Saturday, November 2, 2013

We Be Jammin!

Remember the beautyberries?  We found more!  Then I got the bug...the jam bug.  Since then I have made banana jam, strawberry jalapeno jam and hot pepper (jalapeno) jam.  Yum!  Here are some pics of it all.

I didn't get any pictures of the banana jam but it was wonderful!

The first batch of beautyberry jam.  The second went into half pint jars and into the cupboard.

The jalapeno jam.  Love this stuff!

And my favorite, the strawberry jalapeno!  Yum!

Christmas is coming soon and I have a feeling some family members will be getting jam this year!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Berries and Moonpies and Cookies Oh My!

Beautyberries

(Beautyberries)

The other day Nathan brought this into the house and asked what it was.  Since I encourage this kind of curiosity I immediately snapped a photo and put it on facebook.  Soon after I learned it is called beautyberries.  It's good for a host of things like mosquito repellent and other things but we are going to make jelly.  Probably tomorrow.  

(Ginger)

After Ginger's less than stellar first date with Ditto we decided to leave her there for a while so they could get a little closer.  She has been there since then...until today!  This morning I went and picked up our expectant mother and brought her back home.  She seemed very happy to see us though, like most goats, somewhat unhappy with the change.  She'll settle back in soon enough though.  I can't wait to see her kid(s)!

She brought a friend home with her.  A pretty doe with a bad cookie habit!  Her name is Moonpie and she is quickly earning the nickname Cookie Monster but I will gladly fill her belly with cookies if she fills my fridge with milk!  

(Cookie Monster...I mean Moonpie)

I have one other doeling that is almost old enough to breed.  She has reached the favored 80lbs mark but I was advised to wait until she is 8 months old and that sounds good to me.  Better safe than sorry!  Miss Heidi will just have to wait a little longer but poor Doritos may not be able to take much more of her flirting.

Here's a lovely picture of some of my girls...


Okay, more than one.



Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Getting Preachy


I spend a lot of time looking at herbal/dietary remedies for ailments in my animals and my people.  After doing a little research the other day on vitamin D  I had this thought and decided to share it here since it directly reflects the main reason I decided to start a hobby farm/homesteading.

Unforeseen Effects of the Sin Curse

We have all heard the story of the fall of man.  We have all been cursed.   Now, I absolutely take the sin curse seriously, but we have heard it so many times that it sometimes becomes redundant.  I am not here to talk about the curse itself but rather some lesser effects people may not be seeing or recognizing.  Our diet.
It is generally believed that prior to the flood man was vegetarian.  Animals did not fear man until after the flood and, aside from sacrifice, had no reason to.  My whole supposition relies on this being true.  We know that in the garden Adam and Eve were given every tree and herb yielding fruit for “meat” which can only be interpreted as sustenance.  So there we have it, pre-flood vegetarians.  I rather believe vegan.
It is reasonable then, to believe man worked hand-in-hand with many of the animals.  Imagine plowing your garden with say, an elephant.  What about dinosaurs?  Well, they would’ve been there eating veggies with us since not just man, but animals were vegetarians too.  It was not intended to be a dog eat dog world but rather a dog eat apples world. 

The Bible mention how all of Earth moans under the curse.  One example of the moaning comes in the form of diet.  Nutritionists are forever telling us we need to take these supplements with 1000% the daily recommended allowance/amounts of nutrients because our diets fall so short of what our bodies actually need.  Could it be that, possibly, the nutrition in our food (assuming it’s organic, home grown or one of those fresh, non-GMO sources) is losing the nutrition it had a Creation due to the curse the Earth is enduring on our behalf?  Could it be we can’t get enough nutrition because the beautifully stable environment God created for us to live in was destroyed in the flood and the breaking during the days of Pelag?
What am I saying?  Should we just give up and eat whatever we want?  No.  But when you eat, remember that you should be a good steward of the temple God has provided you with.  You should also remember that, while we should try to eat healthy, nothing we eat will fully provide for us nutritionally and our bodies will decay.  That sounds so hopeless.  We can live long, full lives.  Eating, drinking and enjoying ourselves but decay happens and it happens faster when you don’t try to avoid it.

Sun, another source of vitamins, yet we are forced to block it out due to modesty.  We were supposed to be nekkid (yes, I’m spelling it wrong on purpose) folks!  Our bodies would’ve been protected by the extra layers in our atmosphere that were lost.  We could’ve run around without getting skin cancer and yet retaining all the wonderful vitamin D.  Because of the curse we now must dress modestly and protect our skin from the sun’s unfiltered rays.  How many of us didn’t see that coming?  When you read the story of the fall of man you never thought, “Great, now I’m going to get skin cancer,” or, “Now my body will ache, my bones will be brittle and I’ll get migraines because of this.” 
The truth is, these are over looked issues that are direct, or indirect results of the sin curse.  Were we still unaware we would be able to walk around nekkid.  We would be eating fruits and vegetables grown in the perfect atmosphere, full of the nutrition God intended them to have instead of the ones grown today that have gradually lost some of their nutritional value over time. 


In conclusion, eat.  Continue to drink.  Continue to go outside in the sun and absorb as much of its warmth as possible.  Aim for that perfection and though we fall short, we tried.

Sunrise



Just wanted to share this beautiful sunrise with you all.


Taken from my back door.  I wish my camera was good enough to catch a starry night so you could see how beautiful the nights are as well.

Chickens and Geese and Ducks, Oh My!


I have had a rough first year with birds.  As much as I love them it would appear that I have a lot to learn.  We have chickens, ducks and geese.  We have had the most luck with the chickens but even there I wound up with way too many roosters this year.  Oh well, that means broth, stew and chicken and dumplings right?  We love those so it worked out alright.  


(This bird is going to stay on with us but his brothers must go to "freezer camp")

The geese weren't too much trouble.  We lost one of the three but the other two have grown up healthy and strong.  They are very noisy but only when we're outside so it's not too bad.


(Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum)

The ducks....oh my.  We have had terrible trouble with ducks.  Throughout the spring and summer I have bought a total of 11 ducks.  I have posted previously about losing a pair to a dog.  Since then we have lost all but three ducks.  It was disheartening to say the least, especially since I loved the ducks the most.  However, with the advice of a friend we were able to find the problem and it is resolved!


(Lisa with our remaining buff, sadly these were the most affected)


(Most of the flock enjoying a cantaloupe.  Our two pekins were the other two ducks that survived.)


It has been three weeks since any bird has gotten sick or been lost!!!  Praise the Lord!  I felt confident enough to add a few birds to my flock.  I am told they're all hens and mixed breeds which I don't mind since they are all breeds I like.


The kids have named these, Snowball, Salt, Pepper, and The Little Red Hen (as from the storybook).  They are bringing a little variety to the flock for sure.  Now, if I can just get my incubator....


Friday, August 16, 2013

First Date!!!


We all knew it was going to happen and here it is!  Ginger is all ready to go on her first date.  She was looking a little too longingly at Doritos this morning and we thought it just might be time.  So off we went.  Here's a few pics.  

She does not like riding and especially hates going through the drive thru but Mom forgot lunch and got had to stop.  People look at you funny when you drive thru McDonald's with a goat in your truck.


She's busy exploring and checking that handsome buck but a little confused about what to do yet.




Here's the buck.  A beautiful boy names Ditto.  Okay, maybe I should've gone and read his WHOLE name before I put this up.  He is from Queenacres though and this picture doesn't do him justice.


Well, that's how that went.  She's going to hang out over there for a few days to try again.  
Poor Heidi will be so lonesome for her but she has Sam, my mother's little wether to keep her company in the meantime.  He is actually her full brother.


He hasn't quite settled in yet even though he's been here a week.  He has not been around other goats since he left his mom so coming to our herd was a bit of a shock for him.  He's getting along with everyone though.  Well, everyone except Doritos who is crazy in rut right now.  He stinks, he's dirty and he sounds weird.  But we still love him, sometimes we even pet him but that's risky.


Here's my boy getting sniffy on Burger and Heidi.  She needs to gain another 15lbs before we can breed her.  Maybe late October they can have their first "date".

Monday, August 5, 2013

Fall Planting

Aaahhh, sigh of relief.  Fall is upon us.  The leaves are falling.  The air is a little cooler.  The wind brings a cool breeze now and then.  NOT!!!  This is Texas!  I love my state but, let's face it, it's HOT here.  Sure other places are hotter, but hot is hot and anything over 90 degrees is too hot for me!  Today's high is expected to be reach 101.  Not ideal for my taste, but pretty normal for life in East Texas.  Now let's add fall planting preparations.  So, we will be tilling soil, weeding, and other general gardening work in this weather.  How do we beat the heat?  Get out in the morning except today I didn't so I will only be doing minor work in short spurts this afternoon.  Probably in my flower garden, which I love.  I am much better with flowers than vegetables.  


I started these from seeds.  Please ignore the grass.  This has been neglected due to extreme heat.  

Here are some of our flower garden projects.


That empty plot of sand used to be home to a very happy moon flower.  It was so happy that it tried to take over the whole flower bed.  We pulled up the roots but I'm guessing it will still come back because I'm so good that no flower will die in my care.  HAHAHAHA!!!!!  Sorry, I couldn't resist.


Here is a rose my wonderful sister gave me as a birthday gift.  It needs a more permanent place to live.  Check out the mint growing wildly, everywhere around it.  First time I have ever grown it.  Love the smell!


Here are some potted plants my mother just gave me.  Except the rose on the bottom left is one I had that wasn't doing well in its garden location so I potted it until I can think of a better place for it.  The really tall plant is a poblano pepper plant that I really hope I don't kill.


Here are the seeds for fall planting.  The pansies are for the flower garden of course.  I love the way they smell.  I have a website I use as a guide for what to plant and when.  


Since I'm such a newbie I really rely a lot on the advice of others and what I read online.  Hopefully my fall crops will do better than my spring.  Though we did have some great carrots and radishes.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

My First Attempt

Here is our first attempt at dressing up a goat!


The jacket didn't fit so we tied it around and he kept throwing the hat off.



Somebody needed a hug.  

I'm sure he'll do better with a better costume design and a little more practice.

Getting Ready for Breeding Season


As a new goat mom I have yet to experience goat milk, rut, pregnancy and kidding.  To tell the truth I'm kind of nervous about it.  But I have a great mentor to coach me through the process.  If all goes well, Miss Ginger will be a mama early next year.  


Though right now she's more interested in trying to get the chicken's food.

Miss Heidi is growing beautifully.  She has a bit more growing to do before she is ready to breed though.  Maybe late this fall.

Such a pretty girl.  They both are.


Here's the boys!  On the right is our herd wether, Burger.    On the left we have Doritos who is in tact and will be bred to Miss Heidi when the time is right.  I'm waiting for the wonderful experience of him going into rut.  Got to say I'm a bit nervous about that too.  God will get me, and the goats, through it all though.  Then He will reward me with wonderful goat milk and cheese and whatever else I can learn how to make.


Another goatie idea I have was inspired by this picture.  He's not mine, but he sure is cute.  I want one.  No, not the little goat, the outfit.  I've decided Burger needs an outfit and a gig.  Who wouldn't want pictures with the cute cowboy goat?  He can be a party entertainment too.  Hubby's not so sure though.  But maybe we should start by dressing him up and taking pictures with our own kids.  Anybody have a hat?  Hmm...maybe not a cowboy goat, maybe a military goat?  I think I could pull that off!  Then a Veteran's Day parade?  He's destined for stardom!  Goats are so much fun!

Monday, July 15, 2013

My Vegetable Garden

I was so excited about starting my first vegetable garden this year.  I have done very little vegetable growing in the past and had very little experience and knowledge when I started.  I have since learned a great many things.  For example, our soil lacks calcium enough to grow decent tomatoes.  Chickens love to eat tomatoes.   Mulching is non-negotiable.  Goats getting into your garden does more damage than just what they eat.  They walk all over everything and run from you because they like it there.  Gophers love potatoes and rabbits love everything.  We have a lot of both.  However, despite all of my lack of knowledge and experience we have had a small green bean harvest, had some great carrots, plenty of banana peppers and we are still growing stuff.  Maybe things will turn around?

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Difficult Days...


I'm not going to lie.  Sometimes life is downright difficult.  The last two months have been especially so.  I have lost two people whom I loved very much.  My Papa Louis passed on May  18.  My Granny Jane (Louis' wife) passed July 1st.  My heart is aching right now.  They were such wonderful people.  Our loss is Heaven's gain though.  Here is a poem:

Heaven's Rest

At end of day I'm bowed and bent,
My secret shame to Heaven sent,
My yearning heart within me dwells
Calling Our Lord, Emmanuel.
Swift He flies with His return
A lump of coal, the sins to burn
My heart to mend, my head to bless,
His blood to wash my soul afresh,
And ere He left I held Him tight,
Pray one more thing before thy flight,
Please give me peace to rest this night.
My peace is thine, my daughter lie,
Sleep well til morning b ids thee rise
With joy my heart swelled in my breast,
'Twas then I entered Heaven's Rest.


