Well, it's early in day 6 so I can only update really through day 5. Whatever.
It was the weekend and I had errands including trips to stores that sell food because I'm giving candy bags at the office for xmas and I needed split peas and lentils for the chickens. I didn't buy any groceries for me, no snack, no kombucha or coffee, nothing.
I brought bread I made (heavy heavy texture, great flavor though...more anon), a mix of walnuts and raisins, and coffee with extra hot water and grounds so I could make a 2nd cup in the travel french press (reusing the old grounds with juts a teaspoon of new ones to freshen it up a bit...it's not fabulous but it's drinkable and hot so good enough). And water, of course. Next time I will bring more snacks as I was pretty gnoshy by the time I got home.
The rough bit was heading to a christmas market to pick up something I'd pre-ordered from a vendor. She was also selling honey, pickled garlic, jams, and other delicious tidbits. As were many other vendors. I got nothing. Just what I ordered. Which is extremely cute.
Then I bagged it. I like the antique/thrift store in that town but it was PACKED and it is a county with one of the lowest vaccine rates in Idaho AND one of the lowest mask rates. I have my vaccines and the booster. Still. It was crowded and I didn't see either thing on my list (thrift and antique store hand tools are better and cheaper than new often). Hence, I bagged it and went home. OH! I did stop at another place, a friend's house, to buy some chicken feed and drop off a holiday gift.
This exercise has me inspired to parcel out my food. I got out the raisin ration for the week, and the walnuts for the rest of December, which I think I might go through a tad fast. I need to put a few back for the holiday meals. Nuts make bread better. Also pancakes.
I'm also remembering to cook in the evening. Stuff doesn't last as long as I think. I made some biscuits last night and boiled up some rye berries so I have the base for some meals this week. BUT I ate all the biscuits for breakfast today. I was hungry. Oops! I can make more. Plenty of flour for the rest of the month though I will be putting some of the wheat flour back for the holiday and trying to eat more of the almond flour. Learning to use the vital wheat gluten too. First I learned NOT to overdo it...holy gas batman! (TMI??)
I've been trying to cut sodium in take all of 2021 and like MOST THINGS I know that doing it myself is best. Cook your own food and you wont' have a sodium issue. It works. DAMMIT.
Big successes...chicken soup from the home canned chicken with spaetzles. I don't have much veg to I boosted the soup with just onions and herbs including thyme from my garden. Really good. Quickly put half outside on the porch fridge so I wouldn't eat it all at once. The spaetzles came out pretty good with a bit of nutmeg in them. Tasty. The no-sodium baking powder and an egg for leavening and protein boost.
The yeast bread I did like a refrigerator dough since it is chilly at my house. And my flour is all whole what so I threw in a bit of vital wheat gluten. Let it sit over night then backed some up in a little jerry-rigged oven on top of the woodstove. The oven worked, but the bread was heavy. I don't mind since I like heavy breads but it isn't what I was shooting for. Added more flour to the remaining dough and kneaded a bit (all in a giant jar so there isn't flour in every cranny of the wee shed). Let that sit overnight to rise. I was still heavy but really tasty from the long rise.
The biscuits for today where spiced heavily and just flour, gluten, and the no sodium baking powder (which I call "faking powder"). They rose OK, and were delicious with a tablespoon of the coconut yogurt I had on the porch fridge. I brought that to work to have with breakfasts this week.
Chickens still putting out an egg most days! That's good. I got 2 eggs one day including a TINY one so I think one of the new ladies is trying to start laying. When I remember, I put a light on them in the morning. If I was more consistent I might get Gertrude laying again. For now, Helen is laying and someone else might be trying. For the last several days I've cooked up the lentils with some cayenne. They need the lentils for the protein boost, just a tablespoon or so per chicken, and the cayenne might help make them lay. I'm only half trying on getting them to lay, just playing. They earn the rest through the winter and with out 8hours of daylight right now, most chickens won't put out eggs. Just not enough light to trigger them.
I got 2 orders for mustard, delivered one Saturday, she met me at the market I needed to hit so that was handy, and one more that I am working on. Should be able to deliver that later this week. People are ordering by the quart! Jeez. The pending order was for red wine vinegar and yellow mustard seed. I was 2 cups short on vinegar! I have 4 gallons of vinegar but not that kind. So, I picked up just a small bottle. Will have a half cup or so left. Darn. I might combine it with some other scraps of vinegar and make something for me. I do have some more seeds so I might as well mix up some mustard to eat on the meats and fish I have left. It's all in the pantry so ...it's fair game.
I found my pectin and a good recipe for making cranberry jelly from bottled cranberry juice (which I have) and honey (which I have), so I'm hoping to get to that but the though of spilling cranberry juice or worse, hot honeyed/sticky cranberry juice in the wee shed has put me off.. Maybe if I tarp the entire floor??
Sorted the office food stock a bit today. Had to bring in jars of stuff because the place might freeze hard this week while I'm at work. Can't have busted jars for a) the mess and clean up hassle without indoor plumbing and 2) the food loss.
Per my sister's (Hi!) recommendation I am listening to "Moon of the Crusted Snow" by Waubgeshig Rice. The reader has the right accent, the one the characters would have, so it's really fun to listen too. The story centers around a complete break down of "supply chains" and "communication networks" so people are reliant on what they have and what they can do. Really a fun listen and inspiring for the pantry challenge and trying to grow a bit in winter, e.g. the sprouts I will start and the carrot tops (parsley substitute) I'm regrowing from the top nubs of 2nd Harvest carrots. Quite nice.
I'm also watching some youtubes about ration cooking in the UK during WWII. The supplies are reasonably similar. Heavy on wheat flour, light on meat and fresh eggs. Since I have powdered egg, like they did, quite a few of the recipes work for me. I'll throw links in a blog post maybe for the most useful videos/recipes.
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