Independence Days Update

I participate in Sharon Astyk's Independence Days Challenge. This is my weekly update.

Plant something--I haven't planted anything in the ground this week, but I did root some basil.

Harvest something--hot peppers, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, peaches, red okra, green onions, yellow onions, bell peppers, various herbs, and flowers for arrangements. I was disappointed that the figs haven't ripened yet--maybe next week.

Preserve something--I did two batches of peach jam and 8 quarts of canned peaches. The hubby and I made 3 batches of dehydrator peaches, or as we like to call them peach candy. Delicious! I dried some dill and put some parsley in the freezer. Hubby put some basil in the freezer and made some more refrigerator pickles.

Waste Not--We continue to compost, recycle, and use our rain barrels. I've been mostly in charge of food preparation for the family while my grandmother is in the hospital. I've made an effort to "use what we have" before making any purchases. We've been carpooling to and from the hospital whenever possible.

Want Not/Preparation--My sister and I swapped some clothes to reduce the need to purchase new. I brought some of the freebies from the stockpile for family members and to help with meal preparation. Hubby continues to work on preparing the space for the play area. Cleaned out downstairs freezer to make way for the corn we hope to put up this week or next.

Build Community Food Systems--Prepared some boxes of food at our church's food pantry. Organized incoming items and made purchases for the pantry. Passed coupons on to a church member who will be buying supplies for the Wesley House in Knoxville. Taught my cousin and father how to make mozzarella. Visited a farmers market while traveling in an effort to support local farmers and producers. I was tickled to find hoop cheese for purchase and brought some to my dad to enjoy. When I was a child and lived in a small town, the local store carried the best hoop cheese. Having the cheese this week brought back some good memories.

Eat the food--The best have been the loads and loads of peaches and blueberries we've been able to eat and share with friends and family. There is nothing better than a fully ripened, freshly picked peach. We picked up some fresh purple hull peas from the farmers market, and my sister made up 3 pounds of them for the family and freezer. No new recipes of note this week, just fresh and simple food.