One must realize that I don't blog for others, but for my own sanity.... I've had way too many 'general meanderings' that I wish I hadn't said in fits of my own personal insanities, but mostly it's because I write things down here, and at least I know where I can go to find them as my 'book' is constantly lost or I forgot to write things down.  Pretty much if you are reading this, then consider yourself reading my diary.... ha!  I am pretty confused that the number of you guys reading daily has maintained, and that the countries represented have increased as well.... I really don't get it, but I have to admit that as I am way too obsessed by numbers,  I find it pretty cool.... and I'm not like obsessed with the amount, but by the number.... just to give you a glimpse into my hopefully, well-hidden in person, OCD mind.

So if you've lasted thru the last run-on sentence/paragraph... I have a lovely pumpkin recipe for you.  A wonderful friend came over yesterday with pumpkins her husband had found (sorry, but that is another story).  We pressure cooked the jack-o-lantern sized thing in a couple of batches, and this is what I made today:

Easier than you think, and better than you think it will be:

Pumpkin-Broccoli Chowder

2 tbsp butter

1 red onion chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 ripe tomato, chopped/peeled, (or cheat like I did and use about 1/4 cup of canned tomatoes

4 cups of chicken stock, or an equivalent liquid

4 cups of pumpkin puree'

1 tbsp honey

1 bunch of broccoli, cut into bites

1/4 cup of cream

• Saute onion in butter for several minutes until translucent
• add the soy sauce and tomato.  Cook stirring often until the tomato's juice is evaporated
• Add the chicken stock, pumpkin, honey and salt and pepper, and stir frequently
• Steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes until bright green
• Stir int he steamed broccoli to the soup and add the cream.  Let it cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot for about 8-10 minutes.  Do NOT let it boil.
• Serve hot.

Can you say 'pressure cooking pumpkin' five times real fast?

It doesn't matter if you can say it, just as long as you do it....  In my adventures in pressure cooking, pumpkin has been one of the treats I've made.

Actually it's quite simple.... the hardest part was cutting thru the pumpkin.  Once you do that, simply cut it into strips, and fill you pressure cooker.  No need to peel it, just chunk it up, and pile it in the pressure cooker with about an inch or water in the base.

I didn't worry about over-filling the cooker, as the pumpkin wasn't a solid mass, and there was room for movement.  This actually isn't as full as the picture appears though... This was actually right at/slightly above the max-fill line.

I then pressure cooked it for 5 minutes per my cooker's directions.  THis still blows my mind!  Five minutes and you have a wonderfully cooked food with all of the nutrients contained and not wasted!

Tomorrow (if I can get it together, and find the time) what I did with the pumpkin....

Honestly, the real cuteness was seeing the day or 2 old baby quail running around.  My life in the suburbs means that I won't be hatching any, but it doesn't mean that we still can't enjoy the lovely little eggs.

These are actually boiled...  4 minutes and they are perfect.....

We aren't hunters by nature in our house.  We would much rather grow something than to think about killing for our food.  We do eat meat, but me are picky about what we use.  I don't like contributing to industries that consider animals a crop, and prefer to buy from local people who treat their animals well.

This past week a friend who does hunt gave me some pheasants.  I have to admit that I've never cooked wild game before, but figure that it can't be that different.  The thing I found out with wild birds is that you need to determine if it is dark or white meat so that you can get the time and temp appropriate.  I ended up roasting the birds in the oven, and they were delicious. 

We all enjoyed the meal.  Jett felt that it would be best to just not throw away the head, but to honor the bird by burying it.  Here he is in the backyard taking care of that.....

So feeling inspired by the BreadBecker's class I decided to make the left overs into something even more wonderful....

I took the meat off the bones.  I still got some use from the bones (and feet and neck as well).  I put them in the pot and made a wonderful, flavorful stock.

The pot pie was layered with the meat on the bottom, a mixture of veggies over this.

