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Oct. 30, 2009
Autumn ... through the ElCloud Lens
The leaves are half off the trees this week, but I wanted to share some Fall photos I took last week, when the leaves had just finished turning. It was one of those days where I just went, "Oh! Wow! Everything's yellow!" It may have been that way for a few days but it suddenly hit me, and I had to take photos. I'm so glad I took the time to do it since the tree is half-bare now.
A yellow carpet across the lawn ...
The sweet little tree ...
My kids wanted to know why I took this picture ... I just liked it.
The canopy ...
Our friendly scarecrow, guarding the back door ...
The cute little tree from the side, looks a little different from here. I truly had not noticed its tilt before.
The scarecrow guarding our driveway ...
Just a couple of our pumpkins in the rain ...
That's what Fall has looked like at our house this year. Every now and then we just have to take a moment to enjoy (and capture) the beauty of a season.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Oct. 27, 2009
The farm cats God provided us
Last July we brought home a 2 year old dog we found on freecycle. She's a large Sheltie, really large ... more like a Collie. She looks like Lassie and is, for the most part, a good dog. She has a bad habit of pawing you when she wants attention, has occasionally jumped on the kids which scratched them, has a bad habit of cleaning the kids plates every chance she can get, and a worse habit of chasing chickens. But she's a sweet dog, and mostly gentle.
The first day we had her she sniffed around our burn pit, and out crawled a kitten. It looked to be about 2 months old, and we didn't see any mother or other kittens. We named her Silver since she was a pretty dilute tortie -- gray and cream. We were glad to have Silver, because we didn't have any outdoor cats. There had been a black cat who hunted the property the winter before, but we hadn't seen him lately and he didn't come near us. Someone else had offered us barn kittens in early summer, but we could never reach her to go pick out some kittens. We tried several times and repeatedly failed.
 Silver, our female "barn cat" although she's more of a garage or porch cat. My sisters teased us that even our outside cats have long fur, but she really only has a medium length fur.
Later that year, in late August I believe, we found a litter of kittens in the ceiling of our barn, peering down at us. They appeared to be 2 weeks old, crawling around with open eyes, peering down at us from the ledge above. We worried they'd fall, so we got them all down. Unfortunately, the Mom decided not to return to care for them after we'd handled them, so we bottle fed the 5 kittens. The children named them after famous Revolutionary heroes like Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, and Thomas Jefferson since we were studying that period of history. Two survived, but one was hit by a car. That left only Thomas.
 Thomas is the striped cat keeping the three kittens warm. He was a rather weird looking kitten who walked funny, but he outgrew that and is a handsome guy now.
We've had other cats that came around from time to time, but they never stay long. Silver and Thomas are always here. They sleep on the porch, along the house foundation, or in the garage. We feed them cat food, and they catch mice ... and moles ... and birds ... and baby bunnies. Not enough to de-populate Steve's garage of packrats, unfortunately. They're friendly and love to be petted, but they love being fed even more. They're obnoxious when they aren't fed.
Silver had two earlier litters this year, but she was a young Mom. Both those sets of kittens died within a week. She gave birth again 3 weeks ago and we were worried we'd have another dead set of kittens. This time she gave birth in a basement window well along the house foundation, instead of in the garage. It seemed stupid at first, but it hasn't been. The kittens are safe, and Silver and Thomas keep them warm. I started feeding them IN that window well, to encourage her not to wander away from them.
 The family. Silver sitting up, Thomas lying down with the gray kitten, black kitten, and tabby kitten. We've looked and it appears that the black kitten is female, and the other two are male.
The two previous litters seemed to have been fathered by a couple orange cats, whom I haven't seen around lately. They weren't very friendly, but we knew there were two distinct cats and one was braver than the other. These three appear to have Thomas for a father, based on color and markings. The kittens are walking, trying to climb the cement wall around them, and starting to eat the cat food. Soon they'll all climb out and move into the garage for the winter.
May they live long and catch many mice and moles ... but leave the baby bunnies alone.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Oct. 26, 2009
Pictures of our Milkbarn Converted into a Chicken Coop
Last Summer we fixed the fencing around this old dog pen, and put a chicken wire roof over it. We moved our guinea keets into it. The guineas lived in it through the winter. We hoped they'd use the doghouse for shelter, but they didn't. Um, three of them froze to death, the dog caught one once, and we had one surviving guinea hen.
This Spring we moved our chickens into the same pen with the surviving guinea once they were big enough to leave the basement. We've spent the rest of the summer trying to decide where to move them. I wanted them near the house as they had been, so I could easily watch them and hear them. So we considered converting part of a nearby outbuilding and adding a fence. But, that was going to take almost as much work as building a new coop.
The chickens were happy here and they laid their eggs inside the doghouse, and also between the doghouse and the fence. We could access some of the eggs by moving a brick and reaching under the fence, but we also had to go inside and check inside the doghouse daily. We put a metal pan in the dog house finally, because it was too deep to reach to the far corner. We were using a stick to roll eggs out of it each day, and cracked several. After we put the pan in, we'd just use the stick to pull the pan forward, retrieve the eggs, and push the pan back inside again.
Cold weather came early this year, and we still hadn't decided what to do. Finally, we agreed to move them to the old milking barn, even though it meant I could no longer watch or hear them from the kitchen.
