Seasonal Eating
freyaskitty
Posts: 50 Member
'Morning Ladies!
Have any of you expiermented with seasonal eating? I know we Heathen-types tend to be a bit more attune to the seasonal changes than the average person. Does this extend to your diet?
I've toyed with it but plan on working towards doing a lot more of this.
Have any of you expiermented with seasonal eating? I know we Heathen-types tend to be a bit more attune to the seasonal changes than the average person. Does this extend to your diet?
I've toyed with it but plan on working towards doing a lot more of this.
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We do this a little. Right now we're working hard to make our last few house payments (It'll be done in October-WOOT!!!) and after that, we are planning to start a little homestead farm. Then seasonal eating will be mandatory!
Right now, we eat what we can afford, and if seasonal produce is cheaper, we eat that!
I'm planning to start doing more of my produce shopping at the local farmer's markets since the quality of grocery store produce has gotten worse and worse around here, so I do suppose there will be a lot more seasonal eating.0 -
Sounds like you and I have the same idea, Frau! BIG congrats on making your last house payments. That is one heck of an accomplishment!
My house sits on 1/2 acre in the city (almost suburbs). I've planned zones. One for worship (even going to make a runestone), one area for fun (pool, bbq, & gazebo) and one for FOOD!
A friend of mine works at a lot of construction sites and is gathering wood, old bricks and cement blocks for me. Once the weather cools off (it's been triple digits in OK City all month. FINALLY down in the 90s), I'm going to build my square foot garden raised beds to have them all ready for spring. Also converting my front yard to no lawn and planting tender herbs (basil, mints, etc.) around the base of my trees. It's VERY shady there so they'll do great.
The bed I have is going to be filled soon with garlic and kale. We love both of these, which is a miracle as my Hubs isn't too fond of veggies.
We've been working on going organic so I've become a lot more consciencious of where my grocery money is going. So seasonal is cheaper right now. I've also been much better about using up leftovers creatively.
I love our farmer's markets but to be honest, they are rather expensive now. It seems they have realized people actually want their stuff now and you know how that can be. They've hiked up their prices to match the demand. This prompted me to get off my butt and start growing my own.
We do this a little. Right now we're working hard to make our last few house payments (It'll be done in October-WOOT!!!) and after that, we are planning to start a little homestead farm. Then seasonal eating will be mandatory!
Right now, we eat what we can afford, and if seasonal produce is cheaper, we eat that!
I'm planning to start doing more of my produce shopping at the local farmer's markets since the quality of grocery store produce has gotten worse and worse around here, so I do suppose there will be a lot more seasonal eating.0 -
Our farmer's market is the same way, but so much of the produce that I've been bringing home from the grocery store goes bad before we get a chance to use it, I end up throwing it out. I'm not saving money if I'm throwing it in the trash! I'd rather spend a little more on fresh local produce than have to throw away cheap, rotten tomatoes from Costa Rica. We have 2 acres just outside the city, and I love it. We're tucked into a little old neighborhood about 20 minutes from three cities (one small, one medium, one large- I love it!)
I'm planning on doing square foot gardening and getting rabbits and chickens for meat, eggs, and pelts. Once we get our own land (renting the property with no option to buy), we'll be getting sheep and goats. I'm trying to keep everything on the property semi-permanent, so we haven't put in a permanent stone altar, but my hubby is planning to make some god-poles we can take with us when we get our own land. We've got our eyes on a bit of property just two blocks from us (what can I say- we love our area! We don't want to go far!) that has a HUGE old oak tree right out front. I've got my fingers crossed that we can find out who owns that bit of land and seeing if we can buy it from them.0 -
I hate throwing away good food too! I've come up with some pretty crazy ways to use leftovers (can we say leftover potatoe salad SOUP?) but I'm creative and I like to cook so I see it as a challange.
I would love to be able to have a couple of acres but it's not gonna happen. So, I'm content to making the best of what I have. I want chickens but right now, you have to have a full acre for them. Hopefully, that will change with time. Maybe I'll become a rebel and sneak in a few anyway. Bribe my neighbors with fresh eggs.
I'm also working on converting the house to be as good as possible. Plan on putting in rain barrels this year. I'd eventually love to have some solar panals but for now, I'm on the waiting list for wind powered electricity. Baby steps!0 -
My sister lives with me and is a vegetarian, ovo/lacto vegetarian to be exact, so we spend a lot of time in the produce area. I try to stick to the seasonal veggies since they are usually the cheapest and best tasting. We tried to grow our own this year, squash, tomatoes, peppers, raspberries, pumpkins, onions, and herbs but alas, most of it didn't work out. The tomatoes are holding out and the pumpkins have taken over but that's about it. I plan on doing some research and giving it another go next spring. My grandpa could grow anything and had a fabulous garden, he had to pass on a little of that to me. We are working on the chickens at my ma's house. One unfortunately met an untimely mysterious death, so we are gonna build a bigger, enclosed coop and add 2 more. I'm hoping one day I'll have fresh eggs.
