28 September 2012

September Chronicle























  • Watched our small town football game opener at the new $60 million facility.  Texans love their high school football.
  • Spent labor day weekend motorcycle & antique shopping. 
  • Hosted a labor day patio party that ended up being a kitchen island party because the weather was well over 100 degrees. 
  • The oven door finally got fixed.
  • Had an eye appointment.  My eyes got better???  Actually, the last doctor made my prescription too high.  I finally have new glasses.
  • I'm not much of a t.v. watcher, but Flipping Out on Bravo started and I love the drama!
  • We had a few visits from our favorite girls this month.
  • Attended a market dinner at Patina Green.  It was a five course meal of locally sourced food. 
  • I planted a fall garden.  I know I haven't talked about it much, but I hope to get something out of it.
  • My brother celebrated a birthday.
  • Annie started puppy obedience class and she is doing so well.
  • Went to Squam!  Words here, photos here.
  • Took lovely classes from Thea and Christine.
  • Found my style at Wholly Tara.
  • cc bought a Steve McQueen Triumph
  • My sister's dream came true.  She finally opened Salon Chic!
  • Spent time at CCAC working towards exposing their awesome programs to more kids.
  • Purged quite a few clothes out of my closet and donated them.  I'm working on getting down to the basics.
  • Soccer season started for one of favorite girlies. 
  • Friends are getting married soon and we attended a beautiful shower for them on the lake.
  • cc and I finally got around to decorating the bedroom.  Why is that room always the last room to get done?
  • Neighbor kids came over to play with us.  And by us I mean Annie. 
  • Heard Nolan Ryan speak at a luncheon.  While some people will think I'm crazy, I have to say I was disappointed.  I really don't care who the MVP of baseball should be this year. 
  • Reconnected with an old friend over lunch. 
  • Traveled to Lincoln to celebrate the grand opening of Salon Chic.  Photos to come.
  • Movies: an old Steve McQueen movie.  (motorcycles are on the brain around here)
  • The 4(for) green acres challenge this month was on food preservation and Jenna from UpCountry shared her first time canning experience with us.
  • I posted an easy tomato sauce recipe for canning.
  • I've been working on gratitude this month and created a special journal to keep me motivated.
  • I went into more detail about Alaskan life over at UpCountry Living.
  • Fall finally arrived.  My favorite season.
What exciting events happened in your world this month?

25 September 2012

Road Trip: Squam Art Workshops












































I have been home from Squam for over a week now. It has taken me this long to process my thoughts and the photos. I attended Sqaum Art Workshops held at the Rockywold-Deephaven camps. This was my second trip and it was just as magical as the first. Elizabeth, the founder of the retreat, somehow has the ability to transform camp into a blissful place where it feels like everything you've ever dreamt for yourself can come true.

It is hard to describe the experience because there is nothing like it. You walk in full of anxiety, fears about inadequacy, and most times wondering what the hell are you doing here. Nevertheless, you are quickly cocooned by loving embraces of other women who feel exactly as you do, and almost as instantly as you settle into your cabin, the low cloud seems to dissipate.

There truly is no other word for it, but magical.



There is magic in the beams of sunshine that filter through the tree branches into your bedroom. You wake under the warmth of a down comforter and slip out onto the cold, wood floor. The air is crisp, cool, and quiet.



There is magic on the dock at sunrise. The ripples in the water passing on a message of love and confidence that the day will be spectacular.



There is magic when you're taking a quiet walk through the woods and the volume of piano music slowly increases so as to take over your thoughts. And as you find the source in the open air playhouse, you happily discover a lumberjack with the talented fingers. His foot keeping the beat.



There is magic in the hidden hammock hanging from the trees.



There is magic hanging from the rafters with reminders of the life lessons you still need to learn.



There is magic in Maya Stein's words. As if every word she has written and every word she has spoken was meant just for you.



There is magic when simple forest trails lead you on an adventure of the mind.



Where wishes can be found embraced by trees,



or hiding under rocks, nestled on the lichen,



or hanging from the branches.



The message for your own soul so obvious to you now.



Magic can be found around every corner if you just take the time to stop and live in the moment.



I returned home this year learning more about myself than I ever thought I would. Walking in, it felt like bad timing, but the magic that kept breaching my attention was just how right the timing was.

