Fwd: Alert: FDA to irradiate the food supply starting NOW - pls. f...

August 23, 2008

I agree. Even the relatively small amount I am able to grow makes me feel good! I've had floods of bush beans lately, and I've been freezing some too, in addition to eating some fresh. We're trying to figure out how to tell when the watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew are ripe. I don't want to pick them too soon! I'm still drying Roma tomatoes, and babying my new tomato cuttings along, hoping to get in at least a small fall crop.

The lettuce practically grows overnight in this heat. Which is a good thing, since I won't be buying any after this week, lol. I'm holding off planting the spinach and other fall veggies til it cools off a bit. It's hard waiting, lol.

The food journal is a great idea! I'm not nearly that organized, sadly, but let us know what your findings are over time.

And keep us posted on the canning. I need moral support to get me motivated for next year, lolol. ;-)Cyndi

In a message dated 8/22/2008 11:57:49 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, stringweaver writes:

Every time I read the news these days I am increasingly thankful that I am able to have a garden and access to local produce.

I just picked up another dozen ears of corn to freeze and 8 good sized eggplants at a fruit stand. I'll roast the eggplant and freeze in 1 cup amounts for winter cooking-bharta, babaganoush, soups...

I'll buy another bunch next week and cook soup and stew for freezing ready to eat portions.

I've frozen two flats of local raspberries. That was expensive-$68. I'll definitely put some in my garden next spring.

Local peaches, pears and cucumbers are available. I'm going to bite the bullet and do some canning this weekend. I'll freeze some peaches too, for smoothie making and baking.

My own garden is yielding a steady trickle of drying tomatoes and snap beans and a flood of zucchini. The pole beans don't flood with harvest at once, which I like, I can face starting to blanch and pack away a small amount of food at 10 pm. If I had too much at a time I'd leave it all for the weekend. I am going to get a small crop out of my corn-I'll retain that for fresh eating and am using local corn for freezing. Carrots, beets, witloof and fennel are still growing-I got them in very late this year, but they should mature before frost.

For kicks I'm keeping a notebook with prices paid, how far the food has traveled and how much I put up. I belive that if I stick with cooking from scratch, even adding local grass fed, hormone free beef, chicken and rabbit (though I'm not so sure about eating bunnies yet), and supplementing my garden with local bought produce, that my grocery bill will not go up this year and my diet will be a lot healthier and more satisfying than last year's mostly packaged food diet.

I'm even toying with the idea of getting a hand-crank grain mill. Someone fed me pancakes made from freshly ground flour and the flavor was astonishing. I googled a mill that will make cracked wheat, rolled flakes and flour. Expensive, but hey, cheaper than a new tv.

Ellen

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