Rain barrels...great idea. You guys are really making want to spend this weekend re-evaluating what I can do with my backyard.
Fall is my favorite time of the year for eating. My ma and I have already started talking about canning (one day we'll follow thru) baking, soups and crock pots, I accept the challenge to try to work it all into my allotted calories and create healthier versions.0 -
I just bought the Ball Book of Home Preserves from BJs. Lots of awesome recipes in there; the recipe for Summer Solstice Preserves is what made me decide to buy the book. It's just cherries and blueberries with sugar, pectin, and cherry brandy, but it sure did look delicious!
We have a lot of blackberries growing wild around us. I would like to make blackberry preserves one day with whatever we don't use in our mead (we homebrew- it's awesome!)
I've canned blueberry jam once, when I was in college. My dad's kitchen counters are still stained 10 years later! I love the idea of canning, I've just never gotten around to it.
I like the idea of rain barrels too. Might have to try that!0 -
I had an awful time with my garden last year. The temps were just so hot here, even with daily watering plants just didn't produce. I read that it was almost the same effect as a frost. I got beautiful blooms but not veggies. This year, I didn't do anything. I only planted flowers in my window boxes. I was working a job where I would be gone a week at a time so...
This fall, I'm planting garlic (for a crop next year) and lots of kale. I'm also looking at hoop houses for my gardens to help in both spring/fall and summer for warmth and for sun protection.
Canning is a wonderful thing!My sister lives with me and is a vegetarian, ovo/lacto vegetarian to be exact, so we spend a lot of time in the produce area. I try to stick to the seasonal veggies since they are usually the cheapest and best tasting. We tried to grow our own this year, squash, tomatoes, peppers, raspberries, pumpkins, onions, and herbs but alas, most of it didn't work out. The tomatoes are holding out and the pumpkins have taken over but that's about it. I plan on doing some research and giving it another go next spring. My grandpa could grow anything and had a fabulous garden, he had to pass on a little of that to me. We are working on the chickens at my ma's house. One unfortunately met an untimely mysterious death, so we are gonna build a bigger, enclosed coop and add 2 more. I'm hoping one day I'll have fresh eggs.
Rain barrels...great idea. You guys are really making want to spend this weekend re-evaluating what I can do with my backyard.
Fall is my favorite time of the year for eating. My ma and I have already started talking about canning (one day we'll follow thru) baking, soups and crock pots, I accept the challenge to try to work it all into my allotted calories and create healthier versions.0 -
I'm excited to hear it's a good book. I put it on my Amazon Yule list! Cherries & blueberries...yummmm!
I brew mead as well! Tell ya, there is something magical about the whole process. I was so surpirsed the first time that it was pretty easy too. I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it! Buying mead has gotten expensive and most of them just don't taste very good. I like the idea of blueberry mead. Have to give that a shot!I just bought the Ball Book of Home Preserves from BJs. Lots of awesome recipes in there; the recipe for Summer Solstice Preserves is what made me decide to buy the book. It's just cherries and blueberries with sugar, pectin, and cherry brandy, but it sure did look delicious!
We have a lot of blackberries growing wild around us. I would like to make blackberry preserves one day with whatever we don't use in our mead (we homebrew- it's awesome!)
I've canned blueberry jam once, when I was in college. My dad's kitchen counters are still stained 10 years later! I love the idea of canning, I've just never gotten around to it.
I like the idea of rain barrels too. Might have to try that!0 -
The whole reason we started brewing was the cost of buying it commercially. And you're right- it's so much cheaper, and the product is much, much better.
I work at a winery right now and am learning about the process of setting up a commercial winery/meadery. We've got an investor lined up, so we're making plans to have our own commercial place in the next two years or so. It's very exciting!0 -
That is VERY exciting! Please keep us posted. I know a LOT of heathens who would love to support a heathen-based business!The whole reason we started brewing was the cost of buying it commercially. And you're right- it's so much cheaper, and the product is much, much better.
I work at a winery right now and am learning about the process of setting up a commercial winery/meadery. We've got an investor lined up, so we're making plans to have our own commercial place in the next two years or so. It's very exciting!0
