Food Independence Challenge, Week Two Update

Hi folks - it's been another busy week. Here's what's gone on around our house.

We planted green onions, lettuce and radishes in containers. The only harvesting this week was dandelion and mulberry leaves for the bunnies and mulberries for us. They're finally ripening! I'm sorry to say that I have nothing to preserve this week, so there was none of that.
Our prep this week included digging a new garden bed and scoring some good finds at a garage sale - planting containers, storage jars, fireplace tools and a paper shredder (to make compost and mulch from our waste paper). I also ordered a sprouter. To grow sprouts!

Not much this week in the way of managing reserves - just labeled some jars and used up some greens that were looking tired. As far as cooking something new - we've been making bannock for breakfast this week, in all sorts of variations. We've made it before, but only once or twice. We've put it back into rotation as a quick, easy, and infinitely variable staple. This week we made it plain, with cornmeal and cheese, and with mulberries and blueberries. I'm considering making a big jar of bannock "mix", so we can just scoop out a cup or so at the drop of a hat. I also used beet greens in my dal this week instead of spinach, which was new for me. Yummy!

No working on local food systems this week. I'll be unable to work at the CSA gardens for three weeks in a row, which makes me sad. I love doing that. As far as reducing waste - see paper shredder (above). We're also trying to think of a use for the (partial) bamboo rug that the dog has kindly chewed to bits.

I'm still working on honing my gardening skills. I'm reading "Gardening When it Counts" and learning a lot about root systems that I never knew before. I've also had to come to terms with the fact that this knowledge will come slowly and gradually and there will be many failures along the way.