Picture sharing moment....

Sharing some of the critters here on the farm at the moment.

Bonnie and Clyde on April 6th

One month later. They are growing nicely!

Titus getting brushed out. April 6th

Titus One Month Later. Getting bigger

Johnny and June

These are some of our animals here on our crazy farm. Share more next week. Hopfully by then we'll have some baby bunnies. I saw Jenny making a nest. 

~ Farmgirl

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Friends across the miles

I've been chatting with another like minded gal for a while now. Come to find out she's just a few hours away. Which is great considering we have so much in common and our views are very similar. We have been bouncing ideas off of each other for a while now. Makes trying new things so much easier. Well yesterday the DH and I went for a drive and we got to meet up with her and her DH finally.

I had a rabbit that she was interested in for wool. I had gotten it from a friend because she moved. So anyhow the Jersey Woolly got a new home and his wool will become many different things as she learns and experiments with him. So he was the basis for our adventure yesterday.

Let's just say it was an adventure as I forgot to write a part of the directions down and we ended up in Athens, OH instead of southern Ohio. I told my husband that I thought there was a map in the door, which I was correct. He found a route that would get us where we needed to be. Boy was it a beautiful drive.

Her and her DH have a very interesting rabbit run and hopefully in the spring we can adapt our rabbits to something similar. Her bunnies seemed pretty darn happy. They also have a pretty nice homestead and with all the improvements she told me they have done and plan on doing its going to be pretty darn great when they are finished.

Feeling very fortunate to have finally met my sweet friend and her family.

Happy Homesteading!

~ Farm GirlPin It

Winter Piggies

Got a call last Thursday about buying some pigs, something we weren't planning on doing. I just haven't been keen on having more animals to feed during the colder months; actually I'm trying to get rid of some extra animals. But, we don't have any extra pork in the freezer. So we ended up talking the in laws into buying a piglet also and splitting the feed cost.

This is only the second time we have had pigs. Earlier this year we got piglets for my sons FFA project. Which he showed and sold at the county fair and he did very well. Guess we are going to get practice for next years fair.

Our little guy has a brother with him so he won't be lonely. Wilbur is smaller than the in laws piglet but is more aggressive. I love watching them argue over the chow. They are so funny. I'm hoping they will fill out fast and nicely so I don't have to worry about feeding into the new year. 

Wilbur on the left, not sure what the in laws have named theirs yet.

These are a york mixed piglets. They have light black markings on their skin. Can't really see it for all their white hair. They are so cute I hope they turn out well. 

I need to get to reading about raising hogs, so that we can raise good quality pigs. 

Happy homesteading 

~ Farm Girl

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Bye-Bye Garden

I have been so ready to see this dreadful garden season go away. Finally, the husband and son got all the tomato stakes out of the garden. I was so glad when I heard the tractor fire up. I look out and this is what I see.

 Crazy that he used the mower to knock the dreadful weeds down. But, such a blessing now I can see across the yard and it don't look so bad from the main road. 

Everything is gone except the very little sweet potato patch down at the far end of the garden. I'm not even sure if they bloomed so we may not have any sweet potatoes. In the next few weeks he'll plow the garden and we'll get all the rabbit droppings and hog manure put on it for the winter. Just maybe next years garden will be a success.

I wish I had the nerve to put in a fall or winter garden but, I feel its going to get cold quick. Which makes me think that the garden will not do any good. Cutting my losses this year and ready to move on.

~ Farm Girl

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Garden

This years garden was less than stellar. The weather started out good and we were getting peppers, green beans and cherry tomatoes fairly often. Then the rain started and it pretty much drowned everything out. Out of the 96 tomato plants I planted I only got some of the cherry tomatoes everything else rotted on the vines. My green beans did fairly well. I did can 33 quarts myself, my mother in law got 7 to 10 quarts from the third picking. I also got some cucumbers to make pickle relish. I got some hot banana pepper rings canned too.