It's hard to describe the experience and maybe only those that attend will ever know the bond you create with nature, with your own abilities, and with the fresh love of women who ultimately, are searching for the same. For the second time, I am forever altered.

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To view more photos from Squam, jump over to my Squam flickr page.

24 September 2012

Autumn is Here
























My favorite season is finally here.  It came early this year.  It rolled in around mid morning on Saturday. I've updated the by the season page to reflect all the happenings this fall.

Don't forget to fall back your clocks on November 4th.

21 September 2012

Guest Post: UpCountry Living's Experiment with Canning

Hello lovlies.  Today Jenna from UpCountry Living is sharing with us her first dabble into the world of food preservation.  She has taken the September 4(for) green acres challenge and is sharing her  experience.  Her perspective is interesting because I think many of us feel the same and come up with the same resistance.  The excuses as to why we can't or shouldn't do something are just that; excuses.  It's a good read and she notes a valuable lesson she learned at the end.  I hope you enjoy.    







Before September 19, 2012: I’ve never canned in my life.

On September 19, 2012: I’m canned today. I made Sunshine Salsa.

Probably after September 19, 2012: Canning? No problem.







I became interested in canning earlier this spring. My boyfriend and I had decided to plant our first garden in raised beds in our backyard in the late spring and early weeks of summer. I hoped that I’d have more vegetables than I knew what to do with and I was really excited about preserving my own produce.

Sure enough, the garden did well. Some things didn’t, but Mr. UpCountry and I enjoyed a bounty of green beans, carrots, beets and tomatoes. We ate most of the green beans (green beans with every meal!), gave away a lot of the beets and carrots (beyond what we needed) to friends and family and I held onto the tomatoes to experiment with canning for the first time.

And then I held them longer than I should have. I held them until they started getting mushy. I left them on the windowsill above my sink and the sun soaked into them and decay shot from the gate like it was all a race.

Why did I let them rot? Why didn’t I preserve them through canning when they were at their most fresh and ripe?

Because of Resistance. Good ole Resistance usually does a number on me. Thankfully, I’m slowly learning to outsmart it (but only after it’s caused me to procrastinate for a decent amount of time).























I strongly believe in the benefits of eating food grown locally (first) and organically (preferred). I know that the only way for me to eat local tomatoes in January is to can them.

And I have bowls full of them around my kitchen. Ready. Waiting to boil and vacuum themselves into jars. Yearning to feed me in the darkest hours of winter (or so I imagine).

But I failed those first ones. I let them go. My Resistance poked in and held me back in a variety of ways (one of Resistance’s secret weapons = changin’ it up).




























First, I didn’t have the money to buy the canning equipment.
How I beat Resistance: Eventually, I saved up the money and found some pretty cheap canning supplies at KMart. My sister loaned me her lobster pot. That leg of Resistance - knocked out.

Then, I didn’t have enough tomatoes to process a batch.
This particular ploy from Resistance worked for a while. If I continued to give away tomatoes to friends and family or convince myself that they were past their prime, I never had enough tomatoes to process and so I didn’t have to concern myself over it. 
After that, I convinced myself that I needed to watch somebody else do it first because I was likely going to screw it up my first time and I’d either explode glass and hot food all over the kitchen or I wouldn’t process it long enough and kill my loved ones with botulism.

I waited until my local Cooperative Extension office offered a canning class. This class was scheduled two weeks beyond when I probably should have started canning. But I waited. Because it would be so much easier to do it my first time if I acquired some wise mentor to walk me through the process. Right? ...Right?

I attended the canning workshop only to discover that there weren’t any live demonstrations of canning. The presenter did an excellent job of explaining the process, but nothing was hands-on.

I decided that my reading and online research would have to do and that I should get right down to canning.

Then a week went by. I couldn’t get myself to do it.

I was so afraid of something bad happening. Or not getting it right the first time.
























I wrote in the September 19 square of my daily planner: Can something. Just do it.

When I woke up on that fateful morning, I looked at my planner and knew that it had to be done, regardless of my fear and insecurity. Even though Resistance punched me full on in the face that morning, I steeled myself to the task.

And I did it. Mr. UpCountry graciously provided assistance (thank you, darling!). I looked up recipes in my canning book, Put ‘Em Up, and decided that salsa would work just fine for my pounds of yellow tomatoes.

