September 5 – 11, 2022
Whats up pals!
We have acquired rain! A few days of continuous drizzle, to be precise, however we’ll take it. Further excellent news is that we’re seeing bits of proof that fall is coming. We have been even fortunate recipients of a few nights of crisp cool temps! That is certainly one of my favourite issues about fall’s arrival.
The leaves are simply beginning to change on a few of the timber which is shocking as a result of our temps, for probably the most half, have remained summer-like. I’ve jumped into soup season, though the climate hasn’t modified but. I am keen on soup. It is often a straightforward meal, makes use of up a whole lot of the backyard harvest, freezes properly, and tastes scrumptious.
Meals Preservation:
We have been busy!
I used to be capable of roast and freeze 8 pints of cherry tomatoes. I like to make a easy pasta sauce with them or add them to soups.
We’re swimming in basil (not a foul factor) so I processed extra pesto for the freezer.
I additionally added extra basil and cilantro to the freezer.
I roasted all the poblano peppers I harvested final week and froze them on trays earlier than transferring them to freezer luggage. They are going to be filled with a rice combination for dinners all through the winter in addition to diced/sliced and added to soups, fajitas, bean dishes, and many others.
I added 8 further gallon freezer luggage filled with ripe tomatoes to the freezer for processing later. Later might want to come quickly although as I am shortly operating out of room…
I used to be capable of harvest simply over a dozen additional (along with recent consuming) bell peppers from our backyard for freezing. All the purple and orange ones have been roasted after which put within the freezer. The inexperienced, yellow, and purple peppers have been sliced and placed on trays to freeze. As soon as frozen they have been transferred to gallon freezer luggage.
Final Saturday we went to a neighborhood farm and picked a bushel of bell peppers. We have been capable of get all of them washed, sliced, and frozen. I’ve fairly a couple of bell peppers nearly ripe within the backyard, so I did not preserve any out for recent consuming. We’ll proceed to eat from our backyard as an alternative. I will additionally roast extra from our backyard for the freezer within the coming weeks.
Final Sunday I bought 8 lbs of inexperienced beans from a farm vendor at our farmer’s market. As famous in final week’s replace, we’re operating just a little brief on the inexperienced beans this yr, so I bought some as a result of I needed to make sure we had sufficient within the freezer to get us by means of the winter. I snipped the ends, minimize them into bite-size items, and positioned them in freezer luggage and saved within the freezer.
We discovered deal on natural strawberries and made extra roasted strawberry jam. It’s canned and lined up within the cabinet. (I used the pectin-free recipe within the Canning For A New Technology Cookbook – it is scrumptious!)
I’ve not added this as a result of we stockpile them frequently, however we have elevated our egg stockpile to 9 dozen. What we discovered final yr, after studying about completely different egg preservation strategies, was that refrigerating unwashed eggs instantly (and protecting them refrigerated), allowed us to make use of eggs for as much as 4-5 months after they have been laid (he is consuming eggs gathered in June at the moment). As a result of our flock is older, and we won’t rely on eggs, we have been protecting a small stockpile. Because it will get nearer to October (molt season), we improve the stockpile. Our new ladies will not lay till the tip of December or starting of January, so it will assist get my husband by means of till then.
pie pumpkins
Chinese language purple noodle beans
My pie pumpkins are virtually all ripe. I will be roasting them within the subsequent week or two. I haven’t got a spot to maintain them long-term so roasting and freezing works finest for us.
I forgot to replace you on the potatoes grown within the 5-gallon bucket. They did properly besides a few of the potatoes rotted. I’ll say this needed to be my error, though I checked the holes within the backside when figuring out whether or not or not they need to be watered. I should have overwatered, or we have to add extra drainage holes. I’ll undoubtedly attempt it once more subsequent yr. I harvested 10 respectable sized potatoes from the one bucket however misplaced 4 to rot. I can not wait to verify the two buckets I’ve candy potatoes in.
