Feather your Nest Friday, 28th January, 2022.

What a week!  We had wild and crazy weather with heat, humidity,  electrical storms and rain.   Humidity is not usual for us and it sucks the life out of me! eek! 

On Monday my niece moved house and we helped out.  I packed drinks and lunches for the day and baked a cake to take.  This meant the workers (us!) didn't have to worry about meals.   

We headed off with an eski to keep everything cold and the cake wrapped in a kitchen towel.   I made extra dinner the night before so I could make up a dinner for Allie to just heat up after moving day.     Very often if I make a spaghetti meat sauce I will serve it with corn chips and grated cheese. This is a very easy dinner.  Once it is heated the cheese is all golden and the chips are crisp. 

Some of the ways we got ahead,  built up the pantry and garden included:

Andy was given fish and a crayfish.  He was pretty happy with these!  This took care of two meals. 

Allie gave me jars and bottles.

I planted parsley seeds in two pots and the edge of a garden bed.   The parsley seed is from other parsley that has gone to seed now.

I picked tomatoes every day,  used them most days and dehydrated another tray.

I stewed some peaches that needed to be used up.

A parcel arrived in a box with shredded paper.  I looked at it and thought "nesting box."   The whole thing went into the hen house. 

When it gets worn out it can go into the compost next.  

I semi dried a lot of tomatoes then used them in two big impossible pies.  These are just quiches without pastry.  For a big batch like this I use one cup of self raising gluten free flour blended it.   No need for pastry then at all.   This used up 15 eggs which is good as I'm collecting a dozen a day.   

These are delicious and great for using up leftover bacon or ham, roast veggies (then its more like a frittata) herbs,  cheeses....   When cold it slices really well and is perfect for lunchboxes. 

Then I made a salad out of left over odds and ends as well which was delicious. 

Almost everyone is telling me about food shortages, supply chain issues and rising prices.  We have all these here.  Wasting food is just out of the question.  Use up everything meals are a good thing!

We had some rain.  This helped my garden and watered my fruit trees.  I think one of my pear trees is ready to harvest.  I tested two pears today by lifting them up slightly and both broke off the tree.  This is meant to be the sign they are ready.  The other tree I did this but they hung on tight.   If you have experience with pears please help me!  If they are ready I will bring them in over the next week. 

I also need to figure out how much to let them ripen further before peeling and canning them.  I am all ears if you are experienced in this! 

I made a couple more hand towels and also tried some lanyards.  Kind of an experiment.  

I got more crochet done than usual as on the hot days when I felt worn out I crocheted!  

I know many of you are working inside because of freezing cold!  It amounts to the same thing kind of,  extreme weather!   Having plenty to work on and lovely projects means these times can be rather nice.  

Our shopping has been through online orders and Andy has gone into town to pick them up.  If ordering online is any indication the shortages are significant.  I estimate about a third of what I ordered (or went to order) was listed as unavailable or sold out.   The website had notices about shortages and also store limits on some items.   It took a while but overall I found substitutes and came up with things that would get us through.   Andy also went to another store in town and just as he walked into the store he saw they were unpacking fresh lettuces.  Ding ding! He knew to grab one of those!   He also found meat which was basically unavailable at the other store.   It seems to me if something you need is on the shelf, get it.   It isn't going to be cheaper soon and it might not be there at all. 

With this in mind I have upped my game with keeping fresh fruit and veggies as fresh as possible for as long as possible.   I have a couple of Tupperware containers designed to keep produce fresh.  I have Sistema containers and also Debbie Meyer Green Boxes.   So far I have liked the Debbie Meyer Green Boxes the best.  I bought these on Amazon a couple of years ago.  They are also cheaper than the others. All of them I like to keep a paper towel or cloth in the bottom.

I also make cloth bags, like small pillowcases, and I find they keep greens really fresh.  I just wrap my items then place in the crisper.   The old trick to wrap celery tightly in alfoil really works. 

I have some old caning jars that I keep bunches of herbs in with some water like a vase in the fridge. 

I line the crisper with a thick tea towel.  

If you have tried and tested tips on how to extend the fresh life of produce please chime in!  

 

The next step is accepting the life of some produce is just not going to be long enough to use it up.  In this case I chop, blanch and freeze.   Get the dehydrator going.  Make a meal to use it up. 

My stacky planters Andy gave me are really good!  I will take a photo for next week.  The first one that is planted has quite a few things going well.  I need to add more plants to my second planter.  Lettuce is going in there.   To be able to go outside with a pair of scissors and trim off herbs adds so much freshness and goodness.  

With keeping greens up in mind I am going back to sprouting.  I used to have jars of sprouts going but not for many years.  Sprouting and micro greens are something we can do indoors, any time of year, to produce fresh greens.  I thought the way things are going I might get back to this.  I like the taste,  I was even buying some sometimes and some are quite nutty and so good.  

So it is good to have a plan and a back up plan.  I keep fresh milk.   Then I keep long life milk in the pantry.  I keep canned milk. Then I also have powdered milk.   Any of these milks can be mixed for a better effect.  ie if milk is getting low make up some powdered milk, let it sit a little while then use it to extend your fresh milk.  Doing some kind of half and half mix makes it less noticeably different. 

If you would share any issues or shortages in your area that would be great, please include what country and what area you are in.  Since we very often follow on from the UK and US the things I heard were in shortage I was able to stock up on and be ahead.  Information is gold!   For WA families the railway line that is cut off in the north of SA adds further to supply chain issues.  I have some WA readers so please be all over this!

How did you build up your home, pantry or garden this week?  I hope you had many opportunities! xxx