For an extra dose of confidence, I called the local Cooperative Extension office and double-checked that the recipe I’d found followed USDA food safety standards. According to Mrs. Fishman at the CE office, it did. (That was another sneaky form of Resistance right there: worrying about the validity of my recipe. However, this form is actually commonsensical and wise. Food safety should not be taken lightly.)

Mrs. Fishman walked me through the steps and coached me as I repeated them back to her. She assured me that she’d be in her office for the next couple hours if I needed any further assistance. I am so grateful for her warm and friendly instruction.



Adrenaline Rush. Set the water to boil. 

I followed the recipe and ended up with seven half-pint jars of what I’ve decided to call Sunshine Salsa. Because the ‘Put ‘Em Up!’ recipe specified regular tomatoes and not yellow tomatoes, I figured I could go ahead and name the yellow version. 
Sunshine Salsa. My first canning experience. After I buckled down and did it, I realized that it was a manageable process. I could do it.


























My Sunshine Salsa does look a little watery in the jar. This is likely due to my tomatoes being a bit past their prime; they were extremely juicy!
























Also, my salsa had to sit in the jar for a few minutes after being cooked and before being processed in the canner because I didn’t start the water boiling in my canner soon enough. Lesson learned! Next time I’ll start my water boiling in the canner first thing.

I don’t believe that letting them rest before processing did any harm to the food. It could have resulted in my glass cracking or breaking, since it had time to cool down a bit before I bathed them in boiling water.

That didn’t happen. All those scary scenarios I pictured in my head didn’t happen.
























Instead, I put up seven jars of golden Sunshine Salsa and figuratively patted myself on the back.

Every day I learn, more and more, that the best way to do something is to do it. I may not have created a perfect product, but I still made something. I refuse to criticize myself on this.

It’s all about mannin’ up, puttin’ it up, doin’ it up.

And, likely as not, it’ll eat good with chips.


To read more about Jenna and her experiences jump on over to her blog.  


19 September 2012

DIY Gratitude Journal

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. -Ralph Waldo Emerson






















One goal on my 12 in 12 list is to keep a gratitude journal and write five lines of thanksgiving a day. I'm really working on changing my focus of my mind.  Since sticking to this goal has been spotty at best, I decided to devote September to gratitude.  I made a special little journal to motivate me to write my lines every day.


BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

Cardstock - 5 3/4" x 12"
Paper - 5 1/2" x 9 1/2" folded in half
  • Line up the paper and cardstock, all flushed to the left and hold with binder clips (you should have 2 1/2" of cardstock on the right that does not have paper covering it.  This is for your flap
  • Punch three holes that are evenly spaced in the center of paper.
  • Using waxed linen thread or embroidery floss, sew through the holes in the following pattern.  
    • Start in the middle hole, inside to out leaving a few inches of tail
    • Enter the top hole from the outside to the inside
    • Pass OVER the middle hold on the inside and enter the bottom hole from the inside to the outside
    • Pass back through the middle hole from the outside to the inside
    • Using the tail from the beginning, tie the two threads together in a knot to secure bind
  • Fold the flap.  I secured the flap with a grommet and extra thread but you can get creative and change it up.
How do you celebrate your gratitude?

17 September 2012

Personalize Your Canning Jars



One the creative pieces of the canning process is putting your personal touch on what you create.  A special addition are jar labels.  These are especially fun if you are planning on gifting any of your garden goodies.  These are a few of my favorites from etsy.  It's clear to see that each label has a very different personality.  

Which one is your favorite?

12 September 2012

Off to Squam


I will be deep in the woods of New Hampshire for the remainder of the week.  I haven't been back to Sqaum since the Fall of 2009.  I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my inner creative.

See you next week!


10 September 2012

Artist Spotlight: Jenna from UpCountry Living

I'm very exciting to be introducing Jenna today. I met her through an online class, and after checking out her blog I quickly realized we have a lot in common. Later this month she will have a guest post with more great information for the September 4(for) green acres challenge. In the meantime, I wanted to spotlight her and get to know her better.  She offers a great perspective on how to just begin.

Please welcome Jenna from UpCountry Living...

I’m Jenna and I’m a professional writer and blogger that lives in northern Maine. I am a reporter for Fiddlehead Focus and creator and contributor for my blog UpCountry Living. I love soft sweaters, button-down skirts, and books I can’t put down.

Why did you start UpCountry Living and what can readers find when they visit your site?

I started UpCountry Living as a way to document my journey back home. Though I’ve lived for most of my life in the Saint John Valley,  I discovered that I was a stranger in my own land. I did not know the old ways or realize that where I lived was special.

UpCountry Living chronicles my research, discoveries and stories and encourages readers to embrace the process of establishing roots.

I frequently write about my experiences with first-year gardening, food preservation, supporting the local food market, community events or descriptives and ways to pursue simplicity.

Could you tell us why Saint John Valley is so special and where it is located?

The Saint John Valley is the Great Valley of northern Maine. If you watched Land Before Time a thousand times as a kid (and continue to watch it with delight in your grown-up years), then you know what I’m talking about. It’s the paradise at the end of the hero’s journey. It’s where life can be sustained after tragedy befalls you. It’s where all the tree-stars are (a.k.a. leaves).


























The Valley spans over 70 miles and is home to about 25,000 people. Though residents of the Saint John Valley are assumed to be American, the Valley actually includes Canada, our neighbor nation that shares the Saint John River.

Canadians contribute to the local economy through commerce and employment. Mostly, we all get along. Sometimes groups of 19-year-olds from each country start disputes with each other. Just your run-of-the-mill border town dramatics.

It’s special because it’s home to farmers, artists, writers, mill workers, teachers, and all-around hard workers. If someone from the County (Saint John Valley is the northernmost part of the Aroostook County) migrates out and applies for a job in another Maine region, it’s very likely they’ll be hired. We’re known in the state for our work ethic and dependability.

Most Valleyites speak English and French and are primarily of French descent, though there are some towns with Scott-Irish and native descent.  My parents’ generation grew up in bilingual homes and, unfortunately, were discouraged from speaking French in school as the region became more anglicized. Because of the alienation they experienced when speaking their native language, the strength of the French language started to dwindle about 50 years back.

The Valley is a place where you don’t lock up your home or your car and where crime doesn’t kill people but the moose sure try to. It farms buckwheat and potatoes, contributes to Maine’s logging industry, and hosts annual dog sled races.

What are some of your interests?

I am a voracious reader of primarily non-fiction: books about gardening, homesteading, food politics, botany and even a bit of neuroscience. I am learning how to garden, cook, get handy around the house, and play the harmonica. I also knit, crochet, and play basketball with my niece and nephew.

I hope to someday play the mandolin and write songs that have recipes for lyrics.

You are new to gardening.  What has the journey been like?

A rush. The journey has been incredible. We started our garden by building raised beds, and watching all of that come together gave me such a feeling of accomplishment. It had been years since I’d played in the dirt and I had forgotten just how natural it felt.

Even though my mother had a garden when I was a kid, I didn’t help out too much and hadn’t learned any basic skills about sowing and tending. Thankfully Mr. UpCountry has some experience and was able to provide me with some delicate mentorship.


























Through hard work, experimentation, and too much time spent watering (here’s looking at you, drought), we produced a bumper crop of cukes, tomatoes, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, peas, beans and mint. The veggies that suffered were broccoli, basil and peppers.

The best thing about mistakes is that they’re just investments towards success in the future. Now I know not to plant my broccoli so close together and to keep mint out of the raised beds because they want to choke out everything else.

When you don’t feel like doing anything, where do you find motivation or what keeps you inspired?

Three things!
1. Past accomplishments.
2. Being mindful of how a series of little baby steps has led me to a completely different place than former years.
3. Trusting the process.

These three things keep me inspired. I don’t always follow through with my inspiration and actually “produce” anything, but it helps keep the guilt out of it. A lot of my lack of motivation comes from thinking “I can’t,” so if I remove those words from my vocabulary and think about what’s already been done, motivation becomes more natural.

You recently purchased a local broiler chicken.  What was the deciding factor?

I realized that, with pretty minimal effort, I could eat a chicken that had been raised by a local family in a happy environment, eating the feed that it wants to eat. Through this purchase, I could support the local economy, local farmers, organic farming, and my own health (by not eating a chicken that had been fed on antibiotics and corn). “Why I Bought A Local Broiler” covers this decision in detail.

Where do you learn your homesteading skills?

It’s a combination of “asking around” and research (primarily on the internet). I’m continually surprised by little “common knowledge” I have. It inspires me to ask questions of my parents, my grandparents, and other folks in my community. I usually get a very practical answer and also learn more about my heritage and this place.

