So the dark days are officially over and I no longer need to detail what we ate the previous week. I’m not sure if it’s helpful to everyone to imagine just what is stewing or baking in my kitchen or not so I’ll pose it as a question. Is it helpful? Should I continue? Because I have to confess I’ve cheated a bit this week.
We needed to make a Costco run for beer and to find some large resin pots to finish the bamboo house. Also Pancake Boy ran through the dim basement and was clotheslined by a chord connected to the XBox which pulled off the shelf. When that happened the Lego Batman disc was irreparably scratched so we were looking for a replacement for it before Pickle Man came home from school.
I broke into a cold sweat while we were in the refrigerated section looking for something my kind hearted neighbor had asked me to get. In a moment of weakness I bought a large bag of string cheese, all individually wrapped inside a larger plastic casing. I’m going to hell on so many fronts. It’s not organic, nor is it local. But TBall season is starting up and that coupled with planting out the spring/summer garden has left me desperate for some quick snacks that I can throw in the car or that the kids can free range for by themselves.
Last winter I had figured out how to get my own homemade mozzarella to string but paying retail price for raw cows milk was a little hard to swallow when most of it was turned into whey and nobody wanted to drink that. Making cheese at home is fun but not really cost effective so we had to end that little hobby until I can talk my husband into getting a mini goat.
And then because I had already sinned I broke down and bought a large bag of pepperoni slices for kids pizzas. To make up for that one I’m making my own pepperoni this week. That will be nice for the ham jowel in my utility room to have some company. Because raw fermented meat doesn’t like to hang out alone.
For our April grocery store pics my husband chose sausages so we’ve been eating a lot of those. They have been quick to toss on the grill while I’m working in the yard or saucing the remaining boxes of rotting apples in my garage. I like to fantasize that it’s my root cellar but most root cellars don’t have automatic door openers.
I do have some photos of crackers and English muffins and pepperoni pizzas and sausages on homemade buns but it’s not much and probably not too inspirational.
To end on an up note my soapwort seeds finally arrived. I’m looking forward to figuring out how to make my own liquid hand soap with them later this summer. I also decided to try and grow sweet potatoes in the re purposed coffee bags from www.upcyclenw.com in my parking strip. I’ll be adding those to my crazy planting list. I don’t know that I’ll get anything but if you aren’t taking chances gardening, you are leaving a lot of food off the table. And I’m working on my April can jam entry. I was so busy with the hog processing last month that I missed the March allium deadline and I hate missing a challenge.
And for anyone who missed it, I’m having an open garden this upcoming Saturday from 1-4 and hopefully I’ll find the camcorder charger so I can put up a virtual tour for anyone who can’t make it. If you can only come during the week let me know and we’ll schedule a weekday tour. I’m also going to be on the Sustainable NE Seattle tour in May and then will have another open garden in early July once the fall/winter planting have been put in. I hope I’ll inspire some of you with existing gardens to put in winter crops and ditch the grocery store all next winter along with me.
Finally, I got around to putting up a new page tonight which you can find along the sidebar entitled Why Do I Bother? It’s a little glimpse into my madness and what led me to completely shun the grocery store, processed food companies and feed lot operations. I’m so grateful that I was crazy enough to take this journey, as wacky as it sounded at the time. It’s the best New Year’s resolution I’ve ever made!