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Leghorn Stew...aka...Chicken and Dumplings


Since I was little this was the dish I asked for over and over again.  Of course Mom never made it often enough for my taste so guess what I learned to make on my own early in life?  Yep, chicken and dumplings.  This may just be my all time favorite food.  It's even how I met my husband!  I was in the Air Force and lived in the dorms.  One night I got to talking about chicken and dumplings with some friends and before I knew what happened we were cooking up my recipe on the backyard grill since there was no kitchen.  There must have been a dozen people eating it, my future husband among them.

Now, I have tasted only a couple of recipes that rival mine for flavor but it's not a dish often served outside the home either.  My recipe is based largely on the bisquick recipe.  Actually, it is the bisquick recipe with some minor changes.  Why mess up a good thing right?  Except I make my own bisquick mix and I make my own stock.  I also add more pepper.  Yesterday was the first time I made it with chicken we raised.  It happened to be a leghorn rooster out of the bunch mentioned a few posts back.  Since I'm such a nice person I will share my recipe with you.  It's really more of a method since I measure out very little.

Trisha's Chicken and Dumplings

Prepare your stock (I make a large amount since I feed seven. Usually a stock pot filled at least halfway)
Use a whole chicken (not necessary for smaller families).  My stock is then seasoned with plenty of pepper.  Be generous.
I use about 6 cups of the bisquick mix I make (6 cups flour, 3 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp salt and 1 cup shortening) and I don't measure the milk I add but you're looking for a consistency similar to pie crust or biscuits or somewhere in between.  Really sticky doughs tend to be gooey and that's just gross.

Heat your stock to boiling and reduce to a simmer.  Drop mix into stock by tablespoons full.  It's fun for my family to gather around the dough bowl and grab chunks and just break them off and put them in.  Usually there are two or three of us at least.  Be sure to throw a little dough at one of the kids as well.  Also, dump the remaining crumbs in the pot as this helps create a thick, gravy-like consistency.

Once all your dough is in the stock give it a good stir to ensure all the dough balls are covered and to create the thicker consistency.  Then cover and wait at least ten minutes.  Uncover, add pre-cooked chicken pieces, stir and wait another ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Adding the chicken at the end  prevents it from sticking to the bottom. 

The only time I ever mess this recipe up is when i try to remember my homemade bisquick recipe instead of looking it up.  Also, bisquick is actually sweetened so using real bisquick does lead to a different flavor.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Happy Father's Day


In loving memory:

Thomas E. Owens
Dec. 27, 1949-Jan. 1, 2012


I love you and miss you every day.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Some Things I have Learned...

Since this life is new to me I thought I would add some of my newfound knowledge:

1.  Farms need cats.  This is not optional.  I opted out and now I have mice in the garage that occasionally get into the house and eat the fruit from the basket.  Usually one bite of something on the bottom of the basket.  This week, as a deterrent I bought cantaloupe.  Let's see them take a bite out of that!  BTW, we got a kitten last week.  She already killed a bird.

2.  The outdoor guardsman (aka Smokey the Pitbull) will bark to alert us of anything entering the yard/pens as well as anything leaving them, including foraging chickens and they forage a lot.

3.  A loud fan placed in your bedroom at night because the a/c went out will drown out the sound of the roosters in the morning. Yeah!  Slept all the way to 6:45!  Except when I woke up briefly at 5am because it was 84 degrees inside.  FYI, having a field of dirt next to your house requires changing your a/c filter more than once a month.

4.  (Adults only) Smaller breed duck males have a difficult time breeding with larger breed females.  But their little breeding conversation is cute.  Daisy looks all sheepish but she's not!

5.  Roosters will teach their young.  I watched as Culpepper (our "lead" rooster) stood at the corner of the brooder with all the chicks gathered round as he chatted away in chicken language.  I wondered if he was plotting something, you know, because he's evil.

