Independence Days Week #7

Plant something:
- a few more bush beans
- parsley and basil gifted to us (People are sooo generous with their surplus plants. I want to be that kind of people! Hopefully next year I will have surplus, so I too can share with others.)

Harvest something:
- wild crafted comfrey, plantain, violet leaves, creeping charlie
- spinach and radishes from the garden (My radishes are infested with some kind of worm. Yuck!)
- chive flowers
- lemon balm and a few mallow leaves
- two beautiful peonies from the garden, to grace my kitchen table (note: I was later told that peonies shouldn't be brought inside because they usually have ants on the flowers. I haven't noticed extra creepy crawlies in my place yet.)
- daisies (also for decoration)

Preserve something:
- infusing comfrey, plantain and violet leaves in oil
- drying creeping charlie
- put chive flowers up in apple cider vinegar
- the ADGMD froze some spinach

Reduce waste:
- made own yogurt from organic milk on sale
- made fertilizer tea from leftover comfrey
- arranged a ride share and traveled by bus to and from a family event this past weekend
- picked up some trash found in a wetland area in the city, while waiting for rideshare
- was given craft supplies from my Oma, who didn't want to throw them out, including an unfinished knit project from my great-grandmother

Preparation and storage:
- put dried violet, raspberry, nettle and creeping charlie into jars for storage
- added black beans to food storage
- took some monarda and sweet woodruff from mom's garden (will be planted in my garden for medicinal use)

Build community food systems:
- had friends visit the garden plot
- shared allotment garden information with fellow ride sharer who seemed really keen to rent a plot next season

Eat the food:
- still enjoying spinach and radish yumminess (with the worm eaten bits cut off of course!)
- fresh lemon balm and mallow tea (Note to self: always bring a thermos full of hot water to the garden to make tea!)
- made violet leaf and creeping charlie tea at my mom's place (My mom and Oma tried it and actually liked the taste. They were both impressed and interested when I told them what violets and creeping charlie are good for.)