I do not have any pets since I travel so much, but out of my kitchen window I have a set of utility wires that the squirrels use to run from one yard to another. It looks to me like they live somewhere in my neighbor’s yard to the south. They go to my yard to gather apples and nuts. It is not unusual to see them go back and forth several times a day.
This time of the year small dried apples that have fallen from the tree seem to be the cargo of the day. I know that they are stashing it away for the winter.
It is this time of the year that I begin to feel like the squirrels in the backyard. On Saturdays I go to the farmers’ market and bring home several boxes of food that I can prepare for the winter. I can remember as a small child I used to watch my mother bottle peaches, pears, and applesauce. My parents told me that when they were young they would have gone hungry if they did not put food away for the winter.
Today was a day to prepare my food for the winter. I roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic in my oven to make a tomato-based sauce. After I removed the roasted vegetables from the oven I let them cool then I pureed them in the blender. I then cooked it down on the stove until I had a thick tomato sauce that I can use for spaghetti, chili, or tomato soup. I add the spices later as I select how I am going to use the sauce.
In my garage I have some metal cabinets. I store butternut squash, onions, and apples and potatoes in closed cardboard boxes. Stored in the metal cabinets and in the cardboard boxes, the food does not freeze in the winter. It will store for about three months.
Today I am also preparing apples for the dehydrator. I love to make apple chips for my snacks through the winter. I also find the apple chips are wonderful gifts to make for the holidays.
I invited some friends from China to my home to have an American cooking lesson. Left to right are Pan, Uan, and Tong.
I believe all of this is part of my Mormon pioneer heritage. For me it is a way of life. I love being able to gather the fresh organic produce from the farmers in the area and store it away for a cozy winter’s night.
As we gather around the dinner table we give thanks for the food, the wonderful people who raised it, and the blessings of being able to store it. We enjoy the nutrition that comes from home grown, home stored, and home prepared food.
