Some days just work out. I needed to buy some herbs for the new bed so I ran into the Greenfield Farmer’s Co-op and what do I find but Tattler Lids! The price was better than on-line as there is no shippings so I bought 10 boxes. I also found a nifty little coffee grinder. It was only $15.99. I am thinking I shold get another of these. I can use one for coffee and one for spices. I’m a sucker for anything with a hand crank. I filled in a lot of my herbs although I will need to hit Hadley Garden Center again for the rest. I got several mints, lemon grass. lemon verbena, yarrow and a few other common herbs.
I got home to phone call from a friend who had noticed that the honey locust trees were in bloom. Off we went to harvest and came home with enough for two batches of wine. The process is easy. Dissoleve 6 cups of sugar in 1 gall of cool water. Add 2 tbls each corriander seed, star anise and 1 tbls slice and peeled ginger root along with 2 quarts of honey locust blossoms and one chopped lemon and one chopped orange. Don’t add any leaves or teems. Now add 1/2 teasp wine yeast and let the whole mess sit in a cheese cloth covered non-metal vat for 1 week, stirring a couple of times a day. Put it in a jug with an airlock and let it wit for 6 months, then rach to remove sediment and drink. My lemon and lime trees are both in fruit right now so I can make this from local ingredients if I swap out honey for sugar and mae do without the anise. I’ll bet I could find a substitute.
Last night we went to hear my grandaughter preform a flute solo at her music school. The piece was by a Japanese composer and she was able to play it through without the sheet music. I thought she stole the show. Not prepping but a wondeful way to spend a hot summer night.
June 9, 2011 at 8:38 am
I think Fennel Seed would make a nice substitute for the anise. Do you have any in your garden?
Last night i was able can 6 quarts of chicken stock from left over bones I had in the freezer. I am trying to get it empty and cleaned out before strawberry season arrives in just a few short weeks!
I am going to have to look up the honey locust trees. If they are in season where you are, they should be blooming here with in the next few weeks up north.
Yesterday, I visited a new kitchen supply store that has opened up near us. The great thing about it was that although they carried some new things,they also carry second hand and vintage items as well. I have my eye on a cast iron muffin pan.
June 9, 2011 at 10:50 am
I am so excited to learn that I can get some Tattler lids locally! Thanks for the heads up.
If you do come to Hadley Garden, remember that my comfrey is just around the corner from there – I’m happy to share.
June 11, 2011 at 9:15 pm
We got a portable carport from a woman that had it on Craigslist. We got it to put our riding mower in. We have never had one before but had boughten a used one this spring. I didn’t buy it so much for lawn mowing. The main reason I bought it was because it has a big showblower on the front of it. But in the meantime we can mow the lawn with it. Come winter though it will be so nice to not have to worry about getting the driveway plowed or having to shovel it ourselves.
I went to a yard sale today and bought canning jars for 10 cents each. I bought all they had and it was the second day of the sale and no one had even wanted them. Well except me. I also got some very good cookbooks there. One of them even written in 1948.
Plus I got the tomatoes and peppers planted today.
June 13, 2011 at 8:29 pm
I know you’ve discussed this from time to time a little. But I was hoping you might sometime do a more extensive post on getting things ready for others to step into unfamiliar roles in times of emergency. As my sons are getting a little older we’re teaching them more & more about repair, cleaning, cooking, etc. Not just expanding their life skills but so in the event of an emergency they could step up & do things generally be done by others in our family.
Being Mom, I haven’t done very well at making sure others can use the food stores I’ve so painstakingly put into place to protect us to successfully get us fed in the event I can’t be the one to cook. Certainly they can all find things in the pantry and they can a read a recipe. But to suddenly be thrown into being the primary food provider would still be a very rough transition for our family. All my ideas for things I wanted to make to put on the shelf for easy man made meals (I’m the only female in our home) turn out to be things that shouldn’t be canned at home. So … What do you do for preparations for the non primary cook to take over when necessary?
June 14, 2011 at 1:29 pm
fennel will make a ;good substitute for anise.