Potatoes!

As you may have guessed, most of what I have learned about gardening was 'caught'.  Dad didn't say much or explain much so I just learned by watching was he was doing.  That being said, there is a great deal of the technical stuff and the doing it correctly stuff, I just don't know.  Potatoes is one example. 

When I was a young teenager, dad and I planted a ton (well, it seemed like it) of potatoes on a large plot of ground on a neighbor's farm.  He wasn't using it as it was rather small and in an odd area.  So, I learned how to plant potatoes.  Dad dug the trench and I cut the potatoes and put them in the ground.  We then hilled them over.  That was the extent of my learning about potatoes.  Since my dad worked shifts, often times things happened when I wasn't around.  I do remember going out to hill up the potato rows again after a time, but I didn't ever learn when to harvest and what to look for.

Potatoes are not that difficult to grow.  They have few bug issues.  We have had fleas in the past as well as Japanese beetles, but this year we were pest-free.  An older neighbor told me that I needed to wait until the vines were dead before I dug the potatoes.  This season, with our later planting schedule, it seemed as if it would be frost before our vines would die off.  As it would happen, the vines died off just in time to have several days of soaking rain.  It was a big concern that our potatoes were rotting in the garden.

I waited several days, hoping that the ground would dry up enough to dig them up and not have to fight with muddy potatoes.  Of course, the ground was still pretty soft and wet.  But, right or wrong, the potatoes were dug. 

The experts that may read this will see that this is probably not a potato fork.  I understand that there are such animals out there.  But I just use what I have.  I'm not sure what this tool really is, but for me the handle is rather short.  (And yes, those are weeds, too.)

My fears were not unfounded.  Many of the potatoes were rotting in the ground, which is so disappointing.  I love digging potatoes, you never know what surprises you will find from under the ground.  Perhaps I should have dug them even before the vines were dead.

I think this one looks like a turtle!

Between the rotten and green potatoes (I didn't get out to hill them a third time and the sun got on the potatoes that were coming up and they turned green), we lost about one fourth of our crop.  Still, I was able to gather a heaping bushel basket that I'll probably can pretty soon.  The potatoes are curing in the garage out of the sun and where it is cool.  There were so many weird shaped ones, that I'm not sure we will have any normal ones for baking.

Canning the potatoes makes it easy for quicker dinners.  Sure, there is time that has to be spent initially, but when it is dinner time, it really cuts down on the time.  I've used mine for making mashed potatoes and home fries mostly.  It certainly is easy enough to put them in a pot of boiling water and have cooked potatoes.  It is handy to have them for soups and stews, too.

If you are interested in canning your potatoes, here is a place you can explore,  Or you can look here.  (I found this site a while ago and found it helpful to read through the comments.)

O, LORD,
Thou knowest my great unfitness for service,
   my present deadness,
   my inability to do anything for thy glory,
   my distressing coldness of heart.
I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
   and loathe and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what though wouldest have me do,
   for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
   and sense thy presence so little;
Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth,
   and the dreadful sin of my nature,
   I cannot think or act but every motion is sin....
...Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
   lest I offend my blessed friend
   in thought and behaviour;
I confide in thee and lean upon thee,
   and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.
O that all my distresses and apprehensions
   might prove but Christ's school
   to make me fit for greater service
   by teaching me the great lesson of humility.

--an excerpt from Need of Grace, from the Valley of Vision

Back at It...

...Tomato soup that is.  There were a few poor tomatoes that needed a home.  Since it is raining, again, my husband was here to help with the cutting and squeezing. 

I found a similar recipe to the one I use online only it had beets in it.  (They call it a "vegetable juice cocktail", but we use it as a soup.) Being that my husband was being so helpful and that he loves beets, we decided to run a pint of our beets through the food processor and dump them in with the other veggies.  We thought that it might be a bit more purple, but it wasn't.  We'll see how we like it when we open a jar.

We were able to can another 11 jars today for the winter.  We are both so thankful to have our canning shelves getting full.

Father of Mercies,
Hear me for Jesus' sake,
I am sinful even in my closest walk with the;
   it is of thy mercy I died not long ago;
Thy grace has given me faith in the cross
   by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me
    and me to the,
   drawing me by thy great love,
   reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
   I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,
   for it is hard to practise what I believe.

--an excerpt from Grace in Trials from the book, The Valley of Vision

Somethings I Would Rather Not Do Twice

A couple of weeks ago, I made a large batch of tomato soup.  This is a rather involved process which includes the gathering and steaming of various veggies like carrots, celery and peppers.  There are herbs to be gathered and added as well such as parsley and basil.  Of course, the tomatoes need to be gathered, in our case bought (which is a sad tale of our tomato crop).  I get rather bothered when I have to buy something that is in my garden, but won't ripen or is being eaten by critters.  I digress.  These tomatoes are to be washed and cut and then run through my Victorio Strainer.  I do love this machine.  Tomatoes and apples are no match for it and it makes life a bit easier. 

