Independence Days #14

I'm glad for this challenge because right now I might forget to blog.

1. Plant Something - Nada
2. Harvest Something - Did I mention the beans have been a success? ...so much so that I've picked twice a day sometimes. I don't know how many beans we need but I may give up processing beans and focus on giving them away.
Add corn, tomatoes, cucumbers (I am so done with cucumbers), watermelon, spaghetti squash, peaches, plumbs, pears, basil, peppers, and dill.

3. Preserve Something - 12 quarts of green beans, likely another 14 pints of dilly beans, 12 1/2 pints of plumb jam, 7 quarts of peaches, and dehydrated apricots.
1 Kitten - Oh not, that's not canned kitten, we preserved the life of a kitten that had taken up residence in the corn and way crying and wailing from hunger. The girls fed and watered it until Mrs. Neighbor caught it and talked her hubby into keeping it. (Hey we took in the last stray and she had one cat die this year).

4. Prep Something - Took Nee to school in the city - bought her books and bus tokens. Wow, this is tough without my chatterbox around - I've always been so busy parenting I've never given much thought to when they start to leave the nest.

While in the city, renewed the Costco membership and came home with TP, canned milk, dog food, butter, and 50 lbs of sugar.

5. Manage reserves: While I was away, the beans got awfully big and so I sorted out those and am cooking them with ham hocks right now (no good ham bone available).

6. Cook something (new) - nothing new but it was fun to be able to make Nee's (and all of our) favorite food - Pesto for her going away meal.

7. Work on local food systems: gave beans to the water master, sent Nee to school with two cases of dilly beans (she loves them) and dried apricots. Accepted food from Mrs. Neighbor last night when Chibi and I dragged home after irrigating (Mr. Greenjeans is working extra these days).

8. Learn something new: I learned to pressure can!! This is a big deal. My mother was afraid of pressure cooking and Mr. Greenjeans has memories of the pressure cooker spewing food all over the ceiling. I read the book and we sat and watched and timed everything. As long as I don't get distracted this will be good.