Doxie Archives on Hillbilly Hill Farm

Clover is growing up

2012-02-01T15:00:00.001-06:00

Clover enjoying the warm weather and sunshine.
Clover was the first heifer born on our farm. Not the first calf mind you, but...the first little girl we were so excited to have born here. She is just over a year old now, it's hard to believe it was just a little over a year ago that she was born.

Clover with her Mom in the background.
She was born to Mabel (the cow in the background) but mostly raised by Daisy...although once we got Honey, she really had three Moms, cause they all claimed and protected her. Daisy was the most insistent about it though.

Clover as a young calf, being taught to lead.
Ever since she was born, she has been getting a little training here and there to be a working member of our family cow herd. She had lead training...maybe not as much as she should have, but she had some so she can be led on a rope. She has also had stanchion training, including having hands touching her udder area, so she gets used to being "milked" and hopefully won't be to hard to, once we are able to.

Clover standing up after her rest time.
A week or so ago DH informed me she needed to be bred, once she came into heat again because she was old enough. So this last weekend, when we saw the steers paying more attention to her than normal, we called up the AI tech we've been using who lives just a few miles away from us and scheduled an appointment for that evening.

This was her first time, and I didn't go out to the barn to watch, as it was suppertime, but DH told me she did pretty good. She came running in to the barn when he called her, even though she had just been in there for her evening feeding. She stood and maybe moved around a little bit, but not to bad, and even let DH show the guy that she will stand with him touching her udder. The AI tech was impressed with her, said she looked good and was a good size for her age. That's all good to hear, cause we are still kinda "new" at this cow thing, even if we have had them for a couple years now. She IS our first one to raise up for milking purposes, so we are still learning.

The AI tech even said her coloring isn't to odd for a Jersey. LOL I've always thought it strange she was so dark...course I was really hoping she would look like her Mom, cause I think her Mom is the prettiest of our cows, although I still prefer Daisy cause of her cute attitude. I'm kinda hoping the all dark body comes from Clover's Dad's side, so maybe we can bred Mabel again and get a lighter colored calf out of her...and hopefully another girl, since I'd love one that looked like Mabel to keep.

Anyway, all this to say, it appears like Clover is growing up nicely, is fairly well trained for being a milk cow, especially for us not knowing exactly what we should be doing, AND if we are lucky, will be giving us a calf in 9 months or so! I am praying she took anyway, won't know for sure for a while yet.

How cool it will be to have a 2nd generation baby born on our farm! Gotta love any of our farm babies, but I especially love them when we've raised their Mommas from birth. :-))

Seriously Spoiled

2012-01-31T17:50:00.000-06:00

Peaches talked DH into picking her up when he was in his office at his computer yesterday...and then promtly rolled over and asked for a tummy rub. She adores her tummy rubs, and has been getting a LOT of them lately. LOL

It's funny how our fur babies can let us know what they want without saying a word. Peaches just rolls over, arches her back and wiggles a little bit, while looking at you with those big sad puppy dog eyes, and we fall in line and start rubbing her tummy. She has us wrapped around her paw, thats for sure. *giggle*

She is just to cute for her own good!!!! :-))

Stupid Kitchen Designer

2012-01-30T11:15:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my messy freezer!
Whoever designed my kitchen was NOT very good. She obviously didn't know what she was doing when she put the side of the refrigerator against the wall. Hmmm, who that "stupid" kitchen designer was, I'll never tell, *snicker* but I do wish she had been smarter and made sure the kitchen was big enough so the fridge could have been turned differently so it wasn't against the wall. Since I have a side by side, it makes it hard to open the freezer door far enough to be able to pull out the baskets...which means when they jump the track it's a pain in the rear to get them back on again...and they do like to do that a LOT. *sigh* Guess I'll know next time I "design" a kitchen...if there is a next time.

Since we have lived here, I've learned that if I want to get the baskets pulled out very far I have to pull out the fridge, and turn it a little so there is room to open the door further. I have also learned that larger items live in my bigger freezers, not the little side by side, because even if they would fit on the shelves, they won't fit through the small space between the open door and the middle bar of the fridge.

It's been a major pain, but...I do what I have to do. I live with dumpster cabinets, so I don't have to go into debt to have nice matching ones till we can afford them, so guess I can live with my poor pathetic badly designed, for my fridge, kitchen too...least as long as I have to, I can...although not without complaining about it from time to time. *snicker*

However...we may have found a fix for this problem now. An expensive one, but one that I think will work...and no it's not finally redoing our kitchen with nice cabinets...we can't afford that yet, as it would cost more than our expensive fix. LOL

I've been wanting a 2nd fridge for some time now, I was hoping it could be dedicated for aging cheese, but yet I also knew we could use one especially in the summer so we could have room for more milk and still have room for all that yummy summer fruit. We've had to be sparing with the fruit in the past couple years cause we didn't have room for it in our fridge.

Since our taxes are done for the year, and it turns out we have a little extra money to spend, we decided a refrigerator was one thing we were going to get. Our ice maker had just died on us, so we figured it was a good time to get one, and let our old one be our 2nd refrigerator, instead of finding a used one somewhere to have more fridge space, after all our old one has got to be getting close to 10 years old now if not a little more, and they don't last like they should anymore.

DH was in the market for a new table saw also, since his old one had died on him, and I had some things I need him to make for me...thankfully we had enough for both a saw and a refrigerator.

We went looking for saws this last week, and I looked at refrigerators while we were at it. I had been going to wait two or three months, but wanted to look at them so I knew what there was out there and how much money we were talking.

Refrigerators have changed a LOT since we got our last one. Least I don't remember them having the french door ones with the freezer on the bottom. We both fell in love with them, cause the freezer pulls out, which means it wouldn't be a problem any more, and the top is one big open space, so even though one of the doors would open against the wall, it would still be easy enough to get in and out of, cause if nothing else we could open the one beside it if we needed to. Who knew that getting another refrigerator would be a way to fix our problem...I just wanted it so we had more room at first...but once I saw the french door refrigerators I wanted one of THEM so we didn't have to fight the wall as much! :)

I keep walking away from the french doors, not knowing if I should spend the big bucks for one, and DH kept telling me I should...guess he is really tired of the freezer problem too. *giggle*

I told him I thought maybe we should wait a little bit, he asked "why?".

So...we finally settled on one last week, and ordered it. (They didn't have white in stock, and that's what I wanted so we have to wait for it...sounds like it could take almost a month to get here, don't know why so long, but it was on sale, and may have been out of stock, not sure.) We won't talk about the price though...I'm still in sticker shock...and it was on sale!!

Anyway, (when I can forget about the price) I'm so excited, and can't WAIT to get it! I did pay for delivery, cause DH is recovering from his back surgery, but isn't THAT recovered, that I want him wrestling a refrigerator off the truck and into the house, and there is no way I could do it myself.

Now we wait...and dream of summer fruit!

Can we say....watermelon? I've missed having it a lot in the summer, we had a few but not like we would have if we had had more room.

So much for a 2nd refrigerator being a dedicated cheese refrigerator. I may have to try aging it in cooler temps, and see if it will work that way...cause I guess I want more regular fridge space, more than lots of aged cheeses, least at this time.

Now we just have to figure out where to put our old one...think we are running out of room for large items, so it could be interesting figuring this all out. LOL

So...do any of you have a french door refrigerator already and if so how do you like it? I'm hoping we love it a lot, and don't regret paying the price!

Just remember, don't be like me...if you are designing your kitchen space, make SURE you don't put the fridge so the side is against a wall...unless it's a short stub wall that doesn't come out past the fridge.

Course I realize most of you probably figured that out long ago, I've always been a little on the slow side. *giggle*

Attention Digital Scrapbookers!

2012-01-28T22:25:00.001-06:00

For all of you Digital Scrapbookers out there, we are starting a new year of digital scrapbooking challenges on the Blush ~n~ Dusty yahoo group now, so if you are interested come join us! We got a late start, but it's good to take time off from challenges now and then, so that's ok.

Because the group owners are wanting to push publishing your Layouts into books for posterity, they are giving the designer of the winning layout $10.00 so hurry in to the Blush ~n~ Dusty group and find out how to join us!

You have till the end of February to get this first layout in before we do our first poll. :)

Sour Dough Starter

2012-01-24T21:35:00.000-06:00

Wow...can you believe it? I have what looks like sour dough starter! Amazing!!!

Well it is for me, since it took me FOREVER to be able to get milk to clabber in my house. I thought for sure this was going to be another one of those things that would bug me for months, before I managed to get it to work for me...but it surprised me! Just a week or so after I started trying to grow my own starter, it's growing and filling the jar now, between feedings! Yippee!!!

Course, just because it looks right, doesn't mean it is...to me it kinda smells odd, but I don't really know what sour dough starter is suppose to smell like, as I've never had any before (or sour dough bread for that matter) but hopefully as it grows it will start smelling better to me...either cause it is smelling better, or cause I get used to the smell. LOL

I'll keep feeding it for a little longer, before trying to make anything with it...to give it a chance to get a little stronger...and hopefully smell better. :)

Least I may be on the right track to be able to start learning to make sour dough items...DH should be happy about that, cause he is the one who first mentioned that it would be neat if I could make some sour dough bread. Not going to try that first, but there are other things that I can try, that are suppose to be easier to make. Then, once I learn them...I'll try some of that bread he wants. :)

I even found a good use for my fancy (for me) cell phone! I use the alarm to remind me to give the starter, it's evening feeding. I usually remember the morning one, cause I'm in the kitchen, but was having trouble with the evening one, so now my phone tells me to go feed it. Knew that fancy new thing would be good for something! *giggle*

I just think it's so cool that I got the starter looking like I've heard it's suppose to. If I'm lucky I won't kill it...like I do a lot of plants I've had over the years. *giggle*

A new chicken dish.

2012-01-23T14:46:00.006-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes I can try, especially if they are super easy and use ingredients that I've been learning to make from scratch myself like the chicken broth and cream cheese that is used in the following recipe.

When I saw this recipe I saw that it looked easy and used two of the ingredients I've been enjoying making lately, so thought I'd give it a try. It was an instant hit, both for me AND my hubby and is now my favorite chicken dish...least till I get tired of it. LOL

Hope you like it too!

Chicken & Rice with pan sauce
Printable recipe

Two Chicken Breasts
Oil for cooking the chicken
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 tab chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cut up chicken and fry it in ghee (or your favorite oil) till browned and cooked through.

Add the broth and cream cheese and cook, stirring till sauce reduces and thickens.

Add parsley if you have it, and stir in. Serve over brown rice.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it would be yummy with some vegetables in it too...or just serve them on the side like I did. :)

A super easy yet tasty way to use up that homemade chicken or turkey broth you made, as well as the homemade cream cheese. :-))

Adapted from a recipe I found from Kraft.

Post links to: Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday

The big Five O

2012-01-20T11:40:00.001-06:00

My hubby will be turning 50 on Sunday. This photo is one I took yesterday with him wearing a shirt my parents sent him for his birthday. He's been wanting a "Farmall" shirt kinda like his Dad had years ago, when his Dad worked for Farmall in the 60's before he died, so finally someone (my parents) took pity on him and got him one. LOL

It's hard to believe Hubby will be 50 this year...course it's hard to believe it's already Friday...this week went by FAST, and I have no blog posts to show for it! LOL

Anyway, we had a Dr appointment on Wed, for a "back" checkup for hubby, and got good news! DH's back is starting to fuse together now, AND...he can lift whatever, as long as it doesn't hurt his back!!! He was just told, if it hurts, don't do it, otherwise go for it! :-))

Course, he is still mending, and still can't lift as much as he used to yet...but he is also getting better daily I think. Just a week or so ago he came to me all excited, cause he could put his jeans on standing up, without leaning on the wall! I told him, dang, I can't even manage that...I'm not graceful enough...so he is doing better than I am! (I think I'd end up falling on my face if I tried to do it myself. *giggle*)

Actually he had been able to do one leg into his jeans for a little while, without leaning...but not the other, so he was really happy to see yet another improvement, even now 5 and a half months after his surgery. :-))

I'm so glad he is doing so well, it's just such an improvement from before surgery...actually from several YEARS before surgery! God willing he will continue to improve and enjoy life more in the years ahead!

Happy (early) Birthday to the love of my life!! I LOVE you Galen and consider myself the luckiest woman alive to be spending my life with you!! :-))

Time to move on I think.

2012-01-13T15:15:00.002-06:00

After filling a gallon jar with dehydrated sprouted wheat berries last week, I spent this week trying to bake a good loaf of bread with them...most of which went out to the chickens, cause they were a total failure. *sigh* I've never had so much trouble baking bread before but as you will see below, this week has not been a good week in my kitchen.

I used to grind my flour with this hand crank grinder. I still have it and love it, but last fall my Mom took pity on me, and how busy I was with canning and trying to keep things going in the garden, barn & house by giving me an electric grinder that had been my Grandma's.

It has been such a blessing the last few months, and made it easier to keep up with making bread in the busy times, as well as saving my arm for churning butter instead of having to crank out the flour for bread. LOL Thanks Mom for this wonderful gift! :)

I ground the sprouted wheat into flour with the electric grinder, it seemed to take a little longer, but came out just fine, looking like flour to me.

I made the bread and got it into the pans...and it looked beautiful. I could tell it was a little different when I was working with it, but it was looking good...so I had high hopes.

They were quickly dashed when I got the bread out, and tried to get it out of the pans. It stuck more...and with the flour making the bread more fragile, it broke apart easily...so didn't get out of the pan looking very well. It also wasn't done in the middle...although that's hard to see in this photo. :(

In order to get the middle done, the outside had to be over brown...which doesn't make for a very good loaf in my opinion. I prefer a soft, moist loaf of bread...and this wasn't going to be that way. There was a big hole in the top of it too, right under the top crust. Needless to say, not a good loaf.

I tried baking a good loaf of bread with sprouted wheat flour several times this week, and this one was editable...but that's all I could say for it. It too was drier, and crusty and smaller than normal.

Needless to say, I'm ready to move on...I hate to say give up exactly, because I can't say for sure I won't try again to make a loaf out of sprouted wheat flour, but...for now I'm going to try to forget about it, and learn to make sour dough bread. Hopefully it will turn out better for me. LOL

Maybe I can use the sprouted wheat flour (if I make more...since I used the gallon jar I had made last week, playing with dough this week) for other things that doesn't involve yeast...or added to sour dough, or soaked dough to have a flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter, that is more healthy...but for now, it's going on the back burner so I can move on to something else that will hopefully work better for me.

For me, sprouted wheat used for bread baking took longer to bake, which means the bread got dried out more and had a thicker harder crust. It was hard to tell when it was actually "done" cause I couldn't go by how "brown" it was, which doesn't make it a good fit for my kitchen...least not for bread.

Hopefully I have better luck with sour dough...which is the next "class" I'm going to go through on gnowfglins.com. I've really enjoyed the classes so far, and even if this one section of the class didn't work for me...I've still gotten a lot of other good things out of them. I've not exactly done everything in the classes yet...and kinda skipped around some, but...I'm having fun when I get the time to play...even if I do have major flops from time to time. LOL The cheese I've tried has been yummy at least, I'm especially loving the cream cheese cause I found a chicken dish that uses cream cheese that is my new favorite way to have chicken now...so I gotta keep that cream cheese on hand! LOL

Sorry for such a long post and all the photos...just wanted to update everyone on how things went with my sprouted wheat of last week...even though they didn't go well. Hopefully if you try it yourself, you will have better luck. If you do...let me know what you did, so maybe I can do it too, I do hate to totally "give up"!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!:-))

Homemade Ice Cream

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

With winter here (even if it doesn't actually feel like it much lately...with all the nice warm temps!) the cream we have been getting takes forever to churn into butter it seems like. So...instead of making it all into butter, I've been playing with it some, and turning it into different things like cream cheese, sour cream and...homemade Ice Cream!! It's an odd time of the year to be making so much ice cream...but the spring and summer is the best time to churn butter, so I have to play when I can with the cream. LOL

I've never really been a fan of homemade ice cream...yes I know, that's totally strange, but mostly we had vanilla growing up, and I'm not a big fan of vanilla, least not as the main flavor of something (although do like the plain store bought vanilla ice cream). But I've been playing with making other flavors and really like it now...as long as it's not Vanilla. LOL

I've made chocolate (which so far is my favorite I think), strawberry (LOVE that one too...which is strange, cause I never usually like strawberry ice cream from the store that well for some reason) and Vanilla bean. I can do without the vanilla, but it's really neat looking with those tiny black seeds dotted throughout it and DH loves it. I've actually never used Vanilla beans before, but purchased a bunch to make my own Vanilla extract with, and had to save a couple to try in ice cream.

I've got ideas for some other flavors, but haven't had time to try them out yet. LOL I love how easy this recipe is, and how I can use the same basic recipe, for all the flavors, just adding the different ingredients to make it taste different. One of these days I'm going to make my favorite kind...when I make sure DH has plenty that he likes, since he doesn't like my favorite, mint chocolate chip...course who knows if I'll like it in the homemade variety, but it's sure worth a try! :-))

Every time I start making something else with the wonderful raw milk we get from our cows, I fall in love with them just a little more. *giggle* Gotta love them when they give us so much...those giggle moments & lots of milk to turn into yummy food!

This is an easy yet yummy recipe.

Homemade Ice Cream
Printable recipe

3 cups raw cream

2 whole "free range" eggs

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add eggs and sugar to a blender and blend till well blended. Add the Vanilla and cream and run the blender just till it's mixed well.

Cool in the refrigerator several hours or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream maker and enjoy your homemade ice cream!

You can add other ingredients to make different kinds of ice cream. 1/3 cup cocoa powder for Chocolate ice cream. Strawberries added, (some thawed and puréed with the mix…some chopped still frozen, and added at the end of the time in the ice cream maker) make a wonderful fruity treat. Other fruits, nuts or flavors are just waiting to make you fall in love with homemade ice cream all over again!

Recipe Notes:

You can use a cup of kefir or yogurt in place of one of the cups of cream if you would like to, they would add some good probiotics to the ice cream.

Because the eggs are eaten raw in this recipe, I can only recommend using fresh from the farm free range eggs, not store bought eggs. If you use store bought eggs, do so at your own risk...in fact you really have to do that with any egg. It's best to KNOW your egg farmer and how his chickens are cared for.

With the sugar, less is of course best, you just have to go with what you like there. Using an unprocessed sugar would be better than white, but you gotta do, what you gotta do. Just make sure if you use white sugar, that you use white cane sugar to try and stay away from those nasty GMO's in the sugar beets!

Use the seeds of a Vanilla bean, instead of Vanilla extract for an extra yummy Vanilla ice cream. I love seeing the seed specks in the finished ice cream.

Adapted from a recipe found at gnowfglins.com

The Cows are happy!

2012-01-10T21:14:00.001-06:00

We had ran out of Alfalfa, which our cows LOVE a few days ago, and were looking around trying to find someone who had some more for sale. DH finally found some yesterday, so went and had them load 30 some bales onto his trailer today, so the cows wouldn't start revolting from lack of their favorite kind of hay.

They don't get lots of it, just some mixed in with the regular hay, but they sure love it. LOL

The first bale we got off the trailer went back to the door DH goes through, to toss the hay out the window of the back part of the barn, into an old tractor tire he has set up as a hay feeder for the girls. He grabbed a slab of it, and walked towards the open window and Daisy smelled it, and stuck her nose in the air, eagerly anticipating the arrival of that much missed Alfalfa. She was grabbing it with her greedy lips, before it was hardly through the window, and I was wishing I had my camera handy, to get a photo...but hadn't brought it out, cause of having to unload the hay.

We stood there watching the girls munch down on it, and all of a sudden saw Mabel pick up the slab and toss it out of the feeder, between her and Daisy, so the others couldn't get it. Her and Daisy are buddies, so guess she didn't mind sharing it with her. LOL DH put a few more slabs out in the feeder, so all 5 of the girls got some, but it was funny to me that Mabel, the laid back one was trying to hog it all! LOL

We eventually got busy and got the Alfalfa stacked in the barn, in front of the other hay (since there wasn't room for it anywhere else, cause DH has commandeered a big portion of the barn for working on his tractors. LOL) Those bales were HEAVY too!!

DH still isn't suppose to lift to much, basically they said 25 pounds, and not to do anything that hurts...well he had to help me lift, but we used hay hooks, which really did help make it easier to handle the bales and between the two of us could get them lifted onto the stack, without it hurting his back.

Thankfully it wasn't a whole hayfield of bales that we had to stack up...not sure I'd have been up for that, not with as heavy as they were. We don't bale our hay as heavy...cause I may be big, and tall and all...but I am not muscular, so don't have the strength to buck heavy bales all the time. I also can't swing those hay hooks to get them into the bales, but they slid right into these without any trouble, just by pushing them in, so I was able to experience the wonder of using hay hooks for a change...they really do make it nicer to move the bales around! :)

Praise God for the Alfalfa and helping us get it stacked in the barn! :-))

Runaway cows

2012-01-06T22:00:00.000-06:00

Giggle of the day:

We were sitting having lunch this afternoon, and churning butter as we watched a show on tv, when I happen to catch movement out of the corner of my eye...out the window of the sewing room.

I glanced over and saw the cows running across the hayfield, kicking their heels up, like they were thrilled to be free.

Knowing that they hadn't been able to get out there for awhile, because a fence needed some repair on it, I immediately and urgently said "The cows are out!!" as I reached over to pause what we were watching.

DH got up and hurried out to the side porch to get his boots on and go outside, and I almost got up to go with him, but figured the cows really couldn't get out where they would do any damage, so continued sitting there churning butter.

DH went out the side door to look for them, then circled around and came in the front door, and said he didn't see them. I said no, they were running off to the south in the hayfield.

He rolled his eyes, and took his boots off and sat down again...it seems he fixed the fence and let them out there today, and didn't tell me he had. *giggle*

I was just trying to help...well, without actually going and getting them in myself. LOL Guess he should tell me things like this, so I don't inadvertently send him out on a wild "cow" chase. LOL

I guess the cows were just enjoying being let back out into the hayfield and the nice weather, so they did a jog through the hay field, kicking their heels up with joy in the process...not celebrating their escape from unjust imprisonment in the other pasture. *giggle*

It was funny to me, not so much to DH. ;)

On the hunt for a new mattress.

2012-01-05T13:48:00.002-06:00

Peaches on our new mattress...even she sinks in a little.
We've been needing a new mattress for a while now, just kept putting it off, cause we didn't have the money we wanted to spend on one, and I thought we could keep on getting by for a while longer.

Silly me...sleep is something I don't do good without! LOL

Over the last few months it's been increasingly obvious, we should have started looking for one sooner, neither of us was getting good sleep on what we had.

So...since DH had to go to a nearby town last week, I decided to go along with him, so we could "look" at what they had. I'd heard that Sealy mattresses (actually sterns and foster made by sealy) didn't have as much out gassing, and they were sold at a store in that town...so I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how expensive they were, and how comfy they were.

I was just looking at this point...really didn't want to spend the money yet, but that changed once we fell in love with a bed...we walked out of the store with it. LOL

I was wanting to go with something without so much out gassing, cause smells can bother me, and in my quest to get away from as many chemicals as possible, I thought it would be good to get a mattress with less in it too.

I didn't take into account my hubby though. *giggle* We went directly to the Sealy brand beds, and tried them out, bypassing the memory foam beds, that I knew would be nice...but the price and fact they most likely would have way more chemicals in them stopped me from wanting to look at them.

No so my hubby, he plopped down on one, and promptly fell in love. He said he could feel his back relaxing more than it does on the other kinds of mattresses, and acted like he wanted to stay there forever. So...I had to try it out too, and I fell in love myself. *sigh*

The price was a little more than the other beds, but they were on sale, so we decided to go for it...after all, hubby has the bad back and he needs a better bed, so I prayed the out gassing wouldn't kill us, and decided on the comfy memory foam mattress.