I used carrots, potatoes, onions and celery.  As I am constantly wanting to use my pressure cooker these days, I cooked these for 5 minutes in some of the before mentioned stock, and they were wonderful. 

I also used some of the broth to make a sauce.  This isn't a bechemel sauce, but is much healthier and quicker.  I put 3 cups of stock in a pot and brought it to a boil.  I than whisked in 1/3 cup of baby white bean/lima bean flour along with some Italian seasoning that I ground in my grain mill.  Cook it for a few minutes until it is thickened.  Add salt to taste.

On top of this I put a biscuit style crust using soft white wheat.

2-1/2 cups soft white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking salt

1 stick of melted butter

2 cups of milk

Combine the dry.  Stir in milk and butter.

Pour this gently over the meat/veggie mixture.

Cook the whole thing at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

I'll admit it... my kids spend time dreaming during this season of playing dress up out in public and getting candy from strangers. 

But as I am frequently looking for pieces that multi-task, in my uni-tasker world, I came to the decision to make a bag  that would not only carry the above candy, but would also facilitate books and other gear when needed.

I also have to admit that I didn't sew the actual bag, but instead used a coupon and teacher discount card at Joann's to get them incredibly cheap (I think that the original price was around $7 for 3 bags, I haven't made mine yet).

I made the owl design, and Shawn made her spider design using scraps that seem to be everywhere these days.

I also used this time to do a bit of a hand sewing lesson with both kids, yes, boys can learn to sew.  Shawn did an over stitch around her spider, but Jett just decided to practice a running stitch.....

Sorry... for a while I forgot that I was a blogger.  I even went almost a week without checking stats.  So since a few of you are actually still around I'll throw a little something out there before I go crash for the night.

I know that everyone does what they do for whatever reasons... did that even make sense?  I have to admit that our only issues with health stem from my prior difficulties with my immune system stemming from illness in my early 20s.  We are pretty much hearty, healthy folks with no allergies, ailments, or issues for the most part.  We eat healthy because we want to, not because we have to.

This being said... I have to admit that I don't know alot about specific diets for treating illness or for food allergies or intolerances.  I've never had reason to really educate myself on food elimination as it just hasn't been relevent.

While we don't have to worry about wheat or milk, we do know others who deal with it daily.  When looking for a yummy gluten-free option, I ran across the Sue Gregg recipe for lemon ginger muffins.  This was one of her first recipes that I tried, and is beyond easy while being whole grain and not requiring a grain mill.  This, of course, is my altered version of her recipe....  the structure is still there, but feel free to alter the extracts and extras to make it your own.

These are made with whole, raw rice in a blender.  I do have a Bosch blender that I currently use, but my old Oster (used to be $19.99 from Walmart) did just fine with this as well.  The buttermilk and other liquids keep it from burning out.  If you feel your blender just doesn't have enough kick to it, I would probably blend for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup honey

1-1/2 cups brown rice (not flour)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 tablespoon (more or less) of poppy seeds

Glaze

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons honey

1. Blend buttermilk, melted butter, 1/2 cup honey and rice together in blender at highest speed for 3-5 minutes.  Cover and let stand for several hours, up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees,and grease muffin tin.

3. Add eggs to batter in blender and blend on highest speed for another 3 minutes.

4. Add baking soda, salt, almond extract and poppy seeds in to batter to just incorporate them.  You could pour it all out and do this in another bowl by hand, but then that would mean more dishes to clean, and that is never a good thing.... just keep it in the blender... it really won't hurt anything.

5. Fill the cups of your greased muffin pan evenly, and bake for 18-20 minutes.

6.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so, and then remove from pan.  Make the glaze by warming the honey very slightly and adding in the almond extract... stir well.

7. Dip the tops for the muffins into the glaze and enjoy!

I would like to think that I'm not afraid of anything in life, but then again, I've found out recently that I have a bit more than a healthy fear for some things.  One of those things is the thought of actually exploding a fireball in my kitchen as I watch.  By that I mean pressure cooking. 

