We spent the last few days on vacation and had a grand time.  There was lots of swimming and the pool we were at did not have any issues with us swimming with dresses on.  We are probably much better off than all those that were over-exposed to the sun. LOL! 

Before we left we were able to put in the fall garden.  This is the first year that our garden has been full for all seasons.  Here is what we have done to make this happen.  We put in many things early so that we are already harvesting them and making room for new things.  Harvested items include - peas, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots.  We have succession planting going on carrots so I have been able to use the first ones for canning and freezing.  Potoates were harvested early due to a pesky gopher family getting fat off of my hard work, but still we harvested 185 pounds of them. 

After harvesting many of the items we have replanted items which includes - broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, onions, peas, spinach, carrots, beets, chinese cabbage, and potatoes.  We had room for most of these items and some were interplanted amongst established crops.  We will put in garlic later in the fall.  If the majority comes up, were we used seeds, then we will continue to harvest and preserve well in to the late fall.

Before we left we picked green beans and zucchini.  Upon returning we have grated zucchini and froze in 1/2 cup portions, canned carrots, picked and snapped green beans and put in the canner, blanched whole green beans for freezing, and blanched carrots for freezing.  I find that frozen green beans are great for stir frys and the frozen carrots are being frozen on a baking sheet so I can grab a handful to flavor dishes as I need them.

We have completed about 20% of our preserving for the year, but have about 45% of our needed food supplies.  This is due to items remaining at the beginning of this year's harvest.  We also took a cow in to be butchered so we are looking to add some variety to our diet.  My 4 year old lectured me the other night on how it is not nice to kill cows to eat them and that it is our job to protect them.  He went on and on with some really complicated thoughts on the subject.  I said, "do you like hamburgers?"  He said, "Yes."  I said, "They come from cows."  "Oh."  We had hamburgers for dinner and he has had nothing more to say on killing cows.

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Posted by a1health

That's so cute what your son said. We've had that discussion about eating Wilbur, but loving bacon.
Blessings,
~Farrah

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