Hubbard's cupboard

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To fetch her poor dog a bone.
But when she got there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
~ Sarah Catherine Martin

We have been so busy stocking the cupboard so Old Mother Hubbard’s dog (along with us) has something to eat this winter that we have had little time for anything else.

Last Wednesday when the kids left for school, Mom and I picked up #1 Daughter, treated her to lunch then went to the Farmers Market. Thursday and Friday were spent picking 10.5 pounds of blackberries which we turned into more blackberry topping. We also picked, grated and froze 11.5 more pounds of zucchini. And we made two batches of chili sauce, three batches of salsa, two batches of bread & butter pickles and froze 2 gallons of crushed tomatoes. We took the chickens and turkeys to the butcher and picked them up the next day. The man and I also hauled all the squash into the root cellar before the rains from Hanna came.

Saturday, we took a much needed break and went to the Endless Mt. Fiber Fest. I got to spin on Grace’s double flyer wheel, but not successfully! I liked that and a production wheel she had for sale.
The man said he would buy one but I need my house done before I need another wheel. We visited with some fiber on the foot.#2 son treated me to an ounce of dyed silk roving and an ounce of mohair blend called Falling Leaves. I picked up ½ lb of jacob roving and two skeins of Happy Feet sock yarn. We had lunch and came home. I spent the rest of the afternoon spinning and relaxing. I finished knitting the valance….now the man thinks I should make them for every window in the house. I think the man should learn to knit!

Today we went grocery shopping, stopped and picked elderberries on the way home. Once home we picked, washed, boiled and strained three gallons of elderberry juice. We froze it to make jelly at a later date. While we were processing them, the man went and picked some more elderberries, which we will do tomorrow. We picked more blackberries with one friend and when she left another stopped in to see if I wanted canning jars. YES!!!! I have to meet her tomorrow after 2:30 to get them.

Also tomorrow we have to finish the elderberries, do two more batches of salsa, a batch of bbq sauce and finish the tomatoes by crushing and freezing them. The cabbage will be made into sauerkraut this week, the garden huckleberries into jam and pie filling, and basil into pesto. Next week will be spent digging the potatoes and then I will be done for a while. After the first frost there will be applesauce, cider and horseradish sauce. Then there will be hibernation...I am so looking forward to it.