November Days

Hello, friends.  Last week, I spent time weeding the carrots and beets in the garden.  A five gallon bucket was filled, and given to the chickens.  That wasn't all the weeds, but it made a good dent.  One of our cabbages was ready, which J harvested.  I made a new recipe, Lemony Cabbage Salad with half, and we had our sweet potatoes and crowder peas with it, so an all from-the-homestead dinner.  I liked the cabbage salad as is, but J wants to see how it would be with carrots added, so I'll try that next time. More celery was dehydrated and powdered.  Two purchases were made through Swagbucks, for 2%  and 4% cash back.  On a morning we were to visit with friends in the evening, I steamed potatoes, so when we got in, it would be easy to prepare fried potatoes and peppers for a quick supper.  I feel very blessed to remain close to friends I went to high school with.  Our next reunion will be our 50th, in '26.  Yikes!

I've done a little deep cleaning.  A toothpaste tube was cut.  Though it felt like I'd been squeezing the end of it for weeks, it always amazes me how much remains.  Likely a dozen or more brushings.  I regret all the toothpaste I've wasted, over the years, before I began doing this.  Our first winter salad of the season was enjoyed, with bean burgers and fries for dinner.  The winter salad is so flavorful and good, fresh from the garden.  Instead of using black beans for the burgers, I opened a quart of our home canned field peas from 2014.  I know there are people who choose not to eat their canned goods after a year or two, but I see no reason for this.  I did specifically use this jar because of it's age, but it still had a perfect seal, and the beans looked like they did when I canned them.  The nutrition may be somewhat less, but if jars are stored in a cool, dark environment, as ours are, the seals remain tight, and they look and smell good, I see no reason to waste food.  Yes, I know the USDA now recommends you use canned goods in one year, but to me, that's just wasteful and makes no sense. A double batch of burgers was made, and the extras frozen.

The asters have been buzzing with pollinators, especially honey bees, which makes me happy.  We know there are a couple of beekeepers a mile or so away from us.  When the days get shorter, I burn beeswax candles during dinner.  The tea lights end up with around 1/4 of the beeswax remaining, once the wicks burn out.  Hating to waste it, I started keeping them.  On a day the woodstove was "on low", I sat the tea lights on it, melted the remaining beeswax, and poured it in an old 3" x 3" glass candle holder.  There ended up being about 3/4" of wax this time.  I also found out I can buy tea light refills, saving some money, and kept the little cups to do this.  Plates of peppers and tomatoes continue to ripen in the kitchen.

While in town for a number of errands, I stopped by a quilt show put on by the local quilting group.  There are lots of very talented ladies, and a few men too.  One of our little game hens has begun laying the tiniest eggs.  At this point, I figured it would be spring, so that was a nice surprise.  I read two free Kindle books, and a short story I really enjoyed.  I gathered lettuce, dandelion greens for the pups, oregano, a small amount of black haw fruits, and hawthorn berries, which I began a glycerite with.  Two books were requested from the library.  That's life on the homestead.  I'm sending many wishes that you have a lovely week ahead.