Happy New Year!

 I just don't know how it is possible that 2022 is over and a new year begins,  I guess once you get to a certain age, life just speeds up. It seems like life on the farm is so busy that sometimes I wonder how I managed life when there were three kids and a full-time job.  My sister-in-law said it best, "We just don't get started like we used to."  And I guess she is right.

This year for the first time since we moved to Missouri, we had company for Thanksgiving.   My sis and her hubby were here and it was so much fun to visit and just enjoy the company.  I was so proud since I fixed candied sweet potatoes (from the garden) green bean casserole (from the garden) and pumpkin pie also from the garden.  We had deviled eggs from our chicks and pear jelly from the orchard.  There is such a sense of accomplishment when I go to the basement and pull from my stockpile that I raised and preserved myself.  

The holiday season brought community celebrations which is one thing I adore about living in a small community.  My sister and I were able to shop at several craft fairs for unique gifts as well as attend community chili dinners and parades.  Our town has a night parade that is lit up on each float, musician, and horse.  Though we normally go to visit my inlaws at Christmas, this year we stayed home because of the extremely cold weather.  A loss of power could have meant suffering animals, frozen pipes, and more.  We luckily did not suffer any outages though, so all was well.

In late October, our two female goats, Laverne and Shirley came into heat, so we bred them to Mr. Bill our horn dog billy goat.  By now, we are pretty certain they are both pregnant so we will be expecting babies in late March or Early April.  I am excited, scared, and cautious, I am reading every piece of goat literature I can get my hands on.  I think Laverne is starting to show a little.

Our chicks are on hiatus and are currently not laying much if at all. We have a bantam rooster who doesn't like me and today waited until I had my back turned to come after me. He may be small but he is ferocious.

Then there are the bees.  If you know me, you know that beekeeping has been a painful and expensive learning experience for me.  But this last hive of bees is thriving.  Our temps last week were negative double digits but today it is nearly 60 degrees out.  When I walked out to the bird feeder, this is what I saw:

It seems that the bees gather the protein dust from the seeds in lieu of pollen since nothing is blooming right now.  

The other things that are keeping me busy these days are my freelance writing, my Etsy shop, and baking cookies.  I am obsessed with royal icing and made so many sugar cookies!

Do you make resolutions?  I kinda do.  I mean it's more like goal-setting for me.  For example, I want to make it a point to write every day.  Write something.  In a journal, on a blog, something.  By doing this I hope to improve my skills and maybe even someday get published.  

I want to devote more time to my Etsy shops.  Creativity is something I think we all have in us somewhere.  I love designing and making, but sometimes put it off because I need to do something else that may generate more income.  

And to add more balance to my life.  Play more.  Fish more.  Go sit with the goats. Do the things that bring me joy with the people (or animals)that make me the happiest.  

May 2023 bring you joy, health, and love.  Happy New Year my friends!

Waste not, Want not

 That's what my Grandma used to say, right?  My kids have always made fun of me because I reuse and recycle as much as possible.  I hate to waste food.  Of course we have chickens and goats, so there is not that goes to waste here.  But I do have a couple of strategies that I use on a regular basis.

One of my faves is Clean Out the Fridge Veggie Soup.  I hardly ever buy anything additional for this soup.  I just pull from the refrigerator, freezer and pantry.  When I have fresh veggies, either from the garden or a veggie tray, and there are too few to serve as a side, I just throw them in a zipper bag and stick in the freezer.  I just add to it as I go.  Nothing cooked, just fresh.  If I have celery or onions, or whatever that I know are no longer as fresh as they should be, I chop them up and add them to the bag.  

Today I pulled that mixed bag, some frozen carrots and green beans from last season, a can of corn, some small potatoes from the garden, and some cabbage that I had sliced and frozen.  I just dumped it all into the Crock Pot and added some crushed tomatoes, a half jar of tomato juice that was in the fridge and a container of chicken broth.  I always keep chicken or veggie broth on hand, since I scoop them up when they are on sale.  Add some seasonings and let it cook!  I will be smelling this all day long!  I will serve with some warm bread and honey butter.  Yum!  I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

Do you save food that might otherwise be thrown away?  I save stale bread or the heels in a zipper bag and put them in stuffing.  I save tortilla chips that are smashed for Taco casserole.  Overripe bananas get popped in the freezer, peeling and all.  When I want banana bread, I simply thaw and squeeze out the banana pulp.

Of course, not everything can be saved.  Food that is moldy or starting to show signs of rot finds its way to the coop.  Just think of the money you can save using veggies that you normally throw away.

Not long ago, I went to my favorite grocery store that marks down produce when it nears expiration.  You really have to be cautious and have a plan in mind if you purchase some of the items.  For example, I found a huge bag of carrots for $.99!  They were not moldy or soft but were nearing their expiration date.  I got them home, cleaned and sliced them, blanched them,, and used my food sealer to make individual packages and popped them in the freezer.  Since I didn't grow any carrots this year, it will give me variety without it costing me much money.

What are your money saving tricks?

Which Came First?

 Have you been to the store lately and seen the price of eggs?  OMG!  If you don't have chickens, maybe it is something you might consider.  Backyard chickens are a hobby or maybe a necessity for many rural, urban, and suburban families.  Since the pandemic which created lockdowns, and shortages, and had more and more people eating from home, backyard chicken raising has exploded in popularity.  There aren't really firm statistics on backyard chicken farmers, but estimates by the USDA come in around 5% of American households raising chicks for eggs, pets, or meat.  

In a study by United Egg producers, they point to the increase in egg consumption as being another reason for increased backyard chickens.  In fact, the consumption of Americans has increased by 15% in the last 20 years!

We have been raising chickens for about 25 years.  In fact,


when we moved from Colorado to Missouri, we moved our chickens with us.  We have never sold our eggs, but rather have given them to friends and family, who in turn, do similar favors for us.  Last year, we had been giving our neighbors eggs as we had extras.  In turn, they provided valuable horse manure for our garden....and they even delivered it!

We have never eaten our chickens, but I guess I am not totally opposed to it.  Our plan for the future is if we end up with any roosters, they will become dinner, but our hens will provide us with eggs only. Right now, we have a mixed bag.  We hatched some eggs last year and they all turned out to be roosters.  Two are gone and we still have two.  One is a bantam.  One is his son.  We have three bantam hens (one is retired), three regular-sized hens, a fuzzy chicken we call Big Bird who we think is a rooster, five regular-sized, teenagers (not old enough to lay) and one guinea hen.  

We eat a fair amount of eggs.  They are a great protein source and we use them for breakfast main course, in a salad, or when we bake.  But that is a lot of eggshells.  

Eggshells are rich in calcium carbonate.  Just like calcium is good for strong bones, it helps to strengthen a plant's roots.  But how do you get all that good stuff into your plants?

I'm sure that there are all kinds of ways and opinions on how to do this, but here is what I do:

I save my eggshells.  You know those favorite gallon ice cream buckets I use for everything?  Well I use that for egg shells too.  Every time I break an egg, I stick the shells in the bucket and put the lid on.  (They can get a little stinky)  When the bucket gets full, I grind the shells up with my little Ninja food chopper.  You can grind them as fine as you like.  I don't quite grind my into a powder, more like oatmeal size.  

I put them into quart jars and when they are full, just put any lid on them.  You don't have to worry about using brand-new lids since you are not really canning the shells.  After I have done all of the shells, I put the jars in my 250 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so.  

Don't be surprised if you hear the lids pop like you would if you were canning veggies.  It just means that it has drawn a bit of a vacuum.  The heat just helps get rid of bacteria and odor.  I store my shells in the basement with my canned goods.  In the spring, I use them on my tomatoes when I first plant them.  

You want to plant tomatoes in a hole that is larger than the pot the seedling is growing in.  This is true if you buy a plant or plant a seedling that you started from seed.  Sprinkle a half cup or so of the shells into the bottom of the hole.  Place your plant and soil above it and water well.  Your tomatoes will be stronger, healthier and produce fewer tomatoes with blossom rot.  

If you haven't given any thought to raising chickens, now is a good time to start your plan.  That way by Spring you will be ready to welcome little fuzzy chicks to your home!

Frost Warning, Seed Saving, and Pruning

 So we had our first frost warning and I still have many tomatoes on the vine.  Rather than lose them, I decided to pick the ones that are ripe, partially ripe, and the large green ones.  I mean, how many could that be? Right?

I only took seven of my gallon tubs back to the garden, so when I filled them up, I quit picking.  I left some green cherry tomatoes, some green Romas, and some of the smaller greens because I flat ran out of room.  I picked the one zucchini that was left, a couple of small scallop squash, and all the peppers that were decent size.  

The tomatoes that are partially ripened, even if they are just starting to turn colors will continue to ripen.  Some people say to put them in a window, but I just left them in the tubs and after a few days, I had many ripe tomatoes.  In fact, I froze a couple of gallon bags so far.  I am not much of a fan of green tomatoes but I did gift them to some people who are.  The ones that are not ripening are great treats for my goats, so I take them a couple each feeding instead of animal crackers for treats.  The chickens like them too!

Today I decided I had better do something with the peppers.  I love fresh bell peppers on a salad, but I just can't eat this many that fast.  So I freeze them in strips for use in fajitas, soups, or a million other ways.  A little trick that I use when cutting up this many peppers, especially when they are on the small size like these is to use kitchen shears.  Works like a charm.  

When you cut the top of the pepper at the stem end, you pull out the center core and the seeds that are with it.  After all the money I spent on seedlings last year, I decided to start as many as possible from seeds.  These plants were great producers so I kept some of the seeds.  

The seeds are wet so to store them you have to let them dry out or they will mold.  So I taped a paper towel to a plastic lid and put the seeds on it to dry.  After they are completely dry, just put them in a baggy and store them until next year.  

I also had some jalapenos to preserve.  My husband loves jalapenos.  Me....not so much.  I used some of them in my salsa and I canned a few jars for him in a dilly brine for him to put on burgers.  The few I have from this last picking aren't enough to do much with.  I decided the best way is to chop them and package them for use in chili, casseroles, etc.

So what seems like a hundred years ago, I used to work for a Mexican food manufacturer.  We made refried beans, salsas, tortillas, etc. and processed them and sold them to supermarkets.  One year we hired a guy who was an ex-football player.  He was given the job of grinding the peppers for the salsa.  It was a standing joke that he cried like a girl because he didn't wear gloves that the jalapenos burnt his skin.  Well, I am here to tell you that it is not a joke.  Jalapenos contain capsaicin, a chemical that produces the burning sensation that you feel when you eat spicy food.  If you get this on the skin, you will feel like you are on fire.  So, if you are new to working with hot peppers, rule #1:  Always wear gloves.  Rule #2:  Do not touch your eyes or other parts of your body with your gloved hand.

Recently I found this box of disposable food-grade gloves at a garage sale for a quarter.  They are the kind that they wear at the Sub shop when they are making your sandwich.  These work great!  And they are so cheap that if you need to take them off, you can just get a new pair when you are done.  

I used my little Ninja food chopper.  After coring the peppers and taking out many of the seeds, I ground them up and packaged a tablespoon in each of several bags.  I can just throw these into whatever I am cooking.  Easy Peasy.  

I had these little bags in my craft supplies.  After I packaged up a half dozen or so, I put them in sandwich bags and stuck them in the freezer.  Make sure you mark the bags so if you forget, which I am likely to do, you know what you have.

There were quite a few seeds so I saved some and set them out to dry in the same way I did the bell pepper seeds.

. You can freeze peppers without blanching and when using jalapenos, customize the package to fit your needs.  If you like your food spicier, leave in more seeds or make the portions larger.  They do tend to get soft when thawed, so it is best to use them in cooking.

After finishing up with my peppers, I headed out to the flower garden to trim back some of the Rose of Sharon bushes that are taking over.  I pruned them back really far and took the branches and leaves to Laverne and Shirley for a little goat treat.  I also decided to save some marigold seeds while I was in there messing around.  I have done this for years and it is easy and nearly mistake-proof.  As marigolds finish flowering, the flower dries and leaves a pod.  It will dry out and produce seeds.  I have beautiful marigolds every year and never buy any seeds.  

Separate the seeds from the pod and put them on a paper towel to completely dry out.  I share these seeds with my friends and family.  Marigolds love bright sunlight, warm or hot weather, and are known to keep deer and rabbits away because of their distinct smell.

One final pic before I go.  Our front yard Maple tree is showing her stuff this year.  I really think she likes Fall too!

The Garden is Winding Down

I never thought I would say this:  I am sick of tomatoes.  I love 'em.  I hate 'em.  The taste is divine. And homegrown are the best!  But this year our tomatoes have gone above and beyond anything I could ever wish for.  I can honestly say that I have eaten tomatoes at least once a day for the last two months.  But the season is winding down and my pantry is getting full and I am getting tired.

Not expecting a bumper crop, I planted all kinds of tomato seedlings.  Big boys, Early girls, cherry tomatoes, Romas, and a whole bunch that I don't even know what we have.  So far this year I have made two batches of salsa, two batches of tomato soup, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, chili sauce, pasta sauce, and soup starter.  And they just keep coming!

This week has been so busy.  With no time to can, I wash the tomatoes, core them, put them in gallon freezer bags, and stick them in the freezer until things slow down a little.  Today was the day!

I had three gallon bags in the freezer and a gallon ice cream container of unfrozen tomatoes.

I use this old strainer that I have had forever and dip the tomatoes into boiling water for just a few minutes.  Fresh tomatoes don't have to stay in as long as the frozen ones.

Another one of my ice cream containers is filled with cold water and ice.  Plunge the tomatoes into the ice water and the skins come magically off!

I save all the peelings and cores.  My chickens love them!

Using the food processor, I grind the tomatoes, leaving all that good pulp and seeds in the mixture.

