Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: October 2~8, 2022

[SouthernBreeze]

I got my bloodwork report from my PCP, yesterday. All was good. I still haven't heard from my rheumatologist. He does more extensive bloodwork than PCP. No ex-ray report, either. I think if there were something out of the ordinary going on, he would have contacted me by now.

I got up this morning and showered. Next, I watered everything. Then, I fried pork chops for the crockpot with a can of cream of chicken and a packet of onion soup mix mixed together and dumped on top. Cooked out all the meat I plan to can tomorrow. Washed and cleaned up the kitchen. I'm tired, already.

We're still gathering tomatoes. They are perfect, great taste, and they're from the volunteer tomatoes that came up on their own. I'll slice up a couple for our supper tonight. Taco salad used a couple last night. I've used a lot on sandwiches, too.

I sent off my Sam's order, yesterday, and tracking says it's supposed to be delivered, today.

 

[nomifyle]

DH loves ribs, I hate cleaning the pans after cooking them. We were having coffee with a friend this morning and he said he uses cooking bags. I guess my brain has gone to much because it never occured to me. And guess what, I have cooking bags. Yea! Ribs tonight.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

DH loves ribs, I hate cleaning the pans after cooking them. We were having coffee with a friend this morning and he said he uses cooking bags. I guess my brain has gone to much because it never occured to me. And guess what, I have cooking bags. Yea! Ribs tonight.

I always use crockpot liners when I use my crockpot. Makes clean up so easy. I also use roasting/cooking bags, too, in the oven. Anything that makes clean up easier works for me. I love ribs, but Cary doesn't. The only time I get them is when we eat out at a place that serves them.

 

[nomifyle]

I always use crockpot liners when I use my crockpot. Makes clean up so easy. I also use roasting/cooking bags, too, in the oven. Anything that makes clean up easier works for me. I love ribs, but Cary doesn't. The only time I get them is when we eat out at a place that serves them.

I used the roasting bags for years and years, but its been a long time.

 

[alpha]

Ok, forgive me if it sounds too flatlandish but I think I finally figured out my eighteen month old heifer. My previous longtime farm cow was a Hereford who became very affectionate and obviously swollen when in heat. My young Angus showed no outward signs until three weeks ago when she started a crazy bellowing ceremony. When I saw my Angus - Galloway cross trying to mount her I started planning for the next cycle (the bull calf is only about eleven months old and height challenged to boot).
So, this morning (twenty one days later) at 01:00 hours she started her serenade again and at daybreak I called one of our local farms who stock a mature Angus bull. When I brought her over there and released her into his herd at around 10:00 she immediately saddled up to "his royal highness" and sang her love song.
So, hopefully she'll come home pregnant next week and I can check that off of my to-do list. Not only will my neighbors sleep better but that poor little immature bull calf can regain some self respect thinking he scored.

 

[ioujc]

Hope this works this time.


.

 

[Cag3db1rd]

Reasors is having That Big Meat Sale right now, so I picked up 2 whole pork loins, 10 lbs of chuck, 1 big beef roast, and a boneless boston butt roast, most of which will be canned.

Sprung a leak in my 20 year old water bucket. I decided to replace the whole thing. For the moment I have just the one bucket replaced, but have convinced hubby we need to rebuild out of 2 20qt stainless steel stock pots and a stainless steel spigot. I like metal stuff.

Harvested some golden rod flowers for a kidney cleanse and dandelion leaf for liver cleanse. Powdered some comfrey leaf for pain relief ointment. Harvested out all my sweet potatoes and got a 5 gallon bucket full from 12 plants. Harvested sunflowes, but they were much smaller heads than normal. Got about a pint of green beans of a 3x6 intensive bed. Got a half gallon of pickled banana peppers from 5 plants. Waiting on corn and second crop of potatoes. Probably will pull both just b4 a freeze. Hoping this last flush of tomatoes has seed. The last several didn't.

My few remaining quail are still laying. I'm getting about 4 eggs a day. A few weeks out from hatch, still. Hubby found me a guy to buy some more quail from since my usual breeder is up to his eyeballs in hatching orders.

