Under Construction

Window installation is well underway.
Here is my ugliest before window picture for reference.... drippy foam insulation, old air conditioner and all-

Here we are as of today-

All the new windows are in.  They are working on framing now.  By tomorrow most of the exterior frames should be sealed off.

The exposed insulation shows how large the previous vinyl framing was.  We were hoping to decrease that and reduce the amount of white.  Without extensive new vinyl work we are not sure that is possible at the moment (our contractor doesn't seem to be well experienced in vinyl work though).  We are planning on keeping the frame style simple.

So far we are pleased with the windows and the installation quality.  Thankfully I have full time supervision on the contractors.... she gets paid in cheese and apple slices.

Count Down Till A House Update!!

The count down HAS STARTED my friends.  I am Jessie Spano excited and I am not even taking caffeine pills.  Listen to me, not one but TWO contractors will be here next week working on our house.  Two contractors doing two different projects; a general contractor and a professional painter.

The last completed house project was chronicled back in February, here.  This is much bigger than that.

Here is what is about to go down in Trexlertown (not the place in Pennsylvania).

1.  Almost every window in our house is being rebuilt.  For those that are interested in the details these are rebuilds, not replacement windows.  I took a picture of the worse one to promote suspense.  This one is in our living room and the air conditioner is secured to the frame because it was pulling the window literally out of the wall.  These windows I believe are 31 years old.

This is the window that will be replacing it.  Andersen Woodwright series.  Similar but different grid that's only on top-

2.  Trim facings are going to be put up.  This is something we have held off on completing for various reasons.  See picture above for visual reference.  I am excited to be able to hang curtains.

3.  Kitchen and stairwell are going to be painted.  These are the last two areas of the house that have not been painted.  Ceilings and all.  Painter is going to wash the walls and ceilings before he paints them.  Double excitement that someone is going to wash something besides me.

I took a picture of the cleaner half of the kitchen.

4.  Basement is going to be completed.  Excited for the extra space for playroom and storage-

Overall I am excited to cross items off the list..... and save money on heating with these new windows.

Kids are excited too.....

Zombie mouths

....that they will probably get to watch more TV than usual to stay out of contractors way.  (PBS puts baby girl out I guess, it did this day anyway).

Last exciting thing, we harvested some decent late summer items from the garden last week.  My neglect of the garden this year didn't stop everything.

I got a second wind and planted beets and brussel sprouts.  I learned from a seasoned gardener here to plant brussel sprouts (as transplants though) in the late summer.  They get sweeter after a frost.  No, not with frosting, frost.

http://i-heart-cupcakes.blogspot.com/2010/12/baking-with-brussels-sprouts.html

Though that's tempting I guess.

30 Minutes Or Less Food Preservation

For some reason typing this title made me imagine myself having my own cooking show, which instantly brought on this next image of what it would probably look like-

Sooooo, while my mind is in full disclosure mode let me add that I feel somewhat silly writing this post.  You see, though I encourage people 100% to try and grow and preserve their own food, this year I did very little of it.  We did grow a garden this year and reaped some rewarding food, but crab grass was our main speciality.  So if anyone has any good crab grass recipes please share it (or don't).

So here is my quick list of EASY THINGS TO GROW and then PRESERVE in LESS THAN or around 30 MINUTES.  

(Please note that I do not live in a vacuum by any means, I try to do this stuff when kids are taking quiet time, watching a show or in bed.  Otherwise add 4 hours to the processing time.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Tomatoes

Tomatoes are pretty easy and can be grown in a container on a back porch if needed.  Remember that if in a pot that it will usually need more water.  As you know there are many varieties to choose from, we like to grow sweet, meaty varieties because you get more 'meat' and less water.  We have had good success with Amish Paste, San Marzano (both 'plum' varieties) and Brandywines.  There are SO MANY other meaty varieties though so ask around what grows well in you area or just buy them from a road side stand.