When that method of research doesn’t work, I turn to books and the internet. Amazon’s recommendations always extend the library wish list and keeps the good books stocking up the shelves. Online, I rely on resources like Mother Earth News, MOFGA, Cold Antler Farm and good “old-fashioned” Wikipedia.

You talk about making your journey practical, what are some of your goals to accomplish that?

What I don’t want is a head full of facts. I want hands that are working through the process itself. I can share links on social networks til the cows come home, but if I don’t actually make laundry detergent myself, how is all this research actually enriching my life?

With that being said, do you have any advice for someone wanting to live more consciously?

Start small. It took me a long time to take the step to make laundry detergent for myself. I had done the research and knew that it was cost-effective, customizable and pretty natural. For some reason, I had Resistance about actually doing it. (I’m pretty sure my primary excuse was, “Well, couldn’t I just buy it?”).

Eventually I started asking myself, “Shouldn’t I just make it myself?” Instead of asking, “Why?” I challenged myself with “Why not?”

It took me 15 minutes to make my own laundry detergent. The momentum built from there. Now I find myself attacking challenges with a sense of eagerness and excitement. I know I can do things now, simply by doing them. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s one of those honest truths I had to ease up to.

You are passionate about our food system, give us a fact that might encourage us to think about what we eat.

There are lots of scary facts out there about America’s corn and soy monocultures and the sad state of our meat system, but more jarring to my former philosophy was finding this particular quote: “Shake the hand that feeds you” {from “In Defense of Food,” by Michael Pollan, personal favorite).

Also, in one of my multiple documentary viewings, I must have heard the following statement. I can’t place the specifics, but the concept itself has been sticking with me:

Paraphrasing: We can be very particular about who works on our car or who works on our house. We ask each other about good mechanics and contractors to work with. We put faith in these people to take care of us. But, for some reason, the majority of us have no idea where our food comes from. Food: the stuff we put in our mouths to fuel our bodies and keep us alive.

What information will you be sharing with indigo 26 readers later this month?

Along with being a first-year gardener, I’m also a first-year canner. I’ll be sharing my experiences with first-year canning and will focus primarily on all the forms of Resistance I’ve encountered since first deciding to learn some food preservation techniques.



Jenna can be found here:


Thank you Jenna for answering all my questions.  I'm looking forward to reading more later this month. 

What inspired you about Jenna's interview?  Leave us a comment below.

*** photos provided by Jenna ***

07 September 2012

Introducing Annie


Things have been turned upside down in my household for the past three weeks.  We've been trying to find the perfect addition to our pet family for a while, and we finally found her!  Meet Annie, our new Australian Shepherd puppy.  She is a mess.  They weren't kidding when they said having a puppy is like having a baby.


She is adjusting to our family quickly and is already spoiled.  The cats, however, are still adjusting. Annie tries to play with them and they don't want anything to do with her.  Luna has already put her in her place and now Annie keeps her distance.  


We wanted to find a strong female name for her.  I know, I know, Annie sounds too sweet to be strong, but it is who she is named after that makes her strong.  While her papers officially say Annie Oakley her name was also influenced by...

Anne Lamott
Annie Lenox
Annie Hall
Anne Frank

We are completely smitten.  Who isn't with that face?

05 September 2012

DIY Tomato Sauce

{source}
Canning is easier than you think and with the abundance of tomatoes coming out of the garden right now, this recipe will let you savor them all winter.  This sauce can be used in soups and stews, or as pizza and pasta sauce.  It is a great staple for your pantry.

My mom taught me the short cut method to canning, which makes the process a lot easier, but the timing has to be right.  You can also use a traditional water bath.  I will explain both methods.

BASIC TOMATO (MARINARA) SAUCE
Makes 4 pint jars

SUPPLIES
4 pint jars with new lids and rings
Large pot
Skillet
Sauce pan
Strainer
Tongs or other utensil
Cutting Board
Knife

INGREDIENTS
4 lbs fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried basil or 1TBS of fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
optional: thyme or other herbs, onions, jalpenos, green peppers, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

SHORTCUT METHOD || Use the dishwasher on the hottest cycle with heated dry to heat the glass canning jars.  If you are only making this recipe, be sure to fill the rest of your dishwasher with dishes or do more than one recipe and add more jars.  Load the dishwasher with only the jars, no lids.  It is also good to know how long the cycle takes.  My dishwasher takes approximately 40 minutes to run through a cycle.  After the first 10-15 minutes, I start with the instructions below.

