The Weekly Digs #33

by Becky Porter
Published: Last Updated on

At lunch today when I opened the refrigerator at our house, there wasn’t much food. I didn’t have much time because I was about to run out the door to go get kids. I grabbed some REAL fast food, two fresh red bell peppers, and headed out the door.

As I bit into it like an apple, I had this thought and realization that this is what my body needs. It was so sweet, crispy, and full of flavor, even just plain. I felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that God created such delicious things for us to enjoy. I also felt gratitude that I get be a part of the process of creating. And gratitude for being able to grow it in the most natural way, how it should be done.

I rarely enjoy a store bought pepper the same way because I didn’t put my sweat equity into it (hmm bad phraseology when talking about food haha!). But really, I could bite into it with out getting any slimy wax coating texture, or wrinkly skin, as is normally the case when peppers have been sitting on the shelf for two weeks. It was nice just to enjoy that moment of perfect crispy, healthy food and feel grateful.

 By the way, i couldn’t even carry that basket. I had to split it up into two because it was to heavy for me. I had roughly 100 lbs in there!

By the way, i couldn’t even carry that basket. I had to split it up into two because it was to heavy for me. I had roughly 100 lbs in there!

In the garden:

  • Harvesting: Baby lettuce (first fall crop)! Arugula, peppers, tomatoes, cowpeas, dried beans, lemon squash, and sweet potatoes!

  • I started moving up my mini soil blocks to 2 inch blocks. So far I just did the purple bok choy and vates kale.

  • The rabbit is still in my large garden. Sigh. I don’t know what to do because my garden is 40×80 ft. It’s not a simple thing to add chicken wire all the way around the existing fence. And the cost is holding me back. Do bunnies migrate? I’m hoping they move along to another home by next year. Maybe someone who will love them more than I do? In the meantime, I think I will just add row covers to all my fall crops since I plan on doing that anyway as it gets colder.

  • I harvested 120lbs of sweet potatoes from 18 plants, a record for me! Sweet potatoes like the southern heat and this year was no exception. I think the crazy amount of rain at the beginning of the season really plumped them up too. It is really nice to have one good garden win for the year.

In the kitchen:

  • I found another use for grapes which have gone through the food mill. Cruz hid some of the juice I was planning on canning in our outside fridge behind some stuff so I wouldn’t see it. He ended up forgetting about it too, until today when he had a brilliant idea. We could make popsicles out of it! We literally just poured the grape pulp/juice straight into popsicle molds (didn’t add any sugar, these grapes don’t need it!) and stuck it in the freezer. We had a very tasty treat for dessert! They were so good!

  • Made 8 half pints and 2 pints of tomato sauce. See photo below. The photo also includes what I mentioned I canned in last weeks Weekly Digs #32.

 The result of the last few weeks of preserving

The result of the last few weeks of preserving

 Grape popsicles

Grape popsicles

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4 comments

Amy Taye September 21, 2019 - 9:55 pm

You might want to trap the bunnies. They multiply very quickly and will be back to haunt you in the Spring…

Reply
Becky Porter September 24, 2019 - 3:25 am

I was worried about that! They are so happy with my garden nearby, they wouldn’t really ever want to leave if they had the choice.

Reply
Amy Taye September 21, 2019 - 9:55 pm

You might want to trap the bunnies. They multiply very quickly and will be back to haunt you in the Spring…

Reply
Becky Porter September 24, 2019 - 3:25 am

I was worried about that! They are so happy with my garden nearby, they wouldn’t really ever want to leave if they had the choice.

Reply

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