Coffee Hour ~ July 4th Weeked ~ Bittersweet Sunday

Grab a cup, it's a long update.  Enjoy!

The weekend brought us some time to get some work done.  As well as a little rest time.  And even a quick visit from my younger brother, his wife and that cutie-patootie nephew of mine.  Oh my gosh, is he growing fast!  Our oldest daughter even stopped in for a quick visit.

Green Tomato Cake

Even though the recipe said to use an electric mixer, I did not.

Even though I did not have an entire 2 1/2 cups of diced green tomatoes....

I still baked my first tomato cake.  I was drizzling the frosting when the the first two kids got home from school.

"OHHH!  That looks so good!  That would be great with coffee!" one of them said.

Of course they kept telling me to stop reminding them it had green tomatoes in it too.  Ha ha ha!  It was pretty good too. I did not have enough butter to make the brown butter frosting, but simply used powdered sugar and goat's milk instead. 

I had been out in the garden to check on things.  I saw one tomato plant had sprouted new tomatoes and I just couldn't let them go to waste.  I also brought in about a dozen more green peppers.

I made another crock pot full of steel cut oats and goat's milk.  This morning, my daughter said she milked the goat in 15 minutes and got over a quart of milk.  She's really becoming a pro at this.  


This morning, after the first bus left, I took one of the dogs out.  I ran back in for my camera.  There was a layer of fog over the fields that was kind of neat.

When I told the kids I should take a picture, and that it was pretty they said, "Mom it would be better if it came with a 2 hour fog delay."

Before I came back inside, I was watching the goats.  The early cool air must be firing up everyone today with energy.  They were playing queen of the stump.

 

After I came inside, I looked back out and saw Peanut standing on that small stump.  In fact, she's still standing on it now.  I think we should find them a wider stump to play on.  

Meanwhile, the dogs are fired up with the cool weather, and Jesse is barreling around the house all excited now.  Even Tiger, my youngest daughter's cat is flying through the kitchen, skidding around corners.  It's definitely perfect camping weather.

Homesteader Chit Chat

 

The weather has been questionable.  I don't watch any news, so I rely on weather reports by searching it online or on my phone.  Woke up to "feels like" 2°F and very windy.  We got more snow last night too.  Just fed our barn cat and I think there may be a stray out there this morning.  The wind is wicked.

Apparently you can get sick-sick.  My girls are the only two getting upper respiratory/bronchial illnesses.  Illnesses that the doctors don't prescribe medications, and send them home, kind of illnesses.  

The girls wear a mask daily, all day long and one does heavy lifting.  I feel awful for them.  Both have had to visit the Urgent care, had to test for covid (always negative, and never test them for flu either), and have been sent home with over the counter suggestions.  Even though daughter K was diagnosed with a sinus infection, she was sent home with over the counter medications.  I have never heard of that - always a prescription of some sort.  Thank goodness for natural remedies that do help quicken recovery and relieve symptoms.  Which reminds me, I need to restock ginger root.

The purge continues here, and thankful I'm doing it.  However, the craft supplies are getting me into trouble.  More on that later.  My first attempt to purge, was anything wooden for crafts. Ha ha, oh boy. 

I filled a box of writing paper, graph paper, and markers to give to my younger brother.  My niece and nephew go thru a lot of paper.  Thankful it could be used.  They are getting oodles of doodle paper.

I have a tote of goat supplies and I'm hesitant to purge those.  I just don't know if we'll raise dairy goats again or not, and I hate to re-purchase.  I'm hanging on to them for now.

My dish scrubbies and soap saver bags were delivered to the gift shop.  I am thrilled they are selling them, as we didn't have one craft show last year.  I received an additional order for 6, but I have to get to the store to see if they sell netting in the color she wants.  It's an odd color request.

King got his first winter booties.  I took a video, but can't get it to load here.  I will try again later.  It was hilarious.  We could all use a good laugh.

My favorite firewood fetcher machine.  Works great until I hit a patch of clean concrete or grass.  It's more trips to restock the porch, but so much less heavy work.  Good exercise I guess.

Today, is the first day I have not been prepared for a dinner, but I'm sure I can come up with something this morning.  I love crock pot dinners.  I can relax with crochet or crafting or reading and not be at the stove in the evenings.  I guess I'll see when I check the freezer and pantry.

