Maple Grove Farm

Garden Work

Work continues on the garden.  I got some herbs yesterday and planted them in pots for the herb garden.  I also got a few more potatoes and onions as well as the peppers I did not start myself.  All I have left to get is some more cauliflower and maybe brussel sprouts.

I have been fine tuning my preserving plan and reviewing it to make sure that I get enough plants in the ground while I can.  I was reviewing vegetables for dinner.  We will have green beans 2 times each week, broccoli 1 time, cauliflower 1 time, spinach 1 time, and either brussel sprouts, zucchini in tomatoes, or peas for the other two days.  This makes up 1 vegetable serving for each day.  I plan another serving each day out of carrots, sauerkraut, corn, pickles, or tomato items.  The last serving will be fresh salad or homemade kim chi.  This provides us with 3 serving of vegetables each day.

For fruit, I often use canned fruit to make breakfast like baked oatmeal or a dessert like cobbler for dinner.  I use dry, canned, and frozen for snacks.  I also use frozen fruit in my baking as well as adding it to yogurt for breakfast.  I have about 600 servings of fruit planned and based on 40 weeks that gives me 15 per week or the 2 per day that I need.

Using this method, I will then plan my menues around 3 vegetable servings per day and 2 fruit servings per day.  I can get almost all of my family's nutritional needs in these areas met through prepserving from my own garden.  The key is to be creative.  While my family loves canned peaches, they would quickly grow old if I didn't present them in different ways - peach baked oatmeal, peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach pie, peach crisp, dried peaches, peach roll-ups, etc. 

It is possible to feed your family all year long from your own preserves.  Happy homesteading!

Daily servings

07:00, 2008-Apr-26 .. Posted by Vickie

I like the way you plan your meals. --I have been wanting to re-do our meal plans & this gives me some more ideas. Thanks!

Praise God

01:36, 2008-Apr-27 .. Posted by blessingsbaound

You are going to enjoy that garden and those fresh meals. Share photos when you can. I love caring for all the Father has given us!! Enjoy! Mrs. Joseph Wood