Journey To Me

Anyone heard from Glenda?

Just wondering if anyone had heard from Glenda lately?  You can PM me, if you would, and let me know how she is?

Thanks,

Rhonda

Do you have your seed catalogs yet?

Sitting here at my computer, my toes turning blue, I hear the sweet peeps of baby chicks.  It's a wonderful springtime sound.  But I know it's not spring.  It's not even Christmas.  And the only reason they're down in the basement  is because it got so cold in the coop,, Mama couldn't keep them warm anymore.  We only have 4 of 14 left.

Last Monday, guess what came in the mail?   Yep, my first seed catalog.  Nope, it's not too early.  My Johnny's catalog came and I've already made out my order.  Then yesterday, my Nichol's catalog came, so I'm comparing prices, etc. Looks to me like the prices have gone up again.  I saved some seeds from last year's plants, but cabbage, carrots, beets, these are hard to save seeds from.  Need to give them two years and I have a hard time  doing that.

I suppose I should keep my mind on finishing Christmas gifts.  But the sun is shining, the chicks are peeping, my seed catalogs are sitting on the table.  Ahh...hope springs eternal.  If it weren't for all of the frost on the windows and my blue toes, I could just about think it's spring!

We are the "cute" farm-pictures

In honor of our new snowfall, I ventured outside, camera in hand.  I have finally taken pictures of Bear.  He's our newest, smallest Angora buck.

Here's another because he's just sooooo cute.

Ready for more?  These are our two week old chicks.  They are starting to feather out.  Let's hope so.  They say the thermometer may dip to 0 tonight.

Now for the snow pictures.  Here's some of our hay for the winter.

And herrrrrrrrre's Sadie.  She had to get in on the action.  She thinks she's very photogenic.

(just tell her she looks good.  Please don't mention the few extra pounds she's packing.)

I'm hoping the sheep are smart enough to go in the shed tonight.  They seem to think that they have to stay outside.  Maybe some fresh hay in there will lure them in.  I don't like the thought of them being out on such a cold night.

Stay warm.

How to disguise deer

I do not llike venison.  I have never liked venison.  It's funny what a tight budget  can do to you.  I'll eat it, but I won't like it! 

 A couple of years ago, we used to turn down venison that was offered to us.  My husband and I had a hard time with the taste.  Now, we feel so blessed to have been given, not one, but two, whole deer.  The deer, plus the turkeys and chickens we butchered, almost fill the freezer.  It feels good to know that we are eating such healthy meat. (I still don't like the taste.)  There'll be a lot of slow cooked venison with beef broth.  I'm canning up a bunch of small pieces today.  I like it that way.  So if you want to get rid of any gamey taste, canning does it.  I'm also going to put a few trays of jerky to dry in the dehydrator.  I like the jerky.  I may try to make some sausage out of the venison burger we have.  Anyone have a good recipe?

Totally  different note- One of my Angora goats came into heat today and I put her in with the buck.  I can't wait for babies.  We're bringing our Alpines and our Icelandics to get them bred also.

And lastly, my honey just got home from town and brought me a bag of Doritoes, which I am consuming as I write.  Now if that doesn't just top off a perfect day....

God is Good-You know-all the time.

Love,

From Glory Farm.

Rhonda

Blog on...

This is one of those "I don't  have anything to write about" entries.  The weather is warm-54 and raining.  The clothes on the line are going through their third rinse.  All of this warm weather is supposed to end tomorrow when they say SNOW!  and a high temp of 35.

Need to-haul in firewood

            empty pick up of  firewood

          set up new pens in the barn

          clean the barn

           start sewing Christmas gifts

           bake, bake, bake

That should do it for today and then some.  I don't think that I'll get those pens put up until my honey can give me some advice on the best way to do it.  You know, my husband is a genious.  Seriously.  And handsome...wow.  Anyways...

The goats and the sheep are making a racket out there.  They seem to think that they never get enough to eat.  The horses have been put back in with the cows for the winter, so feeding time is total chaos.  Need to put the pen back up so they can eat in peace. 

God is good, isn't He?  When you accept what He's given you or taken from you, His blessings seem so much easier to see.  Does that make sense?

Well, this has been a strange entry and not one that flows smoothly.  Thanks for reading.  The Lord bless you and fill you.

We did it, We did it, we did it, did it, did it...

Okay.  I've lived in the country all of my life.  (Except those three years in Minneapolis, temporary insanity.) I have always had a garden, usually quite a few animals and my parents were into sustainability, when sustainability wasn't cool.  In all of my years of experience (that's a lot), I've never butchered anything!  I've helped, but never done it.  A dear friend, who can do just about anything homestead like, came over on Friday with her two children and we proceeded to butcher our turkeys and chickens.  Now this may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but it was hurdle I needed to get over if I really wanted to wisely use all of the resources God has given us.  No more senior center for chickens.  My son and I can now take care of this.  We had fresh turkey, home grown mashed potatoes and tomatoes,  and peas for dinner yesterday.  The turkey was great!  Now if our cow was milking, I could have claimed fresh milk for the meal.

We had a Buff hatch out 14 chicks on Friday.  I told her it was a little late, but she paid me no never mind and did it anyways.  We have one more hen that's not listening to reason, and should hatch hers out in a week or so.

Today-I carted up 1/2 bushel of ripe tomatoes from the basement and I think I'll do ketchup with them this time.  We're out.

I find so much help on this site.  I found a recipe for apple cider vinegar using just the peels and cores http://www.solarfamilyfarm.com/  I made this and it worked! I made two gallons to use as hair rinse, mostly.

Another thing I found on homestead blogger, how to make yeast , or make it last longer. 

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/16 t. yeast

Put together, let set for five hours and you have enough starter to make a loaf of bread.  Decrease the amount of liquid and flour in your recipe by the amount in your starter.

This saves big time on yeast. 

Well, this has been a long post.  Best stop now, I must be in a talkative mood.

Blessings.

Welcome to My Kitchen-Me too

A New Homestead Newspaper and other things

Yesterday the kitchen was warm and the smells great.  Don't you love when the kids come in and say "What smells so good?"  I canned applesauce, rose hip syrup, V-8 juice, cooked a couple of pumpkins, froze some and made 4 dozen muffins, made cabbage rolls from the V-8 juice.   Thank you Lord.  I didn't get the salsa done, but that can happen today, Lord willing.

The wood furnace is up and running!  I put the first fire in there last night.  The chemicals from the paint and from the new stove pipe had to burn off, a smell that wasn't so great, but it was warm.  I'm so thankful for this new stove.

Today it's out to the barn to clean some more and try to get the new goat pens done, haul some wood into the house and violin lessons in town.  Maybe some house cleaning and, of course, schooling.

There's a new homestead newspaper on line.  It's free and  if you'd like to check it out, the site is- http://www.freewebs.com/homesteadernews

Have a good and Godly day.

 P.S.  We picked up not one but two Angora bucks on  Saturday.  We'll have some nice kids come next spring, Lord willing.  Pictures later.

Oh yes we can, can

Can that is.  I just finished up two batches of rose hip syrup, that was supposed to be rose hip jelly.  Happens everytime I make it.  I think I need a new recipe.

I have V-8 juice simmering on the stove, soon to be sieved and put into jars and canned.  Then to finish off the apples and put some applesauce up.  Next up is the rest of the ripe tomatoes which will make about 8 quarts of salsa.  I have a couple of pumpkins in the oven and would like to get some pumpkin muffins made and some pumpkin pancakes.  When the V-8 juice is done, I'll use some to make some cabbage rolls to put in the slow cooker.  By that time my honey should be home and I get to drive tractor and bring hay bales home.  Someone please help my house! 

I love going down to the canning pantry and looking at the fruits of my labors.  I know you enjoy it too.  All the lovely colors and jars.  Canning is addicting, but it sure helps the grocery bill.

With all of that said, time to get off my duff and get that V-8 juice finished.

From Glory Farm

Rose Hip Jelly and An Angora Buck

Today we're going visiting.  We're going to pick rosehips at a friend's house.  I used to make rosehip jelly and tea and I'd pretty much forgotten that they even existed.  Very  high in vitamin C.

Rose Hip Jelly

4 cups rosehip juice

7 1/2 cups sugar

1 bottle liquid pectin

Remove blossom remnants and stems from rose hips.  Prepare rose hip juice by  placing crushed rose hips in a pan, cover with water and cook for 15 minutes or until soft, strain through cheesecloth.

Measure juice, stir in sugar.  Place on high heat, stirring constantly.  Bring to a full rolling boil.  Add the liquid pectin and heat to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, skim off foam, pour jelly into hot containers and seal.  Rose hips should be picked after the first killing frost for the best flavor and jelling.  This jelly is a good source of vitamin C.

Tomorrow we're taking a road trip down south, near the cities, to  pick up an Angora buck.  We don't go this far very often.  To church is about as far as we usually travel these days.  This is a treat for us and I pray the Lord blesses our day and helps us to bless those that He puts in our path.  Lord willing we'll have Angora kids in the spring and have some to sell, fiber to sell, and a way to help our farm pay for itself.

Our two oldest girls are on a camping trip this weekend.  CCCCCold.  They went  up to the Boundary Waters.  It'll be a trip they remember, one way or another.

Have a marvelous weekend, all.