The Big Red Barn

Rejuvelac-The Energy Drink

2012-01-19T16:22:00.000-06:00

Thought I would share a recipe today for an easy energy boost. It is a fermented drink and it is not hard to make. It only requires two things: clean (non-fluoridated) water & 1/2 cup of wheat or rye berries.

This is what Dr. Ann Wigmore , Living Foods Lifestyle founder, said about it: “Rejuvelac contains all the nutritional nourishment of wheat and is more easily digested. It contains the friendly bacteria that are necessary for a healthy colon and to remove toxins. It is also filled with B complex vitamins and vitamins C and E.”
Rejuvelac is full of enzymes that help in the digestion process, lactic acid that creates a healthy intestinal flora and additional protein, dextrines, carbohydrates, phosphates and amylases.

Soak the grains overnight in a warm area overnight in a half-gallon jar. The next morning, rinse & drain. Sprout the grain for two days, rinsing & draining twice a day, doing the last rinse with purified water. For a stronger rejuvelac, process the grains in a food processor until broken up & place them back in the jar again. Fill the jar with purified water & allow to ferment for 48-72 hours, or until the desired tartness is achieved. Pour off the rejuvelac into a container & store in the fridge. For a second batch, fill with water again, ferment 24 hours & pour off the rejuvelac. For a third batch, fill the jar with water one last time, ferment for 24 hours & pour off the rejuvelac. .Discard the grains (into your compost pile)

One the left is a new batch soaking. The other has been sprouted & fermenting a couple of days.

This is what the fermenting batch looks like today. You can see the berries floating in the jar. They are being pushed around by the fermenting bubbles. Almost like watching a lava lamp. :-)

I use a piece of screening & a rubber band for the top. It is easy to drain the berries that way. After I rinse the berries, I leave the jar in the dish drainer like this...

What a healthy & cheap drink. So put down that soda and get your energy from something good for you. :-)

Here in the Midwest, we are waiting for a winter storm to hit. Supposed to start tomorrow morning in our part of Wisconsin and we could see (depending on which weatherman you watch) anywhere from 3 to 12 inches. On top of that, it has been below zero temperatures & windchills in the minus 20+ range.
The wood stove is stoked, there is food in the pantry and the "snow dog" Vinnie is whining to go out (again) :-). At least Tigger is getting smart. This morning, she just had to beat Vinnie out the door when I went out to feed the chickens. She didn't even get off the porch :-).

I will leave you with a new photo of Hayley. It was taken by KB Photography. I love it :-)

Seed Orders (So Far)

2012-01-18T11:41:00.001-06:00

For the last week or so, I've been looking through the seed catalogs & the other day I brought the seed packets out of cold storage to see what I need for this year. The companies I ordered from are Seed Savers, Baker Creek, Peaceful Valley & The Natural Gardening Co.
Here is a list of the new seeds I've ordered so far...

Potatoes
Yukon Gold
German Butterball
Sangre
Purple Viking

Peas
Green Arrow
Dwarf Gray Sugar
Amish Snap

Carrots
White Lunar Carrot
Parisian Carrot
Scarlet Nantes
Danvers

Florence Fennel
Slow Bolt Cilantro
Nasturtium-Jewel Peach Melba
Lacinato Kale
Cucumber-Homemade Pickles

Squash
Winter Dickenson
Summer Fordhook
Long Island Cheese
Hopi Pale Grey

Melon
Collective Farm Woman
Hearts of Gold

Cabbage
Early Jersey Wakefield
Mammoth Red Rock

Snowball Turnip
Chinese Red Meat Radish (Beauty Heart)

I have other things on my list to buy this year too & many outdoor projects in mind. I've also been looking at making a seed starting table like this one at The Door Garden. This pic is from his blog of the table in progress...

Another idea I have been giving some thought is beekeeping. Making the top bar hives wouldn't be that difficult (for Steve :-) and I would like to do my part to help the bee population (honey would be a bonus).
And then there is the hoop house we'd like to get up in the spring. Winter greens for next year....yum.
We still have chard & cilantro growing in the cold frame on the south side of the barn. This was taken on January 12th.


I planted the cilantro from the garden in Oct. when it re-sprouted.

Neither one looks pretty, but they are edible. :-)

Blue Jay...pesky, but pretty.

I am also going to take some cuttings from our Nanking Cherry bushes & lilacs to start new plants. Still looking into that. I'll have to find some older posts on Christer's blog about propagation.
Enough for now...time to get busy!

Another Project Done

2012-01-16T17:56:00.000-06:00

This weekend, Steve put up the doors going to the basement & workshop. We have had temporary doors there since we moved to the west side of the barn. Big improvement! In look & warmth. I went to town today to check out some paint colors. We are sticking with the "fiesta" color scheme. We got the Fiestaware dishes out of the cupboard & held them up to the doors :-). Both the doors are exterior doors. The one on the left goes down to the basement & the right one leads to the workshop. They should be more sound proof than interior doors.
We also took time out to play with Tigger & Vinnie outside. It was such a nice weekend.


Tigger bounding through the snow.

At first, Tigger would only walk in the existing footprints. Then she got brave when she wanted to go over by the bird feeder.

Vinne & Steve played catch with the tennis ball.

Vinnie would stay out all day if we let him. :-) He loves the cold & snow. His fur is so thick with the two layers he has. Sometimes he licks at his paws though. Snow gets caked in between the pads.


Woodpecker at the feeder.


Vinnie & Tig playing tug of war with some yarn.

We are expecting an inch or so more of snow tonight into tomorrow. That's okay. I don't have to drive anywhere. I'll be able to enjoy watching out the window.

Tonight's sunset.

Moon Set at Sunrise

2012-01-11T09:40:00.001-06:00

The last couple of mornings, we've been awakened by a bright setting moon out the western window. I took a walk with Vinnie & Tigger to get a picture but it was already too light out for a good shot of the moon.

A thoughtful look.

Tigger investigating a stump.

The weather here has been so spring-like. It is a strange January indeed. But wait. Don't even think it is going to last. There is a weather advisory. Up to eight inches of the fluffy white stuff coming our way. Plus a little wind. How exciting! (Only if you don't have to drive anywhere.) Part of living here at the farm is being self-sufficient. Food on hand in the pantry, wood drying inside for the stove, and a neighbor who will plow the driveway :-).
Last weekend we went to Jaelyn's 2nd birthday party. Time is just flying by. Such a big girl now.


Mom made good cupcakes!

A new tricycle!

Here's those Minnie Mouse cupcakes Kristin made.

Hayley is such a smiley baby.

Going back in time a little...we had a great Christmas celebration with the family.

Amy & Rob cooked a great breakfast.

Steve made Rob & Tim baseball card display cabinets.

I made aprons for the crew.

Jaelyn hugging her new dolly.

Uncle Shane enjoying some "Hayley-time"

The week between Christmas & New Year's, we painted. We've always done the neutral colors but decided to go a little "fiesta crazy". Put on your sunglasses...here is a pic...

It's bright & cheery & definitely out of our "comfort zone", but we like it. The rest of the walls will be pine & the the trim at the ceiling & floor too.

That's all for now. Time to sew some more curtains...

And Then There Were Four

2012-01-05T18:44:00.000-06:00

Well, we did it. The decision was made. We no longer have Bubbles, the rooster. We were hoping that his disposition would improve. Hoping that he would go back to being the sweet rooster of his youth. The rooster who was so friendly that he jumped in my lap while we were sitting outside. But, it wasn't happening. He has threatened every pet sitter that we've had. He jumped on our neighbor not long ago when he opened the coop door. Luckily, he had a heavy coat on. So, bye bye Bubbles. The Amish neighbors came & took him away a few minutes ago. I told them to take him as long as I didn't hear about what a yummy dinner he made. As far as I will know, he might be running around their barn, terrorizing them & not in a stew pot.

Bubbles & the girls.

2011-12-23T17:10:00.000-06:00

I will be taking a holiday break for at least the next week so I would like to wish all my readers & friends a happy & safe holiday!

Time to Finish the Drywall

2011-12-11T22:54:00.000-06:00

We have been debating how much pine to put on the walls. We finally made a decision & then called a drywall er to finish the walls that will be painted. What would takes us a couple weeks to do (on weekends), he will get done in a day & a half. So tomorrow morning he'll start. We moved all the furniture to the center of the room & covered it with plastic. We are now hanging out in the "cabin room" (the guest area) for a couple days. There isn't radiant floor heat under this floor, so the wood stove is the only heat source. It is keeping us toasty right now, but we will probably have to stoke it in the middle of the night. We will start to prime the walls in a week or so then paint. I'll share the colors we picked out when we get closer to painting.
Tonight I wrapped all the presents that are either purchased or made so far. This coming weekend is our Christmas celebration with family in Illinois. I still have a couple things to make. That's what I'll be doing when the drywall is being done.
Steve & I decorated the sugar cookies Saturday night after going out to The Driftless Cafe for our anniversary. Number nine! Doesn't seem possible it has been that long. Seems like yesterday that we where in Maui, standing on the beach at sunset getting married.
It's getting late, I'm off to bed. Have a great week!

Winterizing the Chickens

2011-11-28T23:06:00.001-06:00

This weekend we made the coop cozy warm for the chickens. Not over-the-top warm. Just warm enough not to freeze their combs off. This is what we did...

The easy part was placing a water heater under their metal water fount. It is automatically set to go on when the temperature drops below 35 degrees & will keep the water from freezing in temps as low as 10 degrees. So far, the water has only froze once and that was just a layer on top. Of course when there is a stretch of days below 10 degrees (ugh, hate to think of that), we will have to check the water for icing.
Next, after much research, we bought a thermostatically-controlled outlet (comes on at 35 degrees & goes off at 45 degrees) to which we plugged in a ceramic infrared heat emitter placed in a metal lamp with the protective shield around it & hung it from the coop ceiling. This set-up will keep the chickens from freezing, but will not allow it to get too warm in the coop. We will have to see if the heat lamp will keep the water from freezing.
The coop is so well insulated, that we may have just needed the water fount heater. The chickens give off quite a bit of body heat too. But, since this is our first year of raising chickens, we want to be sure they are all right. I once read a blog that talked about letting her chickens combs freeze like it was no big deal to have to trim off the dead black tips of the comb. I'm sorry, but I won't purposely let an animal suffer if I can help it.

Vinnie supervising Steve with Bubbles looking on.

The rest of the weekend was spent cooking (me) and mudding & sanding the foyer drywall (Steve). We had our Thanksgiving dinner at the farm on Saturday in the midst of the drywall dust floating around. :-) . A decision was made on Sunday....call someone else to finish the small amount of drywall mudding & sanding we have left. It's not that much, but it will get rid of a whole lot of frustration for one fantastic custom woodworker who shouldn't have to do drywall too.

This week, I am visiting family. Love seeing the two granddaughters! I was supposed to leave tomorrow, but couldn't wait any longer, so I hopped in the car this afternoon.
Should post some new pics here this week...

The Sun is Peeking Out

2011-11-10T12:45:00.000-06:00

Time to bring in the hose. We will be building a roof over the door next spring.

It was snowing again when I got up this morning. This time is was light & fluffy, not the wet, heavy stuff like yesterday. Our area got anywhere from three to five inches yesterday. All the fields are covered except for where the farmers haven't harvested the corn yet. Now the sun is trying to break through and we are having mini avalanches off the roof. We will be working on a entry way roof next spring to protect us from getting buried. :-) The high today is supposed to reach 39.
I waited until about 3pm to let the chickens out yesterday. It is the first time they have been hesitant to come out. I don't blame them. The snow was done but the wind was blowing hard out of the north. Today they came out right away thanks to lots of oatmeal I put on the ground for them. We are down to one egg a day now. I have read that it is the lack of daylight. We have thought about supplemental light, but I'm not sure about that yet. It is time to put out the water heater though & maybe a heat lamp on a timer. Don't want them to freeze or run out of water. Steve insulated the coop well, but since this is the first year we've had chickens, we're not sure how warm it will stay inside the coop.

Huddled under the coop for a little protection from the wind.

I got some sewing done yesterday. Been working on felt food for Jaelyn. I have so many projects to complete before Christmas. How about you?

Little Hayley :-)

Jaelyn, proud of her pumpkin she carved with Daddy.

Waking Up to Snow

2011-11-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

Well, we knew it was coming sometime...this was at 6:30am. Supposed to get up to 5" of snow today. It is really blowing out there. Could hardly push the door open on the north side to let Vinnie out. No worries though. No errands to run. I have a day of sewing planned. And Vinnie & Tigger...this is what they will be doing, I imagine.

As for the chickens...I think I'll leave them in the coop until it stops blowing so hard.
The fire is roaring in the wood stove. The tea is brewing in the pot. And the ideas for Christmas presents are forming in my head :-). It is time to get busy. The way the time flies, it'll be Christmas before we know it.

A New Look for an Old Clothes Pin Bag

2011-11-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

This is my mom's old clothes pin bag which was in pretty bad shape (besides being an ugly 60's or 70's fabric).

Here is the frame. That is Tigger's paws in the foreground. It took a few minutes of playing with the frame before I could have it back :-).

Here is the finished bag. Now sporting a 1950's print from an old tablecloth. Total time for this project...10 minutes. I've wanted to do this for a couple years. Every time I hung clothes to dry, I thought about it.
Tonight I started working on a pad for Vinnie to lay on by the couch made out of the other half of the down bed topper. While scrounging around in the attic today, I found two slipcovers from chairs that we no longer have. They are tan colored cotton, canvas-like material. Perfect size for the pad, plus a lot of leftover material for other projects. I threw the fabric in the wash & will start sewing tomorrow. You must think I never throw anything out :-). Well, I do throw SOME things out, but usually not fabric. I knew someday I would find a project that needed those chair slipcovers. I'll have to go up in the attic again tomorrow & see what else I can find....

Snow Flakes...November is Here

2011-11-02T22:21:00.001-05:00

Today it was windy, rainy with some big snowflakes mixed in. There is still a little more on it's way but tomorrow should be sunny and in the 50's. I have been going to town & taking walks on nice days. It is helping me get to know the lay of the land. Not that a town of 4000 is that big or confusing. I was taking walks on the county road we live on, but I'm not comfortable with cars flying by at 60 mph.
Here are a few pics from town a couple weeks ago...

There is still food to put by that I haven't got to yet. Tomato juice & paste in the freezer & pantry waiting to be made into pizza & spaghetti sauce. Beans drying on a screen in the attic along with sunflower seeds. A whole huge basket of garlic cloves that were left over from separating them at planting time waits for me to dehydrate them. I did make a garlic concoction last weekend for coughs that used up about a pound of the cloves. You can find the recipe on the blog Clean. It is the one called "Garlic Syrup". It is really tasty. We eat whole cloves daily anyway, but an infusion with apple cider vinegar & honey is a good way to "mix it up" a bit.
There are a lot of sewing projects that need to be started too. Today I finished a bed for Vinnie using what we had available here at the farm.

It is made from an old cloth shower curtain and stuffed with four large couch pillows topped with half a twin size down mattress topper. I did make a huge mess (along with Tigger) when I cut the topper in half. There were feathers flying everywhere. He was chasing them all over the place. I should have stopped to take a picture but instead I grabbed the vacuum before the whole floor was covered. Even Vinnie had feathers on his back. What a mess :-). I pinned the edge together & sewed it right away. Now I have to find something to cover the leftover topper with & Vinnie and Tigger will have another soft spot to lay.
We had more electric work done today. More outside lights & outlets along with more basement outlets. Not too much more to do. Next will be 220 service to the workshop for Steve's tools.
No luck with selling the shop building yet. We are keeping a positive attitude though. It just takes the right person to come along.

2011-10-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

Vinnie hurt his back leg again yesterday. Poor old guy. He has a hard time getting up. Hope he heals quickly.

Tigger is growing up so fast. He really likes to go outside & play...

Wood is stacked & ready for winter.

High winds ripped the storm door from it's hinges a couple weeks ago.

This is what happens to foil insulation for the radiant floor heat when Tigger decides he wants to crawl in the basement ceiling.

Milk weed pod at sunset.

Sunset on a day that it hailed twice.

Finished trimming around the garage doors.

Best buddies (most of the time)

Tigger helping Steve fix a light fixture :-)

We have been busy with lots of projects in the last couple weeks. The fall weather has been fantastic but we all know that winter will be here soon. Even though I love being outside as much as possible, I am still looking forward to indoor time. I have a huge list of things I want to get done inside...sewing, preserving, knitting, painting, etc., etc., etc....
Hope you have a great week!

