What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

Did my semi-annual clean out of the chicken coop paper shreds litter. Dumped about half a pallet wood compost bin full of paper shreds into the chicken run for composting. By springtime, it will have turned into black gold compost for my raised beds.

I have been using paper shreds as coop deep bedding litter for a couple years now, and they just compost much faster than wood chips that I used before. Recently, I bought a power cutter from Harbor Freight on sale, and I use that to cut up heavy cardboard boxes into 2-3 inch strips to feed down my paper shredder. The power cutter works great and now I am repurposing the cardboard as litter and then composting almost all our heavy cardboard boxes after using it as bedding. The heavy cardboard shreds make a nice litter mix with regular paper shreds.

Instead of crying when Dear Wife receives yet another package from QVC for even more winter boots, I now just tell myself I will be able to make more "free" chicken coop litter out of those cardboard packing boxes.

How many winter boots does a woman need, anyways? I have had the same pair of winter boots for over 20 years, and they still work fine.

Our clothing is CRAP compared to men's clothing. Cheaply made and with poor, ill-fitting materials and design.
On top of that, most women coordinate their boots with what they're wearing and for what situation. Not me. I have two pairs of sneakers, one for out, one for yard work, one pair of wellies, one pair of winter work/out boots, and one pair of dress shoes.
Done.

 

[gtaus]

But it still costs about $30 a year to run a freezer.

I remember when it would cost more than $30 per month to run a freezer. We would still be using that freezer with or without all those frozen goods that could have been canned.

Shelf space is much less expensive than freezer space.

That is true. I'm sure that would be a big consideration if we had a large family. But it's just Dear Wife and myself, and one freezer holds as much food as we need.

The cost of a freezer is just a fixed cost for us. No way could you can pizzas, french fries and onion rings, garlic bread, fish, etc... Dear Wife has also learned to buy food on sale and freeze some of it if we don't use it immediatly. Saves a little money for us.

Canned food is a bit lower in nutrition value than frozen food on day one. But canned food holds its nutrition value better than frozen food.

We try to eat all our frozen food within 6 months.

I like the taste and texture of some foods better when they are canned than when they are frozen (especially peaches). To be fair, I like other things better when they are frozen (like broccoli).

I like having both options.

Dear Wife prefers our frozen food over canned goods. Like you said, it matters what you are canning or freezing.

 

[WthrLady]

I suppose I am spice less. Guilty as charged. I don't think I would ever consider a new pair of winter boots unless something happened to my 20-year-old pair of boots that will probably outlive me.

When I finally found a pair of fabulous fitting, warm, and well made winter work boots, I bought three pairs and squirreled them away. I'm still wearing pair #1 5 years later.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Ooooo! Recipe...?

I've never done it before... But this is the recipe I'm using. Our family really enjoys Korean food so this seems like it should be a slam dunk.

https://iamafoodblog.com/pickled-garlic/

 

[TJAnonymous]

Groceries? I want to look at the produce, I want to read the ingredients on the package. Shoes? I ABSOLUTELY have to try them on.

I made that mistake one time. I order groceries from Walmart at least once a month. I can get bulk items there cheaper (toilet paper, laundry soap, etc...). I order it for delivery because I HATE going into the actual store. Especially since they reduced the check out lanes. Our meat and produce we buy from our local grocery store that is employee owned. Anyway, the ONE time I ordered romaine lettuce from Walmart with my delivery stuff, they gave me the most sorry, pathetic looking romaine that was more fit for the dumpster than human consumption. I would have NEVER bought it from the store like that.

 

[Sueby]

@gtaus I don't generally have room in the freezers. We buy in bulk (think half a cow at a time bulk, lol). Shelf space is always available. I would prefer to freeze things, it's easier & less time consuming but I just don't have the room. Defrosting is a bit of a pain, so canning wins there.

Power isn't generally an issue here - we lose it frequently & have multiple generators & plenty of fuel to run them at all times.

& I am not a shoe girl. I'd live in my birkenstocks year round if we didn't get snow.

 

[Sally PB]

Our clothing is CRAP compared to men's clothing. Cheaply made and with poor, ill-fitting materials and design.

Yup. I much prefer men's pants. The pockets are bigger (ie, useable!), the stitching is better, the quality overall is better. I just have to find them in my size.

I've never done it before... But this is the recipe I'm using. Our family really enjoys Korean food so this seems like it should be a slam dunk.

I would love to hear what you think of pickled garlic!

Has anyone else here made or eaten it?

 

[gtaus]

I would prefer to freeze things, it's easier & less time consuming but I just don't have the room.

I think Dear Wife would agree with you. But we have the room in the freezer with just two of us in the house. So lack of room has yet been an issue for us.

 

[Sally PB]

The road commission put in ditches on the sides of our road. It's actually our property, but of course there's an easement for the road. The sides of the ditches are pretty steep.

I found a bag of alfalfa seed from many (10? more?) years ago. I took it out and tossed a lot over the surfaces that they smoothed with their bucket. We're supposed to get rain Friday morning. I hope that waters it in and it starts to grow before winter sets in.

I'd be fine with a stand of alfalfa on the side of the road. The honeybees like it.

 

[gtaus]

Garden seeds? I'll get them online from Baker Creek, Sow True Seeds, or Seed Savers Exchange.

Thanks. I wrote them down to check them out. I have always purchased my seeds locally, but this year, for whatever reason, I was not able to find some of the seeds I was looking for my gardens. Maybe a good idea to look into real seed stores online.