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the tomatoes whole (including skins) and blanch for one minute or until their skins begin to curl back a little.  Strain the tomatoes out of the boiling water and dump in cold water immediately.  I usually fill my sink with ice water.  Peel and coursely chop the tomatoes and set aside.  Follow this process until all of your tomatoes are blanched and peeled.  Ensure that your blanching water is always boiling and your refresh water is ice cold.  Add ice as necessary.

2.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the garlic (onions, peppers, etc) for 3 minutes or until softened.  Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until thick.  You are simmering out the extra water from the tomatoes.

3.  While the sauce is simmering, bring water to boil in small sauce pan.  This will be be for your lids.

4.  By now, the jars should be done washing and in the heat dry cycle.  Pull one jar out at a time.  Put one lid and ring into the boiling water in the sauce pan.  Pack the hot tomato sauce into the hot jar, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jar.  Wipe around the mouth of the jar with a towel to clean up any excess.  Remove the lid and ring from the boiling water and place the lid on top of the jar, and then screw on the ring, but not too tight.  Set aside on a towel.  Repeat this process until all sauce has been canned.  As the jars cool, the lids will start to pop to secure the vacuum seal.

TRADITIONAL METHOD ||  Follow through with steps 1 and 2.  Skip step 3 and start with sterilized jars, lids and rings at room temperature for step 4.  Bring a fresh pot of water to boil.  Pack the hot tomato sauce into the jar, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jar.  Wipe around the mouth of the jar with a towel to clean up any excess.  Attach the lids and rings and tighten.  Place the filled and sealed jars into the boiling water and let process for 35 minutes.  Carefully remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel.  As they begin to cool, the lids will pop.

The sauce can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.  One important thing to note:  If the tops of the lids don't pop, they are NOT vacuum sealed.  You'll have to refrigerate any jars that haven't sealed or bacteria will take over.

Enjoy!

04 September 2012

I'm Over at...





Today I have a guest post up over at UpCountry Living.  I go into more depth about Alaska.  Be sure to stop by and check out Jenna's blog.






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Also, in case you were out on holiday yesterday, the 4(for) green acres challenge for September is up.

03 September 2012

September 4(for) Green Acres Challenge



These monthly challenges are your opportunity to cultivate your own acres. They are designed to challenge your creativity, test your will power, and pull your awareness to the footstep you are leaving behind.

By participating in these challenges and sharing them with others you are spreading the message. Over time, those around us will be making better choices as well. The goal is not to change how you live your life, but rather think about the implications of those choices and tweek them for the best outcome.

SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE: FOOD PRESERVATION

There are four vital components to survival.  Air, shelter, water, and food.  While it's true that Americans are eating too much food, the problem lies in what they are eating.  Can most of it really be considered food in the first place?  Modern food is not meant for survival.

Today the grocery store aisles are packed with every fresh and processed food available.  There is a restaurant on every corner.  Unless you are in a food desert, it is readily available.  Imagine living in a world without grocery stores, and restaurants.  Yes, you'd have to cook, but what about the non-growing seasons?  Where would your food come from?    In reality the supermarket is not that old, but our culture has made such a major swing towards convenient, processed food, it feels like the art of food preservation is almost extinct.

I grew up preserving corn and beans.  My brother and I had our jobs in the work chain. We shucked the corn and snapped the beans on the porch.  Then my mom and grandma took over the rest.  While preserving my food is no longer necessary for my survival, it is an important component in living a 4(for) green acres life.  Purchasing or growing local food doesn't last year round, so finding a way to preserve for the winter months is vital, and it's not as difficult as you might think.

Most people think of canning (sealing food in jars) first, but there are several methods including: 


  • Pickling
  • Refrigeration and freezing
  • Pasteurizing
  • Jellying
  • Curing & Smoking
  • Dehydration
  • Freeze-drying
  • Salting
  • Fermentation
  • Carbonation
  • Cheese-making
  • Chemical preservation

The challenge this month is to try one of these methods with food you have grown or purchased from your local farmers market.  Of course there will be recipes and resources throughout the month to show you how.  The goal is try one project.  You can start by reading some basics on food preservation.