Ideas for revitalizing and energizing yourself (cont.):

26. Practice self-expression

27. Work off your anger

28. Face your fears

29. Experiment with acting your way to a new feeling

30. Learn to relax

More Planting ~ Stake Out

The carrots and beets are now planted.  Each row is about 43 feet long.  We really need more, but I'm working on that.  I got the last two rain barrels in place for the next rainfall as well.  I need the water to plant everything else mid-May.

Hubby and I are figuring out the best place to install my new  (concord) grape arbor.  That is next on the list too.

Remember my new elderberry trees I planted last year?  Well, I found another use for them.  I read that you can stuff elderberry branches/leaves into mole tunnels to get rid of them.  My trees are not really big enough yet, but I do plan to try this if the moles continue to dig tunnels.  

Sunday Salsa

After I canned another quart of fridge pickles, I realized I forgot to check the garden.  I came in with enough tomatoes,  fresh picked green pepper, onion, and cayenne pepper. We will be enjoying our first quart of salsa tonight.  Yum!  However, I am looking at about 5 more zucchini now.  I think I will freeze all but two, and make a batch of pancakes tomorrow.  I can freeze them with liners in between, and the kids can simply take them out when school starts, for a healthy breakfast.  Hopefully, we will still have some of the blueberry syrup to go with them.

It's another typical Sunday around here.  More yard work, mowing, trimming, and my clotheslines are filled to the max.  With all this gardening, canning, and cooking, I have neglected to get the towels washed.  Now I need to wait for it to dry, to hang even more out.  I hate to do that kind of work on a Sunday, but we have more dental appointments starting tomorrow.  Those trips to town always waste my day away, and my chores, and the garden get behind.

The girls are out in the barn trying to figure out a way to repair, and put together, a temporary horse stall before winter.  


I guess I will be buying supplies to build a dog house type shelter for our billy goat.  That way he won't be near the fencing.  We did find a free 4 month old female goat, but the owner wants herd shares (milk, and first pick of the first baby goats).  That is way too much to ask for.  Especially, when we need her for milk for ourselves (and we have a large family).  We will continue to search for another female.

Break Over

Our 18 year-old is now a high school graduate, and about to start her first job this next week.  We, as parents discourage our kids from working while they are in school.  From our own experience, it effects their grades, their energy level, and much more.

I finished a book over my week long break from the internet.  And just for the record, I am still reading a Hemingway book. 

I ran out of white yarn, and have yet to pick up more. Maybe this week I can.

It was nice to get a break, but reality sets in when the break is over.   I'm still weeding through 421 emails.  Most of course are just advertisements.  I am starting to unsubscribe to many of them this next week. 

Happy Goats ~ Blisters and Backaches

Staking the goats has been successful.  I think they look forward to seeing me approach the gate to bring them out now.  They get a belly full of goodness, and we get a gas free mower (and cleared land).

Speaking of land.  Hubby went guns-blazing with the garden expansion yesterday.  He literally wore me out.  I put 11,000 steps on my fitbit in garden work alone (by 3pm).   I had gone to the garden to plant the onions, but they are still not planted.

Rainy, Cold Day Advantage ~ Goat on the Loose

One rainy day, two rainy days, three rainy days, done!  The seat cushions are all done. For one table anyway.  A few need the ties attached, but we can now enjoy them.

I've also been retouching the paint on my kitchen cupboards.  They are getting a good cleaning, and guess what else?  

Italian Tasting ~ Taco Sauce Recipe ~ Family

Grab a cup of coffee or tea.  This blogpost is a bit long.

The morning here today is cool, and so pleasant.  Rain is in the forecast.  I planted this Morning Glory from seed and it is just now blooming.

The fall weather is bringing in blooms of all colors, including this purple.  I cannot tell you 

the name of this flower without looking it up.  It's been moved from two houses and still growing strong.  The hummingbirds, butterflies and bees love these flowers.

The kids wanted another party - Italian.  There is no way I can possibly whip up another successful party, with all that food in one night. 

Weekend Pop-Up Camping Trip #2

We now call ourselves "popupologists."  (Snort) The definition is a devotee of camping with a pop-up camper. 

Pour yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, and join us while we show you are camping adventure.

We took another camping trip.  This is the back of our campsite, where there is a secluded area for more tents or simply "chilling out."

Dehydrating Potatoes

  I'm dehydrating potatoes this year.

I have a 4 tray Excalibur dehydrator.  I filled those trays up in no time, and will have more to dehydrate during the next few days.

Homemade Pumpkin Butter Making

This was the first year for us to grow our own pie pumpkins (baking pumpkins).  Last year we grew the type the kids could carve out for fall.

