Stocking Up ~ Using Up ~ Prepping Homemade Sausage

 

I finally got around to make a full batch of meatballs.  I like to get this done before the freezer fills up. One year I barely had room to flash freeze, and made a mess with meatballs stuck to the wire shelf above, ha ha!  

While the meatballs were flash freezing, I shredded up the very last of the picked zucchini.  I made us a batch of the most delicious chocolate zucchini muffins I have ever had.  I found the recipe this year online, and it is a keeper.  Yum!  I uses Einkorn all-purpose flour.

I had two pounds of pork, so I prepped it for homemade sausage with home grown sage.  I let it sit in the fridge overnight before cooking it, so the ingredients can produce good flavor.  I apparently have two different recipes for this, and I added extra seasonings, so this will be interesting.

I saved a few boiled eggs for snacking, and topped some chicken salad with them.  I may add boiled eggs to my chicken salad next time.  I make our chicken salad pretty simple - organic avocado mayo and home canned sweet pickle relish.  I added some hot pepper relish this time as well.

We are in the 80's during the day here, and pretty warm. Are you stocking up or preserving anything right now?

Weather Heats Up ~ Hot Peppers ~ Eggs ~ Boiled Eggs

 It is tough getting the day started this week.  The cooler weather, just screams "sit, sip and enjoy the morning while you can" and then I delay the day ha ha ha!  It's worth it, as we are heating up now to the 80's again.  

I picked all of the hot peppers that were on the plants.  I don't think we'll get  anything more, as this could be the very last warm fall week we have this season.  There were zero Anaheim  peppers, two baby hot banana, no serrano, and just these jalapenos.  Not enough to can hot pepper jelly this year.  I could buy extra from a farm stand, but I decided not this year.  I will freeze these remaining jalapenos, and keep a few for cooking this week and next.

If you read yesterday's post, I forgot to pack my husband's breakfast for the day (2-day's prep in photo).  I decided to use up some of the smaller eggs, from the newer laying hens, and scramble them.  I added them to his breakfast (and mine).

I put some of the larger eggs in the fridge a few weeks back, and got those out to boil.  There are people who raise layers, and still do not think they can boil their own eggs.  You can, but you have to let them sit a week or two (in the fridge) before boiling, or they will not peel for you.  Also, I put the saved eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature before boiling them.  I do not add anything to the water.  If you want a boiled egg, and only have fresh eggs, you can poach your egg for the same taste.

I add enough water to cover the eggs about 1 inch before I set the pot to boil.

They boiled up perfectly, and I used some for egg salad, and save some for slicing on sandwiched or for snacking.  I sometimes like a few boiled eggs for a quick breakfast.  The chickens are earning their keep.