Fig protection

Hi all,

How are you today?  Have you planned something fun?  Do you have something you are looking forward to?

It's cold here in Texas. I know our cold is nowhere near what it could be elsewhere in the world or the US, but I have my fig trees pulled in from the balcony.  I also have a few houseplants also in a small spot that gets sun for a short time when the sun is in the west.  My fig trees lost their leaves and already re leafed out.  They are growing and attractive.  I gave one away last spring and that one is around six feet tall.  Mine are not in as ideal of conditions.

I am spoiled, I like our 60 degree winter days.  I also enjoy getting to wear my boots and sweaters.  I want it all.

I have been on a 30 day carnivore challenge.  I am doing a 20 gram carb challenge.  I am doing well on it and feel terrific.  Weekends with my sweetie are a bit above the 20 grams, but it averages out.  

My Tango is almost healed finally.  His tush is scabbed and healing.  Much better than open looking and bright pink.  I expect even the scab will be gone in a week or so.

We have spent the weekend hanging around the house, cooking good food and enjoying our reading time.  I canned several pounds of roast last week and used some for a curry.  I prefer my home canned beef in my soups and curries, the texture and flavor just seem to be enhanced by the canning process.  Also my small freezer on my fridge was nearly full, despite the fact that I freeze things flattened or in cubes to utilize the space more fully.

I found out about these freezing trays on Amazon.  I tend to fill and freeze often.  I have bone broth freezing right now, just filled and froze taco meat and pork for barbecue and chicken soup makings.  

Food prepping a few pounds of beef, chicken, or pork at once makes my diet much easier to follow and maintain.  This weeks big batch cooking will be cabbage roll casserole.  I will be making it without rice, and freezing in 2 cup servings.  It freezes and reheats well.  The trick to freezer cooking for me is to prepare ingredients that can be used in multiple recipes.  I chop onions and freeze to pull out just enough.  I freeze all beef hot dogs in serving sizes for myself, it's easy to remove more from freezer if I have a guest.  Cheese can be frozen, although I prefer to freeze the grated cheese and take out what I need for a recipe.  I freeze broth in sizes for me.  If you cook for more people, get the bigger silicone freezer trays and freeze in up to 2 cup servings.  

I also used to freeze broth or yogurt in ice cube trays.  The broth was for flavoring in recipes or for dog treats.  The yogurt was to make home made yogurt, which I make a quart at a time.

Have fun!  I am reading in the romance category on Amazon, planning my next book!

Love, Colleen