Harvest Time Is Ending Soon At Peaceful Forest

 Sisters

Every day now, I have picking up apples that fell from the tree in the backyard and giving them to our horses. They like them for a treat. I had to throw them out to them, since the mud is so deep I can't walk out there. And they won't walk to the fence for them for the same reason. They hate to get their feet in the mud, especially Georgie Girl. When it is dry out there, they play a game to see who gets the most. Georgie always wins since all she has to do is put her ears back. Since she is the "Boss Mare," Dark Shadow and Tawny will let her have the apple. That is the way of the horse hierarchy. 

 Potatoes and Cucumbers Harvested This Morning!

Today I harvested some more cucumbers from our garden. I don't know how what is left will hold up. The plant itself, looks dead. There are still cucumbers on it though, so I left the plant to see if they will ripen. If not, and we have a frost, I will have to take the plant out. For now though, we have quite a few cucumbers in the house to eat. When my son was here, he was going out every day picking cucumbers for supper. He prepared supper for us a lot during the summer. Now he has gone back to the city life again. I wonder if he misses picking the cucumbers and squash for supper?

 One Of My Potato Plants Started From "Eyes!"

I had planted some potatoes in various beds. They weren't anything I bought to plant. They were from the "eyes" of potatoes I had bought from the store. It looks like they grew fine. Not a lot, but enough for us to get a couple meals out of. We aren't eating a lot of potatoes anymore anyway, due to them being a high carb vegetable. Once or twice a week is enough.

 Fresh Mint Harvested This Morning!

Mint grows all over the place here. Today, I also cut a bit of that figuring that soon it will be hit by the frost that I am sure is on the way. I like to dry it and use in tea. Mint is a good thing to have on hand, a good medicinal plant. It is good for indigestion, fever, colds, headaches, diarrhea, colic and gas. Good for all that ails you, I'd say!

 Cherry Tomatoes Picked This Morning For Supper!

Every day I have picking some cherry tomatoes. They grew on their own and that means they are squashed together in one of the raised beds. Doesn't seem to matter much to them. They are red, shiny and taste like candy. So we can eat some every night in our salad. That is about the amount you get in one of those little containers in the store. So what is that, about $2.99 or so?

Cookstove Wood!

Then because it was so cold this morning, my husband brought in some wood for the wood cookstove. It is warming the house up some. Our office/living room is still kind of chilly, but the kitchen is pretty comfortable. I was able to use it for heating water and cooking. Now that I will be replenishing my supply of wood and kindling, I expect to be using it more than I was.

 One of our many squash plants!

I pulled up some of the squash plants that are done for the season. The stems on these plants are huge. Some of the biggest I have ever seen. One plant was very heavy to carry to the pile I put them in. I guess that is why they were so productive this year. Healthy thick stems! I am very pleased with the amount of squash I canned this year, 73 quarts. Looking forward to eating it in the winter months!

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole  
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

The Food Storage Supply Plan

Our first fire this season!

Since this is our hot time of the year. I am working on devising the supplies I need to buy to stock us up with no need for the refrigeration. So I presently have two gift cards for Emergency Essentials and need to use them in two different orders. I am working on an order for them. Here is what I have come up with:

1. Dehydrated whole eggs
2. Dehydrated cheese
3. Freeze Dried broccoli
4. Instant Dry milk powder
5. Baking Powder
6. Oats
7. Cream Of Wheat
8. Bacon Bits
9. Sausage crumbles

Dairy products are the one thing besides meat, that is hard for me to store with no refrigeration. I have doubts about my broccoli coming so I would like to have some in storage to add to casseroles and soups. I don't believe it is great as a freeze dried vegetable, not anywhere near fresh tasting. Though some of their other vegetables were, such as green beans, corn and carrots. Three more cans added to this list or more than one of some of the items will give me two cases of six cans. Their shipping rates are very reasonable and low based on the amount spent but not more than $12.00.

 Green bean plant

I know I will have plenty of green and wax beans to can as they always do well for me. I have been already getting plenty of lettuce and a few other little items. Now that we have gotten some rain in the last two days, I expect to see much more activity in the raised beds. Going to add some more stuff little by little. I always add more seeds and plants through out the whole season and even in the fall.

Working in the garden is so peaceful!

