Stocking up for the fall/winter

[NewGig]

I've decided that I just have to menu plan if we aren't going to run out of some things before winter is over and have too much of others. The stewed tomatoes go really quick. I froze 17 quarts of them to begin with. The shelf comfortably holds 16, so we ate one right away. Two weeks later, this week, we've now eaten another. If I keep us from using them any faster than 1 every 2 weeks, we'll have enough.

Farm day today. Got enough tomatillos for probably at least another 2 quarts of salsa verde. That makes 4. I usually put aside at least 6. This is probably the last pick of the season. It was "gleaning" at the farm, which means they usually plow it under in the coming week and there will be no more. So, 4 will have to do. That means 1 salsa verde based dinner a month and it will get us through January. I also normally freeze 2 quarts of salsa cubes for taco seasoning, etc. I have none, so we'll be buying salsa verde as well.

Onions show up next month. (I'll do 6 quarts of onions.) So do the celery and carrots. I'll do 12 mixed carrots, celery, & onion. Those will get used every 2 weeks too.

I need to figure out, in more detail, the menu plan. Right now it's double veg (M/W) LOs (Tu) Egg (Th) double meat (F/Su) and sandwich (Sa). The pattern works. But with the limited bases I'll have, I'm stuck with essentially 1 meal, be it a double or single, using the bases, weekly. That's great, but what do I do the rest of the week?

[happystuff]

As posted in another thread, I just got a huge bag of Gala apple seconds. I'll be eating those good enough to eat as it, throwing most onto the dehydrator and hopefully have time to make some applesauce out of some of them. Going to be busy trying to fit this in with the workday. Also hope I have enough empty cannings jars! All good problems in my book. LOL

[bae]

We have been trapped here for days now by a record cold wave (-25F wind chills, baseline temps from 6F to 18F, winds 2-30 knots sustained, gusts over 60 knots.). The wind has died down, and the snow has stopped, but it's still colder here today that it is at McMurdo Station in Antarctica or at Nome, Alaska. The roads are a disaster.

People in the community are experiencing frozen and broken water pipes. Septic systems are freezing up. We've had some significant power outages from the winds, and most people here rely on electricity for their heating.

Fun times.

[razz]

That is brutal after the excessive heat, fires, then the rain/floods earlier in the year. Those in lower BC and area have not had time to dry out their homes as yet. Have the roads been restored enough to get supplies?

[frugal-one]

Wow…

The world is going crazy! I am in the Rio Grande valley of Texas where record highs are being made… 88F.

From one extreme to another.

[JaneV2.0]

I looked at a weather station's website the other day and it said -7 for my town. Good grief.
So far, the electricity is holding. I'm getting used to being cold, and there's no way I'm venturing out to the mailbox. Maybe Spring...

Didn't I say something about having a mild climate? Famous last words.

[bae]

The world is going crazy! I am in the Rio Grande valley of Texas where record highs are being made… 88F.

From one extreme to another.

It is totally wacky - we had record high temperatures here this summer, and now these low temperatures are record lows. The extended duration is pretty brutal.

[iris lilies]

Meanwhile, we’ve had lovely mild temperate weather here in the lower Midwest. OK there was a tornado scare a couple weeks ago, but that’s no big deal. Our days are in the 50s and 60s F, Were in the 70s F last week. This is the sort of weather I would want if I went south for the winter.

[Rogar]

We had a sizzling dry summer and a long warm dry fall. Other than a few flurries it hasn't snowed here since last spring, which has been highly unusual and record setting. Most of the state has been in some degree of drought, although the northern mountains seem to come up with a normal snowpack for the farmers and front range cities.

Near term for a few days looks more normal with cold weather and some snow in the forecast. It would have been a good year for late summer planting of a few greens and other vegetables had a person known.

[Teacher Terry]

Lake Tahoe hit a new record with 194” of snow. The freeway finally opened after being closed for 3 days. In the valley we are only getting a few inches but it’s cold with our highs in the 30’s. Bae, I hope everyone gets their electricity back soon. That sounds awful!