tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86477728163260185162024-03-04T20:08:07.130-08:00High Prairie HomesteadAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-41235987584873838152014-03-30T19:58:00.000-07:002014-03-30T19:58:18.733-07:00You never forget your first.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Your first is always special, right? Today I said goodbye to our first cow, Flower-bob. </div>
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We bought her in 2009 and she gave birth to T-bone </div>
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and then Clarabelle, but hasn't been able to get pregnant since. </div>
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It broke my heart, but we either had to sell her or put her in the freezer. </div>
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Lucky for her, we didn't have room in the freezer. </div>
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So she went to her new home today. </div>
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I didn't ask any questions about her fate....</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-52636728588531420632013-12-20T09:15:00.000-08:002016-02-17T16:47:25.740-08:00Raising Pork Chop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We did a trial experiment this year raising a pig. I wanted a heritage breed and I wanted a female, and I didn't realize the physical differences between the two apart from the obvious. Well.....turns out we got a male and he'd already been castrated so they all looked alike to me! So instead of starting a breeding program, we went ahead with raising our own pork. We got a Tamworth, known for their deep 'bacon' sides. They are also great at raising their own offspring, which is important since I don't want to be out there bottle feeding a dozen piggies. We drove over 3 hours to get him, almost to the coast. When we saw the size of his mom, my hubby and I looked at each other, eyes wide, wondering just what the hell we had gotten ourselves into! <br />
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Once we (meaning the breeder) had wrestled the piglet away from the rest, we put him in our small animal carrier. He was about 30 pounds at the time. </div>
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We brought him home and put him in the goat barn with our calf, Chuck. They took to each other like long lost friends, prompting lots of jokes like "bacon wrapped filet", reminding us where they would each end up. As usual, despite knowing for a month we were getting him, we weren't prepared, so hubby got right to work building a pen for him. We used an upside down fruit bin as his house, and he quickly outgrew the opening.<br />
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One night he went inside to sleep and grew so much overnight that he couldn't get out the door!! Hubby had to run out and pick it up so Pork Chop could come out, then he cut the opening MUCH larger.<br />
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He was very well fed. He got all the extra cow and goat milk, about 2 gallons per day, plus we got almost-free day old bread from the bakery in town, in addition to our scraps.</div>
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I have a friend who gleans food from the grocery store, so he provided bins of fruit they would throw out. We had friends give us some advice: feed him fatty food, especially donuts! So we started giving him a box of donuts a day. I can't tell you how jealous the kids were that Pork Chop was able to eat donuts, when they weren't allowed to! No, it wasn't very healthy for him, but we hoped that it would prevent the pork from being too dry. He was a funny pig, kept us laughing, especially when we would try to wash out his milk bowl with the hose. He would start 'huffing' at us, run to the bowl and flip it out....mostly over whoever was wielding the hose. He would just get so incensed that we desecrated the milk bowl with mere water. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1weRiGA0LI" target="_blank">video of him</a> in action.<br />
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When we got our dog, she kept trying to herd him, but he would 'bark' right back at her, scaring her away, and then they would continue the 'dance' over and over again.<br />
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In September, my hubby took a pork butchering class and we had intended on completely butchering and processing him ourselves. We bought a huge cutting board, 3'x5', large enough to fit a side of pork, good knives and luckily, a book with detailed pictures. However, as life usually does, it didn't go as planned. One morning, a few days before Thanksgiving, I woke up to find that he had injured his hind leg. Of course, that day was about 23 degrees and my hubby had a class to attend that afternoon. After much discussion (screaming about bad luck and pulling our hair out trying to figure out what to do) we buckled down and started the deed of butchering him. The thought of seven months of hard work being put into raising Pork Chop to lose it all, made us ill. So Hubby 'dispatched' Pork Chop, after I took one of the funniest pictures of him (he was a great subject) and I scratched him behind the ears for the last time and thanked him for his sacrifice for our family. <br />
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It didn't go smoothly and of course I was very emotional, having a soft heart and all, sobbing like a baby. Then we tried to truss him up, saving the hocks, but the ropes kept slipping off his legs and he would drop to the ground. Finally we sacrificed the hocks and got him trussed up, and got to see just how HUGE he ended up being. He was well over 300 pounds, and he made my very tall hubby look short!<br />
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As my hubby was butchering him, I sat on the trailer next to him reading to him from our basic butchering book and showing him the pictures (and trying to stay warm).<br />
