Tilled

My almost-brother-in-law (he's really my SIL fiance') came over Sunday after church to till our garden.  He increased the size for me and it's nearly double what it had been in previous years.  There it is.  Fresh dirt, green grass around, our little maple tree that grew up in the middle.  You can see our woods out back behind the garden.  (the woods have become the children's favorite new place to play.  they're finding the magic in creation)  The front right corner (that you cannot see) is my little herb garden.

So... as I sit in the house on this windy day with my sore throat and full sinuses ... I dream.  Of my hands in the dirt.  Rows and rows of tomatoes and peppers, popcorn and sunflowers, cukes and onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic...mmmmmm.  The children chasing the chickens and the dog chasing the children.  Sunshine and laughter in the air.

Pantry Prep

I'm part of a group on facebook called, "Riot for Austerity".  It's about using less resources, being frugal, buying new, going without and doing this differently.  (not that I'm very good at this!)  One of the recent questions posed by the group moderator was "how is your winter pantry shaping up?"  Normally, I try to grow a lot of our food, find things we don't grow or raise at our local markets or through individual farmers.  I can, dehydrate, freeze, etc.  Cook my own instead of buying processed junk.  I enjoy it.  I feel like I'm providing quality for my family.  Our children are learning where their food comes from, how it grows, what the meat we eat looks like when it's still in a pasture!  They're learning to cook at a young age (instead of their late 20s, like me).  They think I make the best bread, pizza crust, and tortillas in the world!  (only because they're fresh, I'm sure)

I've been trying to inventory our pantry and freezer and it's not as good as I had hoped.  Not to make excuses, but this pregnancy has been kinda tough.  I've been put on a modified bedrest a few times, instructed not to go out in the heat and humidity (too many contractions), etc.  It made getting out in the garden nearly impossible when temps were in the 90s and bedrest meant no canning the tomatoes when it was time.  (I asked the OB, I was told 'absolutely not') 

So, this how things are shaping up for us.  Good things:  our freezer is packed full of local meat (lamb and chicken), local berries (strawberries and blueberries), sweet corn, and peppers.  (the freezer sits on our outside porch and takes nearly no energy to run during the winter... we make up for it during warm summer months) 

Okay things:  I canned crushed tomatoes, peaches, jam, and pickled hot peppers... but not enough.   (I would have been closer if I hadn't been put on bedrest during this pregnancy) 

Better Luck next year:  Our potato crop was a bust... and our popcorn didn't do so hot, either.  Luckily, we still have a lot of leftover popcorn (it's a big source of snacks and lunches for us). 

In progress:  I found a local source for oats I need to call on and we have some wheat berries stored.  I'm sure we need more local honey and maple syrup.  (trying to phase out processed white sugar)  I'll have to pick those up at the market when I stock up on apples (to dry, store, and sauce), carrots, potatoes and butternut squash (which I can't grow to save my life!). 

But, our 3rd child is due any day now so some things are going to have to wait!

Day 2 - What I'm Wearing

photo taken by Carlie (age 7)  Me - 31 weeks pregnant standing in front of our mulberry bush.

Okay, I feel a little silly about doing this item of the 30 Day Photo Challenge.  Sadly, it falls on laundry day... and I have a total of 3 shirts that actually cover my entire pregnant belly.  This is shirt #3.  :)  The other 2 are in the wash.  Monday is my big cleaning day, so I don't really dress up for the occasion.  If you were to show up at my house any day of the week, this is probably how you would find me.  Or I might have a ponytail or an apron...

From the top down:
Purple and green paisley scarf on my head (from the resale shop across the road)
Giant Sunglasses my husband can't stand (from Target last year)
Purple Maternity Tank Top (Target... and the stain on the front is just water.... I had just finished washing dishes)
Gray Comfy Pants with Pockets (again, from Target... but not maternity)
Brown Teva Sandals (my favorite shoes... from Amazon.com)
Basket... I think it belonged to my mom.  I honestly don't remember.  Sometimes I use the basket the farmers market in my display.  I used it today to fill with cut herbs from the garden. Oregano, sage, and calendula... all hanging to dry in my kitchen.
Baltic Amber Necklace (etsy)  This is the coolest thing I'm wearing.  I wear it every.single.day.  No matter what.  Baltic Amber has been used for centuries throughout Europe in infant jewelry, commonly called teething necklaces.  The amber is a resin, not a stone.  It warms with your body heat and releases a compound called succinic acid which acts as an analgesic.  It's certainly not as strong as taking tylenol or another drug, but it's a natural remedy that can bring some mild pain relief.  I wear it because I have chronic neck pain and neck muscle spasms.  Before I was pregnant I was taking muscle relaxers  (along with doing yoga and other stretching) to help get things under control.  Now I wear my amber necklace.  Is it a miracle cure?  Of course not.  I was quite skeptical when I purchased it (but I thought it was cute anyway).  I bought my mom a bracelet to wear to help with her arthritis.  Since she started wearing it, the swelling/pain/heat in her wrist is much improved. 

taken by Jack age 4 - because he had to use the camera and take a picture of mom, too

Garden Love

Last Wednesday, we finally had rain. It's been a long hot, dry summer with highs in the upper 80's everyday with matching humidity but never any rain. (=miserable) Wednesday was a blessing. It poured for hours drenching the parched grass and garden. The kids and I were able to head out, weed some of the garden (really, how can weeds thrive without rain!) and harvest what was ready.
We are inundated with tomatoes and it's time to start canning! We grew 17 plants of heirloom tomatoes (but lost a few early in the season). And 17 cherry tomato plants. I've eating cherry tomatoes for lunch, dinner and snack and giving them about by the bucketful. Happily, they've been a blessing to many people this summer! We get a break from the heat this week (low 80s) and I have a two bushels of tomatoes to can. If the lack of counter space wasn't telling me it was time, the abundance of fruit flies would be...

Calendula! A pretty and hardy flower and one of my favorite herbs. I use it in the healing salve I make. We've had a really good harvest so far and, surprisingly enough, it is drying well inspite of all our humidity. We (my daughter is a great helper) will soon be collecting seeds for next year. Hopefully, we'll be able to sell seeds or seedlings in the spring above what we need to plant for our own use.
Another bit of green from my thriving herb garden (it gives me such joy). Lemon Balm.... mmmmm. Sweet and lemony mint-relative. My little plant has really grown after I transplanted it this year. I'm looking forward to tea....
Me. And my Teva tan-lines. :) Enjoying time outside barefoot in the wet grass after the rain. Looking forward to cooler days ahead as summer and farmer's markets wind down and school starts up...