Life on the Farm is anything but 'laid back'!

You know in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie how the little girl named Violet turns into a GIANT blueberry?  Well, if this pandemic and snowy weather keeps up, that'll be me.  Not blue, just GIANT, lol!

I 'joined' a Cast Iron Cooking Facebook group.  OH MY WORD.  Those people do nothing but post mouth-watering dishes in their hardy iron pans!  The latest thing I saw was to make your regular baking powder biscuits, but melt a CUBE of butter in your cast iron skillet, float your lil ole biscuits on top of it and bake 'em!  If you don't see any more posts from me, it's not because I'm lazy or rarely post, it'll be because I've died and gone to Heaven, eating BISCUITS!

I can't try them today, though, because I already have Enchiladas and Maple Bacon Chicken tenders in the oven, lol.  I confess that I was considering a pan of Sin-amon Rolls, too. Good thing I don't own a bathroom scale.  Hmm.  Better take down the mirror while I'm thinking of it!

Hope ya'll are surviving Winter, snow, Covid and all the other trials and tribulations of this life.  If you've read the ending (Revelation) and believe it, you can rest easy.  It all works out in the end....

We've had a foot of snow here in our corner of the Pacific Northwest.  First thing right off, our water froze up.  Got that fixed up.  Of course the goats thought it was the prime time to produce their offspring for the season, so we sat in the half-finished, breezy, snowflake filled barn milking and bottle feeding stubborn little goat kids.

I took a tumble on the icy trail behind the barn and wondered how long it would take before anyone at the house noticed I was gone.....but thankfully wasn't really hurt (but boy-oh-boy do I have some SORE muscles!).  On the other hand, they would have noticed in another hour or so - after all, who else is gonna fix breakfast??

My 'temporary' greenhouse suffered a collapsed roof.  Now instead of imagining that I'm soon going to be sowing little cool weather seed crops, I'm going to have to do some major repairs on the roof first.  Sigh. It's always something, seems like. 

On a brighter note, I LOVE the snow.  As soon as we had a good 6 or 7" going, I went right out to make the required snow angel.  After there was a foot of it, I trudged up to the back 40 (okay, 18, but who's counting?) to look for animal tracks.  Only rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice and birds so far.  It was absolutely beautiful, however and I enjoyed my walk.  My squirrel feeder has been a wild party ground of grey squirrels and birds of all sorts.  Chickadees, Steller's Jays, Juncos, Towhees, Thrushes and an occasional Flicker.  The Robins fly here and there, but don't care for the menu offered.  The squirrels and birds don't seem to mind sharing with each other and it's great entertainment watching them all while I'm doing dishes. 

Today, all the beautiful magic is melting, as is common here in the Puget Sound.  Slush and sprinkles are the name of the game today.  By tomorrow, we should be able to get out of our driveway just fine if we wanted to.  

We had great intentions of being actually ready for the goat kidding this year.  Running water, hot water tank, electricity and lights were going to be all in and working wonderfully.  Well........did I mention Dave is working on that now and we've been sort of...winging it with long extensions cords, buckets of warm water and carrying a lot of stuff to and fro?  Ah, well, all in good time.  Maybe next year's kidding will look a lot different!

Of course, working on the barn means we are NOT working on the house, so things are at a standstill until the milk room is under control.  And that's the way we roll.  We are developing patience and character.  Right?  I did read a quote by Mark Lowery (Christian singer and comedian) where he said that this life here is boot camp for Heaven.  I think that pretty well sums it up.  On that note, I'm getting back to work now.  Wonder if those Sin-amon Rolls are going to count against me...... 

 

Chronic Lyme Disease and Covid 19 - We did it!

 On December 23rd I was doing rabbit chores, reached down to pick something up and fell.  I pinned my elbow against my ribcage and felt my front ribs buckle....When I scrambled to my feet, they rolled back into place.  A horrible feeling..and then pain.  Two days later the four of us in my home all came down with Covid.  It was not a pleasant journey, but not too much worse than a bad case of the flu.  The worst thing was probably the unknown - each time a symptom reared its ugly head, we wondered if something more awful was coming!  

We're all doing pretty good now, though we still obviously have chronic Lyme Disease, so we don't exactly get back to feeling great, lol.  Here's a little ditty I wrote in the thick of it....I'll leave you with that for now, just so I'm caught up!

COVID tune

Be a guest

You just rest!

Put your family to the test!

Leave the dirty dishes soaking, 

Surely they will do the rest!

When the garbage overflows

It will keep them on their toes

All that laundry in the basket

Not a one will blow a gasket

Stuff it in turn it on

It won't take them very long!

On to goat chores and the hen girls

Don't forget to feed my pet squirrels

Did I mention I have rabbits?

Did I say I'm getting cats?

Only three, so don't go bats.

Now....I'm.....sick, feeling queasy

This dumb Covid bug's not easy

Knocks you flat and wears you out

Until about survival, you've got doubt!

