New Stuff

I would like to say that "we've been busy" but that would be an understatement and it would fail to demonstrate how this time is different from the past.  We are always busy.  Busy is good by the way. 

There is, however; several new things going on.  Back in April I planted some mangel seed I received from a colleague.  Mangel is a close relative to sugar beets.  So close, in fact, that I could not tell you the differences.  In June, I began to cut greens from the tops of these lovely plants.  The leaves are very much like chard, but the ribs are neither as wide nor as flat.  The flavor is similar to a blend of spinach and chard.  Delicious in my opinion.  I like them best prepared using techniques and flavorings of Spain, Korea, or Italy.  So, very versatile to say the least.  They are a tender and fast cooking green which is also a major plus in my kitchen.

Yesterday I plucked about a dozen of these plants from the ground.  The roots are huge, up to a couple pounds in most cases.  A few were fed to the chickens to see what they think of them as they are being grown, in part, as winter fodder.  They seem to like radishes better.  The rest have been soaked, scrubbed, scraped, sliced and are now slowly simmering in a pot of water.  When they get mushy, they will be removed from the liquid to a cheesecloth lined strainer where they will be pressed to remove as much of the liquid as possible.  The liquid will be returned to the pot and the solids will be spread out to dry.  As the liquid evaporates I expect crystals to form around the pot.  These crystals will be my very first homemade sugar.  The dried solids will become bird food.  How's that for being self sufficient?

The other new item in the house is a spindle.  Nothing fancy or expensive.  Just a simple, sturdy, wooden spindle and a bundle of wool roving that I am learning to spin into thread.  Yet another step forward in becoming self sufficient.  I'll be working with my own homegrown cotton by fall, assuming the crop continues to progress well.  I'm pretty excited about it as some of it is supposed to be naturally red.

Let's see now.  Homemade sugar, homespun wool and cotton from home grown fibers.  Homegrown folks living a homegrown life.  Yep, if Wall Street fails, I doubt it will hit us as hard as it will hit city folk.  We will continue to have good food, sturdy clothes, warm homes, and happy times.  For all this, I am TRULY THANKFUL!

Comments

[coach suitcase]

Hey! I like your blog’s style. Especially the pictures, there are very beautiful Thank you for sharing !

[Jo`]

Thank for for stopping by and leaving a comment. I'm glad you enjoyed your time here. =o)