We’ve been cleaning and re-organizing the pantry and freezers.  That has, of course, led to a few discoveries of items I didn’t have noted in my pantry notes and reminded us to use up a few things.  These discoveries and reminders always serve as interesting tests of cooking skills and makes for good meals.  This weekend was full of such culinary adventures:

• We simmered chicken bones that had been in the freezer with carrots, celery, onions, and garlic for some broth that will be serving as dinner for the next few days. 
• I made cranberry mustard out of cranberries that had been in the freezer since those sales back around Thanksgiving and some mustard seeds that had been in storage for a very long time. 
• I made zucchini muffins for lunch snacks from frozen, shredded zucchini from last summer. 
• We canned black beans for quick weeknight meals. 
• I made a pot of frozen veggies cooked with barley that is as yummy cold as it was warm.
• We had individual pear crisps made out of what looked to be two chopped, frozen pears, oats, a touch of sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.  It was awesome, if I do say so myself.

I did spend a bunch of time with my sewing machine and it was so good.  Thanks so much to everyone who gave me ideas, I’ll be using many, if not all, of them.  I tore apart some linen curtains that I always hated and made them into napkins and while I was doing so, it occurred to me that napkins make great wrapping “paper.”  I made a stack of 16″ napkins and discovered that one covers a pint jar just perfectly.  I see many gift baskets of napkin covered homemade goodie jars in the coming months.

Independence Days Challenge – Week 10

Plant Something: Nothing was planted

Harvest Something: radishes, lettuce, beet greens, whole beets, onions, cilantro, basil, thyme, snow peas

Preserve Something: 14 pints black beans, 4 pints cranberry mustard

Reduce Waste: Nothing special beyond the usual

Preparation & Storage:

Build Community Food Systems: Taught the first of several canning classes this summer semester.

Eat the Food: A salad every day from the garden, steamed snow peas, roasted beets.  Smoothies from frozen bananas, see above culinary adventures.