Let me tell you, those foam mattresses Stink!! We've opened the bedroom window a few days, trying to air out the bedroom, and it is getting better, but even now, almost a week later it still stinks up the bedroom. Thankfully it's been a nice week so opening the window in the middle of winter hasn't been as bad as it could have been. LOL

We talked them into giving us a couple memory foam pillows we fell in love with too, since we got the bed, and they got stuck out on our side porch for a while...cause we used them one night, and I woke up with a headache that went away once I left the bedroom...so I knew it wasn't just one of those times I woke up with a headache cause they usually stick around most of the day. I sure am looking forward to getting those pillows back though, cause they are SO COMFY!!! I think I'll give them a month or two to air out though.

Thankfully with our old pillows between my nose and the smelly mattress, I've not woke up with a headache since...just can't wait till the smell is gone from the mattress cause it is a little annoying.

The bed however is WAY more comfortable than the one we tossed, it's soft (which I LOVE) yet supports our backs better. It is a thicker mattress, which makes the bed higher and harder to climb into (our old one was high enough as it was...my Mom had to have a step stool to climb into it, when they slept in it cause the frame is extra high LOL) but I'm learning how to get into it...not that we may not go looking for a new bed frame one of these days, if we ever have some extra money for it...but prob. not to soon. I love a high bed though, cause it's so much easier to make when it's up on my level! :)

Needless to say, I'm finding it a little harder to get out of bed in the morning...and looking forward to bedtime more at night!

This morning, DH informed me he didn't think he liked the new bed after all.

It seems I'm sleeping better in this bed, which means I'm snoring more *snicker* which means he can't sleep.

All I have to say is..."WAAAAA!! You can try the couch...or sleep with the cows"!! ROFL

Sprouted wheat for bread

2012-01-04T17:30:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to sprouting some wheat this week. I've been hearing how much better for you, bread is, if you soak the flour or use flour from sprouted wheat...but haven't managed to actually DO either of them yet. I finally got around to sprouting some wheat this week, and it's in the dehydrator as I type, so it gets dry again, so it can be turned into flour. Hopefully it will work good in my wheat grinder, and make yummy bread!

The using flour from sprouted wheat actually sounded like it would be easier to me, than the soaking thing (ok, maybe not easier, but more what I'd be able to manage, cause the soaking would take a lot longer and I'd have to keep my wits about me to do it...and that just doesn't usually happen, the wits thing anyway) *giggle*...although one of these days I may try that too...and for sure want to try sourdough, which is also a more healthful way to make breads from what I hear. Hopefully I can manage more of the traditional bread baking, cause I'd like to eat healthier when possible. Just not sure if I'll manage to as much as I'd like to...depends on time I guess. :)

Anyway, the sprouting of the wheat didn't take as long as I thought it might strangely enough. The sprouts are actually probably a little longer than they needed to be, but last night I thought I was imagining seeing them, and then this morning they were long...so it went quick! LOL Even if they are a little long, it should still work I'd think. :)

I do love trying new things...keeps life interesting. Not that I really need more things to do...but if it's better for us, and yummy....I'm all for trying to do it as often as possible! :)

I did manage to get a skirt cut out this afternoon, that I'd been wanting to do for several weeks now. One thing off my list...a million to go! LOL Once again, I remember why I HATE cutting things out! *sigh* Now I get to remember why I hate sewing, while I try to get it finished...although of the two, prefer sewing to cutting out. ;)

I also managed to finish a crochet project I've been trying to get done too...so I'm on a roll today! Course there are several more crochet things I need to make before spring, but hey, least I finished the one I was needing done first. LOL

Ok, gotta run finish supper! Just thought I'd share the new thing I tried this week! Will try to remember to mention my impression of the bread when I get around to making it. :)

Chili

2012-01-03T09:20:00.001-06:00

I meant to post this before now, cause I had a request from a friend for it...but time slipped away and I didn't get it done. So...here is the recipe I've been using for chili. I based it on one I found at famouschilirecipes.com. I may not make the BEST chili, or most interesting chili, but we like it so guess that's all that matters. I hope someone can get some use out of it. :-))

Chili
Printable recipe

2 lbs ground beef
4 pints beans*
1 small onion chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 (scant) tsp red pepper
2-3 tablespoon minced garlic
1 quart tomato sauce**
1/2 cup (more or less) oatmeal (optional)***

Brown the hamburger. Add chopped onion and cook till soft.

Add beans and spices and cook till heated through. Add the oatmeal if you want the chili thicker and simmer for another 5-10 minuets.

Cooking this ahead of time so it has time to sit before being eaten helps get the spices more integrated in the dish.

*I use my homemade canned beans, but you can use store bought, just make sure they don't have spices on them already.

**I'm kinda boring, and don't like chunks of tomato in my chili (or any soup) so that is why I use tomato sauce...but you could always use some sauce AND some chunky tomatoes if you prefer.

***The oatmeal helps make a thicker chili. I've never liked my chili thin, so DH taught me to use the oatmeal in it, shortly after we got married. It helped prevent there being lots of juice leftover, with little or no beans and meat. LOL You can leave it out if you prefer a soupy chili. :-))

We love to add grated cheese on top!

2011 - A Blessed Year

2011-12-31T16:45:00.001-06:00

2011 has been a year full of blessings here on Hillbilly Hill Farm! We started out the year with a baby being born on the farm, Clover, the first Jersey baby girl born on our farm. We were also blessed with a little boy (KC) later in the year from Honey one of the new cows we brought home this year.

We had a lot of laughs through the year, something we love to do a lot of. Between the cats keeping us entertained (see one instance here)The dogs making me giggle all the time, and my own silliness we didn't run out of things to laugh about.

I continued my cheese and butter adventure this year, making cheese when I had the time to, and dreaming of having a place to age cheese better, so I can get into doing hard cheese more. I also tried to get photos of more of our food, so eventually I can get a cookbook of my favorite recipe's done...that is of course if I ever have time to work on it more. LOL I've also been trying to learn to "play" with a recipe more to change it to fit us better. Its not something I've done a lot of before, for fear of wasting food if it didn't work...but am learning to now and then, most of the time with good results. :)

We said goodbye to our goats this year, since they were to hard to take care of, while DH was not able to get around to well with his bad back...and surgery. They have been missed for their cute antics, but I can't say I've missed their trouble making ways of getting out. One of these years, maybe we can get more cause we really do love them...but it's sure been nice to not have them to worry about while DH has been recovering.

Speaking of DH, his back surgery this last summer went well, as has his recovery. He's doing better now than he has for several years I think...even if he still has to be careful what he lifts, and have me doing the heavy lifting of feed sacks, full 5 gallon buckets, and whatever else comes along.

We were blessed with being able to pay off the farm this spring which came just in time as we had several unexpected repair bills come up over the rest of the year, as well as things we needed to buy, which wouldn't have been possible had we still been paying on the farm. Praise God for his wonderful timing!! :-))

Our first "real" garden grew this year...and grew much better than I ever thought it would, since I tend to have a black thumb. Not that I learned to LIKE gardening, but I'm really looking forward to spring, and planting another one, cause it was so nice getting fresh produce from our own garden for a change. I missed that once the season was over more than I thought I would. It was nice to have the 2nd pantry DH built me early in the year, so I could can up a lot of things for the winter and have a place to store them. :)

My soap making has come a long way this year. I've still got a lot to learn, but least it's looking better now!! Gotta find time to learn to make liquid soap now...hopefully.

It's been a wonderful year for us here on Hillbilly Hill Farm, hard in some ways but we lived through those hard times with God's help and that of family and friends (Especially my parents and DH's friend Kirk). We've enjoyed our online friends too, and thank each and every one of you for your prayers over this past year. You are loved and appreciated by both of us.

We hope you all have a wonderful and Safe New Years and that 2012 will be a wonderful year for us ALL!! :-))

Happy New Year!!!

Cows enjoy the warm weather too.

2011-12-30T16:30:00.001-06:00

The cows are liking not having to huddle up to stay warm the last several days! Daisy and Snowflake heard me outside the other day, so came to see if they could talk us into giving them some extra goodies...it didn't work while I was out there, but it was nice to see them anyway.

Since their hay is now given to them behind the barn, I don't see them as much, cause they spend their time behind the barn with their food. LOL I really need to spend more time out there, on these warm days but can't seem to get away from the work that needs done inside. *sigh*

The two boys have been wrestling around too, with the warm temps. Course Stew had to come see us, when we went and stood by the fence, and KC took the time to stop and chew on a cats ear, before coming to say hi. LOL

Stew really missed Clover (even though she was right across the fence) when DH moved her to be back with her three Mom's...and snowflake. She is learning to be a big girl now, and gets to eat at the stanchion, instead of fighting the boys for her food. She has been beating Daisy to the stanchion for the most part too, which Daisy does NOT like, but guess that's what happens when you spoil your child when they are young...they take advantage of you and get in to the food first! *giggle* I keep thinking Daisy will learn to beat her, but so far she is lucky to get in first.

Least Clover seems to be weaned, I figured she should be since she hadn't been with her "Mom's" for several months, but stranger things have happened. She will be a year old this next month...it's hard to believe that! She will be ready to bred before we know it, at this rate! Can't wait to see a baby from the first Jersey female born on our farm!!! :-))

Anyway, better run! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a safe and happy New Year!!!!

Beautiful Winter Day

2011-12-29T16:05:00.000-06:00

It's been so NICE here this week, especially since it's suppose to be winter! I can't complain about having warm days though. LOL I managed to go outside for a short walk yesterday, and of course took my camera and the dogs, so they could enjoy the weather too.

Peaches still runs around all over the place, especially when she first gets out. She has to get rid of some of that pent up energy I guess. LOL Back and forth she runs, spreading her joy at the promise of a walk to all who stand watching her.

Course then she gets laughed at when she avoids the cats and other animals...and/or stands back and barks at them. She is a big chicken. Guess she got tagged to many times by the cats when she was younger, between that and Autumn trying to kill her, she had a traumatic childhood with other animals, so is afraid of them and isn't afraid to let everyone around hear her fear. *giggle*

Autumn on the other hand loves to torment the cats. She tries to get them to run, and heaven help them if they actually strike her with their claws...she will attack and show them who is boss. That's not happened for a while, but its always funny when it does. She didn't managed to make the cats run yesterday, so she couldn't chase them like she wanted to...but she had fun trying. :)

I'm sure the cats were happy to see the dogs head for the house though...that way they could relax again, and not worry about them.

It was getting time to get something for supper, so I finally decided I had to go back inside. Least it's suppose to be nice for several more days...may even be 60 on the weekend, so hopefully I'll manage to get back out there to enjoy it again! I was to busy to today, with cheese, ghee and several other things keeping me busy inside.

Peaches was really happy to go in when it was time to yesterday, she took off for the front porch as soon as I turned towards the house. She loves going outside, but loves going back in too...probably only because she gets a treat, which they never let me forget about. LOL They trot to my office, with eager eyes and sit impatiently waiting for me to get there and give them their treat for behaving and coming back in without any trouble.

Ahhh the power of treats! :-))

Pizza Burgers

2011-12-28T15:10:00.003-06:00

In the summer time, if I buy some hamburger buns, and don't get them used up quick enough, they will get moldy and then get dumped out for the chickens (they love it when that happens! LOL).

However, in the winter, they don't mold as fast, yet do get kinda stale and dried out, so instead of tossing them, sometimes I'll make pizza burgers. They aren't hard to make, especially since I have canned pizza sauce I canned up the summer before, and make for an easy lunch that freezes well, and can be pulled out when I need something extra easy and quick.

Print Pizza Burger Recipe

First I lay the buns open faced on a baking sheet.

Then I brown some hamburger, dump some pizza sauce into it, and when it's good and warm spoon it onto each half bun. If I have extra pizza sauce, I'll spoon a little extra over the hamburger for added flavor.

Top with grated cheese of your choice. (I like cheddar...although might use some homemade mozzarella, but haven't made any yet this week, so didn't.) Bake at 425 for 10 minutes (or so) till cheese is melted and bun is toasted to your liking.

Enjoy a simple lunch in the midst of your busy life, that tastes yummy yet is oh so easy to make!

Freeze any leftovers for future lunches, on those days you just don't have time to cook something, so you can easily have something good to eat, with little effort.

I pop mine into the toaster oven for a short time, to warm them up, and "re-toast" the bread, and it works really well! :)

If you don't have any old hamburger buns sitting around...new ones will work too. LOL One of these days I'm going to learn to make my own, but that is one thing I haven't found a recipe I really like yet...I prefer hamburger buns that aren't to heavy, and any I've tried to make turn out heaver than I want for a sandwich.

I do have an idea to try for another attempt at making my own hamburger buns(although I don't have high hopes that it will actually work)...just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. *sigh* So many things I want to do...so LITTLE time! :-))

I would think you could also do this kinda thing with sloppy joe's...or any other sauce you like with ground beef. I've not tried it with others, cause we love pizza burgers...but may have to one of these days. If you have any ideas, let me know...maybe I'll break out of the rut I'm in, and try something new!! *giggle*

Enchilada sauce....chicken instead of hamburger with hubbies wonderful Alfredo sauce....hmmm the possibilities are endless...going to have to dig my way out of the rut I'm in one of these days!! :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week. We were gone all day yesterday between a doc appointment for hubby and doing shopping so we didn't have to make another trip to the city right away. Gotta love that THAT is over for another month already!! :-)) I gotta run though, it's nice (as in over 50 F. !!!) outside, and I'd really like to spend a little time outside enjoying it. :-))

Lip Balm and other personal care products

2011-12-23T14:40:00.001-06:00

I've been making a few more things the past week or so, along with getting my soap ready to be wrapped and put away till it finds a new home. Well some of it is going to it's new home right away, just gotta get time to finish packing it all up and ship it. LOL

Other than some lotion bars, and whipped body butter, I finally got around to making some lip balm! I've been addicted to a mint lip gloss for years, and have been wanting to make my own, so I can stop having to try and find the stuff I had been using, plus so I knew what was in it...and get away from the nasty stuff it contained.

Mine is a little different than the one I had been using, but still leaves a very refreshing feeling on my lips when I use it, because I made sure and put plenty of mint essential oil in it, so it tingles a bit when applied. I'm loving it!!

I lucked out actually, I hadn't gotten around to actually making lip balm, because I needed to sit down and figure out what I wanted in it, and just how much beeswax to use, to make it solid, yet not TO solid so it didn't work. The other day, a blog post came into my google reader, from a company I buy some of my soap supplies from, and it was asking their readers to e-mail them with a list of oils they have, and they would help us decide what to make with them and give us a recipe.

Well...I KNEW what I wanted to make, so I wrote them with my list, and told them I wanted a lip balm recipe with lots of mint, so I could replace the lip gloss I'd been using, and they whipped up a recipe using only supplies I had on hand that turned out to be perfect! It was fast and easy to make my lip balm then, since the hardest part was done for me...the figuring out what quantities of oils to use.

I may tweak it a little here or there as I make more, but least I have a good foundation to build from and can make it my own as I go forward. :)

If you would like to try your hand at making some, you can see the blog post where they share the recipe here.

Anyway, this is just a small pile of what I've been getting together this week. This is some of what I plan on sending over to my family to try out one of these days...depends on when I get around to sending it. LOL I've got several other piles sitting around to go to other friends and family. I have a little more to make first, before I'm totally ready to send some of it off.

Between the soap, herbal salve, body butter, lotion bars and lip balm, I've been busy lately, but it's a really FUN busy! :-))

Now to finish up, so I can start again, on the soap anyway...although I really need to find the money to buy a few fragrance oils, cause I kinda ran out of some that I want to make again. :) I swear, this hobby is way more expensive than my digital scrapbooking one ever was! *giggle*

Oh well, least I get to play now and then...even if I can't find time to do a lot with ALL my different hobbies. :)

Ok, I gotta run, stay safe out there this weekend, if you are traveling! :-))

Soap Colors

2011-12-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

I said I would show off the different colors of soap I was making a while back, then never did get around to it.

So while I was working at getting some of them wrapped up tonight, I snapped a photo to share! I'm loving the different colors, but then I've always loved color, so it's not surprising. :)

This is just a few of the scents I ended up with, in my last "soaping" round. Now that my drying rack is almost empty again, I'll have to get busy and fill it up! Gotta get more Shampoo bars made soon, and then will see what else I come up with. :)

I'll try to share more of what I've been doing in this area of my life tomorrow...right now I gotta run make something else I just remembered I wanted tomorrow, before bedtime gets here! I've been rather busy again this week. LOL

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Homemade Sour Cream & Cream Cheese

2011-12-13T11:35:00.001-06:00

Cream Cheese
I've been playing again, with the cream we are getting from our jersey cows. I'm still making butter, but now and then I steal some to play with. LOL

I'm taking the cooking classes at www.gnowfglins.com this winter, to learn some new things about traditional cooking, and am slowly making my way through her dairy class now, so have to play some too. LOL

I've been watching her blog for awhile now, and learned some that way...but wanted to do the classes too, once I had a few extra bucks.

Sour Cream
After taste testing (well having DH taste test) he has decided the way I usually do sour cream is best for that (adding some clabbor to cream and letting it culture...although it doesn't get as thick as it was getting in the summer. Guess that's just another way the milk changes with winter.), but using a mesophilic culture that I have and adding it to cream to culture, makes a better tasting cream cheese (less sour than the clabbor). That's something I hadn't tried before...wanting to use as few cultures as possible since I'm cheap and don't want to have to purchase them more than necessary, but...I'm glad I finally tried that, so I can make a better cream cheese with it. :)

DH has been enjoying my "tests" on toast he made with my homemade bread now and then, which gives him some good probiotics. Need to think of something else to do with the cream cheese though, so I can use it up...there is a little to much for toast I think. LOL

Other than that, I'm putting a batch of beef stock through my pressure canner, as I type...and trying to get some more salve made, but am kinda being slow at that. Got the herbs infused, just need to get the rest of the salve made now.

Our internet was down this morning...wasn't as bad, since we could check e-mail on our phones, but I still missed it, cause it's just not as easy to do on the phone to me. They are nice, for times like that, or when we are out...but I still prefer my computer. LOL Thankfully it's back up now! :)

Ok, better run, just shut my canner off, so can get some other things done now. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!! :-))

Slow News Week once again.

2011-12-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

With winter upon us once again, I've slowed down somewhat...although can't really tell it because somehow I keep busy around the house, just not rush, rush, rush, maybe I'm in slow mode, I don't know. LOL

Anyway, I'm not doing anything major, that gives me anything interesting to write about, maybe that's what I should have said. LOL

We finally got enough snow to see a lot of white on the ground today...but I don't think it really amounted to all that much. I'm kinda happy about that, not really looking forward to lots of snow. I'm looking forward to spring already! *giggle*

We did go see the Beatrice Orchestra perform earlier this week, which was kinda fun. I'm a homebody, so it's sometimes like pulling teeth for DH to drag me out to something like that, but he finally did, cause his friend has been telling us for a couple years, when and where his brother and sister (who have a LOT of musical talent) would be playing, so we finally got to go see them play. For such a small town, the orchestra was really quite nice. I'm thinking about trying to go back to their next concert in March...we will see if we make it. :)

I've also started making some beef broth this week, got batch two stewing in the crock pot...am hoping to get a canner or two full to stock my pantry back up. I've missed what I canned last year, since I ran out.

Other than that, it's just been house work, and cheese making...and the long bouts of making butter (since the butter seems to take forever to churn in these winter months). Hopefully I don't have such slow news weeks all winter...but my mind isn't churning out ideas to write about lately, so I may.

Oh well, guess I better get off here and get to bed...gotta get up and finish some things tomorrow, that I didn't get around to doing today. May be our slow time, but there still seems to be plenty to keep me busy, if I can just get a move on and get it done. :)

The Pigs flew...

2011-12-02T15:40:00.000-06:00

...or maybe hell froze over, I don't know...but DH drug me kicking and screaming into the 21st century this week.

We did our monthly shopping earlier this week, and went to see what kinds of phones our carrier had, because it was about time for us to get new ones. We went in looking for "stupid" phones, and walked out with a couple "smart" ones. Not really sure WHY they call them smart phones, I sure don't feel any smarter having one. In fact I'd say I feel a bit "dumber" if anything. (For agreeing to pay the price we will have to pay, to have them. LOL) Granted we got the cheapest one (free) that they had, but that doesn't mean much, considering the monthly cost you have to pay.

I will admit, they are "Fun" and I had thought it would be nice to have one but...it wasn't something I planned on getting anytime soon. I mean yes you can do almost everything with these little things. You can take photos (such as they are...although this is better than the other phones we've had that took photos), look at photos, surf the web, chat (by text, e-mail OR on the phone) with friends, play games, watch video's, make your OWN video's, navigate your way across the country, get the weather forecast, take notes, listen to music, read books, look up an address of a friend and even spend any money you happen to have left in the web stores if you like...just to name a few of the "fun" things you could do.

But really, I only NEED it to call people...so why did I let my DH talk me into it? A moment of weakness I guess...I seem to have a lot of them, especially where he is concerned. LOL

He actually used to malign them a lot himself, I was so surprised to find out he wanted one. I think that's how he gets around me sometimes...he says no, no, no they are stupid & he wouldn't want one, then turns around when I least expect it and says yes he would like one, and while I'm out of it with shock, he gets me to say ok. *giggle*

So anyway, since I didn't figure we would ever get one, unless they just stopped having "stupid" phones altogether, I figure the pigs must have flew here over Hillbilly hill farm, for us to have them. LOL No we don't have pigs, however our cows are "pigs" so I wouldn't be surprised, if while we were gone that day, they flew around the pasture a few times. LOL

I've been learning how to use this newfangled thing the past several days, and getting it set up like I wanted it. I've even got some music on it, and am hoping to put a few more songs on there when I get the chance. They seem to run the battery down quite fast, but it's cool to have a way to listen to some of my favorite songs, if I'm out and want to...since I have it anyway. I like the pink cover I got...but can't help wishing they had had a purple one. Oh well, least it's pretty in pink! :-))

I'm hoping it will be like our first digital camera...DH is the one who talked me into that too, and now I wonder why he had to talk so hard...maybe the phones will turn out that way too, and in a few years I will wonder why I drug my feet. I guess only time will tell!

Turkey Stock

2011-11-29T15:40:00.001-06:00

I've been making turkey stock the last several days, with the bones of our Thanksgiving turkey. I've done several batches for the one set of bones, in the crock pot, can't believe I was able to get so much out of one turkey!!

This is the first time I've done it, had I known how easy it was, I'd have done it way before now...sure beats buying the stuff!!! Cheaper, and way better for us. :-))

All I did was take the meat off the bones, dump them into the crock pot and fill it with water, add some carrots, onion & a couple bay leaves and put the lid on and cook for 24 hours or so. I'd pour the liquid off, add a few more of the carrots and onions and another bay leaf or two each time I did another batch (except the last time I just added more water and cooked). (could have used some celery, but I didn't this time)

I'd store the qts in the fridge, till I had enough to fill the canner, then I canned them so I didn't have to find room in the freezer for the jars. The last canner full is on the stove now! Now I just need to figure out what to do with it, besides using it for my chicken noodle soup. :)

Gotta do me some more beef stock too...I'm out, and it makes my roast and stews ever so much more tasty!! :-))

I'm just so happy to have gotten so many jars of stock out of our turkey...just hope they taste as yummy as they look, I almost wish we could have afforded another turkey (and had the room for it) so I could have made more later on. LOL

Other than the stock (and everyday things I have to do), I've been a little more lazy the last several days. It was so nice, although there were a few times I though the weekend seemed long. I guess I just got used to being a little to busy this summer and fall, and it will take me a little while to get used to having a little extra time for other things. Course I have a bunch of projects I am hoping to do this winter, so I doubt I'll be bored. LOL

Did anyone else make stock out of their turkey bones?

