Who knew?!?

I have just been obliviously unaware of some of the things that are going on in this country. I think the less I know the better it is for me and my family. I tend to jump on the panic bandwagon. I don't do it on purpose, but I take my job as the responsible adult of 3 kids, helpmate to my DH and barometer for the sheeple of the family, very seriously.

What has me in an uproar this time.... LOL! There is apparently a shortage of canned pumpkin. All over the country the slots on the grocery store shelves are bear. Those who knew of this disaster are freaking out. How will they have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving?!? Last year, about 1/3 of the pumpkin crops were wiped out due to the weather, hence the shortage this year.

I'm feeling good about this one thou. I have like 10 cans on the shelf and last year I froze 2 gallon size bags of pumpkin (fresh cooked down). I know that we will have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

But, this brings me to another thought (as it usually does). What did the weather wreck havoc on this year? I know tomatoes and potatoes were hit with blight. Possibly peppers also were hit. Did grain suffer? What is still available to get and put up. I know I will be doing way more squashes for the freezer this year then I did last year. As they can be made into soup, ravioli, breads, and even made into a sauce. I'm just learning how versatile squash's really are. I will be getting 100 pounds of potatoes to carry us over for the winter. Normally, I get 50 pounds and it gets us to about March. And that's just with them sitting in the pantry. I canned up 22 pounds from my own garden and the second 50 pound bag will be canned also. That way I won't have to spend $2 a pound for potatoes....(hypothetical dollar amount, don't want to freak anyone one out!). I already have lots of tomatoes. And I still have a bushel that will be made into spaghetti sauce. If I have to I will bite the bullet and buy a couple more for sauce.

Two years ago I found out the same way that rice was in short supply and the demand was huge. Everyone was in a panic. I had enough to get us through. But that is what it means to have a well stocked pantry. I know that some try to have any where from a 3 month to a year supply. I really don't know how long we could last on what I have put up.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Busy Weekend

I got a bushel of beefsteak and 1/2 a bushel of banana peppers. I went to a u pick that I didn't know was there until the other night. Good prices too. I got the peppers done 15 pints. I also purchased a 1/2 bushel of roma's at a farm stand. They were made into 20 - 1/2 pints of pizza sauce and I got 4 quarts of italian liquid canned up as well. I got through the first half of the McIntosh apples. 6 quarts of cinnamon applesauce are cooling as I type.The peels and cores from the apples were cooked down with water and then drained in cheesecloth. I don't know what to do with the liquid but the internet will help with that. Also got 2 acorn squash baked and frozen. Still have 2 more to do. Over the next week, on the agenda is, spaghetti sauce from the beefsteak tomatoes, apple pie filling, carmel apple butter, and plain applesauce. The 2 jumbo zucchini still need to be shredded and the sauerkraut still needs to be put in jars and processed.

I also snuck a peek at the garden today. I think that it really needs to be put to bed this week. I have a bag of grass clippings that needs to be placed in there and I'm sure the grass needs to be cut one more time before the snow flies.

I have been working on a knitted pair of slippers. The first yarn that I bought sucked. So I went to the yarn store in town and bought the most delightful yarn. Of course I can't remember and it's upstairs. I am 1/2 way done with the first slipper. DH picked out a color so that I can make him a pair too. I like being able to make wearables. I have come to a conclusion. I need to sell my afghans. I will be setting up an etsy account. Once I do I will post here if anyone is interested.
Tons to do.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Quick Update

I finally got the purple hardneck garlic in the ground. 33 cloves, I am hoping that they come up next year. So that is what I put into my fall garden, I also found a couple of onions that I missed. So in the garden they will stay until spring.

DH and I took a drive last night. First time we have gone out like that in awhile. I wanted to go out to this little run down place that sells onion sets in the spring. Well, low and behold they are now a U-Pick. We didn't have the time or the patience last night to pick but I will be going back before the season is over. We also found a house that was for sale. I called on it and it is way out of range but it has a 3 bedroom house with a natural fireplace, 3 car garage and a barn..... oh and 6 acres.... 6 acres can you imagine the farming dilemmas I could get myself into with that much land. So needless to say I went to bed last night praying to the credit fairy and the lotto gods.

My new mantra "Chickens & Goats & Bees, Oh my" I figure if I say it enough some will get tired of hearing it and grant me a farm... LOL! It doesn't hurt to try!

I have tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic cooking down on the stove right now. I finally found a food mill at the resale shop so I am going to puree it. Then put it in jars and can them. I will add salt and lemon juice to each jar to make sure there is enough acid, so I can water bath the jars.

