Homestead Pantry

I'm glad to be back here.  It's been awhile since I posted due to having been in the 'loving arms' of the medical community for a couple of months.  After many rounds of tests and doctor's visits...big insurance dollars, (did I need to mention?)...turned out it was nothing after all.  Hum.  Sweet system, wonder if my CSA could utilize something similar? 

So we are still alive here and expect to stay that way for some time to come.  To update you on our CSA current events I will just mention that we are now taking orders for ground rabbit sausage and will post new items as they become available though winter's grip has tightened with some cruel cold temperatures that remain low throughout the day and night.  

We started a tanning vat a couple of weeks ago, before we heard the temperatures were forecast to drop so low.  The furs look so beautiful on the animals that it's a shame to waste them for lack of time or skills.  I had spoken with the tannery nearby but they said they could not guarantee that the rabbit furs would not disintegrate in the vats, and they required payment up front.  The charge for the cowhides was $950.  When asked how that could possibly be affordable, I was assured that I could sell them on ebay.  She said she had seen one selling for $750 the previous week!  Wow.  So we decided to check out DIY tanning articles and try out a few of those recipes.  More info on this once the temps warm enough for us to see what we have out there! Let me know if you want to learn how to do this.

 Fiberarts and garden planning are the top activities of the week around this Homestead.  Two activities that can be done near a warm fire with a hot cuppa!  Contact me for details about when and where we can meet up to sit and spin, knit or just plan for spring.  I for one am planning for a much shorter winter and an earlier spring than last year.

Until next time, be well, eat as fresh as you can for the season.

Last evening we went to the Crossroads Restaurant located near Cashtown, Pennsylvania, for dinner and to catch the end of a Knit N Spin Out evening.  Arriving there later than normal due to some unexpected events, we were greeted by our waitress with the information that they were out of some items on the menu, due to it being their last night to be open.  As we sat down and looked out the window opposite from where we had entered the restaurant, we noticed that the sign made the announcement clear, had we approached from that direction or entered from that side of the dining room.  We had fish sandwiches, generously sized fish portions served on generous Kaiser rolls, with all the works.  The tables were all full of diners on this the last night, right up till closing time.  The owner greeted the late arrivals stating that they were going out with a bang.  It had been a good day.  

We will miss this tiny restaurant, which included a general store offering convenience store items like milk, eggs, and ice cream.  Our homestead social group will miss having their venue available on Friday nights, too. Following the unexpectedly tragic death of the owner/husband/father of two small girls this past June, so many of us in the local community had been pulling for this family, hoping against hope that they could continue to stay open through these rocky times, and that they could then prosper.  Sadly, it was not to be,...instead it is a prime example of what happens when you don't support your most basic local businesses such as small family restaurants and yes, small family farms. Like the window decal says,..."Support your local farmer...or watch the houses grow!"

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for where we can hold our get-togethers in future. 

Until next time,...support your local farmer,...eat well, ...eat fresh, ...be well.