Mushrooms and A Curious Cat

I have walked around the property (some of it) and found two different types of mushrooms growing.  One was growing on a fallen tree.

Spaghetti Squash

I completely forgot to take photos to share, but I baked up 2 spaghetti squash (could have used more, but it was our last ones), and made Baked Spaghetti Squash.

It was delicious and we will be keeping this recipe.  I have did not have mushrooms or olives when I baked it, and I used home canned seasoned tomato sauce (thickened with tomato paste).  It was very good.

My tip:  Cook the spaghetti earlier, with enough time to drain out the water (to keep the casserole from being to watery).  Home canned sauce is not as thick as store pasta sauce, so I may toss in some dry spaghetti noodles to soak up more liquid next time.

Rag Rug ~ Preserving Memories

I finally finished it.  Phew!  I crocheted a rag rug with sheets, pillow cases, and other rag-worthy fabric.  I've been saving fabric for approximately a year now. 

It measures about 5 1/2 feet long by about 22 inches wide.  I even cut up an old apron my kids used for playing house when they were very young.  I also cut up an old baby crib sheet that I probably used for all the kids.  

My Uncle gave us a new set of sheets and pillow cases, and we greatly appreciated them.  It gave me the opportunity to cut my old pillow cases and sheets, and make this very useful rug.  Some of my pillow cases were over 20 years old and worn very thin.  I honestly thought they would rip when I crocheted them, but they held tight.  

My 9 year-old was watching me sew the strips together the other day.  She now wants, not one, but two rag rugs for her hope chest.  

Now......I better get back to cleaning.  I just hope I don't come across another unfinished project, or I may have to stop cleaning to finish it too.

Deep Cleaning and Garden Clearing

My clotheslines were working over time yesterday.  As I cleaned out a cupboard in my utility room, and removed mildew, I discovered blankets had been taken out of their plastic bags.

Not only, did the kids just toss the blankets in the cupboard, but put sheets, pillow cases and tablecloths.  Now, I am washing them all and putting them back in their proper homes, and with a clean cupboard.

Unfortunately, this year has been a moist, then dry, and moist summer.  I've taken 35 pints of water from one room already, using my dehumidifier.  I'll be rotating it to another room today.

In the process of deep cleaning around my bedroom, and wiping mildew from the floor trim, I discovered yet another unfinished project that.  I have been working on it for over a year, and decided it's time to finish it.  I'll post photos when it is finished.  This however, puts me a behind in cleaning.  

Either way, I will get both done.

I am sharing my latest thrift store find.  I think I paid $3.00 for this wooden sign.  I love it.  It's now hanging on my utility room door, which people see when they enter from my side door.

As for the garden clean up . . .

Most of the garden is getting re-tilled for winter.  I hope next year won't be so strange, with all the rain again.  A fall garden would be nice to have.  There are still areas to finish before we are completely done.

On top of my deep cleaning, which I am doing myself, I discovered another repair job.  I'm not sure what it will entail yet, but the kitchen sink is some how leaking water out onto the floor in front of it.  It's happening when the dishes are being washed.  So......today, some way or another, I will be taking everything out from under it, discarding stuff, cleaning it and figuring out where the water is coming from.  

My 9 year-old daughter has also found a fun science experiment to do.  She found it on Zoom, on-line.

She experimented with water and oil (and food coloring).  As you can tell, I have a few kids that absolutely love science.  

 

She asked me to blog about her experiment and show pictures.  She dropped food coloring into 3 cups.  One with mostly oil, one with water, and one with water and a thin layer of oil.  Each cup showed the food coloring in different ways, considering that food coloring is mostly water.  In the last photo, the cup has a thin layer of oil.  She popped one of the balls of food coloring and it made a neat design in the bottom of the cup.  Who knows what she will do next.

Pumpkin Waffles With Goat's Milk and Farm Fresh Eggs

These were delicious.  We doubled the batch, using our pumpkin puree, and have extra for breakfast.  The kids can toast them, and cook up eggs, and make egg/cheese/waffle sandwiches (or simply eat waffles).

When you can't mow. . .

  . . . let the goats mow for you.

Peanut is enjoying being rotated around the barn, for some delicious new grass to eat.  Our grass is not treated with any chemicals.

Our mower deck has already been welded, and now I'm told that the mower cannot be repaired (long sigh).  However, the goats are enjoying the fresh tall grass.  We got a good laugh yesterday.  Rue cried his eyes out while Peanut was out enjoying her grazing space.  He's so funny to listen to.  He was rolling his head backwards and stomping his feet until Peanut returned to the goat pen.  We plan to expand it and make a second fenced area, so they we can rotate the grazing areas.

Dehydrating Red Cabbage ~ Spontaneous Science Experiment

My 12 year-old daughter helped me line the dehydrating trays with red cabbage.  When we were done, she used the blanching water for a spontaneous science experiment.

She took the blanching water and put some in 5 containers - 4 for experimenting and 1 for a control.  She used ammonia, distilled vinegar, and a baking soda/water mix.  She added it to each container, watching what color the purple/blue water would turn to. 

The ammonia turned it green, the vinegar turned it a pink/red color, the baking soda/water mix, turned it a darker blue.  The last one is the control.

Zip on over to one of my daughter's blogs.  She posts a "mood of the week" picture, and some are pretty funny to view.

Life as a Teen Farmgirl