Sunday, February 1, 2009

Independence Days- week 9

Whew! Where has the time gone.  We are already 12th through the year. EEK!  But I am so glad it's February. I'm also glad that February is a short month.  It will make it that much easier to get through until March when I can get started planting little things inside.  I can't wait.  But, it's time for my check in with Independence Days.

1.  Plant Something-  Well, kind of... K8's class is studying 'growing things' in science and have been learning about plant life.  He is really enjoying it.  He came home with a spider plant baby which we potted up and then one day last week he came home with a pre-soaked lima bean which he wanted to plant.  So we found the seed starting mix in the closet and planted it into a cup.  It's down under the grow lights with my lettuce.  It isn't up yet,  I just hope it isn't too cool down there for it.
2.  Harvest something- we picked a jalapeno pepper off our big potted plant and added it into the chili that I made this week.  That was the last pepper on the plant but it now has little flower buds on it!
3.  Preserve something- Not that I can think of.
4.  Store something- Picked up a bag of sugar at the store this afternoon.  It wasn't on my list but they were having it on sale.  A good thing since V brought up the last of my stash from the basement this morning.  I also picked up a couple of bags of mini chocolate chips since the boys like them in their waffles.
5. Manage reserves- used sugar from stores in basement and then replaced.  Ate almost entirely from stores this week.  I discovered that my last butternut squash is starting to get a soft spot at the stem end to I'll need to figure that into the meals this week.
6. Cook something new- Not really. I did try a new waffle recipe this morning- I'm still trying to find one that I really like.  We've been trying a different one each weekend and making extras for breakfasts for the week.  The one I tried to day was OK.
7.  Prep something- Ummm... No. I don't think so this week.
8.  Reduce waste- used cloth bags, recycled and composted as usual.  I need to reprogram the thermostat so it keeps it at warmer temp than 60 during the day.  It doesn't get reset in the morning, then V gets cold and cranks the heat to 68.  So much for the Freeze Yer Buns challenge.
9.  Learn a new skill- Not necessarily a new skill but I've been researching how to grow broccoli.  It's something I've never done before and I want to make sure I get it right.
10.  Work on Community Food Security-  Not really, waiting for my seeds to arrive.  I saw a request on Craigslist for someone looking for heirloom seeds.  I may respond.  I'm sure we will have more than we need and would be willing to share the cost.
11.  Regenerate what is lost- I never know quite how to handle this one.  I guess in relationships we spent time with our friend Mike who we haven't seen in a year.  
12.  Behavior change-  Procrastination is my enemy!  But I did sit down with the calendar and figure out my planting dates.  Last year I started my tomatoes too late and they were really small when I planted them out.  I'm going to do better this year!  I have been putting off starting an exercise program and I can really tell- especially since V has been off work and giving me rides to work when it's been cold. I NEED to get onto that.   And I am going to go reprogram the thermostat right now!

5 comments:

  1. I have made myself a really long list of things to get done in order to make the next couple of months go more quickly. I am so done with winter.

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  2. This is a recipe for waffles that I made for a Dark Days challenge meal, maybe it'd be worth a shot?

    1 cup flour (mix grains as you like, cornmeal also works)

    1/2 Tbsp baking powder

    1/2 Tbsp egg replacer

    1/2 Tbsp sweetener of choice, I use local honey

    1 1/4 cup water

    1/4 cup plain yogurt

    I combined the dry, then mixed in the wet ingredients, leaving in some lumps. Pour into wafflemaker and finish as directed per the model instructions. I like mine crispy! This recipe makes about 4 or 5 waffles. They are not really sweet by any means, just pleasantly nutty with a bit of sweetness in the background.

    You could of course add mix-ins in season like berries, etc, but I use a basic batter so each waffle can be different in the batch by adding toppings. For the challenge meal, I did cranberry preserves on the side for dipping.

    On learning - if you find good broco tips, let me know - last year I tried a fall planting that came up, then just kind of went into stasis on Oct - not freezing, not dying, just, well, halting. Weird. I'd love to know what happened....

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  3. Thank you for the kind comments. They really do help. I hope your husband finds work soon!

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  4. Stephany- I've also had quite enough of winter for the year.
    Localzone- Thanks. I'll have to give this one a try. They sound good. I saw a recipe for cornmeal waffles that may be on next weekend's agenda as well.
    Jen- I hope all goes well with your husband's job as well.

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  5. Enjoyed your update of the independence challenge. We grow brocolli every year but this will be a first for putting any up. I plan to freeze some and dry some.

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