oh hai there. looks like i've taken my usual two month break from sanity and the world, and i'm coming back around again.
in the meantime, our garden has pretty much ended, some food has been put up, other stuff has been eaten, and unfortunately, some did go to waste.
this summer i managed to accomplish: pickled beets, pickled peppers, apple butter, strawberry rhubarb jam, mulberry jam, honeyed applesauce. there may be some i'm forgetting. we also managed to put up dehydrated peaches, frozen corn, berries of all kinds, and peaches in a light honey syrup. we've got a quarter cow on the way, as well. local, grassfed, and delicious. i also somehow made yogurt and yogurt cheese. delicious.
currently hanging in the garage is: lemon verbena, mint, chocolate mint, thyme, winter savory, two bundles of sage, and god knows what else.
i've learned a lot in the garden this year, and i hope to know more before the season starts again next year.
i was asked about the coldframes we had planned. unfortunately, during my hiatus, in addition to my broken dishwasher, my fridge finally decided to die. the money (or lack thereof) that we would've used to build the frames incidentally went to replacing our appliances. there's always next year, and we've got a whole winter for planning.
fall activities for us include mushroom hunting and hunting in general. no, not me, that's for sure. as a former vegetarian, i can't even think of killing anything, and as wes sat out back and skinned the lone squirrel he managed to shoot, i was horrified and had to go inside. baby steps, baby steps. what will we do with it? why, wait for three more and throw them in the crockpot.
wes has managed to pick maitakes, hericium, hedgehog mushrooms, and even a late season puffball. so, we're doing a lot better this year, on all fronts.
i also finally got around to starting my herbal blog: look for me at waywardherbalist.blogspot.com.
on the GF front - blood tests were negative. however, i can tell within twenty minutes when i've eaten something with gluten in it. it's not pretty. so, i've foresworn a life of wheat filled goodness, since it makes me feel terrible in a multitude of ways. i also discovered the hard way i even react to "gluten free" oats. this comes with the fun side effects of a violently runny nose and sneezing. pass. no thanks.
on the book front - i took some time out from productive reading to pick up something fun. A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, is one of the funniest books i've ever read. i'm currently reading a book about homesteading on a quarter acre. it's definitely informational.
and huzzah, i just found out that my favorite GF blogger is actually a cookbook author of vegetarian books from way back. i have, and love, one of her veg cookbooks, which were written pre-GF for her. let me tell you, her baked risotto with brie and fresh sage is KILLER.
so hi. i'm back. mostly in action. see you around!
