Traditional Homemaking Fall/Spring 2009! - Page 8

[1jooj]

Thanks MamaFern...I think I was just fatigued yesterday. My mom spent the day (which is emotionally exhausting) and made a bunch of sweet stuff (also bad for the mood). It was my dad's bday so I made it pizza night (4 from-scratch pizzas for dinner ) and by the time they left I could barely hold up my own head.

I do trade produce/goods for help from one friend and two sisters...but my sisters are superbusy (kind of runs in the family ) and my friend has a busy life too. It's OK. Just need to remember that things are peaking right now. Fortunately, when dh leaves, the dust will be starting to settle. Kinda.

Today I am back doing my own thing, which means I get my workout (need to decide whether I am running or biking) and I run my own day. I'll do something slow-cookery for dinner, involving a big chunk of beef, which will make dh happy, and half a pail of cherry tomatoes, which will make me happy, and just work on getting my tasks done. It will be nice. Again, it's the high-traffic days that suck it out of me. On days I can do my own thing, I have energy to spare.

I have to reiterate how glad I am to have hay in the barn...a working car...full freezers...and the opportunity to be at home.

artparent, when my house is dirty, it's DIRTy. I sweep my kitchen floor 2-3 times daily. Most people take shoes off, but dh and I are the worst offenders, "tip-toeing" through the kitchen to grab scissors, bowls, pails, etc. I am my own worst enemy.

I have discovered that the road is best around 9AM. The work traffic passes by then, and midday doesn't begin until around 1030. I am learning about the rhythms of the day around here so I can build routines that make the most of things. Part of this will need to be when to keep the laptop closed and concentrate on housework.

I dropped some canned goods off (finally!) for the neighbor who gave me the pears, and she called to offer me some concord grapes for jelly. I just happen to have a flat of jelly jars left, so I am going to call her later this morning and see if she still has them. And if I have enough red tomatoes today, I will cook salsa.

My mom, btw, did just what you ladies were discussing the other day. She left a batch of tomatoes in the fridge to wait for canning. She figured she'd have a second batch to do today, and would just put the two together for canning.

I'll come back here when I have progress to report.

[artparent]

we did it! we have 14 shining jars of tomatoes - crushed, in a pasta sauce, whole, and paste..beautiful. i love the glass-lidded jars, they are gorgeous, and i am totally thrilled that i've found more, *just* posted to craigslist. if i can just pick them up, they're a bit far away..i love canning! now i am compelled to do more and more! i should wait til i'm in england, so i can actually use them there

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[MamaFern]

Originally Posted by artparent

we did it! we have 14 shining jars of tomatoes - crushed, in a pasta sauce, whole, and paste..beautiful. i love the glass-lidded jars, they are gorgeous, and i am totally thrilled that i've found more, *just* posted to craigslist. if i can just pick them up, they're a bit far away..i love canning! now i am compelled to do more and more! i should wait til i'm in england, so i can actually use them there

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tomatoes are the one thing im not planning to cab this year.. how wonderful!

my second batch of chutney, this one apple, pear with tons of yummy spices and lots of heat is ready to be canned. im just getting the jars ready to go. i managed to scrape up enough jars from my cupboards..there is not a single jar in any store in my town.

[artparent]

it is so satisfying to get a new skill
recipe please

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[artparent]

i got the fabric! it is gorgeous!!

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[Juvysen]

I've started knitting again (summer I always stop/slow down), and baking. We went apple picking last week and I've been meaning to make some apple crisp (SO delicious!), but I haven't gotten there yet.

: you ladies are so inspiring!

[vermontmomma]

hi everyone! hope your canning is going well. i love chutneys! they just don't get enough attention i think, whenever i offer someone some they just make a face and say "chutney?!" we made a gingery, limey, spicy one with the last of the peaches this year. there's still some of my white tomato one from last year in the canned good cabinet so i'm getting a bit of a chutney collection.

catching up on previous posts...
i second the use of cod liver oil for depression but don't forget about a good protein intake too. depression was a problem for me for a long time and i always just felt run down and sad. i had been a vegetarian for over a decade but didn't do a good job of balancing my diet. when i switched to local humanely raised meats instead of soy substitues from big corporations and started supplementing it all changed for the better and i even got pregnant after a few months of being healthy.