 

[ioujc]

Reasors is having That Big Meat Sale right now, so I picked up 2 whole pork loins, 10 lbs of chuck, 1 big beef roast, and a boneless boston butt roast, most of which will be canned.

Sprung a leak in my 20 year old water bucket. I decided to replace the whole thing. For the moment I have just the one bucket replaced, but have convinced hubby we need to rebuild out of 2 20qt stainless steel stock pots and a stainless steel spigot. I like metal stuff.

Harvested some golden rod flowers for a kidney cleanse and dandelion leaf for liver cleanse. Powdered some comfrey leaf for pain relief ointment. Harvested out all my sweet potatoes and got a 5 gallon bucket full from 12 plants. Harvested sunflowes, but they were much smaller heads than normal. Got about a pint of green beans of a 3x6 intensive bed. Got a half gallon of pickled banana peppers from 5 plants. Waiting on corn and second crop of potatoes. Probably will pull both just b4 a freeze. Hoping this last flush of tomatoes has seed. The last several didn't.

My few remaining quail are still laying. I'm getting about 4 eggs a day. A few weeks out from hatch, still. Hubby found me a guy to buy some more quail from since my usual breeder is up to his eyeballs in hatching orders.

I am going to be harvesting some goldenrod flower stalks also....it is apparently quite effective for urinary issues!!

Yesterday while watering, I found my raised beds are apparently freeways for moles, because the tunnels are everywhere!! That is probably what has eaten the several plantings of peas that were doing great, and then suddenly after coming up and starting to vine, died suddenly!!

Well, it is decision time!! Have quite a number of large green tomatoes.....to put under high tunnel/greenhouse like thingy....or not!! I'm going to anyway, for the more tender winter crops, might as well get it going now!!

 

[ioujc]

I forgot to mention......
I was able to try Tomatillos!

I got a large bag of them for $1.00 in reduced produce. Got them home put in cooler and promptly forgot about them. When I rediscovered them, they were soft and I thought they were rotten. As I was adding to the compost pile, there were several that looked fine, so I tasted one.

WOW!!!

Talk about delicious!! I sorted them out and got all the ones that were not damaged, just soft. I have been adding them to my daily quesadillas......VERY GOOD!!

They are like tomatoes, but sweet. I had previously seen it described as "tart;" which didn't really appeal to me, but these were "tomato tasting, but slightly sweet" and VERY DELICIOUS!!

I will definitely be growing some next year!!

 

[hd5574]

Ioujc....
You might want to try wrapping some of your green tomatoes in white tissue paper and putting in cut down cardboard box in a dark closet....they should be undamaged....they will continue to ripen... the white tissue allows you to see the color without unwrapping them...I have had some that were ripe at Christmas time.

So far DH has picked and strung 3 strands of leather britches and we still have green beans coming.
I will finish canning green sweet bell peppers today..then do pints of mixed colors of sweet bells and onions for soups this winter..and more potatoes in-between canning various meats that come on sale or are in freezer..

 

[Digger]

Monday we went to the big consignment sale for kids. It is held twice a year; Spring and Fall. I bought clothes for the 3 littles and found a dressy jacket for me. So the kids are set for winter. Our daughter went also and got to go last night for half price stuff. Our son is getting the stuff daughters boy has outgrown for his boy. So he is not going this year.

I ordered butter powder and milk powder on Monday. It came yesterday. I love quick service. I will use it baking. I used the powdered milk for years when our kids were little. I saved the fresh milk for them to drink. I have never used powdered butter. So this will be a new experience. But I will not open it right away. It is for harder times.

I saw 2 different brands of canned beef at Neighborhood Market that we haven't seen before. I bought one of each to try since the sodium content was not as high as the other brand we tried. These are the size of large tuna cans. If we like them, I will get more for the pantry.

We worked on splitting some more fire wood. Hubby also sanded and repainted a small wood rack he brought home from his parents home. It will hold a couple of days if firewood. We still have to clean the flue. We will need it before long I think at least a day here and there.

Today I need to can peas again and do laundry. I never seem to get everything done.when the garden is finished, I have to start canning roosters. My hatches were mostly roosters this spring. I have not had such a high number in a hatch before. Only 3 hens in the whole bunch.