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He had a lot of heart. ;-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_5rekoCgd2ioXQZboXDUgMm4UoqJYxeIRYFlA_tgRUd1ouj3ladGfM9rgOzCkf03wuWENITr0JZa1o6PRwXFXwuKQwBhi-J14GMd3MjhsjBsXGEoNU2F2NVoJULIJbdn0LVNYNBgn2SK/s1600/IMG_7399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_5rekoCgd2ioXQZboXDUgMm4UoqJYxeIRYFlA_tgRUd1ouj3ladGfM9rgOzCkf03wuWENITr0JZa1o6PRwXFXwuKQwBhi-J14GMd3MjhsjBsXGEoNU2F2NVoJULIJbdn0LVNYNBgn2SK/s320/IMG_7399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We weren't going to scald and scrape the skin, instead we were going to skin him. However, with the 23 degree weather, skinning proved almost impossible. By the time we got done gutting him, my poor hubby was frozen through and he couldn't skin Pork Chop. I had made numerous calls to both local and non-local butchers, trying to find a place that would take him and finish processing, but being it was so close to Thanksgiving and most butchers were overrun with deer, this was the hardest part! We dropped him off to get processed and it took a couple weeks to get him back. The weather turned extremely cold and the butcher's pipes froze at least twice. We picked him up last week and couldn't wait to try out the meat. We ended up with 285 pounds of pork and a huge box of fat that I will be rendering into lard. Hubby made Pork Chop pork chops and they were the best pork we'd ever eaten! I love having our own meat processed, we get to choose the cuts and how it's packaged. We ordered everything fresh, so we will be curing and smoking our own hams and bacon and making our own sausage. Each bacon slab is about 25 pounds!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEm2xLUHixZcZTPGNDdea2LVrq6LTGfAt_3luEbRkn7sPeXtJ6njATWs3YkDockNxu9BhSGO_2ORx9s0D8atBb7FPOyyISQvRnEYPo7G1wLw-BM72KbRk0cWxSqMARFnYjWFiHDymFshp/s1600/IMG_7496a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEm2xLUHixZcZTPGNDdea2LVrq6LTGfAt_3luEbRkn7sPeXtJ6njATWs3YkDockNxu9BhSGO_2ORx9s0D8atBb7FPOyyISQvRnEYPo7G1wLw-BM72KbRk0cWxSqMARFnYjWFiHDymFshp/s320/IMG_7496a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-11952765885804772882013-12-17T18:03:00.003-08:002013-12-17T18:03:55.665-08:00Homemade Rooster Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8baGy_JgEe9QKknq1JDnO16znDP1UoV59cuXiXfoqZzF6fF2plRkuacEa3SCYqEeYNqHLVl62bRVAPD3VVaW3wTZDo53tkjasZ_-HjZ4kaNfAT4wtvxxXuI6fS4LjBJCY_QM89t2kk8jX/s1600/HP+Green+Hot+sauce.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8baGy_JgEe9QKknq1JDnO16znDP1UoV59cuXiXfoqZzF6fF2plRkuacEa3SCYqEeYNqHLVl62bRVAPD3VVaW3wTZDo53tkjasZ_-HjZ4kaNfAT4wtvxxXuI6fS4LjBJCY_QM89t2kk8jX/s320/HP+Green+Hot+sauce.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
The news came out last week or so that the<a href="http://www.lamag.com/lafood/digestblog/2013/12/17/freaking-out-keeping-up-with-the-sriracha-saga" target="_blank"> Sriracha plant in California is being temporarily closed down </a>by the California Department of Health. Apparently, the fumes were annoying some of the neighbors, and the sauce is not cooked, only fermented, so it caused some concerns. One of my Facebook friends posted the recipe and as luck would have it, I was gifted with a very large box of hot peppers that same day. My hubby is a HUGE fan of the sauce, so I thought I would try and make some myself. I did two batches, one with red jalapenos and the other with green.<br />
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I followed the<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/How-to-Make-Homemade-Sriracha-Sauce/Detail.aspx?src=VD_Summary" target="_blank"> Allrecipes.com </a>recipe for it: <br />
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Ingredients</h3>
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Makes about 1.5 cups</div>
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1 pound red jalapeno, stems cut off</div>
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1/2 pound red serrano peppers, stems cut off</div>
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4 cloves garlic, peeled</div>
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3 TBS light brown sugar</div>
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1 TBS kosher salt</div>
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1/3 cup water</div>
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1/2 cup distilled white vinegar</div>
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Directions</h3>
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<ol style="border: 0px; color: #666666; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 35px 0px 25px;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Chop jalapeno and serrano peppers, retaining seeds and membranes, and place into a blender with garlic, brown sugar, salt, and water. Blend until smooth, pulsing several times to start.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Transfer puree into a large glass container such as a large jar or pitcher. Cover container with plastic wrap and place into a cool dark location for 3 to 5 days, stirring once a day. The mixture will begin to bubble and ferment. Scrape down the sides during each stirring. Rewrap after every stirring and return to a cool, dark place until mixture is bubbly.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Pour fermented mixture back into blender with vinegar; blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a saucepan, pushing as much of the pulp as possible through the strainer into the sauce. Discard remaining pulp, seeds, and skin left in strainer.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Place saucepan on a burner and bring sauce to a boil, stirring often, until reduced to your desired thickness, 5 to 10 minutes. Skim foam if desired.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Remove saucepan from heat and let sauce cool to room temperature. Sauce will thicken a little when cooled. Transfer sauce to jars or bottles and refrigerate.</span></li>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">I followed the directions exactly and on the second day I found this waiting for me<span style="color: #4e4e4f;">:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNBRq3g1C5Y0iTtv6jETywFH4h51cKJfqIMP-e3STQuEJnIBGpLnxgzU2R5L3uiwvyBX-dQtYGpirTSoDjHNlFB4AHEVVdQjEUvVyqm51rHhYqgF7dJA-MQ5rFbtPlD9c4POnxkqZtNTW/s1600/IMG_7497a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNBRq3g1C5Y0iTtv6jETywFH4h51cKJfqIMP-e3STQuEJnIBGpLnxgzU2R5L3uiwvyBX-dQtYGpirTSoDjHNlFB4AHEVVdQjEUvVyqm51rHhYqgF7dJA-MQ5rFbtPlD9c4POnxkqZtNTW/s320/IMG_7497a.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