1jooj-i'm so sorry about your dh having to be away so long! i complain enough about having to run the farm because dh is working double shifts all the time but i can't imagine him being gone for weeks at a time.

flylady bugged me too, no pun intended. a whole room at a time? ha! not bloody likely. today was my vacuum day so every room was vacuumed (there's not that many), anything else that gets cleaned is a bonus and no matter what the house looks better and i feel like i accomplished something. on a sad note our dog cut his paw and keeps removing his bandage so i am repeatedly helping him out and mopping up a trail of blood spots.

[artparent]

poor puppy!

i want apple crisp!!

today i helped a friend with knitting, got my fabric , darned, sewed up + felted a wool baby blanket into a toss pillow cover, knitted the second half of a scarf for my littlest - it needs to have the 30 stripey ends sewn in and tassles tied on, then it is finished. i sewed up the final adjustments on the littlest's nightgown, and washed + hung a load of laundry. even with a sunny day the laundry isn't dry in a day now. my little girls played outside the whole of the afternoon, not many more left like that.

i also struggled with depression while being a vegetarian - among many other problems, particularly my thyroid. you can test your thyroid by taking your waking temperature for 3 or 4 weeks - keep in mind that your temperature will rise after you ovulate, so you want to do it for a while. if you are quite low you might want to talk to a naturopath about natural supplements. i take my temperature anyway for fertility awareness method so i can keep an eye on things. but last year was my first taking cod liver oil as well as some other vitamins, and i didn't experience winter blues. such a relief!!

i have a week left here so i am starting to pack away things + get a lot done, all the things i've been delaying. let's see how long i can delay the paperwork

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[1jooj]

artparent, I have a pail of apples you can have. Seriously, I think I might dehydrate them. But I have the last gallon of cherry tomatoes to do first. Guess I should get the tomatoes in the thing tonight, so I can make room for the apples.

I was also thinking, I can make fruit leather from the applesauce, can't I?!

I saved part of the salsa I froze last night and I am eating it with a stew chicken, black beans and blue corn chips. So incredibly tasty, and all I did was cook tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers and some hot peppers, and then added a little chili powder and salt. Stirred in fresh cilantro today, but it's so fresh it doesn't even need lime. Yum. I don't really do recipes, just cook by my senses.

Dh rented a post hole digger for tomorrow. I guess I know what we're doing this weekend...he wants to get going on the fence, and by the time he's back from the Middle East, we could be under snow. Here it comes...

[artparent]

don't i wish

yes, fruit leather! we had some gorgeous apricot stuff. i wish i had too much of something so i can do different things with it!!

i have farm envy

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[1jooj]

OK, I have to share because this was the most delicious breakfast. I striped, cut and steamed a big eggplant while I sauteed two sliced onions in olive oil. Took the onions out when brown and crunchy, then put the eggplant in the hot, olive oily pan. Fried to brown and sort of mushed up, salted, then squeezed a lemon and put the onions on top, and ate right from the frying pan with toasted ww pita bread. OMG. With a whole milk latte. Hooray for the weekend!

OK, now off to run errands. I have ongoing tire issues and we need animal feed.

[vermontmomma]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

OK, I have to share because this was the most delicious breakfast. I striped, cut and steamed a big eggplant while I sauteed two sliced onions in olive oil. Took the onions out when brown and crunchy, then put the eggplant in the hot, olive oily pan. Fried to brown and sort of mushed up, salted, then squeezed a lemon and put the onions on top, and ate right from the frying pan with toasted ww pita bread. OMG. With a whole milk latte. Hooray for the weekend!

OK, now off to run errands. I have ongoing tire issues and we need animal feed.

that sounds really good! i like eggplant but dh doesn't always so we don't get it that often. i saw some beautiful plants at a harvest/garden/open house/festival thing the other day and may incorporate some with a few big interesting cabbages in my herb/flower gardens next year so i can have a few to enjoy and not tie up the main veg garden.