I really had high hopes to can another 1000 jars this season but I fell extremely short. I can only hope that next year will be much better with bumper crops.

My mother and I went to Ohio and picked some tomatoes. Because of my work schedule I could only get them cleaned prepped and put in the freezer. I will be doing them up into spaghetti sauce in a few weeks. I still need to gather a few ingredients to get it all together.

I will be canning all winter but it will be only the stuff like meats and vegetables that I find on sale at the markets. I would rather be canning those kinds of things than nothing at all.

So how did your garden(s) do this year?

~ FarmgirlPin It

Banana Pepper Rings

Makes 2 pints
20-30 banana peppers, depends on size
1 quart white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons canning salt (or pickling salt)
1 pinch alum
1 pinch of turmeric (optional)

Wash and slice peppers - you may want to seed them. (using gloves is highly recommended)
Pack in hot sterilized jars.
Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, alum and turmeric to a boil.
Pour boiling vinegar mixture over peppers in jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Wipe rims of jars, affix two piece caps, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and wait for them to seal.

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Sweet Hot Pickle Relish

Makes 6 pints
(6 cups) 1 1/2 quarts hot banana peppers, finely chopped
(4 cups) 1 quart cucumber, finely chopped
(2 1/2 cups) 2 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup canning salt + 2 tablespoons
5 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons pickling spice

Combine banana peppers, cucumbers, onion, and the salt in a large glass or ceramic bowl, cover with cold water and let stand for 2 hours. Drain thoroughly, pressing on the vegetables to remove excess liquid.

Combine the sugar and vinegar in a large pot; tie the pickling spices in cheesecloth (or tea ball this is what I use) and add the liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove spice bag. Pack into hot jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

*Note: to give it a kick sub in 1/2 to 1 cup of finely chopped jalapenos or any mix of peppers you desire.

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Tangy Spaghetti Sauce

This is a very mild spaghetti sauce. Thick and chunky just like we like it. I make this with the vegetables we grow from our garden. I have tried many different sauces and this is the first one that has wowed my DH. 

Makes 6 to 7 quarts
3 medium onions, chopped
3/4 cup banana peppers, chopped (Hungarian wax chili peppers)
3 tsp. garlic, minced
16 cups tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
2 cups green and red bell peppers, chopped
3 (12 oz) cans tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup sliced portabella or button mushrooms
4 tsp. canning salt
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
lemon juice (per jar)

 Add all of ingredients to stock pot.

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.

After it has simmered, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice per pint jar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice per quart, ladle sauce into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space cap with two piece lids. Process pints 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

If you choose you can cool then ladle into freezer containers and freeze.

I also have this recipe posted on my food.com account. If you care to read the reviews you can see them here.

~ Farmgirl

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Mountain Berry Pie

A delicious pie for any occasion. Serve it up with a dollop of whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

Pastry for double-crust pie

1 cup white sugar

1 pinch of salt

1/4 cup cornstarch + tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup blueberries

1 cup strawberries

3/4 cup blackberries

3/4 cup raspberries

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup peach schnapps

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon in a large saucepan.

Stir in berries and add water, peach schnapps and lemon juice.

Cook over medium heat just to the boiling point. It should be thickened. If berries are frozen this takes a little while longer.

Pour into pie shell and dot with butter.

Top with a lattice crust or full crust with slits cut.

Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

~ Farmgirl

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Shaker Pickles

One of the best sweet pickles I have ever made. Super easy and delicious. I use them on sandwiches, burgers or just a nice side condiment. They have a nice crunch when you bite into them too.

10 medium cucumbers, sliced  (maybe more depending on the size of cucumbers)
4-8 onions, sliced

Fill gallon jar with sliced cucumber and onions (depending on taste).

Mix together:
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup pickling salt
1 teaspoon alum
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric

Pour mixture over cucumbers and onions, cap the jar,  give it a shake, and place jar in refrigerator. Shake once a day for six days. Then pickles are ready for use. Store pickles in refrigerator, where they will keep for several months.

