Recycled Dish Scrubbie ~ More Freezer Baking

Thanks to Mooberry Farm Homesteading Journal, I have found another way to utilize my plastic net bags from my lemons, and other fruits and vegetables (vs. cutting the bags and crocheting the bags together). For directions

Fancy Farmgirl Soap Dish ~ More Freezer Cooking

I visited a small thrift store yesterday and found a cute dish to use for our soap dish on the bathtub.  We haven't had one for the soap, and this dish was only $2.00.  Although I think thrift store prices are getting to high to be called "thrift" stores, I bought it anyway. 

I also came home with 2 hat boxes.  Both are all dark blue and stained.  I plan to cover them with my scrap wallpaper or paint them.  I guess I just added another project to my ever growing project list (ha ha ha!).  I (yes I picked up more) also brought home a clipboard I plan to paint and possibly decoupage.

Yesterday I baked the family a Quick and Healthy Pasta Carbonara.  I tweeked the recipe, and cooked up fresh bell peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Instead of frozen mixed vegetables, I used frozen broccoli that came from the garden.  As for the pasta, I used a combination of organic spinach fettuccine and whole wheat linguine.  There isn't much leftover either.  They chowed it down.


The weather here is getting colder, and we are running out of wood.  It looks like my son and I will be firing up the chain saw.  I also need more wood pellets for the corn burner.  Even the price on wood pellets have gone up from $3.50/bag to $4.98/bag and at other stores $5.00/bag.


Our electric bill went up about $30.00 from last month, so I need to do a re-check and see where it's coming from.  I'll be looking over the bill and checking to see if they raised their rates too.

Funny Goats ~ Beautiful Sunshine ~ Progressing Projects

This is Peanut.  She's munching away on Collard Greens.  For more updates on our goats, and more photos, visit my 15 year-old daughter's blog at:  Life as a Teen Farmgirl.  She is the "goat keeper" here and has reminded me that Peanut is due to have her babies (hopefully two this time) at the end of March.

The sunshine today is in full force. It sure is helping me set my mood for a full day of house cleaning.  Thank you God for this beautiful sunshine!

It's another great day for drying my laundry outdoors again.

I am currently working on a few dishcloths and washcloths that have been sitting in tote bags, and about half-way finished.  I found a few more lingering in my closet.

I'm not sure what projects I'll finish next.  Perhaps my tatted hankie.

I have to share one last thought today.  Yesterday, we baked another batch of Candy's Zucchini Muffins (adding chocolate chips) and took them to my 12 year-old's first recital.  She insisted on baking something else, but I had zucchini thawed already, and it needed to be eaten.  We took all 18 muffins to the recital and did not bring any home.  They were a huge success and everyone commented on how good they were.

Enjoy your Monday.  For me it's a "clean" start to my week.

It Only Took Me a Year ~ More Freezer Cooking

I finally finished my sherbet ripple afghan.  It only took me a year to finish it.  Why?  Well, I have a large family and there are always interruptions and requests and needs and chores. And then there is me.  I tend to put a project to the side, and actually start another one.  Yikes!  I finished other projects, but they are gifts for Christmas and I can't spoil the surprise.


Today the fog is thick.  Once again the weather is strange . That's why the photo is not filled with sunshine.

This was Saturday.  We finally got more snow, but by the afternoon, we once again had a muddy mess.

This is Sunday morning - foggy and warm.

I found another way to get my family to eat collards.  I pulled a bag of garden tomatoes from my freezer and made this stew.  I found the recipes on-line:  Black Eyed Pea Stew with Collard Greens and Potatoes.

I like this recipe, not only for it's healthy ingredients, but that I can make this completely myself.  The broth can be homemade, the black eyed peas can be grown, the collard greens, tomatoes and potatoes can all be grown.  Despite this recipe not having a lot of herbs and spices, it tasted pretty good.

I also baked the family another new recipe: Halibut & Black Bean Burrito Casserole.  I could not find Halibut in our stores, so I used Mahi Mahi.  These were very good too.  I did cook my own organic brown rice for this, and baked up a pot of black beans (vs. canned beans).  I did not make my own tortillas, but that is a future goal for me.  These were gone before I could take a photograph of them.

Freezer Cooking ~ Zucchini Muffins

Thanks to the "budget" baking mix, and Candy's recipes at Lazy J Bar C Farm, we made a batch of Zucchini muffins.  I tossed in some chocolate chips and the family chowed these down.  I'm already thawing more frozen zucchini for another batch.


While I was at it, I also pulled some frozen pumpkin puree for some more baking. 

I was out with hubby the other day and read this saying on a small sign:


Good Moms have sticky floors, dirty ovens and happy kids!


Love that saying!

Trouble with Hay ~ Learning from Magazines

 

Our last hay provider has told us that "it's just not worth the hassle" when we asked why he was not going to grow it next year.

Each year we locate hay, we run into this.  We will most likely have to grow it ourselves in the near future.

For now, we need to save money and repair one barn roof, and buy up what he has left, and store it up in a loft.  Prices have gone up to $3.00/bale, and straw up to $2.50/bale.

While walking on the treadmill, I actually read a magazine.  I thought I had purchased "Backwoods Home" but brought home "Back Home" magazine.

There was a lot of information packed into that magazine.  I learned that witch hazel can be used to help dry up poison ivy, I learned tips on raising a milk cow and drinking raw milk, I learned tips on raising beef, and so much more.

Grilling Out ~ Crocheted Bookmark ~ Honey Syrup Recipe

We've been having wonderful weather that is perfect for drying clothes outside.  What a strange winter this is.  We even grilled out last night.