 

[etdeb]

Reasors is having That Big Meat Sale right now, so I picked up 2 whole pork loins, 10 lbs of chuck, 1 big beef roast, and a boneless boston butt roast, most of which will be canned.

Sprung a leak in my 20 year old water bucket. I decided to replace the whole thing. For the moment I have just the one bucket replaced, but have convinced hubby we need to rebuild out of 2 20qt stainless steel stock pots and a stainless steel spigot. I like metal stuff.

Harvested some golden rod flowers for a kidney cleanse and dandelion leaf for liver cleanse. Powdered some comfrey leaf for pain relief ointment. Harvested out all my sweet potatoes and got a 5 gallon bucket full from 12 plants. Harvested sunflowes, but they were much smaller heads than normal. Got about a pint of green beans of a 3x6 intensive bed. Got a half gallon of pickled banana peppers from 5 plants. Waiting on corn and second crop of potatoes. Probably will pull both just b4 a freeze. Hoping this last flush of tomatoes has seed. The last several didn't.

My few remaining quail are still laying. I'm getting about 4 eggs a day. A few weeks out from hatch, still. Hubby found me a guy to buy some more quail from since my usual breeder is up to his eyeballs in hatching orders.

I have 5 acres of that stuff about 4 ft tall.
Everytime the wind blows a am choked up. Hope we get the mower fixed soon to hook to tractor and mow it down.

 

[nomifyle]

The ribs turned out really tasty, but they are still messy. The cooking bag helped and nothing got in the pan to clean up.

Another cool sun shiny morning. No clue what I'm going to do today.

 

[summerthyme]

Not exactly a "prep", but we spent 3 hours yesterday afternoon planting spring bulbs... 400 tulips, 500 daffodils and 1000 crocus. We scatter the crocus throughout the lawns, because they provide the earliest nectar and pollen for the honeybees, and they die down soon enough you can mow when needed. The tulips and daffodils were planted al9ng fencelines, woods edges, and in one shade dappled glade next to the pond. The men folk were all bitching (ok, not hubby... he's helped me plant bulbs for years, and knows how much it helps to have them to look forward to in our long winters... DS isn't as convinced!), but ran the drill and auger while I and the little girls placed bulbs and covered them. The 20 month old was enthusiastically helping... she quickly figured out the process, and added her own final step... stomping the soil flat over the bulb with her chubby feet. Every time she'd put a bulb in the hole, she'd say, "night, night flower!" as she covered it.

My goal, besides beauty and bee food, is to have enough so the girls can pick all they want without us saying, "the bees need them! Please don't pick any more flowers!"

This was on top of butchering the old laying hens and extra roosters on Wednesday. I'd planned on canning the chicken stock I'd made overnight... 4 birds to each kettle... but the weather was fabulous Thursday, and they said it was going to turn overnight. So, bulbs first!

I then canned 21 quarts of stock while watching the football game with hubby. I've got 11 more to do today, plus about 30 pints of meat to can for dog food.

I'm SO SORE!! But amazingly, I woke up feeling rested ... I was sure I'd be about useless today, as the COVID exhaustion has still been dogging me. It must be its finally waning... it's only been 5 months! I'm truly hoping to ba back in decent shape by spring... my spine occasionally glitches, but it doesn't last long... I did have a day a couple weeks ago where I suddenly couldn't even roll over in bed, and my left leg was so weak I had to use a cane to walk. But within 3 days, I was running up the stairs again, although I do have to use a mounting block to get on the horse, so there must be some residual weakness.

Well, I'd better get the rest of the chicken canning done. I've still got 6 more birds to turn into stock and dogfood, but they're in the freezer... they'll hold for a bit.

Next project is the 8 bushels of tomatoes currently in the freezers! Once we puree them all, I'll make Manhattan Clam Chowder, country tomato soup, chili con Carne and maybe some minestrone. All ingredients are from the gardens, and with the current prices for soup, it really pays off.

Nothing like a hot bowl of soup and fresh bread when the snow is driving across the fields!

