Monday, December 26, 2022

Winter Harvest



Hello, friends.  I hope you had a most enjoyable holiday.    Last week, we harvested cabbage for colcannon, lettuce and chard, and thyme for tea.  I finished reading Love & Saffron, which I really enjoyed, and requested three more books from the library.  A pot of small sweet potatoes was simmered on the woodstove for the pups and chickens.  Another tromboncino was grated for the chicken's mash, which they get every day that I'm at home.  My two sewing machines were moved into the new sewing room, and J bought a small wall propane heater, as our wood heat doesn't reach there very well.  I've started looking for a piece of furniture for fabric storage.  At a dental cleaning, I received a "free" toothbrush and two samples of ozone gel.  My husband and I watched the Bocelli Christmas special, free (with ads) on YouTube; free Pandora holiday stations and the holiday stream on Folk Alley provided cheer.


pre-single digit garden cover up

I stopped at Hallmark after an appointment, and got $9 off my purchase, using coupons, and received a free card.  At Harris Teeter, I received the 5% senior discount, and picked up brussels sprouts for $2.99/#.  Not a great price, but better than the $3.99 I'd been seeing elsewhere.  I also got a large organic cucumber for $1.79, and canned organic beans on sale for $1 off/ 4 pk.  At Food Lion, I got three bunches of asparagus for $1.49/#, and froze two.  The quality was less than I'd hoped for, but that's not uncommon with produce these days.  Also purchased was honey on sale, and  .99 avocados.  J read there's a bumper crop of avocados, so hopefully the price will go down further.  I went by a favorite thrift store.  The sign said Christmas items were 1/2 off, but at the register I realized they were giving everyone half off, which was a nice surprise.  I bought a small gift, and two items for my online shop.



Vegetable soup was made, with several of our vegetables, and also used some of our dehydrated greens and soup mix (onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms).  J & I deeply harvested the winter garden before the single digit temps, and covered everything as well as possible.  None of it may make it, but we wanted to try.  We harvested many lbs. of of collards, more than a large black trash bag full, and blanched and froze 16 qts.  Also harvested was 5 oz of chard, equivalent to a regular clamshell of salad, 13 oz. of lettuce, around 2# of kale, some of which was frozen, a small amount of broccoli, and a few lbs. of mixed winter greens.  We did our best to not waste anything, and hope to be harvesting something on the other side of this frigid snap.  Three friends who often take our produce were out of town, and another didn't want any of it.  I went through Rakuten with 10% back, for a business purchase.  On Christmas day, J made himself a pork roast, and our turnips and greens with bacon.  I made a sweet potato, apple, cranberry bake with walnuts, and a cranberry quinoa salad with kale and walnuts.  I also roasted asparagus and made cookies.  We ate well.  May the remaining days of '22 go out quietly, and may '23 bring greater hope, peace and light to us all.  


9 comments:

daisy g said...

Sounds like a cozy holiday celebration.

Peace to you in the new year.

Laurie said...

It was a cozy day. Peace in 2023 would be most welcome. Thank you.

Staci D said...

Sorry to read that you have also been experiencing very cold temps. It has been downright frigid here for the past 5 days but it's looking good for the next week starting tomorrow. Happy to see you were able to get quite a harvest from your winter garden! I ended up picking the last of my veg a week and a half ago, so no more fresh greens...

Your tree is beautiful!

I love your wish of 2023 bringing greater hope, peace and light. I wish for the same.

Laurie said...

It's been pretty frigid for the South! Our thermometer showed 2 on the coldest night. We'll probably uncover things tomorrow, and see if anything made it. Even if nothing in the garden, we're really hoping the olives and pomegranates survive. I guess us gardeners will have to start planning for '23!

Jeannie said...

That was wise harvesting a lot before the deep freeze hit. I picked quite a bit too but didn't have the energy to put it up. It was given away to friends who were thrilled to get it. Hopefully, most of your stuff will survive.

We are taking it one day at a time.

Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

Laurie said...

So far, it looks like much of it made it through the freeze. I was surprised how great the lettuce looked. I'm thinking covering them with leaves before the outer cover made the difference. Some chard died, and the mixed greens look really rough, but it looks much better than we expected.

Michèle Hastings said...

Happy New Year!
We had friends over for NYE and I decided to shop at Harris Teeter in Pinehurst because I knew they would have everything that I was looking for. I was pleasantly surprised that they have a senior discount day! I had a big bill so the discount was substantial. I will now plan to go on Thursday if I need things there.

Laurie said...

Yes, isn't it wonderful! We can surely use a discount right now. I schedule my monthly massage on Thursdays, specifically so I can shop HT then! I've been doing more of my shopping at the Carthage one, as it's usually not quite as busy.

Jeannie said...

I am back reading your post again. Now that my head is clear, I noticed the picture of your garden with the tarp. If the temperature drops down again, I will be dragging out a tarp for the few remaining spinach and kale plants.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry