Lehman’s Country Life

There are many foods that can be prepared all at one time then show back up on your family’s menu as totally different dishes.

My first thoughts are always what is in season from our large family garden and what is on special at the market. Before I know it, a menu is forming. I make some notes to take with me for the shopping trip. Your list of purchases may include things such as eggs and produce; we are blessed to have those here on the farm. The final menu would be determined on how some of the meats looked and such. Always make a quick look through the pantry to be sure you have all the ingredients needed – you do not want to get in the middle of making potato salad to realize you are out of mustard.
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Did you know a typical family of four can reduce its amount of organic waste by an average of 85% with home composting?

When you read about composting, one of the first facts you’ll read is how one-third of all the trash we throw away in the United States is food waste, and 97 percent of these food scraps end up in landfills. Most people think that food waste in land fills isn’t a problem. It’s food, right? And food breaks down and certainly must break down faster than any other material in the landfill… right? Yes, but at an alarmingly slow rate and not without environmental consequences.
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When Americans envision Italian cooking, it is heavy with the tomato sauce we have all grown to love. But this is not a truly accurate picture, for the tomato is a new addition to Italian cuisine. In fact, the tomato didn’t come on the Italian scene until the late 1500’s and up until the late 1600’s was thought to be poisonous and not used in food. This diversity gives us some wonderful dishes of Italy to use in our warm weather, summer meal planning.
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Mother’s Day – that special day in May set aside to remember our Moms. For some of us it is gathering for a large reunion of many generations, all enjoying their meal together. For other families it may be a specially cooked breakfast served to Mother in bed.

In my household the celebration centers around a Mid-Day meal. Why do we pick a late lunch or early supper? Mother’s Day is on a Sunday and because it is a school night, an early gathering gives time for baths, quiet downtime from the day’s excitement and maybe a chance at a reasonable bedtime.

Here are two menus for you to try depending on your plans; both are designed to be easy for the grown-up in charge (not Mother – remember, she is off today!).
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Annuals can add season-long color to beds and borders and also supply a summer full of cut flowers for decorating. Annuals are easy to grow and require little care except watering and occasional deadheading. They can be mixed in with perennials, including shrubs and trees, and fill empty spaces in the garden until later plants grow and mature. They can also be grown alongside vegetables and are well adapted to pots and containers. Here are a few tips on getting started this year…
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Springtime cooking can be challenging. We as meal planners are so ready for a change from cold-weather rustic to springtime fresh.

More outdoor activities of cleaning up the yard and working in the garden can demand meals that are hearty and feed the body and soul.

Here are some springtime recipes for your families that aim to both satisfy tummies and incorporate fresh spring vegetables.
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The news is full of bad economic reports, more layoffs,and more budget cut backs. Many of us have to juggle more than a little to make ends meet.

One way to help your family economy is to plan for the future – and I am not talking about stocks and bonds. I am talking about planning a garden and starting to store up the canning supplies you will need to stretch your harvest.

Many times we can purchase packets of seeds we need for our gardens from family and friends or even the change we clean out of our purses or pockets. But canning supplies have gone up in price along with many of the other needs our families have.
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Cold winds are blowing, temperatures are freezing and below, snow is falling, and the ice on the steps refuses to melt. Sounds like the basics of weather this time of year. These conditions make it hard to be outdoors, but it’s a wonderful time for some rib-sticking comfort foods.

While researching this article I started by looking at what my family has been having on the supper menu the last couple of weeks. Although we are located in North Carolina, the temperatures here have been unusually cold, with nights in the single digits and days barely getting out of the teens. Our family meal choices have reflected the foods I grew up with in the Northeast.
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Wisteria is a beautiful addition to your landscape. The large cluster of purple flowers is very pretty and has a wonderful fragrance. The downside to this bush is it will spread and can be invasive. Wisteria also comes in white and pink.

In the winter when the plant is dormant use pruning snips and cut back all the over growth. These above ground shoots can travel surprising distances from the parent plant in a very short period of time and be quite destructive. Wisteria plants can grow over 10 feet in one year-be aggressive in your pruning.  Wisteria also spread by their root system. In fact,
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We have all been there. Our little garden produces great big yields, more than we can use. You have canned all your pantry (and you) can handle, and given away enough that your family and neighbors hide when you come to their door with vegetables. Do not let that last fresh produce spoil! Donate it to your local food bank!

Call your local food bank and ask if it takes fresh produce donations. If so, find out on what days and times. If not, ask if they have the number of a local charity that does. Times are hard all over, with prices rising like they are, and we can each do a little to help. Believe it or not, it adds up and can truly make a great difference in someone’s life.

Pick your produce fresh the day you plan to deliver it. Wash it well. Pick through and discard spoiled pieces or parts. Place your produce in containers that will be easy to lift and carry. If you can leave the containers, it will save time for the charity volunteers and you. With a permanent magic marker write your name, address, and phone number on the bottom to identify your baskets. Many food banks will hold onto your containers and give them back empty when you stop in again.

Get and keep a receipt of the estimated value of your donation, if you want to use your donation as a tax deduction.

Washing and packing your produce garden-side make for less mess and easier production. (Using a wire mesh hod is a great way to do this.) Remember that tomatoes, cabbage, beans, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers and squash are all prolific producers that can help those in need.

Don’t think of this as charity to those who do not try to care for themselves - the need of help in  feeding our families can strike any of us in the blink of an eye. With job lay-offs, skyrocketing food costs and high fuel prices , we can all help our community with the gifts our garden provides for us.

Do not wait until the holiday season to take part in the canned food drives – take responsibility and help those in need today!

Here’s a helpful link to find food banks in your area:

Feeding America - Food Bank Locator

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