A Busy Week of Planting

2011-10-06T22:34:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's garlic planting time again. What beautiful weather for it! Every day this week has been sunny & in the high 70's or low 80's. The trees are all changing & maybe when I get done planting, I'll go take some pictures :-). I have added two more varieties this year, so I now have 32. The garlic bed size has increased to accommodate all the cloves I've been popping (separating). The final count should be around 4000 when I am finished. Then I will cover them with straw & hope for the best. There have been a few interruptions to the planting, all animal related. First, yesterday morning, Tigger decided to climb a tree (again) but he couldn't get down. He meowed & cried so I got the ladder & rescued him. Then the chickens decided to free range in the garden & were picking up the garlic cloves and putting them back down. I decided after that to cover them up as I planted, not waiting until the end of the row. And last, I went in the house to take a break, looked out the window & there were 20 cows in our hayfield headed for the garlic bed! The cows escaped from the Amish's pasture down the road (not Eli's this time). Luckily, one of the Amish neighbor boys was outside within ear shot & he along with his older sister, helped me get the cows moving & back into their pasture. If they would have walked into the garlic bed...well, I would have been crying, that's for sure.
Steve & I finished washing all the wood this weekend that we bought from an old barn for our flooring. That is a huge relief. The wood is beautiful, stains & all. We have a list of things to do outside before the weather turns. The garlic was a big one along with the wood and next is re-stacking firewood & getting more. Luckily, our neighbor Jim has plenty to share with us. Steve will work with him, splitting & stacking in exchange for it. There are a few miscellaneous garden chores left to do, like weeding around the blueberries & in the strawberry bed & pulling up wood plant markers.

In chicken news, we have three layers now. The one black hen has been laying for over a month & now the two white hens have started. Three miniature eggs a day! They are earning their keep!
Bubbles (the rooster) has left me alone since the incident in September, but he went after Steve this weekend. It is totally unprovoked. Can't figure it out. I have been letting him see me with food when I let them out in the morning, hoping that he will realize I am not a rooster & attack me. I never turn my back on him, though. Funny how something that size can make you so afraid. :-)

Kristin & Hayley

Last week I had a great time at Kristin & Tim's. Hayley is so sweet. Those cute little cooing noises & sighs. So happy to be able to spend time with her. Jaelyn is doing really well adjusting to her new baby sister. She loves giving her kisses & telling us that baby burped.

That's all for now. I hope to start blogging more now that it is getting dark earlier & the gardening is winding down. Have a great weekend!

Jaelyn with her present from Hayley. A diaper bag so she can change Abby Caddaby's diaper

when

Mommy is busy.

Welcome Hayley Renae!

2011-09-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

She arrived Saturday at 7:35pm. Such a beautiful girl! She looks so much like Jaelyn did at birth. We were so lucky to be able to watch Jaelyn Sunday & Monday until they got home from the hospital. She seems to be adjusting well to her new baby sister.

That's all for now...busy week ahead before I go back to visit them for some more Grandma time!

And We Have....Two Eggs!

2011-09-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

So excited! I went out to the coop tonight and put some scraps from the kitchen in the run & found our first egg! So I opened up the lid to the nesting boxes in back and there was another one! I know they must have layed them sometime after noon today. Our old neighbors, Bob & Pam stopped by on their way back from MN to visit, and Bob & Steve checked out the nesting boxes & no eggs then.

The middle one is a extra large egg from the store.

So, like Steve says...they are finally earning their keep. Good thing too after Bubbles (the rooster) nailed Steve on the arm when he opened up the coop door this morning. He seems to be getting more aggressive lately. Mostly when he is inside the run. The other evening, Tigger (the kitten), wandered into the run while some of the hens were in there. Bubbles cornered him & started pecking him! I rescued him & he is okay, but will keep an eye on Tigger around Bubbles now. A couple days before that, we had another incident with the chickens. Steve & I were both busy in the yard. We had let Vinnie (the dog) out earlier & while we weren't paying attention, he decided he wanted a chicken dinner. I saw him chasing the hens & Steve & I both went running. Luckily, the one he made contact with got away with only a mouth full of feathers gone. He hid in the woods for a while & then came back out. So we now have animal rules here at the farm. Vinnie is on a leash when the chickens are free-ranging & Tigger isn't allowed near the coop.


Tigger discovered trees yesterday. Steve only has to rescue him once with the ladder. :-)

We have been busy for the last couple weeks here at the farm now that the coop is finished. Two new outside doors installed along with three storm doors. One storm door to go along with some misc. trim work on the outside doors & garage doors. Then it's time to get our woodpile in order. I hate to say it, but they are predicting a frost the middle of the week here. Hope they are wrong. Lots of tomatoes still on the vine, the beans aren't dry yet, the few pumpkins we have aren't ripe & almost all the cabbage is still in the garden...I'm not ready! We picked apples off one of the trees yesterday & got four five gallon buckets full. I sorted them tonight & two buckets will be for sauce & two for eating. I have already picked quite a few apples and made sauce (canned & frozen) and finally, after wanting to do this for a few years, canned pie filling. My canning shelf is filling up so Steve will be making me some more shelves soon.

We are still on baby watch. Kristin is due on the 14th but we are hoping the full moon (and her many walks) will bring it on. :-) Can't wait to meet our new granddaughter. I had a great visit the last weekend in August. Tim's mom had a luncheon for Kristin that Saturday. It was at a really cute restaurant and the food was great. While I was visiting, I got to see two of her friend's & their little girls. It was fun seeing Jaelyn with the other kids. I think she will be fine with a new sibling.

Having fun withe the monkey puppet


Kristin's friend Jen, Evie & Jaelyn

Jaelyn playing with her new kitchen from Grandma Lori.

Son Shane is now on his trip out West. He has wanted to do this for years & finally made it happen. The farm was the first stop. It was nice to spend a couple days with him. Next stop was his friend in Minneapolis & they went to the lake that we always go to every summer to fish for a couple days. I talked to him last night & he was an hour from Montana near Theodore Roosevelt State Park. He will be gone for about a month.


Shane & me in front of his Scamp trailer

He has many friends that he is meeting along the way & I'm sure will make many new friends, too. It is a dream fulfilled & I am so happy for him.
Well, that's all for now. I'm still not done crocheting a blanket for the baby and need to get busy. It's hard having a kitten & crocheting at the same time :-)

The New Website is Up

2011-08-24T23:03:00.001-05:00

I finally put up a website for garlic sales. I tried doing a blog, but decided after Amy told me about a free website service, to go for it. This is a link to it here. It called Big Red Barn Gourmet Garlic. Like before, I don't have the shipping worked out, but there is a contact page and we can add shipping after you place your order. It is a big relief to have the site up because the time for planting garlic is closing in fast. Check it out. Maybe you would like to try a different kind or two.

On the home front...I have been picking & steam juicing more elderberries. I also have lots of tomatoes coming in so another batch will be juiced tomorrow. Blackberries are coming in very slowly. A few every day. They are huge though.

As most of you know, I rarely relax, but I decided that has to change. Now, the last couple of nights, about an hour before sunset, I have been bringing all the animals outside to play. Mia isn't much for playing, so she sits on the retaining wall & looks around. Tigger is stalking everything in site :-) & Vinnie just likes being outside even though he isn't allowed to walk around too much yet. Tonight, I let the chickens out of the run (Vinnie was on a leash) & let them forage where ever they wanted. The still stayed close to the coop, but I'm sure they will get braver the more they are out there. I can find things to do around here 24 hours a day. I just have to choose not to.

So it is 11pm & I need to relax & go to bed. Another busy day tomorrow.

2011-08-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

We had a fun & relaxing (me anyway) weekend. Amy & Rob came up to visit. They always volunteer to help us with projects and we let them. :-). Rob helped Steve build a door for the chicken run and did some landscaping which required moving the dirt pile I hadn't gotten to yet. Thanks Rob! We put up the predator lights on Sunday along with window latches. Still a couple things to do, but isn't there always "one more thing" to do?

Rob & Steve working on the door.

The small black boxes are predator lights.

Amy & I harvested bunches of elderberries which we steam juiced afterward. I didn't get a pic of the elderberries in the steamer, but here are the apples & tomatoes I did earlier. FYI: I was stung by a wasp while we were harvesting, squeezed an elderberry on it, and the sting went away. Never knew it would do that.

We went out to eat at the Driftless Cafe for pizza later & then started a campfire. A few beers, a little wine, good conversation & a zillion stars watched later, it was time for bed. Sunday morning after breakfast, Steve & I packed up some garlic orders for them to take back.

First canteloupe I've ever grown.

Too soon, it was time for them to head back home. We had a great time & Vinnie & Tigger miss a you guys :-).
I have to say that I am in love with the steamer/juicer I bought. It is a Mehu-Liisa 10 Liter Stainless Steel Steam Juicer made in Finland. I keep thinking of new things to make in it. So far I've done tomato juice, spiced apple juice and elderberry juice. After juicing the tomatoes & apples, I used the food strainer & made a tomato puree which I added back into the juice for a thicker drink (along with peppers, celery, onion, garlic, etc.) and apple sauce, which I froze. Today, I made another batch of apples & tomorrow I hope to can the applesauce, I will run out of room in the small freezer we have if I don't start canning more. I also picked beets & turnips tonight. The turnips I peeled & sliced to dehydrate and the beets I will can in the morning along with the applesauce.
In between all that, I am still working on the website for garlic sales and trying to finish a baby afghan while a energetic kitten is playing with the yarn :-). Vinnie is still limping. He is a little better, but not much. He hop/walks now. We are keeping him inside as much as possible to rest.

Handsome boy Vinnie.

The chickens have adjusted well to the coop & run. They put themselves to bed after sunset. We haven't let them roam outside the run much yet. Vinnie is too interested in them & we don't want to risk a confrontation. Tigger has run inside the run, but they ignore him for the most part. They are used to seeing both Vinnie & Tigger and aren't scared. Can't wait to see the first egg which should be around September or October.

Chicken Update

2011-08-16T23:13:00.001-05:00

The coop is almost done

A few more finishing touches and it's complete. We put up the outdoor run on Sunday with the help of our neighbor Jim. We still need to make a door and put up the solar predator lights & solar motion detector spotlight and I think that's it. Tonight the chickens moved to their new home...


Settling in. This is as clean as it will ever look :-)


Looking through the other door with the hanging waterer & feeder.

Bubbles (the rooster) was the first one in tonight. We had a trial run on Sunday night to see if he could figure out the ramp which was pretty funny. Not how he reacted to the ramp. It was how he followed me back into the barn. He is just like a dog :-) He follows me everywhere. So tonight, I just put him down in the grass & he walked behind me to the coop. I locked him in & got the girls. I carried them. Wasn't sure if they would follow me & I needed to get other things done before sunset. They all settled in quickly. Tomorrow I'll let them out & see how they handle the great outdoors. I will leave Vinnie & Tigger in the house. Not sure what their reaction would be to the chickens walking around the yard. Tigger is so playful I'm afraid he'd get pecked at by Bubbles. Vinnie went & sat down by the coop as soon as I let him out so I think he will protect them.
Speaking of Vinnie...he hurt himself on Friday afternoon. The vet said his knee is injured. He started to run & must have twisted it. Poor guy. He already has a bum leg so now he is kind of hopping. He is on pain meds & arnica & is supposed to be resting. Hope he gets better soon. He is my shadow most of the time & I hate to leave him inside.

Big barn...little coop


Going down our driveway with the thrasher

The Amish have been thrashing the oats for the last couple weeks. They brought this McCormick-Deering thrasher up to Eli & Lizzie's last week to do theirs. The horses in the back were used to "brake" the machine as it went down the hill. It's like living in the 30's or 40's around here sometimes :-).

Beautiful pine after the grime is removed.

Last week I started to work on the pine boards for the floor. The wood looks great under all that dirt. It does take time to do each board, but it will be worth it in the end. I have about half done now. I need to work on them when there is no chance of rain. Tomorrow I'll have to find another project to work on, which I have many. Taking the indoor chicken cage down is one of them along with playing with my new "toy", a steam juicer. It is almost time for the elderberry harvest. The steamer should make it so much easier.
Another thing I did last week was buy six dozen ears of corn from the Amish down the road.

Part of the corn I preserved.

That was a lot of work! I will not be doing any more this year. I tried both ways. First, I blanched the whole ear & cut it off. Then I tried cutting it off first, before blanching. Both ways have their drawbacks. I chose to freeze not can the corn. Mainly because I have yet to use the pressure canner I got a couple years ago. I will be trying it this year though. I promise (to quit being a chicken about using it).
Some of you might have noticed that I started a new blog about the garlic we grow. I have set up a way to order the garlic, but haven't figured out the shipping yet. It is after 11pm so I gave up researching PayPal for the night. Hopefully, I can figure it out soon. I'll let you know :-)
Have a great week!

The State of the Garden

2011-08-07T23:12:00.000-05:00

Mia having some outdoor time.

This sums it up...a lot of weeds :-). I just can't seem to get ahead of it. Even with this dry spell we are having, the weeds continue to grow. The veggies are still growing. It's just hard to find some of them. I have almost totally lost the leeks. I found the row, but there aren't very many there. I think I pulled some as weeds. Carrots are also a problem. A few weeks ago, I weeded a partial row, the rest are lost in there somewhere. It all started by going on vacation for a week followed by an intense garlic harvesting. The weeds just got out of control. You know, if you get them while they are little, it is easy to chop them with a hoe. When they are a foot tall, you need a machete :-). So I have been pulling & chopping away every day, making some headway. I can now see the cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, basil, oregano, pinapple sage & parsley. Some of the corn is visible along with the potatoes & squash. Speaking of potatoes & squash, I have had bug problems. First was the potato bugs. Lots of them. Then the squash started wilting & the leaves turned yellow on a few hills. That was caused by the vine borer. I dug them up & put them in a plastic garbage bag to cook in the sun. Hopefully, the rest of the plants will be okay. I do have three cantaloupe on a vine which is a first. I have never grown it before. I hope the lack of moisture doesn't affect it. We have harvested a few potatoes (there is nothing like fresh hash browns for breakfast), lots of cherry tomatoes (red & yellow), about 6 large tomatoes (they are just starting to come in), a dozen or so peppers, peas, cilantro, basil, oregano, thyme, chocolate mint, orange mint, only a few cucumbers & zucchinis (not sure what's up with that), a few summer squash, lettuce, spinach, radishes, onions and of course, the garlic. On my list this week to pick is beets. I have never canned beets before, so I intend to learn how. I also need to buy some sweet corn from the Amish down the road to freeze. I am growing corn but not enough to do anything with.
On the fruit front, I have picked loads of strawberries and Nanking cherries, a fair amount of blueberries. A smaller amount of raspberries & about a cup full of jostaberries. Almost ready to pick are the blackberries & elderberries. Apples will be next after that, then the rose hips.

I have purring kitten on my lap now. He has been such a joy to have around. That's what we think, not Mia. She is having a terrible time adjusting. I know it takes a while. I have never heard such a low growl out of her before. Growls & hisses every time Tigger is near. She is camping out in the bathroom now with her water, food & litter box.

Tigger playing in the window.

Tigger out hunting bugs :-)

Vinnie & Brutus (neighbor's dog) got into a big fight today in the basement. We have a bank barn so you just enter the basement through the garage doors. Well Brutus wanted a drink from Vinnie's bowl & Vinnie showed his teeth & barked. Brutus didn't back down so they were biting each other. Steve broke them up & sent Brutus home. The problem is (I think) is that they are both alpha dogs. Not knowing the history of Vinnie, we can only guess at why he is the way he is with Brutus. Vinnie guards the house & his bowls from other dogs. People are fine.

Vinnie in front of the garlic bed.

Besides the animal disharmony, we had a nice weekend. It was my birthday on Saturday. Steve took me out to eat Friday night & I gardened on Saturday while he shingled the chicken coop. We ordered pizza & made a strawberry-chocolate malt for desert. Yum. Then we sat in the lawn chairs and watched the sunset while Vinnie, Mia & Tigger played outside.

Sunday, putting the hardware cloth around the bottom of coop.

Today we put the hardware cloth around the bottom of the coop. The screens made of hardware cloth & chicken wire for the run are laying on the ground in front of the coop. That is next week's project. We might finish it yet.
Steve brought up the last cabinet for the kitchen. My favorite cabinet. Worth waiting for...

The new "hutch" cabinet

It is a beautiful piece of furniture. I love the three small drawers. As you can see, I have already started to fill it up :-).
This week I'll be in the garden for more weeding chores & am starting on the wood flooring. It all needs to be scrubbed & dried then stacked in the house to be installed this fall or winter. I am still working on a garlic description & price list for sales coming up. I did sell another 15 pounds to the restaurant in town on Friday.

Another awesome Driftless sunset!

Time to get to bed..have a great week!

2011-08-03T22:50:00.001-05:00

Time is just flying by! Lots has happened since my last post. Three days after our neighbor told us about
Vinnie, he knocked on the door holding a kitten.

Meet Tigger. Our newest addition. He weighed under 2 pounds when Dave brought him over. Someone had dropped him off on our road :-(. He is a sweet kitty, part Siamese, I think. Has a huge appetite & won't leave my keyboard alone :-). Vinnie & Tigger get along great. Mia is very unhappy. She hisses & growls at both of them, especially Tigger. Hope she adjusts soon. I feel sorry for the old girl.
Vinnie got his teeth cleaned & groomed & looks like a different dog.

He is much cooler now. He had 3 pounds of fur taken off! He is adjusting so well. He barks when he should and puts up with Tigger pouncing on his tail.
I finally found homes for the two roosters. It was a struggle. Craigslist and other online forums didn't work. Finally I tried FreeCycle (thanks Karen!) The coop will be done in a couple weeks. Steve has worked so hard on it, putting all the other projects on hold.