The milk barn has thick stone walls, but only one window. That window was boarded up, but Steve and I put a sheet of plexi-glass in place. It has a few gaps around the edges we couldn't completely caulk, but it still stops most of the cold wind. (The chickens are enjoying one of our watermelons that didn't get fully ripe, and some other veggie scraps from the garden.)
More chickens actually roost on the old ladder we laid over two old sawhorses that were already here in the barn. And some of them roost in the window, even though we clipped one wing before moving them in here.
We re-purposed these old tires that were lying around to be their nesting boxes. They haven't laid a single egg in them. Although they have laid a few between them or behind them.
Speaking of re-purposing items ... there isn't any running water out by the barn anymore. So we have to haul water to them. Our first few attempts were messy, using a wagon to move their waterers back and forth, or carrying pitchers to the barn. Then I realized if we used an empty gallon milk jug, it wouldn't spill. We just take out a gallon of water in a milk jug each day and fill one or more of the waterers. If we do this once a day (sometimes twice) we are able to always keep their waterers filled.
They like to lay their eggs in this corner, and we often find 3 or 4 here. Of course, they also like to lay them in other places, and it's a bit of an Easter egg hunt each day, to find the chosen spots of the day. Sometimes we have to watch where we walk, because one will be lying in the middle of the room.
Happy chickens and happy rooster in their new WARM winter home. There isn't any electricity out here, so it's dark and they're going to have to make their own heat, but it will be fine. It's more than enough room for 1 rooster, 23 hens, and 1 guinea hen.
Next Spring we'll move our new chickens into the pen next to the house again, but these older ones are staying put in the barn for now. If we ever decide we need the barn for some other larger animals, we'll have to build a new coop for the chickens.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Oct. 11, 2009
That was one crazy week !
Last week started with one very sick baby, and ended with the Great Chicken Round-Up ... chicken rodeo at its finest. Say what?
Well, late Saturday night last week, 1 yo G started running a high fever. That continued through Monday -- we called the Dr. and all agreed it was probably the flu since he also had a stuffed up nose. I held him most of Sunday and Monday while he slept the days away.
Tuesday his fever was lower, but he was super cranky. Wednesday he was fever free, but had a rash. (Sounds like roseola, right? Except his rash was driving him crazy with itching ... and roseola isn't supposed to itch.) Thursday he woke up with crusty eyes, an even worse rash, and a snotty nose. Friday the rash began to fade away and Saturday it was gone. He still has a cough and stuff nose, though, so I'm home from church with him today.
To make the week even more fun, 1 yo G was cutting molars through all of that. My kids like to cut teeth in the middle of some terrible virus. 5 yo M cut his first teeth while dealing with the Hand Foot & Mouth virus. That was a terrible week, too.
Now, we've got a few kids with minor cold symptoms, but no signs of fever or flu. Which is good ... because we needed everyone's help yesterday. I spent the morning outside helping Steve and 8 yo J ready the old milk barn for our chickens. Up until now, our chickens have been living in an outdoor chicken yard with no shelter other than a doghouse that they were using for nesting. At night they roosted huddled on a wood pile. We have been vacillating on where to move them for months now.
Should we build a new coop right near their current yard? Should we build a new yard around the old kennel and create a chicken coop in one end of the kennel? Should we create a hoop house chicken tractor for them? Would that old wooden building in the trees work for a coop? We knew that anywhere we moved them would need a new fence.
Finally, as cool weather came on faster than we had thought it would, we realized we were running out of time. A week of nights in the 40s meant we had to do something fast. Last weekend we decided that we'd prepare the barn and move them this weekend. So 8 yo J helped Steve by spreading straw around in the milk barn and fetching things for him. Steve and I set up a metal gate thing that was lying around at an angle as one roost. Then we laid an old wooden ladder across two old saw horses for another roost. There were several old tires that we laid down and filled with straw to be nesting boxes. (One benefit of buying family property is the stuff left behind that you can recycle.) Steve also oiled the door so it would slide open easily -- all of that was the easy part.
The harder part of preparing the barn was fixing the lone window in the barn. It was boarded up and glassless. We removed the wood, used "crack fill" to replace some missing mortar, caulked all around the wooden window frame, and then cut a piece of plexi-glass to fit the window. We pre-drilled the holes and then screwed that onto the wooden window frame. It's not the best, and we had a few cracks start in the plexi-glass but it lets in light and blocks most of the wind. Just covering that window warmed up the barn considerably.
And then the fun began.
After we ate a late lunch, we headed out to the chicken yard. It was cold, in the 30s, with tiny snowflakes fluttering down occasionally. We knew the chickens had to be moved THAT day because Saturday night was forecast to be 27*. Our plan was to catch each chicken, clip one wing, and then let them out of the coop. Their clipped wing was their ticket into the yard. Once they were all out, we thought we'd spread out in a U shape and herd them to the barn.
We kenneled our dog (because she thinks chickens are fun play-things) and the neighbor's dog, as well. The poor things thought they were going to die as they watched all the fun -- they really wanted to chase chickens with us.
Our chicken yard is about 4 feet high, with a chicken wire roof. So anything you do inside the fence is done bent over and crouching. We had 24 birds in there: 22 chicken hens, one rooster, and 1 guinea hen.
I tried catching the chickens, but I wasn't succeeding. So Steve and 8 yo J took over. They got in a groove and started catching them. 3 yo L and 5 yo M thought they were helping, but not really. I clipped the wings of each one and then released it outside the fence. After they caught 8, I traded places with Steve. It was my turn to catch them. J and I soon had our own rhythm flowing and it went fairly fast ... I guess. I told Steve that I could feel "the burn" in my thighs, and we might have discovered a new workout method to market.
