Need A Funny Caption

 What's your caption for this week?

"I have a fur coat and there's a fire.  What's wrong with this picture?"


Last week's caption is by Sam over at:
Five Starr's Farm
Thank's for playing Sam!




This is a picture of "Smoke" (really --that's his name :-).
1/2 Golden Retriever, 1/2 German Shepherd.
I raised him for Leader Dog's For The Blind.
He is now a working dog leading a blind person.


.....dr momi

Future Leader Dog Butsch

FLD Butsch
Butsch turned 9 months old this week. 
He looks grown up,
but he's all about play, play, play. :-)

   

Pig Is Gone

       Finally!  A different person came and loaded him up on Sunday evening.  It was pouring rain all day and the whole while we loaded.  (can we say muddy pen?)  Pinky didn't want to load again, but, an experienced person doing it makes all the difference.  He used pallets to herd him into the doorway -- yelled for me in the trailer to keep his head up with the food.   When the pig only put his front feet in again, his hind quarters were lifted in by the tail.  It couldn't have hurt him, he didn't squeal at all, and only wanted his food.  He was in and loaded.  I was thankful he didn't have to spend another rainy night in his pen, after so much rain, he only had an island of dry land under his tarp.

     The stress at the end here trying to load them I could have done without.  Rick is pretty sure he doesn't want to do it again.  I was more than ready to do it again until this last bit.  Moving the pen became harder the older the pigs got because of all the rooting.  Maybe we just have to let all this pass in our minds and get a taste of ham before we make a decision.  Maybe a smaller pig breed we could process ourselves would be in order.  Maybe buying organic lard is the answer :-)  Anyway, just waiting on the meat and fat.....

    

    

    

.....dr momi

Sunday in Pictures

Granddaughter Zoe.
Zoe, who rarely will let her mom put a little pony tail in her hair.
Zoe, who's hair is growing really slow.
Zoe, who keeps getting called "he" out in public -- even when she's wearing pink.
Zoe, who looks like a little girl to me in this outfit :-)
She just needs some earrings!

This sweet soft puppy.......



....became a homestead working dog.  Grouse season opened. 
My mudroom will now smell like wet dog for a good month!





I love the reusable Tattler canning lids --- so far.
The hardest part of using them has been to try to remember to tighten the 
bands after taking them out of the canner.  The plastic lids are BPA-free. 
 You use regular metal bands with them, and a thin rubber gasket that comes with the lids.
 The University of Wisconsin has just received a grant to study them.












...and the harvest continues.
Drying my Mammoth sunflower seeds.
I've tried two years in a row to dry them on the heads,
only to have them mold, so I'm trying it this way this year.
This is only 2 heads!



.....dr momi

How Much Does This Egg Cost?




So......if the chicken that layed the egg on the left is a 1 year old large hen, that lays me an egg every day and eats twice as much
as the chicken that layed the egg on the right,  a two year old leghorn who lays an egg every other day......
Do I really have to cull the leghorn??

 
.....dr momi

Linked To:  Homestead Barn Hop

Dehydrating Experiments

     I was hooked after my Master Food Preserver Class.  I tried dehydrating years ago with unpromising results, so I gave it up.  Now, with the new dehydrators, that they say use only as much energy as a crock pot, I'm experimenting up a storm.

     Only 2 models of dehydrators were recommended for taking enough humidity out of the food.  The Nesco Gardenmaster, and the Excalibur.  I found a Gardenmaster to start, (about 1/2 the price of the Excalibur) and what fun I am having.

     The top 3 foods so far according to family: plums with a smidge of sugar on them, (this was
 #1 - who'd a thunk) pineapple, and the beef jerky.  All are long gone, so no pictures, sorry.  I've also done carrots, strawberries, (granddaughter Gracie's favorite) and apples (skins on, skins off, thin, & chunky).  When the grandkids ask for a snack and I suggest the dehydrated fruit, they are all for it!  Fruit leather is going to be tried with my Wolf River apples just coming ripe.

Organic kale and my first crop from my Honey Crisp apple tree.
I think there were only about 20 apples -- but are they yummy!

My organic sweet potatoes that I grew!




