I’m sure glad we built the house way up on a hill, above the creek and beaver ponds! Flooding is very likely here, as it has been elsewhere. Stay safe guys! Flash floods, especially, are nothing to mess with.
As we knew it would be raining, we got busy and split wood like mad. We also split up a nice pile of dry pine slabwood for kindling for my wood kitchen range. With a good pile of wood in the old pig houses, plus the woodshed, which is nearly overflowing now, we called it a day. Just as it started raining. And it hasn’t quit for two days now. Yes, we did need rain. And it’s giving us time to do other things.
I’ve been canning like mad, finishing up things like more carrots and getting started on cabbage. No matter what Ball says, I can up lots of it. When I go to use it, I drain off the water, then heat it in fresh water or use the cabbage in things like stir-fries, stews, soups, casseroles, etc., where it is really enjoyed. No, it isn’t “too strong,” as Ball Blue Book says. Then I’ve got to do some Amish Coleslaw, which is basically sweet pickled sliced cabbage, which is water bathed. Will likes his drained of the vinegar/sugar/spices and mixed with mayonnaise. I like mine right out of the jar, as is. I also drain some and put it in my stir-fries. It’s very good that way. It’s another way to use up more cabbage. I’ve got lots of sauerkraut already!
I’ve also been working on organizing the shelves on the enclosed but unheated back porch. I’m putting lots of things on them that freezing won’t hurt, like bulk spices, Clear-Jel, nuts, powdered cheese, oatmeal, etc., in clean, used popcorn tins to keep the mice out. You never know when one of those little buggers will slip in before the cats find them and chew on something valuable.
Yesterday, we went down and picked up a nice, used ATV for a reasonable price. Our old one is broken down, again, and although we’ll take it to the shop, we figured it was time to buy a newer one, as ours has thousands of miles on it. We have used it daily for more than 14 years now and it’s getting tired. I sympathize!
Well, we went off to the polls to vote, only to find they didn’t open until 10 AM and it was 9:15. So we headed home and will wait awhile before going back. Oops! Oh well, I’ll put away the cabbage I canned up and start in shelling the rest of the Bear Island Chippewa flower corn while we wait. Please vote, if you haven’t already! — Jackie
I can plain cabbage with a little salt and drain it to make really good fried cabbage fritters. A little corn meal, an egg and some flour with dried onion. DELISH!
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Rain here for me in Southwest Wisconsin. We went to the town hall and voted. We saw people we haven’t seen in a while, and in addition to voting, we visited. I haven’t gone outside yet for farm chores, but I will soon. I have 2 ten gallon crocks of sauerkraut that are ready to can. I’ll be doing indoor work, winterizing garden tillers. There is always something to do. Daylight saving time always screws me up. I was up and awake at the new time of 4am and that was that. The Amish around us don’t change their clocks, and I agree with them. It seems I needed the rain to get to the neglected indoor work. We had three trees fall on the fence, and now the chainsaws need sharpening. I can’t complain; it is all things I like to do. This way I can avoid the election news until it’s over, if it is ever over.
My sister got 24″ in 24 hours yesterday. Happy I don’t live on Florida’s east coast right now.