[artparent]

my passion for all things old-fashioned continues. my mother showed me some old, embroidered handkerchiefs from her mother, and gave me a old nightgown to transform into lots of handkerchiefs for our family, my little girls want to embroider their initials into them, and flowers. where is a romantic smiley? and she gave me my grandmother's dainty old watch. it is cracked a little, but still works, and is really old fashioned: wind up!! it has a delightful little circle on the face with a tiny second-hand spinning around. it is platinum in colour, and the patina is lovely. in need to get a strap for it. she also gave me her vogue sewing book from around the year i was born. i've got a big piece of paper to try to make a pattern from my friend's skirt. i leave in less than a week so must prioritise somewhat though

i've hung all the white laundry in the sun to dry and bleach out, and i've finished filling + sewing up the felted pillow i made from a wooly blanket i once knit for my second babe. it is ribbed, and the ribs look lovely felted. i cast off the scarf for my little one. my children have lost the first linen cloth i knitted i'm trying to follow this idea of organising a day. it does really help me to mix fun things in with difficult or boring tasks. also if i use youtube to listen to classical music, i will assign myself an area - say, one countertop - for the space of one song, and go as fast as i can. i tend to get more done that way.

i cannot believe it is nearly october! the nights are

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[Katico]

It is so cold here!!!!

I finished knitting DD's new winter hat this afternoon, just in time - there was a block party happening in our neighbourhood so we went and checked out the music and happenings.

I baked and took banana bread muffins and a vegan apple cake.

We had a potluck last night - we get together with friends about once a month and eat on a theme. Last night was Greek and our contribution was bulgur stuffed peppers. Does anyone have any good bulgur recipies? I now have the rest of the bag to use up!

And does anyone have some good ideas for lentils? We don't eat enough good grains and legumes because I just don't know where to start!

So, hat done. New sweater done minus one sleeve. Need to make her scarf and mitts now. Thinking of making her some felted booties, just need a good pattern.

A friend admired DD's bonnet the other day so I am going to sew one for her little girl as a surprise gift.

Another friend gifted us a big bag of organic apples yesterday. Talk to me about fruit leather, people.....

[MamaFern]

Originally Posted by Katico

It is so cold here!!!!

I finished knitting DD's new winter hat this afternoon, just in time - there was a block party happening in our neighbourhood so we went and checked out the music and happenings.

I baked and took banana bread muffins and a vegan apple cake.

We had a potluck last night - we get together with friends about once a month and eat on a theme. Last night was Greek and our contribution was bulgur stuffed peppers. Does anyone have any good bulgur recipies? I now have the rest of the bag to use up!

And does anyone have some good ideas for lentils? We don't eat enough good grains and legumes because I just don't know where to start!

So, hat done. New sweater done minus one sleeve. Need to make her scarf and mitts now. Thinking of making her some felted booties, just need a good pattern.

A friend admired DD's bonnet the other day so I am going to sew one for her little girl as a surprise gift.

Another friend gifted us a big bag of organic apples yesterday. Talk to me about fruit leather, people.....

i have a wonderful and supersimple red lentil dhal soup recipe if you want.
we don't eat a ton of lentils, but we do eat a lot of black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans ect. beans & rice, pasta sauces & stews with chickpeas, bean burgers ect. there is endless things you can do with beans and legumes!

[Juvysen]

If you like curry, we make a good lentil curry...

Lentils - one bag, coconut milk (a can or two, depending how much you like coconut - or none...) , broth (of your choice, I usually use chicken - enough to cover the lentils by an inch or so), and then I use some curry powder and some garam masala powder (did I spell that right) as well as salt and pepper to taste, and a bay leaf. Oh, sometimes I add some ginger, too, depending on how I'm feeling that day.

Cook until the lentils are tender, then we usually add cauliflower, cut fairly small - bite sized pieces, and we get this great couscous from the bulk section at our local grocery store, they call it israeli couscous - it's about the same size as the lentils... and I throw that in and then just cook it until the cauliflower and couscous are done, and the lentils are mushy. If it seems too thick, add some water - I usually keep it around pea soup consistancy or a little thicker. Sometimes we leave the couscous out and just put it over rice....

Gotta love my "recipes" for things... "throw in some of this and some of that and then taste it..." That's really how I cook... I hardly ever measure.