     Today I tried kale, sweet potatoes, and more chunky apples (which has turned out to be our favorite way with the apples).  I've heard good reviews about kale chips -- that kids will eat them.   I took out the main vein, shredded it into big pieces, drizzled some olive oil and sea salt.  Mixed it up real good so everything was coated, and layed them on the trays. My "organic guy" at the farmers market only had curly kale, I have no idea the pros or cons of curly vs. regular.   Caution! They dry fast :-).  The sweet potatoes I did the same thing with olive oil and salt -- never heard of anyone doing that -- told you I was experimenting.

      I've done the apples with an apple peeler and layed out the "rings".  It works good.  But, I'd like to keep the peels on.  Just under the peel is where the pectin is.  Pectin is good for sweeping out extra cholesterol.  So, I used an apple corer.  Sliced the sections in rather chunky pieces into lemon water, drained it, put them on the trays, and sprinkled some cinnamon.  It takes a lot longer to dry them in chunks, but I so enjoy them -- there's more "chew" to them.   .....and Rick will eat them...go figure!

     The results:

The kale dries very deep green, and crunchy.  I like it. 
There is a bit of a "green" taste at the end.   I salted it a little too much. 
So, I figure I might not even taste that "green" if I was drinking a glass of wine with it :-) 
On one piece I tasted sand!  Wash it good before dehydrating.



Yum organic apple chunks.



Organic sweet potatoes.  .....won't be eating them like a chip. Didn't like them.
They were way tough.  Unless I throw them in some soup, I'm thinking
 they will become dog treats.  Billy and Butsch both approved wholeheartily!

 .....dr momi

Linked To: Farm Friend Friday
Linked To: Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop
Linked To: Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday
Linked To: Preparedness Challenge

Need A Funny Caption

What's your caption for this week?

Last Week:

"just once, can we try the limbo?!"


This week's caption coined by TexWisGirl over at  The Run *A* Round Ranch Report
Tex --- you make me laugh!
(labbie1 -- thanks so much for playing!)



This Little Pig Went To Market. This Little Pig Stayed Home.

     One pig was loaded yesterday, and one pig escaped the pen.  Ugghhh!  Rick and I came to the conclusion the young kids were pure rookies loading pigs.  Even I could guess what the next move the pig was thinking before he did it, they had no clue.  "Don't let him push through that side!!"  Fell on empty ears as I watched the young man do not a thing.    .....and Pinky was loose.  The pen not being secure was my fault.  We chased him around for 1 1/2 hours.  As they were leaving the driveway I finally lured him back into the pen with food.

     I don't think Pinky sees well.  I mean worse than other pigs.  According to the young men he was the worst pig they ever had to load.  What???  I raised a rogue pig???  I don't think so.  I think he can't see well and wasn't going to go into that dark truck.  And he's big.  And if he wants to turn around he will.  And he did.  Gordo walked right in for food.  (they brought the ramp this time)

    The search is on for a different processing place -- I'm not doing "strike three".

Being lonely has not stopped him from eating.

.....dr momi

Liebster Award!

                            Candy C. over at Lazy J Bar C Farm   surprised me with this award!
                                           It really made me smile Candy!  Thank-You so much.              


                                                     


Liebster" is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The Liebster is awarded to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers.

How fun!! Now for the rules:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have fun!

So, without further ado, here are my five picks to receive this special honor:

1.  Michaele over at  Sprout 'n' Wings Farm

2.  Sharon over at  Fitzgerald's Family Farm

3.  Dicky Bird over at  Dicky Bird's Nest

4.  the crazysheeplady over at  Punkin's Patch

5.  Michele over at  Simply Scaife Family Farm



     Please check out their blogs -- I have been enjoying them!




.....dr momi

Saving Asparagus Seed

   I save asparagus seed more for learning a skill than anything.  There's something in me that loves to save the seed, plant it, and watch it grow.  If your goal is to start a nice patch of asparagus, you might want to buy 3 year old male crowns in the spring.  They are perennial, and will last many, many, years.  Asparagus seeds form on the female plants.  Female plants are thinner, and I think tougher when eating, than the males.  So really, a bed full of the male plants is your ideal, especially if you have limited space. 

