February 13, 2022

Winter Project List: Indoor Stuff

Even though winter is the slow-paced season, there's still plenty to keep us busy. I've shown you our outdoor projects, but because they are "weather permitting," the indoor project list is the to-do source when it's too cold, rainy, snowy, icy, muddy, or otherwise yucky outside. Last week, I defrosted a big bag of bones for making broth and my frozen figs for making jam.

The bone broth is pretty straightforward (my how-to here). It just requires planning ahead because the process spans four or five days.

I made and canned almost 2 gallons of bone broth for soups and gravy.

Figs make a pretty bland jam, so I like to mix them with other fruits for some tasty combinations. After defrosting, I had enough to make two batches.

I used half of the figs for a fig/dried apricot jam.

With the other half, I used fresh cranberries for cranberry-fig jam.

I've also gotten a start on spring cleaning and decluttering. Once garden weather gets here, there won't be adequate time for that.

My creative endeavor is my online photography course. It's fun, and of course, it's useful for blogging and project documentation.

My research project is learning about amateur radio. 

As you can see, I have plenty of interesting things to keep me busy! So, how about you? Are you working mostly indoors or out? Are you making headway on your project list? Or are you taking it easy this cold-weather season?

14 comments:

daisy g said...

That's a very well-rounded list. My hubby has been a HAM for quite a while now and he enjoys talking to folks from all over the world.

We finished a couple of outdoor projects, and the weather has cooperated nicely. I have done some organizing inside as well, which is one of my favorite things to do anyway.

Enjoy checking off that checklist!

Ed said...

I learn something quite often reading your blog and today is one of those days. I have always put veggies that are going bad into my stock pot but never any acid. The result is still flavorful but I’m missing some of the benefit. I’ll have to give the acid a try the next time I can some stock.

Normally I have some bigger winter project to work on but this year I just felt burnt out and haven’t planned anything big. Just little projects until spring.

Boud said...

I often make small quantities of jam, apricot a favorite. I must remember that idea about combining with figs, thanks.

Being a townhouse dweller, my winter projects are not unlike my summer ones -- tiny garden area, beloved but not strenuous -- and this winter I'm knitting socks for a north New Jersey homeless outreach. It's my knitting ministry! Handknit socks are a small luxury, and I would like to give a little bit of comfort to people enduring this weather. At least that's the idea.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh, The Ravishing Mrs. TB did a decluttering practice through January where January 1st was one item, January 2nd was two items, etc. through January 31st and 31 items. She completed the challenge; our house seems not the least bit emptier for it.

Beyond the usual round of yogurt/cheese making and darning socks, I am trying to work on more sewing in general. I also need to start an organized attempt on the garage, both to patch some cracks and what not in the plaster as well as go through things.

STxAR said...

I've been a ham for 34 years now. I really enjoyed the science of it. That you can take lightning, spin it up in a slinky and a lyden jar, send it through a wire, couple it to the atmosphere, bounce it off ions and someone else catch the signal like an acorn in a downspout, decode it and fling his own signal back at you with less power than is used by a 100 watt light bulb boggles my mind. It's a magical, amazing endeavor.

I spent a lot of time and coin to build a library of good books, that are now all on the web for free. So dig in! There is much to be learned and it's a hoot. Give me a shout if you want to visit about it!!!

a.rynn.p@gmail.com

STxAR

Leigh said...

Daisy, this is the time of year to be well-rounded, don't you think? Spring and summer are too busy with food growing and preserving!

Interesting that your husband is a HAM. Both Dan and I are studying for our technicians licenses.

Ed, you definitely need to try making your bone broth with an acid. I used to worry that it would make the broth tangy, but it really doesn't. Wine does the trick and adds a nice flavor. Plus, knowing that it extracts minerals and collagen is a real bonus.

Boud, I've never tried fresh apricot jam, but then, I rarely find fresh apricots. It's very tasty with figs!

Knitting is a great winter activity, though I confess I haven't done much of it lately. I need to get back to it, especially when we're watching movies.

TB, your decluttering assessment made me smile! I'm making some visible progress, but mostly because we have two rooms we're using for storage until we finish the house (ha! as if!). I've managed to make some visible progress though.

