Last Bottle of Homemade Pear Wine

The last pear wine update was posted here (November 9, 2016).  We had some wonderful taste tests, and eventually bottled it.  However, the bottles with corks popped some tops, and turned pink.  

We didn't have enough bottles with screw caps, so much went bad.  However, to our delight, we kept one screw cap bottle.  

We popped it open last night.  It was very good, but too much carbonation in it.  More like a high alcohol champagne, ha ha!



We are so excited that we've learned so much already, and next time we will have another carboy and we'll let it sit longer with the bubble airlock on it.  

We were so happy to enjoy that one single bottle, and now we are prepared to do any fruit wine.  Peach, cherry, any berry, grape, plum, apple....I may need more fruit trees, ha ha!

We now have a supply of empty screw cap wine bottles too (thanks to my wine drinking friends and family).  Many wine companies and changing over to screw tops due to the cost of corks.  

I thought you'd enjoy this update, as we travel through our homesteading and self sufficiency adventures.  I'm not sure what's on the schedule today yet.  It all depends on the weather.

Last night I had to put a buff orpington in the emergency coop.  She's loosing many feathers from molting and the other hens are pecking at her backside.  I have one chicken saddle, but they hate to wear it.  And the other hens will attack who ever is wearing it, so hence we just separated her until she's got her feathers back.

In preparation for the upcoming craft sale, I finished another slouchy hat, another mug/cozy/coaster set, sewed in the ends of other projects, and have 3 completed double wrap infinity scarves (with another in the making).  If I have time, I may whip up a few ornaments.

Homemade Sausage ~ Biscuits and Gravy Oh My!

I woke up Monday to a warm 63°F and later a high of 87°.  And guess what?  

We started the "resurrection" of the flower beds/rose bed/herb garden on Sunday (no chance in convincing Hubby to break out the chainsaw for wood chores in the heat either), and now we are to get 4 days of possible rain.  I guess the Good Lord thought I needed softer soil to rip those weeds out, ha ha!  

Clean up before the end of the day.  But oh, so much more to weed (like about 60-70 feet of flower/herb beds).

Monday, we labored (again).  Hubby mowed some more, we weeded, and prepped the garlic bed.  Oh that was a joy - windy as heck, and try putting plastic down in the wind.  It took us about 1 1/2 hours or more to pull up old plastic, till, and put the new plastic down.  Now it will sit for a week or so to kill off more weeds/grass before I fall plant.

Laundry was put out.  Dried in seconds with the wind, heat and sun we had.

Pie pumpkins were picked and brought inside.  There are more, and more baby ones just starting.

A few blackberries were enjoyed.

Now about the homemade sausage.... 

In our parts of the world, we can buy "natural" sausage in patties, but it's not organic/non-gmo.  I've been buying organic pork, and making it myself.

It's the next best thing to raising my own pigs, butchering and making the sausage myself (goals). Or some day having a neighbor, like-minded, to barter with some day. 

That's the tickler about homesteading - it's a simple way of living, but so many people confuse "simple" with "easy."

To make the homemade sausage:

Planting has started. . .

We picked up some supplies recently, and got to work (again). 

Extra blocks were needed for raising the rain barrels a tad higher.  I couldn't get my bucket under them, nor a hose on them easily, as low as they were.