Now I realize that I am being overly dramatic, but that was the vision I had in my head.  Marc actually had some experience with this, so as my new pressure canner was sitting and gathering dust, he walked me thru the process.

I had several bags of cow bones in my freezer that needed to be dealt with so I decided that beef stock would be my first mission.

So what's the point of having beef broth on hand?  Instead of looking to prepared seasonings and chemicals I like the idea of using flavorful, natural ingredients.  It doesn't hurt that there is a ton of nutrients in this as well.  You can use it in vegetable dishes or bases for soups.

To make beef stock is pretty simple.  I put the bones in a roasting pan and added whatever vegetables I have in the kitchen at that time.  Today it was carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and a few peppers.  I don't worry about thinly dicing, but just cut it into large chunks.

Put it all in the over for a few hours at 350 degrees F.  Stir it around a few times here and there, and remove it when it looks somewhat browned.

Then you start the next process of making the actual broth, or stock.  Put it all in a stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then keep at a simmer.  Skim off any of the gross foamy stuff that forms.

Let it simmer for at least 12 hours up to 3 days.  I let this go for almost the full 3 days, and it is really flavorful and rich.  The longer time pulls more of the nutrients and properties from the bones as well.  Don't be surprised to see clumps of gooey, gel-like stuff.... this is where they got gelatin from and that's what you're seeing.

Remove the solids... The ooze-y gelatin stuff will go right thru with the liquid, you want to keep it.   I run it thru strainers until all the bones and pieces of vegetables are gone.  You can then boil it down to concentrate the flavors. 

I also prefer to remove the fat from my stock.  You can either carefully skim it, or chill it and it will solidify and be able to be removed.

You can now freeze or can the stock.  Freezing can be done by boiling it down and then pouring it into an ice cube tray... then you have a handy cube to pull out whenever needed. 

I have more shelf space than freezer right now, so I'm more interested in the canning thing.  Because this is a low-acid product it requires pressure canning.

Good details on canning can be found HERE....

So now my shelves are stocked with beef broth for the winter... I can already taste the French onion soup.....

I have to admit that I've never been one of those people who cook meals in advance... you know, the cook everything for the next month in one day.  I really am much too fickle and enjoy deciding a meal based upon where we are for the day.

Until Saturday...  that was when I had something happen that I had only heard and read about from others.

My freezer door had been left open... just slightly, but enough to thaw out quite a bit of food.  This is the one where the beef goes, along with a couple of packs of chicken.

So now I am excited that I have no plans to cook this week as I did enough on Saturday to take care of us for quite a while.

What ended up happening was multiple steaks cooked on the grill for Marc's dinners at work this week...   A couple of pack of steaks went on an overnight campout (tune in tomorrow).

Hamburger was browned and I made a bunch of spaghetti sauce that went into a massive lasagne or frozen for later.

The chicken was boiled with the broth cooked down and frozen.  I pulled the chicken to add to fajitas.... What isn't used is frozen or put into casseroles to be frozen.

Flank steak was cut up and used for stir fry.  I went ahead and cooked it, and then it can be frozen as needed.

There may have been more, but I've mostly blocked it out at this time.  It's just fun to go to the fridge and see what's already and waiting for me.

......................................................................

A wonderful friend had us over for lunch last week and she made fajitas for us that were wonderful.  I don't think mine turned out quite as well, but maybe that's just because things have gotten to where they taste better to me when I'm not cooking.  Anyway... they are simple and quick to make, and very tasty!

Fajitas:

I sauteed cut up red onion, and yellow, green and red bell peppers in a couple tablespoons of butter.

I then added some minced garlic and some salt/pepper and cumin.

Add some pulled chicken and warm thru to mix flavors.

Serve in a tortilla with some sour cream and salsa.

Sorry no pictures of the finished product, but we were hungry and these were good.

I have to admit that I didn't grow up eating cherries, unless you count the one that was in the can of fruit cocktail or the canned mass that is sickeningly oversweetened to use as pie filling. 