Then we were down to the last 5 birds, which included the rooster and the guinea hen. It took more time and effort to catch them, and we were laughing over all the lunges and missed catches. We finally had them all outside the fence. We took a little break to watch them, and move their waterers and feeder up to the barn. They were delighted to be out in the GRASS free-ranging. They destroyed their own grass ages ago.
And then the REAL FUN began.
We tried to form a U and shoo them toward the barn, with 5 kids, Steve and myself. (14 yo A was in the house watching 1 yo G through all of this.) We tried again and again to herd the chicken to the barn. We finally decided that we'd ignore the stragglers and come back for them. But then our main group repeatedly splintered. It was soon apparent that they would not shoo toward the barn. They kept looping back to the grass beside their old chicken yard. They also wouldn't stay in one group like the guineas we had last Spring would do.
So we brought a rabbit cage up from the barn and set out to catch them ... again. We caught the first 6 fairly easily, and then we headed to the barn with the cage to set them loose. J followed behind carrying a 7th one shortly after that. We headed back for the second batch of them, and soon discovered that the fence was a great wall to try to pin them against. Two or three people working together to corner a batch of chickens in one area against the fence could often lead to one of the 4 chickens being caught.
But it wasn't easy, and there were way more misses than catches. The more chickens that were caught, the harder it became to catch the rest. Again, the final 5 birds were the hardest to catch. The rooster and the guinea hen were the very last ones caught, after running around the house several times and all the way out near the wheat field, too.
It took four hours to catch them all once, clip their wings, catch them all a second time, and move them to the barn. Four hours of running, squatting, lunging ... and laughing. I was limping yesterday evening, but am feeling much better today. The children were afraid of the rooster before yesterday, but they're less afraid now. 8 yo J was determined that HE would be the one to catch the rooster ... and he did, with Steve's help.
We still plan to use that chicken yard next spring and summer for our next batch of chicks. But next year, we'll catch them, clip their wing, and move them directly into the cages. We know better than to think we can herd them to the barn ... now.
Unfortunately, we discovered that even with their wings clipped, the chickens can still fly about 4 feet high!! Some of them flew up to roost in the barn window last night. So our fence around the barn (which isn't yet complete) will have to be higher than we thought, or we'll have to build a chicken-wire roof on it, as well. Until the fence is complete, the poor things are stuck in the barn.
If we didn't have Molly the Chicken Hunter for a dog, we wouldn't worry about it so much. But, we have Molly. It's tempting at times to get rid of her so our chickens can free-range, but that doesn't seem fair to her.
People often tell us we sure keep busy with the kids, homeschooling, and living in the country. I usually reply we certainly aren't bored. Thankfully, most of our weeks do NOT look like this past week. This week was a little too crazy -- even for my tastes.
Trusting In Jesus,
April
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Sep. 4, 2009
God's sweet blessings
We are lazy gardeners at times. We are definitely lazy composters. We take our veggie and fruit scraps out to the garden plot and just toss them in. Most years, we find cantaloupe plants coming up in the garden, and sometimes outside the garden if a bird has moved some seeds. We always transplant them to the appropriate part of the garden, and watch them grow. Many years we have been blessed with fresh cantaloupes from the seeds of store-bought cantaloupe trash ... unplanned blessings.
This year was no different. We found cantaloupe coming up in several parts of the garden. They have flourished and spread! We planted some seed that we ordered from Gurney's. But the volunteer cantaloupe had a head-start on the ones we planted. We've enjoyed 3 home-grown volunteer cantaloupes and given one away so far.
They're the best, sweetest, largest cantaloupes we've ever grown. And we know we've really done nothing special to claim this victory, other than toss out some scraps, recognize the young plants, and let them grow.
Thank you God, for those sweet unexpected blessings!
This year we've been tossing those scraps to the chickens, but maybe we should take some of those seeds out to the garden ... for next year's enjoyment!
Trusting In Him,
April
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Jun. 20, 2009
I love my day lilies
I have loved day lilies for years. I first fell in love with the wild-growing spotted tiger lilies along the road sides in Maryland. I don't see those here in Kansas, but I still enjoy day lilies.
Our old home had orange day lilies all over the back yard. We just kept thinning them and moving them around. Here in our new home, Steve's grandparents' home, we have a variety of day lilies in colors I've never seen before.
The first to bloom last year and this year was this burgundy day lily. I love it, and have never seen one like it before.
Soon after comes the standard orange day lily I'm used to enjoying. Some of our varieties have color variations that differ from the ones we had before. We have the most of these orange ones, in a couple different places.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who likes them, as this little bug does, too. Grasshopper of some sort?
Later this summer, we'll have new varieties bloom, in shades that are almost pink. I'll have to share pictures of them later. They brighten our yard throughout the summer. I love how they just keep giving new blooms day after day.
Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma, for all the beautiful flowers you planted here!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 9, 2009
One of these things is not like the others ...
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
I'm fairly certain there's a rooster in my pullet cage. What do you think?
 It's not real clear in this picture, but his comb is taller, redder, and he is getting wattles.
That is not a Buff Orpington Pullet, but rather a Buff Orpington Roo.
Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!