I finished painting it tonight. I'll have to check in the morning to see if it needs another coat of red. We still need to make the ramp, put the screening on the windows and put up the outdoor run, which is already made except the door. I ordered three "predator lights" the other day. They are solar & have a red blinking light that is supposed to scare off bad beasts. They are set up by height of the predator. That is why I got three of them. We'll try different heights for coyotes, racoons and deer. No, deer are not predators of chickens, but the orchard is behind the coop & I thought it would be good to keep them away from the trees.
On the garlic front...I sold some to The Driftless Cafe a couple weeks ago. We ate there Saturday night & had the garlic appetizer plate. It was very cool to eat our garlic at our favorite restaurant. I am gearing up for individual sales of garlic for seed or eating too. My final total of garlic dug was 1,470.
It was a huge amount of work, then add in the 90 + degree weather and high humidity. But it is done. All hung up and most of it is dried already. We mowed the garlic bed this weekend, put composted horse manure on it, then neighbor Jim tilled it in yesterday. Today I seeded it with buckwheat that will be tilled in a couple weeks before I plant the next batch of garlic. I also ordered two more kinds of garlic. That comes to 32 different kinds for next year.
Last week I visited Kristin, Tim & Jaelyn. It was so much fun. I love playing with Jaelyn & hanging out with them. Soon, very soon, there will be another little one to play with. September is approaching fast. The baby's room is almost done. Here are a couple pics from last week...

It is getting late...next post will be about the garden & what I am preserving.

He's a Keeper

2011-07-14T23:14:00.000-05:00

Mia & Vinnie co-existing

Last night went great. Vinnie slept on the floor next to the bed & Mia slept on the bed. He lets me know when he needs to go out & while I was working in the garden he was always close by. He met Brutus (the neighbor's dog ) this morning & acted like he owned the place. Brutus accepted it & they took turns sniffing each other.
I am going to research how much food Vinnie should be getting a day & start him on a gradual weight loss diet. I also made an appointment for a teeth cleaning & grooming next week. I brushed him a little today & got a bagful of hair. He will be so much happier (esp. with the heat that is coming) with a good grooming. He should work out fine.
Angie asked how old he is...the vet thinks around eight.

This morning I took the Subie in for a brake job & after that, back out in the garden to harvest more garlic. So much more to do. The rest of the garden is looking neglected. I have been picking blueberries & raspberries, chocolate & orange mint, basil, thyme, oregano, a few cherry tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, spinach, chard, Nanking cherries and a few strawberries that are slow to ripen. I think I might be winning the war on potato bugs, too. I have never seen so many as I've had this year. Many of the plants were stripped by the time we got home from vacation. Have you every been squirted in the face with potato bug goo? Yuck!
The other night Steve & I were sitting outside watching the sun set & decided to let Bubbles (the biggest rooster) outside with us. He was very timid. He pecked at the small weeds in the driveway for a while & then he jumped into my lap! So funny! He sat there for a while & then (I knew it would happen sooner or later) he pooped on me.
I'll leave you with a laugh...time for bed.

Vinnie: A New Member of the Family

2011-07-13T22:44:00.003-05:00

Hi. My name is Vinnie. My owner couldn't keep me anymore because it was too hot in the trailer we lived in and there wasn't enough room for me to get enough exercise. Barb's neighbor came over this morning & told her about me, so she drove to De Soto to see me. I looked as handsome as I could when she got there and she took me home with her to see how I would do. So unless I really mess up overnight, I have a new home! So much room to run & play and good food to eat, too. She took me to the vet today & I have an ear infection. They cleaned them & gave me medicine to take home so I will get better. I also weight about 15-20 pounds too much (Barb thought it was all fur), so she will put me on a diet so I live a long life. My toenails were really long too, so they cut them while we were there. I will be a good watch dog. I bark when buggies come up the driveway & when I hear other dogs bark.


I think this will be my favorite spot.

Now that Vinnie is done talking...
I'm sure you are wondering about Shep. He is still around but refuses to stay here. He won't budge on a leash and is very nervous inside. We talked about it & decided that we couldn't take him. I will try to help them find a new home for him, but I bet they keep him. Lizzie really likes him.
The chickens are growing bigger every day. Still no home for the two roosters though. We did add on to the chicken condo inside this weekend. We also worked on the outside coop. It is insulated now & the fascia boards are up.

An addition to the condo

Garlic field with coop in background

I am harvesting a lot of garlic right now. Ever since we got home from vacation I've been non-stop. The weeds are high in the rest of the garden, but I have weeded around most of the plants so we can find them :-). I have over 1300 heads of garlic to dig and clean, all together. Close to 600 are done. Long way to go. I will have them all done by the end of next week. They are looking great, though. Large and medium heads for the most part. With 30 different kinds, I decided to make a spreadsheet to keep track of how many I harvest, any bad ones (ones I cut with the shovel), and how many are small, medium or large. I am enjoying the work, but can't say I won't be glad to be done. I feel muscles I've haven't felt for a while. We decided to hang them in the attic to dry. Here is a pic from the other day...

We stapled coated clothesline along the rafters. The windows will stay open as long as no rain is forecast & we have two fans circulating the air. So far, so good.

Daughter Kristin is doing great pregnancy-wise and Jaelyn is getting to be such a big girl. I look forward to spending some time with them in a couple weeks.

Excited by the horses at the race track on vacation.

Before I go to bed, I want to wish our daughter Amy a quick recovery. She spent a couple days in the hospital, but is doing better now.
I better get to bed. Who knows how the animals will get along during the night and then there is the 5am wake up from the roosters ...

Harvesting & a Little Craziness

2011-06-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well, there wasn't any severe storms after all. Which was great. It has been very cloudy & rainy for the past two days, though. I have still been able to get out in the garden to weed garlic, blueberry bushes & strawberries. They all have straw around them, so it is safe to step around them. Today not only was strawberry picking day (again), it was garlic scape harvesting day. I thought I had a lot last year...

This is this year's haul. Seven and a quarter pounds! So today I've made roasted garlic scapes, which are so good & easy, garlic pesto...

Pesto

and tonight I blanched and am in the process of freezing scape pieces for later use. I decided to freeze them on a cookie sheet first, then put in a bag. Then I can take them out as I need them. They are great in stir fry, omelette's, pesto, on the grill and pickled. Any place you would use garlic, use scapes. The flavor is milder, but definitely garlicy.

Cut up & blanched scapes, frozen in baggie & ready to go in the freezer.

Scapes will be given away, too. I am bringing some to The Driftless Cafe tomorrow. I hope they can use a bunch. Of course, I was still freezing & giving away strawberries today too. :-)

For a couple days, I've been "playing" with the chickens :-). So now, they will sit on my shoulder nervously for a few minutes. I really want them to be totally comfortable around humans. When I put Bubbles on my shoulder & was bending down to let him hop on the perch, Wilma (or Betty, not sure) jumped on top of my head. So here I was, sitting on the edge of their cage with birds on my shoulder & head. I wish I would have had my camera in there. Yes, I am a crazy chicken lady :-). I decided to get a picture with Phoebe so we walked to the bathroom & took this. Yes, my hair is a mess. Yours would be too if you had just had a bird on your head. :-).

I also separated Henry ( the white rooster) from the rest. Bubbles is starting to pick on him, so it's time. Henry seemed upset until I put Hanah in with him. Now they are fine.

The new home is a dog cage, up high enough so they can see each other.

We will be on vacation for a while...have a million things to do before then...have a great week!

Another Storm on it's Way?

2011-06-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

We had a very noisy night Saturday through Sunday morning. I think a huge cloud parked over us & stayed for hours. We ended up getting about five inches of rain and constant lightening, some being very, very close. And with the heavy rain running down the hill behind us, our driveway sustained some damage again. Very heavy rutting throughout. It is a good thing we don't have the Mini Cooper any more. We could lose it in a rut. :-(. At least we didn't get the winds or hail. That will come tomorrow they say. They being the weather men, who, I think, like to scare the bejeesus out of everyone. But after last years storm, I will cooperate and be scared. There is a big red box around our weather forecast for tomorrow evening on The Weather Channel. So I won't be sleeping tomorrow night or if I do it will be in the basement on a cot with my new weather radio that Steve bought me last week. It went off early Sunday morning due to a flood warning. Kinda scary sounding, but it works. There is a tone first & then the NOAA computer voice tells you what the warning is. Tonight it will be on the nightstand next to me since we might get severe weather in the early a.m.
In other news...Steve worked on the coop Saturday...

The walls & roof are up.

Now we need to add insulation & siding, & tin to the roof. There will be two windows in front and the bottom opening is their door to get out. The opening on the side (there is a matching one on the other side) is a clean out door. We can open one side & push all the litter into a wheelbarrow, then transport to the compost bin. In the back will be the nesting boxes. Last week we built the screen walls that will go in the front of the coop for their safe outside area. I really like the feeling of the coop. We can see it out the windows and it doesn't block any views. Can't wait to see the peepers out there :-).
Speaking of the chickens...I placed an ad for the two other roosters today. :-( I wish we could keep them but they will get very aggressive toward the hens with three of them competing for some female companionship. So Henry (formerly Henrietta) and Cassidy (formerly Cassie) will hopefully have a new home soon. It is really cute though when Henry imitates Bubbles whenever he crows. I will be sad to see them go.
The garden survived the rain and is producing an enormous amount of strawberries. Last night I made strawberry jam.

See that bowl? Every day I pick two or more bowlfuls that size. I have been freezing most of them and will be making more jam soon. We love smoothies and have one almost every day, so we should have plenty to last us the winter. Next, the blueberries will be ripening. I have been weeding around them every day a little so I can cover them with netting. I really don't want to share too many with the birds.
Being healthy eating vegetarians (and trying to get back to eating more raw food) means we consume a great deal of veggies & fruits. We also like nuts for protein & are hoping the hazelnut trees will start producing soon. With a hundred of those planted, we will have plenty :-). Nanking cherries, Josta berries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, gooseberries, aronia berries, etc. etc. etc. we are finally producing from what we planted. That is exciting! Soon we will have our own eggs too:-). I love the thought of having a full pantry & freezer. It is so nice to make meals from what you have on hand.

That's all for now. Have to get to bed so I can get some sleep before the storms.

Is That a Tiny Crow I Hear?

2011-06-15T22:00:00.001-05:00

Well, Bubbles has been crowing for a couple weeks now & is getting a deeper adult voice. What did I hear today after the throaty crow? Yes, a baby crow. Oh no. I think I have another rooster. Henrietta may be Henry after all. Out of all the chicks, she has the most prominent comb. Sometimes they say you can't tell by that. But now the little crowing noise....

Henrietta now Henry?

Cassie (the youngest) a rooster too?

I am hoping that I am wrong. Most roosters don't get along with each other. In that case, I will have to find a new home (one that won't eat them) for the roosters. I hope someone will want to adopt the rare white & black Javas.
This weekend, instead of working on putting the coop together, we decided to expand their indoor living accommodations so they will have enough room while we are on vacation in a couple weeks. That way our pet sitter doesn't have to worry (and neither do we) about the chickens being outside.
This is how it looks now...

There is a door to get in on the side where Shep is. A couple higher perches make for happy chickens.

We also worked on the outside walls of the chicken run (screened in porch :-). That took most of the day Saturday into Sunday morning. Good thing we are providing the screened area. Tonight while looking to the west, I spotted an owl sitting in the bird tree. (a dead tree that the birds love to perch on). That and all the other predators around (eagles, hawks, coyotes, racoons, etc.) make me a bit nervous about letting them free range. I will of course, but not until they are older.


Here's Steve installing brackets on the corners after putting together the frame. After that we stapled hardware cloth on the bottom portion & chicken wire on the top.

We're getting there. Who knew (except Judy ;-) that it would be so much work to build a coop.

We left early for home for a graduation party for our niece Lindsay. She graduated from high school & is heading for college to study veterinary medicine. Congratulations Lindsay!

Yesterday I weeded the garden, worked on weeding the blueberries which are overgrown with weeds & put up one last trellis for the peas I planted. I think I'm done planting now. The potatoes are growing great & I found my first potato bug last week. Yuck! It was a huge one, too.

Today it rained most of the day so I worked on some inside stuff. Froze the first batch of strawberries, cleaned the brooder, etc. There was a beautiful sunset thanks to the storm clouds breaking up...

This is the "bird tree" that the owl was in later on.

Have a great night...

Recipe for a Hot Summer Day

2011-06-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

Making life a little easier. Sounds good doesn't it. Seems like there is always a million things to do & not enough time to do them. I was just finishing up making almond milk after working outside most of the day and started thinking of the coffee smoothie I made yesterday when it was so darn hot. By the way, it has been 58 degrees all day today. A forty degree drop....yes. Feels so good. Anyway, I thought came to me on how to make the smoothie a little easier to make. I will still be making the almond milk the regular way (click here for the recipe) but I will now add chocolate syrup and freeze it in ice cube trays. You see I usually crave this coffee smoothie on the hottest days of summer. The colder the smoothie, the better. Here is what's in it...

Coffee Smoothie
Your favorite coffee. Amount is up to you. (My favorite right now is Organic Kickapoo Coffee Mocha Java)
Throw in the chocolate almond milk ice cubes. Or just add chocolate syrup & unfrozen almond milk.
Add some plain ice cubes
Add a banana or two (or any fruit you like...frozen makes it even better)
Blend away.
There are many substitutes for the coffee. Try coconut milk for a really creamy treat.
Experiment until you get the thickness and slushyness you want.

This morning, guess who woke me up? Bubbles the rooster, crowing at 6am. So funny! He is in the workshop room next to our living area. He has been crowing (in his juvenile voice) for a week or so but always at night around 8. Today I heard him at 6am, 8am & when I came back inside at 5:30. Guess I won't have to think about setting an alarm with him around :-)

Handsome, isn't he?

I picked the first strawberries of the season today.

Don't they look tasty in that purple bamboo bowl?

I also noticed when mowing in the orchard that there are Pixwell Gooseberries on the bushes. This is the first time I've grown them & can't wait to taste them. We planted them last spring. Nice to have instant fruit (unlike the apples, cherries & pears we have :-)

Love the color & the stripes

I think it is early to bed tonight. It is supposed to rain tonight & tomorrow. In that case it will be a much needed inside cleaning day. Have a great weekend!

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

2011-06-08T22:26:00.000-05:00

That's part of the garlic growing in the foreground.

The temps were still in the 90's today. I was outside working for all but about an hour of it. So many things to do. The garden being the main focus. I am almost done planting. Just a couple climbing beans left. I would have finished but storm clouds started to move in tonight & I decided that putting up bamboo tee pees for the beans & peas on a metal ladder, wasn't such a good idea.

This is Johnny & Raman (?). I'm sorry, with 12 kids it's hard to remember all the names :-). They were filling the water cart before walking up the driveway for supper. I talked to Eli this morning about making sure the horses have enough water while they are in our pasture. He kind of talked over me & disagreed about the amount of water horses need. I told him to make sure they always have water available. Not sure if he will do it, but if not, they won't be in our pasture any longer. We don't understand why they do this. Their horses are a part of their livelihood. Besides it is inhumane.
Last night while planting squash, I found huge foot prints in the garden. I actually called the neighbors to see if they could come over & see what they thought.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but that is a ruler & the print was 3 inches deep.

Do you know how many hits come up about Bigfoot when you look up "huge animal print" :-)?
Well, Jim said it was a draft horse print. They put both hooves in the same print. So that brought up the fact that Eli hasn't finished the fence or gate yet. That has been going on for over a month. Well, actually it has been going on for four years as far as the animals (sheep, cows, horses & chickens) being where they aren't supposed to be (all over the property & mainly in the garden). We share our driveway with them. We bought from his brother & her sister & decided not to make them get their own driveway. So the only way to keep the animals on their property, is to put a gate up on the property line across the driveway. Eli says he needs one taller post for the gate & I offered to buy it today. He said someone he knows has one & he'll get it. Ugh! We'll see how fast he gets it.
(re-reading this ...I sound like a bi***. I'm really not. Really! Just been going on for so long with their promises of not letting the animals on our property, that it is frustrating.)
Okay. Rant done.

I leave you with pics of bringing in the hay...

Raking the hay.

Picking it up to bring to the barn.

Can It Get Any Hotter?

2011-06-06T22:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I guess it can. Today's high 93...tomorrow 95. This isn't the desert type of hot. This is the Midwestern humid type of hot. What's a little hot weather, though. Did it stop a gardener from getting her work done? No, even though I would have liked to be out of the sun. I feel a NEED to get the garden in. I feel as if it is late already. Most every thing is in except....climbing beans & peas (three kinds of each), all the squash (winter & summer) the cucumbers & the pumpkins & melons. I hope to get up early tomorrow & get most of it done in the cooler temps (if you call 73 degrees at 5am cool :-).
Besides gardening today, I had a unexpected visitor. Here he is.....

This is Bandit, the neighbor's new puppy. No, not the Amish. This is the people that live behind us.
They had to go to a funeral today,so I got to puppy sit. He was a good puppy all day. He slept in his cage when I wasn't playing with him. Mia (the cat) wasn't sure what to make of him. He is only 6 weeks old but he is already huge. He's a St. Bernard.
The Amish neighbors started to cut the hay today. I do like to see the horses being used so much more that regular tractors. We have a conventional farm across the road from us & I swear they have plowed, limed, raked and sprayed the same field over & over again in the past two weeks. Of course today, the wind was coming from that direction, so I went inside and closed the windows until they were done spraying :-(
Coyotes have been around lately & I hear them again tonight. One was pretty close last night. The chicken coop is being built like Fort Knox & I hope it keeps them safe. Shep barks when he hears them. If we could just get him to stay nearby...
Hope you have a great day...stay cool where ever you are.