As I got older I thought of buying some fresh, but they were always expensive and then there was the whole pit issue as well.  So I never really tried them.

This year, since discovering Pomona's pectin, I've been anxiously looking for time to experiment with different jams, jelly and various spreads.  So when I saw cherries on sale I figured now was as good as any time to figure them out.

I probably could have pitted mine with the food mill, but instead I invested with a handy gadget that the kids can use to pit them while I assemble other things, and yes, it worked really well....

I decided to make some cherry butter.  I found an online recipe, but as always, I changed it around alot, and this is what I came up with.  To pulp the cherries I ran them thru the food mill on the largest setting after taking out the pits... if this is wrong or un-necessary, please remember I am a cherry novice and pretty much made the whole thing up as I went along....   This also goes very quickly, so have all your stuff handy.

Cherry Butter....

4 cups cherries, pitted and pulped Mine were labelled and tasted sweet

2-3/4 cups sugar, yes, I used the white stuff....

4 tsp of Pomona's calcium water

2 TBS butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 tsp Pomona's pectin

1/2 cup lemon juice

............................................................

1. Mix the cherry pulp and sugar and calcium water together.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Stir constantly while cooking to dissolve the sugar and keep from scorching. 

2. Add the butter to settle the foam.

3. Add cinnamon and almond extract when all sugar is dissolved and stir well.

4. Combine the pectin with the lemon juice,  (use quickly as it will solidify) and add it to the cherry mixture.  Return to a boil stirring with a whisk vigorously for 3 minutes.  Reduce heat.

5. Can as desired.  This made about 5 cups of cherry butter that I processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

I've been busy lately cleaning out my grandparent's house as we prepare to sell it later this week.  While many things have been thrown out, due to their pack rat tendancies, a few treasures have been found.

One of these things were some old gingham aprons embroidered with chicken scratch.  I've done a bit of this simple embellishing, and it is fairly simple, but still lovely...

I would like to think that if I have enough drive and determination, I should be able to achieve everything in a day that I want to achieve.  I don't know if it is the perfectionist in me, or if I'm really just that vain, but I'm finding it hard to do it all despite lists and vitamins, even.

The truth is that when I do finally wind down late into the evening, the last thing I want to do is sit and blog.  I've actually started reading voraciously again (see, voraciously is the word of someone who is reading alot), and I'm just physically, mentally and emotionally worn-out when it comes to alone time.

I won't go into all the gory details, but I imagine that most other people are living the same life... they probably just have different 'stuff' than I do.... if nothing else it seems my hands might be eternally prune-y from putting up an never-ending supply of tomatoes this year.

But, I would like to think that I don't break my promises, even though that really isn't true either, so I wanted to post about jam.

I've been pretty busy so to make a 2+ hour trip simply to get peaches, when there are some available pretty much everywhere in GA in the summer, is a big deal.  I especially wanted organic peaches.  Peaches tend to be consistently rated highest in pesticide residuals, and while I'm not 100% certified organic, with something like this I want to make an extra effort.

This batch was destined to become jam.  There are few things I love in life more than peach jam. 

I've also recently discovered Pomona's Pectin.  This wonderful product is an alternative to using traditional pectins.  Traditional pectins, like Sure-Jel, use high sugar concentrations to activate the gelling process.  You actually can make jam and jelly without pectin at all, you just have to boil your fruit, again with a high level of sugar, for what seems like an eternity to reach the gel point.  I don't have time for all this, plus it is way too hot. 

I invested in a case of the Pomona's and have been really impressed with using it so far.

Pomona's instructions are easy to use and explain how to do what you want.  You are not limited by using a set amount of fruit and sugar... you ratio out how much you need and go from there.  You are also not limited to using white sugar.  You can use white sugar, if you want, but you can also use honey, agave nectar, and artificial sweetners.  You also have the choice in the amount of your sweetner, and depending upon the tartness or sweetness of the fruit, you can adjust.