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So glad that I put the dish underneath the jar!</div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">I let it ferment for 4 days, then continued with the recipe. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Straining the solids out was the longest part of the process:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNus_MF86pK_-8_ETjoJNBb1yk4wF1CT7FCpiv0Xk5T753JEOYLoAaqCppJiAt1hZz1HeXZUamM1GKcjESlH46U5Ovm-KX1kWqWMh-GSs71u9tsKtxCGpjdN4xsGpH7nmjjugzemTQVdQW/s1600/20131217_114959_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNus_MF86pK_-8_ETjoJNBb1yk4wF1CT7FCpiv0Xk5T753JEOYLoAaqCppJiAt1hZz1HeXZUamM1GKcjESlH46U5Ovm-KX1kWqWMh-GSs71u9tsKtxCGpjdN4xsGpH7nmjjugzemTQVdQW/s320/20131217_114959_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">I bottled them up for Christmas gifts.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 17px;">I get my bottles from<a href="http://www.sks-bottle.com/GlassBottles/Glass_Bottles_3.html" target="_blank"> www.SKS-bottle.com<span id="goog_1150070816"></span><span id="goog_1150070817"></span> </a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">I made my own labels, one for each variety:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rMg251EcLH4w4RMxd43O_76EU8yY3B_QMN0jHzshHDcc7dLcUZCLbP4HNHyrzqrNAUJnjFLl7-CFNZAZi06av1N3SlyvdccRhso_AUDWsaI3-lzVkU1QkM_0nxXuS4z_BVT2XSEdigvp/s1600/20131217_125507_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rMg251EcLH4w4RMxd43O_76EU8yY3B_QMN0jHzshHDcc7dLcUZCLbP4HNHyrzqrNAUJnjFLl7-CFNZAZi06av1N3SlyvdccRhso_AUDWsaI3-lzVkU1QkM_0nxXuS4z_BVT2XSEdigvp/s320/20131217_125507_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-84859406302886443922013-12-01T12:07:00.002-08:002013-12-01T12:07:46.330-08:00DIY Advent Calendar<div style="text-align: center;">
I remember as a child always having an Advent calendar. It was always a picture of something wintry and had little numbered doors that opened up to some bad chocolate. I started getting the kids some a few years ago, but I was always late ordering them and so they had to gobble up several days at once in order to catch up (I know, such a tragedy!). Plus they are kind of expensive! Last year, I decided to make our own and eliminate the waste and wait.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkcZPlgIOl-QFDcQxcb98QX8gtI3BtfBf1QPLoNtQj6rYWOKXTbVAajekehx-LzHqzPbVZzyLHLJ0WVMSY1JFvoVduC_fNsPoGsSUoc7Me_mOELrgpFNzX0mqgx2abQp1QROgOakxMJDz/s1600/chocolate-advent-calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkcZPlgIOl-QFDcQxcb98QX8gtI3BtfBf1QPLoNtQj6rYWOKXTbVAajekehx-LzHqzPbVZzyLHLJ0WVMSY1JFvoVduC_fNsPoGsSUoc7Me_mOELrgpFNzX0mqgx2abQp1QROgOakxMJDz/s320/chocolate-advent-calendar.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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I bought some small muslin fabric bags off e-bay. I had originally purchased them as packaging for my soaps, but I neglected to measure properly and they were too small. *oops* </div>
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However, they are perfect for some small candy canes or miniature candy bars. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUFbQHz54jZQwgwAQlXV0LffPAtiJEQbPOMVEXedMGOeFyNxWJdZgil-viKoP7Q3MV_R8Jf9vg9v59OxWXf93j6KnIwXDyxYPgXyXGFEZDItK0RAAqqHrLtIaBO_f56xrIruq6kFbfWOl/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUFbQHz54jZQwgwAQlXV0LffPAtiJEQbPOMVEXedMGOeFyNxWJdZgil-viKoP7Q3MV_R8Jf9vg9v59OxWXf93j6KnIwXDyxYPgXyXGFEZDItK0RAAqqHrLtIaBO_f56xrIruq6kFbfWOl/s320/IMG_4662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I stuck up some removable hooks on the wall between our family room windows, measured out some baking twine, and bought some brand new clothespins. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xwdRZWBqHjydUmQa3cndbNhehBcmIsFvjTTsDWSMSMNRD_0M7Th9NKjMicFhb1R86HaCqjFxSLiL5kK7ds2FX2-I2Zs1C-ww1ewNy9cSg-R-TcBlTBrfcOwKVTGx7v0ZnQ2lyoIKoCS4/s1600/IMG_4663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xwdRZWBqHjydUmQa3cndbNhehBcmIsFvjTTsDWSMSMNRD_0M7Th9NKjMicFhb1R86HaCqjFxSLiL5kK7ds2FX2-I2Zs1C-ww1ewNy9cSg-R-TcBlTBrfcOwKVTGx7v0ZnQ2lyoIKoCS4/s320/IMG_4663.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using red and green tempura paint, I painted the numbers 1 through 24, alternating colors. For Christmas Day, I painted a tree with decorations. The bags are very thin, so I put a piece of paper in each one to prevent the paint from bleeding through.</div>
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Please ignore the dirty windows, but you get the idea. </div>
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Hope this gives you an idea to do it yourself!</div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-53154472574244272722013-11-30T20:25:00.000-08:002013-11-30T20:25:50.737-08:00Making Chicken SuetThe winters are understandably tough on the livestock. The chickens are usually forced to stay in the coop since they don't like to venture out in the snow (or wind or rain). Their egg production goes down to zero, which is natural for them as they need more light than we have right now, about 16 hours versus the 8 we get now. Since we live off-grid, we don't have the extra energy in the winter to put in a lightbulb, and I prefer that our animals live as naturally as possible. Since they only will lay a certain number of eggs in their lifetime, I'd rather not rush it out of them, and allow their bodies to have a vacation. They eat layer crumble in the winter which I supplement with black oil sunflower seeds, since there aren't any bugs or fresh grass to gobble up. They usually also go through a molt in the late fall and they need extra protein in their diets to regrow the feathers. Most people are familiar with suet balls for wild birds, so I decided to make some for our chickens. They are kind of expensive to buy, which is another motivating factor for me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSBqv6WQ7LBwNDToijhUtIxc9TkKVUf5E85TQ328_ZqMUpZpoHCt4gff-kb516G6wVySSC7qAltJSsSxW5RnqHm0XGegfxbqLyXodTOtlO5oVHxmrifTXohwCPpgk37pOEdeD0z4j6DgE/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSBqv6WQ7LBwNDToijhUtIxc9TkKVUf5E85TQ328_ZqMUpZpoHCt4gff-kb516G6wVySSC7qAltJSsSxW5RnqHm0XGegfxbqLyXodTOtlO5oVHxmrifTXohwCPpgk37pOEdeD0z4j6DgE/s320/IMG_7402.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We usually save the grease when cooking, anyway, so we just saved it a little longer until we had a couple plastic containers worth. I know there is both pork and beef drippings, most likely some turkey and chicken fat too. <br />
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I picked up some silicone mini bread pans at the thrift store which were perfectly sized for a suet loaf. I scooped out a little grease into each one, about half full, popped them in a 200 degree oven (on a cookie sheet for stability) until they were mostly melted. </div>
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Then I filled it almost to the top with some bird seed (for wild birds). </div>
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Since it's been below freezing outside, I set the cookie sheet outside to cool down and firm up. Within an hour, it was firm enough to pop out and I wrapped them individually with wax paper. </div>