If you have a garden and are planning your food supply, don't forget to figure in your garden harvest. Or if you purchase fresh produce through out the summer, be sure to plan on buying enough to can for the food storage supply. Many times you can get a good deal on some bulk buys of fresh produce locally. I am already planning on a few of them. What about you? Do you make a plan for your food storage?

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

First Steps In Growing And Preserving Food

Last night we had rain and wind. The nice thing is now I listen to the wind, knowing that as soon as the weather breaks, my husband will be working on adding the wind turbine to our alternative energy system. Until this is added, our system is dependent on the sun only. As the system grows, so will the use of appliances and gadgets, that will make my jobs easier and convenient. That would give me more time to garden and preserve my harvest. And that is what it is all about.

Are you starting to read about self-sufficiency now? Now it doesn't seem so silly does it? Especially if you have a family. Not only that, but in providing good quality food for your family, you are doing your part in establishing good habits for your children at the start. Since food and gas prices have risen and continue to do so, now is the time to take the first steps. More people are starting to recognize the need to provide their own food in some way.

The best way in my opinion, to getting started is by buying a package of seeds. Even if you have to plant them in a window box or planter on your porch. At least plant something. What is your favorite vegetable? Plant that. If something is too expensive at the store that you like, plant it. Do you have a flower bed? Stick a few vegetables in that bed.

Build a raised bed in a small area. Or even on a deck or a sunny porch. Start small so you can learn as you go along. Going out to cut lettuce for supper is one of my favorite jobs. Something nice about being outside to get your food. When we first moved here we were completely surrounded by woods. Our first garden here was right smack in the middle of the front lawn. Then as we worked on clearing more and more land, we had more places. But nothing worked as well as our first raised beds that my husband built to the side of our house. That used to be a berry patch.

Another area to work in is in learning how to can, dry and store your produce and meats. I learned that over time also. Now it is automatic. I can many foods not only the ones I grow. If the store or a local farmer has something on sale, I pick up as much as I can afford. Bring it home and can it. Buy a pressure canner to can non acidic foods, such as meat and vegetables. My pressure canner can be used as a water bath canner also. That is what you use for most fruits, acidic tomatoes and dairy products. Most of my jars I was able to find used. Then buy a book such as The Ball Book Of Canning. Go to work!

I hope this helps some of my readers who ask me so many questions. It is really a simple step of just doing it. Once you start, you will be asking why you didn't do it sooner. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

Fall Harvest For The Self-Sufficient Homestead

Dark Shadow

Fall is definitely in the air. No birds singing to wake us up in the morning.  Or to put us asleep in the evening. No robins following my husband around while he mows the lawn. No robins in the garden when I am out there working. I miss the robins the most. Soon I will have chickadees and blue jays at my bird feeders. Chickadees following me around to let me know they need more bird feed. I know fall is pretty and that everyone likes the cooler temps. I like fall and it has always been my favorite season because of the colorful leaves and the fall harvest. But I do love the robins and miss seeing them hop all over the lawn. And I definitely miss hearing the birds singing together! It is my husband's favorite sound.

Kale from the garden

Yesterday I canned 8 pints of kale from my garden. It will grow  back and hopefully, I will get some more. I like to add it to soups and stews in the winter. This year I got a nice crop of it. If you cover it in really freezing weather it should over winter enough to be part of your winter greens menu. Tomorrow I am planning on pulling up the old bush bean plants that are done and re-plow the bed. Then I can plant more winter greens or a quick crop of something that will come up before winter.

The day before yesterday I canned 14 quarts of green and wax (yellow) beans. I mixed them together after one of my Facebook and Homesteading Today friends mentioned she does that all the time. I think I will too from now on. They look pretty. So far I have canned 41 quarts of beans and am hoping to can 14 more. One quart a week for a year. That is how I am planning our pantry vegetables. Each vegetable we eat, one quart a week for a year.

Pumpkin Plant

I have one big pumpkin in my garden. It is really big and I never have grown one this big before. I can pumpkins and winter squash by first letting them cure in my pantry or root cellar a few weeks first. That improves their flavor. Then cut them in cubes and peel them, in either order. Whatever is easier. Then I put them in a pan with water covering and bring them to a boiling temperature. Then you can go ahead and process them according to the recipe in your canning book. Though most canning books now tell you not to can them but I have this information from Jackie Clay, Growing And Canning Pumpkins on it. Scroll down to the first question and she tells you there why you shouldn't can the pureed pumpkin. I have a large harvest of winter squash I will be doing the same way.