Trusting in Him,
April
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May. 28, 2009
We've got some sort of critter on the farm ...
Okay, we live on 7 acres, surrounded by the family farm. At this point, the farm is shared-ownership by Steve and his family. So, it's family land, but not really ours. I've tried to tell Steve we don't live on a farm, because we don't own or work the farm ... it's rented out. But he says we do ... and the 4H leader said we do ... so I guess we do. Farm is easier to write than homestead. And well, other than our chickens, and our new garden, we don't do a lot of homesteady stuff ... yet. No goats, no sheep, no cows, no pigs, no bees ... just 1 guinea, some pullets not laying eggs yet, 1 dog, 2 garage cats that think they're porch cats, and our 3 indoor Persians. But we aren't farmers, either ... because we aren't doing the farming ourselves. Semantics.
Um ... but back to the point. Yesterday morning we woke up and found a dead chicken in the coop. Ugh! Some sort of critter got in the fence and got it. We think. Either that or it was guineacide if the guinea attacked it ... or maybe it was cannibalism by the carnivorous chickens. Um ... but it was definitely dead. Then the chickens pecked at it for the rest of the day. I would have used a shovel to get it out ... but Steve wanted its carcass hauled far away and I wanted to let him do that, and wasn't sure what to do with the carcass in the meantime. So ... I took the easy way out ... and left it for Steve to deal with.
And now we really really need to get the hen house fixed up for them, so they have more than a fence to keep them safe at night ... because I prefer to think a critter got them than that it was an inside job. Although I also know that this is just part of having chickens. No matter how safe you think your coop is ... sometimes something finds a way in.
Today I went out to check and all were alive and well ... but one was OUTSIDE the fence. We really need to move them. When the occasional guinea escaped last year, they could fly up and roost on top of the fence ... the chicken apparently couldn't. I also need to figure out HOW the chicken got out.
At least the ten in the basement are growing well ... safe and sound.
Trusting in Him,
April
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May. 25, 2009
Welcome to the Homestead Carnival #97
Welcome to ElCloud Homestead and ElCloud Homeschool. We're glad you're here. It's been awhile since we had a tour of our home, and we've moved to our farmhouse, since we last took an ElCloud Homestead Tour.
While we're here in the driveway, let's look into the garage and see the makeover projects going on inside. 8 year old J has his 4H woodworking project going on in there.
You can see our garden over there behind the house. We're still planting our seeds. Steve's been busy tilling the unplanted portion of it this weekend. We weeded the peas, potatoes and onions on Friday. Let's see what others have in their gardens:
Come on up to the backdoor. You can see our guinea hen and the 14 Ameraucana hens there in the side yard. Speaking of chickens:
Now that you're in the house, you can see our kitchen. It has some lovely vintage charm ... with cantaloupe colored counters and an avacado sink. The ancient stove is really cool looking, but persnickety at times. Everyone's been busy in their kitchens, too.
Grab yourself a drink and let's move into the dining room. My kids usually have craft supplies all over the table. With Father's Day just around the corner, maybe your house looks the same.
The living room is right here, connected to the dining room. If you need a break, you can make yourself comfortable in the rocking chair. It's great for rocking babies, or yourself, to sleep. Speaking of babies:
Don't mind Steve, he's busy at the computer over there on the other side of the living room. He's working on our budget right now. If you're looking for some budgeting encouragement, this is for you:
Oh, do you have to go now? I'm so sorry ... we didn't even get to look at the chicks in the basement, view the flowers that are blooming outside, or peek into the bedrooms. I hope you come again another time, so we can talk some more.
Have a great week!
Next week's Homesteading Carnival will be hosted by Jocelyn of A Pondering Heart.
Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Homesteading Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Apr. 30, 2009
Looking For Chicken Coop Help, please?
Mar. 16, 2009
Chick Days Are Here!!
It's "Chick Days" at our local Farm & Home store. We were in the previous weekend admiring the chicks and talking about what we'd like to do this year, but we didn't buy. When Steve went in on Saturday, he found these little girls just begging to come home with him. They're Ameracauna pullets, and someday they'll lay lovely green, blue, purple, and brown eggs for us. We're looking forward to that, but until then they're just 14 cuties!
We also intend to get some Buff Orpington gals, but Orscheln was out of them this weekend. We're not sure if we'll mail order them, or buy locally.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Mar. 8, 2009
Sigh ...
It was inevitable. I knew it was coming. I was afraid to check the kitten box over the past 24 hours. I had to brace myself to do it. I was somewhat surprised he was still alive this morning. He'd lost more weight overnight. He just wouldn't eat enough. I kind of expected him to die while we were at church, even. He was still alive when we got home. But when I went into the kitchen after lunch, he was dead. We'll be burying him tonight. Expected, but still sad.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Mar. 8, 2009
Another first with our cattery
I'm losing one of the kittens. The breech one is just failing to thrive. I started bottle feeding him (well, syringe, actually) on Friday, but he's still losing weight and just won't take enough milk from his Mom or the syringe to survive. Friday night I had hope he was improving. Yesterday I expected him to die overnight. He's still hanging in there this morning, but only took one little medicine syringe full of formula. The types that come with the kid tylenol bottles, I mean. So, maybe 1 mL (1/5 tsp.) of formula. If that. How much longer will he waste away? It just breaks my heart, but I actually think he has brain damage from being breech. I have no clue how long he was stuck in the birth canal, or how long his placenta was detached, depriving him of fresh oxygen. sigh.