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I'm storing them in the freezer (which you don't have to do if it's cool enough outside, but I actually have room in there right now!) and doling them out to the chickens every week. Each loaf lasts about 4 days.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-25344597510773586102013-10-22T19:40:00.000-07:002017-06-16T08:10:47.768-07:00Free Buffet transformation!I answered an ad on Freecycle for a free hutch/buffet. (Are you a subscriber to Freecycle? You'll find it in the Yahoo Groups). I LOVE wood furniture and I've been looking for a dresser for the kids' room f.o.r.e.v.e.r. but most are way out of my price range (ie. not free!) I found an ad for a buffet with hutch and I jumped on it, drove the 50 miles to get it as soon as the poster responded. I found that she had already removed all the finish off the buffet and some of it off the hutch. Since I wanted the buffet first, and the hutch in the future (once the kids are done wrecking it...um, I mean using it!) I proceeded to do my research on how to paint it. I visited many websites that stressed sanding in between coats of paint and varnish to finish it.<br />
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Buffet</div>
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Hutch</div>
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First I sanded the whole thing down, but didn't have to do much work, as the lady had done a LOT of work already. I then painted the whole thing with primer. </div>
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I was working in the barn, so I tried to keep my work area as clean as possible. I didn't count on the cat, Bonnie, 'helping' me, though!</div>
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She jumped up on the top after I had the last coat of black paint done and proceeded to dance and shake her feet across the whole top!!! I had to sand her footprints and dirt off and do another coat of black. After I finished painting, I finished it with a coat of Varathane Polyurathane, which promised to not yellow. </div>
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After FIVE months, I finally finished it! I'm ashamed that it took so long, but in my defense, I had a broken foot for almost 2 months. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-) I skipped putting on the middle door, mostly because I know my kids and I figured that it wouldn't last very long. However, they put on ALL the hardware (which they also picked out). I was a little concerned that they would carve their names into the wood using the screwdriver, but they behaved....for now, and they love it. Right now they are fighting over whose clothes go in which drawer. </div>
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Now to get started on stripping the varnish off the hutch!!</div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-15050554616370480132013-09-27T18:27:00.002-07:002013-09-27T18:27:24.757-07:00Fall has arrived on the Prairie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Autumn has come roaring like a lion this past week. </div>
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We've had a week of rain and wind. I can't believe how quickly summer passed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-qwyLx0yHhPuy9OBmw-xQF56OKS_d5x254od9YwmO-j1EtaJ67_ekNt5GDeibm_ETRqZUKZiRLsqLKdP7iDDlwZR2waBuK54HYuJIlalBVWbH9J2Bl_2xrhJaLPmOdTTZgn-jJSkE5rL/s1600/IMG_7177a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-qwyLx0yHhPuy9OBmw-xQF56OKS_d5x254od9YwmO-j1EtaJ67_ekNt5GDeibm_ETRqZUKZiRLsqLKdP7iDDlwZR2waBuK54HYuJIlalBVWbH9J2Bl_2xrhJaLPmOdTTZgn-jJSkE5rL/s320/IMG_7177a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This reminds me of all the work we need to do to get ready for {shudder} winter. </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-57151756581696320102013-08-20T10:55:00.001-07:002013-08-20T10:55:55.011-07:00Surprise.....it's twins!I heard a goat in distress yesterday, not surprising since the spring kids are always getting into trouble in one way or another. This sound was a little different, though.<br />
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I hobbled outside to the pen (I broke my foot on a toy, just call me Burgermeister Meisterburger) to find Marlee cleaning off a little buckling.<br />
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I pulled her out of the pen into my hay/milking area and urged my daughter to close the gate, but she was having trouble. I told her to leave it and I moved to lock it. Neither of us noticing the baby lying at our feet until about 5 minutes later when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye!!! Oops, we were both freaking out that we may have stepped on it. <br />
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Luckily, she's fine and moving great. She is about 1/3 the size of her brother.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-70349589124150091372013-05-10T17:51:00.000-07:002013-05-10T17:51:55.642-07:002013 Bee NucI lost one of my hives over the winter, not sure what happened, but the hive was never as strong as the other all last season. I ordered a nucleus, rather than a package, because a 'nuc' is already a miniature hive. The queen has already started laying eggs and the bees have already started filling the wax with honey. <br />
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Not one bee escaped the whole ride home! Phew!!</div>
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Bees are ready to fly! </div>
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The first time I got bees, I started with packages. The queen is completely new to the hive and she lives in a little cage stopped up with a marshmallow. The workers eat through the marshmallow releasing the queen and in turn getting used to her as their queen. The nuc frames are weeks ahead of the packages, great for us in our high desert climate, which usually has a very late spring. I ordered the very last pickup date so I could ensure that I could install the bees as soon as I got them home. This spring, however, has been extremely warm and dry. I had to pick them up 2 hours away by 9am and run the AC all the way home and get them in their new hive as soon as I pulled up the driveway. <br />
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Front of the nuc, this screen is taken off while the bees fill the frames. The screen is put back on the evening before the nuc is moved to the store where I picked them up.</div>
