The greenhouse heater is pretty much running non-stop as our weather has turned colder, so I’m trying like mad to get the squash in it seeded out before we have to buy more propane. I’ve been trying to do at least four varieties every day but sometimes my fingers don’t think that’s a good idea. Some of the C. moschata seeds, like Gueramon Martinique, are kind of pointed and firmly set into the meat. To avoid damaging them with a spoon, I rake the seeds out with my fingers. And those pointy seeds have a way of poking under my fingernails. Ouch! But, slowly but surely, there are getting to be less squash in the greenhouse and more seeds in the trays I dry them on and in the seed bins.
Yesterday, I did a big batch of Olinka naked seeded pumpkins. I say a big batch, as they’re very easy to slip the seeds out of, with no pokes at all. Very nice. I love that pumpkin! It’s the only naked seeded pumpkin (that I know of) that has wonderful flavored flesh, as well as tasty, hull-less seeds. Not only can you roast the seeds, which, having no hull, are friendly to those of us with diverticulitis and other gut-related problems, but you can also use the flesh, baked or even in pies and other baked goods. The other ones have insipid flesh that even the chickens and goats don’t like much.
Last night I opened a jar of chili and added ¼ pint of the fire-roasted green chiles I’d just canned up. Oh my God, was that ever good! Will had a big bowl then went back and ate the rest in the pan. After Thanksgiving, I’m going to get busy and can up the rest of that box of containers of chiles.
When the rain tapers off to a light drizzle, Will goes out to the Wolf Pasture and brings in yet another load of seasoned (but rain-wet) poles to add to our big pile up by the sawmill. When it dries up, he’ll cut them up and bring them into the wood shed. In the north, you can never have too much firewood! It’s like a pantry; you can never have too much food or wood.
We’ve been enjoying our Angel Trumpet in the living room. This is its second year in the house, going outside all summer. Right now, it’s covered with beautiful pink blooms. Some color is very welcome in this drab season!
We’re approaching the last weekend of Minnesota deer season and so far, only granddaughter, Ava, has had any luck. The Spauldings will again be enjoying some free-range venison. We’re proud of this girl who loves animals but knows where meat comes from and is willing to harvest it herself.
— Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I’ve loved your blog ever since you started it.
What about using one of those grapefruit spoons with the serrated “teeth” at the end of the bowl to gently remove the prickly seeds from the squash that hurts your fingers?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving and thank you for many years of sound advice and good chear
So nice to hear you’ve been with us all this time! I’m just afraid if I use any spoon, they might damage the seeds’ coating, making them less viable. We’re so committed to making sure folks get the best seeds possible. Every single one is hand-selected, where the “BIG GUYS” use huge machines. Thanks for your concern though. : )
We’ll have a total of 17 for Thanksgiving. One marriage is falling apart, so have the dad and children coming. Mom’s in Wyoming. We’re in California. A son has come to move his 97 yr old dementiaed mom to his home in Washington to take care of her in her last days. A mom who suffers from MS and her grown son are here from Sweden to see their daughter, my son she’s married to, and their new baby here from Arizona. Then our daughter from Oregon, and teen family and her husband, too. Our daughter, husband, and two girls who live on our mountain too, will be here, plus a mother-in-law who has no place to go. All these guests are our relatives. What a couple weeks this is!
Boy, you’ll sure be busy! I’m sure every one of them will be so thankful to join you for Thanksgiving and to normalize their conflicted lives this year.
Way to go Ava! Deer season ends this weekend here. Some irresponsible hunter shot and killed a neighbors colt this year. So sad. It was a beautiful animal and this was so unnecessary. It seemed to have been shot after dark and was surely by someone who had no idea what they were doing and worse, didn’t care. This rarely happens around here so needless to say, people are pretty upset. I am getting ready for Thanksgiving and an upcoming bake sale, so I have been adding baking supplies to my pantry stash. I like to keep plenty of flour and sugar on hand, especially during winter. I caught butter on sale and purchased the limit of 6 pounds and plan to get another 6 to store in the freezer. It’s a great feeling to look in the pantry and have the shelves full. I hope the seeding of squash and pumpkins continues to go well for you. Have a blessed week.
Thank you. I’ve kind of tapered off the squash seeding to clean my trashed house. When I’m doing seeding it seems like seeds go everywhere and, of course, I don’t wash dishes or sweep and mop the floor.
Yeah, it’s awful when “hunters” shoot innocent animals. I had a registered Morgan colt shot in the forehead during deer season, years ago. It was also at night so they were using lights. It was especially horrible as it was the last colt from an old mare with old and super-wonderful bloodlines. I offered a reward and called in the sheriff’s department but we never found out who did it.
Yes, it’s a wonderful feeling to have a stuffed-full pantry. If we didn’t want to, we wouldn’t have to go shopping for a very long time.