We've had a stillborn kitten before, and we had one with a defect where some of its intestines were outside its body. The vet put that one to sleep for us. But we've never had one just waste away like this. It's not a first I'm happy about, either.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Mar. 3, 2009
Three firsts today with our cattery!
We missed homeschool group today. While we were eating lunch, I noticed that Sweetie (our Persian) was laboring. I hoped we could catch all the kittens, settle them in their nursery, and be late to homeschool group.
Well, this time she had FOUR kittens instead of 2 or 3. The first three came within an hour's time, but the last one took over an hour to arrive. I could tell she was still laboring. After she'd been pushing for awhile, I realized the kitten was breech and it's rear feet were out.
I watched her for awhile, hoping she could push the kitten out on her own, unsure if I should lend a hand or not. I wasn't even sure if the kitten was alive or not. When I touched the feet, there wasn't any movement, although it was warm.
I finally called our vet and he said, "Pull it out!" I was tentative, and fearful of hurting the kitten or Sweetie, but I managed to get it out finally.
Sweetie was not happy with me, but she's doing okay now. She's cleaned her kittens up well, nursed for quite awhile, and is now venturing out to eat and drink.
Firsts:
- four kittens for the very first time
- a breech kitten for the very first time
- I provided traction and helped pull the kitten for the very first time
Now to just keep an eye on their growth. I'll be weighing them twice daily to be sure they're all thriving. We have two red (orange) males, 1 black female, and 1 black male.
I'm already having to fend off the kids, though. They are NOT allowed to touch the kittens yet, but they all want to. We'll especially have to watch 2 yo L and 5 yo M.
Fun times (and some messy ones) are ahead! We love having kittens in the house. I'll be posting pictures at ElCloud Cattery Blog.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Feb. 21, 2009
The ticks are back, too ...
I had to remove my first tick from one of the kids today. Yucky-poo! Well, I guess Spring really isn't too far away. We're still freezing at night, though, so I'm not sure how they can be back already. Oh well ... back to checking kids for ticks every other day or so.
My sister got Lyme disease from tick nymphs on our property last year. She was crawling with these tiny things we couldn't identify after chasing her dog into our trees. She kept picking them off her arm. Well, after the Lyme rash appeared (one on her back and one on her upper arm), she looked it up and realized those tiny things were actually baby ticks. Oops!
None of us had Lyme, but she got it. Because of that, I'll be even more diligent about checking for ticks this year. I don't want anyone here getting Lyme disease.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jan. 12, 2009
The Homestead Carnival #78: Winter Blues
It's cold outside, and in many parts of the country, it's also dreary. Combine that with the post-holiday letdown, and we are often faced with the Winter Blues. The holidays are over, and suddenly we realize we have 2 or 3 more months of cold ahead of us.
So, how can we deal with those Winter Blues? There are several different ways to chase those blues away, and your fellow homesteaders are here to help!
Many of us cope by dreaming of Spring, and gardens:
Summer is dreaming of Spring and drooling as she peruses her seed catalogs like Gardening Porn (posted at Wired For Noise.)
Stephanie is loving those seed catalags also, with Spring on the Mind (posted at Stop the Ride!.)
Sometimes we need to just pamper ourselves with some comfort foods to ward off the cold, and the Winter Blues:
Kathy (GeekyPoet) is doing just that with a yummy sounding Slow Cooker Vegan Lentil Parsnip Soup posted at Geek, Poet, Housewife Wannabe .
Kara has a New Year's Resolution to eat more pudding, and presents a delicious and rich recipe for home made Spicy Dark-Chocolate Pudding at An Hour In the Kitchen.
HowToMe presents How To Bake Rusks (a yummy twice-baked bread treat to go with your hot coffee, hot cocoa, or hot tea) at HowToMe.
Stephanie wants to treat her family to delicious Amish Friendship bread without being over run with starter packages, and shares her awesome ideas on how to Take Control of Your Amish Friendship Bread Starter at Make It From Scratch. Where was this article several months ago, when *I* needed it?
When the cold has us hiding out inside, we can often take the time to learn something new:
Rachel helps us do that as she shares about the characteristics of different oils and how they help in soapmaking in her article, Learnin' About Oil - Characteristics posted at A City on a Hill.
Ray K teaches us how to make a backyard compost bin in his article: How Starting A Backyard Compost Can Save You Money posted at JustSaver.com. Something else to consider preparing for Spring, and those gardens we're dreaming about.
Emma teaches parents How to get away with cooking once a week for your baby posted at Baby-Log. Any parent fighting the winter blues could easily take on the new project of preparing baby food for her baby this winter, while only cooking once a week.
Condo Blues is also in the kitchen helping us learn How to Get Three Meals from Leftover and Seemingly Stripped Turkey Bones posted at Condo Blues.
Sometimes, we just have to fight the Winter Blues with humor:
April E. is trying to do that as she shares about The dog and the deer, posted at ElCloud Homeschool: Walking In His Ways.
If humor doesn't help, maybe some soft cuddly babies will encourage you this winter:
Stephanie shares pictures of her New Babies! at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood.
And then there are always the practical tips to stay warm and cozy this winter:
Danielle Hull shares a simple project, and a handy idea for staying warm by making a "Bed Buddy" foot or neck warmer at Teaching, Learning and Encouraging.