     The seed that I am gathering from female plants is from our "wild" patch.  All along our old horse fence, at every t-post, there is a few asparagus plants growing -- planted by the birds.  If we never get a formal asparagus bed going, Rick and I would have plenty for ourselves.  But, I'd like to have enough to pick for our big family meals.

     Every year I look at the price of asparagus crowns and just can't get myself to buy them.  So, now what I do, is every year I plant a big pot of seeds that I grow all summer, just like they are some of my flowers, and then transplant them in the fall.  You have to wait 3 years to be able to harvest.  These will be an old variety now unknown -- as opposed to the new hybrid crowns you would buy.  There will be male and females.  Some people pull the females as weeds.  I won't.  I consider the berries excellent food for the chickens.  I will air dry them, and feed them over winter.





Pick the berries when they are red.






Squeeze out the seeds into some water and gently work them clean.






Air dry them well.  Then gently clean off any remaining pulp before storing.



      About 6 weeks before you want to plant them, put them in a  bag in the freezer for stratification. (a pretend winter)  I start them in organic potting soil, outside.  No need to start them in the house.  They grow easy!

Linked To: Farm Friend Friday
Linked To: Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop
Linked To: Homestead Barn Hop
Lnked To:  Frugally Sustainable




.....dr momi

Need A Funny Caption

What's your caption for this week?







Last Week:

"Please Sir, may I have some more?!?"



This week's caption by Candi C over at:
Lazy J Bar C Farm

.....dr momi

Pig Wrestling

     Ok then, that was a learning experience.  If you think we fought with them and got them on the truck -- think again.  They are still here.  The closest we got was the front feet in the trailer.  Two young men came with a nice rig with a 1 1/2 foot step in.  The pig pen was downhill from the truck which made the step higher yet.  They "forgot" their piece of plywood for a ramp.  Well......I didn't have any around.  There was no way a bucket over the head and back them in would work with that high of a step.  I thought Pinky was going to die of heat stroke so I said, "how bout you come next Mon. with your equipment, and I move the cage to an uphill position from the truck by then."  They only pick-up on Monday's.  So, next Monday it is.

     And this has never happened in a very long time to me.  I grabbed my camera for pictures and the battery was dead.  Well, this has been an interesting morning.!!!!!

    




If they were this small we could have just picked them up :-)

.....dr momi

Sunday in Pictures

Asparagus berries.  I will be harvesting seed from them.



Remember my Mason Bee Hive Christmas present?
Some of the holes have been laid with eggs.  (they look
packed with mud)  It's a start!













I made sauerkraut this week.
About 8 heads of my homegrown organic cabbage fills my crock.
(I have finally learned how to spell sauerkraut without having to look it up! LOL)









My apple jelly on the left.  Mary's apple jelly on the right

....she took BEST OF SHOW with it!

She will not tell me what kind of apples or how she does it. (She says no with a twinkle in her eye :-)

I'm on a quest.  Anyone out there that knows what I need to do --  I need to hear from you!  :-)

(at least before next year's fair.)

My elderberry jam got first!





It was a good fair.
.....and now I'm pretty much "canned out".
Time to pack it all away.




 .....dr momi

Pig Sayings

      All of these "sayings" about pigs make perfect sense to me now that I've owned pigs.


     "Squealing like a pig."  I will never forget the ear splitting squeal those piglets let out when the guy who sold them to me picked them up by the hind legs to put in my crate.  It actually hurt my ears.

     "This place looks like a pig pen."  When the kids were growing up, many a bedroom looked "rooted up".

     "Smacking like a pig!"  Pigs really do smack.  .....but only because it tastes so good!  :-)

     "Eating like a pig."   Pigs like to eat fast before someone else gets it.  And, they eat, and eat, and eat.....

     "Dirty as a pig."  Pigs roll in the mud to keep cool and keep bugs off.  I remember Logan in the muddy sandbox saying to me, "Grandma, I'm just like the pigs.....I like mud."  :-) 

     "Sweating like a pig."  LOL, every time I would say "I'm sweating like a pig" this hot, hot, summer; my husband would remind me that pigs don't sweat!   And then there is.....
    
