Another Food Storage Preparation measure today was the delivery of a chest freezer.
You can store so many things in a freezer!!! It took me a few weeks of careful price shopping and looking at lots of freezers but I finally decided on this one. It is not a huge freezer but it is not the smallest model either. There are only two of us home now but I also wanted to make sure I had room to store extras for the kids if they happen to fall on hard times. Plus, they do love to eat stuff Mama makes for them as well. Here is the freezer that I decided on.

We are well into the Fall season now, so here in Maine that means the farmer's markets will be packing up for the season. We will have to wait until late Spring to visit them again.
I went to my favorite vendor today to buy some onions to store for the winter. These onions last a very long time if they are kept cool and dry. I just hang them on a nail in an unfinished room we have that is not heated, but doesn't get below freezing.

Quinoa Salad

2 Cups quinoa cooked per directions and cooled
1 bunch green onions finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped cucumber
1 finely chopped green or orange bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TBLS finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Sea salt to taste

Mix and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Quinoa is an excellent low calorie source of protein.

Harvest Time

Tomorrow I will spend the day dehydrating tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden so we can remember the smells and taste of our garden this winter when it is below zero outside!!!