Yes, it has been an exceptionally long silence, but I have a feeling it's over now. I think I'll start off slowly so I don't hurt myself or chase anyone away, a simple post about a monster.
During our terrible fall storm of 2010 this last weekend (boy, was that over exaggerated or what!) T and I were out in the garden putting it to bed for winter. Taking down the bean tepee and bean fencing, pulling the spent squash, pumpkin, and cauliflower plants (the goats were happy to get the treat). Digging up our potatoes was a really fun. We planted them mid May this year because we had moved into a new house and that's when we got the garden going. I would normally plant them in March or even February if the weather was right, but our garden was ready in May and I didn't want to lose my seed potatoes (they wouldn't make till next year). All I was hoping for was to increase the 22 seed potatoes to a few more for next year. We cut the plants back on 16 hills and waited a week for the skins to toughen a bit so they store better, we dug a surprising amount of potatoes, now I know a 5 gallon bucket is no world record, but I was certainly surprised. And then we dug the funniest monster of a potato I have ever seen (it reminds me of some kind of crystal in the way it has grown, don't you think?). Most of these are Rose Finn Fingerling with a few Ozette Fingerling here and there. I switched to the Rose Finns after growing Ozettes for a while. The Ozettes are a little dry and hard to clean because of all their eyes, the Rose Finns are a little more creamy and don't have as deep of eyes to hold the dirt. They both store well. After digging potatoes we replanted garlic in the space. I can't wait for homegrown garlic. Well, here's to the start of a great winter garden!
It's been a slow and puttzy (word?) kind of day today. T is out till morning and the boys and I have been enjoying a cozy afternoon inside. The rain has been coming down and the fire place has been keeping us toasty. I love fall days! I had plenty to do, but I was a slow mover today. I had a bunch of recipes to make and freeze, but needed one or two ingredients from the store and was just too lazy to get the boys in the car and head down the road a mile. Instead I made chicken stock. It really drives me crazy when I have to pay $10 for 2 32oz. containers of organic chicken stock (and that's on sale). Especially when I use it in recipes I often use two or three, that's 10 bucks I just added to the cost of that meal. It's sad really because it's stupidly easy to make stock. On days I know I'm home I throw the chicken carcass from the night before or when I buy whole organic chicken (which is the only way I buy chicken now) I cut up the chicken and freeze the pieces. I put the wings in a bag and after two or three chickens I have enough to make stock. I throw in s&p, carrots and celery (maybe those slightly sad ones is the fridge), parsley if I have it, thyme and rosemary. I let it go in a big pot all day, it goes between boiling and simmering (keep a lid on it or it will disappear). Then I strain it into freezer containers (Ziplock makes BPA free containers!). I love it because you use the pieces of chicken you would normally just throw away. All day the house smells like the most delicious soup (it reminds me of Thanksgiving). I tried to satisfy my hunger all day but never could get it right because there was never anything to actually eat. So I snacked on yummy roasted pumpkin seeds from our jack-o-lanterns (they are full of zinc, great for a cold!). Now lets hope I can get the finishing touches on the boys Halloween costumes. Show you next time, Happy Halloween!
