth it! Today we will be spending time with family with our last of the summer cook out. I am looking forward to this! I was up late last night finishing cleaning the kitchen, canning the tomato sauce...and made a fresh home made apple pie for my father in law. Sugar free...as he is diabetic. We are getting a few thunderstorms today, I don't expect anything major, but I will head out in a few minutes to make sure all of the animals will be prepared for the day. Another HOT one on the books! However, with these storms, will bring relief! Looking forward to temps in the low 80's again. So, what are YOU doing for Labor day!? Have fun...make memories..and enjoy at least ONE day off..well, not completely off...with a homestead!