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Canning & Freezing Info Beet Greens Growing Sweet Potato Slips Making Lilac Honey
Canning & Freezing Info Beet Greens Growing Sweet Potato Slips Making Lilac Honey

As the growing season begins, it is also time to think about what you want to do with your bounty!! Not only eating it during the season, but what to do with the extra...not letting it go to waste!!

Plus saving locally grown produce & fruit taste sooo much better than traveled store bought. But you need to preserve & store it correctly to really enjoy the flavor. That means either canning, freezing, roasting or drying properly. Then this year I want to try fermenting...

For the freezing process, I spend the time to learn which veggies & fruits can be & how to... The process can take some time to do, but having that full flavor & freshness in the dead of winter is worth the time!!
I have been using the 'Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving' http://www.freshpreserving.com


This year I purchased a new book for more info: 'So Easy to Preserve' http://setp.uga.edu/book.html


Then I also use the 'FoodSaver' to keep the air out & from getting freezer burn which ruins the taste...YUCK!! 
http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/

Canning: hot water bath or presser canning, different foods require different processes. Besides books, I have also been very lucky to get incredible info & guidance from my friends Jim & Candy who got me started in canning over the phone...

For info & recipes, besides the 2 books (the new book, this will be my 1st year to try it) above here's another one that I have found some good recipes 'Blue Ribbon Preserves'

http://www.blueribbonpreserves.com

I have not done fermenting or made sourdough before... So I'm making my 1st sourdough starter from scratch!! You use raisins as apart of creating the starter, which turns them into fermented raisins...YUMM!! They are great to use in baked goods like cinnamon buns & peanut butter cookies...wonderful flavor!!

It is a long process to create the starter from scratch, but the flavor should be worth it!!

 		Here's a yellow beet head that the greens have been cut off & eaten already. I put it in water that was left out without a top to off-gas for 24 hours before using.
The greens are really growing!!
These are my sweet potatoes that I have started to grow for their slips that I will use to grow sweet potatoes from this year.
They are slow in getting started but making progress!!
Lilac infused honey... it's easy, tasty
& smells wonderful!!
-Start by harvesting fresh lilac flowers at the
height of their bloom, early in the morning before
the fragrance disappears then rinse and dry the flowers thoroughly.
-This takes awhile, but pluck the individual blossoms from the stems and fill your jar.
-Pour your raw, local liquid honey into the jar until the flowers are covered, then wait for the honey to slowly flow its way around the flowers, use a wooden or plastic chop-stix to eliminate air pockets and continue to fill till flowers are covered.
-Put the lilac honey jar on your window sill & let steep for a week so the flavor can infuse. Try to stir the flowers back into the honey with the chop-stix at least once a day. The flowers will greatly reduce in volume overnight & float to the top.
I removed most of the flowers coated with the honey & used them in the bird/critter bread I baked... Also my rabbit loved the fresh lilac flowers to eat too.
Bee pollen: http://www.creativebirdtoys.com/category-s/1835.h...
Bread Recipe Parrot Cookie Cutter Bamboo Straw Sets Guinea Pig Puzzle 200pieces
Our Price: $3.25
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Our Price: $5.49
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Our Price: $12.75
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Bread Recipe Parrot Cookie Cutter Bamboo Straw Sets Guinea Pig Puzzle 200pieces

Bread making for the beak, plus my rabbit & guinea pig love it too!!

I tweaked this recipe, it also is a great way to get them to eat what they usually won't:

http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/vegan-zucchini-bread/

Here are some of the tweaks:

-I cut the sugar to 1/2cup at most. you could use honey, your homemade lilac honey with flowers or molasses too

-instead of zucchini I use grated: carrot, rainbow chard or spinach, broccoli, cooked sweet potato, red pepper, fresh sprouts...these are just suggestions

-instead of spices: kelp powder, bee pollen, dried flowers, dried red pepper flakes: 
http://www.creativebirdtoys.com/category-s/1835.htm

-add: dried fruits, nuts, seeds

-I also made the applesauce from scratch. Made a batch that I was able to freeze- 5...1/2cup servings for future breads.
Perching pretty is this 6.25" Parrot cookie cutter!
This possible Macaw, Amazon, Asian shape is great for any activity that pertains to parrots.
Use it for cutting soft foods, cookies or healthy treats.
Size: 6.25"h x 1.75"w x 1"h
Made in USA

Bamboo Straws

Here is the story -

These handmade bamboo straws come from a livelihood enterprise on the Philippine island on Camiguin (pronounced "Cam-ee-gan"). Inmates at the island's provincial prison dry, cut, clean, sand, these straws and cleaner from bamboo grown by nearby farmers. The families of the inmates sew the pouches from flour sacs recycled from the island bakeries. The fair wages earned by the inmates and the sewers, allow them to buy food and medical supplies for both inmates and their families who have lost an income. Farmers growing the bamboo are also benefiting as it is a quick crop that does not take up any space from their food growing.

Each single bag contains 2 bamboo straws & 1 cleaner.
The bags may vary in print or not, color/s.

Size: 8.75"L x 7/8"w (width may vary slightly)
Made in USA,
non-toxic & chewable safe...
Contains 1 puzzle of 200 large pieces.
Fun for all ages.
Mini poster inside too.
Too cute!!