Speaking of Jackie Clay, she and her spouse, Will, had an accident and fell from the roof of the hay storage building they were working on. They were hurt pretty bad and Jackie has had to take it easy for the time being, though from the looks of her blog, she is still working hard. She wrote an excellent article in Backwoods Home Magazine, Building and Stocking Your Pantry. You have to read that article. It is excellent, as usual Jackie gives the best information.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

The August Harvest

One basket of butternut squash picked!

My garden looks like it is coming to the end of the season...........but wait! It doesn't have to end yet, after all it is only coming to the end of August. September, October, November and December can be used for a new harvest of cold weather crops. You can even grow some crops under the snow or in a cold frame during the winter. Just have to be aware of the plants you choose and how they can survive in colder temps. The two that comes to mind are kale and spinach. They both grow pretty good in the cold weather and you can eat them as fresh greens in a salad or cook them. Just make some kind of a cover for them to protect them from the cold night time temperatures.  Cabbage too, is another cold weather crop and can be grown when your weather cools off. 

I have reseeded my lettuce beds and once they are producing again, the last one that I kept will be reseeded also. We like to eat fresh salads as much as possible. This year we have been slowly changing from store bought salad dressings to our own homemade ones. I have always made them if I have time but the convenience of the store bought ones seemed to win out. Not anymore! I have gotten my recipes back out and we will be using them. They are much better and you can put what you want in them. Those salad dressing don't seem to cost a lot, but that is deceiving. If you add up how many bottles you use in a month, it adds up to quite a bit. Instead buy your ingredients for the dressings in the biggest containers you can store and afford. Now you will have some awesome salads!

Kale Growing Pretty Good This Year!

If you are planning on stocking up for the winter, the greens in the garden such as kale, spinach, collard greens or any other kind of greens can be canned. Look in your canning book under greens and follow the directions. Then these can be used in soups, side dishes, added to casseroles or eaten as a cooked vegetable. Unless you have a really big family, I would can them in pint jars.

I will can my butternut squash cut up in cubes. I have canned it in the past and it comes out really good. We can have it in pies or cooked as vegetable. My husband especially loves the winter squash and pumpkins. I expect to get at least another basket full of the squash and then pick up a bushel at the produce market. I want to put a lot of it up so we have some variety in our meals. 

What is growing in your garden that you can harvest for your winter meals? Or maybe you can buy a bushel of something and can it. Just remember if you are canning vegetables you HAVE to use a pressure canner and I do not mean a pressure cooker. They are two different things. It is important to buy a canning book and follow the directions for the safety of your family. It is not hard once you have done it the first time. It becomes addicting once you see all those jars of food on your shelves! My husband knows how to can and he helps me often. He would rather eat the foods I can than anything that comes from a store or a restaurant. I really like that. It helps to have your spouse support your efforts at eating well and not resisting it. I am sure it is because he can see and taste the difference in the foods.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

Food Planning For Winter On A Budget

The Grocery Game and Coupon Mom are web sites you join to save money on your groceries using sales and coupons that are posted on their sites. Anybody could do the leg work themselves to find this information out, but for the measley five bucks a month the Grocery Game charges it's easier for most folks to pay for the service. Lots of people love it and save tons of money on their grocery bills. Which is very good. It made me think maybe I could subscribe and save some on ours..........

Well, what was I thinking? I found out from the Get Rich Slowly blog that it only pays if you eat store bought processed foods. If you are eating organic, natural, fresh or bulk foods there are no coupons or deals for those. Mostly boxed foods, frozen foods, new products that they want you to try, etc. So basically, the bottom line is if you are a homesteader or self-sufficient type of person, you will not want to subscribe to to a site like that-unless you join to save on pet food, paper products, personal products like shampoo and toothpaste, household cleaning products. Which is why I might still join. But not for the food products unless it is a condiment or something I do buy at a store.

I like to grow as much as our food as we can. What we can't grow or what crop fails that year I try to buy locally so I can still put it up for the winter. Yes, I do try to put up enough food to get us through from one harvest season to the next. We keep increasing our raised beds and hopefully will be adding fruit trees and berry bushes this coming year. We had to get our land cleared first, which my husband did himself with no equipment except a chainsaw and manual tools.