Grab a blanket, a cup of something hot, and take some time to read these great articles from your fellow homesteaders before you have to bundle up and face the cold to take care of the regular business of your life.
If you would like to learn more about the Homesteading Carnival, check out their WEBSITE. To participate in future Homesteading Carnivals, enter your blog posts HERE. If you would like to host a Homesteading Carnival, read about that HERE. They still need a host for next week.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jan. 8, 2009
The dog and the deer
I finally found something I do NOT like about living in the country. Our dog dragged home a deer bone several weeks ago. It was meatless and furless, thigh and shin joined by the knee. She delighted in laying outside to chew on it. We never let her bring it in.
Then the weather warmed up and it began to stink. We threw it away in the burn pit several times, and she dragged it back out.
Then last week while we had company here, she showed up with hunks of deer fur from wherever this carcass is. We have tufts of deer fur all over our yard. It's gross.
We've gone out on treks to try to find the carcass, and failed. Steve took the boys out once, Steve has gone out alone, and my girls have searched. It must be off our property, but not too far away. We didn't think she was that much of a wanderer. But somewhere she knows of a deer carcass ... and she keeps dragging bits and pieces of it home.
Last week we had two bonfires in the burn pit, and burned deer pieces each time. This week, she has a new hunk of fur she's tearing apart next to my porch.
Which brings to mind some questions:
Where are all the other scavenger animals? Why aren't they getting rid of the carcass so my dog can't find it?
And where did the deer come from? Some hunter's wounded prey he failed to track? Or did he field dress it and leave behind parts for my dog to bring home?
Was this hunter (if he exists) on our family's property?
What is field dressing, anyway?
Was the deer injured by a car?
How far away is this deer carcass?
Is the fur from the same carcass the bones originally came from?
How much of it is left?
How many more "prizes" will my dog drag home?
Trusting in Him
April
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Jan. 7, 2009
The Homestead Carnival!
Dec. 22, 2008
Okay, I confess, we're homestead failures
My guineas ... my 5 guineas ... are being picked off one by one. First, our dog killed one ... when we wrongly assumed they'd learn to live together and ignore each other. Then one just died in its fenced yard almost a month ago, and we have no idea what killed him.
Well, in the last 24 hours, two have died. Frozen, I believe. We have a shelter in their yard, but since it snowed, they haven't wanted to walk back through the snow to get into their shelter. They've chosen to live outdoors for a week now.
So, now we have one lonely guinea left. I don't hold out much hope for him. No more goose/guinea girl here. We'll have to have a better shelter/home for them next winter, if we get any more.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 23, 2008
Just call me the Goose Girl ...
Our guineas think I'm their Goose Girl. I never really thought about that fairy tale. But at some point it did seem odd to me that someone would "herd" geese like sheep or goats. My impression of poultry was that they just scatter around randomly eating, and don't follow anyone. Not that I've ever raised chickens, guineas, or geese before, but that was my impression.
I assumed you kept them fenced to keep them contained. Then I heard about free-range chickens. I assumed that the perimeter of the property must be fenced, or that they just wandered randomly over a larger area, coming and going at will. I certainly didn't think anyone herded them.
Then we brought home our guineas. Apparently, they came to associate me with food while they were in the basement. When we moved them outside into a fenced pen, I was still the one that fed them. Then we started releasing them from their pen to wander the property. That was when I became the Goose Girl.
Their first few days of being loose, we realized that they never left each other's side. They traveled together in a tight cluster at all times. If one wandered too far away, the others would call out to him to return to the group. We also realized that they could easily be "shooed" into their pen by walking behind them, with your arms down toward the ground.
At first I would "shoo" the guineas back into their pen each night. But very soon, they just began to follow me instead. Apparently, they realized that once they were in their pen, they received fresh food.
Yesterday, I realized I had reached the pinnacle of "Goose Girldom" when I saw the guineas on the far side of our property. I called to them, "Here, Guineas! Here Guinea Guys! Here Guinea Guinea Guinea Guys!" and they all flew to me. I turned and walked toward the house, and they ran along behind me as fast as their little legs could go. They've never come when called from so far before.
Just call me the Guinea Girl. I really didn't expect that raising guineas would be like this at all. But it is kind of fun.
Trusting in Him,
April the Guinea Girl
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Oct. 16, 2008
Has it been a year already?
One year ago, Steve was starting his new job, and he began living part-time at our farmhouse. He divided his time between the new house, and staying with us at the old house. We sent boxes with him every time he left our old house for work, and the new house.
Then, on November 10, we all moved to the farmhouse. We moved during the coolness of Fall, when the wheat fields were green with winter wheat, and the deer were in rut.
Now, we have been here almost a full year. We've seen the wheat fields sprouting green, buried in snow, growing tall, turning gold, being harvested, tilled, and replanted. We've come full circle, to a field of green sprouts again.
We've seen the deer in rutting season, boldly walking through our yard in the morning. We've seen the does and fawns venturing out to feed in spring, and have watched them grow as they fed on the mulberry bushes in summer. Now rutting season is approaching again, and we've come full circle.
We saw the trees drop their last leaves, sparkle with ice and snow, sprout their first leaves, and turn green. Now the leaves are changing and beginning to drop. We watched different areas of the yard bloom with the color of new flowers through Spring and Summer. We waited to see what would be next, learning what flowers his grandparents had planted as they bloomed. We even planted annuals ourselves, adding our own touch to the property.