Counting my Blessings

2011-11-24T15:30:00.004-06:00

It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and we already stuffed ourselves with our favorite Thanksgiving dinner. We have lots of leftovers to tide us over the rest of the long weekend too...I'm going to enjoy not spending so much time in the kitchen!! :-))

Hubby is out messing with his old tractors with a friend, so I came and finished working on a couple of digital scrapbooking layouts I started yesterday. Yes...I FINALLY managed to scrap a couple pages! I'm totally impressed, aren't you?!! *giggle*

Guess I had to do my Thanksgiving scrap...even if that's almost all I manage for the year. :)

I did a two page layout this year...the first page showing my hubby who is the #1 thing I'm thankful for this year. I'm thankful he is feeling better since his back surgery, and able to walk around without his stick a lot of the time. I'm also thankful he has less pain to deal with, even if he does have a ways to go before he is fully recovered.

The 2nd page I showed some of my blessings, since I always like to think about the things God has blessed me with on Thanksgiving...although I do that a lot, not JUST on Thanksgiving. :)

I really am blessed, with my hubby, my parents, our fur babies, our home & our cows...and there are many other blessings...but I ran out of room on my page for them this year. LOL

Kit Credit: Unicorn & Fairy Kit by Blushbutter

Today is really nice, or least it would be if it wasn't so windy. It's over 70 out there, but the wind makes it kinda not so fun to be outside. Gotta love these warm days, when we could be freezing cold! :) So instead of going for a walk to enjoy a warm Thanksgiving, I'm going to go churn my butter and read or whatever takes my fancy, for what is left of this Thanksgiving day.

I do hope everyone is having a wonderful day!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Edited to add this video...LOVE this song, cause I Thank God for my hubby everyday, and especially on Thanksgiving. :)

Preparing for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T17:45:00.000-06:00

Well with deer season over and our freezer once again full, I am turning my attention to preparing for our Thanksgiving feast.

Since Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday I always like to make our traditional dishes that help remind me of those wonderful Thanksgivings we had growing up. They were filled with happy memories, lots of loved ones and so much food we had to waddle home.

This year, sadly, we won't be spending it with family (as far as I know), but are expecting to have a friend or two over to help us eat all the food I find it impossible to not make. LOL If you are in the area, and don't have other plans come join us!!! :-))

So...today, I started to plan our menu (even though it's usually always the same, I still have to plan it out and make sure I have everything I need). We also sent some milk through the separator, so we made sure we had some heavy cream that would whip up stiffer than what I skim off by hand does. It has to set for a few days, after going through the separator, before I try to whip it, so I always do it at the first of the week, when Thanksgiving rolls around.

I've got sour cream made, ready and waiting for one of the dishes I'm most interested in having (5 cup salad...SO looking forward to the two fruit salad's I always make...they are what is calling me this year! LOL). I've got some ranch dip made in case we want to munch on carrots over the long weekend, the rolls are made and in the freezer, ready to be thawed and reheated and the turkey is thawing in the fridge.

I'll be cooking the turkey early, so I can enjoy thanksgiving afternoon better, and not have that extra to do with taking the meat off the bones. This year, I'm going to try to make some stock out of the turkey bones too, for flavoring soups in the winter.

Wednesday I'm devoting mostly to baking pies...well and getting that wonderful 5 cup salad made and in the fridge, it tastes better if it's made the day before to me. :) I need to make a couple pies for gifts to friends & neighbors, and then three different kinds of pie for Thanksgiving desert (since hubby and I don't like the same kinds for Thanksgiving). LOL

Thanksgiving morning will be busy getting everything else together and on the table on time. But it's a festive fun morning, of working together (hubby usually does a couple dishes he likes while I'm busy with the other stuff) and anticipating the yummy dinner to come. :)

All in all, it could be a busy week, but I'm so looking forward to Thursday and the rest of the weekend!!! I won't have to cook much the rest of the weekend, with all the leftovers we should have, so am looking forward to a long lazy weekend, and counting all the blessings God has giving us over the past year!

Canning Dried Beans

2011-11-17T15:20:00.005-06:00

I've been wanting to find a way to use dry beans because I want to get away from as much store bought canned products as I can. If I can things myself I know what goes into that jar of food, it doesn't have strange additives, and also doesn't have the coating on the cans, leaching chemicals into my food...except for the lids that is.

I know I won't be able to get away from all of it, but the more I can, the better off we will be. One of these days I hope I can afford to use the reusable canning lids from tattler because they are suppose to be BPA free. They are on my list of things to try, as soon as I can get the money to do so.

Anyway...back to the point of this post. *giggle*

Dried beans are fairly cheap, but knowing me and how disorganized I can be, I know I won't get around to using them all that much, if I don't have them "ready to eat" in a can (or jar) because I never remember to get them soaked and cooked so I can use them.

So when I had a little free time this summer, I googled to see if you could can dried beans. I looked at several different sites, and found several different ideas, but the one that jumped out at me, that I had to try, was the easiest one. (Big DUH I know, I always have to choose the easiest/fastest way to do something. LOL)

Sadly, when I found how to do it, I didn't have time to try it. It was a busy summer around here after all. :)

Last week however, I finally got around to trying it out! I canned up 8 pints, then turned around the next day and used four of them in a big batch of chili and it really worked well!!

Now, as soon as I get time to (probably after Thanksgiving) I'm going to try canning some with spices in them for chili, so all I have to do is add tomato sauce and hamburger for an even easier/faster meal, although I will probably want to still have some plain ones too...so I have them for other dishes if I want them. :)

If you have a pressure canner, you will have to try this, because it sure beats soaking and cooking them every time you want to use them. Least it does to me! :)

To Can Dry Beans:
Printable Recipe*

Wash your jars and sort your beans. You can use most any kind of bean, but this time I used pinto because that's what I had on hand.

Put a half cup (may try a rounded half cup next time cause there looked like there was room for a few more beans in my jars) of beans in your pint jar, (or a cup in quarts) and fill the jar the rest of the way with boiling water.

Let soak overnight, and in the morning dump the water out of the jar, and fill the jar with fresh water, dumping it off and filling it again three times to make sure the beans are rinsed really well.

Once the beans are rinsed, fill the jar with water again (leave a little head space of course), add 1/2 teaspoon salt for pints or 1 teaspoon for quarts. You can add a little onion or spices at this time too if you like. (I've heard adding tomato to beans, before they are cooked will make them not get soft, so I would avoid tomato unless you try it on one jar first...so as not to waste the whole canner full if it does actually stop the beans from getting soft.)

Put the lids on and process the canner at 10 lbs pressure. 75 minute for pints, 90 minutes for quarts.

Enjoy the convenience of having them ready for your recipe's!! :-))

* I hope the printable recipe link worked...if someone would try it and leave a comment to let me know I'd sure appreciate it. Hopefully it prints out ok too. This is my first time trying to give a link to a printable recipe, and I'm not sure I have the site I put the recipe on figured out...so if you have trouble just let me know, and I'll see if I can figure out what I did wrong. LOL

Non slip cutting board tip

2011-11-16T17:35:00.002-06:00

Do you have trouble with your cutting board sliding around your counter top as you use it? I sure do, especially when we are butchering, and I always hated that!

Several months ago, I purchased some shelf liner called easy liner. I was so tired of my cutting boards slip sliding around my counter top, just because I was trying to move whatever I was cutting on them, so I had to try something to stop the problem.

This is the shelf liner, that looks like a whole bunch of little tiny pillows sewn together. It's kinda soft, but "grips" the shelf (and whatever you put on it), so it won't slide around as easy.

I used a piece under my cutting board when we processed the deer we have gotten this week, and I didn't have any trouble at all with my board trying to slide off the counter when I would move a big piece of meat around on it. In the past, especially when I was trying to take meat off the bone, I would have trouble with my board wanting to end up on the floor, as I tried to wrestle with the leg bone to get it turned the way I wanted it.

Not a problem now, with this easy fix, using the "easy liner"! DH didn't have to use any under his board yet, but if his starts giving him trouble, I've got the roll handy, so we can put a stop to his board slip sliding away too. :-))

We really think having these new boards and having them not move around on us, like they have in the past has really helped save a little time when we are processing the deer! They have made a tedious chore less aggravating, which is always a good thing. :)

To use the liner, just cut a piece off the roll, and lay it on the counter, then put the board on top of it. It doesn't need to be the same exact size as the cutting board either, it can be a little smaller and still work.

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Full disclosure: "easy liner" doesn't know me from Adam...or ummm Eve...this isn't a paid advertisement...it's just a quick tip I discovered, and thought I'd pass on in case you have the same problem I had, and haven't thought to try this.

A World Guy sighting.

2011-11-15T11:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday when we got back to town from our trip to the city, we stopped at Orschlens before heading on out to our house. While we were at the checkout, a guy walked in all excited about seeing some man walking along the road pushing a big globe, east on 136.

When we left, we had to go see for ourselves what he was so excited about, so drove east a little bit to see for ourselves.

Naturally once we saw there was someone walking along the road, I had to grab my camera and get a photo of him. We didn't stop to talk to him, but did wonder what he was doing.

A quick visit to his website told us he was walking for diabetes awareness. You can visit him here. It certainly made for an interesting sighting at the end to our trip. Hopefully he doesn't get to cold out there cause while this week isn't to bad so far, the good weather can't last forever. :)

Deer Season

2011-11-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

Deer season started this weekend, and yesterday we got our first deer given to us for the year. It was a little one, so didn't take us long to process it, but we got to use our new cutting boards to do so! They worked beautifully!!! :-))

DH uses his at the sink (covering one side of the sink), so he can wash the meat and get it off the bone and not have the water get all over the floor. He didn't have any trouble with his board trying to slide around like past years, because it was thicker, and therefor heavier. It stayed in one place and made for less mess and a much nicer time getting the meat off the bones.

We had to go to a doc appointment in Omaha today, and did a little extra shopping for thanksgiving while we were there. When we got home we had another deer waiting for us to process...so we got the car unloaded and got busy with it. It took a little longer, as it was larger than the one the other day, but least we still managed to get done before bedtime. I am not real fond of having to stay up late to get the deer done...but we would if we had to.

Hopefully this is just the beginning...and we will get several more deer this week, gotta get our freezer full again, for the winter!! Praise God for the wonderful gift of fresh meat for our freezer! :-))

Missed Opportunities

2011-11-11T17:00:00.001-06:00

It seems I always miss the "good" shots with my camera around here lately, especially when it comes to our doxie's.

I was working around the house this morning, trying to get my "list" finished up, when I walked across the dining room on my way to the Utility room. I looked over at Peaches who was laying in a sunbeam on the sewing room floor, and saw her with a ball in her "hands" playing with it. I thought it was so cute (even though I've seen her do it several times before) how she would hold the ball like a person would and play with it...it was totally off the floor, up in the air, between her paws.

I continued on and grabbed my camera in my office, turned it on, and walked back out like I was going back to the kitchen, with my camera pointed towards her...just in time to see the ball roll out of her paws, as she moved her head back to look at me.

*sigh* Missed Opportunities....if only I could carry my camera around with me all over the place, and have it at the ready...yet still get my work done. Maybe then I'd be able to capture the really "cute" photos I see happening, when I don't have my camera at hand. LOL

Oh well, least I can see it, even if I can't capture it. She is STILL such a cutie patootie. :-))

Beef tongue

2011-11-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever cooked up a beef tongue? Yes, it may sound kinda gross, but really it's not! It's wonderful!!

I was cleaning out the freezer yesterday, getting it defrosted and everything compiled onto the top couple shelves, so we had room for more deer, since deer season starts this weekend, when I discovered we hadn't cooked the tongue we had saved from the cow we butchered last year.

DH happened to be walking through the room when I was putting things back into the freezer, and grabbed the package the tongue was in so he could thaw it out and cook it. This morning he dropped it into the crockpot, with some salt, pepper and Mrs Dash, and let it cook all day.

This evening we chowed down on it...somehow we can NEVER wait till the next day to have it in a sandwich, or some other way, we end up having a evening snack and eating most of it up. LOL The above photo is all that is left...and it's not much. The container it's in holds a cup, if you stuff it full, all the way to the top. Guess it's a good thing we don't have to many of them...since they never last around us. LOL

If you ever get the chance to try it, even though you may think it sounds gross, do!! It's the most tasty part of the cow to us, and cooked in the crockpot, is really tender...my fork just slid right through it, without knowing it was there. Oh, and if you just can't bring yourself to eat the tongue, but are butchering a cow, by all means send it our way...we'll take care of it for you! :-))

It's been a busy week for me, been trying to catch up on a few things. I've gotten a lot done, but still have a few left for tomorrow. Then I should be ready for deer season. Deer season usually slows me down on what I can get done around here, so I try not to have to many things I NEED to get done that week. As soon as deer season is over, it's time to start cooking for Thanksgiving...so I didn't want these other things hanging over my head to do before the holiday. I don't know yet if we will have any company this year, but even if we don't, I like to do our traditional meal...it is after all my favorite holiday! :-))

Well I better get off here and head to bed...gotta give Peaches her "play time" yet, and need to get to sleep so I can crawl out of bed at a decent hour tomorrow and get the rest of my list accomplished (hopefully).

Maybe if I get up early, I can steal the rest of the tongue, before hubby does...wonder if I went and hid it in the back of the fridge, if he would find it! *snicker* Ok, I'll be nice and share...a little bit of it...maybe. :-))

Organizing my Spices

2011-11-07T10:40:00.002-06:00

My spices have been bugging me for ages. I had them on a couple of those double layer turn tables, that fit on the shelf of your cupboards, and they worked for the first several years...but over the years, I've started using more and more spices, and it's been hard to figure out what I have on hand, and what I don't. I've ended up with two and three of the same spices, just because I couldn't find what I had, and wanted to make sure I had some if I was going to be needing it.

So the last few months, I finally got tired of the mess, and decided I needed to be on the lookout for a new system. I searched and searched online, and just couldn't find anything that was in my price range (as in CHEAP!!) that I thought would work for me.

Finally the other day, while looking around, I stumbled across what I thought would be a perfect fit for me. These pull down spice racks, that are tiered, and move out of your cupboard and down with an easy tug on the front of them. I first saw them mentioned on a blog (sorry I can't remember which one) and she directed me to a couple of places I could order them online...although now I can't remember where they were. (sorry about that too. LOL) The price wasn't as nice as I'd have liked, but they weren't to bad, so I thought I'd have to try to get them in the next month or two.

I then decided to look around and see if I could find them cheaper, and came up with the ones at Walmart. (*sigh* yes I still shop at wally, sadly...maybe someday we can stop, cause I really don't like them, but they are cheaper on some things, so we still go there, even though I bitch about them not having a lot of what I want, when I AM there. LOL) They were cheaper, and we would be going there within a few days for our monthly shopping trip, so I decided I just had to order a couple of them to pick up while we were there. :)

DH got them installed this weekend...and I loaded them up with my spices (most of them fit...still have a few larger containers in my pantry, but they aren't used as much, so they can stay there). I am so in LOVE with them!! They should really make it a lot easier to see what I have and don't have, as well as easier to get what I'm needing.

I realize, that having your spices over your stove, isn't really the BEST place for them, however in my kitchen it's the only place, except for maybe the pantry that I have any room for them, and I don't really want to spare the room in my pantry, so they are above my stove. These racks make it a lot easier to get the back ones..even though I'm tall and can reach more than some people can. :)

There is even enough room in between them to put two or three bottles of things I don't use as often. I put my big bottle of Bragg's Liquid amino's (I use it like soy sauce...since the usual soy sauce doesn't always agree with me) in the front middle, so it's really handy to get to.

So, that's one more of my "trouble spots" organized finally. Now if I could just find time to do some extra cleaning I'd be pretty happy...some places have really gotten BAD, this summer, and I just haven't had time to get to them yet. My kitchen floor is the WORST...gotta get that done SOON...yet again!!

Now though, I have to run and make cheese and soap, hope everyone had a great weekend! :-))

New Large Cuttingboards

2011-11-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

Before finish. Photo by DH.
We've been in the market for some new "large" cutting boards in our kitchen, because the last ones we had finally self destructed a year or two ago, while we were using them a LOT during deer season. I have one left, and I think it's on it's way to splitting, so doubt it would last much longer, especially if we abused it by cutting up several deer on it.

I looked around in the stores, and online, and didn't see anything I wanted, till I saw some on Etsy. The ones I saw on Etsy, had a rod through them, to help prevent them from splitting, and then I KNEW I had found the perfect board for us. However, by the time I got the money together to be able to order them, I couldn't get ahold of the guy who made them. (Story of my life, it seems.)

I went crying to DH, and he finally agreed he could probably make them himself (I knew he could...if he could tear himself away from his beloved old tractors long enough too).

In the mean time, I'm stewing about what to finish them with, cause mineral oil is the usual thing people use, but that's not really all that good for you, even if they do make a food grade mineral oil. I was about to settle for that when it popped into my head just the other day, that I've read how coconut oil has a long life span, cause it's antibacterial and antiviral.

Once I remembered that I went looking online, to see if perhaps it's an accepted way to condition/finish cutting boards...and I found more than one place that said it was!!

Luckily, my parents just gave me a bunch of coconut oil for my soap making, when last we saw them. (Lucky cause I was getting low on what I had...so this way I have plenty for soap AND cutting boards!) So today DH brought the boards in from his wood shop, (they are SO PRETTY!!!) and this evening we melted some of that coconut oil and a little bit of beeswax together, and put the first coat on them! I can't wait till we get them finished and can use them...although they are almost to pretty to use. LOL

After first coat of finish. Photo by DH
DH said he kinda enjoyed making them, and promised he would make me some more, once he got a new table saw...or can find a used one or fix the one he has. I can't wait, cause I would love one about half this size, for every day use, and who knows how many other ones I'll decide I just HAVE to have. LOL

I LOVE how he used several different kinds of wood in them. I should have had him make both of them the same, cause I actually like the thicker one better, now, but will live with the thinner one, till he can make more. Either way, they are special...both because they have that rod in them to hold them together better, and most importantly because my wonderful hubby made them for me!

Now that I've learned how to care for cutting boards (with the research I've done trying to figure out how to finish them) maybe these will last for a LONG time...I just have to remember to add some "finish" to them every now and then. I need to do that to my wooden spoons and butter paddle (and any other wood kitchen tool I find) also.

Now to see how we can finagle a working table saw so he can get busy on more for me....hmmmm! ;-)

Enjoying a beautiful Fall day

2011-11-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

I took the dogs out for a short walk this afternoon, because it was so NICE out there! I've been busy inside, and actually having trouble doing everything I want to get done...mostly cause I haven't felt to much like it, so am slow when that happens. LOL

They enjoyed getting out for a romp, but when I stopped and sat on the side step, Peaches had a major cow cause Yani came up wanting attention. Peaches got on my lap and did her high pitched fast bark (yip), that she does when she is REALLY upset, and Yani just calmly ignored her. *giggle*

Peaches needs to learn to growl and snap and snarl, instead of yap them to death, if she wants to actually accomplish her goal of keeping other animals away from me. *snicker* I think she is a lover, not a fighter...must be her poor upbringing with Autumn the Monster. She doesn't really know HOW to fight, cause all Autumn did was try to kill her, not teach her to fight, although I did think there for a while she might have learned, but as it turns out so far...it doesn't appear that she did.

Seeing Autumn standing in the fallen leaves, reminded me of when she was a puppy, and why we called her Autumn. When we first got her, it was fall (it was actually our 10th anniversary), and it was before we moved here to the farm. We had several trees in our back yard, and she LOVED to run and burrow into them, rolling over and over through them.

She would be running around the back yard playing normally, and all of a sudden dive for some leaves and roll as she dove, then hop up and start running again...till she came to another inviting pile of leaves. She was so funny, and we had to call her Autumn for her love of Autumn leaves. :-)

It was a beautiful day outside for our short walk. Just wish I didn't have things I was wanting to get done, so I had to come back in. It may be the last really NICE day for a while, so I had to get a taste of it anyway. Tomorrow "they" are saying it could rain and maybe even snow...although it's not really suppose to stick to much I don't think. Still, the temps will be down, and I'll be happy to stay inside where it's (hopefully) warm and dry. :-))

Hope everyone had a wonderful first day of November! It's hard to believe it's already this late in the year...deer season is coming up soon, and then Thanksgiving!!! It could be a busy month for us...as usual. LOL Maybe things will slow down a little after Thanksgiving....maybe. Have a great week!! :-))

Playing with Color

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000-05:00

I've been having a LOT of fun, swirling some color into my soaps lately. With the new mold I got on Etsy this year, I can swirl on the large part of the soap, instead of what ends up being one side of it...and it's so much fun!

So....I've aquired a few more "colors" to play with. This was suppose to be red...it doesn't really look red to me, more pink, which is a color I was wanting to get if I could find it so pink is good too...just not for this scent. Now I need to find a red, or something that will work in place of it...I just placed an order for a different one, so we will see how it turns out when I get it and have time to play.

Love this shade of "pink" though! Can't wait to try the other colors I have! :)

I only got one of these molds, so can only do one batch a day...as it has to harden so I can take it out of the mold, before I can play again...but slowly I am managing to get my soap stocked back up...course I can't use it for several weeks as it cures, but it's nice to see it out there on my dryin rack at least.

I walked out there to the porch this morning with my newest batch of soap, and smelled all the soap drying and thought to myself I LIKE that! Wish I were good at mixing scents to make new ones, cause that mixture I have out there now is kinda yummy. :-))

Once I get most of what I am planning on doing right now I'll have to get a photo of all the different colors of swirls...but that may be a while still...I've got several more batches to go! :)

That means more playing with my soap colors! Yippee!! :-))

The latest on our Cows

2011-10-26T10:35:00.001-05:00

I'm not milking now, thankfully...and my hands are thanking me for it by not being quite as achy the last week. I am however trying to take time to visit the barn, during milking, cause I miss being close to the cows...especially Daisy. She's my good girl, even if she can have an attitude at times. Or, maybe it's BECAUSE she can have an attitude at times, which makes her interesting....and cute. LOL

I don't go out every day, I just can't seem to find the time to do that, but do enjoy the visit when I go.

I went out this last weekend, and caught a photo (not a real good one, but the sun was in the wrong sport...and I had to hurry so I didn't miss it) of Snowflake nosing the cat in the barn. I thought it was cute how she eased up to her with her nose to sniff...course Sugar didn't like it to much, and left, but it was cute while it lasted.

Snowflake is coming into the barn to get a snack most days now, and finally DH got her all the way into the stanchion last night!! Hopefully he can do it again and again, so she is really used to coming in by the time she gives us a calf. She is still skittish, but thankfully we have several months to work with her before she may calve, and maybe, with God's help, we can get her used to being handled so milking isn't a big problem.

KC is not having a good time of it lately though. He got put over with Clover and Stew last week, when we came home from my parents house, and hasn't been happy to not have his mothers milk. He is getting better...but still occasionally walks the fence, hollering for his "Maaaaaa"! Least he isn't alone, and has the other two to keep him company. :-))

With having all of his Momma's milk now, we are getting more milk overall than we were there for a little while, just before he was weaned. We actually didn't milk her every day before that, as we kept forgetting to put him in at night, so it was just a once in a while thing. That didn't help keep her production up but we are still getting plenty for us, so guess that's all I can ask for. We still hope to sell her eventually...but for now, I'm enjoying having the extra cream for butter and am leaving when she leaves for a new home, in God's hands. He knows what is best, far better than we do. :-))

Well I better run, gotta make more soap today, and get a few other things done. Need to get some more milk frozen for soap too, keep forgetting to do that, and I won't be able to make much more before I do. Hope everyone is having a good week!! :-))

The Beautiful Cottonwoods

2011-10-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

Some of the tall beautiful cottonwood trees that happen to be one of my favorite trees that grow wild, especially along the creeks here, are turning gold now too. I think actually some have already turned, but when I was outside yesterday with my camera, I noticed there were several that were really pretty still. These were peeking over the hill across the road from our farm, showing off their yellow foliage, before they go to sleep for the winter. I walked up our hill, to see the trees at the back of our farm, and while there were a lot of bare branches showing, there were also some of the pretty yellow cottonwoods there too.

