Obviously, I'm not doing so well at this daily farm report idea, but I'm trying!
Today - cold and bitter outside. Only collected 7 eggs, all the hens seem a bit grumpy, I should have made them some hot oatmeal!
Horses needed a couple of round bales in the horse pasture, so I finally figured out how to jump start the tractor (diesel does not care for cold!) and I moved the bales into the pasture.
Only lost one horse this time.
Daisy decided to run out the gate as I drove in and seeing as I was alone, there was not a lot I could do about it. She had a happy gallop up and down the road, then she realized all the other horses were munching down on a new bale, so she joined the herd.
Willy, my sweet old horse, was tired of hanging around with the group, so I let him out to wander around. Last time I checked, he was happy in the hay field to the west of the house. We probably could have gotten another cutting from that field, the hay is pretty high. By tomorrow afternoon, he will be ready to hang with the herd again.
Satchmo is back out with the flock. He was really tired of being in the garage, even with Darling in there with him. So I'll keep a eye on him and make sure he is safe each evening. I don't think he is going to mess around with Buffy for awhile!
I bought a Ball water bath canning set. Now, I am searching the web seaching for a recipe worthy of this beautiful fruit I got from the FFA!
I think maybe applesauce or apple butter - not sure what to do with the pears.
I've also been thinking about where I should be putting stuff - like my kiln and wheel. Originally, I thought that the barn would be good. Only the barn is not heated, and putting in a space heater will be really expensive. So, I have the garage, which is heated, or the part of the basement not being used by John's collection.
I'm leaning toward the garage - no stairs and closer to water and the bathroom!!
Right now, I'm cooking a chicken casserole with rotel tomatoes and tortillas and mushrooms and cheese.
Need to go check on that now, really!!
Today - cold and bitter outside. Only collected 7 eggs, all the hens seem a bit grumpy, I should have made them some hot oatmeal!
Horses needed a couple of round bales in the horse pasture, so I finally figured out how to jump start the tractor (diesel does not care for cold!) and I moved the bales into the pasture.
Only lost one horse this time.
Daisy decided to run out the gate as I drove in and seeing as I was alone, there was not a lot I could do about it. She had a happy gallop up and down the road, then she realized all the other horses were munching down on a new bale, so she joined the herd.
Willy, my sweet old horse, was tired of hanging around with the group, so I let him out to wander around. Last time I checked, he was happy in the hay field to the west of the house. We probably could have gotten another cutting from that field, the hay is pretty high. By tomorrow afternoon, he will be ready to hang with the herd again.
Satchmo is back out with the flock. He was really tired of being in the garage, even with Darling in there with him. So I'll keep a eye on him and make sure he is safe each evening. I don't think he is going to mess around with Buffy for awhile!
I bought a Ball water bath canning set. Now, I am searching the web seaching for a recipe worthy of this beautiful fruit I got from the FFA!
I think maybe applesauce or apple butter - not sure what to do with the pears.
I've also been thinking about where I should be putting stuff - like my kiln and wheel. Originally, I thought that the barn would be good. Only the barn is not heated, and putting in a space heater will be really expensive. So, I have the garage, which is heated, or the part of the basement not being used by John's collection.
I'm leaning toward the garage - no stairs and closer to water and the bathroom!!
Right now, I'm cooking a chicken casserole with rotel tomatoes and tortillas and mushrooms and cheese.
Need to go check on that now, really!!
Water bath canning? What, you’re not up to working with a 16 quart pressure cooker? We always use a “light” syrup. (cf, Presto 16 Quart Canner)
I have both my grandmother’s pressure cooker canner and my great-grandmother’s copper water bath canner. I doubt that we will ever use the water bath as I hate having to re-process mason jars to get them to seal, and I have never had that problem with the pressure cooker.
When I get the chance, I will dig up the “apple pie in a jar” recipe for canning sliced apples that can later be dumped into a pie crust to bake into an apple pie. Got that recipe from one of our extension service friends.
My mom and I did pear preserves one year. Well, she did the pear preserves, I just peeled and sliced pears. It takes a lot of sugar. We found the recipe/directions in a Ball Canning Book/Magazine, if I remember correctly.
Thanks Tina and The Thomas.
If I like the results of my preserves, I might invest in a pressure canner, but those are just a bit pricey!
I’ll check with my sister-in-law, but I think my Mom had two pressure cookers (hers and her Mother’s). I could probably send one of them your way. I never learned how to use one, and I don’t think my SIL uses them either. I’ll let you know after Christmas. I hate to see things like that just sit and rust and never get used.