Winter storm watch 2026

 This winter has been very snowy. Our chimney had a small fire at the beginning of Dec. The house is fine but we have to replace the Woodstove and put in a chimney liner. We have a guy arranged to do it but it hasn't happened yet so we are using oil to heat the house. Its going to be expensive but it is working well to heat the house. The kids had exams this past week but they only went to school 2 days. Now they have exams moved to this coming week.  The weather network predicts a big snow storm Sunday into Monday.  I expect there will be a snowday on Monday.  

Everyone on media is getting prepared for being snowed in. I am always prepared to be snowed in. I am a bit of a doomsday prepper.  If I was to get advice to anyone getting ready for a week of being snowed in.

For groceries I would stock up and always have on hand. Dried beans, oats, flour, yeast, sugar, canned foods thst you can eat without heat like tuna, fruit. Also I would buy tomato sauce. You can get powdered milk or cans of evaporated milk. Dried soup mix.  Its handy to have small portable stove with propane canisters for back up just in case the power goes out.

I like to buy a whole chicken or turkey.  Cooking the chicken the first day while you still have power. Chicken can be eaten cold with sandwiches.  Remember you can cook up the bones for chicken broth which makes soup with dried beans and chopped chicken. You can get alot of meals out of a whole chicken. If the power goes out, Remember you can keep your chicken in a cooler outside.

Another great food staple is that you may already have the ingredients on hand for is vegetarian chili. I always have salsa, tomato sauce, spices and beans.

I canned a lot of food thst is ready to eat. Mostly all vegetables.  I  froze a lot of sliced apples from our apple tree. We like apple crisp and I always have the ingredients on hand. We also like to make cinnamon buns or regular buns since I have flour and yeast. Also pizza crust for another meal. 

Today I made homemade granola with oats and shredded coconut craisins, Chia seeds, maple syrup. 

Fill a 5 gallon pail of water to flush the toilet if the power goes out. Bring out your candles, board games, books. 

Sept 2025

 Well the kids are back to school.  I am working on bringing in and preserving the garden harvest.  Its apple season now. I totalled up the canning jars in the cupboard.  Here is the breakdown. 

3 jars of crushed tomatoes I did in the pressure canner 

12 jars of bread and butter pickles 

9  1-quart size jars of dill pickles 

8 strawberry jam

4 applesauce 

22 salsa

6 pickled Beets 

3 jars of dilly beans 

5 Rhubarb sauce

1 jars of zucchini relish

In the freezer I did

 6 medium ziplock bag of Houghs corn

Frozen Rhubarb 

Frozen zucchini 

Frozen tomatoes 

Frozen pizza sauce

Many bags of Frozen peeled and sliced apples 

What a satisfying feeling 

Dry garden and pesto supper

 We are in a drought.  I have to water the garden almost twice a day. Its very hot and we have been running the air conditioner in our bedrooms and the dining room.  The water that comes off the air-conditioning goes on the garden.  

I made salsa from frozen tomatoes Jen had. I used my own ingredients but Lori's garlic. I also canned spicy dill green beans with mine and Jen's yellow, green beans. 

I have tons of canning items for the winter.  Today i canned 5 jars of pickled Beets. 

I have been enjoying making meals from the garden.  Every morning I pick a carrot to eat. I have zucchini's ready.  Tonight for supper Emily and I made Cashew Pesto. It was good. I cooked chicken breast and zucchini with noodles and pesto.  It was full of flavor. 

https://therecipewell.com/easy-cashew-pesto/#recipe

Dill pickles

 https://dishnthekitchen.com/homemade-garlic-dill-pickles/

I made dill pickles. It was cucumbers I bought.  It was a lot of work.  I hope they are good.  They need to sit for 4 weeks now. 8 big jars and 2 -500ml jars. 

I also made green and yellow beans into dilly beans with a kick. I added dried jalapeños to the brine .

Now they have to rest 4 weeks. 

Potato salad

 6 large potatoes peeled and cut

Boil potatoes until pierce with a fork, drain add to a salad bowl with 3 tbsp of white vinegar . 

Cook 3 strips of bacon until crispy. Chop up and add to potatoes. Stir, Put in fridge to cool. I often chop up potatoes smaller if needed when cool.

Boil 5 eggs, hard boiled,  peel and loosely chopped. 

Add eggs, 1/2 cup of mayo. 1 tbsp of ranch dressing,  1tbsp of mustard.  Fresh dill chopped,  fresh chives chopped,  lots of pepper and salt

Chopped red or green pepper, chopped celery, diced 1/2 and onion or green onions 

Mix and cool. Let it sit for 2 hours.  Yum

Chicken gnocchi stew

 2 stalks of celery

1 small onion 

1 large carrot

Dice these ingredients and put in a soup pot

2 chicken breast chopped 

Saute these ingredients with 1 tbsp of oil. Once vegetables are tender, add 1 tbsp of butter melt in pot. Add two tablespoons of flour stir to incorporate flour. 

Add 8 cups of chicken broth,  I have used homemade turkey broth also

Add 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp of dried oregano,  1 tsp basil, and pepper 

Stir and scrape bottom of pot to lift flour. Bring to a boil , lower to simmer.  Let cook 15 mins 

Add 1 can of coconut milk  400ml

Add gnocchi to pot 500grams 

I use 2 frozen balls of spinach, but you could use baby spinach or chopped frozen kale.

Cook 10 minutes with spinach and let sit for another 10 minutes.  The gnocchi keeps cooking and it will help thicken the stew.   Adjust seasoning if needed. 

May 6th

 

I'm so excited because our rhubarb is ready. I've made rhubarb muffins and rhubarb crisp. This means we will have our own produce soon. 

We had a surprise birthday party for Gary last Wed.  I over bought food. Costco sandwiches,  3 veggies trays. Lori brought cupcakes,  Jane did a cheese and crackers tray.  Debbie Batchilder did a fruit tray and a veggies tray.   The party was huge success.  

With leftover veggies I made cheese broccoli soup and tomato vegetables soup for my neighbors with rhubarb crisp. 

Today I made 2 Sheppard pie for my neighbors and greek pasta salad for both of us. A lasagna for us and a rhubarb crisp for supper.  I'm going to try a chicken tortellini broccoli Alfredo bake later this week.