    "Sleeping like a pig."   My own coined term. (See Sleeping Like A Pig)   .....you know.  Like when kids won't get out of that bed for school, and end up falling back to sleep.  (Yes, my darling kid, you know who you are. :-)

    

       Having pigs for the first time has been a learning experience.  I'd do it again.  Monday is the day the pigs meet their destiny.  Not looking forward to fighting them onto the truck.  I'll let you know how it goes.



No worries.....he's eating overgrown cooked beets :-)


.....dr momi

Linked To: Farm Girl Friday
Linked To: Homestead Barn Hop

Grasshopper Wisdom



"Grandma, if you touch a grasshopper's butt
 with your finger it will hop."  ......grandson Logan today.

 .....dr momi

Linked To:  Celebrate With Us
Linked To:  Farm Photo Friday

Need a Funny Caption

.....because we all need to laugh a little. 

Because it seemed to be an extra hard one, I chose the two captions I got.  Thanks for playing girls! 

"Mom, I need my nose plug."

coined by Dicky Bird over at Dicky Birds Nest

....AND

"Wow! Next time they say to leave because

the hurricane is coming, I'm listening!

coined by labbie1 over at The Adventures of Garrett Squared

The picture is a manatee at Port Adventurus in Mexico.

What's your caption for this week?

I'm going to take captions until 9/13, so if you think of a

good one even a few days later, come back and post it!

.....dr momi

Pico de Gallo

     This is a favorite when the tomatoes are fresh.  We (as in the whole family) have it about 3 or 4 times when the garden is overflowing.

Pico de Gallo always reminds me of Mexico.
....ahhh sunning on the beach, watching the pelicans fly by,
sipping pina coladas (..er diet coke), someone else cookin' for me,....
...oh, OK I'm back.

Pico de Gallo
     (for a crowd)

20 roma tomatoes
1 lg, red onion
1 lg. jalapeno pepper
1 sm.banana pepper (feel free to mix 'n match peppers)
4 cloves of garlic
juice of 2 limes
2 TBL. olive oil
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper




Cut the stem off the tomatoes, slice them in half lengthwise,
"v" out the hard core, and then dice.






















Do the same with the pepper.  Take out the seeds and "pulpy stuff".
Don't touch your eyes with pepper juice hands....you'll be sorry :-)






















     Dice the onions and garlic.  Fine cut the cilantro.  Throw in the lime juice, oil, salt and pepper.






...and mix it all together

Enjoy!























     I forgot to take a picture of the final stir LOL!  I can easily make this my whole meal it tastes so good.  I get lots of questions about how you can can pico de gallo so it tastes just like it does fresh.  Aaahhh....not going to happen.  Eat the fresh when you have it.  Follow a tested recipe to can salsa, and that's what we eat in the winter.  When you are canning salsa, please don't add vegetables just because you like your salsa that way.  Vegetables (onions, peppers etc.) change how acid the recipe is.  If you are not following a tested recipe, it can quickly become unsafe to can.

.....dr momi

Linked to:  Women Living Well Wednesday
Linked to:  Simple Lives Thursday
Linked to:  Farm Friend Friday
Linked to:  Living Well Blog Hop

Sunday in Pictures



I do believe these are teeth prints!
O.K., since I got a first, I will give him a jerky treat :-)



Remember the maple sap wine?
It looks pretty, but got nothing at the fair.
The rest of it I'm going to let age and see what happens.
I think it was too young.

The elderberry wine got 1st!!



Speaking of elderberries, my "tame" bush is just about ripe.
Wild elderberries are ready to pick NOW.



The Coke display at our local Wal-Mart

Sprite and Mellow Yellow -- the perfect colors.

....oh, you did know that the Packers won the Super Bowl last year?
...... and you did know the football kick-off is in Green Bay this Thur.?
..... and did I ever tell you Green Bay is real close to me?

 Oh, by the way...I'm a Packer fan :-)



Pico de Gallo for supper tonight -- and venison loin on the grill, and baked potatoes.
Homemade vanilla ice cream and apple crisp for dessert.
I'll share the Pico de Gallo recipe tomorrow.

.....dr momi