The cucumbers have nearly come to a whole finish within the backyard. The vegetation started dying off about 2 weeks in the past and I believe I solely have 1 vine left that is lively. I am right down to receiving 1-3 cucumbers every week.
Tomatoes are lastly slowing, however we’re nonetheless gratefully receiving them. The beets and carrots are younger, so I have not pulled any for some time. The rest of the backyard continues to do properly.
The Chinese language Pink Noodle Beans are hanging on. They do very properly in warmth and humidity, in order that they proceed to supply with out situation. I’ve by no means tried preserving them so I am unsure how they might do, however we do eat them recent.
I forgot to say that I did plant 1 eggplant seed, and it got here up! We do not eat a whole lot of eggplant, so I simply threw a seed within the backyard once I was planting and lo and behold it got here up. A lot to my shock it has eggplant on it which are nearly prepared to reap!
A couple of of you let me know that you simply missed Jack pictures within the earlier check-in put up, so I’ve promised not one, however two pictures of the good-looking pain-in-the-behind. He had his annual check-up final week and is doing properly! He continues to stalk Felix (not our cat) from the home windows, choose on Oliver (all day lengthy), break any rule meant for him, and refuse to take his meds willingly. So, all is properly with him!
We have been making cleaning soap 2 full days each week as we start the method of making ready for our final busy season of the yr. From the time we get up till time for supper, cleaning soap is made on these days. This week we barely match within the second day however have been in a position to take action.
We had deliberate to make cleaning soap Monday and Friday and do all the meals preservation listed above on the times in-between. Saturdays are often dedicated to cleansing up round the home (cleansing, mowing, and many others.) and prepping for Sunday’s market.
Thursday night time round 9p Ollie appeared like his proper ear was bothering him. He shook his head a bit. He tried to get his again foot as much as scratch his ear, however he is unable to take action now due to his spinal points. So I scratched it calmly for him. I could not scratch it sufficient, it simply stored bothering him. Inside an hour he was panting. I assumed there may be an ear an infection or one thing happening, however we determined to attend it out (hoping to make it to Friday morning when his vet opened up) and see how he did. It was my night time to be up with him, so he panted, and I pet him and talked to him. Round 11p he began screaming. Frenchies do that for plenty of causes, however I knew it was due to ache. I yelled as much as my husband to come back down and sit with him so I may name the emergency vet to see in the event that they have been accepting sufferers (in our space they’re all full all the time today). Fortunately, they have been.
We scooped him up and drove him down, about 40 minutes, to the emergency vet. We have been there from simply earlier than midnight till 4a.m. (we have been informed it was an unusually sluggish night time and we have been fortunate to “solely” must be there for 4 hours!) It was a LONG night time. It ended up being a ruptured ear canal/ear an infection. Apparently, that is frequent in Frenchies. Who knew? Evidently, cleaning soap making didn’t occur on Friday. We as an alternative made cleaning soap on Saturday. We have been so confused on what day it was Friday and Saturday – lack of sleep and doing issues on completely different days made it attention-grabbing.
He appears to be doing higher, fortunately.
I did learn a ebook! I learn That Summer season: A Novel, by Jennifer Weiner.
This isn’t a light-weight learn and offers with a heavy matter. I assumed it was good, and the creator dealt with the heavy matter in a really delicate method, however I assumed plenty of particulars stored this from being an awesome ebook. I virtually stopped studying after the primary couple of chapters as a result of it was a lot completely different than I might anticipated however determined to push myself to maintain going.
It is a story about friendship, revenge, and overcoming trauma. The story of two Diana’s is informed in a number of timelines, which I assumed could be complicated however finally ends up working. It begins sluggish and the connection and storyline is revealed/alluded to early on, however the characters, for probably the most half, are relatable and likeable. There are occasions you assume to your self, “what relevance does that remark have”? Or “how on this planet may that work”? And even “what’s the goal of that being within the story”? However all-in-all, it was learn.
That was final week on our homestead! How about you? Are you continue to harvesting produce? Did you get any meals preservation accomplished? How was your week?
