State of the homestead
Darla was collecting hay in her mouth yesterday, so I decided to 'go with it' and move her to a clean cage with a nesting box and a big pile of straw to encourage her mothering instinct. No change in Sweetie, who was bred a day earlier, but I will transfer her by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest regardless. There should be babies this weekend.
Apples, plums and tomatoes were pulled from the freezer on Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon were residing in jars in the form of unsweetened applesauce (21 half-pints), unsweetened stewed plums (3 pints and 1 quart) and 14 various jars of tomato product: Sauce, Whole, Diced and 'Stock' (tomato soup base - waste not, want not).
Aside from that, we made multiple (25+) servings of Sheppard's Pie and Lamb/Mushroom Parmentier for the freezer, to be wedged in beside the previous weekend's extra servings of beef stew. We used our garden potatoes, garlic and onions in our cooking (better that store-bought produce sprout or mold in storage :). There's a little room still - we liberated Aunty's turkey carcass on Saturday to make soup tonight (after 24-hrs in the crockpots making our stock), and there's plans for a Tuna/Pasta casserole of some kind. We will have a good start to quick, hot meals for the winter, to be topped up as time and freezer space allows. Lasagna made with home-made noodles and our winter kale and chard in place of spinach, or simple quiches once the girls start laying (soon!).... then by January there'll need to be room for rabbit meat.....
Finished clearing and ammending several garden beds, and we planted 150+ cloves of our reserved garlic in three different locations (hedging against light and fertility differences). I sowed some winter rye as a cover crop in two beds, that may provide some greens for the animals as well - but mostly to see how it works for our garden usage and rotation schedule.
The new dehydrator came, and was immediately put to work - carrot ends and scrapings for the bunnies, apples and pears for the same. A full nine-tray load of quartered Italian plums, a another full load of banana chips (sale!). I've dried bread heels and herbs from the garden, and experimented with apple leather sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon. Tonight will see another load - pears for people this time.
Ahead - Pear Butter and Pear slices with Lemon, and more dehydrating!!!
Guitar practice kind of fell to the wayside over the past several days, so hopefully we will get back into the swing of making music.
Also of note, I've had four panic attacks in the past two weeks. Unsure of the trigger, and a bit concerned.
Apples, plums and tomatoes were pulled from the freezer on Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon were residing in jars in the form of unsweetened applesauce (21 half-pints), unsweetened stewed plums (3 pints and 1 quart) and 14 various jars of tomato product: Sauce, Whole, Diced and 'Stock' (tomato soup base - waste not, want not).
Aside from that, we made multiple (25+) servings of Sheppard's Pie and Lamb/Mushroom Parmentier for the freezer, to be wedged in beside the previous weekend's extra servings of beef stew. We used our garden potatoes, garlic and onions in our cooking (better that store-bought produce sprout or mold in storage :). There's a little room still - we liberated Aunty's turkey carcass on Saturday to make soup tonight (after 24-hrs in the crockpots making our stock), and there's plans for a Tuna/Pasta casserole of some kind. We will have a good start to quick, hot meals for the winter, to be topped up as time and freezer space allows. Lasagna made with home-made noodles and our winter kale and chard in place of spinach, or simple quiches once the girls start laying (soon!).... then by January there'll need to be room for rabbit meat.....
Finished clearing and ammending several garden beds, and we planted 150+ cloves of our reserved garlic in three different locations (hedging against light and fertility differences). I sowed some winter rye as a cover crop in two beds, that may provide some greens for the animals as well - but mostly to see how it works for our garden usage and rotation schedule.
The new dehydrator came, and was immediately put to work - carrot ends and scrapings for the bunnies, apples and pears for the same. A full nine-tray load of quartered Italian plums, a another full load of banana chips (sale!). I've dried bread heels and herbs from the garden, and experimented with apple leather sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon. Tonight will see another load - pears for people this time.
Ahead - Pear Butter and Pear slices with Lemon, and more dehydrating!!!
Guitar practice kind of fell to the wayside over the past several days, so hopefully we will get back into the swing of making music.
Also of note, I've had four panic attacks in the past two weeks. Unsure of the trigger, and a bit concerned.