I love the cotton wood trees, because they are so tall and pretty year round, from the bare branches against the setting sun in the winter, to the green and gold of summer and fall, they catch my eye and I'm thankful we have several of those tall stately trees here on our farm. If you lay under them on a lazy summer day, you can hear the music they make in the breeze.

My parents used to have an old cottonwood beside their house, when I was growing up. It's long since gone, as it was old when we moved there, but my brother and I used to sleep outside under the stars, in the side yard some nights, and I remember laying there listening to the leaves dance in the breeze. It's one of those peaceful, relaxing sounds that takes me for a walk down memory lane in my mind and helps me to feel the peace I felt as a child growing up in the boonies of Missouri.

One of these days I hope to have one of these beautiful trees closer to our house, so we can hear the leaves better without going for a walk...but till then, I'll enjoy the ones we have along our creeks, and if I have time I'll go lay under them and listen to their song.

And the color continues...

2011-10-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of bare trees around here now, winter is fast approaching but there are still a few that are showing off...along with some that haven't started yet. The maple tree we planted in our front yard a few years ago, is now a beautiful red...I can't wait till it gets bigger around, cause it will be really beautiful then I'm sure.

For now it's a tall slim splash of red in the middle of our circle drive. Gotta love that beautiful color with the drab colors of winter creeping up on us.

There are still some green patches in the grass...but there are a lot of brown ones too, so even the grass is going to sleep for the winter. Seeing the red leaves in the grass though, is pretty...even if it's on a brown background, instead of green. :)

It's a beautiful day out there today...actually almost hot. It's suppose to turn cold in the middle of the week, but I'll enjoy this warm spell while we have it, along with the beautiful color we are still being treated to.

Is it just me, or are the fall colors a little brighter this year? If it is just me who cares...I'm sure enjoying them! :-))

A goat "fix"...

2011-10-20T11:45:00.001-05:00

While enjoying the beautiful sunrises over at my parents house this last weekend, I also got to watch their goats a little.

I didn't get out to watch them much, but just seeing them out in the pasture or in the barnyard was nice. Made me miss our goats a little bit...but I know it's for the best that we got rid of them for now so I'm ok with it. I'm sure if all goes well, in a few years we will have more! :-))

I may be ok with not having any right now of our own...but couldn't resist snapping a photo of one or two of theirs, goats are just so cute...and interesting...and fun, and they stood watching me watch the sunrise, wondering what in the world I was doing. LOL

Guess they take those beautiful Missouri Sunrises for granted...silly goats. :-))

Missouri Sunrise

2011-10-19T21:10:00.001-05:00

While visiting my parents this last weekend, I was able to watch a couple beautiful Missouri Sunrises. I don't know why, but it sure seems like my Dad has more colorful sunrises and sunsets over there than we do here. Maybe he just catches more of them on film, for me to drool over on his flicker account, or maybe he really does have more of them, I don't know...I just know I'm so glad I was able to watch a couple of them myself while we were visiting. :-))

The nice thing about this time was I didn't have to get up really early to catch them...since it's staying dark later! LOL

These three photos are from the last day we were there. I love the color in the clouds, and the trees silhouetted against all that color. Just beautiful!

We had a good weekend, and made it home Monday afternoon. We were so blessed to have been able to spend that long away, because of some new friends God has given to us. They did the milking while we were away...the the Man of their house said he likes milking...so I didn't feel so bad asking if they would, not that I'd want to ask very often.

Now if I could just get moving, and get things done around here...it's going to be a short week, and there are a lot of things I should get done before it's gone. Hoping to make more soap tomorrow...should have before then, but somehow the last couple days have flown by and I didn't get it done.

We did get the rest of the pumpkins out of the garden today...along with some of the other hardware we had to move, before we can plow it up. We ended up growing 44 pumpkins this year...not bad for our first time, thankfully the cows are enjoying them...or we would have WAY to many! :-))

Hope everyone is having a great week, it's going to be far to short for us I think! LOL

Niece's Engagement Photos

2011-10-16T10:45:00.002-05:00

We came over to my parents for a fun weekend getaway this weekend. We wanted to come to the Missouri Day fest they always have here, and then my beautiful niece wanted me to get some engagement photos for her.

After we had some fun at the fest, and spent way to much money...we came back to my parents house, and Kali and Nathan got ready to go out looking for good spots around the countryside to get some photos. Poor Nathan wasn't real fond of the whole photo taking process, but he was a good sport about it anyway.

I'll post some of my favorites here on this post, but there are a bunch more on flicker. I took a bunch, but we did manage to narrow it down to 63...yes that's STILL way to many keepers, but hopefully she will be able to narrow it down from those as to what she wants to use for the paper announcement and to hang on her wall. (I think my favorite is the first one on this post...although I really like several other ones too.)

Course we had a little trouble with the sun on these photos too...trying to come up with a shady spot, where we wanted to get some was hard, especially around this old barn...there were a bunch of weeds on the other sides of it, so had to deal with the bright sunshine on the one side. But we got a couple nice ones, even if it was bright.

Kali had done some "research" so had some ideas of what she wanted...which made it better, cause I can never think of different things to do. I like the old country road in the background of this, with the fall leaves beside it...even if the peak color has already passed around here too.

It was nice to spend a little time with the two of them, and get to know Nathan a little better, while I made them pose this way and that way for photos. Course Kali was really into it...I have her trained well...but with Nathan being a new member of our family, I didn't know how he would take it. Thankfully he was good about it, and maybe even had a little bit of fun, climbing around on the hay bales. LOL

It was fun getting the photos, and having some of them turn out better than I had thought they might. Just goes to show, I am an outdoor photographer, not an inside one, cause these turned out way better than when I tried to get some of her at her inside LPN graduation. Just wish she wanted an outside wedding...cause then I'd feel like I might end up with something good from it too. *giggle* Thankfully I won't be the "photographer" there, so she should get something worth while...even if it's not from me. :-))

The fun continues here today, with a 50th wedding anniversary party of some friends...thankfully we have some friends back home, who agreed to take care of milking our cows so we could stay for longer than one night. I'm sure they wouldn't want to do it all the time, but once in a while it's nice to be able to get away. God has been so good at finding us help, when we've needed it this year! Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

To the Love of my Life

2011-10-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

Today is our 20th anniversary, so I just wanted to take a moment to wish the love of my life a Happy Anniversary!

I'm STILL the luckiest girl around...because you love me! I LOVE you Galen, Happy Anniversary! :-))

I Will Love You Forever

I love you so deeply,
I love you so much,
I love the sound of your voice,
And the way that we touch,

I love your warm smile,
And your kind, thoughtful way,
The joy that you bring,
To my life everyday,

I love you today,
As I have from the start,
And I'll love you forever,
With all of my heart.

Author Unknown

Photo sessions

2011-10-11T13:30:00.001-05:00

With our 20th anniversary coming up tomorrow, I've been trying to get some photos of us the last two days. I have been meaning to way before now, but just never got around to it. *sigh* Time just flies by and I can't seem to get everything done.

Today's photos turned out the best, in that there weren't so many shadows on them, although we did have a little trouble with the wind and my hair, but least they are better photos, so we will stick with them I think.

Yesterday's photos didn't turn out so well, because the sun was out, and the tree that was between the sun and us had lost most of it's leaves...a good reason to have gotten it done sooner. LOL So we had shadows across us in the photos, where the branches of the tree were. Not a real good thing for photos, even though I really liked DH's expression on the close up one.

I tried both close and full body photos yesterday, and found I preferred the close...that way I could crop more, and make sure I only had what I wanted showing in the photo. This is the full body one I posted on flicker yesterday, so you can see the light and shadowed spots all over us. LOL

Tomorrow I'll show a couple more that I took today, in my short anniversary post. Not sure what we will be doing tomorrow, but I'm sure we will think of something, and spend a little quality time together.

I've spent entirely to much time on this today, so better get busy, so I can get several things done today and have time to spend together being lazy tomorrow...if we decide to be lazy anyway. LOL

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far! :-))

Soap & an update on DH

2011-10-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

I finally managed to make a little bit of soap last week in my new slab soap mold. I LOVE being able to swirl on the side of the soap, so it shows up more...now if I can just learn to pour the soap, before it starts setting up, I'll have a better chance of getting a really good swirl. LOL One of these days I'll figure everything out....maybe.

Anyway, just had to share my latest attempt at swirling the colors in my soap! Hopefully I can play some more soon, and do an even better job...we will see how things go.

We got a few sprinkles over the weekend...just enough to get wet if you were outside, but nothing major, like we really could use around here. Most of the rain that was around, stayed west of us. It wasn't nice and sunny enough to spend much time outside with my camera though...darn weather anyway. It just doesn't want to cooperate with me and let me get some photos when I have the time to go out walking around. *sigh* Least it could have done, was actually give us a good rain, since it sprinkled from time to time so I didn't want to take my camera out. LOL

This morning DH had another physical therapy session to go to, and he actually managed to tie his shoes himself before he left. I've been having to do it for him since his back surgery, (he wears his rubber boots a lot around here, but when he goes somewhere he will put his shoes on, so then I'll have to help him.). So his physical therapy is helping him already!!

He's starting to be able to bend more, without pain, so...maybe soon...he will be able to take over the milking, just having me do the lifting of the milker when he brings it back to the house!!!!! *giggle* I'm sure looking forward to that. Not that I mind helping sometimes, but the everyday thing, especially if I have something I'm wanting to get started on inside, is rather annoying at times, although really it can sometimes be fun too. I do enjoy seeing the cows, so till the cold snowy weather gets here, I may have to go out a little more often than I was before his surgery.

I'm just so happy his back is getting better, even if he still can't do much lifting! :-))

I just LOVE the fall color!

2011-10-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

I can't get enough of the fall color this year, I'm so enjoying seeing it as I walk to and from the barn in the mornings. Especially the leaves on this tree in the pasture by the barn.

I think the colors are brighter this year, but maybe I'm just not remembering that they were last year too, who knows. I just know, that even if most of the colors are different shades of yellow, (instead of being mixed with red's and oranges like parts of Missouri are) they sure are beautiful this year!!

I just wish it hadn't been SO windy the last two days, cause that's not going to help the leaves stay on the trees very long. Guess I'll have to enjoy the beauty while it lasts. It's to bad it's suppose to rain this weekend, I'd love to go out and get some better photos of it, but maybe I can find the time to next week, if it's sunny and the leaves don't fall to fast. :)

Even if I don't get some cool photos, least I have the memory of the beautiful Autumn God is painting for us. :-))

Have a great weekend!!

Canned pumpkin

2011-10-05T12:20:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to canning some pumpkin yesterday. I've had two of them sitting in my kitchen for over a month now, waiting to be cut up and canned. Thankfully they will keep better than most produce, since I just now got around to doing it.

I actually did three, and have to say it was an experience. I've never messed with pumpkins, cutting them up or anything, and those things are HARD! Thankfully hubby was in here when I started, so he helped cut them up cause I can be kinda dangerous with a knife, and didn't want to hurt myself. *giggle*

I put the pieces in a couple of roasting pans, with a little water (probably to much water...did 2-3 cups, and probably could have managed with just one) and put them into the oven. Boy was I excited when they BOTH fit in the oven, so I didn't have to do one, then the other. :-))

An hour later, I took them out and put them through my sauce maker (with the pumpkin screen), to get the skin (most of it anyway) and stringy stuff out. I was really wondering why anyone would want to do pumpkin when I got that step done, cause it looked like it was mostly water. Thought I'd be lucky to end up with 7 pints once I cooked the water off. Out of three pumpkins, that wouldn't be enough to make it worth while I didn't think. LOL

I put the stock pot full of pumpkin (soup) on the stove and started cooking it down, cause I knew it wouldn't work with that much liquid on it, least not for what I wanted it for. It didn't take all that long (compared to tomato's) to cook down so it was more like tomato sauce...or probably a little thicker. I was actually impressed at how fast that happened...and how much there was still in the pot. I ended up with lots more than I thought I was going to there for a little while. LOL

Once it was thicker (somewhere between tomato sauce and tomato paste), I decided to turn the stove off, cause I didn't want it to burn. I might have been able to get it a little thicker without burning it, but decided to stop this time. If we do more another year, I can always try to get it thicker, if I think I need to. I put it in pint jars, and into the pressure canner for an hour at 10 pounds pressure, to be used for pumpkin pie...and maybe some pumpkin bread, if I ever get around to making any.

***Please Note - from things I've read online, it's been said you shouldn't try to can pureed pumpkin anymore, cause it could spoil. However, since it's actually been done for years (and my Mom has done it with no problem) I decided to go ahead and try. It was really hot when I put it into jars and into the canner, so I'm sure that helps make sure it does get up to the right temp while its in the canner for an hour (or longer if it's quarts). If you try it....try it at your own risk!

I got 16 pints, and had probably 4-6 pints left over, that I put in the freezer, cause I didn't want to do just a few in the canner. I figured that was plenty, since I don't usually make more than one or two pumpkin pies a year...and so far haven't done pumpkin bread to often. We may have enough to last several years if I don't pick up on how much I use in a year. LOL

It was interesting to see how something new turned out, even though I was disgusted there for a little bit, thinking I had done all that work for not much return. Thankfully it had just fooled me, and turned out to be around what I was hoping to get out of it. I even called up my Mom, and asked her WHY anyone would WANT to do pumpkin, if that's all they were going to get out of it, but then had to call her back and tell her it turned out better than I thought it would. *giggle*

Course, I never did taste it, so who knows if it will make a very good pie...guess I'll have to be checking that out one of these days. :-))

Busy Bread Baker

2011-10-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

In the last week, I've baked three batches of bread (three loaves each batch)...that's a LOT for me. They haven't all been perfect looking (ok I don't think any were) but they tasted ok, so that's the important thing. LOL

My Mom sent my Grandma's electric grain mill over with my Dad, since she doesn't use it (she had her own) and we haven't managed to get a motor for mine yet. If I'm busy, I just can't manage to grind grain, since it takes a lot longer to crank it out by hand, so we have to buy it more often, when it's canning season, or any other time I'm busy doing other things. Course having to crank it wears me out sometimes...if I'm already tired, especially if I have to crank the butter that day too, so it will sure come in handy!

This way, with the electric grinder, even if I'm busy, I have a better chance of being able to make bread, because it takes less than 5 minutes to grind the amount of wheat I use, in Grandma's grinder...and it takes between a half hour to an hour for me to crank it out of mine...sometimes longer if I do other things between cranks. LOL

We don't usually go through bread so fast, but I gave some to a friend, and then we have eaten more with my Dad here. I don't expect to have to do that much in a weeks time usually...but even if we aren't eating it very fast, it will still be so nice to have the electric option! Thanks Mom, for this wonderful addition to my kitchen! :-))

Course it took me till the third batch, to figure out I needed to cook it a little less in our new oven...the first two batches were ok, but they were dryer...and not as good (to DH and I). Course they were more like Dad liked...so he wasn't happy I figured out I needed to cook them less, but DH and I prefer it soft and moist, so...he is out voted! *giggle*

My poor Daddy, has to suffer with my cooking while he is over here. We eat a little differently then they do...and he doesn't like everything I make. (Pasta isn't his favorite thing, and I made chicken noodle soup for supper this weekend cause it's easy and we had company - well and that's what DH wanted me to make for his company. We don't eat a lot of pasta...but we like it when we do.) Dad ate a bowl of it, and didn't complain...but I could tell he wasn't fond of it. That menu was planned before we knew Dad was going to be here...so he was stuck with it. LOL

Anyway, just have to say...an electric grain grinder, is so nice! Love having the crank option too, just in case it's needed, but...the electric option is sure a time savor! I knew I'd like it...but didn't realize it would be THIS much nicer. :-))

Fall Pumpkins

2011-10-03T19:50:00.000-05:00

I managed to get some of our pumpkins out of the garden today. I loaded up the wagon we have, to carry the milker to the barn, and pulled it around to the front of the house so I could put the pumpkins on our front porch. I had to get a photo of the wagon load, before I emptied it.

Once I got my photo, I pulled the wagon up onto the porch so I could empty it without walking back and forth...getting it up the ramp wasn't as easy as I had hoped cause the wagon was kinda heavy, but I finally managed it. Actually just getting it up onto the ramp was the hardest part...the back tires didn't want to go up onto the concrete...thought I was stuck there for a little bit. It sure beat walking back and forth from the garden to the front porch, carrying one or two at a time though! LOL

There are now 16 less pumpkins in our garden...some of the rest are still green, or kinda green...so I'll probably wait a little longer to get more, although there are a few more that are orange. Hopefully the rest will ripen, even though we have had a frost already, so most of the plants are dying back. I don't know to much about growing pumpkins, so have no idea just how they do...but guess I'll see if they ripen later or not.

Now to get a few (prob only two or three...and there are two inside already) canned for pie and bread! That's on the agenda for tomorrow...if all goes well. :-))

Blessed Fall

2011-09-30T19:50:00.000-05:00

We have a little fall color happening here, seems like it's early this year, but I probably say that every year. *giggle* There are a few trees though, that are showing their colors, and dropping their leaves. Course mostly the "colors" are yellow around this neck of the woods, but it can still be nice to see, even if it's not the many colors I remember seeing when I was growing up in Missouri.

I do enjoy Fall, with the cool crisp air, and that wonderful smell of damp decaying leaves.

My Dad has come back over to enjoy it with us for a few days. *giggle* Ok, maybe enjoy isn't the word I should use, since he is being worked to death, but he will get some rest over the weekend, so guess maybe he will survive. He is helping DH with some fence and cleanup, that he wanted to get done before winter. Fencing isn't something he can do yet, for the most part...he can help a little, but lifting is out, as is a lot of bending, so...Dad came to our rescue again, even though he had to drive several hours to do so!!!!!

We are so blessed. :-))

They already have the fence repaired behind the barn, that Mabel tore down, (bad cow!) and are getting ready to put in one around a bunch of junk, so the cows can get in and take care of the grass in and around it, and we can try to get it cleaned up a bit & maybe a little better organized....maybe.

This trip was timed good for me, cause DH was able to get next months feed, and have Dad heft it into the barn, instead of me having to do that. It gets a bit much, when I have to move several bags in one day. Any month I can con someone else into doing it for me, is a good month. LOL

Wonder if I could con someone into doing it next month....hmmmm going to have to think on that!

Anyway, with the trips to the doc, and extra baking going on around here (for a change...not something I've been able to do a lot of this summer for various reasons), and cheese making, and anything else I got up to, it's been a pretty busy week. I'm hoping to make some soap and can some pumpkin next week...but we will see how it goes. Daddy will still be here for at least part of it, and DH starts physical therapy then too.

Hope everyone had a great week. Have a wonderful weekend! :-))

Hummingbird Hunt

2011-09-26T16:40:00.000-05:00

The other day my DH came home from seeing a friend in town, and told me he said he's been having a bunch of hummingbirds in his back yard because he has a bunch of cannas to attract them. DH knows I love hummingbirds, and would love to catch them with my camera, so he suggested we go see if we could see them this weekend.

Naturally, there wasn't as many around, as the friend had said there had been...not sure if they just didn't like us in the garden, or if it's getting towards the end of the season for them to be around, but I did manage to get a few photos...just nothing excellent like I'd have liked to do. Those darn birds just didn't listen to me when I tried to direct them to where I wanted them to go. *giggle*

I had to crop these photos quite a bit, to bring them up "closer" but least I got some hummingbird photos, even if they aren't as good as I'd have liked.

The friend did say he would give us some cannas once it frosts, so we can plant some next year, and maybe have our own hummingbird attraction. I do hope it works...and they grow for us...so maybe, if all goes well, I can maybe get some pretty photos of them next year!

I may find that hunting hummingbirds, is as fun as going on a butterfly hunt...that is of course, if we get some pretty hummingbirds, with lots of color, and they pose for me, close enough to get a good close up of them! We will see how it goes. These this weekend, weren't real colorful, but it was still fun trying anyway.

I have the best hubby, he knows what I like, and is willing to help me try to get it. What a sweet, SWEET Man he is! :-))

A little of this and that.

2011-09-23T17:00:00.004-05:00

I took some photos of KC (Honey's calf) the other day, when I went out to get some of Snowflake. KC likes to go up to Yani when she is out there, and I caught this one of him starting to lick (kiss) her. Course once his Mom sees him over with Yani, she has to come ruin the fun, because she HATES dogs. But it was cute watching them before she arrived. There are more photos of them on flicker, if you are interested. :)

Well just when I think most of the canning (except the pumpkin and turning some juice into jelly...when I get around to it) is pretty much over, DH brings home some more hot peppers. LOL Course I suppose that's my fault, I showed him a recipe I saw this morning for some candied Jalapenos, and he of course wanted some.

I sent some dried tomato's with him when he went to town, to give to our friend, who has given us so many tomato's, and told him if he has some more peppers he wants to get rid of I'd like to dry more of them, so he brought some more sweet peppers home so I could dry them, and the Jalapenos, so we could try that recipe I found this year, instead of waiting till next. LOL

They are in the canner as I type. And I have to admit, if I liked hot stuff, these would probably be on the list of things I'd like, but since I don't, DH will get them all....except for what he gives away anyway. LOL

Anyway, been busy with that today, although thankfully DH did the cutting of the peppers. If I breath around hot peppers, I tend to start coughing so am always glad if I don't have to do to much standing over them as they are cut up. I worked on other things while he was doing that...didn't get as much done as I'd wanted to today (big surprise...when do I EVER) but least some of it got done.

I think I picked about the last of our melons today, and maybe the last of the cucumbers...who knows about the zucchini. We are hoping the Okra gives us another batch or two, so I can try drying some of it. Have no idea why I didn't think to do that sooner, but I didn't. It's slowed way down, but there are some more growing slowly, so maybe they will get big enough to pick, before we get a frost...if we are lucky. I'll keep an eye on everything still just in case something grows...or I've missed it, but I'm not expecting to much besides pumpkins...which we seem to keep finding more of, every time we go looking. I think the last time DH counted, he found over 30 now. *giggle*

All in all, it's been a good week here. Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm hoping to find time to scrap at least the section page, for this months exchange on Bush & Dusty, but we will see how it goes. Next week appears to be pretty full, so it will have to be this weekend, if it happens. Scrapping just isn't happening here lately...not sure that will change this winter, as I have some crochet projects I'd like to do...but we will see what happens.

Enjoy the cool temps, if you are having them! It's certainly feeling like fall here, downright nippy in the mornings when we go out to milk. Can't complain to much about that, as long as the snow stays away awhile longer. :-))

Snowflake

2011-09-22T14:45:00.003-05:00

In keeping with our flower names, our new cow's name is snowflake...course that was already her name, and it's not because of the flower that she was named that either I'm sure. LOL However she fits right in, since we have been trying to have flower names for our cows around here lately (well, except for the boys that is). LOL

There is a flower named snowflake, not that I've ever actually had that kind of flower around here, but from the photos I've seen of them they are pretty. So when I heard her name, and remembered that indeed there is a flower called that, I knew she was perfect for us!

This spot on her back, is probably the reason she was called snowflake, least it's my guess. Kinda cool that she has some white spots on her, least in my opinion. Not sure if that means she really is ALL Jersey, as I didn't know Jersey's had spots, but Gurnseys do, and they are another breed of milk cow I wouldn't mind trying, so even if she does have a touch of that in her, I'm happy!

Snowflake really likes KC it seems, I've seen them together several times. Actually I think Snowflake is getting along with our other "ladies" quite well too.

In fact, it was actually funny when Snowflake arrived, our friend brought her over and drove to the top of the hill and through the gate to the hayfield to let her out. The other cows came running, cause they heard her hollering, and Daisy almost walked right into the trailer with her, before she came out to meet everyone. Daisy was kicking up her heals in excitement with new blood around, not sure why she was SO excited, cause while snowflake IS young, she isn't a baby, so it's not like she is going to adopt her and feed her but Daisy sure was happy to have someone new here.