Heat it till boiling. I had so much that I had to use two pans.  While it is heating, I take my clean water bath canner and fill with water (I fill to the last ring on the top), and turn on.  I sterilized my jars and lids in this clean water.  Fill the jars with your tomatoes, and add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar.  Of course, if you are using quarts, double that.  Put in the water bath canner for 45 minutes.  

It's okay if you choose to use quart jars.  There are only two of us here so I use the pints.  I use these tomatoes all year long in soup, chili, or any other recipe that calls for canned tomatoes.  

Out of my tomatoes today, I got 12 pints.  The bad thing about that is that my canner only holds 8 pints so I had to run two batches.  

Confession time:  I hope I don't get visited by the police.  My kitchen looks like a murder scene. Tomatoes are about the messiest of any vegetable (or fruit) that I have ever preserved.  And unfortunately, I am a sloppy cook.  

Oh, yes, I have had this food processor for over 30 years.  I like old things....just like me.

Here is a little hint.  When canning, put a little vinegar in the canner before use.  It helps keep the jars pretty and sparkly.  I forgot on my first batch and had to wipe down each jar and lid.  This is especially important if you have hard water or live in the country with a well.

I did squeeze in a little time to put out my garage sale wagon and some pumpkins and gourds from the garden.  I bought the mums at a flea market for $10.  We had everything else.  I love fall 

Getting ready for Babies

 I saw this picture on Facebook the other day.  It was a photo of a baby goat and it was labeled "Bankruptcy Starter Package."  And I totally get it.  Between feed and hay and meds when needed, it can get kinda pricy.  But since we are on a tight budget, we do a lot with what we have or can find cheaply.

Our goats were a gift.  My son bought them for us for Christmas.  We built our barn from mostly wood from our property.  This serves a dual purpose.  Much of the property is overgrown, and older trees get disease or rot and younger ones cannot thrive under crowded conditions.  This helps us thin the trees so the ones that we keep are strong and healthy.

We had to buy the siding and the roof material, as well as some wood for support, but all the cross pieces and uprights were cut from oak or cedar from the property.  

Even the fence posts came from the property.  

We had to cut this huge tree that was in the way of getting sunlight to the garden.  Randy used his chain saw mill to make lumber for the stalls and fencing.  Any wood that couldn't be used for the barn was split for firewood.

The barn is 15' x 15' and is divided into three sections.  The first half is for two does, a quarter is for Mr. Bill, and the other quarter is for feed and hay storage.  Eventually, we will be moving  Mr. Bill to a new location and we will use his quarters for babies.  The hay storage will be relocated and the current space will be used for milking.  

We spent less than $1000 on the barn and fence.  Of course, this was built in 2021.  Prices are much different now.  Since we are breeding our does this month, we are preparing for babies.  We have enlarged the pasture and cross-fenced some of it so we will be able to re-seed it.  Goats clear weeds and brush, it's true.  And everything else in their path.

We were at our local feed store and they had a stack of metal outside.  We asked about it and they told us their mowers were shipped in these metal crates.  They were selling them and we made them an offer of $25 per crate.  Our first three crates were able to build the four gates that we needed for the new pasture.  

 

For less than $100, we were able to get four gates that are heavy-duty and strong.  This would have normally cost us over $500 if we had purchased from the local home improvement or feed store.  Now we are working on a small barn for Bill so we can start preparing for babies.  Goats have a five-month gestation period so if we breed now, in early spring we should be blessed with little ones. 

Another Busy Week On the Homestead!

 Don't think for a hot minute that I am complaining about being busy.  No sireeee.  I would rather have loads to do than sit around twiddling my thumbs.....do people still say that?  So last week we had our monthly bee meeting on Monday night.  We have had quite the struggle with bees this year.  We purchased a nuc and set it up and within three days it was gone.  I called a fellow bee meeting member that we bought them from and asked what I did wrong.  He made it right and gave me another nuc at no charge.

Now if you don't know much about bees, a nuc, short for nucleus, is a set of five frames, complete with bees, honey, brood (bee eggs), and the almighty queen.  We ended up with three different nucs of bees and they all absconded.  We had two of the experts from our club come out to identify any problems, but no one could find any.  We assume that the equipment had somehow been in contact with some chemical that the bees did not like.  We purchased a hive from someone else and it is doing well.  

The garden has been growing crazy!  I had so many squash that I had to donate thirty of them to a local food bank.  

I am up to 20 bags of squash in my freezer, have canned 15 pints of bread and butter pickles and some tomato soup.  I also froze some squash for frying.  I found a recipe online but to tell you the truth, it was a mess, took a lot of time, and seemed to stick together.  If it works this winter, I will be amazed.  I have 15 bags of servings for two frozen.  

Off to make deviled eggs!  More later!