Pumpkin Pie and Rag Rollers

I kept about 3 cups crushed, homemade graham crackers.  I also have about 3 cups puree pumpkin I kept for making 2 homemade pumpkin pies.  I may post picture of those pies later, or tomorrow.

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Cooler Weather, Rising Food Prices and Homemade Honey Graham Crackers

I love this cooler weather.  We officially started our fall wood splitting last night.  Even though I had a very long day of work and a bazillion "to-do" items on my "to-do" list, I still went out to help.  We are going to need to wood too.


Today I went to the store to get a few items we needed, and looked at the price of wood pellets - a whopping $5.00/bag (40 lb.).  Last year we paid $3.58/bag.  I was absolutely shocked.  Corn was over $6.00/bag and was not affordable last year either (to burn). 

I am already baking almost daily, so I will have to figure out more ways to cut down our costs.  Maybe next year we can increase our meat chicken supply, our layers, and possible raise beef.  I am already searching for recipes on making butter with our goat's milk.   

Today, I baked homemade graham crackers.  I will need 3 cups of them saved for homemade graham crust pumpkin pies tomorrow.  It's already hard to keep the kids from eating what I need.  I guess I could always make more tomorrow.  These are made from whole wheat flour and raw honey.  Yum. 

Pumpkins, Carrots and A Horse

While I was out taking laundry down, I thought I better double check the garden.  It's been raining here and everything is a soggy mess.

I pulled on my mucking boots, and slushed out to the back squash garden.  I found a few more pumpkins, and believe it or not, 3 carrots.  I thought for sure I pulled all of them.

I washed off those tasty carrots and blessed Peanut (our goat in milk) a treat.  She gobbled them down.  The younger goats are not interested in that type of food just yet, but our goat in milk, and our billy goat, love veggies.

I roasted several of the pie pumpkins, pureed them and they have blessed the freezer "pantry" now.  I can take out what I need for future baking.

Tiger, came right out to the kitchen when I sliced the first pumpkin.  I think he can smell squash a mile away.  We gave him the nickname "squash boy."  He looooves veggies, especially squash.  He's nibbling on some pumpkin in the photo.

The freezer was blessed with 12 1/2 cups of pureed pumpkin.  I appreciate my pumpkin a lot more now.  It's now easy cutting all of them, cutting out the seeds, roasting, skinning and then making puree.  It took all morning, and in between the roasting time, I was able to do a bit of bathroom cleaning.  Phew!  Now if I can just get my writing done.

The pantry was also blessed with a 1/2 pint jar full of dried rosemary, and about 1/4 cup of dried oregano.  With all this rain, I was able to cut several more stalks of rosemary to dry.  I may even cut some more thyme and oregano today.

Now for the horse part of the post.  Last night my daughter went to the stable.  She arrived right when her horse was having a "small episode of colic" and I had no clue what it was.  Later I found out, and it's a very bad thing to happen to a horse, considering they can not throw up.  Ugh. We found out the stable has sand, and sand can't be digested.  

Luckily, with my daughter's timing, and some medication, the horse is okay.  Phew!  There are so many things I have yet to learn.

Because.....

. . . an unexpected baking/cooking day.

Because I had a 1/2 jar of canned sweet pickle relish that needed to be eaten. . .

I used it to make a pasta salad.  I found veggie spirals on sale for $1.00 a bag.

Because I had pear butter that needed eaten . . .

I used a portion of it, cutting the oil in half, to make 2 loaves of Pumpkin bread.


Because I had 3 quarts of goat's milk . . .

I made another crock pot full of cooked steel cut oats.  The kids eat this for after school snacks now.

Because I still have more of that fresh goat's milk, fresh green peppers producing in the garden, and a few last carrots . . .

I made a double batch of Confetti Corn Muffins. Yum!

Because I had extra cranberries in my freezer . . .

I made a big pot of hot cranberry punch.  The kids will be excited to see it when they get home today.  It's raining and cold and miserable here today.  It will perk them up and put a little sunshine in their day.  I like to stock up on fresh cranberries when they get marked down at the end of each season.  I put them in the freezer and use them for punch and baking.

Because it's raining. . .

The towels are getting dried inside on drying racks.

and......because our camping trip was an affordable $18.00/night, we may take the girls canoeing/camping one more time this year.  The older kids can drive out and meet up with us for canoeing.  Because Pampered Chef sells the thickest hot pad mitts I know of, I am passing mine onto the camping tote for my hubby.  He burned his fingers with the hot pads (cheap, old, and store bought) ones that were already in my camping tote.  I will put some of my own crocheted ones in my kitchen to replace them (or save up to buy new mitts, he he!).