The price per box of Pomona's is about twice of what you buy a single box of store brand, but generally you can do several batches with one box.  So far I've done 2 batches of peach jam and one of blackberry jam all from one box.

Otherwise the specifics are the same.... cut up or pit your fruit.  Squish it a bit, and add in the calcium water that you make per the directions.

Put it on the stove and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, figure out how much and what kind of sweetner you want.  I generally go with honey on the low end of the recommendations.  Add your pectin powder to this and blend.

When the fruit boils add the pectin-sweetner blend and return it to a boil.

You are now ready to can, or you can just cool and use.

You might think that one of my favorite places was some beautiful, rustic place full of scenery or the people I loved.

It might be, but today I went to another of the places I love....  The Dekalb Farmers Market....

This isn't really a true farmers market, but is more of a ginourmous (Jett's new word) international market that just dares you to not find what you are looking for.

I'm talking every running, creeping, swimming or hopping thing you can think of... any fruit or veggie, any grain.... They've got it, and usually in it's natural, organic form on top of it all.  My advice is to always go with a list, and allow yourself only 1 or 2 things outside of that list... otherwise you get way too much!

Another reason I love this place is because I walk in and realize that I am only a very small part of this world.  It reminds me that there are lost people not only around the world who have never heard of Jesus, but many also, within a one hour drive.   It just puts alot of them together in one place....

So why did I haul 1 hour down the road today?  For peaches, of course.  I've had the sudden desire to make peach jam using my new pectin...  I've made a couple of jars already, and am hopelessly addicted at this point.  One of my best childhood memories is of peach jam... it's my favorite!

I've also started a cleanse today as things aren't the way they should be at this time....

More on both the cleanse and pectin to follow....

We started some small raised beds in our backyard where I have a couple of plants growing and doing well...  Among these are some basil plants. 

They were getting a bit 'leggy' so I cut them back a bit to encourage a bit fuller growth and to prevent early flowering, and was trying to figure out what to do with the basil I had.

I looked online to find out how to make a basil oil, but most of the things I found were for more of a basil puree', with the basil blended with the oil.  This would last a couple of days at best.

I decided to try something different.  I wasn't looking for a garnish, but more of an ingredient.  I ended up making a basil infused oil, that so far seems to be pretty good.

To do this I used a cold process with the oil over a 2 week period.  I decided to use a cold process and not hot as basil, in my opinion, seems to be very aromatic, and I felt that a hot processing of the oil might diminish some of the volatility of this substance.

I put the fresh, washed basil into a quart glass jar after cutting it into smaller pieces with my ulu, and covered it with extra virgin olive oil.  After covering it tightly with the lid, I shook the jar.  I continued to shake it several times a day for the next 2 weeks, allowing it to sit in a warm, semi-sunny place.

After 2 weeks I strained out the basil leaves and was left with an oil that I returned to a bottle to use as needed that smells deliciously of basil.

For decorative purposes you could probably add some more basil leaves into the jar.  I didn't do this, but it shouldn't be a big deal either way.  My thinking is that if the oil is strained and free of the herb it will increase the length of time that it will last as I haven't added any preservatives to it.  The herbs being left in it have the potential to make it go bad sooner...  By going bad I'm thinking rancid or cloudy.

The first recipe I used it in was to saute' some onions for a tomato basil soup....  If nothing else, the smell was amazing, and the taste was subtle, but nice...

I have jam and jelly, along with various other things to can, coming out of my ears right now.  So after picking blackberries, I decided that instead of yet another jar of jam to can, I needed comfort food.

Something warm and soothing, something sweet, and most of all quick and easy.

So I went to my new favorite website (Food Network... I've got a new Alton Brown fixation) and went in search of cobbler.  This one was super-easy, and while a bit sweet for me, still delicious....

You can link above to the actual recipe, but I'll give you the rundown....