We arrived here as birds began to migrate south, we watched the arrival of the winter birds ... the juncoes and chickadees. We watched them winter in the evergreen bushes near our windows. We watched as the winter birds were replaced with nesting birds arriving in spring. We watched them guard their nests and hatch their babies. (Except the barn swallows who tried repeatedly to build nests on the porch that we kept chasing off.) Now the birds are leaving again, and we are waiting for the return of our winter friends. Maybe this year we can hang a bird feeder where we can enjoy watching the birds.
We've raised 5 guineas, raised and sold 2 Persian kittens, gained an outdoor barn cat, raised the surviving 2 (out of 5) barn kittens we found, and added a dog to our family. We've even added our own child to the family since moving here ... joining in the miracle of life that we enjoyed watching amongst the animals. And sadly, we've mourned the loss of Steve's Grandma ... whose home we're making our own.
And here we are a year later. We failed to plant a garden this year. We haven't painted the house, as we had hoped. But we've made it our home in every other way. We've made repairs and tamed the property somewhat. We've unpacked, settled in, decorated, and enjoyed life here.
We still find surprises from Steve's grandparents tucked away at times ... dishes in the basement, an old soda bottle in the garage, a teacup in the dirt, a jar in the barn. It's been fun to live here; making it our own, and joining in his family's history. When we meet someone new and tell them our name, we're proud to say that yes we are related to them, and yes, we live at the home place.
I can't believe it's been a year already. Thank you, Lord!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 5, 2008
We tried to set the guineas free yesterday
I sprinkled food in their open gate, leading out into the green grass yesterday morning. (They've eaten and trampled all the grass in their little enclosure.) It took them a long time to leave the open gate and wander into the grass itself, and they stayed in their little tight flock as they browsed.
Then we decided to take the dog outside. We've had Molly for just over a week, and we knew she liked trying to startle the guineas through the fence. We hoped she wouldn't bother them too much once they were free. We were very naive.
She ran at them, and they scattered. The three white ones flew into a tall tree in front of them. One lavender one flew up on top of the guinea enclosure. The other lavender one ran/flew into the long grass. Molly knew it was in there and was looking for it. It finally ran out of the really high (waist high) grass into some knee high grass and poison ivy under our redbud tree. It nestled down out of sight to hide.
Molly would NOT give up looking for it. We tried distracting her, to no avail. We should have taken her inside at that point, but we didn't. The lavender guinea on top of the guinea enclosure flew up into a different tree. Molly found the one in the grass and it ran out of the grass. Molly got a mouthful of tail feathers and pulled them out. The guinea ran back into the knee-high grass, and Molly trapped it. She had it between her front legs and chest, trapped. We finally managed to get Molly up, and the guinea ran out of the grass. We grabbed Molly's collar and it ran under one of the giant bushes near the house.
We took Molly inside and waited. After awhile the four treed guineas flew down and began to browse and peck together again. It took longer for the fifth guinea to join them.
For the rest of the day, we either walked Molly on her leash (which she really didn't enjoy) or we would shoo the guineas back into their enclosure and close the gate so Molly could be off-leash. Well, that can't continue forever. And Molly needs more exercise than she can really get on a leash ... not to mention she prefers not to do her business on a leash. So, we have to figure something out.
Steve's thoughts are that we walk Molly on a leash as far away from wherever the guineas are for several days. Then we try letting her off-leash again, and hope that she loses interest in them, and that the guineas get to be faster at flying up into trees to escape. Hmm. I guess that's the best we can do.
I'm not exactly sure how you train a dog not to chase the guineas, especially a dog who loves to chase after things like a sheltie. I don't want her killing or tormenting the guineas, but I'm glad she isn't chasing cars. Steve said I'd better figure out how to pluck a guinea, because if she kills it, we're eating it.
Hmm. I do NOT think we'll ever have free-range chickens on our property. The best we can hope for with that is a chicken tractor, I guess. I wonder how much a guinea or chicken can take before it dies of a heart attack? Molly may kill the guineas from shock and fear more than actual physical damage.
But here is one photo of our guineas, enjoying the green grass, but staying close to their safe enclosure.
And here is a photo of Molly trying to startle them from the outside of the fence, while they're safe inside.
Well, no one ever said country life was boring. My children found this very exciting, especially once they realized the guinea was okay. Of course, then we had some kids wanting to try letting Molly out off-leash again and others who were very protective of the guineas. That made for some interesting afternoon conversations, and some interesting insight into their characters and personalities.
We'll figure it out. And hopefully they'll come to a peaceful co-existence. Or maybe not. We're still hoping our Mama Persian cat and Molly will come to a peaceful co-existence. Although, in that instance, the Mama Persian is the instigator and aggressor.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jul. 16, 2008
Moving on up, and out ... the history of our guinea homes
Since Momofsix asked, I'll share what we did with our guineas since we got them. I have friends who use refrigerator boxes, laid on their side, with the top side removed, and netting over them. But I didn't acquire one of those in time, and we made do with what we had.
First, they came home and were placed in a very small plastic container. There were only five of them, and it worked ... for a few days. You can't see all of the tote, but the waterer is in one corner, and the feeder in another corner. Obviously quite small. When they started hopping and fluttering their wings, we had to move them quickly.
