BACKYARD BOUNTY

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Oh, the joys of finding goodies right in your own back yard! Just like our grandmas used to do. For a while there, I think many of us sneered at those simple things Grandma spent so much time on: picking berries, growing veggies, canning - in general putting food up for winter. But now, with many of us facing financial challenges a lot of women are thinking it's not so bad to grow your own organic food, or scrounge something free from that tangle of vines down the street. Which is what I did today. Labor Day weekend - perfect for laboring for free food! Later today we have friends coming out to try their hand at catching some fish in our little lake. (I have a Plan B for dinner - call me a pessimist, but I believe in being prepared.) Anyway, as you can see by the picture, I returned from my berry expedition with a full haul. That will make a couple of pies this winter. Or maybe I'll keep some out and make blackberry cobbler. (Posted on the recipe page.) I already have berries in the freezer (thanks Annette!) to make my blackberry cordial for Christmas presents. (You can find the recipe for this yummy treat in my novel "Small Change".) I've also been harvesting zucchini from my garden, which has given us many a wonderful meal... and has resulted in several loaves of zucchini bread in the freezer (also for winter). So, jam and canned peaches in the pantry, goodies in the freezer - and maybe later we'll round out the food supply with some fish. Also, I'm going to try my hand at making rose hip tea. I'll harvest the rose hips right after the first frost. (If you're wondering what the heck rose hips are, they're those little reddish globes hanging from your rose bush about this time of year - and they contain Vitamin A more Vitamin C than an orange.)  So, I'm feeling pretty good. I may not be saving a fortune, but I'm saving something and we're eating well. And I'm enjoying the thrill of the hunt. And that, as the Mastercard people say, is priceless!

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