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The nuc with 4 frames and a feeder.</div>
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Added the 4 frames to my existing super, with a pollen patty on top.</div>
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I left the nuc next to the hive, so any bees that didn't go in on the frames will find their way in.</div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-15211229595935894502013-04-14T18:18:00.000-07:002013-04-14T18:18:42.366-07:002013 Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had 8 kids this year, 4 doelings and 4 bucklings! All births were unassisted and successful!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-60441886265567441002013-03-31T19:48:00.000-07:002013-03-31T19:54:27.641-07:00Hatching Chicks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All I asked "Santa" for last Christmas was for an incubator so we can start raising our own chickens. For the last 6 years, we've tried to let our hens go broody and raise their own chicks, but our success rate is exactly ZERO! I am participating (read: co-organizing) our local Farmers Market and decided to sell chicks, along with my soaps, strawberries, plant starts, and anything else under the sun I can think of selling.</div>
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I began gathering eggs at the beginning of March and ended up with 20 eggs to put in the 'bator. For the first week, I forgot to check the moisture level (I now have a humidity sensor on its way) and lost hope of actually hatching any chicks. </div>
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I took them out of the automatic turner at day 18 to let them settle and get in position to pip (or begin to break through the shell). I increased the water level.</div>
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On the evening of day 20, our first two eggs pipped at around 11pm, and one had completely hatched around 3am (by the way, if you want a good night's sleep, DO NOT put the incubator in your bedroom...even if it's the only place that is 'safe' for them!!) The second hatched around 7am, but honestly, I was so exhausted I didn't keep track, all I know is that the sun was up!</div>
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Over the next 2 days, 6 more chicks hatched on their own. The final 2 chicks pipped, but could not emerge on their own, and despite all the advice, I helped them out of their shells. They survived for a couple days, but eventually did not make it. (Note to self: there is a reason they don't make it out of the shells!!) <br />
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Eggs that did not hatch, time to clean the incubator for the next batch.</div>
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They are all mixed with our Rhode Island Red Rooster and the hens were Americauna, Rhode Island Reds, Delawares, and Buff Orpingtons.</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-36737747937246861152013-03-27T12:05:00.001-07:002013-03-27T12:05:06.256-07:002013 Planting Season Begins!<div style="text-align: center;">
We had a pretty mild winter and have been able to get an early start on our garden. </div>
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My hubby is building more planter boxes, since the two that we used last year did so well.</div>
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I planted garlic last fall and added onions this spring. </div>
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The 3yo has her own idea of things to plant.</div>
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Pine cones</div>
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and 4"x4" pieces of wood.</div>
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:-)</div>
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Now it's my turn to fill in the boxes with compost and vermiculite....then seeds!!!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-5272926301602094742012-12-11T10:15:00.000-08:002012-12-11T10:15:30.042-08:00Soap Website<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been making goat milk soap from my Nigerian Dwarf goat milk for the last year. I started selling at our Homesteading Fair and at local farmers markets. A friend of mine set up a website for me, yippee!! <a href="http://www.highprairiehomestead.com/">www.highprairiehomestead.com</a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-16384143996854158352012-11-10T17:56:00.003-08:002012-11-10T17:56:45.249-08:00Saying goodbyeThis week was one of the hardest for me. I had to say good-bye to 2 of my family members. <br />
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On Monday, I woke up to my Rottie mix, Morgan, not being able to stand or eat. I got her as a puppy in January of 1998, she would have been 15 on December 1st. <br />
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She had moved all over the country with me and was a great companion. The girls and I took her to the vet, kissed, petted, and told stories about her life as she passed away.<br />
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Two days later, I lost my 94 year old Grandmother. I had flown back to Michigan 2 weeks ago to say my good-byes to her, and I'm so glad I was able to make the trip to tell her how much I love her and what she meant to me. <br />
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I'm actually more relieved knowing that they are no longer in pain or struggling. They lived long, wonderful lives and they've enriched my life having been in it. It will take awhile for me to stop going to feed Morgan or calling my Grandma for our weekly chat.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-40577380186514003212012-10-04T12:25:00.001-07:002012-10-04T12:25:18.359-07:00Skinning a rattler<br />
Over the last 6 years, I've killed more than my share of rattlesnakes. After we've buried or thrown out each one, we always say "We should have skinned it!" or "We should try cooking it!"<br />
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Well, this year we had a bumper crop of them!! I just killed the latest one ever in the year, usually September is when we've seen the last one, but I found one under the deck on Tuesday. Using our machete, I pinned it down between the deck boards, but unfortunately only got it by the tail! (Note to self: buy another machete!!) I know from past experience not to lift up the machete because that sucker will start moving and it's almost impossible to catch them again, and all you have is a hurt and very ticked off rattlesnake, so I put all my weight pinning it down into the ground. As I was doing this, the snake started striking the machete, then started climbing up the blade trying to get it's head through the deck boards. EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK! I propped the machete up with a heavy bucket so I wasn't putting myself in harm's way. I left it overnight and it was dead by morning. (Ok, we checked on it a million times, the kids were fascinated and I had to show my hubby when he got home!!)<br />