Summerthyme

 

[Illini Warrior]

I have 5 acres of that stuff about 4 ft tall.
Everytime the wind blows a am choked up. Hope we get the mower fixed soon to hook to tractor and mow it down.

I drove a tractor with a bushhog the summer of my 17th for the State Fish & Game - the fields were too wet one day and the Boss told me to go cut roadways to finish out the day - got to the intersection with the County road and decided to head for town - found a 6-8 foot tall patch of golden rod that was growing all year - what 17 year old could resist - the Boss found me halfway thru cutting - everything was "golden" from one end to the other - gave me a thumbs up and told me to cut my way back to the state owned ground .....

 

[Illini Warrior]

Not exactly a "prep", but we spent 3 hours yesterday afternoon planting spring bulbs... 400 tulips, 500 daffodils and 1000 crocus. We scatter the crocus throughout the lawns, because they provide the earliest nectar and pollen for the honeybees, and they die down soon enough you can mow when needed. The tulips and daffodils were planted al9ng fencelines, woods edges, and in one shade dappled glade next to the pond. The men folk were all bitching (ok, not hubby... he's helped me plant bulbs for years, and knows how much it helps to have them to look forward to in our long winters... DS isn't as convinced!), but ran the drill and auger while I and the little girls placed bulbs and covered them. The 20 month old was enthusiastically helping... she quickly figured out the process, and added her own final step... stomping the soil flat over the bulb with her chubby feet. Every time she'd put a bulb in the hole, she'd say, "night, night flower!" as she covered it.

My goal, besides beauty and bee food, is to have enough so the girls can pick all they want without us saying, "the bees need them! Please don't pick any more flowers!"

This was on top of butchering the old laying hens and extra roosters on Wednesday. I'd planned on canning the chicken stock I'd made overnight... 4 birds to each kettle... but the weather was fabulous Thursday, and they said it was going to turn overnight. So, bulbs first!

I then canned 21 quarts of stock while watching the football game with hubby. I've got 11 more to do today, plus about 30 pints of meat to can for dog food.

I'm SO SORE!! But amazingly, I woke up feeling rested ... I was sure I'd be about useless today, as the COVID exhaustion has still been dogging me. It must be its finally waning... it's only been 5 months! I'm truly hoping to ba back in decent shape by spring... my spine occasionally glitches, but it doesn't last long... I did have a day a couple weeks ago where I suddenly couldn't even roll over in bed, and my left leg was so weak I had to use a cane to walk. But within 3 days, I was running up the stairs again, although I do have to use a mounting block to get on the horse, so there must be some residual weakness.

Well, I'd better get the rest of the chicken canning done. I've still got 6 more birds to turn into stock and dogwood, but they're in the freezer... they'll hold for a bit.

Next project is the 8 bushels of tomatoes currently in the freezers! Once we puree them all, I'll make Manhattan Clam Chowder, country tomato soup, chili con Carne and maybe some minestrone. All ingredients are from the gardens, and with the current prices for soup, it really pays off.

Nothing like a hot bowl of soup and fresh bread when the snow is driving across the fields!

Summerthyme

you know those bulbs are edible - most flower bulbs are >>> during WW2 the NAZIs tried killing off the Belgians by stripping off the produced food and starving them - many survived by eating the tulip bulbs - they'd save a few of each variety their family heritage prized ......

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Watering, doing laundry, and canning, today. I need to take a break from canning and clean the house. It's almost become an everyday chore. I wish I had another canner, so I could do more at once. Peas are beginning to run and bloom, so that will be more canning on top of all the meats.

Cary is busy splitting and stacking firewood again this morning. He thinks he may have enough cut already to finish out the goal for this year. That will give us a 3 year supply of 8 cords. He'll probably mess around and get more if he has easy access to it. Never know when we might have to use the wood cook stove all the time if electricity becomes unattainable.

I got my Sam's order, yesterday. I loved the overnight delivery. That doesn't happen often here. Almost everything I order from Sam's goes into the pantry as added storage food/items. I've had to cut back, though. Everything has got soooo expensive.