6.  Culpepper is evil.  He may have to go.

7.  Scorpion stings hurt but it doesn't last long.

8.  Rabbits are not as difficult to catch as I imagined.  Especially when the dog scares them stiff, literally.

9.  Red bell peppers take a long time to turn red.  A really long time. Like, forever.  Seriously.

10.  Animals will sometimes escape a pen only to turn around and try to get back in.  Also, they won't remember how they got out.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Weather, Plumbing and Mowing, Oh my!

Since my husband works nights anything we need his help with has to happen in the morning when he gets home.  The day we planned to slaughter the chickens my husband came home and started up the weedeater.  As he was weedeating around the house he hit a pvc pipe at the corner disrupting our main water line and sending water spewing high into the air and across the yard.  Needless to say we did not get the chickens slaughtered that morning.  The next morning was spent fixing the plumbing issue which took all of ten minutes.  As soon as he finished, God sneezed.  This is what I tell my kids when we get a heavy rainshower that lasts less than 30 minutes.  We put the two roosters back with the other chickens.  Our window of opportunity was gone.  I guess this is something I may need to learn how to do without him.  I'm just not sure I can stomach the parts that he does.  Sometimes we do what we have to though.  There have been many things I have done throughout my lifetime that others have told me they could ot stomach.  The truth is, I couldn't always stomach them either.  I just did it anyway.  Sometimes I did it with a bucket next to me, but I did it. 

 Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
The sunrise as seen from my back door.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

It's That Time Again...

During the spring I bought about 18 chickens total.  Six we have eaten.  Two drowned in the duck's water (I won't make that mistake again) and ten are still with us.  There are also another dozen males that came with a duck order but they are still tiny.  Of the ten fairly mature birds I think we have at least five roosters, possibly six.  They are noisy and starting to fight.  So, with much trepidation we have singled out two that are large enough for eating and will be slaughtering early this week.  There are two more that will likely be added.  I am really hoping it goes faster and easier than before but even if it doesn't I am looking forward to some chicken dinner.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Flowers


Spring has finally sprung...or is it summer?  This is Texas and it's been in the 80's and 90's for a couple of weeks now.  I'm not looking forward to the triple digits we will be seeing later.  This time of year is one of my favorites.  My flowers are all blooming!  Well, most of them anyway.  Poppies and nasturtiums have yet to show but this week my sunflowers made their appearance!  I could not be more pleased!  My hydrangea is also flowering.  Since I was so pleased I took about a dozen pictures I thought I'd share some with you.


These pretty little flowers grow wild all around us as well as many black-eyed susans which are also blooming now.  Probably should've cropped the neighbor's house out.


These were here when we moved in.  No complaints!


These I planted and I'm in love!


Just look at that butterfly! This one is my favorite!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

"Stand By Me"


When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me,
When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me,
When the wind is tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water

In the midst of tribulation 
Stand by me
In the midst of tribulation 
Stand by me
When the hosts of hell assail
And my strength begins to fail
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me

When I'm growing old and feeble 
Stand by me
When I'm growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When my life becomes a burden
And I'm nearing chilly Jordan
O thou "Lily of the Valley" 
Stand by me


Sometimes difficult times come our way and the month of May has been one of those times for us.  When I face difficulties I turn to music and especially this song.  It's such a comfort and consolation and I'm sad I don't hear it more at church.  In His Word God reminds us to keep a song in our hearts, "singing and making melody unto the Lord".  Right now, this is my song.

Note:  Initially when I posted this I incorrectly quoted the song.  These are the correct lyrics to verses 1,2 and 4.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Empty Nest Syndrome


Baby birds beginning to end!

(Mama sitting on the eggs)


(fuzzy ugly hatchlings)

(cute fuzzy babies!)

And now....


The birds have flown!  It was much faster than I ever expected too.


The empty nest!

It has been entertaining to say the least.  The kids are glad their chirping won't be so loud now but I will miss them.  Bye bye birdie!




Monday, May 6, 2013

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things...


Now that's a title that leaves me a little nostalgic.  I love that song but I thought I'd change the lyrics up a bit:



Roses in bloom with the dew in the morning,
Checking to see that my garden is growing,
Birds in their nests and dogs filled with glee,
These are a few of my favorite things!




Goats when they're jumping and their bleats sound like laughing
Ducks when they're quacking and splishing and splashing,
Waking to roosters that crow in the morn
These are a few of my favorite things!

(these are actually geese but it still counts right?)


When the dog barks
When the kids scream
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
Then I don't feel so bad!