End of the Garden

Our bountiful harvest

We didn't have much of a garden this year, but what we did have did pretty good once it started raining.Those pumpkins were enormous! I think one was somewhere around 70 pounds! The other 3 about 20-40 pounds. We got about a dozen watermelons, about the same on cantaloupes. There was only one row of beets and one of onions, but that was enough to keep us well fed for a couple months, as well as several cans of beets for the pantry. A neighbor supplied us with zucchini and chard, another with cucumbers, so in addition to eating fresh and fried squash and greens, I was able to put up a couple dozen quarts of pickles. I am not really a pickle person as far as store-bought goes, but I love my homemade pickles. I love to open a jar of pickled cucumbers or other veggies midwinter, to add some variety to our staples of rice, potatoes, carrots, onions and beans. 

Zucchini, cucumbers and onions ready for the pickling brine

As for the pumpkin, well, the largest went to our local library so they could use it for a fund raiser. If you're near Ash Fork, stop in and guess the weight for 25 cents a guess - the winner gets to keep the pumpkin and the library gets a boost to its budget. This little fellow grew right into the fence. We had to pick him before he got any more attached, but he seems to have ripened just fine.

A creepy halloween mutant

After giving away several more pumpkins, the last few will be eaten for the next few weeks and canned for later pies, breads and cookies. Sadly, we didn't plant any tomatoes. I can always use lots of jars of tomato sauce. Maybe next year...speaking of which, we will be on the road next year, looking for fresh, local produce and experimenting with our homesteading practices in a 28 foot RV and a 14 foot trailer. Should be very interesting. 

Thanks for stopping by.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy these:

Farmer's Market

Rose Petal Jam

Tomato Tales

Worms!

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/homestead-barn-hop-132.html

Farmer's Market

Homemade breads, pickles, cronuts; cucumbers, zucchini.

First, a correction to my last post. Our new homes are a 28 foot RV and a 14 ft. travel trailer. What's a few square feet here and there, anyway?

Kreations by Katy, a member of Mrs. D's Homestead

We've really been enjoying participating as vendors at the Saturday Market in Williams, AZ. Helen Gorney, of Open Studios set this up as a venue for local crafters, bakers, and gardeners to market some of their products. So far, we have enjoyed local apples, pears, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and eggs, home canned jams, salsas and home-baked goodies, gorgeous hand crafts and local honey. Our last Saturday for the season is coming up on September 28th. Hopefully next year we'll see lots more home grown produce.

Lotions, lip butters, soap cozies, rice bags

Mrs. D has picked up a number of new customers for her handmade all natural shea butter and coconut oil lotion bars and lip butters, as well as meeting with loyal repeat customers. Katy's Kreations are attracting positive attention, with the Dammit Doll being particularly popular. (Hope to have some up on the Etsy store soon). Jacob's Store is selling out of his handmade rustic crosses and his new beanbag ice therapy packs. He's also doing a booming business with ice cold lemonade, made with lemons from grandpa's backyard tree, and ice tea. Now to just get him to update his Etsy store.

Yak's lemonade and ice tea venture

Eat More Greens!

ready for lunch

Mrs. D is obsessed with eating greens lately.  Daily large salads were becoming a habit until the sub zero temps hit.  Then it was lightly braised greens on the side of a baked potato, squash or meat.

Greens are great to grow indoors.  They don't need to be pollinated, and there are several varieties that are easily propogated in pots in a sunny window.  Lettuces, collards, beet greens, kale and spinach to name a few of my favorites.  Don't forget the lentil sprouts, wheatgrass and chives.  Garlic also grows well in pots, and don't underestimate the delight of fresh herbs - oregano, rosemary, mint and basil. 

indoor lettuce - just harvested some for lunch

Check out this great video by Leanne at Saving Dinner on how to cook greens.

