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| My Three Little Girls! |
This morning when I get up, the air is cold and crisp. We do not have heat on at night yet. Soon our big wood stove in the living room/office will be cranking. For now it isn't cold enough to use it. In some ways I look forward to the colder weather. As my regular readers know, we have been living for over a year without any refrigeration. That is not easy by a long shot! I regret it so many times, yet it was my decision. The gas from the propane refrigerators made me sick. I cannot stand the fumes in the least. Some people can and do. The colder weather means that my pantry will be our refrigerator and it keeps even the meat and dairy very cold for days.
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| Tawny with her winter coat starting to come in already! |
On the other hand, the colder weather is the time of the year that my husband has the chores he hates, shoveling snow and firewood work. He is almost sixty now and his body is reminding him of that fact daily. He has been having trouble with his heels, his knees, arms (one was crushed in 2002 in a work related accident driving unsafe equipment for the local highway department) and shoulders. He thinks it is because he does physical work, but he is the type of person who cannot sit on a couch and watch television. If he is in the house he is working on his laptop. If he is outside he is doing some kind of a project.......even though he may suffer later, or for days.
He does have many paths to shovel. When we get snow here we get much. We live in a little snow pocket that delivers more snow in our immediate area than the whole surrounding area. The forest of course, is protected with all the trees and we are in the center of it. So our snow piles sometimes are higher than our truck. If we had little children they would love it out here in the winter! So much to do when you are young and enjoy snow. Anyway, he has several paths to shovel and he keeps them shoveled so they don't build up too much. The path to the barn from the house, the path to the manure pile from the barn big enough for the wheelbarrow, the path to the spot where I empty my kitties' litter box, the driveway, of course, and sometimes he shovels a path into the forest for getting more wood or kindling. He always keeps the area in front of the barn door clear, for the twice a month hay delivery, when he picks up our load of hay and has to throw it upstairs into our barn from the back of the truck. Another heavy chore day!
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| Photo Credit: Public Domain Photos |
I love the harvesting of the fall vegetables. Today I have the business of canning my small crop of hot peppers. I am hoping to get a canner full but I only have about five plants of them and one plant of sweet bell green peppers. The hot peppers are pretty big and I am trying for the first time canning them in the rings for sandwiches and salads. I love them! I used to buy them a lot but not lately as they have gone up so much in price.
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| Photo Credit: Sam Mugraby |
I will be purchasing carrots and beets at the end of this month to can them also. They are something I like to have in the pantry for winter meals and if I can get enough of them I might make them last a couple of years. Then the pumpkins too, of course. I think I may be able to get another crop of kale canned this week too if it doesn't get hit by frost, but what I have read is that kale improves being hit by frost.
I mustn't forget apples too! Apples will be available locally as it has been a very good year for apples. My own apple tree is full of the best fruit it has ever had in all the years we have lived here. I give the horses a apple and their mouths just fill with juice and foam. They love them this year more than ever. I usually buy at least a bushel from a local apple orchard to keep in the pantry. I would like to buy more than one this year and can the other as applesauce, sliced apples and apple pie filling.
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| Photo Credit: Sam Mugraby |
So what are you doing to fill your pantry this fall for winter? If you are here from Homesteading Today I know you are doing much or have been doing it steadily. If you are new to the modern homesteading idea then this is where you must start. My goal is to not have so many store bought foods in my pantry this coming year. I am so tired of all those empty cans and plastic containers to get rid of every week! So I am still trying to eliminate all the products that come in them.
Have a happy homesteading day!
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
9 comments:
You are a very busy lady! As you know I am far from homesteading yet I have searched for a local farm close to Manassas to pick my own fruit and veggies next year. I am sure Skip will roll his eyes and sigh, he surely has his hands full with me ;-)))
Have a blissful day xxxx
You are my idol! I can't even go to the grocery store on a regular basis! I would love to know how to can stuff - but first I must learn how to grow something!! :)
Your 3 little girls are just beautiful. My little girl would be in heaven at your home, she's always loved horses, but unfortunately always from afar b/c horseback riding lessons are so expensive around here. Wish there was something aournd here not so expensive that helped her understand and participate in the care and raising of horses.
You are one busy lady with all of the preparations for getting ready for the cold months ahead. I was wondering if you grew any herbs this summer and if so how do you go about storing them. My daughter and I grew 2 kinds of basil, sage, and oregano and the plants are still beautiful and full. I'm thinking that they won't last much longer as the cool air is starting to head this way.
Lori, what about a horseback riding camp in your area? Near us there is a church related one. You might be to find one of them that is not so expensive. I think horse care is an excellent way to teach children. Another way to get free riding lessons as she becomes older, a teen can get them by exchanging cleaning stalls for lessons.
To dry your herbs cut them before they flower. Then hang them upside down in your attic or warm, dry area in your house and let them dry. Or you can dry them in a gas oven with just the pilot light heating them. I usually cut and dry them all summer to keep them producing. I will do a blog post about it soon.
I know what you mean about winter... there are aspects of it that I love, but working in the cold and snow is difficult at best. My husband is like yours and cannot sit still for very long before he's looking for a project to complete. And also like your husband, he broke his back some years ago in a work related accident, and also just about every other bone in his body due to a motorcycle accident. Yet, he plods on -- shoveling, hauling, scooping, lifting... you just gotta love 'em. :)
So what are you doing to fill your pantry this fall for winter?
Sad to say we'll be shopping at Walmart. We live in the city. :-)
Lori, good that you asked about the herbs. Katlupe, I try my herbs for years and hope to get some tipps here. Looking forward to your post!
Yes, me too, I am looking forward to your post on herbs and how to dry them.
And thanks for the tip on horseback riding camp, I'll look into that in our area. Your horses are certainly beautiful.
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