Monthly Archives: September 2009

Is it jam or is it jelly?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Sandy

As I’ve mentioned previously, we’ve had a really nice crop of grapes this year.  I lost the label for this particular grape variety, but it is a light red, almost pink, seedless grape that clearly does well in the Pacific … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Roo – Isn’t he pretty?

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Sandy

Last March, we bought four baby chicks, mostly because the kids really wanted baby chicks.  We had enough room in our coop/chicken run to increase our flock from five to nine, so we went ahead with the chicks.  Originally, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Homesteading | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Summer in a jar

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Sandy

As we head into the tail end of September, the harvest continues going strong.  Today, I harvested a good amount of Italian sauce tomatoes and found enough additional produce and seasonings to make a batch of tomato sauce.  Above, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Homesteading | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Pickle help needed!

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Sandy

OK, about a month ago I started a batch of deli-style pickles, following (to a T) the recipe in the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preservation book. The pickles are supposed to sit in the brine for at least three … Continue reading →

Posted in Homesteading | Tagged , | 8 Comments

This is what an Italian prune should look like

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Sandy

One of the best things about having a small home orchard is being able to eat tree-ripened fruit.  Even when I shop at a local farmers’ market, I find that the fruit is often a bit on the green side, … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage | Tagged | 3 Comments

The fruits of my labor

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Sandy

As the summer winds to an end and I have time to reflect on my gardening efforts over the last few months, I’ve come to realize that there are some things I enjoy growing much more than others. At the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments