Food

 This is the point where I'm really ready for the garden to be done. Luckily, it's easy to coast on the efforts of the early summer. Because it's cool, the weeds grow slowly, and I'll just wait until it freezes to pull them. The last of the peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are coming in, and I get a few pints of raspberries every week.

      I didn't have time to put in a fall garden, which gives me a breather, although I'm trying to use some of the time to take notes. I've decided I'm done with edamame - they grow really well but they take a ton of space in the freezer. While I like them, I wouldn't miss them if they were gone. Instead, I'd like to try growing more carrots. It would be great to have enough to eat through most of the winter, although I've never come close to that. Also, I've asked my parents to bring some metal fence posts for next year, because I need some way to corral the floppy asparagus so that a 3' wide bed doesn't become a 6' wide bed, which shades everything around it and makes it impossible to mow.
     In other food news, my freezer is stuffed full and I noticed that some of the dry goods in my pantry came with me when I moved into the house two years ago. I think this calls for drastic action, so I decided to restrict my grocery budget until I've eaten through some of these stores. My regular budget is $50/week, but I'm aiming for $10/week until about Christmas. I've even roped in a few people to give me moral support. Another frugal friend is has a goal of $20 weekly grocery bill and my mother has vowed to not buy any meat until Thanksgiving, because she has so much pork and beef stashed in her freezer. I've managed to spend only $5 in two weeks, so I think this might actually work for me. But I'm just a single person, so I shall have to be diligent.