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After dragging it out from under the deck, we decided to skin it, so we looked up information on the net (where were we before the internet???) <br />
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My wonderful and adventurous hubby sharpened his knife and went to work. He cut off the head and tail where I had stabbed it. We didn't want to mess around with the fangs and getting out the venom, too hazardous for our first try. Some day, though, I envision having a cowboy hat with snake skin wrapped around it with the head and rattles crossing in the front.<br />
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Made a slit up its belly as neatly as he could (found out that my kitchen shears did a much better job than the steak knife).<br />
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Pulling gently, he removed the meat from the skin.</div>
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Skin pile.</div>
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I got a board and some little nails, push tacks would work well, too. I laid the skin out on a 2"x4" and tacked it in place, upside down. It reminded me of science class, pinning down the frog we were going to dissect. <br />
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The internal organs and shape of the muscles, etc were pretty interesting. I didn't know it was shaped like a "C", I thought it was a solid tube! <br />
I'll let the skin dry for a couple of days and see how it comes out! <br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-68187669458338204632012-09-25T10:14:00.001-07:002012-09-25T10:14:38.816-07:001st Annual Northwest Homesteading FairThis Saturday my friends and I are putting on the <a href="http://nwhomesteadingfair.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">1st Annual Northwest Homesteading Fair</a>! <br />
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In some of our many chats, we realized that each member of our community has a skill that they have perfected in their homes and farms and others who would be interested in learning these skills.<br />
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I have a lot of dairy experience and one of my friends knows how to sprout grains and make breads and crackers from scratch. We had a great idea to put on a fair to help others in and outside of our community. One little idea grew into a HUGE production and the fair is being held this Saturday in Lyle, Washington with workshops take and booths to shop. The workshops and admittance to the fair are ALL FREE!! We are having a food truck that sells all locally grown, organic food. Vendors (like myself) will be selling goat milk soaps and lotions, quilting supplies, hunter's safety instruction, candles, and homesteading supplies. We even have a blacksmith who will help us make our own spoons. Local musicians will be entertaining us all day and there will be wiener pigs and goat rides for the kids, along with faery gardens to make. We are really excited for all the local businesses who have donated their services and products for raffle items and all our wonderful friends who have volunteered their time to help us out. If you're in the neighborhood, come join us!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-18194862268386266782012-08-06T21:48:00.001-07:002012-12-11T09:17:22.752-08:00Cow datingFor the past year, I've tried unsuccessfully to breed the jerseys. We've done artificial insemination twice with each and I started looking for bulls this spring. I can't believe how difficult it has been! I finally found a jersey bull 3+ hours away, and the owner was getting him ready for the butcher. I convinced her to wait a couple weeks, borrowed my neighbor's trailer, and drove them down.<br />
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They weren't too happy with the trip, but seeing the herd of jerseys and lush green grass, they immediately made themselves at home. Three weeks later, I got the call that they had been bred and it was time to make the trip to pick them up. Of course, summer finally hit, the Pacific Northwest and it was upwards of 90 degrees today. The cows weren't too happy to get back in the trailer, but a little coaxing of grain got them up and in.<br />
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I got stuck in a backup from a car crash, so my 3.5 hour trip home turned into 4.5 hours, but they were happy to get out of the trailer.<br />
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They went right into their pen and ate some hay and visited with Meathead and the bucks.<br />
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Then I got to work cleaning out the trailer (be thankful for no one has invented smell-o-net yet!)<br />
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Took me 45 minutes to clean it out and I immediately took a LONG shower to clean myself up.<br />
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I'll be doing a preg check in a month, that should be exciting!</div>
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I'm participating in a homestead abundance link-up, click the link below to find other amazing blogs! <br />
<a href="http://fiberarts.ca/blog/homestead-abundance-1/">http://fiberarts.ca/blog/homestead-abundance-1/</a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-45835529535526412912012-06-14T20:46:00.001-07:002012-06-14T20:46:40.945-07:00Things you experiece when you come to my homestead.I was sitting on the deck waiting for some people who may or may not show up to buy our bucklings. While waiting, I was reminded that our home is vastly different from others.<br />
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1. Our driveway is 1.5 miles long. I've had people call me from every cut-off and say "Is this the one?" Nope, keep driving ALL the way to the end! City dwellers are astonished at 'how far out you live', amazed even that I have all my teeth. But realistically, it's only a 25 mile round trip to pick our mail....we once drove to Alaska and visited some people whose nearest town was a 5 HOUR drive, one way. Now that's far. We do get snowed in sometimes in winter, I have people who are worried that we are starving up here.....um, no, not gonna happen.</div>