I think Snowflake will settle right in with the other girls, and be happy here. In fact, I think she just may fit in better than Honey ever did, cause Honey and the others get along, but she is not "tight" with them, as much.

Anyway, just thought I'd show off our new one...she is kinda cute, and I like that she is young, and has the white on her...makes for a more interesting look if you ask me, although I still think Mabel is our prettiest cow, and Daisy is still my favorite because of her personality...but we will see how this new ones does, maybe she will become a favorite too.

Now the wait begins to see if she will be giving us a calf in the spring...I'm sure praying that she does, along with praying Daisy's last date with the AI Tech took...I'd love to have two spring babies. :-))

Cream Cheese Mints

2011-09-21T17:20:00.000-05:00

Since I'm usually not into doing major stuff when we are gone part of the day, I took some time this afternoon, once we got home from a Dr appointment, to try making some cream cheese mints. I've only done them once before, and it's been awhile, so I wanted to make sure I still could, and also to try out some food coloring I bought, so when we go to my parents house next, I can show my niece, and find out if it's the right pink for her wedding colors.

They don't have all that much in them, just a box of cream cheese, and a bag of pd sugar, along with a half teaspoon of mint flavoring and some food coloring. They are however, rather a pain to make, but maybe I just don't have the patience, I don't know. You have to mix the dough up, then kneed more sugar into it, till it's not sticky...which means you get it all over your hands, least that's the way the recipe I have says to do it. Then you put little bits of dough into the mold, over and over, till you finally have it all used up.

It's going to take me FOREVER to do enough for a wedding I think, thankfully they can be frozen, so I can start early. LOL

My niece asked me if I would make her mints, guess she must have remembered I'd done some before...kinda surprised me, but I'm happy to help all I can, which won't be as much as I'd like to, since we live to far away.

She also asked me if I would be her photographer. Once I stopped laughing hysterically at her idea, I told her I wasn't THAT good, and was basically an outside photographer, my inside photos tend to suck, or at the least be very iffy...she didn't believe me, but I think I may have finally convinced her, cause my Mom says she is thinking about using the photographer her cousin used, so I'll not have to be the main one...which is good, if she wants to make sure she gets some good photos. LOL Who knows, maybe mine would turn out, but...not sure I'm ready to be the one and only at a wedding, to find out! LOL

I'm just hoping the photographer isn't one who doesn't like other people taking photos...I haven't had a chance to talk to the photographer yet and ask, but I am planning on doing so, because THAT wouldn't go over to well, with our family! LOL

I am planning on taking her engagement photos, the next time we go over there though. She wants them taken outside, so I might managed to do ok with them. LOL Least maybe I can do something for her, besides the mints! :-))

Speaking of the mints...I've discovered not all mint molds are created equal. I couldn't find the ones I had around here the last time I made some, I knew they had to be here, cause I thought I'd seen them not to long ago...but since I found some for not to much on e-bay, I ordered some more. I started out with them today...and then complained to DH, and he went searching for my old ones and found them for me, so I could use them, cause they are lots better...way more detail with them. So not sure if all the new molds are like that, but guess if I want something with detail in it, I'll use my old ones, and let the new ones gather dust. LOL

Anyway, better run, need to get supper started. Should be having our new cow delivered this evening...so for a little while we will have 4 "ladies" running in the hayfield...just hopefully not for to much longer, least not this year. I'll try to share some photos of the new one tomorrow, if possible. :-))

The Changing of the Cows

2011-09-20T21:50:00.002-05:00

The cows enjoying a cool day on Hillbilly Hill.
The days are getting shorter here now, and fall is in the air. We've been putting KC, Honey's calf in the barn alone, some nights, so we can get some milk from his Momma, and to get him used to not being on her all the time...so we can wean him sometime next month, since he is old enough to be. Course that means we have to go out every evening to find him, and bring him back to the barn and lock him in. Sometimes he can give us fits, but other times he goes right in.

Course that means I have to milk an extra cow now. *sigh* It's nice to have the extra milk, since the other two have slowed down how much they are giving, with winter coming on, but it's not as fun to milk Honey, as it is the other two. Honey's teats almost don't fit in the milking machine cups, so it's a pain to get them in there and letting the milk out.

We've been managing it, thankfully, since I can't milk her out by hand, with my hands hurting, but...we've decided to sell her, and stick to smaller cows, with teats that work in our milker better.

Honey in the grass, on Hillbilly Hill.
Thankfully, although Honey is a nice cow, neither of us has gotten to attached to her...so it won't bother either of us to let her be someones else family milk cow...that is if we can find someone who wants her.

We've already found her replacement, who may arrive tomorrow night. She is a 16 month old cow, (maybe pregnant) who has already had a baby this last spring. She isn't in milk, they dried her up, since she was so young to have already had a calf, so she could have a little more time to grow. Hopefully we can get her trained, ready to milk, when she has her next baby...and hopefully she actually IS going to this next spring. She was running with a bull for a couple months, so we are hopeful. :)

KC, sure won't be to happy if we find someone who wants to buy his Mom, but maybe he can get a snack from Daisy for a few more weeks, till we move him over with the teenagers (Clover & Stew).

I may not be to happy with the amount of milk we get this winter...since we will be down to the two, and Mabel already doesn't give to much with just one working teat, but...I will survive. I think we should have plenty of butter in the freezer, to get us through, least if they still give us some so I can churn some now and then, so it will just be cheese I'll miss, if we don't get much milk. Hopefully we will still get some though, and they won't totally dry up on us...cause then I can just keep the milk, till we have enough to make cheese with and not totally go without any fresh cheese. We may not have much for our animals...but maybe they will get some now and then. :)

Anyway, any prayers you want to spare, that we can get Honey sold as quickly as possible would be appreciated!! I need to pay the money back that I'm using to get the new one, so we have a little fall back money...and would like to do it by selling her, not take it out of our budget the next few months. God knows whats best, so I'm sure we will sell her, if he wants us too...but prayers are never out of order.

God has been so good to us, and I feel so blessed to be able to have the cows, to provide us with all the goodies we can make out of their milk & cream, like cheese and butter. I hope he keeps blessing us with that wonderful "pastured gold"* for many years to come. :-))

I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler temps if you are lucky enough to have them now...and is having a great week!!

*I like to think of our Butter (and even the milk, cream & cheese) we get from our cows as "pastured gold" because I feel so rich having it to use. It's so much better for us, because it's from grass fed cows, with lots of extra vitamin's and minerals that store bought butter doesn't have. Course the butter from the store is still better than that nasty plastic junk they like to call margarine.

Ahhhh

2011-09-19T20:20:00.001-05:00

Sugar (our "pretty" kitty) had kittens this weekend! We were having trouble keeping cats around...but this summer seems to have produced an over abundance of cats around the place, between her having kittens and my Dad giving us some.

Course with winter coming, who knows what will happen to our cat population...it's the hardest season on them around here it seems, cause ours seem to be a little on the stupid side usually. LOL Between being squished by cows, freezing to death because they are to stupid to get down in the hay, or wandering so the wild animals get them, we've just not had to many once winter was over in other years.

Now with 6 new babies to watch grow up, we may have to find homes for a few of the older cats we will see how things go. I just wish Sugar would give us some calico kittens, that's what I keep dreaming of, since I love them so much...but so far we haven't gotten a good one from her. *sigh*

Anyway, Sugar had the kittens down in a hole in our pile of hay bales. It was kinda neat to see their home, and meet the sweet little ones. We will see how they do with all the other cats around. One of her last litter is still a "momma's" boy, and loves to hang around trying to nurse still...so this may be a rude awaking for him, as she hopefully won't want him around now that she has tiny ones again. LOL

"Momma's boy" did try to crawl up and go in with her, but while I didn't hear her hiss at him, (I may have been to far away) he did back off and not actually crawl into the hole...so maybe she will finally kick him out of the nest. LOL We can hope anyway. :)

That's the top farm news of the weekend...nothing major, but always nice to have new babies of almost any kind around. :-))

Changing Seasons

2011-09-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

It's cooled off a lot here this week, I had to close the windows last night, so we didn't freeze...and turned the heat on this morning cause I was cold. It's suppose to warm back up, but that just goes to show you that the seasons are changing once again...Autumn is coming, with it's cool crisp air and the beautiful fall colors.

Our garden is winding down now, we are still getting things, but it's slower and some aren't getting as big. The Okra is still producing, enough that we are still passing it on to a friend or two who wants it, since we have plenty in our freezer.

I finally managed to get a photo of the Okra blooms yesterday, I'd been wanting to for the last month or two, but never managed to do it till now. I thought they were the prettiest things, with their creamy petals and beautiful maroon center. They are even prettier in the sunshine. :)

I can't believe how TALL the Okra has gotten! I had no idea what Okra actually looked like, as I've never seen the plants before. DH talked to a friend in town, who has grown some in the past, and he said he's seen it 6 feet before, but not usually...and this is over 6 feet, because it's over both mine and DH's head, and we are both over 6 feet ourselves. (I'm 6'2" and DH is 6'6".) Course not ALL of it is the same height, some of it got set back cause the cows got out and had to tromp through the garden last spring, but it's still produced quite well and is several feet tall even so. I was wanting a photo of DH standing beside it...but haven't managed to get one of those yet.

I brought in a bunch of cantaloupe last night, but they are mostly smaller now, not near as nice sized, but still yummy! We have had a really nice big bunch of them, I'm so thrilled with how they did.

I've even been still getting some zucchini and cucumbers, although not near as many, but least we are still getting enough to eat, and sometimes to pass on to friends.

DH said he counted 25 pumpkins in our pumpkin patch (don't think that included the two I've already brought in)...who knows if there are some he missed *giggle* Yes I planted way to many of them, but we wanted some for the animals and I didn't know what I was doing (or how many they would give us) so I planted a bunch.

Now hopefully the cows will like them, because if they don't, we will have them coming out our ears and then some! LOL Course even so we may, just because we don't have a root cellar to store them in, or to many other places we can store them, that doesn't freeze, but we will see how it goes. I know we will be giving my parents a few, cause Mom wanted some for pies and I'll can two or three of them, but it sounds like there will be a bunch left for the animals too. LOL

All in all I'd say this has been a successful gardening year, even if weeding didn't happen for the past couple months with canning and DH's surgery and everything else going on. Praise God for helping my black thumb not kill everything off...maybe it's not quite as black as it was. LOL

Between our garden and a friends garden, we've had a good year for stocking up on food this year! Praise God for his bounty! :-))

Drastic Measures

2011-09-13T18:11:00.002-05:00

We were standing talking to a friend we saw at the airshow this last weekend, when we looked up and saw a car being carried far above the ground. The friend told us he had heard the announcer saying that whoever owned a white whatever kind of car this was, needed to move their car, or drastic measures would be taken. We chuckled and decided this was the drastic measure.

All of a sudden, we saw it fall to the ground and a big explosion happened...then we realized that THAT was the "drastic measure" they must have been talking about. *giggle*

I know they were just joking about all that, but it was funny, and I sure wished I had managed to catch a photo of the car falling, but I wasn't expecting that, and we were a ways away from that area of the show at that point. Besides the fact that my mouth was hitting the ground at the time, so I didn't think to raise my camera and get a photo of it falling. LOL

It was a good start to our afternoon at the air show, gotta love a good laugh. :-))

Even though I got a chuckle about the "drastic measures" and enjoyed the other flying, the Blue Angels were still my favorite part of the show.........other than spending the afternoon with my beloved of course. :-))

The Blue Angels

2011-09-12T10:45:00.001-05:00

This weekend, there was an air show in Lincoln Nebraska, and The Blue Angles were flying. Naturally, they were something we had to go see...I love a good photo op and DH loves air shows, especially after being in the military.

They put on a good show, even if half way through one plane had to land for some reason. Even without the 6th plane in some of their formations, it was fun to watch and amazing how they could do some of the things they did in close quarters and not crash into each other. There were a few times I gasped and then held my breath as the planes took off, crossing each others path in a midair maneuver.

It was a beautiful day, not to hot, like other air shows we have gone to (years ago) were, and so nice to get out and enjoy something together. DH took some photos for a while, but he finally gave up, cause his camera doesn't have a view finder, and the little screen is to hard to see in the bright sunlight. I on the other hand, had a great time, clicking away as the plane's passed where we were sitting (or standing if we wanted to see better).

I took a TON of photos, most of which got tossed into the reject folder, but there were 42 photos I just couldn't toss away, so I put them on flicker if anyone wants to see them they can look at the air show folder on flicker here.

There were other planes, besides the Blue Angels, but they were the star of the show, and the thing I was most interested in seeing. Who doesn't love watching those pretty blue planes doing their death defying stunts, in the beautiful clear blue sky? It was especially nice, cause I've not had much time lately to go looking for things to take photos of...I was having photography withdrawals I think, and this was a easy way to get some cool photos, that I didn't have to go searching for. :-))

It really was a wonderful day! See more of the air show photos here!

DH update

2011-09-09T15:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a little over a month since DH had his back surgery and he is doing ever so much better! He still can't do a lot of things, but his pain level has already showed improvement over before surgery, and he is even able to walk a little further without his walking stick already!!

He's had to use a walking stick for several years now, if he went very far at all, always having it when he was outside, but now, he can do some of his outside walking without it...if he is just in the front yard, between the house and barn.

Don't get me wrong, he does still have some pain, and does still take one pain pill a day, but from what the people at the VA have said, that's still WAY better than most people are doing in this amount of time. He called with a question the other day, and I guess they said most people are asking if they can walk without a walker at this stage, so the fact that he can sometimes not even use a stick is remarkable! :-))

I'm just hoping he isn't overdoing, when I'm not looking, but since he doesn't seem to be in a lot of extra pain, I'm figuring he must be doing ok. He doesn't do a lot of bending or lifting yet, but as long as something doesn't cause him pain, or make him bend to much or lift...or twist, he is trying to get back into doing more around the farm, although mostly it's just cleaning up a little here and there and playing with his tractors...when he isn't helping me can that is. LOL

I'm so thankful he is doing so well so far, and am praying he continues to surprise us all with how quickly he heals and improves. He still has a long road to go, before he resumes a heavier workload, but least he is doing better than expected so far! Praise God!!!!! :-))

A Little Break

2011-09-08T20:45:00.001-05:00

This week hasn't been quite as busy around here, I did get a little canning done so far, but only a little bit of spaghetti sauce. I've been able to relax a little bit today, and so took my camera outside to look for some butterflies. Unfortunately the only one's I found were flying, and didn't land where I could find them with my camera. Bummer! So far this year has been a bust when it comes to getting photos of butterflies, which is something I love to do for some reason. Since the butterflies weren't cooperating, I decided to take a photo of some wild sunflowers instead.

Course there were things I could have been doing, instead of playing with my camera...but what fun is that! LOL I kinda felt like I needed a little down time this week, so I'm thankful there wasn't to many things I couldn't put off till a later time.

The temperature has really dropped, and there have been a few mornings this week that were almost nippy! I actually had to wear a jacket to milk. We've been able to have the windows open all week too, which I love. I'm loving the cool nights, and how it's not getting out of the 70's during the day. Perfect temps for me!! :-))

Course that means Fall is coming, and the garden is slowing down on how much it gives us. I've enjoyed actually being able to eat a few things that we grew, but guess it's to be expected that it will stop producing one of these days. LOL

I've actually brought in a couple pumpkins that ripened lots earlier than I thought they would. There are several more turning orange out in the garden, I noticed today. I need to get the two I brought in already, canned up but so far haven't managed that, thought about doing that tomorrow...but don't know if I will or not.

I've discovered something I want to try to grow next year...Patty-pan squash. Our friend who gave us the tomato's also gave us some of these things, and told us he loves to fry it for breakfast. I didn't figure I'd like it, as I'm not a big fan of squash, but DH fried some up one morning (no breading), and I tried it and LOVED it!! Gotta go looking to see if I can find where to buy seeds, cause they are wonderful and really make a great addition to eggs in the morning. I'd never heard of them till this year. :)

Anyway, nothing major going on here this week, still keeping busy, just not AS busy. Gotta LOVE that! I'm hoping to can some green tomato salsa next week though, so between that and the pumpkins and whatever else I come up with, I'm not done with the canning yet! LOL

Hope everyone is having a good week. :)

Still Busy Canning

2011-08-31T00:30:00.001-05:00

I've been busy canning for the last few weeks, Pickles, Beets, Tomato sauce, Dill Relish, Salsa & today I'm working on cooking down some more tomatoes so I can make a bunch of pizza sauce!! DH is putting together an okra & tomato soup he likes, and I'll can it up so he has some yummy soup for the winter.

If we keep getting tomato's from our friend, (I actually bought some for my pizza sauce, but a lot of this we have gotten free!!) I've got more sauces I want to make, as well as getting some green tomato's for yummy things such as green tomato mincemeat & green tomato salsa. DH hopes to get some Okra together for pickled okra, I was hoping to do that today, but now think it may have to wait till tomorrow as there are only so many canner fulls we can do in one day, and I think we may have more than enough as it is now. LOL

I think I've already done more canning than I did last year, cause I've used more jars.

DH has filled the dehydrator a few times with zucchini, tomato's & peppers...hopefully we can do more of that too.

All in all we have been busy around here! Love stocking up our pantry shelves though, so that's ok. I'm so glad DH has been able to help me...not sure I could have done as much as I have without his help.

The garden is slowing down on how much it gives us, not sure if it's because things are dying back, or if it's just a lull while others come on, but least we have gotten quite a bit more from it than I thought we would...especially cucumbers. I've got lime pickles coming out my ears I think. I got really carried away on those, but thankfully my brother likes them too so can pawn some off on him...along with some of the other stuff I canned. Course my parents will probably end up with a few things too, as well as a few friends. :-))

One of these days I'll be finished with my canning, and have more time for other things...like playing with my camera and actually taking photos again...besides just snapping a few here and there, or maybe scrapping, at least working on my cookbook again, or doing some knitting or crocheting....or even cleaning the house which part of it desperately needs...or catching up on sleep...yep, a nap would be nice right about now. LOL Till then I'll snatch a moment here and there to do a few things, like blog or rest a bit, and enjoy filling those pantry shelves while I can. :)

Speaking of filling the pantry shelves, I better get off here and check my sauce! Hope everyone is having a great week! :-))

Swiftly Fly the years...

2011-08-29T10:30:00.002-05:00

Years ago, when I was growing up, I remember watching Fiddler on the Roof. I fell in love with some of the songs from it, and still like them to this day even though the movie isn't my favorite, especially "Sunrise, Sunset". It came to mind last night, after I got a call from my Niece, who was so excited to tell me she was getting married...not till next year, but her boyfriend...or ummm fiance now I guess LOL...had just asked her Dad (my brother) for his blessing.

"Is this the little girl I carried,
Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older,
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty,
When did he grow to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset
Swiftly flow the days,
Seedlings turn overnight to Sunflowers,
Blossoming even as we gaze.

Sunrise, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset,
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laiden with happiness and tears..."

I may not be her parent, but I love dearly, and I'd just like to know where the years went?

How can she be planning her wedding already?

I didn't see her near enough as she grew up, with the miles between us and not enough time or money to go see her often enough, so I feel like she should still be a youngster, even though we've seen her through her high school graduation....and LPN graduation already.

It really should have sunk in, especially since this year will be our 20th anniversary and she was the flower girl in our wedding...but I guess I'm still having trouble believing we've been married almost 20 years, let alone that my beautiful niece is old enough to be getting married.

*sigh* Swiftly fly the years is so true.

Congratulations Kali, my prayers are with you as you take this next step in your life, together with your beloved. May you both grow in wisdom and love and have many happy years together, through good times and bad.

Little Miss CuddleBug

2011-08-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

Poor Peaches hasn't been getting much cuddle time in lately, with me being busy canning.

Yesterday, while DH and I were cutting things up for salsa, she climbed onto the stool he was resting his feet on, under the kitchen counter, and slept on his feet. She used to do that a lot when she was little, just curl up around my feet, as I was working in the kitchen, but had slowed down on how much she did that. Guess yesterday she was so desperate for cuddle time she finally had to do that again, and chose DH's feet, instead of mine, since I was moving around the kitchen to much.

DH finally went and lay down on the couch for a little while to rest his back, and Peaches got some cuddle time in with him then.

I do love my little cuddlebug. :-))

Bountiful Garden

2011-08-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

I may not be much of a Gardner, but I'm pretty happy with what ours is supplying us this year! Yesterday morning I picked 8 cantaloupe out of our melon patch! EIGHT!! (I picked two more this morning!) That, for US, is great I think, especially since we have never managed to garden to well in the past. :-))

Our tomatoes haven't done to well, but then I don't think I planted enough of them anyway, to have enough to do much canning with them. Thankfully we have a friend in town who is being generous with his tomatoes...so I have been, and will be, doing some canning with them. I'm making salsa today in fact, with some he gave us.

I've canned several jars of grandma's lime pickles and will do more tomorrow (hopefully) as I started more from the nice amount of cucumbers I picked from our cucumber patch yesterday. I'm hoping to make some dill relish and then, maybe a batch of DH's Grandma's Dill pickles, just because a neighbor just gave me a recipe she had gotten from his Grandma...so I thought it would be cool to make it for him. That is of course if our cucumbers keep producing long enough to be able to make some. :)

I'm still picking some zucchini here and there...and okra when I find time to get out there and pick it. Gotta do that again as soon as I find the time to. I just can't seem to find enough time to pick it as often as I should, so some of them get to big to use...but we've had quite a bit of it now anyway, so that's ok. The beets are all gone, thankfully, the peas are long gone, the broccoli isn't doing real well...but hopefully I can find time to pick the few flowers we do have of it soon too. Time just seems to fly by, and doesn't leave me with enough of it to finish everything. Doesn't help that some days I'm so tired, so am even slower than usual. LOL

While our garden is producing better than I thought it might, I can't say it "LOOKS" to nice anymore. *sigh* When I had to start milking, I stopped having time to weed it in the morning and never manage to get out there any other time, so...it's in sad shape when it comes to the weeds/grass, but guess that's the way it goes. Least the plants were far enough along they do help keep some of it out, just not all of it. I'm just trying to keep the produce picked at this point...that's giving me enough trouble without trying to also find time to weed the garden. LOL So while my garden wouldn't win any awards...except for maybe the worst looking garden award, I'm still pretty happy with how it did this year. Being the first year with it where it is, I guess we were bound to have more grass anyway...cause after all, last year it was ALL grass. LOL

Needless to say, it's sure nice to have some extras from our garden, to give to friends this year. (Several really loved the cantaloupe I brought in yesterday!!) We've been so blessed with gifts of produce ourselves, it's nice to finally have some to give back...even if not tons yet. Give us time, maybe eventually we will have more as the years go by and we get better at this gardening thing, God willing anyway. :-))

The Circus came to town...

2011-08-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Peaches barking at Yani...which she does EVERY time she sees her.
Yesterday we decided to attempt to take all three dogs (two doxie's and Yani our LGD) into town to get them up to date on their rabies shots, since it is the law they have to have them.

We've seen bad reactions to some shots, so I'm never real happy when we have to do some of them, and try to watch our babies to make sure they don't have a bad reaction.

Anyway, I hooked the two doxie's up to their leash and halters before we left, so hopefully it would make things a little easier. Course this got them all excited, because they KNEW they were going to get to go somewhere...AND get out of the truck!

I got them into the truck, and DH was trying to get Yani down to the truck, but was having trouble. Don't ask ME why he thought he could handle her after having back surgery. I had to go grab her before she would come to the truck...she doesn't like going for rides, maybe she remembers the vet, I don't know. Anyway, she got right in for me, thankfully, without any trouble.

On the way in I chuckled and told Galen the Circus was coming to town...cause I knew that taking the three dogs in, was going to be interesting.

We get to the vet, and DH takes the doxie's this time, and I grab Yani's leash and we head inside...with Peaches yapping at Yani the whole way. She had been quiet in the truck, for the most part thankfully, but once on the ground she had to start in talking to her.