Preserving
I am NOT a huge fan of eating fresh tomatoes, I AM a fan of having them around in the winter for soups or stews.  Making sauce and pressure canning them takes more time than 30 minutes BUT they freeze beautifully.  Just wash and dry them, make sure no rotten spots, pull off stem and put them in a freezer bag.  That is all.  No blanching, skinning required.  I'M SERIOUS.  Here's the cool thing, when you want to use 1 or 10, pull them from the freezer and let thaw only a little.  I actually just run them under warm water to thaw a little.  Once slightly thawed the skin will slip easily off.  So easy.  I will cut the whitish, firm stem area out and then maybe quarter before I add to a soup or stew recipe.  They will break down and mash up just like canned tomatoes.  If they are still slightly frozen they are easy to cut and won't squish.  So why buy canned, stewed tomatoes again?  I make our own tomato soup with frozen whole tomatoes, better than Campbells and VERY quick.  Recipe Here.  Also note that once fully thawed they are very squishy so don't expect them to be very good on a sandwich.


2.  Pickles

Cucumbers are easy to grow and can be grown in small spaces up trellises (they love to climb and look lovely too).  For pickles you need to grow a pickling cucumber variety, but let me say that I think pickling cucumbers taste better than regular cucumbers freshly sliced.... but that is just me.  They are popular with my neighbors for sure.  They are also very abundant so you get a lot.  Cucumbers are one of my favorite vegetables for many reasons.

Preserving
Pickling can be quick depending on the recipe.  In short, most dill or sour pickles (which is what we usually do) involves making a brine, cooling it and adding brine/spices/cucs to the jar.  Done.  Give it time to actually pickle in the jar but you don't do anything in that regard.  We keep these in the frig since I do not seal them through a canning process.  Plus, cold pickles are tastier in our opinion.  Another pickle post Here.

3. Fresh Herbs

http://moorefarmsbg.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/herbs.jpg

Some herbs are so easy to grow they are a nuisance, meaning they will take over the area they are in. Talk about a huge difference fresh herbs make in recipes, HUGE.  Comparing dried herbs to fresh herbs in taste is like comparing sleeping on wet concrete to sleeping on an amazing mattress.  Maybe a slight exaggeration.... slight.

Preserving
I put the fresh herb leaves whole in my food processor.  I turn the processor on and start adding oil slowly.  Just enough to chop them and stick to the sides of the processor.  A little more oil is ok too.  I then put the 'paste' in an ice cube tray and cover with plastic wrap (I fill basil to the top of each cube, stronger herbs tasting herbs maybe only half cube).  Let freeze solid them put the cubes in a freezer bag.  Label the bag because they all look like green squares.  I use them in soups and even pasta dishes.  I just throw the frozen cube right into the hot soup at the end or hot pasta.  I make and freeze basil pesto this way too and love having summery pesto dishes in the middle of winter.
Note: I have not experimented with freezing all fresh herbs, I assume most leafy herbs do well but if you know otherwise please share the knowledge.

4.  Edamame (Or Soybeans)

http://www.withamymac.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/edamame.jpg

We grew Edamame a few years ago and loved how easy it was and how great it turned out.  We had eaten edamame at some Japanese or other Asian inspired restaurants and alway like it.  The kids like it ALOT too.  We think they like the saltiness of them (we add sea salt).  And it's good for you!
This is the kind we grew linked HERE, we love Botanical Interests seeds.

Preserving
Just blanche, ice bath and freeze in a freezer bag.  I freeze them on a cookie sheet so they don't stick together then put them in a bag once frozen.  That way you can take out a little at a time as you want a snack.  Just defrost or warm them up, don't cook them again.  Did I mention these were really good, just add sea salt.


5.  Potatoes

This is a picture of my parents potatoes and onions, happily stored in their garage.  Potatoes are pretty easy to grow.  You just need well worked up soil and seed potatoes.  They don't take up anymore space than a bush bean plant.  Some people have grown them in straw towers (aka potato towers) or bags of soil (aka dirt bags, aka the media and their.... I will stop there).

Preserving
You just put them in a paper bag in a cool, dry place.  We put ours in our basement.  You don't even have to clean the dirt off.  Done.  Just wash off before you cook.

Sweet potatoes and a dirty boy from a few years ago.  Sweet potatoes are vines and take up more space but easy to grow.

Other things that are a quick blanche and freeze worthy:  green beans, asparagus and corn.  Also easy to freeze and come out great:  BERRIES!!  We love having our picked blueberries in yogurt most of the year.  Berry cobbler in the middle of the winter anyone. :)

Please share if you have any food preserving tips!!!