Independence Days - week something

I've lost track of how many weeks I've been doing this challenge. Not that I think it really matters. What I find helpful isn't how long I've been working on this but as a reminder of how I've done for the week.

Here goes:

1. Plant something- mint, started from the old house. I snipped a few sprigs to use in a recipe a few weeks ago and put them in a cup of water to keep them from wilting. I didn't use all I had picked and the two left in the cup grew roots. So I couldn't let their hard work go to waste.

2. Harvest something- Things are slowing down here. Peppers, eggplant, a few tomatoes, cucumber, a hand full of beans (not enough to cook but good for snacking raw) and basil. I'm waiting for the husks to dry on my corn although I'm thinking I may need to get it soon. We had terrible winds last night and today and many of the stalks are blown over. I'm worried about critters getting it while it's down.

3. Preserve something- 6 pints of salsa, cayenne and paprika peppers drying now, hot peppers diced and frozen (about a quart).

4. Waste not- Repurposed much from the house project, recycled and composted, used cloth bags at the store, pretty much the usuals around here.

5. Want not- 15 lbs unbleached flour into storage (they were having a really good store coupon this week) and 2 packs of chocolate chips. I need to take stock of some of our stores and plan a run to Kalona to the Stringtown Grocery (a lovely Amish bulk store). I've also been working on seed saving for the spring and have more seeds from my super secret tomatoes.

In house prep we finished the siding and V has begun plans for reconstructing the deck. He also put in an outside light that actually works and an outside outlet. There were no outdoor outlets and we've been stringing lots of extension cords while we work.

6. Community food systems- Hmm, I'm hoping to get to the local orchard for a few apples but I don't want to get too many since I know my parents will supply us with more than enough. Otherwise, not too much, unless you count brainstorming with one of my co-workers (the one who is pregnant) on how she can eliminate sodium from her diet. She is one of those people who 'kind of' knows how to cook. She is struggling with swelling of her hands if she eats to much sodium recently and needs to figure out how to eat without opening a box or can. So we had a good discussion on Friday about how cooking from scratch allows you more control over what is in your food.

7. Eat the food- We've been busy and unfortunately that means that I turn to more convenient foods. Oh, we still eat pretty well but I was bemoaning the amount that we spent at the grocery store last month. Having just paid property tax on both houses, finances are interesting right now. So we (I) need to get myself more organized again.