Inside we couldn't get Peaches to leave Yani alone and be quiet, least not for to long. Every time Yani would move, it was a "threat" to Peaches or something, cause she would start in again. While it was kinda funny, it was a tad bit annoying. One would think she would be used to her by now, but...since Yani isn't an inside dog, Peaches doesn't seem to be getting used to her.

When they were ready for us, we had to weigh all the dogs...oh boy, let the fun begin. How do you get one dog on the scale at a time, and have them stand still so the right weight will show. I tried to put Peaches on the scale, and she wouldn't stay, so then we tried Autumn...she didn't like it any better. Holding them on it with the leash doesn't let the scale read the correct weight, least not if you are holding them tight. We finally had them all weighted...Peaches still only weighs 10.9lbs...Autumn was 16.4 lbs I think, and Yani was 95 lbs or there abouts.

I was so thankful when the weighing part of the visit was over...that's always hard to accomplish for us it seems, and having three to get a weight on was a little to much...although kinda funny, thinking back on it....now that it's over.

In the room, they had to get temps on the dogs, which none of them liked...and do a quick check up then the shot. Poor Autumn was first, and she kept wanting held, but I couldn't pick her up, cause I had Peaches in my arms...so had to hold her on the table with one hand, hugging her as best I could. She got done, and onto the floor, so Galen could hold her leash, then it was Peaches turn. She, being extra special *giggle* got to get her toe nails clipped. Her nails grow really fast, we usually have to clip them twice as often as Autumn needs hers, so this time I wanted them to do it, as they can usually get them shorter than we do. She was NOT happy about that, she cried...which she doesn't usually do here at home, although she is never really happy about getting her nails trimmed.

Yani's turn came, and getting her temp was kinda hard to do...after all she weighs almost 100 lbs, so how are you going to get a dog who doesn't want to stand up, to stand up so you can stick something up their hind end to get their temp. *snicker* Peaches, being done and on the floor again, was barking at Yani, Yani was wanting to leave, and panting up a storm and I'm sure by this time all the people at the vets were hoping we would be leaving SOON! *giggle*

I finally told Peaches she was going to have to get in her bed, if she didn't shut up and we had some peace and quiet for a little while. Why didn't I think of saying that sooner, cause Peaches really hates getting into trouble so badly she has to get in her bed...which makes her behave herself for the most part...especially if I mention THAT. LOL The girl who was taking Yani's temp, chuckled at that, especially since it DID shut Peaches up for a little while.

We were finally done, so we could leave...DH took the doxie's outside, since Peaches went back to her barking as we were leaving the room, and I hung onto Yani as I paid for our visit...she's so big it's hard to hang onto her leash, and pay at the same time, but I managed it without her bothering others who were in the office to much...Yani is really friendly so wants to say Hi to everyone. LOL

We stuffed everyone back into the truck and hightailed it home. Once we were home, I let everyone off their leashes, before exiting the truck, so they could more easily get out and run, but Peaches stuck around to bark excitedly at Yani, as she got out of the truck...she was to close to me I think, cause Peaches bark was more higher pitched, and I had to move her out of the way with my foot, so Yani could jump down...I didn't want a mashed Peaches if Yani jumped down onto her. *giggle*

All in all it was an interesting trip...one I'm thankful we don't have to do to often. I'm sure the Vet is happy about that too. *snicker* It gave me a few chuckles though...especially after we were safely home and I thought back on it. It really was like a circus came to town...a three ring one at that! :-))

Milking the Cows

2011-08-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

With DH not being able to bend, lift or twist, since his back surgery I've been doing the milking. A year or two ago I don't know that I'd have been able to milk a cow, but since having them, have gotten used to them enough to be a little more comfortable being that close (not to mention low) to them.

Cows just aren't a small animal like a goat, that I can manhandle, if need be, so I have always been leery of them. Thankfully we have had them long enough for me to slowly get a little more used to them, before having to actually deal with them to much.

When I was first learning the ropes, before DH had his surgery, we'd go out to milk early cause of the heatwave we were in the middle of...I wanted to get the outside stuff done before I just couldn't stand to be out there, especially in the barn, because it gets hot in there. Course DH finally got a part he was needing for a big fan he found, and got it fixed, which helped the heat factor a LOT.

The cows would still be out in the hayfield, eating while it was cooler, so DH would have to go get them. Once my Dad got here to help, he had to learn to get them, which at first was a little difficult, cause they didn't know him, or what he wanted. Some mornings he had to walk all the way to the line fence, to bring them in he said...I was thankful I didn't have to do that myself.

I was really thankful that he was able to stay here, till DH was back on his feet, and getting around better. That way I didn't have to go get them, AND do the milking. Course once my Dad left, we decided we didn't HAVE to keep going out so early, cause it was cooler, so waited an hour...and the cows were closer in, since they knew they should be getting breakfast and didn't want to miss it.

This morning we were even later getting out there, and they were waiting for us at the barn! *giggle* Guess it's ok if we oversleep, cause that just makes our job easier...even if the cows are more impatient.

I was sitting there watching the milk machine finish up on Daisy this morning and DH was off feeding the calves, when I looked over and saw Mabel standing in the barn waiting for her turn. She had opened the door and walked in, impatient for her grain...we usually make them wait outside, but they are good at getting their noses around the door and opening it, if they want to. She had come in the door we usually let them out...which means she could come all the way into the milk room if she wanted to, so I HAD to get her back out.

I finished unhooking the milking machine, and got up and chased them out (Honey had by then joined Mabel) before going back and hand milking Daisy out the rest of the way. Once I was done, I let Daisy out, and Honey was the next one that came in...once she was done and out, Mable came in, and she was in more of a hurry today than usual. She almost RAN to her breakfast, and usually she just moseys. Guess she was hungry today. Bet she hopes we don't oversleep again! LOL

I am looking forward to DH taking over the milking again, but all in all it's not as bad as I thought it might be. Not that I would look forward to doing it forever, but I'm hopeful that DH will be able to do most of it (maybe not the lifting of the milker bucket) in a few more months.

DH is able to milk Mabel now, cause she only has one working teat, and he can just sit down beside her and not bend over to much. I'm thankful for that, cause all the hand milking was making my hands, wrists, and arms act up after only a couple weeks of doing it every day. I wore my braces on my hands/wrists at night and now that I've stopped milking Mabel I've not had as much pain during the day, and not had to wear the braces. I'm so thankful God helped us get a milking machine, cause there is no way my hands would hold out to get Daisy milked out every day...I knew it would be a problem, which is why I pushed to get one once I knew I'd be milking. :) Milking Daisy out by hand, after the milker is done isn't to much for them yet...but much more than that makes my carpal tunnel flair up I guess.

Least my mornings aren't boring, now that I'm doing the miking...not that they were before. LOL The cows are interesting creatures, and I'm liking them more and more, as time goes by...although there are times I could do without, like when Honey had to leave me a present before exiting the barn this morning. Ugh, cow pies are NOT something I enjoy cleaning up.

Darn Cow! She was probably still mad at me for chasing her out of the barn this morning...or maybe it was for being late?! LOL

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

2011-08-19T21:30:00.001-05:00

I had some of the Alfredo Sauce my hubby makes (that is to die for!!!) in the freezer, so got a small jar of it out to thaw yesterday so I could make some pizza with it.

I used it for the pizza sauce, instead of my usual tomato based sauce and put chunks of chicken breast and caramelized onions on it along with two kinds of cheese (my homemade mozzarella and a little bit of store bought cheddar). It was SO GOOD!!! Course DH's Alfredo sauce is wonderful stuff so I kinda expected it would be yummy, but I almost like it better than my usual pizza, which I didn't expect. LOL

So next time you have leftover Alfredo try it on some pizza...I bet you will love it too...as long as you like Alfredo sauce anyway. :)

I just thought I would share this idea with those of you who love making homemade pizza...and love Alfredo Sauce! I hope you all have a great weekend!! :-))

TRUE Family

2011-08-17T17:20:00.000-05:00

"My Dad, enjoying a pop, at a tractor show this last weekend."
My Dad went home today, he had been here for a little over two weeks, helping out with our farm, so we didn't have to worry about it with DH's surgery. He stayed to make sure DH was back on his feet again...even if he still can't do a lot, he is getting around better now at least...and he stayed to make sure I could handle things before he left.

He left with instructions to let him know if we needed him back, and a mild warning to DH to not try to do to much to soon, for fear he will mess up what the surgery tried to fix, and make it worse. He already had to talk DH out of doing a few things while he was here...so knows it's going to be hard for him to wait to start doing more. LOL

I'm going to miss Dad but am feeling a little more confident that I can do what needs to be done now that DH is able to get up and around and help me at least remember to do some of the chores. I can't say I'm to confident that I'll be able to keep track of DH and make sure he doesn't do something stupid...after all I will be busy canning now and then, besides doing a lot of the other chores and things that need done around here, but with prayer, maybe DH will continue his healing and not do to much to soon.

It never ceases to amaze me how my family differs from DH's. Even though we don't always agree, or one of us may get mad at something someone does, I've always known my parents are there for us, with love and any support they can possibly give us, even if it's just a shoulder to cry on. Not so with DH's family, some of them don't even talk to us, let alone do what they can to help if it's ever needed. In the past, whenever we did get a little bit of help from DH's family, most of it came at a price...sometimes to steep of a price, and to me, that's NOT true family.

Praise God for giving me a family who cares, I'm not sure what I would have done without my Daddy here helping the last two weeks, and my Mom keeping track of their farm, as well as being there for me on the other end of the phone. They helped more than they know, just being there for us so we didn't have to worry about our farm and animals and listening when I needed to talk.

The added things Dad did while he was here was not expected, but was a gift in themselves. Getting the line fence cow proof, so we could have another pasture to put the cows in was a great step forward for us...DH had almost finished it, but hadn't been able to totally get it done, with his back slowing him down.

The little things to make my life easier while I have to do the chores, like working on gates and things in the barn are much appreciated too. I really like having things a little easier to operate as it helps keep my frustration level down...which is always a good thing, especially if I'm feeling rushed or overwhelmed with to many things to do that day.

I loved how Dad was always ready to help DH, and made sure he had something to be able to pull himself over in bed, since his back was to sore to be able to sit up without major effort. He was a handy Daddy to have around, since he's great at improvising when things are needed.

So a BIG THANK YOU to my Dad, for all his hard work and his caring for us and our farm the past two weeks. You and Mom are ALWAYS at the top of my list, when I think of what "TRUE" family is, and you just proved it to be TRUE once again.

We love you both so very, VERY MUCH!!!!! :-))

Forgotten Photo

2011-08-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

I looked at the photos I had on my camera this evening, and found some I took of a sunset this last week. I'd forgotten about them. Guess everything else has my mind off my love of taking photos right now. I couldn't resist grabbing my camera the evening I looked out and saw this pink streaked sky though...it was really pretty! :)

We had a pretty good day here today. DH is moving around a little better, and having less pain I think...course he is still on pain meds, so that helps. We went and visited his "favorite teacher" in the hospital, where she is recovering from hip replacement surgery, and they compared notes. I had to laugh when she informed DH that she had 22 staples...when he had said he had 21. I think he kind wished he had more than she did. *giggle* Never understood the fascination some people have of comparing notes on medical conditions...but it can be kinda funny listening at times.

Peaches gave us all a laugh this afternoon. My Dad has been carrying dog treats around in his shirt pocket, so he has some to give our LGD when he's outside and sees her. He was sitting on the couch this afternoon, when Peaches discovered them in his pocket, and dug one out on her own. She then went back and got another but just sat playing with it, instead of eating it (the hard dog treats aren't her favorite kind...she eats them sometimes and others she doesn't), so he took it and held it in his hand, where she couldn't see or get to it. She kept looking around his hand, trying to find an opening, and pawed at it, and even kinda barked.

When she decided she wasn't going to be able to get it out of his hand, she gave up and jumped up on his chest, diving into his pocket once again with her nose, for another round. This time she took it and ate it, so he didn't decide to take it back before she buried it in the couch. LOL It was so funny to watch, and she got a chuckle from all three of us. Silly goofy mutt.

Dad put the treat she had just played around with, back in his pocket...but later on she stole it again and ate it this time. Course she went back looking for more, and wouldn't leave his pocket alone till I told her no. LOL It will be interesting to see if she keeps looking for them everyday, now that she has discovered them. She is just to adorable for her own good sometimes I think. LOL

It was nice to chuckle together over her antics. For that matter, it was just plain nice to have an enjoyable day with the two Men I love the most! :-))

If you want to read a better version of Peaches funny, go visit my DH's blog here! :)

Beautiful Week

2011-08-12T15:30:00.001-05:00

It's been a beautiful week here in Nebraska. The temperatures haven't been so hot, in fact we've actually been able to turn the air off and open the windows the last half of it. I love having the windows open and enjoying the breezes and sounds of the country.

My Dad caught this photo early one morning as he brought the cows in to be milked. I loved the lighting in it, and seeing the cows with the beautiful countryside in the background.

DH hasn't been having quite as bad of night sweats the past couple nights, but we had to go back to Omaha for some tests, to see why he was having them on Wed...they gave him some antibiotics, because they said the markers in his blood were showing an infection. I'm not real fond of to many antibiotics, but after a surgery like he had there is not much choice. Hopefully he's on the road to getting over it now.

I've been REALLY tired the past few days. Not sure if everything is catching up with me, or if I've been fighting off a cold or what (don't usually get one in the summer...but I froze in the hospital so wouldn't have been surprised if I ended up with one). I almost never take naps, and yet I haven't wanted to do anything else when I take a break. Unfortunately something has prevented me from a very long one every time I've managed to try, but least the short ones I got have helped a little. *sigh* Maybe one of these days I'll catch up on my sleep...but hopefully till then I'll survive without it.

Needless to say, I've not really had much time to grab my own camera and play (sometime before the end of summer I'd sure really like to go looking for butterflies)...especially since my down time has been spent fighting sleep...so I thought I'd share another of my Dad's photos today...after all they are of our farm, so I thought maybe that would count for something. *giggle* I haven't gotten more beets done yet, cause I was planning on doing some on Wed, but since the unexpected trip for more tests came up that didn't happen, and it was raining this morning (yippee....we finally got a good rain for our garden!!) so I couldn't get out and get some picked, so we will try again next week. I'm not to worried now, cause I already have more canned than I got last year, so if that's all I end up with...I won't be to unhappy.

Anyway, just wanted to give a quick update...or umm ramble. Nothing major going on here, just keeping busy with one thing or another. Hope everyone has a great weekend!! :)

Busy Day

2011-08-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

My Dad was out playing with his camera yesterday evening, and got this photo of our calf as the sun was heading down. I loved it, so thought I'd share it here. :) If you click on it, it should take you to his flicker page, so you can see more of his photo's if you want. :)

I'm so tired right now!! After helping my Dad with the milking this morning (he did most of it, especially the hardest part of getting them in from the hayfield, thankfully) I went to the garden and picked some tomatoes, a few cucumbers, zucchini and a little over a 5 gallon bucket of beets.

DH saw me standing out there cutting the tops off so offered to help do that if I brought them to him as he sat on the side porch. So naturally I jumped at that offer, and helped him down the steps so he could sit on the side of the porch, then picked a bunch as he cut the leaves off the top.

I then scrubbed them, and cooked them...then he helped skin them and get them cut up, so I could get them into jars and get the pickling sauce over them and canned.

I'm finally sitting here waiting for the first canner full to get done, after having cleaned up the kitchen a bit, wishing it would hurry, cause I'd so LOVE to put my feet up for a little bit before supper, but with as long as this canner full took to get up to pressure, I doubt that will happen. I have two canner fulls to process...so I'll be here a while I guess. Actually since the pressure has to come down between batches, it may be after supper before I get to start the 2nd batch, we will see how it goes. *sigh*

Least I got a bunch of pint's (27) out of what I did today. I have two rows of beets, and didn't make it through even one of them, so am thinking we won't be canning all of what we have out there. We just don't eat THAT many of them, so after we do another batch...another day...We'll probably offer them to a neighbor, and if they don't want them we have animals that will probably enjoy them. :)

Least now I know I don't need more than one or two rows of beets...if I let them get larger than I have in the past anyway (like most were this time). I wondered if we would have enough out of those two rows...silly me. LOL

Now to figure out what to do with the tomatoes we have sitting around here. There are two many to eat (least the way we have been eating them) before they go bad, but not enough to can with. I may just toss them in the dehydrator, cause DH loves them that way...but that will wait till tomorrow at least, cause I'm just to tired right now.

Anyway, busy, busy, busy here.

My Dad's keeping busy outside, working on stuff that DH didn't get done before his surgery, (time just seems to fly by anymore and we never get enough done) so maybe I'll be able to take care of things easier myself...and is also hoping to finish the line fence, so the cows have more pastures to roam in since DH ran out of time to get everything we really wanted to, done. I could have done it with what we managed to get done...but having the other things finished will be even better I think.

How lucky can we get, having my Dad willing to help out! That's what I've always thought "family" should be willing to do for each other, unfortunately, since getting married, I've discovered that's not the way it always is. :( I know it's not always possible for people to help...but when it is, even just a little bit, and they actually do I always feel so blessed.

The disappointments of the past month have worked out, and in some respects for the better (Ok, probably all respects...I just can't see everything like God can). God is in control, and knows what we need, better than we do. I just have trouble remembering to let him do the worrying, instead of helping out with that part too. *giggle*

Ok, I'm feeling a little better now that I've sat for a while writing this. I just shut the canner off, so I should sign off and get some other things done...gotta fold clothes so I can start the last load...unless I manage to wash the sheets tonight too, in that case I would have two more loads. DH is having trouble with night sweats the last few nights, so they really need it I just haven't had time to get them done yet today.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! :)

DH has surgery

2011-08-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

My DH had back surgery this last Wednesday. He's been having a lot of back and hip pain for a while now and they finally figured out why last year, and said they would have to do surgery before it would possibly get better. DH wanted to have it this spring, but we just couldn't get everything done by then, so things were ready for me to take over his chores. We still didn't get everything done we wanted to, but least we managed to get things done enough.

Wednesday was a long hard day, I'm a worrier, so I sat praying all afternoon, while he was in surgery. I found it impossible to read, so knitted a little bit, played a game on my kindle and paced the waiting room. I wasn't a basket case like I thought I might be, just rather scared something would go wrong, but I think all the prayers of family and friends helped get me through as well as DH. Praise God for his help in keeping me sane and having the surgery go ok.

Thursday and Friday was spent by DH's bedside, helping him when he needed it, and cheering him on as he got up walking again. We were suppose to get out on Friday, but DH developed a temp, so they decided to keep him in. Thankfully it broke Friday night, so they let him come home yesterday!!! I was SO THANKFUL to get out of there and get him home. The food was about ready to kill me up there this time, guess what the say about hospital food is true. LOL

I have to thank family and friends for their prayers, my Dad for all his help around our farm (I don't know what we would have done without him), my Mom for being there on the other end of the phone when I was worried and our pastor for his prayers and financial aid that helped me be able to get a hotel room so I was a little more rested for the day time cheering sessions. God has been so good to us, and without him to lean on, I'm sure I wouldn't have managed to stay sane the past few days. LOL

DH still has a long recovery ahead of him, but God willing we will make it through. Dad is staying a little longer to help, which I'm thankful for...maybe I can get some beets canned this next week...and maybe before he leaves I can get used to taking care of the garden, house, & DH enough that I can add the milking into my morning too without to much trouble. LOL Needless to say, I'm going to be busy for several more weeks...or months....but least I shouldn't be to bored! :-))

Anyway, just wanted to give a quick update, since I didn't get one done this last week with being at the hospital so much. It's been a long time since I've gone a week without posting. LOL I'm still singing praises here, cause my hubby is ok, and we are home now, even if he does have a lot of recovery time to look forward to. God has been good to us once again. :)

Our Birthday Girl

2011-07-28T12:05:00.002-05:00

It's somebodies 1st birthday today...we tend to celebrate our fur babies birthdays, least the first one, because they bring us so much joy, so today with Peaches turning one we had to do something special! LOL

I put a patty of hamburger on a plate, and stuck a candle in it and DH held her on his lap. With my camera ready, he let her get close, so I could try to get a photo of her looking at her birthday treat...she got a little TO close, and snagged a piece! *giggle*

I finally got a photo of her looking at it like she would die if she didn't get some NOW, and DH helped blow out the candle for her, since she was distracted by the yummy hamburger. LOL Course he had to hold her back, or it would have been gone...down the birthday girl. LOL

After the photo session, we let her finish her treat and gave Autumn some too. After all she can't be left out.

Last night Peaches was hot and heavy into wanting to play with all her toys...in fact she wanted to a LOT yesterday and lately she hasn't been as adamant about playing least not for as long as she was yesterday. Makes you wonder if she knew she was going to have a birthday today and was all excited! *giggle*

I sat in the dinning room and threw the ball for her for a little bit...and got some photos in the process. She does love playing ball! LOL When I got tired of throwing I went back to doing what I was doing, and she went to DH to con him into playing with her. It was back and forth all evening long between the two of us, till we went to bed.

She got a new "grown up" collar last night. I had gotten it when I bought her "baby" one, figuring she would grow out of that and need the other one long before now. She never did grow out of it, so I figured it was a good time to switch to the wider collar, so she got new "clothes" for her birthday. LOL Autumn got a new one too...cause her birthday is August 5th, so we figured we would give them both a pretty new (unfaded) collar at the same time.

This morning Peaches got a new large ball. Since it's her first birthday we figured she could have something extra...and she does love playing ball the best. She has been non-stop wanting to play with it since I first tossed it for her. LOL

She's changed somewhat from that cute little puppy we brought home last year, but not to much. She is still adorable, playful and full of joy that can be contagious at times. She certainly has brought lots of joy & laughter to our home since she has been here.

So I'm wishing our sweet Peaches a Happy First Birthday today, and praying for MANY MORE to come!! :)

Garden update!

2011-07-27T21:30:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to say we have gotten several zucchini and a cucumber this week...and I picked our first tomato this morning as well as more okra being picked! DH was mowing today, and moved some of the cantaloupe vines out of the grass so he could mow, and told me later that he saw a bunch of little melons growing too! It will be a while for them, but I can't wait, cause I do love them!! :)

I have to admit I'm still a little surprised we are getting anything from it since we've not managed to garden to well in the past. I've been impatiently waiting for some zucchini though...cause I wanted to come up with a good oven fried zucchini recipe for my book. I've tried something, now to revise it till I get it like we want it. :)

I'm really SO READY for a break from this heat! It makes it hard to get enough done outside, and even though we have air inside, I get wore out doing the outside jobs so have trouble WANTING to get busy on the inside ones. *sigh* Guess what gets done gets done...and what doesn't...well, it will have to wait. Fall will be here eventually! :)

Off to bed now though cause I'm tired! Hope everyone is having a great week! :)

Poor Baby...

2011-07-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

I was working around getting ready to make some soap this morning, when I happened to see Peaches and saw it looked like her lips were swollen. I picked her up and looked closer and sure enough they were getting bigger as I watched. I told DH something was wrong with her, and he looked and said she probably got stung.

The vet said to give her a benadryl tablet, to help take the swelling down which we did. It didn't take long for it to start going down, but I'm not so sure she will have learned her lesson...after all it got her some of her favorite thing, some raw hamburger so the pill could be wrapped up in it and go down the dog without her suspecting anything. LOL

I've warned her in the past when she went lunging trying to catch a bee or wasp that she was going to get stung...guess she didn't listen to well, or didn't understand me. Maybe I'm not real good at speaking "dog", even though I've had one forever and love them. LOL

These photos of Peaches fat lip were taken with a new (but inexpensive) lens. I've been wanting a good lens that would turn out better portraits, cause our 20th anniversary is this year and it's about time to update our photo on the wall. The other lens I have would have worked...but I wanted one that would do even better and saw that canon had one that wasn't to expensive and had to have it. Now to find time to get some taken of the two of us, so I can send off and get a new 8X10 for our wall.

