Mendolonium

It’s been a few weeks, but I haven’t forgotten my pledge to “Independence Days”.   We’ve kept ourselves busy with lots of cooking, yard clean-up, and doing a major organization of the garage.  Not exciting but I was really pleased that Jeff was able to make a bank of shelves for one wall just “off the top of his head” using his woodworking skills and using spare/scrap wood we had in our garage for a no-waste, no-consumer solution.  While I’ve done several independence days related projects that past few weeks I can’t remember exactly what I’ve done so they will remain lost to history.  Here’s this past week’s update for posterity:

1. Plant Something or Take Care of Something You’ve Planted:

• Weeded all of the vegetable and berry beds.
• Constructed bamboo tepees over the peas and trellised them.

2. Harvest something:

• Parseley (from our garden)

3. Preserve something:

• Vegetable Stock (14 cups, frozen)
• Dried Parseley (1 cup)

4. Prep something:

• Cleaned up the last barren portion of our backyard in order to create a space for storing firewood and areas for planting this spring.

5. Cook something new:

• Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
• Spicy Marinara Cream Sauce
• Leek & Potato Casserole using a recipe and some delicious, fancy cheese our next-door-neighbor gave us. (Thanks Margie!)
• Egg-Free Sugar Cookies

6. Manage your reserves:

• Ordered another 6 month supply of boxed mac & cheese.  Not exactly sustainable (although it is organic) but beats the alternative of take-out for a quick toddler friendly meal.

7. Work on local food systems:

• I don’t want to reveal too much but let’s just say that friends and family will be receiving some holiday gifts of very local food.