brrrr~

Brrr...

It's a cold and rainy day here in northern Wisconsin.  When I woke up this morning at 5:00 a.m. the thermometer reading was at 44°F.  I'm so glad I got the lawn mowed yesterday; because the way the rain is coming down now; and by the looks of the next few days forecast ~ there isn't going to be any outside work done for awhile.

I did manage to get my carrots canned and the last of the beets pickled yesterday; so that's two more things I can cross off the 'to do' before the end of September list.  I was only a day off ~ so that's not too bad.

My pantry is over flowing with fresh fruits and veggies all canned or frozen.  I love it!  So far this year I have put up: swiss chard, snow peas, carrots, green beans, yellow beans, rhubarb, zucchini, tomatoes, salsa, tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, dill pickles, pickled beets, applesauce, sweet corn, pickle relish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beet greens, honey mushrooms, beets, sauerkraut, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, caramel apple jelly, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, peach apple jam, strawberry rhubarb jam, spaghetti sauce, canned potatoes and cranberries. 

I know I'm missing stuff here; but my brain just hit the wall and went on a freeze... and I'm not even eating ice cream.

Plus: our homemade bacon, salt pork, bratwurst, liver sausage, hot dogs, breakfast sausage patties, breakfast links, keilbasa, smoked salmon, canned salmon, pickled fish, pickled beef heart, pickled turkey gizzards, partridge, turkey, chicken, beef and pork.

Plus: the freezer has a good supply of pasties, pies, cookies, zucchini bread and banana bread.

Wow... I never realized just how much I've done myself until I started listing it here.

All I really have left to do is freeze up some squash yet and make up some pumpkin bread and cranberry nut bread.  I also want to make up a gallon or so of apple juice.  I'll also be cutting up steaks and canning up some venison come hunting season in November.

Last night we had a meal of homemade egg noodles with canned moose gravy over them.  I only have four jars of canned moose left ~ I sure wish we could afford to go to Canada and get another one.   I would rather eat moose than beef any day.  So until then... I'll be saving my last four jars and savoring the moment when we get to eat it.   I'll also be saving my pennies so we can  take another moose hunt some time in this lifetime of ours.  

There have been several sightings of moose here in our area over the last few years... also there has been the introduction of elk to our area.  Too bad there aren't enough to have a hunting season on them.  Well... I'm sure it'll never be in my lifetime.  So... in the meantime... we have to save up our money and go to Canada for the moose and Colorado for the elk.  Dear Hubby is also wanting to take a trip up north one of these years for a caribou.  I told him he can pass on that one.  I'm not a real huge fan of caribou... the few times I've eaten it.  To me it taste like lichenes ~ not that I've ever eaten lichen straight from the woods.

All in all... we really do feel blessed.  Being able to live like we do; being so self sufficient and knowing what it is that we eat ~ without all the chemicals and preservatives that are polluting our crops and being added to our foods.

If you can't garden and grow your own ~ I sure hope you support your local farmers market and eat good healthy foods.   After all... the saying is, "you are what you eat" and I'd rather be known as a big veggie with a little meat than a cream puff and taffy.

Until next time ...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel