Yesterday, I made my way down to Harbor Freight and purchased a number of items. In particular for the fore casted hurricane I purchased a 5x7 heavy duty tarp to cover building supply items that are leaning against the house that need to be kept dry.
Amazing thing is that just last Friday when I was there they had at least a whole pallet of small gas generators and as of yesterday PM, they were all sold out. I had joked about purchasing one at least as an insurance policy to my neighbor.
I can only imagine that some people went in and maxed out the quantity of six (6) maximum purchase. I bet if I looked on the local craigslist.org some of those same generators would be listed for sale at a higher cost. Not sure how I feel about that. As when a storm is going to hit, some people in this area just loose respect for others and do crazy things like buy-up more items than they need at the store.
I have been somewhat lax in getting the inside of the house prepared. A tub is filled with water, as I have been informed in a storm a handful of years ago this subdivision lost water supply for a good period of time.
There is more than enough food in this house. So, no worries there.
Combination radio, flashlight, siren with a hand powered crank is sitting next to my bed. As, is a battery operated flash light.
I know where some candles are located. But, I should be pulling them to a central location in the event that they are needed.
Yesterday, I ran the dishwasher. Today, I washed what dishes were dirty by hand. I plan on running a load of laundry shortly and take a much needed shower, as my couple of hours outdoors in the steady rain resulted in me being wet from head to knees in spite of having a rain hat on and a rain coat.
The rain travelled the brim of the hat to my back and ran inside down my t'shirt!
Seeing how I was already totally soaked, I offered to take my neighbor's dog for a walk. Also known as my work out partner.
When we returned, I knocked on the door and told my neighbor to open the garage door, because you know who was soaked and was certainly going to wait until indoors prior to shaking the water off.
You have to laugh.... Exactly, what she did.
Time to extract myself from the chair and go get a few more things accomplished before it gets pitch dark and there are potentially no electric lights.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Freezing Produce and It's Ripe NOW!
I was reading my friend's blog the other day and she had written a brief blog regarding freezing some blueberries she had purchased at the store to use later in the year. Plus another FB friend had questioned how to freeze strawberries after taking her children berry picking earlier this summer.
Of course, I had to comment, as I too often freeze a variety of produce. Mostly due to seasonal availability coupled with economics.
As long as you have the space in freezer it is relatively simple process. I have a deep freezer, so I use a cookie sheet. But, you could use any other freezer safe container that will allow air to flow around the produce without it freezing together.
To ensure that softer items like bananas don't stick to the pan, first line with waxed paper.
Clean or pick your produce and chop if desired. Spread on pan and freeze for several hours or a day before removing. Then label and place in freezer safe containers or freezer safe zipper lock storage bags. Place back into freezer until needed for recipes and consumption.
This is a super way to not waste excess produce you have purchased or have in ripe abundance in your garden, i.e. I just froze a 1/2 dozen peeled bananas and what should be my last crop of figs (figs are extremely fragil and usually mold and rot within a couple of days in the open air).
Items such as sliced peaches and bananas are terrific straight from the freezer into the blender as a delicious addition to a fruit smoothie. Or quick access when the desire for banana bread or a fruit pie is weighing heavy on your mind.
When shopping, don't ignore the reduced produce. As I had commented on my friend's blog Berrymorin Bits and Tips, it is a super way to try produce you may not normally purchase or have never tried before. EX: I recently bought a mesh bag of tiny key limes and have been using them in my ice water for added flavor.
If you are able to deal with it and think economically, you can definitely make use of some of the ripe produce at excellent prices by preparing and freezing immediately. One of my favorites is yellow, red and green bell peppers. I wash, slice and freeze for use later in omelets and other recipes.
This past week, I used two (2) sealed containers of summer squash/zucchini in a huge batch of a vegetable beef soup that I made one night. I could have easily frozen the squash and used later, but decided to empty my produce drawer and freeze the soup instead.
Of course, I had to comment, as I too often freeze a variety of produce. Mostly due to seasonal availability coupled with economics.
As long as you have the space in freezer it is relatively simple process. I have a deep freezer, so I use a cookie sheet. But, you could use any other freezer safe container that will allow air to flow around the produce without it freezing together.
To ensure that softer items like bananas don't stick to the pan, first line with waxed paper.
Clean or pick your produce and chop if desired. Spread on pan and freeze for several hours or a day before removing. Then label and place in freezer safe containers or freezer safe zipper lock storage bags. Place back into freezer until needed for recipes and consumption.
This is a super way to not waste excess produce you have purchased or have in ripe abundance in your garden, i.e. I just froze a 1/2 dozen peeled bananas and what should be my last crop of figs (figs are extremely fragil and usually mold and rot within a couple of days in the open air).
Items such as sliced peaches and bananas are terrific straight from the freezer into the blender as a delicious addition to a fruit smoothie. Or quick access when the desire for banana bread or a fruit pie is weighing heavy on your mind.
When shopping, don't ignore the reduced produce. As I had commented on my friend's blog Berrymorin Bits and Tips, it is a super way to try produce you may not normally purchase or have never tried before. EX: I recently bought a mesh bag of tiny key limes and have been using them in my ice water for added flavor.
If you are able to deal with it and think economically, you can definitely make use of some of the ripe produce at excellent prices by preparing and freezing immediately. One of my favorites is yellow, red and green bell peppers. I wash, slice and freeze for use later in omelets and other recipes.
This past week, I used two (2) sealed containers of summer squash/zucchini in a huge batch of a vegetable beef soup that I made one night. I could have easily frozen the squash and used later, but decided to empty my produce drawer and freeze the soup instead.
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