Many stores have great prices on lots of organic produce now, and our local health food store stocks beautiful seasonal greens.  Of course,  here in Arizona we can get most greens locally within 50 miles or so, year round.

lentil sprouts ready to eat

Simple greens are some of the most economical, healthiest things you can do to improve your diet.  Even cabbage, which is usually a great buy anytime.  Mrs. D enjoys the versatile cabbage year round, red or green, cooked, raw or brined into sauerkraut.  A few slices in a stir fry, or a big hunk steamed and served with butter, salt and pepper are both winners for chilly evening suppers. 

Here is one of my favorite ways to include cooked greens in my menu plan:

Mrs. D's Chow Mein

1 lb. cooked spaghetti noodles
2 cups chopped greens - mix and match cabbage, chives, collards, kale, chard, parsley, etc.
2 cups assorted fresh or frozen veggies, chopped
2 T. olive oil
4 T. soy sauce
pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, to taste
dash turmeric
1 cup or less of water, vegetable or meat broth

Heat oil, add noodles, stir fry 1 minute.  Add assorted veggies, then greens.  Add soy sauce, stir fry 1 minute, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water or broth until veggies are tender.  Add spices to taste.  Turn off heat, cover 2 min. to allow flavors to blend.  Serve and enjoy!
Eggs or meat can be added for a heavier meal, rice can be substituted for "Fried Rice".  We love to eat this with chopsticks!

Cookie Therapy

One of the drawbacks of living out in the boonies - our internet service has been pretty spotty since before Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty tolerant.  It's taken me this long to finally get fed up.  After yelling at my computer screen, then hanging up on the computerized "tech support" several times, I finally turned to cookie therapy.  Creating always helps me to refocus on something positive rather than the problem I can do nothing about at the moment.  It also lowers my blood pressure (pretty scary, because my BP is normally low). 

So what level of Cookie Therapy is called for after over two months of lousy internet service?  Hmmm, first, a batch of Lemon Bars.  One of my faves, because I always have plenty of organic California lemons, thanks to Dad's tree.  And the crust is flour, butter and sugar.  How can you go wrong with that?  Of course, I use whole wheat flour.  Next came six plus dozen Snickerdoodles.  Those got baked right after the lemon bars.  They're cheap and easy comfort cookies.  Then I mixed up two more varieties for the coming days when I knew I would need more Cookie Therapy.  These needed to be refrigerated before baking anyway.  Sure enough, the morning after the snickerdoodles and lemon bars, no internet.  So I baked eight dozen Chocolate Crinkles.  I love this recipe, because it uses less expensive cocoa, which I always have on hand for hot chocolate and brownies, instead of more expensive chocolate chips (which I tend to sneak into and eat).  They are also a perfect fix for a chocolate craving.  Still in the fridge, awaiting the next outage, is a batch of Lemon Cheese Spritz.  I mixed these up because I happened to have the cream cheese, and I have been wanting to use my cookie press.  So sometime in the next few days I will be baking the Spritz. 

There are several side perks to Cookie Therapy.  Baking helps warm the house.  I know we're eating healthier snacks, with organic whole wheat flour and real butter, without hydrogenates and unpronounceable additives.  And my freezer is stocked for the next couple months with said snacks.  Well, I think they'll last a couple months...

So which recipe should I share?  Oh, the dilemma!  I guess it has to be the Chocolate Crinkles, because of Valentine's Day coming up, and Mrs. D's chocoholism.  Here it is:

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
(adapted from original in Betty Crocker's Cooky Book (c)1963)

1/2 c. olive oil
12 T cocoa plus 4 T olive oil
2 cups sugar
1 T molasses
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. non-aluminum baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1 c. sugar processed in blender for 1 min.  (substitute for confectioner's sugar)

Mix oil, cocoa and oil, sugar and molasses.  Stir in 1 egg at a time until well mixed.  Stir in vanilla.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Chill overnight. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop small spoonfuls of dough into remaining sugar (processed in blender or confectioner's).  Roll in sugar, shape into balls.  Place about 2" apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Do not overbake!  Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Anyway, if anyone out there has a recommendation for rural internet service, such as Hughesnet, Mifi, aircard, please let me know.  Or go to Mrs. D's Homestead on Facebook and join in the discussion there.