There's a Lot Happening Around Here!

It has been a busy weekend! In anticipation of baby #3, I have put up TONS of food in the freezer. Although I'm very excited to know that I'll have good food once the baby is born and NOT HAVE TO COOK, I am a bit concerned about "out of sight, out of mind"! Here's a little of what I put in the freezer today, as well as other things that I made:

2 whole chickens, roasted with garlic, onions, and rosemary. One in freezer. Will make chicken stock later.

Creamy Chicken Soup (in freezer)

Broccoli, Cheese, and Rice Casserole (in freezer)

Homemade Granola Bars

Lentil and Vegetable Soup (in freezer)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (in freezer: will post recipe after tweaking!)

Grilled chicken breasts (in freezer): perfect for defrosting and using on salads!

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to make Potato Soup with Leeks and freeze it. That's a lot of soups, but they are so easy to freeze and are hard to mess up! Plus they are so filling on cool evenings, and are (usually) very nutrient-dense. AND, a one-pot supper means fewer dishes. What's not to love? Soups with bone-broths are especially good for pregnant and nursing mommies. Bone-broths are LOADED with iron and calcium, among other good things, which are very important for our heavy nutritional needs. I didn't do any this weekend, but I think there are still a couple of pot roasts in the freezer, as well as a meatloaf. We should be eating good this winter! I also want to make home-made macaroni and cheese and freeze individual portions for my girls, so that my mom or their dad can make them a quick and easy lunch. I spend hours every day making sure the girls eat good food. I consider macaroni and cheese to be good food, as long as it isn't from a box (I'm usually using whole-wheat pasta and high-quality cheeses, plus sneaking in a carrot or two). However, no one but me will take the time to do anything more than the boxed stuff, so I need to have it done ahead of time. 

My Swiss Chard and Kale seeds have sprouted! We have FINALLY had a solid week of sunshine after weeks and weeks or rain, and this morning I noticed the little green buds pushing up out of the dirt. I am so excited! This makes four things I have started from seed: chives, catmint, and now Swiss Chard and Kale. Now, if only I can nurture them into healthy seedlings! I'm afraid if we don't get more sun, that might not be possible (I'm not set-up to start seeds indoors, and don't have a window that gets enough sun). My one complaint about the egg carton is that it dries out FAST. I'm always having to check it. But so far, it has served me well. And at a cost of free (coz I'm buying the eggs anyway!) it's hard to beat. Hopefully I will get around to posting a picture soon, but with the baby coming, I'm doing get just to get things updated, much less upload a picture! 

Everything that I planted directly in the compost is thriving! That's one of the best tips I ever read! Someday, I hope to get my own composter, but until then, compost is dirt cheap (sorry for the pun), at around $3.00 a bag. That's much cheaper than potting soil. What I have noticed about the compost is how well it drains, yet it doesn't dry out completely, either.  It has been perfect for all of my containers. I'm totally hooked on this black gold!

I have some garlic that I need to get in the ground, but I admit that I am hesitant. I've never started garlic before, and the directions say to wait for the first frost, around the first of November in our zone. Well, the first of November has come and gone....and no frost! Directions say that the temp is more important than the date, so I am holding off, but I'm nervous! This heirloom garlic was expensive, and I'll be very disappointed if I kill it. 

I guess that's all the updates for now! Time for sleep!