Sisyphus Acres

Porkchops and Applesauce...lol...

Well this weekend was spent doing a little more "putting up" as it were.  I blanched and froze my brussell sprouts, ended up with 3 pounds, not too shabby, not as much as I wanted, but ok nonetheless.  I made and canned 2 batches of applesauce, 13 pints in all.  I also used the rest of my tomatoes and made about 3 quarts of sauce to freeze.  I still have to wash and wrap some cabbage, process my beets, carrots and make apple pie filling and apple jelly.  Ahh but the shelves look so nice ~ I was actually a bit impressed.  Plan to take and post pics.  First batch of onions dried up and are in their bags (dad prepped those), looks like about 8 pounds and we have another batch drying.  Last Sunday I made a Boiled dinner (Bouille Choux) with pork and beef, homegrown cabbage, carrots, turnip and potatoes.  It was great on a brisk day.

I moved my bedroom around this weekend, pulled everything out of the nooks and crannies, and am now weeding through it ~ plan to clean/purge and get it all in order over this week.  Have to run laundry when I get home too.  Did linens over the weekend, but between canning/processing, church and youth group, time slipped away so the rest of the laundry remains.  I would like to be able to hang it this week, but the weather seems to be conspiring against me ~ we'll see though.  We got new wooden racks to sit under the front porch roof, so if it's only rain I may be able to get away with that...but if it's going to get really cold I may be using the dryer again.

The first gardening catalog of the 2009 season showed up a week or so ago, my Fedco tree catalog.  Getting 6 more patriot blueberry bushes (which completes the blueberry patch at 24 bushes), and will be replacing 2 failed nectarines with something, chances are a pear and maybe a cherry ~ tempted to do another apple, but with 5 trees, we should have enough apples when they crank into production...though there is a variety I'd like to try...SHeeSH... this is dangerous!!!  I could plant myself busy in the spring ;-)  doesn't seem like alot now, but in the spring it adds up quickly!  We will be ordering another 25 balsam fir for the windbreak I believe, so that will be enough work .  Although now that my thornless blackberry is producing, I think I want to get a few more of them!!  I love blackberries and raspberries ~ but especially raspberries attract japanese beetles, and I don't want any more of them!  I am thinking about another grape plant too ~ my valiant produced well this year, but the Concord is still a slacker ~ no fruit again!  I may buy a seedless table grape to replace it, or maybe two and start a new arbor entirely! Hmmm... now that's an idea!

After I am done putting up this year's harvest I will be able to sit and analyze what needs to happen for next year's planting.  The goal is to grow enough produce to supply ourselves for the year by the 2010 garden.  I know we reached it on some crops, are close on others and WAY off still on others.  I'll share my findings when I am done.

I can't wait for this business to pass a bit, my friend has asked if I could crochet a sweater for her little piggie, and I would like to be able to do that for her soon.  I am working on a sweater for myself too, and would like a little more time to play with that.

Well time to get back to work, toodles,

val

Untitled Comment

{ 08:47, 2008-Oct-27 } { Posted by Kitty }

I remember that "Brady Bunch" show like it was yesterday.........My kids have no clue what I'm talking about when I say that.........Kitty

Putting by

{ 03:49, 2008-Nov-19 } { Posted by daughterofgrace }

Your post inspired me!! With the downturn in the economy and not knowing whether my hubby will be laid off or not this coming Jan......I have decided to take the bull by the proverbial horn and just PLAN on planting a garden. IF my men will build me a coop, I also plan on keeping chickens again.....wasn't sure we could, since we live in an unincorporated township close to a huge population area....but started hearing a rooster the other day...guess it's ok or they haven't been caught yet.
Thanks for stopping by my blog....I've added you to my friends list, perhaps we could share keeping recipes sometime......
Denise, Daughter of Grace