I do need to learn a little more about how to get good photos with it...like where to focus on, cause as you can see with these, it focuses on a small spot, and the rest is less clear, the further away from that focused spot you get. I love that usually...just have to make sure I focus in the correct spot to get a good photo. I liked these two though...DH had to take the first one, cause she wouldn't stay on her back for him, so I could get that angle.

Can you tell she is MY baby?! LOL

Anyway...thankfully the swelling should be gone soon. And at least she isn't so allergic that she had big problems with the sting...and it happened when we were around. :)

Heatwave

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

Our Weedy Garden
I am sure wishing this heatwave would leave and give us a break. Last week was hot (in the 90's F....with the heat index worse) but this week is suppose to be hotter. :(

We may have several days of triple digit heat, and with high humidity it will seem even worse. *sigh* I guess that's summer in the Midwest for ya. I'll just try to be thankful we don't live further south! :)

It'll make for some early mornings, so we can get a couple hours of work in outside, before chore time...as the afternoon will be way to hot to even think of being outside (for us anyway).

Our Blooming Pumpkins.
DH was working on putting some fence posts in, while I worked in the garden this morning. He was close enough to the garden, that we could talk (yell) back and forth from time to time. I told him I finally saw blooms on the cucumbers (they seem to be slow)...and that there were a bunch on the melons, and then once I got over by the pumpkins I saw they actually had some so excitedly said "There's blooms on the pumpkins now too!". With his bad hearing, he thought I said frost on the pumpkins...after our chuckle we agreed THAT would be nice. LOL

Neither of us can wait till fall gets here! Two weeks of heat, without a little break here or there is just way to much for us...and who knows what next week will bring, it will probably still be way to hot, it is summer after all

Once I had enough of the hoeing which is never ending cause I can't keep up with the grass and weeds, (& it seems like every time I work in the garden I end up with at least one blister on my hands...today was no exception...you would think they would get to where they wouldn't blister, but so far they haven't) I went over and helped him a little bit with the fence. I'm not a whole lot of help, but managed to be a little. I was kinda glad when he had to take a break though...cause of his back & hip...cause we stopped and came inside so he could get a drink and sit down. LOL He rested for a little bit, then it was chore time.

Now I have to get busy inside too, got a lot I need to do this week (as usual) so hopefully I'll manage to get most of it done. Try to stay cool out there! :)

Bar-B-Que anyone?

2011-07-14T21:15:00.002-05:00

Carnage in the garden.
Our cows got out last night, and the Okra in the garden suffered...thankfully there is still some left that survived, and not to much else was damaged...but if there had been, I think we would be having a huge Bar-B-Que!

*sigh* The okra was looking so good too.

Praise God they didn't destroy the whole thing...and in fact left it pretty much intact...just stomped several of the okra plants and a couple Broccoli plants look a little worse for wear as well as maybe a few beets. All in all way better than I feared, when I saw they were out.

A friend's quick visit.

2011-07-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

We had a friend here this last weekend, she came in to help us this summer, and ended up having a family emergency, so had to leave again far to soon, but it was so good to have her here for even a little bit. I'm sure God has his reasons for sending her home, I guess he must figure we can do without her help after all.

The dogs warmed up to her real quick, Autumn always loves to meet new people, and while Peaches loves people, she usually stands back for at least a little bit, but within a couple hours she was climbing all over Bethani, and happy to get some extra attention from her.

One afternoon, Peaches was sitting beside Bethani, with Bethani's arm around her and she fell asleep, sitting up like a person does. She then slumped forward in her sleep, and I couldn't resist a photo of her. Course DH came in, and then went and got my camera so I could get one, and she woke up...but I still had to get a photo of her slumped forward cause she was so funny...yet cute.

Even Autumn wanted to sit by Bethani, and even rolled over for a tummy rub...something she never does for us. I think the dogs really loved her, and it appeared like Bethani really liked them too. :)

Bethani had never seen some of the crops we have in the fields here, as she is from Oregon, so we made sure before taking her back to meet her plane, that we got some photos of her by a corn field.

It was a long trip, for such a short visit, but thankfully God was with her and got her back home safely. My prayers are with them now, and hopefully the family emergency that called her back home isn't to bad.

Now...we've gotta try to get things done around here ourselves, so...no promises how much posting there will be in the next few weeks...probably depends on how much time I have to get photos of anything interesting, and get them off my camera, and just how much I end up having to can from the garden...only time will tell on that! :)

I do hope everyone is having a good summer so far though! It's suppose to be really hot here for several days...so hopefully all the animals (and us) will manage to make it through without any trouble. Take Care out there.

Becoming camera shy.

2011-07-08T08:49:00.003-05:00

"Oh boy, she has that camera pointed in my direction again...
...I'm not going to act cute anymore!"
I don't know what it is about our dogs, but especially with the girls, it seems they become camera shy when they grow up, whats up with that...it's not like they are human or anything...they just think they are! LOL Peaches used to stop and look at me all cute like with her head up when I called her name when I wanted a photo...but now if she sees my camera in front of my face she almost always refuses to "pose". LOL

The above photo is as good as I could get last night, with her looking at me...and since she saw the camera pointed in her direction, she decided to look at something else...

"Oh, look at that...isn't that something, I could stand here and look at it all day...
...or till she lowers the camera anyway."
...And look at it, till I gave up trying to get her photo. LOL Silly Dog anyway.

I wanted to get one of those cute ones where she is looking at me, all bright eyed and perky eared last night, because I realized earlier in the day that she is almost a year old. Her birthday is towards the end of this month! I finally gave up, and came back inside. I guess the days of being able to easily get adorable photos of her are over. *sigh*

She is still a cutie...and fun...and adorable...and playful...and such a joy to have around, just not as much so for my camera. LOL Oh well, guess maybe I can live with these kinda photos now...cause she is still cute in them, they just don't show her adorable, playful side like I'd like. :)

Almost a year old...can you believe it? That means in a couple more months we will have had her for a year! Wow, unbelievable!

Making Ghee

2011-07-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

I made my 2nd batch of Ghee yesterday, and managed to get a few photos of the process. I thought I'd share them here, for those of you who may be interested in how it's done. I'm no expert, remember this is only my 2nd time, so things may change as I do it more, but I do think I'm getting the correct finished product, even if I am doing it wrong. LOL (Course I've never had anything BUT what I've made...so I wouldn't know for sure on that either. *giggle*)

I started out with 8 pounds of home churned butter! No I didn't churn all 8 pounds in one day...I had to accumulate it over several days, since we don't get THAT much cream in a day. LOL

I put it in a bowl, that was set in a big stockpot of boiling water...like a double boiler. This way it can melt and cook for a little while without me having to constantly stir it and watch it closely. (I had cheese to make that morning too...as you can see in some of these photos it's in the other stockpot beside the one with the ghee in it...so needed to be able to do that while the ghee was cooking...as well as doing other things around the kitchen.)

I started out with to small of a bowl, because it was just big enough to rest on the lip of the pan...but when everything heated up, it started sinking down in a little. Oops! LOL

DH had to come save the day, and help me get it out of the pan, before we totally lost it, and the butter mixed with the boiling water under the pan. Thankfully between the two of us, we managed to grab the bowl and get it out of the pan. I poured it into a bigger stainless steel bowl and set it back on the stockpot to cook.

The butter finally all melted, and foam started rising to the top. I spooned the foam off, although I don't know for sure if I was suppose to or not. I wanted to be able to see the oil...so I did. LOL

Once it cooked a while, the foam actually got easier to remove, and eventually I got almost all of it off the top of the oil.

I cooked it like this for several hours, while I made butter, did dishes, cleaned here and there in the kitchen, made and ate lunch and churned the days butter. It cleared up pretty good, so I could see the bottom of the pot, so I finally turned the burner off and decided to see if I could filter it and have it be really clear in the jars.

It turned out it wasn't as clear as it should have been, so I decided to pour it into my dutch oven, and cook it over direct heat for a little while to finish it off. I didn't have to cook it all that long before it cleared up, and the milk solids on the bottom turned brown, which meant it was finished!

That's when I could bottle it in earnest. I tried our old milk filter, but it didn't want to let the oil through to well, so ended up using some of the coffee filters that I keep around to filter stuff through (we don't drink coffee around here LOL). The coffee filter wanted to slid right on through the one funnel thing I used...so put some cheese cloth over the funnel first, to hold it in place better.

The filtering took a while though, cause while it would go through the coffee filter, it wasn't real fast at it, but least I got the little particles filtered out, and ended up with 3 and 3/4 quarts of ghee, (see three of them in the top photo) and the bowl of foam, which we will use in cooking till it's used up.

From what I've read, my ghee is darker than some you buy in the store, because our cows are grass fed. There are more vitamins in it, than some you buy has....or than it would have, if I made it in the winter, when the cows are eating more hay.

By this morning the ghee had cooled enough that most of it had turned to a semi solid, and is more yellow...like the butter. I can still pour it though, least my last batch that look like this I can, not sure what the winter will do to it, since the house is cooler then, but for now I can still pour it like other oils I've used in the past.

I do think I want to try it sometime from start to finish in my dutch oven...to see if it's any faster. Since I'll have to stir it more, and watch it closely, I wouldn't want it to take as long as it does the way I did it today...but if it's not to long I may do it the other way, just so it's not an all day affair.

I'm hoping to stock up on ghee now that I'm stocked up on butter in the freezer, that way we have it to use in the winter too, if the cows slow down on how much butter they give us. Ghee can be stored at room temperature for long periods of time (I've read anywhere from one year to many MANY years), without it going bad on you, so it's a better oil to have for long term storage, with the added benefit of being healthier than some. (Least from what I've read online...I may or may not be right, so study up on it on your own, if you are interested in ghee!!)

Praise God for the wonderful bounty of butter, ghee, cream, cheese & milk he is giving us! It's enough to make me fall in love with our cows, if I wasn't pretty much there already! :-))

Guess what we had for supper?

2011-07-06T19:05:00.000-05:00

Big surprise I know, since I've been saying we would be having some this week...but if you guessed our first garden fresh peas, you are right!!!

DH picked them, since I was busy inside...and it was kinda muddy...and he even shelled them for me, since I was so busy today! He is a real sweetie, I didn't even ask him to shell them, he just did. What a wonderful Man, that man of mine! :-))

Anyway, the peas were good, although I don't know if I quite got them done. It was so nice having peas from our garden, after all the work of weeding and all, we finally got something for our trouble! LOL

The garden is really growing too, least parts of it. I haven't actually gone out to see it up close and personal for a few days, since I've been busy, but just looking out the kitchen window at it I can see at least some of it has shot up. The pumpkins look like they have really growing, as do the zucchini and Okra. I'm sure the rest has too, it's just not been as noticeable from the house.

Anyway, I just wanted to show you the first peas we picked...I gotta run, rather busy this week, and still have things I need to work on. Hope everyone is having a great week! :)

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T07:35:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July! We are hoping to watch the fireworks from our hilltop as usual tonight. I LOVE being able to stay on our farm, and still enjoy our town's fireworks along with any we happen to catch of the surounding farms. The above photo was taken a couple years ago, while we watched the town shoot off their fireworks from the top of our hill.

We don't have anything really special planned for today, (that I know about...besides watching the fireworks) but I love to spend a little extra time with my wonderful hubby on this day, if at all possible. Hope everyone has a great day! :)

Clabbered Milk for the garden?

2011-07-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

Honey (one of our milk cows) and her calf KC.
The strangest thing has happened this spring here. After all these months...two years maybe?...of not being able to get milk to clabber so I can make cheese with it, (without adding some buttermilk to culture it anyway) I've been having it clabber on me this year.

If you don't know what clabbered milk is...it's kinda like yogurt, in fact DH tells a story about his Aunt eating clabber like we would yogurt or ice cream today. It has to be made with raw milk...store bought milk won't work, and is made by leaving the raw milk out for 24 hours (or sometimes longer), till it's thick like yogurt. Yes it's still ok to use...raw milk doesn't spoil like store bought milk does...usually anyway. Personally I think yogurt tastes better...sweeter...but clabber is good for making some kinds of cheese, and the animals love it. :)

This spring, I've had the milk clabber when I didn't want it to clabber...even the milk I store for every day use in the door of the fridge has clabbered on me...IN THE FRIDGE! Granted we don't use milk for cooking or drinking everyday, so it can sit there for a week or sometimes longer (if I forget to refresh it) but HOW does it clabber in the fridge, when I could never get it to ANYWHERE in or out of the fridge before?

I thought it was just because we didn't have the air going at first (since it was broke) but then I found it had done it in the fridge too, so figure that can't be the reason.

Course I still haven't gotten around to making the cheese DH's Aunt gave me the recipe for, that was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to learn to clabber milk...but hopefully one of these days I'll get around to it. LOL Now at least maybe I'll be able to manage the cottage cheese I make, without having to get a culture or some store bought buttermilk to start the clabber with.

I have still had a little trouble now and then, it seems when I REALLY want it to clabber, it can still decide not to, but a lot of the time there is no trouble getting it to now. It's just so strange...WHY did it all of a sudden start working for me?

The only thing I can think of, that could have an impact, is I've started making Kefir and Kombucha this spring...so maybe those two things are putting good bacteria in the air, and giving the milk what it needs to clabber for me now.

Course we will see if it continues throughout the summer...and into the winter. Maybe it did have something to do with not having the AC on...I guess only time will tell.

Whatever the cause...we have clabbered milk now, that we have to find something to do with...if we don't get it right out to the plants the day I take it out of the fridge. (There is only SO much, that the chickens, Yani & the cats can eat. LOL) Soooo DH tried putting some of it around the plants, since we know watered down milk is good, figured maybe the clabber would be too.

I think they like it!! We lost a tomato plant earlier this spring, and when we really got out in the garden working on it, saw two more were looking kinda sickly. DH said he gave them some clabbered milk (since that's what he had at the time) and they have started looking lots better. They still aren't as big and bushy as the other three, but in time maybe they will get that way.

The other day I saw him dumping some around the hills of cucumbers, zucchini & cantaloupe. The plants were still kinda small, and didn't seem to be growing as fast as I wanted them to, but since he gave them some of the clabbered milk they have started growing faster...especially the zucchini (pictured above).

Who knew the garden would like clabbered milk, not just the watered down milk we tried on the trees last year! :) I'm thinking we need to figure out how to give some to the rest of the garden, so maybe it will go wild too! LOL

I did pick my first thing from the garden yesterday! I saw a pea pod that looked fatter like it was about ready to be picked, and couldn't help myself...I had to pick it and open it and try them raw!! LOL Yummm, DH and I made short work of that little bunch of peas, and there are several more that are close, so hopefully in the next week, we will have our first home grown peas from our own garden, for supper! :)

I may not like gardening, but it's so fun to eat what we grow so maybe I can at least learn to tolerate it...maybe. *giggle*

I'm just thankful we have something that will maybe help keep the garden growing, so hopefully we can actually harvest things from it this year! I'm not sure we will have enough tomatoes, I should have planted more of them...but now I know for next year. LOL (I tried planting some tomato seed right in the ground, but haven't seen them coming up yet...so am thinking they aren't going to.) Hopefully we can get some from somewhere else, if I have time to do a bunch of canning...will have to see how much money we can find in the next two or three months.

Anyway...the garden is still alive...and growing, with the help of our clabbered milk, so that in itself is a miracle to my way of thinking! *giggle* Especially knowing how black (instead of green) my thumb can be at times. LOL

Praise God for his help with the garden so far! :-))

More summer flowers & other rambles

2011-06-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

Our Clematis is blooming now too, it's not climbing as high this year, as it did last...least not yet, but that's probably cause I forgot to check on it, and make sure it was climbing up, instead of spreading out across the flower bed. Hopefully I'll catch it better next year. It's still pretty! :)

We also have a few of these little yellow day lilies blooming. DH's favorite teacher gave them to us last year, and so they haven't taken over yet, but hopefully they will eventually. LOL DH planted them on the bank to the east of the house, since we can't really mow it to well, so maybe one of these years, they will help keep the grass down and look a little better. If not...guess that's ok too, it's not like we live in town. :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We had a friend drop by with some parts for DH, and so invited him to stay for supper on Sunday evening. I didn't have any homemade bread, I've been neglecting getting more made, so I decided to whip up some biscuits since I know this friend loves bread at the meals we've shared in the past. I was hoping they would turn out, cause I used my ghee in them for the first time, and my oven has a problem...even though it's new...the replacement I'm getting isn't here yet.

As it turned out, they were probably some of the best biscuits I've made in a long time, not that my other ones have been bad. LOL I think the ghee really makes them extra yummy. We don't eat bread with our supper to often, (or biscuits) but will have to find a good time to try them out again soon, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke! LOL

I'm loving this ghee! Going to have to make more soon. :)

I always have preferred baking to cooking meals...unfortunately I don't do as much baking, since that kinda thing isn't something we really need to eat a LOT of. LOL It's going to be interesting to see if ALL my baked goods taste better with ghee, than the olive oil I've been using.

If it drys out enough this week, I've got to get back into the garden...much as I hate the idea, I don't want the weeds and grass taking over again. I also need to make some more soap...and get to some sewing I've been putting off. We will see how much I actually get done though. LOL I'm sure I'll try to put the sewing off again...but I really do need a few more skirts sewn up. LOL

Oh and I need to get a few extra things done in the next couple weeks, cause a young friend (actually a friends daughter) is planning on coming to stay for a couple months or so, to help out around here. She is better with cows than I am, so will be a help to me AND DH! :) Not sure if I will know what to do with help around the house. DH does sometimes, if I really need it, but having someone who can help more...and with canning if I'm lucky enough to do a bunch of that, will be strange to me...although wonderful I'm sure! :)

Anyway, have a great week, I better get off here and get back to work! :-))

Orange Day Lilies

2011-06-25T12:10:00.001-05:00

The above photo was one my Dad put on his flicker photo stream a couple days ago. I remember loving it when the lilies bloomed, that grew in the ditch along the road that ran by our house growing up. It was a dead end road, so was kinda like our driveway. There were always a lot of them, but not near THIS many...this is just beautiful!!

I do seem to remember getting mad a few times, when the neighbors came by (they were just being neighborly...but it still made me mad LOL) and mowed the roadside, before the lilies had a chance to bloom. I always looked forward to seeing that summertime flower that made the roadside look beautiful. I don't remember them being on both sides of the road, but they do seem to have spread over the years I've been gone.

*sigh* I do wish I could see them in bloom now, they look like they would be a gorgeous sight.

Because I enjoyed these flowers so much when I was growing up, when we had the chance to dig some up from a patch by our house in Polk, and plant some down here on our farm, I took it. We planted them around the transformer in our front yard so in the summer it wouldn't stand out so much. They have been getting thicker each year but still didn't really cover it like I wanted them to...till this year. Now it's finally starting to look like a nice bunch of flowers, even if they don't totally "hide" the transformer. :)

Maybe someday we will get enough to move some out along our driveway. I'd love to have it lined (at least part way) with a bunch of these...like the photo my Dad took. It won't be the same, as the roadside goes down, not up, along our drive...but it would still be pretty! :)

I think I may have been mistaken!

2011-06-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

We are keeping Honey's milk now, since she didn't really have colostrum that we noticed, we didn't figure we needed to give it to the animals any longer.

I am however, still getting quite a bit of cream! I thought for sure, we would go back to not having to much, because Daisy always gives us skim milk when she has a calf around to feed...so I guess I just thought Honey would do the same (and Daisy would again, since the calf is eating off her too).

Course it's nothing like a friend of mine said she has gotten before from two cows...enough to make 9 pounds of butter a day!!!...I just can't imagine that much at once. LOL But so far I'm still making butter almost every day, which means we have more than enough for our needs.

I've got enough butter in the freezer for us to have extra should the supply slow way down, and some for my Mom...I've made some ghee, which I'll be doing again, since we liked this last batch, so other than ghee, what do I do with it? Save more in the freezer? Give it away to neighbors? Use the cream for other things, besides butter? All of the above? *giggle*

I probably will do all of the above...but I still can't believe how different our cows are from each other. Guess we are still learning about cows...and I wouldn't doubt if all the cows we get in the future will be different, and teach us things. Who knew they could be so interesting! :)

It may be silly, but I've been waiting for two years now (since we first got cows)to have way to much cream and butter...it's almost here I think! It's a wonderful feeling. :-))

Flowers from my Hubby...

2011-06-23T22:30:00.002-05:00

I love it when my DH walks in and surprises me with flowers!! I don't care if they are weeds, I'm happy to have them! :) I always put them in a vase and set them in the kitchen, since I seem to spend a lot of time there these days.

I do think I need to learn how to arrange flowers better....but don't guess it matters to much, I still walk into the kitchen and see them and they bring a smile to my heart (if not my face) and they make me think of the wonderful Man I married.

That man of mine is a sweetie...and knows me well! He knows I love flowers and how to bring a smile to my face. :)

Oh and...I don't want to say this to loud...in case it's listening....but I think the air might be fixed!!!!! The repair man was out here for several hours today, and at the end had me turn it on. We didn't leave it on since it's not hot enough for it, but it had made the temp go down in the house a degree or two, so I think, just maybe, it might be fixed. Shhh, don't let it hear me, I want it to STAY fixed! When it warms up we will turn it on and see for sure. :)

To top it off, tonight's sunset was prettier than last nights...cause there were more clouds. Least in my opinion. :)

Ok, gotta run, it's bedtime. Hope every one's having a wonderful week so far.

Another beautiful day!

2011-06-22T21:40:00.001-05:00

Today was another beautiful day here...actually it was almost cold with the breeze blowing in the open windows. I had my jacket on part of the day because of it. The breeze died down this evening though.

Just another day of the same old thing here, cheese making, Kombucha making, mixing up another batch of laundry soap, since laundry day is coming up fast and I was out, and any number of other little chores that always need done. I did have time to relax this afternoon, and was going to work on a couple recipe LO's...but I didn't. Thankfully I'd gotten one done this morning, so least I've started getting ready for this months exchange. LOL All in all it was a peaceful day, not to busy, yet not totally boring either.

This evening I went out and captured the sunset...not as pretty as some, but not to shabby either. :)

Gotta love beautiful, peaceful days...especially when they end with a pretty sunset. :)

A cool breeze.

2011-06-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today has brought much cooler temps to us here in south east Nebraska. We are so Thankful for the break from the hot & humid days we've been having. I actually have a cool breeze coming in my office window this evening, and just came in from a short trip outside with the dogs to see the garden. It was almost cold outside, but I sure enjoyed it after being hot way to often this last week or two.

I couldn't actually walk in the garden, since it's muddy from the rain we have been getting, but I was able to see what was growing and what wasn't. For some reason the onions don't appear like they will do anything, it's the 2nd batch we planted (the first was eaten by the goats who got out) so I guess we will just be buying onions all summer, instead of enjoying some of our own. I'd hoped to have some of them for salsa if we have tomatoes, but...oh well.

The Peas are blooming!! I'd noticed them the other day, but didn't have my camera with me, so couldn't get a photo of them. This evening however I took my camera out to see if I could get one to show off that they are actually blooming for us...not that that means anything, but maybe, just maybe we will end up with some peas! :)

The Broccoli and Okra are growing well still too, and I think I may have seen some beets up...and possibly some peppers, but not sure about them yet. The Cantaloupe, Zucchini, Cucumbers & pumpkins were up though, and looked to be doing well so far, although it's early days yet. LOL The radishes were up...and they need thinned...but will have to wait till it drys out some, and I saw at least one tomato on the vines!! :)

I'm just so thrilled that so far things still look good in the garden, for the most part. I realize that means nothing at this stage of the game...but I still have hope we will end up with several things from the garden this year. Can't really say I'm surprised the onions didn't grow...after all they were starts...and I planted them myself. My black thumb REALLY hates plants, seeds are bad enough, but they have a chance...where as plants don't seem to have much of one if I try to plant them myself. LOL

Praise God for the break in the heat & humidity...and for letting me still have hope we will manage a garden for a change, along with all the other blessings in our lives. :)

Baby's first day outside.