More Projects Complete & a Surprise

2011-06-05T22:59:00.001-05:00

Last week was a busy one at the farm. I didn't get much gardening done, but that is because there were people here working for two of the days. I wrote about the roof ridge cap being done but I didn't write about the other thing that was done that day. And that was because it was a surprise for Steve. If you have been reading the blog for a while, you know that Steve & I have put in all the windows so far (and there are a lot of them). Well, there were three windows left to do on the upper west end of the barn. After balancing on scaffolding too high in the air too many times, I didn't want Steve up there again. So I arranged for the company that did the ridge cap to also do the windows. I kept this a secret for at least a month or more. So Friday afternoon when Steve got here, I told him I wanted him to see something. So we walked to the side yard & I told him to turn around. He was so surprised & happy! It was so worth it! I didn't even know how much he was dreading doing those windows until then.

This is the "easy " way to do it.

All the windows are done now. Someday there will be a deck out that door too.

On Thursday, we had and inch of soy insulation blown on the under side of the roof & knee walls. That was an all day project. What a difference it makes though. It is a light green color so it really brightens up the place. We will eventually be finishing off the rest of the insulation ourselves, but at least this seals everything up tight. Between the insulation & the ridge cap, we shouldn't have any more rain coming in or bats (like our one last year).

Wouldn't want this job.

We worked on the coop all weekend and are getting a little closer. Right now, the base is set up and leveled & the walls are built. Next weekend, windows, doors, ladder & hardware cloth work. They should be in there soon.

One More Project Done!

2011-06-01T22:31:00.003-05:00

We have such a long list of projects at the farm. One of them is to get a guest area done sometime on the third floor. Right now, guests can stay in the room we used to stay in. We call that the "cabin room.". Someday it will probably be part of the shop area though, so we are making half of the third floor a livable area. Future plans are to put in a full bath (already roughed in for that), and have an open space which we can put dividers (screens) to separate bed areas. I will also use that space for my crafting projects and of course we can watch the beautiful sunsets up there too. So today, we had the ridge cap on the roof repaired. It wasn't as bad as we thought, but it was leaking into the attic when we had a blowing rain. Turns out that there wasn't foam under the ridge cap all the way across like there was supposed to be & that is why it leaked. So we didn't need a brand new cap after all, just a repair of the existing one.

What a great way to handle roofing projects.

At least it was in the 70's not the 90's today. This is the kind of project that you actually want to pay someone to do :-).
While we had that great piece of machinery around, I asked if they could get the big branch down that broke off the top of one of trees last August when the tornado came through. It has been hanging there right outside the picture window bugging me all this time :-). Well, now it's down.

Before and out of our reach to get it down.

On the way up to pull it loose.

Tomorrow, the work continues. We are having one inch of insulation blown onto the underside of the roof and knee walls. This will seal all the nooks & crannies (no more bat flying in) and give us a good base for finishing the insulation at a later time.
I really need to get some planting done. The potatoes, tomatoes, peppers & sunflowers are in but that's it. I thought I would get something done this morning , but I needed to rearrange everything stored up on the third floor before the insulation tomorrow morning. All of the boxes, etc. had to be moved to the center of the room. I had every intention of planting corn tonight but ended up weeding the garlic instead. Then, since the sun was setting and I was running out of daylight, I went to buy eggs from Lizzie & talked to her & Eli for a while. The baby is doing great. Gaining weight & shows no effects from the pneumonia.
Tomorrow there is a chance storms all day so I'm not sure what I'll get done in the garden. It is lightening off to the southwest right now but not supposed to rain tonight :-(.
Chicken update...today there was some squawking going on in the workshop. Wilma had flown the coop & was walking around on the floor. They are all taking turns perching on the edge of the brooder now. She is the first (that I've seen) on the floor. They are so goofy. I have been feeding them oatmeal every day in a pie tin and they go crazy! They hear my voice & they all come running over to see what I have in my hand for them. Okay, I will probably be called the "crazy chicken lady" and will try not to talk about them too much :-).
Hopefully, next time I blog, I 'll have more done in the garden...

Phoebe, & Cassie (on the edge of the brooder)

Problem Solved!

2011-05-30T20:15:00.002-05:00

We have been talking about the flooring for the house/barn since day one of planning the living area. While searching Craigslist, we came upon an ad for pine flooring from a 1920's barn. It is 7" and 9" widths & perfect! There is enough to do the whole house. We wanted a floor with "character". One that wasn't too shiny or new. One that I could just sweep up & it would look fine. The wood came out of an old Iowa barn hay loft. The man that was selling it is in the business of taking down old barns. His business is Iowa Barn Savers out of Guttenberg. So we brought it home.

Good thing we had the extended van with us this weekend. It was quite a load (especially to unload at home with just Steve & I). So the next step is washing all the boards one by one & letting them dry outside. Then we will stack them in the workshop area until it is time to install. I am thinking maybe this fall or winter. We have so many projects to do outside until then. Once we get the floor down, we'll sand it, then put on the finish. I am so excited about this! I can picture it all done (and I wish it was :-).
The chicks are doing great. They are growing so fast! Bubbles (the rooster) and Cassie (the smallest chick) have both flown up & perched on the side of the brooder. I couldn't believe Cassie did it. She is the youngest. I think I will have to start using a screen on the top at night. I did that the first couple nights but then stopped. Steve started building the coop today.

He is standing on the bottom & the front wall frame is laying on top of that.

It will have two windows and a chicken door in the front that they can walk out into a screened area. As we get more done, I will explain more of the plan. The chicks will be very happy in their new home.
Since it finally decided to warm up (almost 90) we decided to let them outside in the shade today in old dog cages that our son Shane gave us.

One larger cage with four chicks & the rooster & the smaller with two chicks.

They seemed to like it out there in the grass. Steve was close by & I was in the garden. On the way into the barn I realized that Cassie had squeezed her way out of the bigger cage. So I put her in the smaller one & she escaped from that one too. Not only that, the other chicks decided to follow her lead & do the same! Our neighbor's dog Brutus was sitting nearby but he didn't even care. So we grabbed them all up & put them back inside in the brooder. Guess outdoor time will have to wait until they are a little bigger. :-) Bubbles the rooster will still get his time outside, though.
Our neighbor's Scottish Highlander cow had a calf last week. I got to see it at a couple days old. So cute!

Mom keeping an eye on her baby.

We now know it's a boy. Eli & Lizzie's cow had her calf last night. Another boy. They are glad she finally had it because they have been buying three gallons of milk day for quite a while from another Amish family. I don't agree with taking the calf away from the mother right away like they do, but they do a lot of things I don't agree with :-). We have been having an issue with their horses not having any water lately. I just don't understand. I am going to have a talk with them again about it though. The horses are in our pasture and the water trough they have in there has a leak. It has had this leak all spring. The horses go the whole day without water. Last night they woke us up kicking in the trough. I don't blame them. My neighbor who teaches natural horse training has talked to them about it too. I'll let you know the outcome of the situation...
It is 8 pm and still 83 degrees. I am not complaining though. It has been a cool spring here in the Midwest. An hour ago I went out and picked more Stinging Nettles for tea. I just can't get enough of it. I believe that a craving like that means your body is lacking what it provides (unlike chocolate cravings :-). Nettles are rich in iron, calcium, and tons of other vitamins and minerals. Most important to me is it is a detoxifier for radiation (really, do you think that just because Japan's problems disappeared from the main stream news, that it just went away?) Also can be used for treating for UTIs, and balancing women's hormones. Nettle is also recommended to anyone with allergies or hay fever. This year allergies seem to be more severe, so drink your tea :-)
"How do I make it?" you say . Well, I'm going to be lazy & link you with a fellow blogger named Rachel who lives here in town. You might of heard of Lusa Organics? I bought some products for Jaelyn. They are wonderful. Check out her blog Clean. She does a great job of explaining how to find, harvest & consume nettles and always has inspiring posts.
I have also been making yogurt cheese lately. I react to dairy in that yucky way with mucous the day after I eat it .(In other posts, I have explained how I kicked my asthma by changing my diet.) Yogurt doesn't seem bother me though. Also making Kefir with raw milk didn't bother me but whole milk definitely did. So my handy dandy yogurt cheese maker has been getting a workout lately.
It is really simple. Buy or make your yogurt. I like the kind I get at the coop from Seven Stars Farm. I also prefer plain so I can add my own herbs or spices.

Simple. Just a container, lid & screen.

Spoon in the yogurt. Put the lid on & put in the fridge.

This is whey. This is what drains out of the yogurt. It is a great protein source that I use in making smoothies.

So I just realized I don't have a picture of the finished yogurt cheese. It looks like yogurt, only a thicker consistancy. What flavorings do you like in a dip that you might usually make from cream cheese? Really, anything goes. A simple recipe is to add salsa or maybe your favorite salad dressing or favorite herbs. Make some Cheesy Chips to go with it and you have a healthy snack or appetizer.
Well, I am tired from gardening in the heat today. I have a full day tomorrow of planting, too. We also are expecting the guy to come & install a roof cap on the barn. It didn't have a great one to begin with & the storm last year seems to have bent it too. We have minor leaking in the attic but will take care of that this week (I hope).
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!

A New Addition to the Farm

2011-05-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

I made this video for my great-nieces, Addy & Noelle. We went to Garfield Farm in Geneva, IL on Sunday for the Heritage Breed Show. Trisha (who you can find blogging here) brought them to see all the rare breeds of farm animals at the show. Of course, we couldn't go home empty handed. So we have seven new chickens! Hopefully, six are hens & we know one (the month or so older one) is a rooster. If you watch the video, you'll know the names we picked out are as follows....Bob (or Bubbles, his nickname) is the rooster. Then there is Henrietta, Hannah, Callie, Phoebe, Wilma & Betty. They are all Javas and were hatched at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Here is a little more about the breeding program. It is a possibility that I will need to get more hens if we have a more than one rooster and have to give them away. I just love watching them. Bubbles & Phoebe are eating out of my hand now & I am picking them all up to get them used to being handled. Steve mentioned getting some ducks so I need to research that, too. And of course, alpacas are still in the future (maybe this summer). I guess you could call us farmers now that we have poultry.
A far as the garden goes, it has been a cool spring, so not much is planted. I did get most of the potatoes in. Today I mowed, which takes a long time, and it is very cool & windy tonight. Rain is coming for tomorrow, but Thursday & Friday look like nice days.We did plant six grapes last week that the neighbors gave us. Love that we have lots of fruiting bushes & trees growing. We are hoping for some apples, cherries & pears from the orchard this year too.
Well, enough for now. It is 8pm and I haven't ate dinner yet.
Have a great week!

What a Luxury!

2011-04-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

The electricians are here working this morning, hooking up the double oven & all the outlets that weren't done before. I will be baking in a couple hours. Yesterday afternoon, I was in the attic unpacking some kitchen boxes and then washing dishes in the sink, in the kitchen. I knew while doing it that it would be the most enjoyable time I ever do dishes. Not bending over a utility sink in the basement is wonderful!
I promised you some pics. Here's a few...

The kitchen so far. There will eventually be a range hood over the stove top. Steve is working on the two drawers that are missing. The post above the bookshelf will be boxed in. Someday we will tackle the floor.


Here are the roll-out shelves in one of the pantry cabinets.

The undermount sink. I love it! No rim to clean around.


The pantry cabinets are on the right. The open space will be a "hutch-type" cabinet. A drawer will be under the double oven. Someday maybe a white fridge. Yesterday afternoon, Shep came in & laid down inside. A big step for him! So, the electricians are done now...and I am heading to town for some butterscotch chips (no, not healthy) for Steve's oatmeal cookies.

Sometimes You Just Have to Take a Break

2011-04-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you have been taken over by the Internet? Well I did. I decided I had too many other things to concentrate on & I needed a break. I've still been reading other people's blogs, just haven't wanted to devote the time to mine. It seems as so much has gone on since the last time I posted that it will take weeks to catch you up. I think I'll try shorter posts more often. Maybe that will work out for the best for right now.
A family update: We are going to be grandparents again! Kristin & Tim are expecting another girl in September! We are so excited! Jaelyn will have a little sister to play with. We are going to visit them this weekend for some much needed grandparent time.

An update on Shep (the dog we are adopting from the Amish): Shep is taking his time, getting comfortable with us. I put up a bell by the door that I ring when it is feeding time and he comes running. He's also just starting to "hang out" with us this weekend. If we are outside, he'll come running up to us & stay around. It is a hopeful sign. After being around him and watching him run, I'm pretty sure he has hip dysplasia. He has that "bunny hop" run that is typical with that problem. Can't even attempt to bring him to the vet. I tried to put a leash on him & he coward & shook so bad it was pitiful. He is still not comfortable in the house, but in the last couple days, he's come in on his own when I clang his bowl or wave cheese under his nose :-). We've made cheese his reward for coming inside. Like most dogs, he LOVES cheese. So we will keep trying our best to make him our dog.

Eli & Lizzie news: A new baby boy at the Amish neighbors. Christian was born April 10th. Eli came over at two in the morning & woke us up to use the phone to call a neighbor of the midwife who is 40 minutes away. He then called his fried Ellie who came & took them there. Steve answered the door in his underwear :-) so I am sure he is the talk of the Amish community now :-0. The baby was born around noon & they were home by four. Baby & Lizzie are doing fine. Six boys & six girls. An even dozen.

What we've been doing at the farm: the kitchen! Every weekend, another stage of the kitchen is completed. Steve has one more cabinet to make (the hutch) , 3 drawer fronts, the toe kick & the moulding at the top & we will be complete. Today, the plumber is hooking up the stove top, dishwasher and ....... drum roll............the kitchen sink!!!! No more doing dishes in the utility sink in the basement. Tomorrow the electrician is coming to hook up the double oven. First thing out of the oven is Steve's favorite cookies. He will also be putting in the can lights & hooking up the rest of the outlets throught the house. I will be posting pictures after the plumber is done making a mess today.

There are so many other things to write about, but I need to get busy & get something done this morning. I'll leave you with a pic from the other morning....

A Great Day at the Farm

2011-02-22T23:04:00.001-06:00

This is how the day started. A beautiful bald eagle in one of the trees by the woods. I saw him out the window & rushed to get on long underwear, shoes & snowshoes. I was so afraid he would fly away by the time I got close enough for a good shot. He was a patient bird. Let me get a few good shots & then off he flew. The way he was looking at me, I am lucky he didn't pick me up as a tasty morsel :-). After I took a few more pictures of everything that was ice coated, I started to chip away at the ice on my car. I've never seen so thick of ice. It rained/sleeted & snowed yesterday too. That is why I am still at the farm today. The road conditions were iffy this morning.

That is a thick layer of icy snow.

The snow was sparkling like diamonds

Neighbor Jim came over & plowed the driveway right after that. They had a great time on their trip & Brutus was very happy to see them. Mid-day, I walked over to see Lizzie & the kids & to get some eggs. She is doing much better keeping track of her sugar now. She is due in April. I told her I will probably be here when she has the baby this time. She mentioned having fast labors (gee, after 11 kids, you think? :-) & hoped that Nancy (our nurse neighbor) would be home when she goes into labor. She said she wouldn't want to have the baby at home though. They don't even tell the kids that a new baby is on the way. I guess all the sudden, one just shows up. No sex education for the Amish. Anyway, if she does go into labor and things move really fast, I told her she could use our house. Yep. That's right. I offered up our house. Hopefully, she makes it to the midwife on time. She is about 45 minutes away though. That would be exciting! I'd rather that she have the baby here than in my Subaru though :-)
Shep was around this morning, so I fed him. He came in the house again (barely). After I got back from Lizzie's, he was waiting for me on the step. I decided to see if he would "sit" some more for me, so I got out the cheese. He ended up coming in the house (workshop area) and was checking it out. He is starting to trust me. We did a lot of "sits" which he is very good at & then I started the "come' command with him. He would go outside & I would say "come" & he would come in & walk to me. I hope he is around tomorrow before I leave. I want to see if he is that receptive again.


Such a handsome boy.

Other things I did in the last couple days...went through all the potatoes in storage & made hash browns to freeze, made tomato soup from some puree I had frozen, mopped down the living area floor and almost finished the afghan.
Should get up & get going tomorrow. I miss Steve & Mia & we are going out to eat with Amy & Rob tomorrow night for Rob's birthday. We'll be back on Friday afternoon...

Flickering Lights and More Winter Weather

2011-02-20T20:58:00.001-06:00

It only February, so I know winter isn't done with us yet. Today certainly proved that! We have had all kinds of weather such as rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow with thunder & lightening. As I sit here typing, the lights are flickering. We had two episodes of driving sleet/freezing rain about 5:30 so I'm sure the power lines are coated with ice. I'm all set though. A roaring fire in the wood stove, candles sitting on the kitchen table ready to light along with the farmer's matches. My stomach is full, the afghan I'm crocheting is waiting to be finished and I have a book to read. An interesting book, so far, called Possum Living, How to Live Well Without a Job and With Almost No Money by Dolly Freed. Great concept if you can pull it off :-). I'm just a couple chapters into it. I'll let you know if I learn anything that other books similar to this didn't cover.
This weekend we are dog sitting Brutus. Such a good boy. He is lying in front of the wood stove dreaming away, his paws twitching and small moans escaping from him. We weren't sure how he & Mia would get along, but they tolerate each other fine.