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2. We have a gate and lots of 'No Trespassing' signs, people ignored these until we put out the "Trespassers will be shot, survivors shot again" sign. Now I've seen tracks turning around at this sign. (Maybe that explains the amazement over our teeth.)</div>
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3. You will see at least 1 child dressed like a ragamuffin running screaming towards the house like they've never seen other people before (this is not true, we take them off-property at least once a year.)</div>
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4. It's windy. No, I mean it's WINDY, almost constantly a 20+ mile per hour wind. You get used it (or you don't....I've heard it drives some people crazy...please excuse my nervous tic.)</div>
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5. Free-range Cows. Cows on the deck, cows in the garden. I used to have the deck decorated nicely with knickknacks, chairs, and flowers, but really, why bother? The cows just pull them out and eat them, or decide (again) that they don't like the taste, so my (used-to-be) nice deck is littered with dead plants and hoof prints. </div>
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6. Chickens running crazy, all over.....and poop everywhere (but not in the house, we try to keep that out, sometimes even successfully).</div>
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7. Rattlesnakes. They are more afraid of you than you are of them....uh huh, yeah, at least that's what I keep telling myself.</div>
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8. A huge windmill that sometimes works (I don't think it likes the wind). And solar panels that are strapped down so they don't blow away.</div>
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9. Gorgeous views of 3 mountains. Makes the long drive, snakes, and wind worth it.</div>
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10. I may or may not greet you in a beekeeper suit....do not be alarmed, the bees are well-trained...mostly.</div>
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11. Lots of hospitality. You will not leave my house without a dozen (at least) free-range eggs, a carton of goat: cheese, milk, yogurt, soap, or lotion. Fruit of some sort and some honeycomb, maybe something made from chicken feet. Oh, and recipes, I love to share recipes!</div>
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Ready for a visit? ;-)</div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-63531419677183181012012-05-26T21:01:00.000-07:002012-05-26T21:01:36.782-07:00Bigger goat pen!For the last year, I've been lamenting the size of the goat pen.....it's TINY! My hubby keeps reminding me that it was built for the ONE goat that we were going to get....which has now turned into 13!! <br />
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We spent the day cleaning up the area destined for the new pen, wrapped the pine tree with chicken fencing to protect it, moved the debris, and killed a baby rattlesnake that was hiding under it.<br />
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As we were finishing putting up the fencing, my hubby reminded me that this was NOT an invitation to get more goats....then I reminded him that the angora buck that I wanted is still for sale. ;-)<br />
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We decided to leave up the existing posts *just in case* we get a goat (or few) that I want to separate out into different pens, my hubby bought enough fencing for that brilliant idea (he's such an enabler!!)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-83185237027020545512012-04-24T10:49:00.001-07:002012-04-24T10:49:09.422-07:00Vertical Strawberry PatchLast summer I found some plans for<a href="http://www.pvcplans.com/pipe-garden.htm" target="_blank"> PVC gardening online</a>. I showed them to my hubby and mentioned that I would love to do our strawberries like this. We discussed and planned over the winter and finally got to work last week! One of our main concerns was that the tubes be UV resistant. We spoke with our favorite 'garden' store, Bryant Pipe and Supply, and they told us about the UV resistant tubing that was CHEAPER than PVC!! BPS employees have patiently guided us through our different watering scenarios, allowing us to keep most of our trees and plants alive after years of killing them!<br />
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My hubby put in 4"x4" posts, then assembled four 4"x10' PVC type tubes for each row, which he screwed together. We hung them on the posts using plumbing tape.</div>
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I drilled 2.5" holes every 6 inches using a drill. </div>
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Then I used weedbarrier on the end of the tubes, secured with hose clamps. We discussed using solid end caps, but I liked the idea of having drainage on the ends.</div>
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We love the "<a href="http://www.squarefootgardening.com/" target="_blank">Square Foot Gardening</a>" method and I've had great success with 'Mel's Mix' of vermiculite, three different composts, and peat moss in the greenhouse. </div>
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My hubby built a garden box in the garden, so the kids and I were able to mix the different dirts in the box. Using old milk jugs, we slowly filled each hole and tube up with dirt. We had to cut our workday short after our eldest got dirt in her eye. We took a trip to the ER after irrigating her eye at home with saline solution to make sure it was completely out (it was!). </div>
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(You can see that now we were wearing goggles to keep dirt out of our eyes!)</div>
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We were able to re-use the 6" drip system tubing we used on the strawberries last year and fed them into the tubes, luckily they were the perfect length, saving us from buying more tubing. I ran around hooking up hoses trying to make sure the water was flowing in each tube. We
will need to add a pump eventually, since we water using reclaimed rain
water, but to test it all out I hooked it up to the well water.</div>
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Then came the task up digging up the plants in the garden and transplanting into the holes.</div>
