Stocking Up For The Big Freeze

I don't mean to compare our mild Texas freezes with our neighbors to the north, but it's still a hassle. If we get precipitation and ice forms, it's even worse.

During freezes, if we don't have to travel, we won't. On the other hand, whenever we get a break from the cold, we'll also go out for fresh produce and bread. We had a reprieve from freezing temps last week, but starting Monday, it's back to bone numbing cold.

The chickens are well protected. I'm not worried for them. My plants have been draped with frost blankets. We reloaded the covered back porch with two tractor buckets of firewood.

The only thing left was to go grocery shopping. At the end of December I bought a couple of spiral cut hams. One, was sliced for the freeze dryer, and the other I sliced into portions for the freezer. I don't actually like ham. I buy it strictly for Greg (and his 4-legged friends).

Anyway, he's been happily eating ham sandwiches or ham and cheese omelets. But man does not live on ham alone.

This week, I'm concentrating on making warm and filling meals to stave off the chill.  I'll be making two soups. One will be my chile verde soup with hatch peppers and pork chunks, and a Tuscan bean and kale soup.

I also plan to make "bourbon chicken". This is one of Greg's favorite dishes. I'll give you the recipe next week. 

Before The Next Freeze

• When you expect a freeze (or anything else that forces you to stay at home) make one big grocery run to get your perishables.
  
  
• If we're stuck at home, I make the extra effort to buy or make comfort foods. This includes casseroles, soups, warm drinks, and desserts.
  
  
• Get everything you need for pets and wildlife. I'm nearly out of bread and some veg so that will be my main focus, but I also need to refill the larder for pets, chickens, wild birds and deer. Yes, I feed my arch nemesis, the deer. I feel sorry for them.
  
  
• Don't forget entertainment. Now's the time to pick up a book, game, puzzles, or cards to while away the hours.
  
  
• Shore up on your hobby needs. If you're short thread, glue, seeds, or leg weights, get them now so you won't have to make the trip later.
  
  
• Get it delivered. I hate to give this tip. It goes against my very nature to do things myself, but if you're busy, sick, disabled, or have someone disabled at home sometimes home delivery is a godsend. If you need it, use it. The convenience is worth the money if it's hard for you to get away.
  
  
• Prepare for outages. It happens. The grid gets overwhelmed and you could lose power. Make sure all your flashlights are fully charged and check your generators.
  
  
• If you have a fireplace, haul plenty of firewood close to the house, so you won't have to be out in the elements long. If there's an outage, the last thing you need is to be without heat.
  
  
• One thing I do during a freeze is fill dozens of water jugs for my chickens and my plants. We always shut off our outdoor water before freezes because in Texas our water lines are too close to the surface, or exposed above ground. Rather than risk a busted water line, we just blow it out with compressed air so nothing freezes in the pipe. While outdoor plants won't need to be watered, my greenhouse plants do. Watering is minimal, maybe once every couple of weeks depending on the plant. Chickens get fresh water every day.
  
  
• If you have outside animals and faced with cold weather, buy a heated water bowl. This is the one I use. It's tough and has lasted me many years.

It's a race against time to get everything squared away. It took me two days just to cover or move all my plants before the last freeze. This resulted in deep muscle tissue damage in one leg (trying to move pots too big for me). This then forced me to take Naproxen, which was followed by the early signs of a bleeding ulcer.

Lesson learned. Ask for help, and give up on Naproxen.

To make things extra fun, our new(ish) truck died right on the highway. We had to be towed to the dealership. Several days later they told us the engine seized and it needed to be replaced. Thankfully, it's still under warranty.

It just goes to show that anything can happen in best laid plans. 

So what do you like to do when it's too cold to be outside? What's the lowest temperature you'll face today? I think our low will be 23 degrees F.

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