Mia is up in the chair ignoring Brutus.

Mia makes a wide berth around him but he doesn't pay any attention to her anyway. Makes me happy that Mia isn't upset by him. Maybe she'll accept Shep after all. That is, if I ever get him in the house. Shep had a busy day yesterday running back & forth on the driveway while the Amish cut up trees that had fallen from the tornado. They had a couple of teams of horses over there which he tried to herd as they went up the driveway. It makes me so nervous to see him do that since his sight is so bad. He gets right between them. Scary.


The Amish cutting up trees for firewood.

On Friday, our son Shane decided to come up with Steve when his plans for ice fishing fell through. Since we had an appointment with Harry for body work on Saturday, I let him take my appointment. He really enjoyed it. We asked Harry what he calls what he does, if it is considered myofacial, and he said it isn't. He has been doing this for 30 years and has his own technique. Whatever it is called, it works and feels great. After a relaxing afternoon & a hike around the property, we went out to The Driftless Cafe. When we got home, Shane & I played checkers, Rummy & War while listening to the local radio station.

Walking with Brutus...our barn in the distance

Earlier today, Steve & Shane put up some drywall in the workshop area before they left for home. I just heard from Steve and the roads were terrible all the way to Janesville and it is pouring rain back home. So glad they made it alright! Well, the sleet is still coming down, hitting the north and east windows, but the wind appears to have died down a bit. No more flickering lights for about a half hour now so maybe we won't lose power. I filled up 5 gallon jugs just in case. Wouldn't want to run out of water again :-). If this keeps up all me night, the trees should be beautiful in the morning with a thick layer of ice. A good photo opportunity. Well, time to crochet & get into that book before bed. Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Shane & Steve drywalling the workshop.

A Surprise This Morning

2011-02-18T11:28:00.000-06:00

Not a good surprise, either. No water coming out of the faucet. Ugh! I got up to the farm yesterday afternoon, flipped the breaker for the water pump & went back upstairs to start the fire (and play with Shep, who ran down to see me as soon as I pulled in :-). I had water all night to flush & wash up & fill up the tea kettle. Well, I guess that was just the water left in the tank. This morning, not a drop. I called Steve so we could both panic together :-). He ended up finding the name of the company who did the well work & I called him. He was here in a half an hour. Nice! He tested the connections at the water tank & then at the breaker box. It is a faulty breaker. Big sigh! Now I am waiting for the electrician to come over & change the breaker. Of course when something goes wrong like that it is easy for the mind to go to the worse case scenario. Picturing the big well truck pulling the pump was what Steve & I both thought of. Thousands of dollars...instead the well guy charged me $10 for gas money. I would think that the electrician won't charge me, since they were the ones to put it in in the first place. Maybe this day will be a good one after all.

Yesterday when I got here, I fed Shep right away. He scarfed down half a can of dog food. A little while later I fed him the other half and he came all the way into the barn. Yea! First time! After he was done though he went right back out. I decided to see if I could teach him to sit. So I got out some cheese & we worked on it a little while. He was sitting on command at the end but I think it will work much better to train him when he is not starving for food. He was so anxious for the next bite of cheese. I was scratching him on his neck & got under his collar and he whimpered like he was hurt. I think he thought I was going to hurt him. Not sure what has gone on with him as far as abuse, but I hope he will trust me in time. I am getting so attached to him. It is hard to let him run back home. He was soaking wet (from the thaw we've been having) and I know he sleeps in the barn. I hope he found a warm spot to lay last night.


Shep eating his food inside.


The fog lifted at sunset and it was a beautiful night.

As I was wring, the electrician showed up & we are all fixed. Now I will go & play with Shep for a while then get busy priming & painting the inside of the bathroom door and organizing more things that I brought up with me.

2011-02-13T22:21:00.001-06:00

Shep waiting patiently for me.

Another good weekend at the farm. Friday’s trip started with lunch with Steve’s dad. We went to Shawn‘s in Sycamore. They have great sandwiches, cookies (like seven different kinds) & always a different yummy flavor of coffee . We try to have lunch with his dad whenever we are on the way to the farm. My dad died in 1985 and I consider Joe (Steve’s dad), my dad too. After our lunch, he was heading to the nursing home to volunteer with his dog Angie. He goes at least once a week since Hilda died.

Saturday morning Steve went out cross country skiing for a while and then we both had a session with Harry getting myofacial release work done. This was my second time and Steve’s first. He loved it. It was like all his stress was gone when he was done. We made an appointment for next weekend, too.
After Harry left, Steve went to our neighbors and helped stack some firewood while I went to visit Eli & Lizzie. They just got back from Indiana for a wedding and were pretty tired. They met some pretty interesting people on the bus. Not ones they cared to meet either. A few drunks, a few that had pot. I really think that they feel that most of the "English" are a bit crazy. :-)
At sunset, I went out snowshoeing. It was so beautiful. And the temps were very mild. Shep met me on the hill of the driveway after I got the mail. I can’t wait until he is ours. The first thing I will do is take him to the holistic vet in town. I would like to know his age and if there is anything we can do without surgery to help the cataracts. I have heard of drops that might work to dissolve them, so that might be an option.


Saturday's sunset.

Saturday night we watched a few programs on Hulu and went to bed early. We even slept in today. While I made a breakfast of hash browns, eggs & toast, Steve went out skiing again. We knew the temps were creeping up into the 40’s today, and in the 50’s by the end of the week so he wanted to get out while the snow was still good.

Some good news about his Utah ski trip. He was able to reschedule for the first week in March. He is thrilled and so am I. I’ll be heading back to see my daughter’s family again. Let’s hope the weather cooperates this time. No more blizzards, please.

We did get something done as far as work goes this weekend. Steve put up two ceiling lights and I went through all the potatoes we have stored and made hash browns out of some of them and then froze them. The rest (two burlap bags full) look great. We should have potatoes to eat until the new potatoes are ready this spring.We did have to compost several winter squash that were stored in the basement. Temps went down to -15 last week & it must have gotten below freezing down there. The stored onions look fine though. We also went over the kitchen plans and re-measured for the counter top. Things are coming together, falling into place. I am so looking forward to unpacking the kitchen stuff that is in the attic and putting it away. It'll be like Christmas, seeing all of it again. :-)

I never get tired of the view.

I think I'm wound down enough to fall asleep now. It always takes a while after our drive home. Good night & have a great week!

Fun Week & a Johnny's Order

2011-02-05T22:27:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow I leave my daughter's house after a week of fun (and a blizzard). I will really miss being here. Jaelyn is growing up fast. Such a cute personality! The expressions that she makes are priceless. She has also been learning some new words like gama (yea!), Elmo and nana (banana).


The paparazzi has been following her around all week :-)


Playing with Mommy

As much as I hate to leave, I really miss Steve. He was supposed to go to Utah skiing but his flight was canceled due to the blizzard. So I have been here having fun and he has been stuck at work. (am excited that he is working on our farm kitchen though :-) We hope he can reschedule soon.
Tomorrow is also Super Bowl Sunday. It will be exciting since the Packers are playing. My niece is having a party and has shared a recipe she is making on her blog here.

I am babysitting tonight while Kristin & Tim are out to eat with friends. Jaelyn is in bed, so I decided to place my order with Johnny's Selected Seeds. For a couple years, I have wanted to use floating row covers for the garden, but it hasn't been practical to do so considering we have been traveling back & forth between the farm in Wisconsin & our Illinois home. Since I will be at the farm this spring on a steadier basis, I will be able to tend to the garden and try new things. Here is what I ordered...
Agribon+ AG-19 Floating Row Cover - 83" x 50'
Anchoring Pins Fabric Staples
Hoop Loops
Agribon+ AG-15 Insect Barrier - 118" x 50'
Pea, Lentil, and Vetch Inoculant (OG)

I anticipate a busy spring at the farm and am excited to dig into the many projects waiting to get started. There are so many things we have wanted to do but just haven't had the time. Rain barrels are on the list. We bought the barrels a couple years ago but haven't used them yet. I take that back. Two of them have scrap wood stored in them & one has gardening tools in it :-). I looked at a site tonight called Aqua Barrels and found this http://www.aquabarrel.com/learn_how_to_paint_barrel.php. For those of you that are looking for a way to camouflage your water barrel, this is a technique that uses tree branches & plants as templates for spray painting.

Enough for now...gotta get a good night's sleep for the drive tomorrow. Go Packers!

2011-01-30T20:00:00.001-06:00

Amy & Steve cross country skiing


Me wearing the new snowshoes

We are driving home from the farm after having a great weekend with daughter Amy. She took off from work on Friday so we could drive up together. We spent Friday night relaxing in front of the fire after a meal of ravioli, garlic sourdough bread & corn. It really hits the spot to have a warm meal while waiting for the barn to warm up from 40 degrees. We keep the radiant floor heat at the lowest setting the thermostat will go while we're not there, which is 40. Takes a few hours to bring the temp up to a comfortable level.

Saturday morning after breakfast, we got on our skis (Steve & Amy) and snowshoes (me) and headed outdoors. The sky was a dull gray and it looked like it could snow, but it didn’t. Both Brutus (Jim & Nancy’s dog) and Shep (soon to be our dog), ran along with us. Both the dogs & we were worn out by the time we quit for lunch. After lunch & some relaxing reading time, Steve & Amy went back out to ski & I went up to visit Lizzie. We had a good talk. The oldest girls showed me the quilts they are working on which are beautiful. When I got ready to leave, Lizzie followed me onto the porch to talk. She doesn’t want to talk about the pregnancy in front of the kids. I gave her some dietary advice for gestational diabetes. She only tests sometimes and with the urine strips. She said she only had three left, so we bought her more in town when we went to eat dinner. I left them on the porch today while we were outside & they were at church. I know that she would try to pay me and I didn’t want her too.


Shep playing in the snow

After dinner at The Driftless Café, we walked over to Parrish Music store for a concert by fingerstyle guitarist Eric Lugosch. It was great music and I talked to Catherine, one of the owners. They also came to Viroqua from Illinois about five years ago. Steve is interested in taking guitar lessons there when he is up here full time. I am still thinking about fiddle lessons, too.
This morning Shep was waiting outside on the steps for us. He followed us around the whole time and hung out until the neighbors got home from church about 2:30. He is such a good dog. I can’t wait until he is ours. I know how hard it will be to train him, but I know it can be done. He is used to running around outside all day & night. I’m sure he’s not housebroken and know it will be a while until I can get him comfortable coming in the house. I also know that he will “disappear” when they get another dog if we don’t take him & they are ready for a “seeing” dog.
First thing this morning, Kristin texted me & let me know a snow storm was predicted for Tuesday. Fifteen to eighteen inches of blowing snow. I am supposed to drive down that day to see them & stay for the week while Steve is on a Utah ski trip. My drive has now been moved to Monday. Things will be hectic tomorrow morning to get things done at work (like payroll & bill paying) before I go. Steve will have to take Mia to my sister’s house Tuesday morning before he goes to the airport. I hope his flight isn't delayed. I am looking forward to spending time with everyone for the whole week. They are keeping Jaelyn home from daycare for me. I may be shoveling during her naps :-).

I ordered most of my seeds last week. Most of them from Seed Savers Exchange and some from Peaceful Valley and Territorial Seed Company. I hope starting them the first part of April will be early enough. I look forward to doing that for the first time at the farm. There will be many “firsts” this year. To be able to be in the garden every day is already a comfort just thinking about it. A garden of neglect is what we’ve had for three years. I also feel like I will have to limit my internet time when I am up there all the time. It is too easy to be connected and lose track of time. I have so many hobbies & things I want to get done, that I can’t let myself be sucked in by the great world wide web. Of course there will always be time to "Skype” with the family and write the blog posts. One of the things that I believe that I will benefit from is eliminating the driving stress every weekend. It takes a long time for me to wind down on Sundays after our drive home. I am hoping that my system will appreciate the much needed reprieve from eight and a half hours of driving each weekend. Just wish that Steve didn't have to.
To everyone in the path of the snowstorm, be safe. Stay warm. And go play in the snow!


Amy playing with Shep


Eric playing some great guitar.

A monotone day

Saturday at the Farm

2011-01-22T18:26:00.000-06:00

The sun is setting here at the farm as Steve is cross county skiing around the property. It is COLD outside! I am sitting here in front of the fire all toasty with Mia. Eli just left. He brought over some butter for us and we caught up with our lives since the last time we talked. Lizzie is doing fine & just recently had a check up from the mid-wife. She is due mid-April. Number twelve. We are all hopeful that there is no repeat of the last pregnancy problems.
Earlier today, we had someone come over to do bodywork on me. I don't know the name of what he does, but it is magic. He describes it as working on the nervous system. It is a very light touch (not a massage) and the muscles relax. I have always had terrible posture. I mean since I was at least three and in one session, I am standing up as straight as I ever have. Since the accident, the stress has hidden in my muscles (hip neck, back, etc). What he did, freed that tension. Steve was amazed. He said he's never seen me with good posture before & honestly, neither have I! We talked about how the body holds on to what it has known and adapted to so there might be times when I regress back, but it is a process that eventually my body will be comfortable not holding in all that stress. Steve was ready to hop on the massage table too :-). If Harry would have had the time today, Steve would have had him work on him, too. So in a couple weeks, he is coming back for both of us.

We went to town for lunch after that and ate at The Driftless Cafe. We actually tried something besides pizza this time. Steve had a veggie quiche and I had a veggie panini. Both were excellent. While we were eating, I mentioned the animal shelter in town & how I would like to volunteer there when we move here. I have also been looking on Petfinders.com lately at the cats & dogs :-). So we went to check it out. I really like two of the cats we saw. One is a gray tabby & the other is black & white.

Wonder how long they will be at the shelter......

Eli mentioned that they are thinking of getting another dog & since we said we would like their dog Shep if they ever wanted to get rid of him...well, we'll see if that works out. :-). Shep is a great dog. He is almost blind though, which is fine with us (our dog Ginger was blind & deaf) and he is so friendly. He is not an inside dog, but maybe we could teach him to be. (Mia says that's okay. Leave him outside.") Does anyone have experience with bringing an outside dog inside?

So there is a plan in the works for me to move up to the farm soon. As much as I want to, I still have mixed feelings about it. Steve & I are together 24-7 now. It would be different. We both love it up here so much...maybe the shop will sell quickly and it won't be for very long.


Shep

Mia in her usual position.

Well, Steve's back in & it's time for dinner...have a great weekend!

Getting an Order Ready

2011-01-19T20:15:00.001-06:00

Today, I sat down & worked on an order for the farm. While doing that, I decided to make a master list of all the trees, bushes and perennials we've planted since we bought the farm. I feel like I am a little more organized now :-). So before I tell you what I am ordering, I'll share the list of things already planted.

The first year was 2007. It was a planning year, walking around, deciding what to do and working on the major challenges we faced (landscaping, well, septic, electric & plumbing) as well as deciding what the layout of the house would be. In the spring of 2008, we planted the garden (almost the size of a football field) and started planting our edibles. Edibles? Yes, almost everything we plant is or will be edible. This is a permaculture principle. Here is the list...

2008
Antanovka Apple root stock 25
Montmorency Cherry trees 5
Luscious Pear trees 5
Korean Pine Nut trees 25
Common Purple Lilac 10
American Cranberry Bush 10
Nanking Cherry 10
Rugosa Roses bushes 10 (rose hips)
Blueberries
   Chippewa 8
   North Country 8
   Polaris 8
Hops
Jerusalem Artichokes
Horseradish
Rhubarb (didn't live)
Many herbs

2009
Hazelnuts 100
Chestnuts 10
Black Alder 2 (non-edible but great for coppicing)
Sugar Maples 10 (someday, probably not in our lifetime, maple syrup)
Staghorn Sumac 3 -lemonade-type drink from the crushed fruit
Red Osier Dogwood 10 (decorative)
Northern Gold Forsythia 2 (decorative)
Strawberries
    Northeaster 25
    Jewel 25
    Annapolis 25
    Ozark 25 (everbearing)
Raspberries
   Boyne 6
   Autumn Bliss 6
Illini Blackberries 6

2010
Jostaberry 2
Pixwell Gooseberry 4
Paw Paw 3
Russian Olive 4
Siberian Pea Shrub 4
Aronia 10

That brings me to this year's order (so far)
2011
Polaris Blueberry 12 (the best producer in comparison to the others I planted)
Rhubarb-Canada Red & Victoria. 1 each
Sea Buckthorn-Leikora 1
Sea Buckthorn-Male 1
Aromatnaya Quince 1
Ligonberry 3
Current-Red Lake Red Current 1 & Ben Sarek Black Current 1
Kiwi (the ones I ordered last year didn't make it into the ground)

There are other plants & trees I will be ordering or propagating too. I would love some willow trees and poplar for coppicing, osage orange for fence lines, ground covers for areas we do not want to mow anymore and hostas for our very shady north side of the barn. If I could figure out an edible for the north side, that would be great. Any ideas?
We are also thinking about ordering more hazelnut bushes. We would consider that one of our cash crops in a few years along with the garlic. Oh, and more apple scions to graft this spring.

Enough about that...now I need to figure out the seed order :-)

Happy Birthday Jaelyn!

