Persimmons, Pawpaws and Frugal Accomplishments

persimmons

It has been another busy week, and I'm happy to be joining Frugal Accomplishments today.  J added bags of Black Kow manure and organic fertilizer to the hoop house garden bed, and we planted kale, collards, winter salad mix and lettuce.  Depending on the winter, some years greens do better in the hoophouse; other years they do better in the garden.  I went by Trader Joe's, as it was 4 mins out of the way, when I took a friend for a procedure.  I bought produce including artichokes, sea salt and a few other items.  I steamed the artichokes, with bits of our garlic & olive oil drizzled over, and put the stem ends and top bits I cut off into my freezer bag for broth.

I harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, lima beans and crowder peas.  I did some weeding in the bean bed.  Canned tomato juice, & the cooled canning water went on plants.  The pups got small amounts of leftover pasta and okra, grated squash and cauliflower stems, and basil with their dinner.  Did laundry with homemade laundry soap, & hung it on the line.  J grilled on Labor Day, with okra, tromboncino squash & tomatoes from our garden.   I bought cabbage and broccoli seedlings for the fall garden, and planted them, just before a good rain.   Canned tomatoes.  I gathered wild grapes on my walks, and fed them to the chickens.  They also got the large okra pods, which I cut open and threw the seeds out to them.  Swiss chard leaves and other greens were given to them as well.

 I bought 4 limes for $1, froze the juice, and started a batch of cleaning vinegar with the peels.  Made pasta sauce with our tomatoes, garlic and herbs.  Planted a celery bottom in the hoophouse, to regrow.  I've been doing this for a few years, and it works wonderfully.  I made kombucha and hummingbird food, & kefir. After putting a box of pure cane sugar cubes in a canning jar to store, I looked it up online, and was surprised to find the box I got for $1 at the discount store goes for $8.28 on Amazon.

pawpaws

I harvested the last of the pawpaws, and froze the pulp.  I had pears that needed using, and made a Double Pear crisp, from the Sundays at Moosewood cookbook.  The dried pears were some of ours that I dehydrated last year.  Made caprese salad.  I harvested the calyces of the rosella hibiscus, which I'll dry and use in teas.  Harvested our only watermelon of the year, which we enjoyed.  There was one jar of tomatoes that did not seal last week, and I tried making Brandy's Tuscan Tomato Bread soup with it, our fresh garlic and herbs.  I'll be making the soup again, as we both enjoyed it.  I initially planned on making squash casserole, a recipe of a good friend's Mom, which calls for Bisquick.  I found a recipe online & mixed up a batch.  When I decided to make soup instead, I used some of the "bisquick" mix and made biscuits.  J loves him some biscuits :o)

euonymus americanus aka hearts a bustin or strawberry bush

With some recent cooler days and nights, my urge to bake returned, which inspired me to grind wheat.  I've been meaning to try making mayonnaise, and had gotten the safflower oil to do so.  We ran out of mayo over the weekend, and I wanted a tomato sandwich, so I made mayonnaise.  It really is simple and easy, taking only a few minutes.  I was hoping it would be truly wonderful, but I thought it was a bit bland.  I'd like to try it again with some fresh mustard, and also try another recipe I printed at the same time.  Continue to compost, recycle, and wash plastic bags for reuse.  This weekend, I noticed the first scents of fall, that earthy decaying smell, while on my walk.  The afternoon light has shifted, and winter berries and persimmons are coloring up.  I plan to enjoy these last days of summer, while looking forward to autumn.  How about you?