STxAR, thanks! It is extremely interesting and fascinating. And something of a learning curve, for me, but I'm hanging in there and finally starting to do not too badly on my practice tests. :)

Goatldi said...

Well golly gee whiz Leigh!

Up until the last week I would say I’ve been doing indoor stuff. Still working on the shop getting it cleaned out still working on the upstairs fiber room getting it organized and then all the sudden we got hit by a warm spill and there was grass grass and more grass so I’m mowing in February which seems absolutely unreal. And I have my broccoli and let it kind of lettuce doing well in the 4 x 4 raised bed.

Getting ready to harvest my let’s see what happens when we plant potatoes in November and harvest in February looks like?

Clearing away from my flower garden working diligently on the area that has some of my herbs and rosebushes and such and it will have a pond in it by the end of this summer weeded. That was the word we did all of our native grasses have gone nuts I have so much minors lettuce in my front yard I want to run back in and get my bottle of salad dressing when I go out the front door it is amazing boy am I learning a lot about my new home! I love what you’re doing as always.

Mama Pea said...

We've had a very snowy winter this year along with below zero temps but it's all welcome. Of course, the snow means more time than one would think shoveling, clearing, plowing, etc. (Why do we always forget how much time that takes when we've had to do it two or three times a week?) Heating with wood means almost daily making wheelbarrow trips from the wood shed to the storage on our enclosed porch and then finally into the house. Then there are ashes to keep cleaned out and my dear husband cleans chimneys about three times during the burning season. There are way too many chimney fires around here and we don't want to even think about the chance of that happening. Poultry chores take more time, collecting eggs several times during the day so they don't freeze. Keeping fresh water (unfrozen) out for them, etc. Even with extra every day tasks, we've both been taking more down time for each other and individually than in the past many years which we've needed and which feels good!

Leigh said...

Goatldi, mowing in February? Now, that's crazy! I love the idea of a miner's lettuce front lawn and wish mine would do better. Your weed clearing reminds me that I need to do the same in my hoop house. Only the weeds don't seem to mind the cold. :)

Mama Pea, it sounds like your kind of cold makes more chores! So much for the season of rest.

Lady Locust said...

Wow, cranberry makes for a beautiful color doesn't it? We had gorgeous weather yesterday so cleaned some things up outside which felt great!

Leigh said...

Lady Locust, I know! Such a glorious red for jam. It's also slightly reminiscent of strawberry jam, so we like it a lot.

Retired Knitter said...

Well my list of things to do is ALWAYS an in-doors list - because I live in a condo. And it was always so full I couldn’t get to some thing ever. That was because I was part of a community board of directors that filled a large part of my time - to the point that I resigned. When a volunteer job becomes almost full time, it is time to drop it. In doing so, my to-dos are now centered squarely on what can be achieved within my 4 walls. Time to repaint some areas, steam clean carpets, FINALLY clean out that pantry, empty my walk-in closet of items not needed, and so on are on my list. And when chores aren’t hogging center stage - knitting, puzzles, reading, legos, walking, blogging and many more fun things are waiting to be performed. You might notice that cooking isn’t on my list (hahaha). I do cook but only to keep myself and my husband from starving. As a result, I buy many of the things that you make. I will admit that some purchased items are not as good a freshly made ones, but I am not fussy about eating and neither is my husband so we make do with purchased choices.

Nancy In Boise said...

We just did a lot of little projects to inside! It's easy to keep forgetting them so I finally just sat down and made a long list oh, things like inventory in the freezer, deep cleaning my office just stuff. Springs right around the corner for us in about two more months so we're using this time to do other things. We even got a road trip in for my husband's birthday! Just one day but went up into the mountains near Ketchum where the celebrities live
I'd love to get a ham radio! Sadly not in the budget. I'm going to take some kind of class soon as my brain is getting after feed from boredom on the weekends. I work weekdays and then weekends are chores Etc and weeknights were basically home and I think I'm losing my marbles! Haha time for some kind of class after work

Leigh said...

RT, good for you for being able to say "no" to that volunteer job. It's nice to make a contribution, until it becomes too demanding! Even so, you sound very busy! A good kind of busy though.

Nancy, good idea about the list. I find that I easily forget many little projects too; somehow I just stop "seeing" them!

There are so many great classes to take out there. So many interesting things to learn! Hopefully, you'll find something you can balance with work and home projects.