The Lunar Week: Vol.2

I was named after my great-grandmother, and most of my memories of her are tied to the kitchen.  She was an excellent cook, and was never satisfied with anything she put on the table, regardless of how the rest of us devoured it.  So it is when I am in my own kitchen, wearing one of her aprons or using her wooden mortar and pestle, that I feel closest to her.  That probably sounds horribly un-PC (or at the very least, incredibly hokey and bassackwards), but it is what it is, and it's not just the kitchen that reminds me of her.  Specifically, when I think of my Mema, I think of her pantry.

The pantry in Mema's house lined the entire fifteen-foot wall of the utility room, which was a long hallway that connected the garage and the house proper.  The cabinets were deep, and there were four shelves on the lower level, all lined with sparkling, jewel-bright jars filled with the bounty of the garden.

Mema put up just about everything you can imagine, and I suppose family consensus would say that she was famous for her pickles (dill, kosher, bread and butter, you name it).  But I remember her preserves the most.  We had peach and plum trees, and a strawberry patch, and in the mornings we smeared Mema's homemade biscuits with sticky-sweet spoonfuls of these fruit preserves.  Strawberry was my favorite.

Two days this week are favorable for putting up jams and jellies: Tuesday the 22nd, and Wednesday the 23rd.  You don't need your own orchard to make preserves, just a big batch of fruit.  Strawberries are on sale at my local Whole Foods right now, because they're about to go too ripe.  This is ideal for preserving; you can save some money, and just-about-too-ripe-strawberries are best for making preserves.  Of course, you want to trim away and discard any brown bits of the fruit, and never put up anything with mold growing on it.  Old Farmer's Almanac has a great video on making strawberry preserves.

Not into strawberries, or allergic?  Peaches, plums, oranges, lemons, jalapeños, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes--all of these and more can be turned into sweet and savory preserves, bursting with flavor, and outlasting time without artificial preservatives on your pantry shelf.  Pick your poison, score some glass jars (many grocery stores carry them), and jam on!


The Lunar Week, Daily:

Monday, 21:  Moon in Libra.  Take advantage of the moon's last day in this airy sign and plant pretty, fragrant flowers.

Tuesday, 22:  Moon in Scorpio.  Scorpio is a very fertile water sign, which pairs nicely with the waning moon for root crop success.  Now is the time to get the rest of your root crops in the ground.

Wednesday, 23:  Moon in Scorpio.  My crepe myrtles desperately need some quality time with a pruning instrument.  Have your trees pruned today.

Thursday, 24:  Moon in Sagittarius.    Have a kiddo who's showing signs of toilet readiness?  Consider starting potty training today through Saturday.

Friday, 25:  Moon in Sagittarius.  Fiery Sagittarius combines with the waning moon to make this day favorable for anyone considering a short haircut.  And since Friday is ruled by Venus, the results are bound to be beautiful!

Saturday, 26:  Moon in Sagittarius.  I start my Spring cleaning in February, but today is excellent for clearing out a space that we often neglect while focusing on garages and closets: our bodies!  A gentle detox diet, started today, will help your body free itself from toxins so you can make the most of the beautiful weather.

Sunday, 27:  Moon in Capricorn.  Commune with the earthy Goat and get the waning moon to work for you by doing some weekly weeding.  It's therapeutic, meditative, great for venting frustration, and the pesky little green guys will stay away longer if you do it now.