On a good day, take a shower

You'll feel fresher than a flower

It will have to last for days then

As it takes up all your strength when

You can't stand up longer than a minute

Or you'll feel Covid will win it.

Three weeks later we're good to go

Almost normal doncha know.

Back to doing all the stuff we do

We survived it....so can you!

Grief Panic Joy & Cinnamon Maple Pecans

It's been one of 'those' weeks.  First, my beloved kitty, Ripley, came to the porch wounded, painfully crawling into the house when I opened the door and found him.  Frantic moments to get him to the local vet, who even though amazingly kind and caring, couldn't save him.  Bitter sadness and crying on my part, and on the part of the daughter who came to support me in my grief.

When I'm stressed I tend to move into a yet more accelerated activity level than usual, and do even dumber things!  This time, among other things, I dragged our cider press a great distance, partly uphill, to the barn where it could be stored under cover.  Mission Accomplished!  I was feeling pretty good about it until the next day when sudden pain spasms in the back of my head sent me into panic attacks.  I'm no stranger to panic attacks (part of Lyme Disease for me) but if I can't get them under control, they tend to multiply and cause numerous uncomfortable co-symptoms and I managed to slide myself into daily headaches and adrenal fatigue.  Trying to convince my panic-ready self that this is all it is, is the hardest part.  Purposeful resting is the next hardest part.  I'm now up at 4am daily, because you can set the clock back all you like, but I sleep 5-6 hours per night maximum - moving the clock hands for some reason, does not allow me extra sleep!  

Well, 'nuf whining and on with the awesome, bountiful, ever-changing season that is Autumn...my favorite!  We are wonderfully made and I am already feeling much better.

I feed my beloved squirrels daily and chuckle over dishes at my kitchen sink while watching their antics.  I purposefully choose the leafiest path to the barn to milk in the mornings so I can kick and shuffle through their cheerful crunchiness.  I try to spend my milking time, with Shinar and Magda, praying for all the people and needs I can think of.  If only Fall could last twice as long!

We woke up to rain and wind this morning and oh, the wonder of the falling, golden shapes!  Well, on a damp, grey day a person simply must bake, right?  So in my oven now are an apple pie, a pumpkin pie and sweet cornbread to go with the crockpot of homemade chili I put together first thing this morning. Remember Maple Pecan Pie last blog?  Well, I tried a simple Cinnamon Maple Pecans snack recipe, this time, and I can't keep my mitts of of 'em!  Yum!  SO easy & fast!

2 T coconut sugar

2 T maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp coconut oil

2 cups unsalted pecan halves

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the first 5 ingredients in a cast iron skillet.  When smooth, add pecans and continue to cook and stir often until pecans absorb mixture.

Spread on parchment lined baking sheet and cool completely.  (or sample like mad, like I did.  It is, after all, my responsibility to make sure these are safe for the rest to eat, yes?)  Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. (ha!)  Recipe is easily doubled!  

 Now it's about 1pm in the afternoon and my hubs is sawing and pounding overhead.  I believe there are now several semi-loads of lumber up there in the attic and insulation will soon follow.  He's waiting anxiously for (late) lunch, as he says the succulent smells coming from the kitchen are killing him!

Since I went a bit mad in the kitchen today, I've now made a bazillion dishes for myself to clean up.  In another month or two, we'll be far enough along in our project to get a dishwasher!  Oh happy day for this 'I'd-rather-be-outside-milking-a-goat' gal than doing dishes any day!

We're starting to plan for holidays and I even put lights up on the garden fence!  On the last gorgeous sunny day I was bemoaning the fact that the good weather was about over for the season and it's too soon to put up Christmas lights.  Then I had an epiphany!  I could put them up (in the dry pleasant sunshine) and NOT TURN THEM ON until closer to Christmas!  Sigh.  Slow I be.  Smarter I am not getting!

Election day today and perhaps there will be big changes ahead, but as it says in Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  God is still King of everything and we can rest easy on His promises.

That's about it from this building site for today.  My crew is hungry!  Off I go to check on the cornbread and call the Boss Man in!  Happy Fall, ya'll!

Rains and Roofing, Goats and Gardens, Squash and Stew, Maple Pecan Pie!

 Season change brings a bit of rain to settle the dust.  The garden is looking neglected, spider webs taking over as the daily foraging turns to every few days instead.  The squash and pumpkins are dotting the porch now and the vines are piled high.  The last of the green beans are canned and today I pulled most of the vines.  Rutabagas are in little pint jars and basil is waiting to go on the dehydrator trays later today.

Did you know you don't have to use corn syrup to make a Pecan Pie?  I just made this recipe and it is DELICIOUS.  Trust me.

Maple Pecan Pie

Ingredients

Pastry for single-crust pie  (Oh, come on now....it's easy....easy as, well....pie!)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate; transfer crust to pie plate. Trim to 1 inch beyond rim of plate; flute edges.

In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Add maple syrup, butter, vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into crust.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. If desired, top with whipped cream to serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Make two and invite people to help you eat them!   I did!