2011-01-09T21:59:00.001-06:00

Today Jaelyn is one! Time has flown by. Last year at this time, we were in the waiting room at the hospital and at 10pm, Jaelyn was born. Yesterday, we drove down to their house for the birthday party with daughter Amy & son-in-law Rob. Before we left, Kristin called to say Jaelyn had a fever & they decided to take her to the doctor. The doctor said it was a virus. They called everyone with kids & told them but everyone ended up bring their kids anyway. She took a long nap & was much better and ended up having a great time at her party. She is cutting teeth and had a high fever the last time one popped through. Sure enough, tooth number six came through today. Here are some pics from the party....

We are so blessed to have such a sweet granddaughter and a wonderful family. It's hard to describe the joy we feel. Thank you Kristin & Tim for bringing us such happiness.

Jaelyn's Longies

2011-01-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

This is the jacket (sleeves are cut off) I used to make the longies.

The finished pants. (Sorry, I can't get the picture turned the right way.)

They are really easy to make. I have been saving some felted wool sweaters to make more. We'll try them on Jaelyn Saturday when we are at their house for the birthday party to make sure they fit. Then I can make her a few more pair & maybe put some cute appliques on them.
It's snowing here now. Doesn't look like it will amount to much though. I was planning on taking the Mini Cooper to CarMax today for an appraisal & see what they will offer us, but we'll see how the roads are later. No, we haven't sold it yet. We put it on Auto Trader and Craigslist, but only one person has looked at it. Not a good time of year to be selling a car, I guess. Luckily, we don't have to be in a hurry.

I read this article yesterday that interviews the writer of a book I just bought called Sloviva (also the name of her farm). I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, but I did read the article. It is fantastic what she is doing with passive solar and chicken heat, Yes, I said chicken heat :-). I'll leave you with that thought...

2011-01-05T17:30:00.001-06:00

Today I ordered a couple of things. These two things will help us on our ever-evolving path to sustainability. The first is this...

It is a automatic opener for the cold frame we'll be building this winter for our early spring lettuces & new seedlings. It is temperature sensitive and can be set to open when the temps inside the box get to anywhere from 60-70 degrees. I bought it from Johnny's Selected Seeds. I have been looking at these for a long, long time. We've had a cold frame before, but they do get very hot inside without ventalation. I get more joy out of buying this than I ever get from buying clothes :-). It will be used all next winter too if everything goes as planned. (That is, if we are living at the farm)

The second thing I ordered is this...

These are Tattler canning lids. Reuseable lids that are BPA-free! They should last a lifetime & if they don't, replacement is FREE! One more good thing about them is that they are made in the USA. Here is a link to their website. Of course I have many other wants & needs on my list that always seems to be growing. I would like to make a hoop house this year and would love to have a "Quick Hoops" bender also available at Johnny's. It is fun to dream a little :-).

Work-wise today...I still haven't figured out the payroll setup in Quickbooks. My ability to follow instructions is limited (since the accident) so I get frustrated VERY easily. Looks like Steve will be taking a look at it tomorrow.

Tonight I decided I will work on a pair of "longies" for Jaelyn. Longies are warm little pants for sweet babies. :-) Here is the tutorial I am using to figure it out. I am using a velour-type material (sleeves cut from a re-purposed jogging suit top) to make them. My first time for this project, but it doesn't seem too hard. Sewing is something I "never" ask Steve to help with :-).
Hope you all have a great night!

Am I Naive?

2011-01-04T21:42:00.000-06:00

Ok...so have you "Googled" yourself lately all my fellow bloggers? I did the other day & was surprised that my blog came up as the first hit. Why was I surprised? I guess I thought that since I don't reveal my identity in the blog posts or profile, that it was private information. Not that I have anything to hide....but I have always thought that your name was more concealed than that. Hmmm. Try it & let me know if you find the same thing. I post on blogger. I wonder if this is an issue on other blog host sites like Word Press, etc.?

In other news...here is a picture of the medicine cabinet & mirror that we installed this weekend. Also the new color & light fixture in the bathroom.

Still need to buy a matching knob for the medicine cabinet & another LED bulb for the light fixture.

Steve has now caught my cold & is feeling pretty miserable. He was in the city most of the day measuring a job. We just got through watching an episode of "Northern Exposure" and now he is in bed. Sleep will help (and dreaming of running away to Alaska :-), I'm sure.

I spend the day setting up payroll in Quickbooks. Still not done. We have always had the accountant do payroll, but are trying to save $$ by doing it ourselves now. Tomorrow I will call Quickbooks to get answers to a few question & then it should be all set.

Tonight before we watched Northern Exposure, I exercised a bit. Now that I can breathe again, I have some energy :-). Steve started working out last week (to get ready for ski season) and I am working out for gardening season :-). (well, biking season, too).

Well, I have to get some sleep if I am to be on the phone to India tomorrow. Yes...that's where the calls end up for customer service. Hope you all have a good night!

Amish Church This Morning

2011-01-02T15:14:00.001-06:00

Last night about eight, Eli came over & asked if we could call the township supervisor. You see, the driveway is icy on the hill going up to their house & they are having church today. Steve & I both told him being a holiday and all and a Sunday the next day, chances were slim that they would come out and put sand down. (plus we really didn't want to interrupt the man's evening, especially on a holiday.) But he was pretty insistent, so we called. Well, the supervisor was a little miffed at first, but he was understanding by the end of the call. He said no one would be able to come out, but there were piles of sand and salt at the township office that Eli was welcome to use. The township will plow the driveway if there is a lot of snow, but sanding & salting might be a bit over the top to ask for on a private driveway :-)
Eli decided that he would use a pick early the next morning (today) and see if he could at least make it easier for the horses to get up the drive. Steve offered to help him, so that's what they were doing at 8am this morning with a temperature of 2 degrees and -11 windchill.


Steve & Eli chopping up ice.

All the buggies made it up the driveway this morning with only one stumbling. Whew! I hate to see the horses or the people get hurt.


We lost count at thirteen buggies this morning.


Eli & Lizzie's.

One of the things we wanted to get done, but ran out of time this fall was to install a new door to the outside workshop entrance. This is why...

Frost on the inside of the workshop door.

The workshop area is the only area that doesn't have heat on the main floor. Our new area has radiant floor heat & the wood stove. The "cabin" room has a wood stove. We walk through the unheated part in the middle to get back & forth. Brrrr. When Steve gets the workshop set up, we will be insulating the floor. We will also eventually opening up the wall more between the "cabin" room & the work shop to let in the heat.

We have been working on the bathroom this weekend. The new medicine cabinet & mirror are in and Steve is working on the lights right now. The walls are painted a pretty, minty green. We are going to leave the floor "rustic" for now. I painted it some time ago as a temporary thing, but we kinda like it that way. It is a tan milk paint and I am thinking about adding a border around it and some decorative touches. At home, I'll be making some curtain rod holders on the band saw and I will probably make a rod from a stick from one of our trees. We brought some white trim for around the ceiling that was left over from a job Steve did and we'll put that up this weekend too. We won't be going back until Monday afternoon. We will order some beadboard that we'll put on the bottom part of the walls, make some trim for the door, window & base, paint the inside of the door white to match the trim and I think we'll be done. :-).

Last night we video chatted with Kristin & Jaelyn. It was so fun to see them while talking. We ended up downloading Skype & it worked much better than Windows Live Messenger. We look forward to doing more of that.

I started reading "The Resilient Gardener. Food Production & Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times" by Carol Deppe this weekend. I recommend it. If everyone with a yard would take the steps in this book, it would increase their security in hard times. The way things are going in the world now days, I think everyone should do something to become self-reliant, especially where food is concerned.

A Safe & Happy New Year to You!

2010-12-31T16:05:00.000-06:00

Mia on the way to the farm.

We just got to the farm & thankfully it was just foggy, no freezing rain like they were predicting. We are heading into town soon for pizza and then home to watch a new DVD we got for Christmas, the Northern Exposure series, and maybe The Great Outdoors if we can last that long. :-). Party animals we're not, nor want to be. I am feeling better today. No sinus pressure, finally. Every day a little better, I hope. Completely better by next weekend which is Jaelyn's first birthday & party. Can't believe it's been a year.

This morning we went out to eat with Amy & Rob for Steve's birthday at a great new restaurant in St Charles, IL. called Prazino which means "green" in Greek. The food was excellent and they are organic for the most part. They have fresh-squeezed juices and wheat grass shots....our kind of place.

Foggy day, but at least we could make it into the driveway this time :-)

We want to wish all of you a very happy new year! May this new year be even better than the last!

Sick (again)

2010-12-30T14:29:00.000-06:00

So really, body, what's up with this? I can't believe I'm sick again. But I guess that's not totally true. Since we have moved from the townhouse last spring, exercise has been at a minimum, if at all. Also, our healthy diet, pretty much out the window. No, we are still vegetarian, but other than that, the diet has suffered. I went for years without getting a cold or flu. Now this year, first the flu, then this cold. I guess this body really needs a good detoxing, which is what I consider this to be. Steve & I have been talking over our lack of exercise & more crappy diet a lot. We have decided to start ordering fresh, organic veggies & fruits from a place called Timber Creek Farms Organics here in Illinois. They also deliver to other states, too if you are interested. We had this service in the past (pre-farm ownership) and loved it! They deliver right to your door. I don't know about you, but I hate to waste food, so I will use what they deliver. They have a produce box called the Picky Produce Box. They put in 5 items that they choose & you pick from a long list of just about any item you could want, to complete the box. I know it's not local, but we really need to start juicing to start feeling better. Steve has what we call his "winter cough" (chronic bronchitis) again. The only time it has completely gone away is when we were juicing fresh fruits & veggies. So we will be making our first order next week. Yesterday Jaelyn went home sick from daycare with a fever. Feel better my sweet baby Jae! Just the other day, Kristin got her webcam going & we got to see a video of Jaelyn almost live. We have the "live" thing figured out now, so maybe this weekend we can talk to her & see what her reaction is.

Since I was taking naps on & off all day yesterday, I didn't get the chance to post that it was Steve's birthday! It's that last birthday before the big 6-0 & I feel bad that I was sick for it. He did go out to eat with his dad though & we will be having breakfast with daughter Amy & her husband Rob tomorrow morning before heading to the farm. I hope to feel better this weekend so we can have a pizza at The Driftless Cafe in Viroqua.

Steve is out buying the paint for the bathroom right now. I guess even if it wasn't No VOC paint, I wouldn't be able to smell it with this cold. :-)

There are a few more things I wanted to post that I have just forgotten to do. One is, my niece Lindsay got accepted into Vanderbilt University in Tennessee! This is a great accomplishment! She wants to be a veterinarian so this is a great college to go to. Congrats Lindsay! Another is....my niece Kellie's husband had a video and print interview with Yahoo about his photography. Here it is...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_weekend/20101210/ts_yblog_weekend/lost-treasures-of-the-city
Congrats again Eric! My nephew Andy (Lindsay's brother) just came back from studying in Lebanon for the semester and took some amazing photos that we got to see before Christmas. He also told us quite a bit about the culture, food, etc. Thanks Andy!
So many good family things going on now. Some day I will sit down & write about our many family members who have been on commercials or had a brush with fame. Fun!
Ok...Steve's back & it's time for my nap :-).
If I don't write again before New Year's, have a happy one!

Another Gift & Monday Afternoon at the Farm

2010-12-28T08:25:00.000-06:00

Doll Beret & Scarf sets

Noelle & Addie with their American Girl Dolls

This is the gift I couldn't show a picture of last week because my great-nieces hadn't seen it yet. So glad they liked them! I got the idea off of a blog I love to read called Resweater. She has such good ideas. It's funny because I have been reading her blog since I started collecting wool for projects and she and my niece sat by each other at a local craft show this fall. Until then, I didn't realize that we lived so close to each other. One of the next projects I want to make is longies. They are baby or toddler pants made from the sleeves of felted sweaters. Thanks Kris for the ideas!

We finished the day at the farm yesterday by priming the bathroom. I didn't think we would get to it until next weekend so we are ahead of schedule. Now I need to get the low VOC paint so we can finish that this coming weekend.


Next week the medicine cabinet & mirror

Not too happy to be away from the farm again, but we will be back there in a few days. Have a lot to do at home so maybe it will go by fast. :-)

Mia in her favorite spot

I Know I've Said it Before....

2010-12-27T10:39:00.000-06:00

I guess I can't say it enough. We have great neighbors here at the farm. Yesterday Jim knocked on the door and offered to help us load up firewood he had waiting for us at his house & bring it over. Steve went with him & they loaded up a pickup truck full, brought it back & stacked it. They Jim offered to plow the driveway. So they went back & got his tractor and he plowed the driveway up to the barn.

Jim told us to email him whenever we are coming up & he will make sure the driveway is plowed for us. Between them & the Amish next door, we feel very fortunate. This morning before breakfast, Lavina (one of the Amish girls), brought us some cookies and visited for a while. Life is good at the farm :-)
Steve is mudding & sanding in the bathroom again today. It will be ready to prime & paint this coming weekend. We will be driving up on New Year's Eve & staying until Monday afternoon so that will give us plenty of time to paint & maybe put in the medicine cabinet & mirror. We also have some ceiling lights we can put in too. After all the snow we have gotten lately, it is supposed to be in the 40's and rain this Thursday & Friday. Don't think we'll be snowshoeing New Year's weekend.

I really should get busy here instead of writing...only a few hours until we head back to Illinois.

Christmas at the Farm

2010-12-26T10:45:00.000-06:00

So good to be back at the farm! We hadn't planned on being gone so long, but a snowstorm kept us away the last time we were planning a trip here. We left yesterday morning at 8am after an all day snow on Christmas Eve. We drove on the main roads instead of the back way & they were fine. The worst road was the country road that we live on in Wisconsin and that wasn't bad. The driveway always seems longer after a snow though :-).
We started up the hill & didn't quite make it to the barn. The county plows the long country driveways in case of emergencies but had plowed in the part going to the barn. So we stopped and trudged to the barn with the cat and her litter box & started to shovel.


Road to the farm.


So good to be at the farm again.

Snow was deeper than it looks in the picture.

After shoveling for a few minutes, Eli & the boys came down with a couple shovels.


Our Amish helpers.

That was a good Christmas greeting! After they were done they brought out their sleds and had a great time sledding down the driveway.


Kids getting ready to sled.

We got the wood stoves going and took a nap for an hour or so. It was snowing big puffy flakes when we woke up and was so beautiful. I had planned to make a Christmas dinner but we decided to watch a movie (Scrooged) and snack instead. What a great Christmas day. So relaxing once we got settled in at the farm.
This morning is sunny and in the teens. I went out after breakfast to take pics of the frosty trees. They are shimmering in the sunlight.

The long, steep driveway. Fun for sledding though.

I think I will go make some cinnamon rolls & coffee now. Later I'm going to inventory the seeds from last year and start planning the order for next year's garden and maybe start crocheting an afghan. Hope you all had a joyous Christmas!

2010-12-25T06:51:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! Hope you have a day filled with love & joy.

Exciting News to Share!

2010-12-23T05:55:00.003-06:00

Last week, my niece Trisha who writes the blog Roundabout, was interviewed by someone from the Associated Press. She has been selling wreaths on her Etsy site and they got the attention of a really nice hotel in San Francisco who bought a bunch of them. Then the reporter called her. This is the link to the article. She is written about near the end of the article & tells how to make the wreath.
I am so excited for her! She just started the Etsy shop & blog late this summer & she is already making it big! We are so proud of you Trisha :-)
Check out her blog. She is so creative...

here is the link to the article...http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=12440774&tqkw=&tqshow=

I'm Back

2010-12-22T17:17:00.003-06:00

I really took a vacation from posting this time! Not intentionally, though. We have been so busy with making gifts that I just haven't had the time. On Sunday, we had our Christmas celebration with the kids. This was to allow Kristin, Tim & Jaelyn to spend Christmas morning with Jaelyn at their own house. It really was a great way to do it considering it didn't matter to us what day we celebrate the holiday, just that we could be together at some point. We do have one more celebration at my brother's house on Christmas Eve and then we will leave for the farm Christmas morning. We have Monday off, so it will be like a normal weekend.

Rob, Amy, Steve, Tim, Jaelyn, Kristin, Shane & Joe (Steve's dad), eating delicious food that Amy & Rob made.

It was a great time at Amy & Rob's. The food was so good. Every time we eat there, I want the recipes they use. After eating, we opened the gifts. If you have read any previous posts, you know that Steve & I were making snowman benches for gifts. Steve cut out the straight pieces and painted them & I cut out the snowmen & painted them. Then he put it all together. Here is a pic of the finished benches...

Jaelyn sitting on the bench

After the benches were made, we launched into making the rest of the gifts. This is what Steve made...

Rob plays the guitar, so he really liked cutting board.

This is for Tim's sports equipment. It will hold three basketballs on top plus misc stuff on the shelf.

Next, I'll show you what I made...

Jaelyn's stocking made from repurposed felted wool sweaters & the lining is from her daddy's old suit jacket.

These are Shane's curtains for his Scamp trailer.

Bears throw

Laptop sleeve out of repurposed sweaters & leather jacket

Purse ( I forgot to take a picture of it finished :-( ) made out of repurposed a sweater then lined with a cotton fabric & new bamboo purse handle.

