Before Noon - The Homestead

 

 

Besides saving money by getting off the grid with solar power ( has yet to come, but will sooner than later) I will also utilize the land I am living on, there are so many little things that people do not realize that is free or close to free. Today I had to work before noon, on what I will call my home, the homestead. I am not really a morning person but I still have to work out in the world and today I am called for duty in the afternoon/ evening hours, meaning what I usually do in the evening I bumped up to the morning hours.

After I turned on the coffee maker I drained and rinsed the pinto beans I had soaking over night in water. I put them on to cook. I have been wanting chili and we all know that the store bought canned chili is full of fats and unwanted additives so I am making my own and home canning it. 

Since the sun if free I washed a large load of laundry and hung those out by nine am.

 

So while the beans are cooking and the laundry is being sun dried I went to pick blackberries, a few days ago a man asked if he could pick some and I said yes and I told him I would not pick them for a couple days, on day three he has not shown up so I am picking. After 45 minutes I came back inside with three quarts of blackberries.

 

 

I cut up onions and bell pepper and added that to my chili with sliced mushrooms and all the spices. I added pre cooked ground turkey, covered and allowed to cook more.

I went out to the garden and I began to pick the daily vegetables. After another 45 minutes I headed back inside with a bucket filled with zucchini and yellow squash, red and turning red tomatoes. I spent $30 on seed this year, I used half and I still have half of those seed. I have sold enough vegetables to get that money back already and its just June. 

The chili is now done so I fill my pint jars and I put those into the pressure canner, I wash the berries and put those away in ziploc bags for now in the freezer. And I wash all my dirty dishes up.

I put on dinner because it will be an early dinner since I wont be at home at that time of the evening. I have to feed two people. Steak with home fries and sliced cucumber and tomatoes. (yes I am having meat today, I do on occasion have a little beef.)

I went out to the clothes line and I folded the sun dried laundry and put it into the laundry basket. 

I went out to the back yard and fed and watered the dogs and petting them.

I sat down and made a few calls, I need to sell more squash. I got two replies " come next Tuesday."  I get to eat now.

 

 

The canner is cooling down as I eat lunch/ dinner. 

Now I rest a few minutes, take a quick shower, check the oil in my car ( yes my dad taught me how many moons ago) and head off to work.

How was your morning?

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry - Todays garden pickin`s! 6-23-16