Although, this is not a canning recipe I am including it here because during the canning season I put up 6 or so jars for all year eating. Just make them at different stages of the canning season and you should be good to go all winter long. I label them clearly so I know how long they have been in the fridge. That is if I can keep them that long. I've been known to run out. Thanks to friends and family that snatch a jar or two during a visit.

~ Farmgirl

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Mama's Wonderful Salsa

This truly is a wonderful salsa. My family can't get enough of it. 

makes 6 pints
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers, chopped
1 cup hot banana peppers, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup distilled vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon cilantro
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. * For a thicker salsa: cook down till desired thickness. For me its about an hour.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

* Note: When cutting or seeding, hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.

~ Farmgirl

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Finally Garden Time

Since the cold spell seems to have been broken and the rain has held off for the most part, I have been making the most of every dry spell to get in the garden the last few days. So here's a few pictures of the past few days.

DH discing the garden one more time.

Just so happens when I was in town getting groceries I found a new garden plant and flower store set up. So I purchased 5 flats. I sure hope they do good. They looked amazing compared to what I found at other stores that I normally got plants from.

Funds were super tight and I forgot to stop at the feed store so I bought some packaged Burpee seeds at Wal-Mart. Not my favorite place but they will do in a pinch. 

You can barley see in this picture but there is 10 rows of established plants planted. Thanks to my friend's and my children that helped.

To show my appreciation I made dinner for everyone. Least I could do. Our friends live in town and live in an old swamp area and the only gardening they can do is container. So I told her if she would come and help and help purchase some plants that I would tend the garden. Should be enough for both of us, at least I hope so. 

Cabbage and 5 rows of green beans. I still need to plant my peas and lima beans and more corn. But, we are getting there. I'm just glad to get this much done. Now to water and pray for a good garden this year.

I'm wondering how everyone else is doing with their gardening this season.

~ Farm Girl

  

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Italian Style Meatloaf

Your going to learn something new about me here today. I'm a freak for meatloaf. But, I don't like the same meatloaf over and over, so I try different ones every chance I can get. Why, well because burger is cheaper than steak and we also raise beef cattle so I always have an abundance of it. We'll usually I do. Just recently ran out. Bummer!

The Italian Style Meatloaf I'm sharing here today is a new one for us. I made it a few weeks ago. We really did enjoy it. With my family if you add cheese to it they'll eat anything.

1 pound ground beef
2 eggs beaten
3/4 to 1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 oz) can seasoned diced tomatoes, drained (I used Hunt's Basil and Oregano flavoring)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Add in the Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9x5 loaf pan if desired or shape into loaf log in a 9x13 baking dish, cover loosely with foil.

Bake 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

Enjoy!

~ Farm GirlPin It

Operation Duck and Chicken Run

A few days ago I bartered a few jars of jelly for two ducks. I'm staring to get a hang of this bartering as I have done it a few times here lately to get things I needed or wanted for the farm and such. We got the ducks but didn't have any place to keep them. I couldn't turn them loose because my neighbors dogs would have them for an appetizer and I'm sure my two cats would chase them around and may even harm them. So we had them cooped up in travel kennel till we could get them something more fitting. 

It's been raining here for  a few days. The husband and I got up early and used the early morning hours to build a makeshift run for them from items we had already here on the farm. I found a few ideas on pintrest that would work great! I'm loving that site.

So we took the old swing set I got for FREE a few years ago. Borrowed the timbers from my blueberry bed. Purchased the netting and used some leftover rabbit wire for their door. Hubby also borrowed a tarp that wasn't being used from his parents to make them a shaded and dry area for when it starts to rain hard again. I think we have a total of $12 in the whole thing so far. I want to paint the swing set just to help protect it from more rust. 

Over all we are very pleased with how it came out and I know the ducks; Quackers and Cheese are very thankful for a large area to roam in.

