Preparing for Winter

While walking around, inspecting the barns for repairs (and pointing them out to my husband who was mowing the grass), I looked inside the "wood" barn.

We call this barn the "wood" barn, because it's been the one barn we store our wood in.  

 A portion of wood stacked 2 years ago.

My arms dropped, my head dropped, and I took a deep breath.  We are gonna need to start splitting wood early this year.  We had many cold days last season, and we used more than we thought.

I started making a list of what I need to get done before October:

~split wood
~get chimney swept
~power wash the house 
~re-do the corn burner piping so it keeps the soot away from the house
~build top split barn door and attach
~build side door and attach for goat barn
~tear down "emergency" coop, and re-build it larger
~set up a second heat lamp for the chickens
~sew Jesse's winter coat (our smallest dog)

.......and the list continues.


I figure, with a list, I could get focused and get the family to help.  

Last year I split over a cord of wood by hand.  This year, my husband's nephew purchased a wood splitter.  We've been trading tools this summer and last.  This way neither of us have to buy everything.  This summer we loaned out our tiller, and in exchange borrowed the trimmer (however it's not feeding the string and will need some work done on it).  We will borrow the power washer and in exchange loan out other needed tools (or barter with helping do work).

Tomatoes ~ Canning Ketchup

My first homemade ketchup is now in the last 2 hours of gently boiling.  Prior to that, it required about 1 1/2 hours of boiling before I ran it through my sauce maker.  I am so glad I invested in one.

 I know that ketchup is cheap to buy, but homemade ketchup contains no high fructose corn syrup (I know they make it without it too).  Homemade ketchup is made with our home grown tomatoes and onions, that I can rest knowing, are grown chemical free.  This is very important to me.  I can rest knowing that I can stock up safely, and not worry about how high grocery store prices will be next year.

Braised Cucumbers

(cucumbers before they were braised)

I used more butter for mine, as I had more cucumbers to use.

I did not have mint, but you could add dill also. 

Camping Trip Planned

And this time it better happen.  I'm working on getting a few days of camping in, before school starts.  If not, we will still enjoy a weekend, one way or another.  Even if I have to go by myself.  This photo shows all the relaxation I need - sounds of nature, simple campfire cooking (I don't need patience for this type cooking), no electronics, no electricity, long hikes in the woods, and morning campfire coffee. Ahhhhh................

Cat Days of Summer

Jasper hanging out.

Tiger hanging out.

Mattie hanging out.

Another picture of Tiger in his favorite place - on a newspaper

And another one of Mattie

Writer's Bling ~ My Writing Muse

Since I am on a roll with adding "bling" around here, I treated myself to a cheap "bling" writer's ring.  This is my muse.

  I will enjoy wearing it, to get my writing "juices" flowing.

The band on this ring is elastic, and the flower is about 2 inches wide, and plastic.  The center has shiny, fake stones.

Herbs, Weeds, and Garden/Organic Dinner

I had to quit in the garden early today - bad headache.  I did manage to pick all the ripe tomatoes, a whatever else was ripe.  I noticed some very large melons out there too.

My 12 year-old daughter helped me weed one section of an herb garden that was badly over run with thistle.  We filled the cart with weeds.

I spent most of the day with herbs.  I had dried rosemary, dill seed, and lemon verbena, so the kids helped put that in jars.  I cut more thyme and oregano to dry.  I also brought in parsley seeds.  

Dinner is an all garden/organic dinner tonight.  I am pan frying one kohlrabi, along with a lot of red potatoes, then adding onion, green pepper and a handful of broccoli.  After that, I will pour scrambled fresh eggs into the mix, in the same pan, and scramble that all together.

As a side, I am frying up organic bacon we bought on our organic farm tour, and making braised cucumbers with some of the ones I picked today.  I know braised cucumbers would be a better side with fish or other meat, but we are having it anyway.   Yum!

This will be our first organic bacon.  Our plan is to continue buying organic, and avoid chemicals, food contaminations, and offer our bodies the correct fats that we need.  Bacon is a treat for us.


Maybe later this week or next week, I can make an angel food cake and homemade noodles.  I have another dentist (cleaning) appointment on Friday, so I never know what I will have time for.