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We have about 320 holes.</div>
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I have about 200 or so plants STILL in the garden, so now I have to figure out what to do with them!</div>
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I found this plan and maybe we'll build this next: <a href="http://www.pvcplans.com/trellis.htm">http://www.pvcplans.com/trellis.htm</a></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-88503912250162858222012-04-01T10:53:00.000-07:002012-04-01T10:53:45.164-07:00Best buds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The kids are bouncing all over the barn, even venturing outside when it's nice. However, when it comes time to chill out, they snuggle up in pairs, Jett and Marlee (above) and half-sisters, Diamond and Star (below). It's too cute!!<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-30303410899697704342012-03-29T19:19:00.000-07:002012-03-29T19:19:22.259-07:00Rough Kidding<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">{Graphic picture warning!!}</span> </div>
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I still have 2 goats that were due to kid this week, they are both a
couple days late, but I wasn't too worried. Both are second time
mama's. I went into the goat barn to feed and noticed that Greta wasn't
eating and was just standing around, so I knew that it was her day!</div>
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Throughout the morning, I kept checking on her and around noon, she
finally started laying down. No babies were coming, and I started to
worry.</div>
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After an hour, I noticed a protrusion, but not the snout and front feet I
had been hoping for, I couldn't figure out what I was looking at, and
it was NOT coming out. By this time, Greta was screaming in pain and I
could tell she was getting exhausted. I ran inside for my goat birthing
books, gloves, vaseline, towels, warm molasses water, and some
disinfecting iodine. I came back to find Greta lying down and grunting,
so I got right to work. I slipped my hand up inside around the baby,
trying to distinguish body parts, but it was still confusing, bumps
where there should not have been bumps. <br />
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I worked the baby slowly out, her head was bent under instead of
pointing out and she was stillborn. I cleaned up and showed her to
Greta who gave her a couple licks and nudges. I even tried giving her some
chest compressions, but I knew she was too far gone.<br />
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Just then another baby came sliding right out, followed by another one!
Triplets!!! I knew she was pregnant with twins, but didn't know there
would be a bonus kid! Greta was too exhausted to move, so I opened up
the sacs, wiped off their mouths so they could breathe and gave them to
Greta, one buckling, one doeling.<br />
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She couldn't even lift up her head to lick them, so I dried them both
off and gave Greta the molasses water. She started to perk up, so I
kept the kids by her head and cleaned up the afterbirth. The kids got
up and started staggering around looking for food, so I got Greta up on
her feet, gave her some grain and attached each kid to a teat. They
took to nursing right away and I knew that they would be ok after that.
I came inside and got the big girls so they could see the new babies.<br />
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It was an exciting, stressful, happy day! Her granddaughter, Star, wants her up playing with her!</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-56097004743427325612012-03-19T20:14:00.000-07:002012-03-19T20:14:28.518-07:00First 2012 kid!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I went out to the barn last night to close up, I encountered a nice surprise! </div>
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Twinkletoes had her kid a week early! </div>
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It's a girl, we named her "Star".</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-87964862476810579252012-03-18T09:58:00.000-07:002012-03-18T09:58:44.329-07:00Almost kidding time!<div style="text-align: center;">
Only 7 days to go until the first due date for our kids!!</div>
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I have 2 does due on Sunday, the 25th and 2 does due on the 27th. Nawww, I'm not going to be busy or loony from lack of sleep that week!!</div>
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The girls are waddling around, their udders are forming nicely and I'm getting very excited!</div>
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I have their coats and collars ready to go, the camera battery is charged and I've got some colostrum frozen 'just in case' and the nurse-cats are all ready!</div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647772816326018516.post-1708402629831438242012-03-10T21:44:00.000-08:002012-03-10T21:44:38.979-08:00Goat coats!It's inevitable, whenever we have a birth on the farm, it's ALWAYS snowing and cold! The does are due to kid starting March 24th, and since summer doesn't hit until after the 4th of July, I spent the day making kid coats.<br />
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I just hope 1. that they fit, and 2. that I made enough!!<br />
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I found a coat at Wal-mart that I figured was about the right size and traced it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydJL0QY5L862Ox23RiPtZA7emAZNX4uNrGYYdOUiXRWt4I2hDXXOp4NhOywX0d3r_PAUQJGktmMBGQ20QhHVUnRuoC9rPiF0Vl-cDyAiucw-05egvDL1naaiKeMIzyTeVAhiCWoMnAtpH/s1600/IMG_2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydJL0QY5L862Ox23RiPtZA7emAZNX4uNrGYYdOUiXRWt4I2hDXXOp4NhOywX0d3r_PAUQJGktmMBGQ20QhHVUnRuoC9rPiF0Vl-cDyAiucw-05egvDL1naaiKeMIzyTeVAhiCWoMnAtpH/s320/IMG_2022.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxAZzpmHMZKxpAQ-vFdvP2ne0rSU3kw7fHLuAuiKLqz5MKdCbABJZOA9eTi4MRY_B6qnQxP86kQnZC-VCTjFrJJHpZGX8cLY4kN7S-GFMqVDOYnXwtr03kfcCwdoEdFmBKx0uqrObvnjq/s1600/IMG_2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxAZzpmHMZKxpAQ-vFdvP2ne0rSU3kw7fHLuAuiKLqz5MKdCbABJZOA9eTi4MRY_B6qnQxP86kQnZC-VCTjFrJJHpZGX8cLY4kN7S-GFMqVDOYnXwtr03kfcCwdoEdFmBKx0uqrObvnjq/s320/IMG_2019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Not the best sewing job I've ever done, but I don't think the kids will complain!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437672469082239722noreply@blogger.com4