Quackers and Cheese in the dog kennel

Enjoying some fresh water.

I'll take more pictures as I get the finishing touches on the run in the next few weeks.

Have a wonderful day!!

~ Farm Girl

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Operation Pig Pen

The past two days have been extremely busy here on the farm. We finally located a few pigs for my son's FFA fair project. We didn't think that we were going to be able to get his project underway but with the help of a few friends and unsuspecting souls it got underway and completed in just two days.

The prime location for the hog pen would of been up in the tree line but that wasn't possible as it stays to wet there and we couldn't have them to far from a water source. The only choice we really had was to remove part of the falling down barn and locate them there. Okay this is probably a blessing in disguise.

Day One:

BEFORE picture. At least 120 year old barn crumbling. 

After picture. 

We couldn't clean up the whole building as behind it is pasture and is holding in one bull that will be going to the butcher shop soon. The building is acting as a fence. Sometime next week we will have to build new fence so that we can remove the rest for more expansion. 

We had to move all the debris from the barn across the creek and to our burn pile. It don't seem like much but, really it was. I know I had a good chunk of it all cleaned up before my son and husband made it back from Farmer Bob's. 

This will be burned. Hopefully very soon.

After having a cleared lot to work with they drilled holes for the posts which was a fallen down yellow locust tree, thanks to storm Drencho last end of June early July. 

Drilling post holes

Measuring for the next hole

All posts set 

It seemed like it took forever to get to this stage of the build. There was a lot of father and son bonding going on too. I hope that our son learned a lot from this build. And now we are ready to start putting up the side boards. The lumber used for the sides is lumber that was timbered off the farm back in 1991 and 1992. It had been piled up in the old shed since then. 

Saw mill lumber from the farm. At least 24 years old.

Add the side boards.

And like any other off the cuff builder some of the plans changed and the bedding area of the pen was moved to a different location. It was suppose to be off to the right but it got put on the back. 

Added bedding area

Thankfully my sons friend showed up after school to help them. It made my work a little easier as I was pulled away to go and work my sons mowing job. I do this from time to time when he has track meets, football practice or camp. Building the pig pen was really important so I tackled the mowing. 

Getting the roof done

They wanted to get the roof done before the extra help was gone. I don't blame them. There was no way I was getting up there to tack the roofing on. 

This scared the ba jibbies out of me. But, boys will be boys.
I think they were having a good time, anyhow.

Last thing few nails before we called it a night.
Not much more light to work in.

This was the finish of day one! We were so thankful to have the Son's buddy to help. My son helped him build his pig pen so it was payback time for him. 

Day Two:

Moved along pretty fast as much of the work was done. We only had to finish putting up the walls and make the door. On this day it was only our Daughter, Myself and Daddy working. Our son has a job at the local stock market with his buddy and they had to go to work. 

We spent the first part of the morning going to the stock market to pick up the piggies. This was our meeting place of choice, plus we had some paper work to do. 

Piggies in the stock trailer. Ready to go to their new home.

So we made it home around lunch time and got straight to work. It was rather warm yesterday and we didn't want them to stay in the trailer too long. We finished up the hut and put the door together and on the cage then turned the piggies loose in the pen while we were finishing up the sides. 

Now that's a door!

Completed hut!

Sissy helping out too!

Completed Pig Pen

Now that we have arrived at the completed Pig Pen. The only thing we have left to do is finish the watering system. Which will probably be completed early this week. We only need an elbow to install the self water. 

This whole pen cost us roughly around 25 dollars. When pulling the old barn down we found some door hinges from the old barn. Our only expense was the gas to run the chainsaw, diesel to run the tractor to drill holes and retrieve the fallen locust tree, and the two partial boxes of nails. Everything else came off the farm. 

This pig pen was probably an over kill but we shouldn't have to replace it anytime soon.