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put 3C blackberries in a buttered casserole, and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of sugar (and yes, I used some white sugar that I had stashed in the pantry) 

Combine 1-1/2 cup flour (I used soft white wheat) with 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt in food processor.  Add in 8(!) tbsp butter and cut it into the flour by pulsing the food processor (I actually only could force myself to use about 6tbsp).  Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream (sorry, I used whole/raw milk) and pulse until dough forms.

You could do this all by hand, but the cuisinart was faster.

Spoon dough over berries. 

Melt 2 more tbsp of butter and drizzle over the dough.  Top with another 1/3 cup of sugar.

Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Serve, preferably with vanilla ice cream, and be glad that it's summer.

So why peel a tomato, right?

Right now, where I live, tomatoes are starting to come in big time.  Whether you grow your own non-GMOs or buy them from your local market you have the option using them now, or preserving them for later.

By preserving I mean either canning or freezing.  For other foods dehydration is also an option, but I tend not to go there with tomatoes myself...they are too wet.  Canning is great because it is done and over with and does not require the use of our 'finite resources' to maintain them.  They sit on a shelf until you need them.

Freezing, while easier to do in my opinion, takes a freezer and electricity to keep your product frozen.

I tend to do a little of both depending upon my lazy-ness meter, and how many jars I have in the basement. 

If you choose to can, please consult a book like the Ball Blue Book of Preserving (cheaper at walmart) or a website  that will give you all the details on the process.  My point is that before you preserve you have to prepare...

With tomatoes you generally peel and seed them.  I am admittedly lazy and do not seed my tomatoes.  I do peel them. 

First... start with tomatoes...  This works best with ripe tomatoes as the skins won't come off of the unripe places.  If your tomatoes are a bit green, let them sit in the sun for a while or in a bag with other tomatoes and they will get there.

Next... immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for about a minute. 

Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them into a cool water bath.

Then... peel the skins from the tomatoes.  If they don't have a split slit the skin gently with a knife.

Chop or do as you like with your tomatoes... if you want you can seed them, but I usually just chop and freeze as is or use them for sauce.

These acually went into a pot of soup to enjoy later this week....

Frugal doesn't always have the best connotation when mentioned.  It reminds me of simple and stark, of being cheap.  While these things aren't bad in and of themselves, they don't make you automatically feel good, either.  I've found that things that make you feel good, and happy, are things that we tend to have an easier time making a part of our lives.  One can only play the martyr for so long until it really gets boring.

So I want to make frugal seem fabulous... It's not just about saving money and using resources wisely, but about enjoying what you do.... but then, isn't saving money always fabulous?

I think one of the best ways to learn to cook frugally is to learn how to make a stock (or broth) as this will add nutrition and flavor to your food.  This is really one of the backbones of cooking, in my opinion.  Stock can be used in so many items, often in place of fats.  But today I took a next step....

Today I learned to make a gumbo, 'a la Alton Brown.  How is this frugal and fabulous, you might ask?  Let me just say it involves making your own perfect roux... handy in most soups as a flavor/thickening base... with minimal fuss or muss.  Also, gumbo can be made with just about any meat (we almost used some frog legs that we found at the grocery today, but chickened out) and the veggies can also be used as available.

I have to admit that in the past I've not cooked the roux long enough and could never achieve the 'perfect' copper/brick color that is denoted in my cookbooks by a penny.  I never thought it was that big of a deal,  until I tasted the difference that a good roux can make.  I was either too bored to stand there and stir it, or afraid that I would burn it.   It usually takes about 20 minutes on low-med heat, but I used Alton's method of cooking it in the oven, and it worked perfectly.  I do admit that I did cut down on his cooking time.  Mine was ready in 45 minutes, and not the 90 minutes he recommends.  This is longer than the stovetop method, but doesn't require constant attention.... 

For the roux, I weighed out 4 oz of flour and 4 oz of oil.  I used soft white wheat that I ground, and then strained to remove the germ (sorry, but I did).  I used a mixture of butter and lard for the oils and melted them before putting them in my cast iron casserole dish.  After wisking them together I put the pan, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 350 degrees.  I checked and wisked it every 10-15 minutes or so.  See the full recipe at the above link....

