Bye, fresh fruits and veggies! I’ll miss you!
Well, they’re gone. All the fresh stuff recently purchased from the grocery store is history. Today was the first day we’ve had to rely on produce that has been preserved.
I know that I have plenty of good things stored, but I have to admit, it feels a little strange not to be able to reach for an apple or an orange. It’s becoming a very different menu than we usually consume. It was funny, because I went into town today and stared longingly at the grocery store across from the bank, thinking of the lovely organic fruit there.
For dinner tonight I made a cottage pie. (My friend from the UK corrected me – I had always called it shepherd’s pie, but if it contains meat other than lamb, apparently “cottage pie” is the appropriate term!) I used leftover roast beef and gravy, and mixed in from my home canned goods, a jar of corn, one of green beans and one of carrots. I topped this with leftover mashed potatoes and baked it for 40 minutes at 375*F. Normally this would have had some frozen peas in it and a salad on the side, but it was still tasty, filling and met our nutritional needs. For a snack today, I had apple sauce (also home-canned) in place of my normal afternoon apple.
Tomorrow my daughter has the day off school and we will be making some dairy products – yogurt and farmer’s cheese.
I did an inventory of our produce today.
Freezer:
- Green Beans
- Yellow Beans
- Brussels Sprouts
- Strawberries
Home Canned:
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Pickled Cauliflower
- Pickled onions
- Tomato Sauce
- Apple Sauce
- Cinnamon Apple Sauce
- Peaches
- Plums
- Vegetable Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Salsa
- Jalapenos
- Mandarin Oranges
Dehydrated/Dried:
- Onions
- Bell Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Raisins
- Dried Cranberries
- Potatoes
As well, I have loads beans and seeds to sprout – also a new project for me.
I was thinking today that this is far more like our ancestors would have eaten. They would be down to some root vegetables and whatever they had preserved by this time of year. And I have the peace of mind that nearly all of our produce is healthy and home grown.
I restocked the bathroom today from the storage room: toilet paper, shampoo and conditioner, soap and fresh razors.
How’s it going for the rest of you? Have you run into any snags?