We took a page right out of Eustace Conway book. If you don't know who I'm talking about he is a naturalist. Living on Turtle Island Preserve in North Carolina. He's fighting hard to keep his land and to build and live as natural as possible. I first heard about him on television on a show called Mountain Men on the History Channel. Very, very interesting  man. 

But, back to what my real story is about. 

Meet Forest on the left and Bubba on the right.

One last photo of the happy piggies.

I learned a lot during my time out there with my husband and children. WE all worked together to complete a project that will give us many years of use.

Have a great rest of the weekend my friends.

~ Farm Girl

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The Wide World of Canning

I belong to several canning groups on Facebook and other places. Lately, I have seen items being canned that just blow my mind. Like meatloaf, meatballs, sweet and sour chicken, ham and so on. Now I'm all for convenience and quick meals. I'm finding myself drawn to these things as easy meals for not only my family but things for my husband to take to work in his lunch pail that will take very little effort.

Thankfully, the art canning allows us the opportunity to know exactly what is in our foods. Unlike the quick meals in the stores. I know they are labeled at the stores but really what is some of that stuff we can't pronounce?

So anyhow, I grew up knowing the canning world as my mother and grandmothers have always done it for as long as I can remember. Now that I have been canning for 7 years on my own, many of the things I can is much different from the stuff that they canned. I remember many, many days cleaning potatoes, tomatoes and green beans for the both of them.

I'm so thankful for the Internet and the canning groups that have opened my eyes to the many different recipes and wealth of knowledge that has been provided for me to make such wonderful things. Just so you know I have yet to try the meatloaf, meatballs, and sweet and sour chicken and many other things. But, I'm slowly getting up the nerve to try them.

I now have over 2000 jars so I'm ready to spread my wings and try something new.

What are some of the things you have tried lately that you have thought long and hard about if it was worth the risk?

~ Farm Girl

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Rabbitry News

Well its been very busy in the rabbitry here lately. Starting on April 8th we began having baby buns again. For three days it was a wait and see kind of thing. We ended up with a total of 31 new babies and have lost a few along the way. We had a momma not feeling so well due to an infection that I thought was cleared up but wasn't so she lost her whole litter. A few of our new moms lost at least one baby each. So we have a total of 25 new babies.

I'm already getting calls and requests for babies. This makes me very happy. Here's a few photos of our little ones. They are now a week and a half old. Wow time flies bye too quickly here lately.

Flora's

Ginny's

Pheobe's

This is Baps she's not understanding me talking to her...
 Totally a usual occurrence from her. 

We are about to breed our other rabbits for all our fair babies. It's already getting that time of the year. I enjoy our bunnies. We got into the rabbit business last February and it didn't take long to get attached to them.

I'm sure I will be posting news often.

~Farm Girl


 

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Homemade Egg Noodles

I watched and helped my grandma and mother make noodles for years. But, they never used a recipe and never talked about what they put in them. I was the basic gopher and noodle tray holder. On several occasions I got to cut some of the noodles.

When it came time for me to make noodles on my own I was scared to death. First few times they weren't to bad but they could of been better. Some twelve years ago I found an awesome little cookbook and it has some great recipes in it. One of which is the egg noodles I'm about to share. Thank you Better Homes and Gardens for putting out great cookbooks such as the paperback I own.

Homemade Egg Noodles

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten ( normally use farm fresh eggs brown eggs are best)

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon cooking oil or olive oil

In a large mixing bowl stir together flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a bowl combine eggs, water and oil. Add to flour mixture; mix well.

Sprinkle kneading surface with 1/4 cup of flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead till dough is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Cover and let rest 10 minutes. 

Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface roll each fourth into a 12x12 inch square (about 1/16th inch thick). Cut with a pizza cutter as desired.

Note- I prefer my noodles thicker so I say roll out to desired thickness. 

I do believe my Grandma Covey would probably tell me I did it all wrong with the thickness but to each their own. I'm glad I have the memories of going to her house and making noodles with her. 

~ Farmgirl

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