"Minky" blanket for Jaelyn

Wool gingerbread person for Jaelyn

Four pairs of fingerless gloves made out of repurposed wool sweaters. (forgot to take a pic of the fourth)

Felt food. Eggs, pancakes, syrup & butter for Jaelyn.

We also gave knitted washcloths & raspberry jam. There is one more gift for my nieces that they haven't been given yet, so I'll post that after Christmas.
I have been reading all my favorite blogs, but hardly ever commenting on them lately. Now things should get back to normal so I have more time to relax.
I really enjoyed making all the gifts. Have you made gifts this year? If so, what are you making?
There are other things going on too. I'll try to post about that later this week...

A Relaxing Yet Productive Weekend

2010-11-28T22:13:00.000-06:00

We are driving through Madison right now after our usual stop in Middleton at the Mobil. Now that it is dark on the drive home, it’s harder to sew or knit like I do when it is light. I still need something to keep me occupied while Steve is driving the busy roads home, so I thought blogging might work. Mia (our cat) has decided to sit on the laptop and but is now settled in my lap. Everyone seems to be heading home from the holiday weekend tonight. I hope you all had a great weekend with family & friends or just relaxing at home.

We are still recovering from our colds but feel much better than last week. I really didn’t expect to get much done but we did accomplish a few things. Steve hung drywall on the low wall in the kitchen where the sink & cook top will be. I hope to post a drawing of those cabinets, etc. soon.

Kitchen wall. The 2 pex lines in floor is the location of the sink.

Cooktop will be in the area behind the bucket.

While he worked on that, I was in the attic & the basement looking for misc. items to take back home in preparation for Christmas. Things like cookie cutters, the kid’s stockings, and felted wool to make presents. I seriously have a wool obsession. I shop at Goodwill and garage sales for wool sweaters. At first I was making dryer balls (which I still do) and water bottle covers, but now I’m adding other items. So far a trivet and reading glasses holder. I can’t tell you the other items yet or it will ruin the surprise for the kids.

When Steve was finished with the drywall, he put up a temporary door at the base of the attic stairs. We will still keep the Styrofoam at the top of the stairs. That should keep the space even warmer. I worked on putting up the last bit of blue jean insulation on the workshop wall that backs up to the new living area.

The last of the insulating on the main floor.

It got down to fourteen degrees Friday night but today was in the forties. That was very comfortable for bringing in more firewood for our next visit which I worked on while Steve went on to the next project, putting another coat of mud on the bathroom drywall. One more coat & we should be painting.

Second coat of mud.

The Subaru looks right at home at the farm :-)

At the shop, we’ve been working on a medicine chest & mirror frame made of the same hickory wood as the vanity. We will begin working on the cabinets & counter top for the low wall in the kitchen soon. Then we can have a working sink upstairs for washing dishes. Yippee!!! Washing dishes in the basement in the utility sink works but it is hard on the back. Just not the right height.
So this was the maiden voyage for the Subaru. So far so good. I put a few bumper stickers in the windows today. One is for the local radio station WDRT and the other says “Driftless. Slower is better” . Steve’s brother Joe called the Subaru our “hippiemobile”. We just laughed. I guess it’s better than a “conservativemobile“. I think a lot of people think of us as old hippies. We aren’t “mainstream” that’s for sure. But who wants to be like everyone else?
We are home now, so I am copying, pasting & adding pictures to this post. Time for bed now & dreams of the new kitchen...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T13:48:00.000-06:00

Steve & I are both feeling better now. Not completely, but well enough to be able to taste the food tomorrow :-). We will be going to Steve's brother's house not far from here. Then Friday morning we will drive (in the "new to us" Subaru) up to the farm. Looking forward to getting up there, seeing the neighbors, buying my cookies making supplies at the co-op and relaxing in front of the fire. Speaking of cookie making....I am driving to Kristin's in a couple weeks to spent a few days making cookies. Not only will I have help baking cookies, I get to play with Jaelyn. Here is a video from our visit a couple weeks ago. You'll have to excuse my choice of music. I was looking for a good beat & forgot about the lyrics. Good thing she is too young to pick up on that:-)

She loves to dance! A few of her toys play music & whenever they start playing, she starts rocking back & forth. So cute!
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving with family & friends.

Still Hanging in There

2010-11-21T21:32:00.000-06:00

It's been a long week. Today is the first day I've felt like myself. Steve now has a sinus headache, so we figure he's behind me by a couple days. It wasn't too hard of a decision to stay home from the farm this weekend. As much as we love to be there, driving four hours each way didn't seem like a good idea with sore throats, chills, runny noses & sinus headaches. It has been so long since we've been sick that we forgot what it was like to get the flu. I slept as much as I could all week & Steve has been doing that this weekend. He did convince me to wake up for a while & go to Restore, a 40,000 sq. ft. building materials reuse center benefiting Habitat for Humanity on Saturday. We went looking for three doors for the inside of the barn. Didn't get lucky this time. On the way back home, we stopped at Fruitful Yield (a health food store) and ran into two women that I used to have classes with. One is the manager of the store & the other is a doctor now. It was really good to see them. I did have this feeling of sadness afterword, though. All the plans of graduating & opening up a practice up at the farm came back as I looked over the pamphlet about her practice. It is still really hard to face the fact that my dreams of being a naturopathic doctor will not be realized. If any good can come out of having PTSD, it's that my mind lets things go fairly quickly. ( I am being sarcastic.) When I think about losing such an important part of my life, I start to cry, but then other things pop into my brain. This was one of the main reasons I started to write this blog. Keeping focused is a good brain exercise for me.
Today I woke up without a sinus headache, so I felt 95% better than before. After breakfast, I went to the grocery store while Steve went down for his morning nap :-). Later this afternoon, we went to the shop & Steve finished up spraying finish on a job for tomorrow while I worked on the snowman bench pieces. That's about it. So thankful for hulu.com. We don't have TV, so watching Hulu was our entertainment while laying around.
I almost forgot...Steve did his deposition on Thursday. It lasted a couple hours. I stayed home & slept. No hard, probing questions. Nothing he didn't expect. He figures they are saving that for my deposition since I have more injuries.
Tonight is the blue moon. It's pretty mild temp-wise (53 degrees now) but it will be dropping tomorrow night to 23. Thanksgiving might reach 32 degrees during the day.
Hope everyone had a much more fun weekend than we did. What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

A Little Under the Weather

2010-11-17T16:11:00.000-06:00

It is a cloudy, foggy fall day here. The first day it has really felt like fall to me this year. The last few days I've had a sore throat which is now easing but congestion is making it's way up to my head. Hope this is over soon. I can't even remember the last time I was sick. It's had to have been at least 5 years ago or more. We haven't been exercising at all lately, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Steve is feeling sick now, too. I'll try to catch up with what we've been up to before the colds took hold.
Last Thursday, my friend Pat & I took the day & went resale store shopping. It was so much fun! We went to six places, five of which we had never been before. We also stopped at Little Traveler in Geneva so Pat could pick up some dishes & I found a doll for Jaelyn. The first stop of the resale shops was Goodwill. I go there once every couple weeks to look for wool sweaters for felting but I couldn't believe what I found. It was a Fiestaware pitcher in yellow for $1.99 minus a 15% discount for Veteran's Day. It's so funny because that morning, I picked up my first Fiestaware from a lady I found selling it on Craigslist. I love the colors & want to mix & match them for our farm dishes. The pieces I got from Craigslist are pretty old. Not sure if I will use them. Maybe just display them.

Large pitcher is from Goodwill. Other pieces are from Craiglist.

At a different shop, I found a tea pot with a wooden lid and handle. It is very heavy duty, so it should hold the heat well.

I always find such nice things at garage sales, Craigslist or Goodwill. My daughter Kristin says how hard it will be for me to move away from this area because I probably won't be able to find all these great buys in Viroqua since it is a smaller town and not as affluent. That's ok. Maybe when I move up there, I'll decide to purge all my "stuff" and live a more simple, uncluttered life :-)
Back to shopping...we stopped and ate lunch at the Moveable Feast. We've ate there before, but this is the first time I've had their Fairy Cookies. Thanks Pat for turning me on to them :-). If you are ever in Geneva, go there & try these cookies. And have a few Deeply Fudgey Brownies. After all, Oprah loves them. Just writing about those cookies, makes me want to get in my car (by the way, we bought a "new to me" Subaru Outback yesterday) and go get some. Steve should try them after all. It might make him feel better :-)

The "new" car.

We also had an appointment at our lawyer's yesterday to prepare us for the deposition tomorrow. Almost 2 1/2 years since the accident and we are finally making some progress. We were both supposed to be deposed tomorrow, but while we were there, the opposing lawyer called & said there would only be time for one of us. So Steve is going to do his. I get to sit in on it so I can see what it is like. Then I'll be more prepared for mine. Hope mine is soon. I would like to get this over with.

Last weekend we went to my daughter Kristin's to watch Jaelyn while she worked & Tim was out of town. It was so much fun! I will do a separate post about that...

We have started on Christmas presents for the kids. We are making snowman benches for their front porches along with a felted wool stocking for Jaelyn & hopefully some other things. Shane is asking for curtains and bench cushion covers for his Scamp trailer, so I will be getting measurements for that soon.

That white line is a fold mark on the pic. I will post a pic when they are done.

I really need to get busy!

In other news, my niece Trisha had her drawing for the cake plate over at her blog Roundabout. Nancy from A Rural Journal won. Congrats!

Hmmm....thinking about going to Moveable Feast to pick up some carryout & cookies...

Have a great night!

Almost Time for the Drawing

2010-11-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

Make sure you check out my niece's blog. She is having a drawing for a beautiful cake plate when she gets 25 followers. She has 23 now...but besides that, she always has great crafty ideas, so check it out anyway :-)
In her latest post, she put some great "upcycled" gift ideas for Christmas. Either click on the link on the right side of my page or here to see them.
Here is a picture of the cake plate

Wouldn't this look great on your holiday table?

She is doing a craft show in Geneva, IL on Saturday if you are in the area. It is sponsored by The Geneva Mother's Club and is held at the high school.

Weekend at the Farm

2010-11-09T09:50:00.001-06:00

We had a nice weekend at the farm. Not too busy, but got a few things done. Steve went on a tour of two area sawmills Saturday morning while I went to the co-op & then sorted through some things in the attic. After lunch we headed up to Eli & Lizzie's to drop off a couple barrels of scrap wood from the shop. Lizzie was in town at the farmer's market so I went in & talked to Lavina (one of the twins). She was working on the quilt they had started the day of the barn frolic. It is a beautiful quilt. Mostly black with a deep purple border. Very intricate stitching. They call it a "Sunday " quilt because they put it on the bed when they have church at their house to make things look nicer. They will be working on a baby quilt next. I also asked about the recipe for the pickled beets they gave us a few weeks ago. It has clove, sugar & vinegar in it. I will ask for the specific recipe again in the summer when I have some beets growing, so I can start making it then.
Eli was working on one of the wagons that was damaged in the tornado. Trying to get the cover back on & the frame straigtened up. The barn is "getting there". Still a lot of work to be done & not enough time to do it. Eli works off the farm doing construction so it leaves little time for his own projects.

For about a year, we have been talking about the kitchen plans. Here is a drawing of what the east wall will probably look like...

The plan for the east wall of the kitchen.

Steve did a little drywalling on Sunday morning. He finished the wall between the foyer & the kitchen & started working on the half wall leading into the kitchen.

This is the half wall looking into the kitchen area. In the background you can see part of the yellow scaffolding. That is the east wall.

Since I needed to help him with some bigger sheets of drywall, I decided to stay inside and sew instead of getting all the stakes out of the garden. I did go out & check on the garlic though. There are little sprouts poking out of the ground. So happy to see that. It was so dry after I planted that I was worried about how they would fair without rain. I guess all the straw I put on top after the initial watering worked fine.

It is getting harder & harder to leave the farm. I am so looking forward to spring.

Saturday's sunset over the woods.

Mia enjoying one of the wood stoves.

"So Long" to the Mini

2010-11-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

After a year or more of talking about selling the Mini Cooper, we have decided to do it. With winter fast approaching, having a vehicle that sits so low has never been a good idea for Wisconsin country weather. We have a station wagon (and the work van) that we have been using (neither one of them make it up the farm driveway very well) and the Mini has been stored at the farm for a while. We brought it home this weekend to get ready to sell. It has been my vehicle to drive around since we bought it in the fall of 2005 new. Steve has always loved Mini's (esp. the old ones from the 60's), and that is why we bought it. I fell in love with it when we test drove it. The kids were never that crazy about me driving such a "mini" car and I have to say that after the accident, I never have "loved" it the same. Still, we will be sad the day it sells. What to replace it with? Hopefully, a Subaru Outback wagon. They are all wheel drive and sit up a lot higher. Same gas mileage too. We are looking for a used model, probably around 2005 or 2006. (Not the kind that looks like an SUV) We really like the two-toned green the best, like the ones below. We can't be too picky with a used car color though.

Here's the mini the day after we bought it.

So now I will start detailing it and buy a couple signs to throw in the windows. Hopefully it won't take too long. Snow is not far off...

Autumn Fruit Jam

2010-11-03T05:17:00.001-05:00

I have to tell you, home is much more boring than the farm. I am sitting here thinking of all the things I could be doing if I were there. Last night we had fun though, at the monthly ski club meeting that we haven't been to for a long time. It was good to catch up with friends, especially Pat from Not Now....I'm Counting! blog. We are planning a whole day of resale shop shopping next week. That will be great! Also a possible knitting & canning weekend at the farm. We also talked to our friend Larry who visited the farm last summer with his brother-in-laws on their motorcycles. We have the same views on politics so we had a great conversation about the elections today.

Seems like every week & a half or so the temperature drops another 10 degrees during the day. Soon the snow will be flying. I really have to get busy making Christmas presents! I have ideas, so at least that is done. We are also trying to coordinate the family Christmas this year. Usually the kids spent Christmas morning with us, but this year will be different. Kristin & Tim would like to spend their first Christmas with Jaelyn at home which would mean a little bit more of a relaxing time for them. That's all good. We now need to plan something a little before Christmas. I have some ideas. We just have to get it all together soon. And I need to get busy on the presents:-). Maybe next year we can have it at the farm :-)

So I promised you more recipes last week. I made Autumn Fruit Jam. Jam is a little misleading though. It is more like a preserve. Bigger chunks of fruit, instead of mashed. It is really good though. I had a half pint that I saved for us & it is gone. (I ate most of it right away :-). It would be so good over some ice cream or frozen yogurt. I found the recipe in one of my favorite canning books Small Batch Preserving by Ellie & Margaret Howard. Here it is...

AUTUMN FRUIT JAM

5 plums, sliced

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 medium pears, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup water

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. each: ground cinnamon and ginger

1. Combine plums, apples, pears, water, rind & lemon juice in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until fruit is softened.

2. Add sugar to fruit & return to boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Boil rapidly, uncovered, until moxture will form a gel, about 3o minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cinnamon & ginger.

3. Ladle into sterilized jars within a half inch from top and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Makes four cups.

Not sure if you realize how I do my canning at the farm. Have you ever used a campstove? That is what I use. I did buy a larger version (see below) and set it up in the basement, but used the small one upstairs instead. Soon we will have a normal kitchen at the farm, but hey, if there is a will there's a way. (Boy, I sound old.)

This is the Autumn Fruit Jam cooking on the small campstove.

Winding up the Week at the Farm

2010-11-02T05:18:00.001-05:00

Friday night when Steve go to the farm, he was so excited to see the new wood stove arrangement (and of course, me :-). After we ate dinner (a soup I threw together that morning & put in the crockpot), we sat in front of the wood stove and just smiled & hugged. Having the wood stove in place in our new living area is really special for us. One of those warm, comforting feelings. Since we don't have a bedroom wall up yet, we were able to fall asleep looking at the fire. It makes me not want to put up a wall at all. Maybe our plans will change? Who knows.
Saturday was a beautiful day. Sun shining & not much wind. We had a few small things to do and wanted to relax a little. Steve had a stressful, busy week. We put up a temporary door between the new living area & the workshop so the heat wouldn't escape. I had been using a sheet of styrofoam all week that kept falling over. The weekend before, we put up a temporary door to the basement for the same reason. Now we are all closed in and the radiant floor heat in the new living area won't kick on as often. We turn it down as low as the thermostat goes (which is 40 degrees) when we leave. We don't want the plumbing to freeze while we are gone.
We also talked more about what wood to use on the walls. We know we want knotty pine, but are kicking around options on where to get it. Eli mentioned an Amish sawmill in Cashton, so we will check that out. We aren't sure if the wood is dried though. This coming Saturday, there is a tour of a couple sawmills in the area that we are planning on going to. We will have to check out their available lumber too. Then there is always our regular suppliers here in Illinois. I would like to stay local to the farm area though. We just have to narrow down the choices to one & order it.
We decided to use up the rest of the straw & cover the strawberries. They are all tucked in now. I picked some lettuce that had re-seeded itself too. Nice to have fresh lettuce from the garden on October 30th.
We are also trying to decide what kind & size of window will go above the picture window on the west side. We thought we had it figured out, and we do already have a window that we bought on Craigslist a couple years ago. But our minds have changed since then. (Oh boy. More chicken coop windows :-) This
window(s) will be in the new guest area in the attic. Since it is up so high, I would like to be able to clean it from the inside. We also want to be able to see the view while sitting up there. This is what it looks like now...