The roux after 10 minutes...

After 45 minutes...

Home cooking doesn't have to be hard or tedious...

So, frugally speaking, instead of buying a can of soup or stock, try creating your own. 
Fabulously speaking, take something time consuming and boring, and make it easy and delicious....  

In the midst of chaos it is often the little things in life that allow you to stay grounded and focused.  They allow you to still feel like there is a simplistic normalcy to life that can't be taken away despite all of the other stuff going on.

I had been looking for something to separate the kitchen from the entry way and found it this week.  My new beaded/shell curtain.....

I've decided to start looking at frugal living options this Friday... I don't promise a return of this as I do tend to be easily distracted and may forget....

Right now it would seem that the media is telling us that frugality is the new American past-time, but I would encourage everyone to look at what your family's needs are and look to meet them.  We can't all do go the same path in life and what works for me, may not work for you.

One thing we do is to grow our own food.  We have 2 small raised beds at our house, and a larger garden (actually massive) at my parent's house.  We grow things to preserve them in the form of canning or freezing.  This time of year our menu is due heavily to what is in season in the garden as it saves on grocery bills.

Today I went and worked a bit in the big garden at my parent's house.  This is a garden that can supply way more than the 6 people it currently does, and I have to admit to being rather lazy about its upkeep.  But I did make it today, and I took care of some weeds and also got to do some picking.

We are in zone 7 where we live and have a long hot growing season.  We planted some potatoes in March and today I dug them all.  In my row I probably have enough now to last until Christmas...  I have them stored in the air-conditioned part of my basement in a large cardboard box so that there is plenty of air circulating.  They are in a dark, cool place.

I also picked some of the green beans.  The 1/2 runners were ready and I was able to prepare 8 quarts to freeze and 1 quart to eat now.  Green beans require pressure canning, if they are to be canned, and I'm not ready to go there yet, so I freeze mine.  The 1/2 runners don't have 'strings' so you only need to remove the ends.  I break mine into large pieces, and rinse them.  I then blanch them on the stovetop.  To do this I get a large pot of water boiling and put in a quart or so of beans for 3 minutes.  I then remove them and put them into a cold water bath (usually with a couple of ice cubes) to cool quickly.  I then put them into a freezer bag* and try to get out as much air as I can before sealing the bag.  Get them into the freezer as quick as possible.  Make sure you label the bag with what is in it and the date that they were prepared.

*For freezer bags I tend to use only 'name' brands like Ziploc, as I've found that store brands don't seem to be as sturdy. 

Freezing is alot easier than canning, but it maybe daunting if you've never done it before.  Even if you don't grow your own, you might find some really good deals on fresh, local produce.  Take advantage of buying a large amount and putting some away for later.

The Ball Blue Book of Preserving is a great resource for canning and freezing just about anything.  It is definitely one to keep on hand.  I found my copy at Walmart for around $5.  You can also check most cookbooks for a freezing/canning section.  They also give tips on times and preparation.

Sources I would recommend for gardening would include Lasagna Gardening or The Self-Sufficient Gardener... both can usually be found at your library.  You don't have to start with a massive plot, but consider buying a couple of large pots and try your hand at growing your own food.

Because tomato season will be here before we know it, I am getting prepared to get the most out of the garden.  I am also planning on canning a large quantity of pre-made spaghetti sauce so that it will be ready to go when I need it, though it is awfully quick and easy to make.  I don't always make it the same way, and these aren't really instructions as much as guideslines...

And by the way... I also use it for pizza sauce as well....

Spaghetti Sauce

2-3 tbsp butter or olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 quart of tomatoes (I used the canned or frozen ones)

6 oz tomato paste

2 tsp basil

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp honey or sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

Saute onion in oil until translucent, then add celery and garlic.  Continue to saute a few more minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs/seasonings.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or so.

I also add finely chopped mushrooms (so Jett won't notice them). 

I have used this sauce for so many things and it works so well.... Enjoy!