Still have 2 jumbo zucchini to do some thing with. I think that I am just going to shred and freeze in recipe size bags. But that will have to wait till next week and so it might change. DH took me to one of the orchards around here. We got a bushel of McIntosh and a bushel of Wolf apples. This weekend I will be making apple sauce and apple pie filling. I get to use my clear jel! Yeah! I also have to can up the sauerkraut this weekend.

Well, now the tomato concoction is done and gone through the food mill. I am waiting for my canner to heat up.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Walnut Bread 1 cup of walnuts 4 eggs 2 cups of granulated sugar* 1 cup of vegetable oil 3 1/2 cups of un-sifted all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder 2 cups of grated zucchini 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon of vanilla

* you may use 3/4 cup of honey instead of sugar. You may also use whole wheat flour. Chop the walnuts into medium size pieces. Beat the eggs. Gradually beat in the sugar or honey, then oil. Combine the dry ingredients. Add to the first mixture, alternately with zucchini. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and vanilla. Turn into 2 greased and lightly floured loaf pans 9 x 5 x 2 3/4 inches. Bake on lowest rack at 350ºF. for about 55 minutes, until loaves test done. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, turn out onto wire rack to cool. This bread also freezes well.

I got this recipe from Basic-Recipes.com

Gotta Run
Yart

Quick Note

I am back! I know your wondering where I went. Well, no where really. One of the demon cats peed all over my keyboard. So then I lost lots of letters. But I was able to go yesterday to the handy dandy computer repair and buy a used one for $5. Dude, its a DELL.

I volunteered to help do paperwork at Marching Monsters "Rehersa-Thon". So that is why I am up at this ungodly hour on a Saturday! But I don't have to be there all day so that is ok. I'm not liking band right now but I don't have time to go it to that right now. That is a story for another day.

I was able to get 8 - 9x5x2" zucchini nut bread made from one of the giant zucchini. I still have 2 more to use up. So I think I should get another 16 loaves of bread in the freezer for Christmas/Yule.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Mary Travers

AP - Mary Travers, who as one-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio
Peter, Paul and Mary helped popularize such tunes as "Puff (The Magic Dragon)"
and "If I Had a Hammer," died in a Connecticut hospital Wednesday after battl...ing
leukemia for several years. She was 72.

"Puff" is shedding dragon tears for Miss Mary

Sinus Pressure

Like I said yesterday I was in the garden. I really had neglected pulling some of the weeds that were in behind the beds, the ones that were up against the house or the fence. Not sure what some of them where but that and having the fan on last night (56 degrees), my head is so stuffed up. I took one of those wonderful herbal histamine blockers this morning. But it has yet to kick in.

I have a ton of stuff to do today. I have more laundry to do. I got two loads done yesterday but I want to get more outside on the line. I have 3 humongous zucchini to process and make bread for the freezer. Yep, I'm working on Christmas early this year. DH and I need to go to the herbal store to see if they can artichoke extract. Since he doesn't like the way the cholesterol medications make him feel, this is our next option. I read an article in "Woman's World" August 31, 2009 edition, that says that "in one study, artichoke extract cut cholesterol levels by 19% and reduced LDL --or "bad" --cholesterol by 23% in just six weeks." The article even goes on to say that the extract is just as effective as a prescription but with out the side effects. If your going to try this make sure you check with your doctor first.

Then dinner and practice and on and on.... LOL! Oh, I almost forgot I need to go to the yarn store and talk to the owner. Diana, is the wonderful woman that taught me to knit. Since I still don't know how to read a pattern, I need to take in one that I want to do so she can help me. Well, I'm hoping, since I will be buying the yarn from her. But I don't know if I will have time for that today.

I made awhile ago spinach roll ups with Swiss chard and froze a whole pan of it. That is what we are going to have for dinner tonight. I need to go and get some more meat for the freezer. I have a turkey and a couple of hams. Those I was saving for Thanksgiving and Christmas/Yule, if we didn't have the money to buy more. I do this every year. I buy several when they go on sale at the appropriate holiday and use them later. Like last year I think turkeys were on sale for .59 a pound I bought 3. One was used at Christmas and one for New Years day and the third is for this year's Thanksgiving. Same with the ham, one for Christmas and the other is put away for the following Easter.

Oh, I forgot to thank Melonie for your offer of help. Right now I am still trying and learning, I have no particular style. But thank you very much for your offer of help. Right now I have been doing the night time relaxation. It has helped me sleep really well. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about it is the free podcasts over at Yoga Journal.

Laundry is done,
Gotta Run,
Yart