All this, just because.

One more "because"

Because it was only $1.00, I bought this book and absolutely love reading the real stories of real people.

Got Books?

Fall Campout

My hubby and I took our two younger kids to a state park fall campout this weekend.  It was a load of fun - absolutely the best camping trip yet with the kids!

I had my doubts as it rained all day Friday.  I still packed up and away we went, and headed out about 6pm Friday night.

That night we decided to skip a fire and watch the campground moonlight movie.  They have an outdoor amphitheater, and the movie was Harry and the Henderson's.  They served ice cream, rootbeer floats, and popcorn.  After that we simply went to bed.

The next morning we had trouble getting our fire going - took forever to get breakfast made.  After that we drove down to the boat launch and they offered free canoe rentals for 2 hours.  Only 4 canoes went out that morning.

My 9 year-old was a bit hesitant, so I stayed with her while hubby and my 12 year-old went out.  She later regrets not going out.


When we returned, we participated in cookie decorating.  The cookies were in the shape of a Sasquatch and they provided brown frosting and mini-chocolate chips to decorate them with.

After that they painted small pie pumpkins with paint, and then we had a short break in the day.  

While we had our break in the day, we worked on our scarecrow.  They held a contest for this event, and provided supplies.  We are new to this, while other campers brought items to spruce up their scarecrow.  We dug into our tote and used an old curtain for an apron, a hankie with clothespins to look like a pocket, braided twine for hair, flowers for eyes, nose and even put flowers in the pocket.  We stuffed her with tall wild grass.  The is sporting my 9 year-old's bandanna. 

Hubby and I took turns cooking and adding items to the Dutch Oven Chili we were making.  Meanwhile, the girls took part in a Floating Donut contest.

The had one minute to eat an entire donut off of a string to win.  Two other girls won.

Then the campground offered archery as another activity.  My girls have never done this and were thrilled to participate.  They actually did extremely well, and were consistent with their arrows.  They both want to start participating in archery and archery contests now.

 Unfortunately, this activity was for kids only.  Bummer.

Then they judged the chili cookoff, and allowed us to eat, prior to announcing the winners.  Unfortunately, ours did not win.  There is always next year.

The chili cookoff, followed by the campground potluck, was followed by hay rides.  


It did not end there.  After we had a break to go back and wash up our dishes, they offered a campfire sing-along, at the horse campfire area.  A gentleman played a guitar, and we sang songs around the campfire, and made s'mores.  At that time, they announced the winners of the Scariest, Funniest, and Most Traditional Scarecrows.  Our "Harrietta" scarecrow, won first place (tied with another scarecrow).  


We brought her home to display on our porch.  Her head is a paper bag, so she can't get wet.


Overall, our campsite was a mushy mess, but we still had fun.  It rained while we cooked our last breakfast, but we still had fun.  In fact, the girls were begging us to get them out of school, for one more day of camping.  Sadly, there were no activities at the campground today.  


We may go again next fall.


While were were camping, my two older girls took their dogs to another town, for a  Humane Society "Mutt Strutt."  They raised money for the Humane Society and were able to walk their dogs, along with many more, for several hours.  Depending on the dates of next year's Fall Campout, I may be taking our 3rd dog to the "Mutt Strutt" next year.  

Letters of a Homesteader

I've been watching the DVD's from Frontier House.  It's very interesting to watch, and see what these people really miss from their "real" lives.  

Pioneer life can be romanticized so easily, and often we forget about their extremely hard work. I of course, know the hard physical work of splitting wood, hauling wood, and other chore challenges of self-sufficiency.  There are yet, going without things, that we have not completely experienced.  We are, however, learning and teaching ourselves about the "how-to" of making things ourselves.  I often think about the "what if" when baking, such as what would I do without flour, sugar, or salt.

I recently found the entire book of Elinore Pruitt Steward, on-line, to read for free.


Letters of a Woman Homesteader (click on it to be directed)


I love to read about the history, real life situations, of the pioneers.  I often learn simply by reading those true life stories. 


At the beginning of the DVD, the Frontier House shows the families going through clothing and supplies they will need.  One woman pulled out embroidery and said she had no idea how to do it, and also stated that she made fun of her co-workers who did do embroidery. 


That is so true about being laughed at.  However, more and more, people are asking me questions about what I am making, who taught me, how I learned etc.   


I also checked out a library book about pioneers in Canada.  I'll be back to share the title and author later.