Why Tags Are Important

During the last challenge I made turkey soup.  I remember breaking the bones to get to the inner goodieness, short of that I couldn't remember how I made it.  I roasted a chicken yesterday and saved the husk for making soup.  I gave the cookbook I used for the recipe to Sarah Lohman so I couldn't just look it up.

I did, however, tag my post.  I just clicked on my name under a post, then searched the page for 'bones'.  I had to go once to older posts.  I found the information I was looking for in a post from January 7th of last year;

'Never discard the bones of turkey or chicken as they will always make a delicious soup,' advises The American Woman's Cook Book. 'Scrape the meat from the bones, break the bones, pack them in a kettle, and cover in cold water, adding a small onion.  Cover closely and simmer very gently for three hours.  Strain and cool.  One-half hour before it is to be served, return to the fire and for every quart of stock add one cup cold meat, season and keep hot until needed.'

Now the chicken bones are simmering in a pot with an onion.  In 3 hours I will have delicious soup.  Thanks tags!

I'm not the only crazy in this town looking in the woods for food

Probably about a week ago I was coming back to the shop from the hardware store. I spotted 2 ladies at the edge of the woods, plastic bags in hand.  I knew they were on the hunt for something good.  They looked a little frightened as I approached.  I think they thought they were in trouble or something.  I just asked what they found good in the woods.  They appeared to be Mediterranean - Lebanese at a guess. They were picking grape leaves!  I had seen vines growing around in the back woods and never thought that they might be wild grapes.  I will watch to see if they bear any fruit as the summer goes on.

The Garden Takeover

The 2011 and 2012 gardens were overrun by the tomatillo.  This year, the radishes are running amuck.  Some of the radishes went to seed.  I thought I saved all of the seed heads.  However, it seems as though I missed a few hundred.  There are radishes EVERYWHERE!!!

 I'm working on a "cage" for the strawberries.  The robins absolutely love to eat a small amount out of each berry.  I did manage to pick and freeze a small bag of strawberries that the robins evidently missed.

YUMMY!!!!
Speaking of strawberries, the wild strawberries are back.  There are really a lot of them this year.  I guess they are just not sweet enough for the robins though.

Although the pea plants are not very big, there are a few pods on the vines.

I've been harvesting lots of lettuce for my lunches.  I hope to finish planting this week.
So far, I've planted:
45 pepper plants (most from saved seeds)
41 tomato plants (some from saved seeds)
15 broccoli plants (most from seed)
15 eggplants
5 basil plants (from saved seeds)
5 celery plants
1 parsley plant
Squash plants (spaghetti, butternut and zucchini)
cilantro (from saved seeds)
Kale (from saved seeds)
Two really long rows of beans (1 1/2 rows from saved seeds)
Lots of sunflowers from saved seeds
Two rows of peas
Two rows of beets
One row of radishes (before I knew about the take-over)
One row of turnips
Pineapple Sage
Two rows of leeks

Already growing in the garden:
Lots and lots of chives
Lots and lots of garlic
Green onions
Parsley
Strawberries
Sage
Mint
Lamb's Quarter
Sorrell
Rosemary
Chives

The Face of the Mutant Carrots

I came upon an interesting find while working in the garden today.  I was delighted with my discovery and very amused.  Do you remember the mutant carrot post?  Just in case you don't here is the text:

"The mutant carrots are back at it.  These two are Carrocchio and the Fairy Dancing queen.  Carrocchio is on the left side of the picture.  He is saying "I don't really think they are going to roast us!"  The Fairy Dancing Queen is on the right - She is saying (to Carrocchio) "Don't you lie to me!"  "Your nose is getting bigger and bigger!"

I guess the lack of food is having an effect on me.  And - those silly fairies keep creeping into the blog.  Well-Sharon and I roasted them.  The fairy was right - he was lying!"

Well today, while I was planting the challenge garden, I was digging around the old carrot patch and guess what I found - It could be the real face of the mutant carrot or, it could be the carrot mascot.  He kind of looks like a miniature Mr. Potato Head.

Today, I planted celery, parsley, broccoli, spaghetti squash, zucchini squash, butternut squash plants and seeds for sunflowers, turnips, beets, leeks and radishes.  The weatherman warned of the danger of frost so I covered some of the squash plants with sheets.  I hope he was wrong.

GIFTS . . .

This weekend, Sharon and I were "gifted" with carrots and sweet potatoes.  We split the carrots and Sharon is using the sweet potatoes.

Today, I blanched my half of the carrots and froze them.  I have eight 12 oz bags.  Pictured below are the carrots before blanching.  Pretty nice!!!!

Mini Challenge Wrap Up

For dinner this evening, I made potato pancakes from the two remaining potatoes, one egg, chives from the garden and margarine.  I also used the last two pieces of bread and the last two pieces of cheese to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

All I have left is:

And 15 cents that I didn't use.
I'm thinking this is not the most nutritious way to eat.  Lots of "white" food (potatoes, white bread, oatmeal, bananas, eggs, pasta).  I look forward to having the harvest from my expanded garden to eat for health and savings during the next challenge.

Final Round - Fight!

Sooo much food for breakfast this morning.  I had 1 egg, oats, a banana, and hashbrowns, plus coffee.  My coffee made it pretty far.  I made 6 16-oz cups of coffee from the 2 packets in the mail plus the chicory root.  I still had an egg left so I made it for Jessica.  I am stuffed.

For lunch, I was SET UPON BY THIEVES!!! Actually it was just Jessica.  She ate all my bologna.  She did offer to go buy me more, but I accept that thieves took some of my food and challenge on.  I had beans, a baked potato with margarine and chives, and the rest of my pasta from the other night.

Dinner was buttered noodles, fries, creamed corn, and 2 pieces of toast.  I used all the margarine. I in fact used nearly everything, save a surplus of navy beans and some ranch dressing.  I shared my potato salad, eggs, and (unwillingly) bologna, and still had enough food to make it through this mini challenge.

Final thoughts?  I think $1.50/person/day is a good starting point for our big challenge.  I think $1.50/day would have been easier if it was over a longer time period, where bulk buys of more goods could be incorporated (and I can justify a can of coffee.)