 

[summerthyme]

you know those bulbs are edible - most flower bulbs are >>> during WW2 the NAZIs tried killing off the Belgians by stripping off the produced food and starving them - many survived by eating the tulip bulbs - they'd save a few of each variety their family heritage prized ......

Tulip bulbs, yes... daffodils are toxic.

Summerthyme

 

[aviax2]

Hello everyone. Its been awhile since I‘ve posted but I still come and read often. It was a long, hot and dry summer and I’m happy to have autumn finally arrive. DH’s garden didn’t do well with the heat and drought so the corn, green beans and winter squash was a complete failure. We did have yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and a few slicing tomatoes starting out but they didn’t hold up for long. The purple hull peas looked promising but we only ended up with around 6 quarts for the freezer, the weather and critters were both an issue.

We bought some apples to dry and I managed to get 1/2 a bushel in the dehydrator yesterday and plan on doing another 1/2 today and 1/2 tomorrow. I get too tired and get hand cramps to try and do more than that at a time. DH and little granddaughter manned the apple peeler. She enjoyed helping and I warned her Mom that she might have tummy issues last night from eating so many apples!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Well, after canning 72 pints of meat, overall, I finally had a pint today that didn't seal. I just stuck it in the fridge, and I'll use it tomorrow night for supper. I don't know what happened, except a faulty lid must have been the cause.

I finally received my Blair order. 2 more winter tops. I'm done with buying winter clothes for myself now. Cary needs more winter T's and shirts. He keeps dragging his feet when it comes to buying for himself.

 

[Cag3db1rd]

I feel like such an under-acheiver compared to y'all. I got the pork butt canned. I got 3 dzn quail eggs boiled to pickle. I made the grounded 7 year old fill 2 buckets with compost to add to garden beds. I was supposed to have gone to pick up quail chickies this evening, but the breeder had an emergent health issue. Will try tomorrow.

Y'all must have multiple large canners to get that much done. Let me channel my inner valley girl: I'm totes jelly.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I feel like such an under-acheiver compared to y'all. I got the pork butt canned. I got 3 dzn quail eggs boiled to pickle. I made the grounded 7 year old fill 2 buckets with compost to add to garden beds. I was supposed to have gone to pick up quail chickies this evening, but the breeder had an emergent health issue. Will try tomorrow.

Y'all must have multiple large canners to get that much done. Let me channel my inner valley girl: I'm totes jelly.

Just one canner for me, but it's been going since May. I wish I did have another one. I can only do small batches at a time, and I can't stack the jars in mine.

 

[philkar]

I am taking a canning break too! We are shelling the sunflowers right now which is a nice change of pace. I got my kitchen all clean and my summer kitchen too getting ready for next round. I often run hot water bath and pressure canner at the same time. Just takes up brain space multitasking! I, like many of you, are keeping on top of washing especially larger items such as rugs and throws etc.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I am taking a canning break too! We are shelling the sunflowers right now which is a nice change of pace. I got my kitchen all clean and my summer kitchen too getting ready for next round. I often run hot water bath and pressure canner at the same time. Just takes up brain space multitasking! I, like many of you, are keeping on top of washing especially larger items such as rugs and throws etc.

Are ya'll getting some coolish temps over your way, too? 41 for our low tonight. Highs in the 70's.

I have a water bath canner, but everything I've been canning has to be pressure canned. Dry beans and meats. I haven't used it, since I got my pressure canner, but it's the only canning method I used, before these new-fangled electric pressure canners came along. Never any meat, though.

 

[hd5574]

Well, after canning 72 pints of meat, overall, I finally had a pint today that didn't seal. I just stuck it in the fridge, and I'll use it tomorrow night for supper. I don't know what happened, except a faulty lid must have been the cause.