I used to interpret “prepping” as hoarding. We cleaned the house of a hoarder once. She died quite old, and had shelves of green bean cans, etc. Could never eat all that! Now I “hoard”, but homemade and home grown stuff. No difference!
So sad! Condolences to your neighbors. After dark translation is not a hunter,a poacher. Hopefully they are caught
Dear Jackie,
It’s been raining here too and will be tonight and tomorrow. There is always plenty to do inside especially with Thanksgiving coming up. Tonight, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough to put in the refrigerator and use for Sunday. I am also cutting maraschino cherries in half for an ambrosia for Sunday, too. We are having so many Thanksgiving dinners with friends and family that we are wondering how we will get through them all. Yes, do remember those less fortunate but we are in a small rural area, and I don’t think anyone here is doing without. We take food to the sick and elderly if needed. I feel so sorry for city folks and blessed that we are in the country. I have not had any of your squash brands, but they look wonderful. I like the butternut squashes the best. Tomorrow my sour kraut will come out of the crock and into pint jars for processing. Yes, it’s raining outside but we are inside working away! Stay warm and dry.
The sun’s trying to come out today and it’s warming up some. But, by Thanksgiving, the temperature’s going to go into the toilet. Highs in the low twenties and we don’t want to think about the lows yet.
I am so thankful to have a warm roof over my head, plenty of food and a hot fire in the wood stove, thinking of all those who are homeless and lost. Plenty to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
‘Twas thinking that too, yesterday. We’re so Blessed; thanks to the Lord, of course.
Hunting seasons so far for us, one son has had two archery doe kills. Gun season starts tomorrow. We have Thanksgiving the last week of October, as we have five sons and they go to their in-laws for that holiday on the traditional date. We just weaned our calf crop and will sell them in December. I’m anticipating a good price. All field crops have been harvested, and the wood stove is putting out the heat. I share similar past medical issues, ie, diverticulitis, a new knee, cataracts, the apparent badges of ageing. Isn’t getting older fun, but my sons remind me it beats the alternative. I do love Thanksgiving, as it is truly a period of thankfulness for all the blessings we have. We donated to the food pantry and feel for those less fortunate. Happy Thanksgiving.
Wow, someone has plenty of venison to cut up! We also just weaned our calves and boy do they ever look great this year. We’ll hold on to them, despite the high cattle prices, as when the drought hit a couple of years ago, Will sold down a third of the herd as we just didn’t have enough hay for them. Now, we’re trying to build it back up again.
At Thanksgiving, I always feel bad for those less fortunate, and am very thankful for all the blessings we have. We’ve worked very hard for some of those blessings and feel God does reward hard work. Happy Thanksgiving!
Daughter here is doing the turkey for all of us (spatchcock), and mother-in-law, the ham. So our already frozen (in the freezer one year) 20 lb turkey is about to be joined by another one from our generous grocer here, if we purchase $125 of groceries, we get a free turkey. We’ll be over run with turkey and will have to can them up soon. With 17 people at Thanksgiving meal, doubt there will be any left from the meal, let alone enough to can-up leftovers!
You can’t have too much firewood in N. IL/S. WI either. A neighbor stopped by yesterday who had a hickory tree that was hanging over his driveway (afraid if it fell, he’d be blocked in). Better half came home with some wood and went back today to drop it. Brought home a couple of buckets (it needs to season) and more to be cut later. Also a nice red Elm he’ll drop later (it is not an immediate “threat”). We had a good sized hickory branch fall this past weekend. It was dead so plenty of kindling plus it heated our house once night.
Saw our “big buck” yesterday – hoping the couple points less buck also has some luck. Last fall I *almost* saw this years fawns (yes, two sets of twins this year) from the point of conception! We need diversity in the gene pool. Two of the three adjacent neighbors that hunt respectfully don’t shoot on our property. I don’t think the third does either. I have no issue with hunting for consumption, big problem for “the thrill” or antler bragging rights.
Kudos to Ava – she’s learning to be self-reliant. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Got a line on a new feline member – hoping he’ll be FeLv/FIV negative. He’s Polydactyl. Better half has been asking when we’re getting another cat. Perhaps I can convince him to include one of the Polydactyl’s normal toed brothers?
I love those extra toes on cats! They remind me of catcher’s mitts. We’re so proud of Ava. At thirteen, this wasn’t her first deer harvested either. The family enjoyed plenty of nice venison, courtesy of this petite warrior in the past too! She also takes wonderful care of their chickens and her horses as well.
Here in far north California, in the foothills and on top our mountain, we’ve been seeing lots of turkeys and deer, now that it’s fall. Temperatures are finally falling into the 40s at night.
good job, young lady!
We told her that too. Lots of tender venison on that spike buck. Dad and brother, Mason, haven’t had any luck yet.
I suggest they read Gary Keesee’s book, Faith Hunt. It’s very encouraging for deer hunters.