Rotating Food Storage Can Rack - Build Your Own

(Posting this so it doesn't get lost in the dusty recesses of my brain...)
**This post contains various links for making food storage racks. I have been adding links as I find info I don't want to lose.**

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I WANT one of these! (Or several, stacked on top of each other.)
Food Storage Can Rack (Watch this Youtube video) So so cool!

For a simple version, here are instructions for building small can rotators from cardboard - these would sit on your existing shelves.

Or if you want the real thing and know what you're doing, here are some instructions, or you can buy plans here. (I *think* this is the type in the youtube video above.)

Some free online plans: http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rotating-Canned-Food-Shelf

Or, here's one for #10 cans, you would still have your "wall space" but it stores 200 cans. http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Emergency%20Prep/Canned%20Food%20Rotator.pdf

Here's a site showing how to make shelving to hold water barrels, plus rolling storage for #10 cans (or you could certainly do regular cans, too.) It has pictures and plans. (See links at the top of the site.) http://waterstoragerack.blogspot.com/

I might just have to figure out how to do this!

Yummy Strawberry Jam!

Strawberry freezer jam is the BEST!!!!! I vowed a few years ago to never buy store-bought jam again. That stuff is awful. It is NOTHING in comparison to real homemade jam. And of all of them, strawberry freezer jam is the BEST!

To make a batch of jam, about 7 cups worth, you need about 2 lbs of strawberries, a box of MCP pectin, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, a cup of corn syrup, and 4 cups of sugar. Follow the directions in the box of pectin for quick freezer jam (uncooked.) Basically you clean and mash the berries, stir in the lemon juice & pectin, let sit for half an hour (stirring occasionally), then stir in the corn syrup and sugar. Put it into freezer containers (I use gladware containers) and there you have it. About as easy as it can be, and once you taste it you will NEVER be able to choke down Smucker's again.

Memo to self: MCP pectin and Sure-Jell pectin boxes look identical and cost the same. However, Sure-Jell requires about twice as much sugar per the same amount of fruit. Make sure to get the MCP. (I accidentally got a bunch of Sure-Jell last year when couponing, and am donating it all.)

I didn't take a picture of my jam before I stashed it in the freezer, so here's a picture I stole off the internet. You can almost taste the yumminess through the screen!

Memo to self

Memo to self:

Next year, start the garden seeds around the end of February/first of March. They will be the perfect size for transplanting in May.

Do NOT set the trays of seedlings on the trampoline. Even on a beautiful 65 degree day, the trampoline heats up enough to cook the poor little seedlings to death in a few hours.

Seedlings from the store are expensive. It really IS worth the effort of growing your own.

Get some craft sticks to label rows.

Save grass clippings to mulch between rows.

Edited later to add: Broccoli was ready July 12. Grow more next year.  It needs almost as much room as a tomato plant.