I have have the same type of canner you do..plus a smaller All American canner (not used this year) and an old blue speckled water an a new stainless water bath canner which I love ....
I only used the presto digital this year and the new water bath for tomatoes ..so far I have put up about 40 pints of tomatoes and 50 pints of various meats...more in freezer (sausage, pork loin and various types of beef) to do after the garden quits burying me in stuff..I have about 100 pints of pressured veggies so far...with more to do today..and for several days to come...still working on green pepper, hot peppers, celery, yellow potatoes and mixed peppers and onions..I want to can some dry beans also..
I finished canning green beans...at 65 pints...and now DH is stringing leather britches..he just picked more beans.and will string more tonight..
Plus we have dehydrated bunches of frozen veggies from the grocery store...that saves so much prep work...will dehydrate a few more things from the fall garden a bit later..a
Have frozen green peppers, hot peppers and both kinds of chives.
We'll have a blessed weekend all..off to the kitchen..to a couple of loads..

 

[nomifyle]

Last time I went to walmart (couple of weeks ago) I bought a package of shredded cabbage and dehydrated it. It came out wonderfully so when I go to the store again I'm going to get a couple more packages.

I wonder if the rehydrated shredded cabbage would be good for making cole slaw?

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Last time I went to walmart (couple of weeks ago) I bought a package of shredded cabbage and dehydrated it. It came out wonderfully so when I go to the store again I'm going to get a couple more packages.

I wonder if the rehydrated shredded cabbage would be good for making cole slaw?

I wonder if it would make good fried cabbage, too. Anyone know? I haven't used my dehydrator, yet, but dehydrating cabbage would be a good use of it if dehydrated cabbage could be used for fried cabbage. I love the stuff, fried in toasted sesame oil.

 

[nomifyle]

I decided to bite the bullet and am heading out to walmart and dollar tree. My list for each is fairly small. I'm going by myself, DH is going hunting.

 

[etdeb]

I wonder if it would make good fried cabbage, too. Anyone know? I haven't used my dehydrator, yet, but dehydrating cabbage would be a good use of it if dehydrated cabbage could be used for fried cabbage. I love the stuff, fried in toasted sesame oil.

Daughter wanted to make a dish with cabbage,potatoes and smoked sausage. 3 grocery stores in this town and no cabbage.

 

[philkar]

Are ya'll getting some coolish temps over your way, too? 41 for our low tonight. Highs in the 70's.

I have a water bath canner, but everything I've been canning has to be pressure canned. Dry beans and meats. I haven't used it, since I got my pressure canner, but it's the only canning method I used, before these new-fangled electric pressure canners came along. Never any meat, though.

Supposed to be 44 tonight. Night time temps have consistently been in the fifties for a week with day time highs in low 80's. My radishes that I sowed with the carrots have bolted! No rain in 3 weeks. We are dusty out here in the sticks.

 

[philkar]

I wonder if it would make good fried cabbage, too. Anyone know? I haven't used my dehydrator, yet, but dehydrating cabbage would be a good use of it if dehydrated cabbage could be used for fried cabbage. I love the stuff, fried in toasted sesame oil.

I have never tried to dehydrate cabbage although it definitely sounds doable. But I am thinking it wouldn't do well in slaw but what do I know. Truthfully we eat it fresh or out of root cellar. Ever Read Jackie Clay Atkinson? She writes for Backyard Home magazine. She says it pressure cans beautifully. Thinking of trying it this winter. I will report my findings!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Supposed to be 44 tonight. Night time temps have consistently been in the fifties for a week with day time highs in low 80's. My radishes that I sowed with the carrots have bolted! No rain in 3 weeks. We are dusty out here in the sticks.

We have burn bans going up all around us here. No rain in over 2 months.

 

[paxsim2]

48 this morning and 76 for a high. They have rain in the forecast next week.
Cleaning kitchen cabinets and filling a donation box.
Not much going on today.

 

[Cag3db1rd]

Daughter wanted to make a dish with cabbage,potatoes and smoked sausage. 3 grocery stores in this town and no cabbage.

I make that dish at least once a week. It is gooood. Even the yungun eats it.

 

[Cag3db1rd]

Well, we picked up 40 more quail chicks yesterday morning. Some were 13 days old, some were 9 days old. We will hrow them out, butcher the excess males, and rebuild my business. I have already scraped the floor of the aviary so I can put hardware cloth in the bottom b4 filling with wood chips. Was thinking about doing cages, but I would miss sitting with my birds. That's what makes it so enjoyable.