2011-06-20T15:25:00.001-05:00

This morning we made Honey's baby go outside. He didn't really want to, it's a big bad world out there after all. LOL

Galen pushed him out the front of the barn, so I could get some photos of him in the yard, while his Mom was having breakfast. Then he followed me over to the pasture, (cause he wanted to eat) and we introduced him to Daisy. Daisy came running when she saw him, but at first kicked him off, when he wanted to eat...have no idea why she did that, it sure surprised me. But after a little bit, she stood there and let him nurse.

Daisy & Mabel have been interested in the baby, but Daisy didn't get as adamant about getting to him, like she did Clover when Mabel had her this last winter. Makes you wonder if she knew Mabel wouldn't be able to raise her to well on her own...or if she knows she will be drying up in a month or two, so she didn't get as excited about this baby...cause she should be having her own in a few more months.

DH milked his Mom (she was full...and we weren't sure if he could get on her with how big her teats get when they are so full) and I fed him a bottle while DH milked her out some more. Between the bottle and Daisy, he had a good breakfast! LOL In a week or two he should be able to fend for himself on getting that milk...we just want to make SURE he is getting enough...although hopefully not TO much. :)

Mabel finally came to investigate the new little one, and I had to laugh, how she came up on the other side of Daisy, and leaned around her hind end, to nose him while he was eating.

We are thinking of calling him "KC" for KC Strip (you know...the steak?). That helps us remember what he is actually here for...beef for our freezer, but doesn't stop us from enjoying him as a baby. :)

Now to find out if Daisy is going to have one in September...3 calves in one year will be a new experience for us...I like the idea, hopefully it actually happens!! :-))

There are a few more photos from this morning on our flicker photostream, if ya want to see them here.

New Baby on Hillbilly Hill Farm!!

2011-06-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

Well as any of you who have read my blog for long know...I love all the babies who are born here, and this weekend (yesterday, late afternoon) we had another calf born here!! This is our third calf, but it's still exciting when we have them...I think it will still be, years down the road too. Babies are a miracle...and I do enjoy them when I can. :)

I'll try to get some better photos tomorrow, just wanted to share our exciting news of this weekend with you! :)

Oh and don't get to attached...this one is a boy, so he will (hopefully) be next years beef for our freezer! :-))

Our little Hot Dog

2011-06-17T21:50:00.002-05:00

I walked into my office this afternoon, and looked down and saw Peaches all sprawled out, half out of her bed. She sprawls more when she gets hot, which means she ends up falling out of bed, in her sleep. *giggle*

I think it always looks funny, when she is half in and half out of her bed, with her head lower than her hind end. Poor baby, bet she will be happy to get the air fixed too.

I thought we were going to have it done today...but...once again my hopes were dashed. Something else is now broke on it...not the guys fault who came to fix it, but because when they manufactured the coil they ended up having a messy weld or something, that welded one of the coils to a plate of metal that was suppose to be removable...which means when it was being removed it broke the coil which let lots of freon escape and now we need a new coil....AND more freon.

I have to admit, I won't soon forget hearing the freon burst while I was on the phone talking to a friend, and then a little later seeing the repair man running across the dinning room and rushing out the patio door to do something at the outside unit, to stop the flow of freon. We didn't think he could pop out of the crawl space that fast, with all the moaning he has done every time he came out, about having to work on our unit. I told my friend, that it couldn't be good to see the repair man running for the door...and it wasn't, just not as bad as it could have been. *giggle*

Thankfully this problem is still covered under the warranty...but yet again, the labor isn't. I can't recommend this furnace and air system we have, when next we need a new system, we won't be getting a Trane, unless we just get such a good deal on it, that we can't afford not to...and believe me it would have to be almost free, so the headache of getting it fixed when it broke down would be paid for in advance!

Seriously, just the attitude of the different Trane dealers who don't want to work on a system THEY didn't install is ticking me off, let alone the Trane company policy.

Oh well, in time it will get fixed....or have a sledge hammer taken to it, so I guess I'll move on. I am very thankful that most of this week has been cooler, Praise God for that one!

In better news...we got some rain last night for our garden!! We kept having rain forcasted, but then it would go around us, or just give us a tiny little bit. We finally got enough to help the garden last night I think. I was beginning to think we would have to water it...which I hated to do. Now we can hold off a little longer before having to do that. :-))

I tried something new today, I made Ghee out of some of my butter. Been wanting to try it, but haven't had enough stockpiled in the freezer, so didn't want to till I did. Now that I have enough for now...I thought it was past time to get a bunch together to try ghee.

Ghee is so expensive in the store, I've never had it, cause I wasn't willing to pay the price. Hopefully I do it right, and it turns out so we can have an oil to use that is made out of our own grass fed butter! Anytime I can stop paying for something (in this case oil) and make my own from something I have around here, I'm happy. :)

Ghee, especially from grass fed cows, is suppose to be high in vitamins and a good for you fat. It's suppose to be a smoke free frying oil and last for months if not years out of the refrigerator. A friend of mine has been making it, and she loves it! We will see how we like it next time I need some oil. :)

Well I better go finish some things so I can go to bed, time has slipped away from us again today. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :)

Feathered Friends

2011-06-15T22:10:00.003-05:00

Our new chicks are getting their feathers now. Some of them don't show up as well as others, but they are there. They are still in that cute stage though! :)

They sure have learned about the food. DH poured some in a feeder, and they all scurried over, excited and most all of them trying to get in at the same time, for fear they missed out. It's so funny to watch them discover there is food.

We have lost a few of them, but that's to be expected. That's probably one reason they sent extra.

It's been a pretty nice week so far, least heat wise. Thankfully we haven't been melting here, cause as expected, our air is STILL not fixed! He did call last Friday, which shocked and impressed me (doesn't take all that much to impress me I know *giggle*) saying he wasn't going to make it, cause he was getting some attic work done while it was cooler. He then preceded to inform me he would get to us the first of this week...and here it is the middle of the week, and no word. *sigh* Oh well, not a surprise, so...it will get done when it gets done. I'm just so thankful God has kept it a little cooler for us. :)

I figure he will pick a time we have to go somewhere to want to do it...or just show up when we are gone without calling, which will then delay it from getting fixed further because he won't get us back on his schedule to quickly. Guess that's the price we pay if we insist on having air. LOL It will get done eventually...one way or another, even if I have to call up the manufacture and stand on someone (and I'm not exactly small...*snicker*) till they make sure to send someone out to do it. After all it's still under warranty...not the Labor, just the parts, but still that SHOULD hold some weight, if I have to call them.

However, I'm not worrying about it to much yet...will wait another week or so to bitch! :) It's been nice enough to not really need it this week.

This evening I went out to pull a few weeds and it was really nice out and smelled wonderful. That damp earthy smell is a good smell, not the to die for sweet smell of the wild roses we had a while back, but still a good smell. DH was outside too, and when we both figured we had done enough of what we were doing, we sat on the front porch till it was almost dark and the bugs were "buggin" us. LOL Love sitting out there with my Love, and our dogs, just enjoying the fresh country air! :)

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! I better get off here and get to bed. I do want to say a quick Thanks, for the comments some of you have left, either here or through e-mails lately, I really appreciate them. :-))

It's a sad day here on Hillbilly Hill Farm...

2011-06-13T12:05:00.001-05:00

Romper, the first goat baby born on our farm.
...as we say good-bye to the last of our goats. We've considered taking a few of them to the sale barn, because they wouldn't stay in, or never gave us any babies, but we just never could bring ourselves to do it.

However, we finally decided we had to get rid of all of them for a while, because of health reasons...DH can't chase them down if they get out, or try to wade through them without falling any longer (they tend to crowd around when it's feeding time and it makes it hard to get the feed to their trough), and while I could do it easier than him, I'm not the most graceful person, so we decided it was just best to get rid of them and pray we can start over in a few years if things get better...or we get a better setup for feeding and keeping the goats in.

Carmel & Painter
I'll sure miss them. They have entertained us over the years and gave us joy. They really gave this Hillbilly Hill Farm it's start. We hope to get more fencing done, as well as figure out a better way to give them their feed, so it's not so hard to do as we get older, so if all goes well we can get more in the future.

I knew it would be hard to let them go, but as I watched them ride away and heard the last of their baaaa's echo back to me on the breeze, I realized it would be harder than I thought. I turned to walk back to the house with tears streaming down my face, and a heavy heart. As I hugged Autumn to me for comfort (she likes to try to comfort me when I'm sad) I thanked God for sharing with us the joys of having goats.

The goats coming to see me this morning.
If you let yourself, you to can learn how wonderful they can be...stinkers at times, but full of personality and total clowns.

I don't know if I can stand being in the ranks of "normal" farmers, who only have cows & chickens, I've never been "normal" all my life, so I'm thinking we may have to find something that is easy to take care of, but yet isn't "normal". *sigh* Just not sure what that could be right now.

Thankfully my parents still have Goats, so I'll be able to look out and see & hear theirs, when we visit.

So good-bye for now, my mischievous goats...you may be gone, but sure won't be forgotten.

How do I let myself get talked into these things?

2011-06-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

This morning I had planned on doing a few things, before we took the afternoon off, so I was working around the kitchen when DH gets a call from a friend.

This friend has been working on some of the old cars at a museum, trying to get them running, and wondered if we wanted to take a ride in an old Model T Ford, since he had gotten it running.

Naturally DH was all for the idea, and I admit, I thought it would be kinda neat, cause I kinda like those really old cars, so I rushed around the kitchen finishing what I HAD to do and we jumped in the car and drove down to take a ride into the past.

We tool around town for a little while, slowly up the hills, and the thought had crossed my mind a few times wondering if we would make it back to where we started...or if I'd end up having to walk back. It sputtered a few times, but managed to keep going...for a while.

Just when I think, wow, maybe it will make it back, it dies on us...and won't start. So our driver (friend) gets out and goes and opens the hood and starts messing with it. We climbed out (which isn't as easy as it is in these moderns cars we have...I had trouble getting my big feet past the door jamb LOL) and stood around while he tinkered.

He got it going again, so this time I decided to climb into the back, cause DH had said there was more room back there, so I wanted to see for myself...cause there sure wasn't much in the front.

We went tooling around town some more, and finally headed back the direction I knew we needed to go to end up back where we started. We had to turn around once to pick up the muffler that fell off, then took off again, rounded the corner by the hospital...and it died on us again, only this time it was because it was out of gas! *sigh*

So there we were, the guy who was suppose to be with the car...an old man who has trouble walking long distances, and an old fat woman who was drug along for the ride. Since I knew DH couldn't do the hike, and the young friend should probable stay with the car since he was the one who had permission to drive it, I said I'd walk back and get the gas can and our car and come to the rescue, since it was just around the corner and up the hill. Little did I know the "hill" was a LONG steep hill! All I have to say is they are SO LUCKY that it was a cooler day, cause even so I was hot by the time I got back to our car.

I drove back with the gas, and they put some more in it, and took off with a wave, probably still laughing at my "comment" about the LONG hill I had to walk up.

I followed them to make sure they made it back ok, and then we jumped in our car and came home...I needed to get the supper I had prepared before leaving turned on so it could cook in a low oven all afternoon...and DH had promised we would be home in time that I could, so he couldn't stand around talking like he usually would. LOL For once it wasn't hard to get him to leave, guess he didn't want to chance my wrath, since I did the walking. *giggle*

It was kinda fun, even though I got my exercise walking to get the gas. My Grandparents used to own a Model T, and if we had a place to store one inside, and money to keep it up I'd love to have one just for grins. I like the really old cars (or trucks) they are kinda cool...but I wouldn't want to drive one by myself I don't think since I couldn't tinker with it to get it going again. I'd much rather have something that might not leave me stranded by the side of the road. :)

As DH said..."It's not just a ride, it's an adventure". *giggle*

Gardening

2011-06-09T11:25:00.001-05:00

We've been trying to get the garden finished planted this week (yes we are late...it's a wonder it's gotten done at all though, so shhh don't tell anyone how late we are), and do some weeding on what was already planted. LOL We knew rain was suppose to be coming in AGAIN today, so was kinda in a hurry to catch up on the gardening. Thankfully it's caught up now, except for getting some trellis done for the peas and tomatoes to have something to be on, but hopefully we still have a little time for that.

Have I mentioned we aren't gardeners...in fact both of us...BOTH of us...really hate (as in loath) gardening. *giggle* We will see if we can actually get anything out of it this year, as last year we didn't get to much. Maybe one of these years I'll finally give up if we keep having bad gardening years, but it would sure be nice to grow some of our own, so we know there wasn't any nasty things sprayed on it. It's much better to grow your own for several reasons, if you can just find time and learn how to do so. Besides, I think it's a good thing to keep extra food around as much as possible, that way if something happens we won't starve if we can't make it to the store for a while. :)

We have a row of Broccoli up and doing pretty good (so far), especially since it was being eaten by grass since we had let the weeding get away from us. It still needs thinned, but hopefully we still have time to get that done, before they stop growing cause they are to close together.

We also have a row of peas that are up and doing pretty good. I really hope we can get some off them, cause I don't remember what fresh from the garden peas taste like...I know Mom & Dad grew them once or twice years ago, but for some reason I don't remember eating any. We still need a trellis for the peas, but hopefully we can get that done before to long.

We also have a row of Okra. DH loves the stuff (I don't mind it fried sometimes) so I thought we'd try planting some of it this year too. DH said if all of it survives and produces, we will have it coming out our ears, cause you get a bunch from one plant. LOL Not sure what we will do with it all, if we do get a bunch, but I'm sure something will eat it, if we don't.

Besides the broccoli, peas and okra, we have a few sad looking tomato plants, and just planted a few more tomatoes, some beets, carrots, lettuce, radishes, 4 kinds of peppers (would have only been two...hot and sweet...but we got a couple packets of free pepper seed, so went ahead and planted them too), onions, cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumbers and the end of the garden has 15 hills (with 4-6 seeds per hill) of Pumpkins!

Why so many pumpkins you ask? Well...I guess they are good for cows. LOL One hill would have been more than enough for me, and I doubt we would have planted any (cause way waste your time growing them for just one pumpkin which is all I'd usually need...since DH doesn't like pumpkin pie), had it not been for the animals who could benefit from them. We don't use enough pumpkin to warrant messing with planting them, but I'm sure I'll process one or two of them, if they produce, so I have some homegrown pumpkin for pie and bread.

It's been hot the past several days, so we had to get up early and get out before it got REALLY hot, and get the work done. Now that we are pretty much finished, it cooled down (of course *giggle*) and it's suppose to rain, but we will see if it actually does. It's not looking real promising right now that we will get much rain. Hope it does soon, now that we got the garden caught up...then hopefully it will give us enough dry times that we can keep the garden weeded better, so things do better in it.

We may not like gardening, but I do love having a good amount of food put away for winter, so hopefully we can manage to stumble our way through it, and come out having grown enough food to give us some extra goodies for a year or two. Only time will tell if it's going to give us anything this year. I know we talked to several people around here last year who said their garden wasn't doing as well as usual, and they were much better gardeners then we are...so maybe it wasn't totally us, maybe we can actually grow a garden one of these years and have it produce well for us. It's all in God's hands now. :)

I'm sure I'll share photos if we start getting a lot of produce from our garden...if you don't see any later in the summer, you can just assume it didn't go to well. *giggle*

Our Calving Detector...

2011-06-08T10:20:00.001-05:00

Daisy & Mabel earlier this spring.
I was in the garden last night, when all of a sudden I heard Daisy start hollering, then come tearing down the hill, around the barn, and out into the bottom pasture. She ran over to the fence, bellowing, and calling for "her" baby. I just thought she all of a sudden remembered Clover, and was having a short little fit wanting her again (even thought it's been a month since Clover got weaned).

This morning DH comes in with the milk bucket...and I could see right away he didn't have as much as we've been getting. It seems Daisy is still having a fit, and was even holding up her milk this morning.

DH even took her over to Clover, but I guess Clover wasn't to interested in her anymore, guess she has been away from her "Mom's" long enough she doesn't want the milk so much. LOL Daisy was a little calmer after seeing "her" last calf, but she was still hollering a little so that wasn't the whole problem.

DH then proceeded to tell me that Daisy was like this a couple weeks before Mabel had her baby (Clover) so he figures Honey is within a couple weeks of giving birth. That is of course if that really is what is wrong.

So guess we have a calving detector on our hands. Course it's not real precise...but least we know she is getting closer! LOL

Course that means my butter making will now make a sharp drop...a little sooner than I expected. I was just about ready to start gathering enough butter to try making some ghee...*sigh* story of my life. LOL Now we will be lucky to keep us in fresh butter, having extra will probably not happen as much if Daisy keeps this up.

Thankfully I was able to stock pile a little more than normal in the last month so least I do have extra in the freezer now. Hopefully once Honey calves and gets past her colostrum stage, we will pick up a little once again...maybe not as much as we have been, but more than we will till then if Daisy keeps holding it up on us.

The problem we are going to run into now, is IF Daisy really is going to calve in September (we still haven't had her checked to see if she is carrying a calf...so much to do, so little time) trying to get Daisy to let "her" calf go to the other "mom's" for milk and dry herself up to get ready for her own little calf could be a big pain. Hopefully she will do it on her own like Honey & Mabel did, but with as much as she loves being a "mom" I have my doubts. LOL

What fun this farming thing is...so much to keep us entertained and learning new things all the time!

Fruit Tart & Berry Parfait

2011-06-07T21:40:00.003-05:00

I'm hot and tired right now, so think I'll just post this recipe post I had put together last week, and never got around to posting. I just came in from working outside, and got a little to hot. I grabbed my laptop and headed for the cool bedroom so I could relax a little bit before bed. Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

This month is all about Deserts in the Blush ~n~ Dusty Yahoo Group's Recipe Exchange, so I thought I'd share a favorite springtime desert of mine here on my blog. (This isn't the desert I'm going to be scrapping for the exchange.)

I actually haven't made this for quite a while...I'd kinda gotten away from doing to many "dairy" products, because of the store bought stuff not agreeing with me, and so haven't really gotten back to making some of them. Well with needing to do my favorite dishes so I can get photos (such as they are...I'm NOT a food photographer! *giggle*)for the cookbook I'm scrapping, I decided I had to do this fruit tart again, when the berries went on sale this spring. I finally managed to get some, so decided I better play with this recipe. Besides we are getting plenty of cream right now so playing with a little bit of it is no hardship. :)

Since it's been a while since I made it, and I actually had gotten a new pan since I made it last (this one is ceramic, the last one I had got rusty from not using it LOL) I didn't realize how much bigger my last pan must have been from what I have now. I also didn't remember the bottom crust should have been thinner. Oops. LOL Oh well, it's still really good!

I had leftovers of the filling and berries so I use them to make a berry parfait. Don't you just LOVE leftovers! These were sure yummy. I just scooped the filling into the glass, and layered some chopped berries with the glaze poured over them between layers of the filling. Yummmmm, it was SO good!!

Anyway, if you love fruit like we do, I'm sure you will love either of these deserts, and may even manage to make the fruit tart prettier than mine was, especially if the pan is larger, so you have more room. You could use any fruit you like on this, I'm just partial to berries.

Fruit Tart
Printable Recipe

Crust:
1/4 cup Butter, Softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Extract
1 1/4 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Filling:
4 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered Sugar
1 cup Whipped Cream

Glaze:
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Water
2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture. Beat well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Press dough into a greased 12 inch tart pan. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

For filling: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add whipped cream and mix well. Spread over cooled crust.

Arrange whatever fruit you like over the top.

For Glaze: Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Brush over the fruit on the tart.

Store in the refrigerator.

Note: If you want extra filling for the parfaits double the filling recipe! :)

This recipe is adapted from one I found years ago in a magazine...just not for sure which one it was since I didn't seem to keep the magazine. I'm thinking it was "Taste of Home" but can't be for sure. Sorry I can't really give credit!

It's a hot one out there!

2011-06-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

I think summer is here now...after a cool spring, these hot temps are not to fun (not that they ever are) especially since it's just a few days into June. We've been back and forth so much this spring, I don't know if the heat is here to stay, but I sure am not enjoying it now. It's suppose to get a little to close to the 100 degree mark today! *gasp*

To top it off, our central air isn't working. We figured this out several weeks ago (3-4) and called a repair man, but according to him EVERYONE'S having trouble with their air, cause it was three weeks before he found time to come see what was wrong with ours. Finally last week he did...and found out it needed a part, so we are still waiting.

We had to have DH's cousin (who installed the air...he lives several hours away and has his own summertime rush going on, or he would be here fixing it for us) order the part, cause parts are under warranty (unfortunately labor isn't), and the repair man said he couldn't "prove" that it was...so wanted us to have our cousin get the part. We just got the part today, so we will see how long it takes for it to get installed. I'm sure looking forward to it, cause I'm a wimp and can't handle the heat to well. (Exactly why we got central air in the first place, cause we've never had it before but with us starting to get older I wanted it now.)

On a side note, I always get the feeling when this repair man is here, that because I'm a woman, I don't know anything about the heat or air system. I have no problem with Men being in charge, and being the head of their household...I believe that's the way God wants it (I'm trying to be a Titus 2 woman as much as possible, although I think I have a long way to go before I truly am), however that doesn't mean that woman get no respect, or are totally stupid.

I may not be the smartest person on the planet, but I do happen to know how to turn on the heat and air, and turn it off...and if the air flow is as much as it usually is or not, and when something seems to be wrong. In fact I may know more about that end of it than my Man, cause I deal with it more than he does. I fully admit I don't know a lot about heating and air or a lot of other things...but sure do hate it when I get ignored just cause I'm a woman.

For this reason...I try to make sure DH is around when this repair man is, so HE can deal with him, and I can go about my day. I don't need the aggravation. To give him his due...he may not think that way at all, it may be totally in my imagination. I'm just not real comfortable for some reason around him, (not the normal "shy" uncomfortable either...I can deal with that) so thankfully DH has been able to be around when he is here.

Moving on...DH must have finally had enough of the heat himself...or enough of my complaining about the heat...cause he went up in the attic last night, and found one of our old window air conditioners from before we had the central air. It hadn't been ran for 5-6 years, but we installed it in the bedroom window, and turned it on and it started right away sucking the sticky humidity out of the room.

Before long I could tell the difference between one side of the bedroom door and the other just in the humidity level...it dropped from the high 80's to the high 70's by bedtime (in just 2-3 hours) and in the middle of the night DH had to turn it down some cause it was cold. When I got up at 6:30 I turned it down a little more cause it was still kinda cold in here (high 60's). Now it's sitting at 75 or 76, which is a little cooler than I usually keep it during the day with the central air, but I'll leave it at that for now, and see how it goes.

Needless to say we have to learn where it should be set, to keep it at a nice temp (not so cold that we freeze, but nice so we can sleep good) but it's sure nice to have it at least here in the bedroom, so we can sleep a little better.

I can even bring my laptop in here and cool off, while I get computer stuff done! *giggle* I had to tease my DH about that last night. I picked up my computer and mouse, and headed across the house from my office to the bedroom, singing loudly..."I have a laptop" *evil laugh*... so DH could be sure and hear me even if he had earphones on listening to something on his computer. He told the dogs to bite me. *snicker*

I'm thinking DH will be wanting a laptop the next time he gets a new computer, just in case he ever has a need to use it out of his office. Needless to say, I'm sold on laptops, cause I sure love being able to move around the house with it should the need arise. :-))

I'm much happier this week, than last week...least about having to endure the heat, cause at least now I have a room to go to, to cool off and can sleep a little better. We will see how happy I am, when the bill comes. *sigh*

Anyway, Praise God the window unit still works!! And thanks Darling Hubby for helping me get it installed, even though your back pays the price. You are so good to me, and yes Dad...I'm spoiled, and loving it!! :-))