When I cook, I make a mess (generally).  This also occurs when I can only on a grander scale.  This is because canning includes the use of very large pots and the aforementioned Strainer.  The walls of the kitchen have been splattered with apple and tomato debris most every canning season.

During the making of the soup, I decided I was done.  I don't care if the tomatoes decide to ripen, I'm done with the day-long process and clean-up.  I had hoped that what I had made would suffice.  It would seem to my husband that it was not enough for the winter.

Well, guess what I did today.  Those are seven pint and a half jars, plus a pint of tomato soup peaking out from under their covering.  The pint and a half jars are from Classico spaghetti sauce.  They are mason jars and work great for just the two of us.  We've been collecting them for a couple of years with the help of some other folks.

Sometime ya just do what ya should do.  I'll be glad this winter that I took the time.

Just a side note...one of my Amish friends wrote me a letter last week saying she canned 64 quarts of peaches! and she wasn't done yet!  And she has five boys under the age of seven.  I've never canned 64 quarts of one thing.  She is amazing!!

I am guilty, but pardoned,

   lost, but saved,

   wandering, but found,

   sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,

Keep me always clinging to thy cross,

Flood me very moment with descending grace,

Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,

   sparkling like crystal,

   flowing clear and unsullied

   through my wilderness of life.

--an excerpt from The Broken Heart, from The Valley of Vision



 

Homesteader?? Farmer?? Agrarian?? What am I?

For a couple months I have been exploring the blogs out there that have to do with "homesteads" and "agrarianism".

We live on about four acres. I have a decent garden, which I hope to grow in size next spring. A new fruit tree--beside a couple very old ones that need pruned, blueberries and two-year old grape vines. There are shelves full of home canned goodies and the freezer is pretty full. I mow most of our property (which I hope changes sometime). So, what are we? Farmers? We don't have any animals...except a cat that allows us to live in his house and get the food out of the bag for him. We have my dad's old Ford 8N, but the plow needs new points and I need to find out what kind of shape the other implements are in. Homesteaders? It was my understanding that homesteaders were those hardy folk that were breaking new sod out on the Plains. But, the folks I read about seemed to be from all over the USA and Canada. Some are "off-grid" and others not so much. There are lots of oil lamps in our house, but we use them when the electric goes off (Which has happened and I am so grateful to have them.) , or when I'm alone and think it's wasteful to have on a big light. If I'm Agrarian, should I cover my head and live "off-grid"? (Not that I am against that at all. I hope that one day we can be more independant of the grid) If one is a Biblical Agrarian, what theology is one to follow?

Obviously, the "homestead", "agrarian" and "farm" terms confused me greatly, then add the whole "biblical agrarian" into the mix. I've been reluctant to parade my ignorance even on my own blog. So, I swallowed my pride and went looking for help. Enter the Midland Agrarian and Granny Miller.

The Midland Agrarian and Granny Miller are also in Western PA. So, I thought, well - neighbors. The owner of the Midland Agrarian site was very kind in answering my questions, which he graciously posted on his site. His lovely wife, Granny Miller, has added her wisdom as well. I invite you to read and enjoy. Both were very helpful in explaining all these terms and bringing an end to my confusion. Please check out their delightful blogs.

It is good to know that Keith and I are Bible-believing Christians who are agrarians that live on a homestead. Yeah! Mystery solved. It may seem silly, but I feel better. (More about those musings another time)

Those of you interested in canning, Granny Miller's site is amazing. She has video on canning! I don't even have a camera yet to post pictures. There is so much to learn on her site that I am sure I will be visiting often. (I need to repent of blog envy.)

I guess my elementary teachers were right. There really are no stupid question. Thanks, neighbors!

More Thoughts on Thanksgiving by Dr. Hendrickson

Dr. Hendrickson at Grove City College has a great piece on the effects of affluence on civilization. He also gives some great reasons to be thankful.

Another piece to check out is by Judi McLeod. She writes about the current government and its ties.

The new world devised by Maurice Strong and George Soros, http://canadafreepress.com/


We are fortunate enough to be getting some meat for our freezer from a local farmer in a couple weeks. Knowing that our freezer needed, shall we say, help, I set about at cleaning it out and trying to get it organized. While I am pleased that we have room now for our meat, I am ashamed that I needed to throw away so much. Frozen veggies that were unrecognizable. Food that had "01" marked on it. I desperately need to do better about using what I have and get my freezer under control. What has happened is sinful and wasteful. There was chicken that I knew we were not going to be able to use before it had freezer burn. So this evening I figured I better get it canned. Thankfully, I was able to can six quarts of chicken. There is stew meat in the freezer, too, but that will have to wait for another day.