The weird weather this year, caused our pumpkin production to be less than what we thought.  We even had less of our spaghetti squash this year.  It was simply too wet.

We were blessed to have enough baking pumpkins to make pumpkin butter and possible bake a few pies.

There is something so gratifying to grow the pumpkins and make pumpkin butter myself.  Nothing is wasted.  The pumpkin seeds are saved and roasted, and the the goats will get treated to some pumpkin skins (and a few seeds), and any remaining will be composted.  I have to double check with my daughter, to make sure the goats can eat it first.  It sure feels good to not throw something in my trash, or have to recycle plastic, metal or glass.

Creative Venues ~ Another Birth

If you are wondering about the cut back on usage of electronic and social networks, I have a quick update.

Day one:  one child just about had a meltdown, but later used her time to read a library book she has had for a few weeks.  Another got out the water color paints and painted these:

Blooming Sunflowers

First one to bloom.

 When we first moved here, we explored the barns.  I found this water trough, with a rusted out bottom.  We pulled it out of the barn and put it in front of this barn.  The horse shoe shaped drive is in front of it.

I thought it would make a nice flower "pot" for sunflowers, with the bright yellow against the red barn.  Just don't look at all those tall weeds around the bottom.  We need to borrow the trimmer again, and trim around all of our barns already.  I can't let the goats trim them, or I will lose my garden, herbs, and my sunflowers.  

I also read that I can cover the heads of my sunflowers with cheese cloth, to prevent the birds eating them, while they dry.  The sunflowers we planted are edible.

Humid, Hot, and More Rain

Posting late today, due to those extra duties I have right now, but happy to to get a entire pot of coffee all to myself.
 
The recent storm brought us much needed rain, but also more weeds.  I'm not sure what hurts more, my back or knees.  The beets were so bad, I had to weed them out on my knees.  Even though I had gloves on, hands are blistered from thistle stabbing me through to the skin.

I picked a few radishes to taste, but they are not all ready yet for harvest for stocking up just yet.

A Planner with Pizazz ~ New Year's First Day Tidbits

When my 17 year-old had asked me, "do we have to do anything today?" 

I responded with "eat, drink, and be merry!"

I got my crafting mojo flowing yesterday, and created a fun planner for 2014.  Thanks to Patty, at Lemon Lane Cottage, I dug out my scraps, decoupage and glue, and put some pizazz into a plain covered planner.  I'll admit, it felt good to craft without a plan, and without a deadline.  

Read more by clicking on "read more" below....

First Homegrown Shell Peas

While checking the garden I saw one plump shell pea pod.  I picked it to see check the size, so I know when to start picking them.  We even tasted these gems of goodness.  I can't believe I haven't grown them before, but you can't grow everything.  Or can you?  Hopefully, in a few more days, I'll be blanching our first shell peas for the freezer.  I took the pea pod out to the goats, to see if they would like it, but they all turned their noses up. 
 

The berry picking continues.  I should have enough to start canning jam.   Looks like a dry day today, so maybe weeding will continue.  I saw one jalapeno on one plant yesterday, but no green peppers just yet.  One zucchini plant is dying.  Hopefully the garden will have the chance to completely dry out and catch it's breath.

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.

Random Tidbits

The weather is turning a bit cooler today, so I as up early to make sure the fire was going (or started).  We had some lovely sunshine yesterday, and I found excuses to go outside - dump the egg shells, walk the dogs, feed the barn animals, let the goats out, get the mail.  It was so nice to see the sun for a while.

Hubby and I got a laugh out of this.  It's a writing magazine that I found, opened to this page, stuffed in the desk I am cleaning out.  Ha ha!  Oh the laugh we got.  So fitting for the cleaning I am doing.

Kids ~ Feeling Better ~ Determined to Put Up some Garden Bounty

I just had to pop in this morning, and let you know that our 15 year-old did a great job on dinner last night.  I failed at photographing the dinner, but she even insisted on some boiled green beans.  We ate dinner on the front porch.  First time since the onset of illness.

She has now learned how to boil noodles, prepare and boil potatoes, make stove top tuna and noodle etc.  I'm pretty proud that this blessing came out of this.

I can't wait to be sharing some beautiful and happy homesteading photos soon.

Today, the girls are checking my garden.  Even though my eye infection is not completely healed, I am able to assist in the kitchen.  I am told the tomatoes are in full force, so I told them to hold off a day or two (if they could).