The only old windows left are in the "soon-to-be guest area" in the attic.

So we are tossing around ideas. Has to be cleanable from the inside, needs to have a clear view of the beautiful rolling hills...hmmm.
I did some cut & pasting of a pic so we could play with options...

Now we have a blank slate...what do you think? What should we use?

Animal Pics

2010-11-01T18:39:00.001-05:00

Eli & Lizzie have the two newest calves in the pasture by our driveway now. I love cows. Always have. Here are a couple pics...

This calf is a little over a year.

The one is part Scottish Highlander from neighbor Jim's bull. She was born this spring.
She has an old, wise face.

Here is one of their 15 (at least) roosters. Does anyone know what kind it is?

And last....a giraffe.

Woo Hoo!

2010-10-29T17:11:00.000-05:00

The wood stoves are in! So exciting for us to have this step done. We have had one wood stove (Heritage) in the "cabin room" that we have lived in for 3 years. That was put in right after we bought the farm. It is now moved to it's new home in the new living space. The one we bought on Craigslist (Phoenix) is set up in the cabin room now. Thad & Tim from Center Stove & Fireplace were here at 10am and got busy setting up the Phoenix.

Thad putting on the heat shield.

The Phoenix

That was the easier of the installations. The existing pipe fit right into the back of the stove with no adjustments. The Heritage was a new install so they had to go in the attic to cut a hole in the roof and a hole in the ceiling, etc., etc.

Tim cutting the hole in the ceiling. (Mia is supervising :-)

While they were here, I baked up a storm. First chocolate chip cookies. Then zucchini apple bread. Next I chopped up veggies & threw them in the crock pot for dinner and then a pumpkin pie. Of course I shared the cookies along with coffee with Thad & Tim. They were so nice about explaining what they were doing & went over & above what they had to do. We had a little rust around the pipe on the Heritage & Thad painted that. They also re-attached a piece of metal (a patch from the wood stove pipe that was here before we moved in) on the roof that came loose with the winds the other night. No more clanging noise, yea!

They also put on a new stove pipe cap to replace the one that blew off in the tornado in August. We should be all set now.

Steve will be here in an hour. I will have both wood stoves going when he gets here :-). Can't wait to see his face when he sees how great the wood stove looks with the river rock walls.

Ready for a fire.

Elderberry Liquor & Elderberry Syrup

2010-10-29T05:17:00.001-05:00

*This summer, I froze the elderberries that I picked from the bushes out back by the woods. I didn't have time to do anything with them then. This week, since it was too windy to do anything outside, I finally had the time to go through the freezer and use some of the things I froze. I started looking for ways to use the elderberries besides the syrup I have made in the past. I'm trying out a recipe for elderberry liquor.It's supposed to be like port. I'm not much of a drinker, but this sounds like "a sip in front of the fire" drink. You know, when the snow is falling outside, the cat (or dog) is curled up next to you, someone you love is sitting on the other side, and you don't have to go to work the next day. That's a lot to ask for..I hope it tastes that good :-). Here it is. It is super easy.

Elderberry Liquor

1pint of fresh or thawed elderberries

1 quart vodka

2 to 3 one inch pieces of lemon rind

Sugar

Put elderberries in a quart (or larger) mason jar and pour the vodka over them. Add the lemon rind (no white pith). Seal and put in a dark place for at least a month, or up to six months.

The longer you let it sit, the more flavor will be extracted.

When you decide it has been long enough, pour it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another jar and add the sugar. Add anywhere from 1/4 to whatever your taste buds prefer. Shake to combine & put back in the cupboard.

After a few days or weeks, the sugar should be completely dissolved the the liquor is ready to drink.

It should keep forever.

I had some left over elderberries so I made the rest into syrup. The syrup is sold in stores as Sambucol. Here are some facts about the black elderberry...

Black elderberry extract has been found to be effective against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu (Zakay-Rones et al 1995)
Black elderberry extract contains a unique compound called Antivirin® that can help protect healthy cells and inactivate infectious viruses
When given to patients, scientists have found the black elderberry extract, has the ability to ward off flu infections quickly (Zakay-Rones 2004)
Black Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid – anthocyanins are antioxidants that may protect cells from free radicals and support your body’s immune system.
Black Elderberries have almost 5 times as many anthocyanins as Blueberries and twice the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries
Black Elderberry has a more potent antiviral effect than Echinacea

What's not to like? I made enough so we can take it everyday during the flu season if we want to. The recipe uses honey, so it is not recommended for infants. It is from Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal book.

1 cup fresh, frozen or 1/2 cup dried elderberries
3 cups water
1 cup raw local honey

Glass jar with lid

1. Heat the berries and water to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30-45 minutes.
2. Mash the berries, strain, and add 1 cup of honey. Then stir to mix well.

3. Bottle and store. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
4. Enjoy a tablespoon daily to keep the immune system strong.

*Make sure you research elderberrries & use the correct berries before you make these recipes.

Today was laundry day. Pretty boring stuff. When I got home I cleaned the workshop area, unburied the wood stove for the installation tomorrow & worked on cleaning some of the river rock stones. No baking or preserving today :-(. Tomorrow the installation should take most of the day so I can bake then. Hope you all have a great Friday!

Almond Milk Recipe

2010-10-28T05:48:00.002-05:00

This is the recipe I use for fresh almond milk. It is so good. I'm not much for consuming dairy in it's pasteurized state, which is about the only way you can get it in stores in most states. Dairy has contributed to my asthma symptoms for a huge part of my life. When I quit dairy cold turkey, my asthma went away. I also started eating a raw food diet then with no preservatives or cooked foods. I gradually started to eat some cheese with the result of being wheezy the next morning. Raw goat cheese doesn't cause that, neither does, Kefir made with raw milk. Pasteurization destroys the good bacteria in dairy. So if you know someone with asthma (and most of us do), please consider mentioning eliminating dairy from their diet. Anyway, here is the recipe...

Almond Milk

One cup (before soaking) raw, organic almonds
soaked 8-12 hours, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups after soaking)
3 cups water
4 pitted dates

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. To separate the "milk" from the almond skins & pulp, squeeze through cheesecloth or a sprout bag. Serve at room temperature or chill. Keeps in the fridge for a couple days.
Instead of dates you could use maple syrup, carob or cinnamon for flavoring.
You can also use sesame, sunflower or Brazil nuts instead of the almonds if you want.
If you would like Almond Cream, use 2 cups of water.

I am planning on using the pulp (after I dehydrate it an put it through the food processor) as flour in zucchini bread. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Almonds, almond milk and pulp

On the home front, it is still windy, but has died down a lot since the 67 mph gusts this afternoon. So I spent another day indoors, in the kitchen. Today I made Nanking Cherry Jelly and Peach Raspberry Jam. I also cut up onions to dehydrate and made Elderberry syrup, a great cold & flu preventative. Tomorrow is a busy day. Laundry, baking & cleaning up the workshop area. Friday is the wood stove installation. Can't wait to see the wood stove sitting there in front of the river rock walls.

A Never Ending Wind

2010-10-27T05:25:00.005-05:00

As I sit here writing this, the wind is still blowing hard. Last time I looked, there were gusts of 57 mph. Earlier in the day, it was 69 mph. If you read the last post, you probably realized how scared I was staying here with another storm brewing. I decided about midnight that I would stay up all night in case it got really bad & I needed to grab Mia & run to the basement . I made it until 2am & fell asleep with the lights on. I'm not sure what time I woke up & turned out the light. The barn was making all kinds of strange noises that comes with high winds howling through the attic. The project of insulating the attic is on our list, but not a top priority yet. Other noises heard were the downspout on the south side of the barn rattling in the wind (it became loose with the August storm, along with the old garage doors that are pushed to the middle of the building as seen here.http://the-big-red-barn-blog.blogspot.com/2010/10/garage-doors-are-in.html . We have them staked toward the building, but that was no match for the wind. I woke up at 6am, wondering if the neighbors across the road who are building a barn still had one....they do.


This was taken Monday afternoon...before the storm.

Eli & Lizzie's barn is okay too. You can see it behind the house in this pic...


Shetlers house. Porch is back on & barn is a work in progress.

When I went to visit Lizzie on Monday afternoon, she was quilting with one of twins. It is a beautiful quilt, black background with purple accents. Very detailed stitching. She said that the day everyone came over to put up the barn, the women stayed in & worked on the quilt (and cooked meals) while the men were outside working. They had a quilting bee. The men had a "frolic" she called it. They say that rather than a barn raising. She says it sounds more fun that way.. :-) There is also other "family" news. A new little one is due in the spring. This will make an even dozen. Eli told us on Sunday after church. We were talking about Lizzie's father & how many kids he has (eleven) and how many grandchildren he has, ( around one-hundred!) when he told us the news. We are worried about Lizzie's health, considering what happened when she had Fannie (who is a year & a half now). She was in the hospital for a couple weeks due to placenta previa. I can tell Eli is worried too. Here's hoping she has a safe, healthy pregnancy.
Today I have been very productive considering the lack of sleep. It has been a "kitchen" day which I have been looking forward to. Before it started to rain yesterday, I dug up quite a large number of leeks. They are now in the dehydrator set on 100 degrees. I'll be checking them before I head to bed & see if they are totally dry.

I also got some fresh milk yesterday to make Kefir (a fermented drink). I picked up some Kefir starter at the co-op, mixed it with the milk & a quarter cup of cream, then left it out with a cloth covering the top (it needs to breathe) and made sure the room stayed 65-70 degrees. A couple hours ago it was ready after sitting out all last night & most of today


I made a smoothie with Kefir, frozen blueberries from the garden & a banana. It is thick, creamy & I already want to make more.

I also made jam, applesauce, almond milk and an elderberry liquor. I'll share those recipes with you in the next few days.
Center Stove & Fireplace called today to reschedule our Wednesday appointment. It is just too windy to take a chance on our high roof. They will be here Friday.
Hoping to get a good nights sleep tonight...

Two Eight Hour Days...

2010-10-26T05:19:00.001-05:00

We did it... finished the river rock walls this weekend! It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Got up early on Saturday, and dug right in. Steve mixed the mortar (not a fun job lifting those 80 pound bags), trying to get all the lumps out. Then deciding where to place the rocks. We used a small pointed trowel, spread the mortar on the back & pressed them on the wall with a little "wiggle" to help them adhere better. Then we held & pressed for 10-20 seconds or so. (Make sure you wear rubber gloves while working with the mortar) At first, we talked over each rock & placement, getting a mutual agreement on all of them. After a couple hours of that, we just started to decide ourselves. You just have to make sure that the colors are distributed fairly evenly throughout, and that you don't put all the same size stone next to each other. We did have three rocks fall back off right after we took out hand away. They didn't want to stick back up on the wall even though we scraped off the mortar & tried again. Oh well...we had plenty to work with. Six pm we quit with both walls filled with rocks. We walked up to Eli & Lizzie's to see the progress on the new barn before it got dark. (More about that in my next post). We also had a visit from our neighbor Jim while we were working. He just found out he has Lyme's Disease. He had been feeling exhausted lately & decided to get tested at the hospital. Hope he bounces back quickly.

Mixing up the mortar.

Steve holding one of the stones to attach it to the wall. We used boards & plastic to protect the stone base.

See how it looks lumpy? This is before smoothing)

Sunday morning we started the day by going to town for more mortar. (Oh yeah...and the bakery for donuts :-) We had one bag left. We weren't sure if the hardware store had the same kind as we did & we wanted to make sure it all matched when we started grouting the stone. More mixing of mortar, crushing (pounding) the lumps. A very important step since you have to squeeze the mortar out a half inch hole at the end of the mortar bag. For some reason, the first bag of mortar was very lumpy. The next bag mixed up fine. The consistency is very important, too. Like pudding or frosting said the directions on the Internet. Steve did great with that. There is definitely a learning curve involved with grouting. Not too bad though. The first stones we did though looked like birds were flying over, if you know what I mean. We both got the hang of it and it turned out to be fun. After you squirt the grout on the wall around the stone, you let it set up for a while (20-30 minutes for our mixture) and then go back over the grout with a narrow hardwood stick (Steve) or your gloved finger (me), to smooth. We looked for any spots we missed during this step & re-applied more mortar to those areas. The last step is taking a brush & lightly brushing off the stone.
After finishing the walls, we moved on to the base. This was pretty easy. We just needed to fill the gaps between the square stones and do the bottom of the walls where the board was.
And here it is...

Steve will be adding wood trim to the base soon and different wood trim on the walls. The mortar will still lighten up more in the next few days as it dries.

Wednesday, the guys from Center Steve & Fireplace will be here moving the Heritage wood stove that is in the "cabin room" now over to this area. A Phoenix wood stove that we bought on Craigslist will take the place of the Heritage. That is, I hope they will be here. There is a powerful storm that is starting to hit us as I type. It's supposed to be windy (60 mph gusts) through Wednesday. Scary to be up on this roof in that kind of wind. Actually, it is scary for me to be here during a storm after going through the tornado in August. There is a tornado watch now & the wind is blowing in pretty hard gusts. I am trying to be brave...but the urge to go to the basement hits me with every strong gust. I'll have to let you know if I stayed upstairs all night. :-). My kids are great. They have both texted me to make sure I am all right. And Steve is sleeping with his cell phone by his side in case I call in a panic from the basement. I sure know how to pick when to stay up here...

Potato Leek Soup...in a Crock Pot

2010-10-21T08:04:00.000-05:00

So many potatoes...so many leeks. I truly needed to find a easy recipe for using them & here it is.
Potato leek soup in a crock pot. This is so easy & so good! I found the recipe here on the A Year of Slow Cooking blog. I will be investigating more of her recipes soon.

3 large leeks, cleaned and diced , using the white part only
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound brown potatoes
5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup heavy cream (optional)

Peel the potatoes and chop everything up and toss it in with the broth and the spices.
If using the heavy cream, don't add that until cooking is complete.
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for about 4.
When the potatoes and onion are fully cooked and soft, use an immersible blender to soupify.
If you don't have an immersible blender, blend in small batches carefully in your traditional blender.
Stir in heavy cream, if desired.

I did add the cream. Steve & I each ate two bowls full with some fresh crusty bread. A great fall meal.

Working Toward the Wood Stove Installation

2010-10-20T04:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we worked on the base & walls for the wood stove. We also went to a great party, but more about that later. When we bought the river rock for the walls, we also purchased the stone for the base. Our inside project list for Saturday & Sunday was to set the base stones & finish the first three steps of wall preparation. Here are pics of what we did...

A couple weeks ago, Steve built the base in the corner of the new living area.

Saturday morning, we stapled tar paper on the walls...

The next step was to nail mesh screening to the tar paper. This helps the mortar stick to the wall, which is the next step.

Almost finished with the left wall.

Setting the bottom stone before mixing the mortar. As you can see, we had one more little spot on the wall to finish, too.
We put down tar paper under the stone, but we don't think it was really necessary.

The stone is set in mortar. This weekend we will fill in the joints with more mortar & start putting the river rock on the walls. (The dark spot on the wall is the mortar drying) Steve will be making a wood trim around the base to finish it off.

It was fun putting the mortar on the walls. Fun in a sloppy, messy way. Kind of like playing in the mud. Not as much fun was lifting the heavy stones & bags of mortar.
I started laying out all the river rock by color (tan, brown, reddish, light gray, dark gray & black) so we can decide how we want to place them. We have a piece of Styrofoam on the floor the size of the wall & thought we might place them there first to see how we like it. I think it will be fun once we get a few up. After the rock is in place, we will use a large pastry bag to fill in between the rock. The guys at Center Stove & Fireplace will be coming the week after this to install the stove. Hope we get it all done. If not, we can always fill in between the rock when the wood stove is in. Just won't be as easy to work around it.
We have been talking about getting this done for three years. It is so fulfilling (and exciting!) to be getting to this point.

Moving to the outside...I finished (I hope) digging the rest of the potatoes. I'll still go out once more & dig around to make sure, but we have plenty stored for this winter now. I also dug a dozen or so more leeks & am making potato leek soup in the crock pot as I write. It smells really good too :-).

On Saturday, Steve's brother Joe & wife Linda stopped in to see us & the progress we've made. It was two years ago that they were there last & things have changed a lot! Going from having a sawdust toilet to having a fully equipped bathroom is the biggest thing. We gave them the tour & sat around & talked until it was time for them to go out to eat for Sweetest Day. I didn't even know it was Sweetest Day. Guess that comes from not watching tv anymore. We did go out though. The new radio station in town had a fund raising party that was great! WDRT in Viroqua. The only non-commercial, independant radio station in Wisconsin's Driftless region, seven years in the making. They had two bands, food & beer. The first band was bluegrass. The second was a disco band. I have never been to a party where almost everyone was dancing, but now I have! Young, old, middle-aged...all to disco music. Here are some pics...

Evergreen Grass Band

John from The Driftless Cafe helping serve food from his restaurant.

The VO5 Disco Band from Madison

We are already looking forward to next years' party. Thanks WRDT!

I'll leave you with a new picture of granddaughter Jaelyn waking up from her nap. I was lucky enough to go there for a visit last week. She is crawling now & is a cuddly little sweetheart.

Have a great week!