The sound of the rain is making me lazy, and I've sat down and dreamed through a couple of wool projects and vintage quilting books with a cup of maple pecan coffee.  (Are you noticing a theme here?)  I should go outside and clean rabbit pans and top off their water & food dishes.  But....it's raining!  I haven't worn a jacket all summer, so I'll have to find one...or maybe just a good old worn out flannel shirt. 

The squirrels just outside my kitchen window are rustling though the oak leaves gathering the last of the acorns.  They've managed to litter the ground with them and occasionally drop one on my head on my way to the barn!

Speaking of the barn - oh happy day!  We've just weaned the last of the Spring babies!  No more twice a day nor even once a day bottles for the three goat kids (Roanen, Maple & Hazel) and no more for the three calves, either (Red, Roan & Wellington).  You can tell we've raised an awful lot of animals over the years and totally given up on decent names for any of them!  And I'm obsessed with Fall.  Autumn.  Oh glorious time of year!

This morning, the second half of the new roof over the old house - the rafters - went up!  We're talking BRAND NEW LUMBER!  This half will cover two brand new rooms - the laundry and the dining room!   A 20 X 20 great room comes next, then we'll take time to finish all the interiors and enjoy some spaciousness!  We'll go back to working on finishing up the outside and the electrical at the barn, varmint-proof the pumphouse and then on to the last (and most exciting) part of our building project!  Our new den, master bedroom, bathroom and....and....wait for it....(I keep waiting for it!)....SEWING/CRAFT ROOM!!!!!!!  Sigh.  Such anticipation.  Rember those days as little children...waiting for Christmas to finally arrive?  Yep.  I'm waiting!

It's early in the day, but the sky is gray and the sound of rain through the open windows is so soothing.  We've quit working for awhile and are enjoying resting our busy bones in the middle of the day for a change.  I really need to go take care of those rabbits and gather the eggs.  I've got a bowl of goodies for the chickens, too.  I'll go do that now and then I'm making an early dinner for us all.  Turkey slices, mashed potatoes, stuffing (lol, it's Stove Top - whodathunk?) and broccoli.  THEN I can take a little time to quilt in my tiny room!

Just thought I'd check in.  How are ya'll doing?  Times are weird, but no worries - God isn't surprised by any of it!  Talk to you soon!

 

Most of a kitchen and part of a roof!

 

As usual, my computer skills leave something to be desired.  I'd have explained each picture if it had left me a text box like usual, but it didn't - I don't know how to change it  and simply can't be bothered!

We've accomplished many things on our new little homestead - a lot of it outdoors!  We've hauled at least 15 loads of the previous owner's junk away and there's so much more still!  The barn, rabbit shed, woodshed, temporary greenhouse, garden and orchard are all established and we're enjoying them to the fullest.  We've jumped in head first as usual and already have three calves started (Roan, Red and Wellington) and are milking goats and raising our new flock of Buff Orpingtons to replace the current flock of (lazy) layers!  

This is the first time in many years that we have an abundance of water and it's taking real effort to remember that we can actually USE water in the garden.  We may actually be starting to lose the feelings of panic while running 'too much' water in the kitchen sink while waiting for it to get hot or while taking a deep bath!

If you look through the pictures, you can pic out a before and after of our new little orchard....and a before and after of one end of the kitchen.  Dave has rewired the entire little house and passed his electrical inspection! (Hallelujah!)  He passed his framing (repairs & remodel of the old house) inspection (Oh Happy Day!) and we've got the go-ahead to go on to the next part, which will give us the laundry, dining and living rooms (Be Still My Heart!)  Right now our funny little house is getting a brand new roof - not just roofing, but all new 2 X 12 rafters and the whole shebang!  By winter we will no longer be 4" from the weather overhead, nor will raindrops be falling on our heads!

Our garden exploded with veggies and we've been diligently stuffing them into jars!  No dishwasher until the rest of the house addition is built and the kitchen is about half the size it will be, but like the squirrels outside my window, we like to be all stored up for winter!

We've canned carrots, green beans and pickles from our garden.   Found a produce stand for tomatoes & pears - did the first of the tomatoes today.  I made a big crock pot of soup for dinner with lots of garden veggies and some Italian sausage and a Focaccia bread for alongside.  After a hard day of work here on this little farm, we are ready to rest!  

We are for sure feeling our age (I never thought I'd say that!) but two 61 year olds can't build like two 30 year olds used to do.  It takes longer and hurts a whole lot more.  We used to hook up lights and work well after dark.  No more!  There are moments when we wonder if we'll really get it all done but the dreams and visions for the place are gradually coming to be and after a little rest we're ready to tackle it all again!  A stroll through the garden or the 'back forty' refreshes the soul and God has answered our prayers for enough health and safety to accomplish it so far!

Daughter promised us homemade hot cocoa tonight (with our goat milk and honey!) in a bit, so we're happy campers and on that note I'll sign off until next time!

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"  Joshua 24:15