This harvest season I was able to can wild elderberry juice, wild blackberry jam, tomatoes, green beans, carrots, beets and applesauce. Now that the gardening part is over, I will try to acquire meats to can. I have been buying store bought meats, as I am able to get them at low prices. Low prices being the bottom line for me at this time. Now if I was wealthier.......I'd be buying only organic, pasture raised meats.

Canning isn't the only way I store foods. I have a root cellar that I wrote about on here a few days ago. So I store foods also. This year I have stored potatoes (had an awesome potato crop!), acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, onions and herbs and hot peppers that I dried.
All summer we lived on the vegetables that we can't store, the zucchini, yellow squash, dandelions, plaintain, lambs quarters, lettuce, mesculin, cucumbers, peppers, salad tomatoes, new potatoes, swiss chard and fresh wild berries.

Living in the middle of the forest adds to our food plan immensely, as there is so much available out there. I use pine needles for tea and that is also a good way to get a high dose of vitamin C. I haven't even begun to make a dent in how much is really out there. I am learning more though every season and it is something I really enjoy. After all ,God put it there for us to use for our health and our food.

One thing that really got me thinking about this is that yesterday my husband cut down a tree that the top of it had fallen in the wind last week on our horses' fence line. Inside the tree was bird's nest packed full of bedding and elderberries. He felt so bad! Hopefully, that bird had made other nests in case of something like this happening. I know chickadees do make many, so I hope he planned for that type of emergency. Which is why people too, should not depend on grocery stores or freezers......both can go down.

katlupe

"He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."Romans 8:11

Root Cellars - A Homesteader's Must Have!

I got a book from paperbackswap two weeks ago and have been reading it aloud in the evenings to my husband, and we have learned a lot from it. It really applies to us as we have this wonderful root cellar that we have not been using due to our mice problem down there. Today we cleaned it out. Since he is working on the foundation down there (he is in the process of building an additional room on our cellar to house our battery system and a water pump), he is able to work on some of the root cellar. He is determined to get rid of the mice and to make it an awesome homesteader's root cellar.

In this book, Root Cellaring - Natural Cold Storage Of Fruits and Vegetables by Mike and Nancy Bubel, they describe how they were canning so much food and it was so much work. Then when they got interested in root cellars and eventually built theirs, they learned to not can ALL the vegetables. Just the ones that don't last. They had 33 vegetables and fruits in the root cellar that were fresh and they ate them all winter. Not only that, they also stored cheese (encased in wax), nuts, wheats and grains, crocks of sauerkraut and pickles and potting soil for spring seed starting.......and a log with mushrooms growing on it.

So she would just take her basket and go to the root cellar and pick and choose what she wanted to fix for supper that night. It has many good ideas for us to use as we fix ours. By utilizing our root cellar we will be able to cut out a lot of the work of canning. I would only have to can things like green beans, tomatoes, tomato sauces, meats of course, condiments. And we could eat from our root cellar all winter, fresh produce from our garden or if it is something we didn't grow but can buy locally and store it for winter. I am really excited about doing this.

I know this book is pretty well known. I had it on my wish list forever, when I started I was about the 70th person who requested it. I FINALLY got it. It shows though, how many people are interested in having a root cellar. People are looking for ways to live on their land and the root cellar is a perfect homesteader's tool. It was the way to store your food for the future and now all people know is how to buy it at the store. Bring it home and put it in the freezer.

You can really cut down on your grocery bills if you learn to can, dehydrate and store your garden harvest. If you have trouble with gardening.......oh boy! do I ever know that feeling. My legs keep getting worse and worse. I figure I may end up doing much of my work from a wheelchair in the future. So my husband is making things NOW to cover that time period. He has been building more and more raised beds for our gardens and you can make them high enough to pull a chair right up to it. On our root cellar he is planning on making a ramp for going up and down. Then to add a dumbwaiter for bringing food up and down. You have to think of these things as you get older.

Don't think you have to have a root cellar like I have! You can dig a pit, use a closet or a porch, just about anything as long as it has the right air flow and humidity and temps. Not as hard as it sounds. Why waste your money buying expensive tasteless produce in the off season months when you can eat your own bounty from your gardens? Or purchase produce in the summer from local farms and markets.....NOT grocery stores! Think about it. Things like this become like a game to me......I love it.

Have a great homesteading day!

katlupe


"Change your hearts and lives because the Kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 3:2