[artparent]

that's how i cook too, but i thought i would bring my measuring cups to london this time, my children should probably know what a 1/2 cup looks like!

i have a pressure canner! dug up out of the crawlspace just now. so tell me, what would you put up if you could/what do you can? jam, tomatoes...beans? soups? pumpkin? i'm going to be cruising the markets for a deal now

i've gone off the deep end with make-it-yourself, i ran out of powder and rather than i buy more, i have found an old face powder jar, with a middle lid with holes in, and space for a puff between that and the top lid. i did a little research and found that people use powdered eggshell, talc, cornstarch, rice starch, arrowroot, and all kinds of minerals as face powder. someone recommended french green clay, mixed with cornstarch. i haven't got any, so i'm starting with arrowroot - just for people with oily noses i sewed a couple of circles of white terry cloth together, with my little one's help, and we stuffed it with batting + closed it.

i've packed several bags now, getting ready early, i hope!

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[1jooj]

If I had a pressure canner, I'd can homemade chili and vegetable-bean soups. Stuff from my own garden, so I could crack open a can in the middle of a winter's day, and think with joy about the bounty of the harvest.

Speaking of, I am harvesting today. Pumpkins, squashes and all the tomatoes. Dh tore them out yesterday, and we will wrap and store the best of the heirloom tomatoes (am saving seeds already) to use over the coming weeks/months as they ripen. It's sort of painstaking, but we had friends do this with these tomatoes, and they were still eating their own fresh tomatoes in salads in January. In WI. No kidding.

I made a gorgeous broccoli soup yesterday evening. I cut broccoli and had about 3/4 a gallon pail, so I steamed and picked out the worms , then cooked with onion, garlic and potato, and pureed most of it before adding some milk and flour. Even dh loved it, and he is not a fan of most "American" soups. The kids packed leftovers in their thermoses for lunch.

Today, I'll roast a pumpkin and make a spicy soup with it. Maybe puree some other vegetables in with it (zucchini, and chard come to mind ), and just dust the top with garam masala. Sounds like it needs rice and chickpeas, doesn't it? I have a ziplock of chicken carcasses I could use for that. Guess I'd better get started...

It's windy, rainy, and suddenly 20 degrees colder than it has been. Hence the sudden conversion to soup. If I can make some lovely meals of soups and salads over the next few days, I'll send dh off to the Middle East feeling nourished, which makes him feel better about the condition he leaves us in.

And I think I am going to start walking around with a notebook. I have been feeling creative of late, and missing opportunities to record ideas for want of a device. So this season, I need to make a habit of wearing my aprons, carrying a notebook, and switching from my cheapo summer shoes to proper mud boots for fall and winter. Might chuck it all to go get some boots before embarking on the chores of the day.

[Juvysen]

1jooj, my grandfather tells me his family always did that - they'd have their tomatoes slowly ripening in the attic all winter. This was in upstate NY.

Unfortunately, our summer was wet and cold and my tomato crop (though my tomatoes luckily didn't die of the blight like most people's) is pathetic. I think we've gotten about 3 cherry tomatoes. That's it. We got a few ears of corn (although I wasn't expecting a lot - it was my first time growing corn, so I only planted about 10 stalks), maybe 5 or 6 cucumbers (from 4 plants *sigh*), some lettuce early in the season.... I didn't get ANY peppers, or okra (I think it was too cold/rainy for the okra, but this was my first time growing it)...

My peas produced all season, though - but it was also my first time growing peas, and I didn't plant enough.

I still need to harvest my carrots.

Meh. It was a disappointing year. Thank goodness I'm not counting on food from our garden.

[1jooj]

Jenna, sorry you were disappointed by the garden. The blight sounds like it really was quite a plague this summer. There was potato blight reported in central WI, but our little, isolated plot was OK. Our tomato garden is well protected, too, so we were lucky this year. It was definitely too cold for okra this year, and if your peas kept going, that's a sign of how cool it was.

Katico--lentils! I love lentil, potato and greens soup. Greens can be kale, chard, spinach, whatever. Sautee onions in olive oil, add lentils, potatoes and greens, then add stock or water, S&P, and cook to tender. You could add a tomatoes and maybe curry spices if you like them, too. Carrots are also good with this. That said, lentils are among my less-friendly legumes. The gas. Dh likes lentils cooked with chicken gizzards, onions and tomatoes.

Have a great day, ladies!