I don’t know if it’s something instinctive or what. But it’s August now, and I’ve shifted into full-on Hippie Mode. I’m working on patchwork curtains for the upstairs library (double sided!) out of fabric I’ve had stashed away, and I’m also planning on matching decor for the room with the remaining leftovers. Already got a throw pillow. I’ll show you eventually. Last night I canned 2 pounds of fresh farmer’s market green beans. Today I took my reusable shopping bags (some of which are still at my Etsy shop!) to the supermarket and loaded up on more mason jars–both pint and half-pint–2 pounds of soldier beans which are soaking in water as I type, 8 cucumbers at 59 cents a pop, a handful of jalepeno peppers, some tomatoes, some onions…oooh yeah. It’s cooking and canning central here.
And here’s how much of a hippie chick I’ve been: when I prepared all the green beans for canning, I took the little snipped-off ends, extracted the seeds from them, and have said seeds drying to plant next year. Then I put the ends in compost, go me.
I think what brought it all on is a few things. First, the discovery of a Farmer’s Market here in Westbrook (my new town of residence) on Thursdays. Next, the new Mother Earth News. This one’s all canning and preserving. And finally, we’re taking a pretty big hit financially over the next month. Whenever we look at the numbers and hubby says, “We’ll have to be frugal,” I go all out with the frugality. And, interestingly enough, we often eat better when those times happen. I bake more from scratch, I do stuff like soaking 2 pounds of beans instead of buying a can, I dig back in the freezer for stuff to put in the slow-cooker; I get creative.
I’ll show pictures of my works in progress another time. Right now I’m in desperate need of a shower. Hey I may be in Hippie Mode but I don’t have to smell like the worst of them.