"Thy understanding in infinite; I know nothing as I ought to know. Thou canst not behold evil; I am vile. In my ignorance, weaakness, fears, depressions, may thy Spirit help my infirmities with supplies of wisdom, strength and comfort. Let me faithfully study my character, be willing to bring it to light, observe myself in my trials, judge the reality and degree of my grace, consider how I have been ensnared or overcome. Grant that I may never trust my heart, depend upon any past experiences, magnify any present resolutions, but be strong in the grace of Jesus..." excerpt from Self-Noughting, Valley of Visions

Catching Up

As I continue to struggle with, what may be, the next Great Depression, I also think it is important to think and plan ahead.

There were sweet potatoes for sale in bags at Aldi's for a decent price. So they are waiting to be canned. If you are interested in learning more about canning sweet potatoes, here is a website I found that I'm going to use because, of course, it has pictures! http://canningusa.com/IfICanYouCan/PotatoesSweet.htm

My apple guy had some more Cortland apples that I dried yesterday. I am thankful for my "dryer" that my in-laws were finished with. Dried apples make great snacks and then there are Amish Moon Pies. I love these! Although, I must confess, that I still have not perfected them. Keith says he will happily eat all the experiments! If you are interested in drying apples, here is a website: http://www.pickyourown.org/apples_dried.htm It explains things very well and has pictures! Like I said, I prefer the Cortland apples because they don't darken like other varieties. I don't care to treat my apples--just one more step that I don't think is necessary. This site has pictures and How-To's for doing this in the oven, in a dehydrator and even your car on a hot day. I store mine in big 1/2 gallon canning jars that I got from my daughter's mom-in-law.

I'm still wondering if Keith and I should find someone to plow our "back 40" to plant more stuff either for us, for the kids or to sell. (I'm already anxiously awaiting the seed catalogs.)

It has been cold here the last couple days. A bit of snow, but not much yet. What little we get is gone in a short time. The roads were horrible coming home from our small group on Monday. The road was covered with black ice. Flipped cars and trucks and skid marks everywhere! I went 35 mph down Rt. 422. Butler County was the worst. Once I arrived in Armstrong, the roads had be faithfully taken care of by our PennDot.

This time of year everyone around here hibernates. We'll see each other either at the store or when we shovel snow. It is kind of a lonely time, but we will celebrate when we see each other in the Spring. This is a time to quilt and watch movies and get some reading done. I also want to can some vegetable soup and more chicken, when it is on sale. That worked great!! All I'm missing is my wood stove, which, on days like this, I miss so very much.

The following is something to which I want to aspire--I have not arrived yet:
I want not the favour of man to lean upon, for I know that thy electing grace is infinitely better. Excerpt from Election, from the Valley of Vision. It is my prayer that I can get over being concerned about what people think.

Applesauce Day -- Chapter 3

Today was a fun Applesauce Day with Andrea and little Daniel. While Daniel didn't "help" he certainly was helpful by being so good at entertaining himself.

We did a bushel of Jonagold, which I've never done before. They turned out great and she was pleased to get 17 jars. I was so glad to be able to help her. I remember trying to can with a big belly and being tired. One regret I have is that my mom was not more helpful. With three kids and so much responsibility around the house--inside and out--it would have been nice to have someone with which to do canning. I really want to be there for my family in whatever way I can be. My talents may not be amazing, but I don't mind helping do this kind of stuff. I admire the Amish who get together to do these things. Why don't we have more of a sense of community and do these things together? It's more fun to have a friend or two around. It makes a long day go fast and a day with friends is always a good day. Why not get a couple friends and split a bushel or two at the end of a day? Laura and I used to split a bushel, but now her family is growing and she needs that bushel. I'm more than happy to be with her and the kids for the day to help! Maybe, when I grow up, I can be a professional canner :-)!

It was a beautiful fall day, again, and Daniel and I took a walk in the leaves. He loved to hear them crunch under his feet. We checked out the neighbor's horses and a pinecone that was a present for his mom....a good walk.

And about the election...while I struggle to understand what people were thinking, I have to hold on to God being sovereign. Without that I would be so depressed. No doubt, things are going to 'change', and I am pretty sure I'm not going to like the changes, it is my job to be faithful and live like a Christian in a culture that seems to forget that it was once Christian. It will be good to remember and be reminded how the early church had to live and how they loved their neighbors and each other. Or Daniel and how they were instructed to live in exile. It will be interesting to see what God is going to do. Is the church being disciplined? Is the country being disciplined? Will the church get it's bearings and grow stronger? We may not live to see God's full purpose fulfilled, but we know that all things work together for good and His glory, that we are His and cannot be snatched out of His hand and that His promises are true.

My good friend, Karen, has this beautiful painted verse on her wall, "God is the blessed controller of all things". He is in control. Always and forever with every thing.

"Believer, the events of history march as a victorious legion under a skillful leader. Do not think we can order our affairs in better style. " C. H. Spurgeon

Keep the faith and don't stop praying for our country and His Church,