So I went to Walmart and bought the largest plastic tote they had. I don't have a picture of the keets in the larger tote, but it was a 45 gallon tote with wheels on one end. They only lasted in that for a little more than a week, before I realized they were flying up onto the top of their feeder and waterer. It would only be a short hop/fly from there to the top of the tote box and out into the basement.
So, finally, we had the idea to put them into one of the built in cages we have in our basement. Steve's grandparents had used it as a kennel for some of the small dogs they bred. It likely was for puppies or a pregnant mama dog, about to have her babies. One of the cages was double-wide, with a floor at my hip level, and was caged all the way to the ceiling. Perfect! We put cardboard down over the metal mesh floor, and put the pine chips over that.
We did have one keet escape from this, we think through a 2 inch gap between the roof and the doors. But that was the only escape, and it was just a day or two after putting them in.
They were about half-grown, or more, when we finally finished the outdoor enclosure for them. We used an old dog pen, just south of the house. It already had chicken wire around the sides. We had to fix one end of the pen, patch a few areas, and then we added chicken wire mesh/fabric over the top to keep them from flying out, and to keep owls from snatching them up.
There is fencing on that right side, but it is a different type than the left side and didn't show up in the picture. But this gives you an idea of the size, plus you can see the "roof" we put on it, and the doghouse that was in it already.
And here's another picture of the guinea keets on their first night in their new home (Sunday). Um, this next picture shows where we ran out of chicken wire and had to temporarily finish the roof with netting I had bought to cover their 45 gallon tote (but couldn't because the heat lamp interfered with it.)
We have 3 white guineas and 2 lavender guineas. I have no clue what boy/girl ratio we have, though. We don't intend to keep them in this enclosure very long. We do want them to be free-range on the property, eating ticks and any other bugs they want. But until they're full-grown, we'll keep them in here. It shouldn't take long ... they grow amazingly fast! At the moment, they still seemed overwhelmed with the space, and spend all their time clustered together, even when browsing around for bugs.
It isn't a pretty enclosure, but it works! And it will work for guinea keets and chicks in future years, too.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jul. 11, 2008
How did *I* end up with this job?!?!
I am not a country girl. I was raised in towns and on military bases. I have never been in 4-H and I have never raised poultry. Our pets were limited to fish, one bird, cats, and dogs.
But now we have guinea keets. And even though Steve did live on a farm for part of his childhood, and did raise poultry, and was in 4-H ... they have been my job. I researched what we needed to start keets or chicks. I picked them out, and captured them in the store. I released them into their little tote when we got home. A week later, I moved them into a larger tote. I've fed and watered them daily. And when they outgrew the larger tote, I moved them into the built-in cage on the basement wall that had once been a dog kennel. I even caught the escaped keet two days later (still not sure how he escaped) and put him back.
But now it's time to move them outside. It's a little past time, to be honest, but we were warned that owls would snatch them up if we didn't give them some protection outside for awhile longer. So, we've been waiting to finish a fenced (and covered) area for them to be safely moved to.
And every day when I go down to feed them, I wonder how in the world I'm supposed to catch these guinea keets to move them outside. They're fast! And they fly!! And they're in a cage that starts at my waist, and goes up to the ceiling!! I'm not that tall, and I have a baby belly that comes between me and the cage anyway. And I'm not a farm girl. I've never captured or held a full-grown chicken or guinea (although these are only half grown) before.
Suddenly our cool built-in cage is looking less cool. Maybe that wasn't such a great idea after all. Maybe we really should have moved those poor tiny defenseless keets outside a little earlier.
I can just imagine half-grown guineas flying in my face, escaping into the basement, and never making it outside at all!! How did *I* end up with this job?!?!
And yet, it's my job. I don't want to wimp out on Steve and demand that he do it. I really do want to try. So, sometime this weekend, we'll be moving them outside. I think I need some prayer ... and any tips you might have.
Nervously trusting in Him,
April
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Apr. 7, 2008
Yet another new homesteading experience ...
Yesterday we had yet another new homesteading or "country living" experience. DH set our yard on fire. On purpose, of course. A large portion of our land had not been mowed for years. Only the area right around the house was mowed regularly. Last year, a family friend brush-hogged the overgrown areas for us. But, there are too many bush stumps and such mixed in with the grass. It's difficult to mow, and even worse to walk through.
So, Steve set two areas close to the house on fire. They were areas where pampas grass and peonies were planted. We hadn't been mowing it, to protect the peony bushes. But, it was overgrown with other weeds and bushes, too. As the brush burned, and the new peony shoots appeared in the ashes, we watered those specific areas to protect the peony bushes. Hopefully the pampas grass will also return. We need to use Tordon to kill the bushes that have intruded, and we intend to try to fill in the beds with more peonies (transplanted from various places in the yard.)
Then we burned the bigger area that was never mowed until it was brush-hogged last year. Now that we can see those bush stalk/stumps we intend to get rid of them, too. We don't expect to turn it into an immaculate lawn, but we would like to be able to walk through it without tripping constantly, and mow it without ruining the mower.
The children were not comfortable with this process. They've seen us burn brush in the burn pit, and they've seen us burn trash in the burn barrels. But those are contained, and they don't mind it. They were not used to us setting a fire, and letting it spread.
They didn't worry too much about the two small areas. We didn't want that to spread far, so we stood by with water and it dwindled fairly quickly. But we let the larger area spread, and we just stood back and watched it. We put out one front as it approached the lawn and the house, but we let the rest burn longer.
Our children were nervous, and kept wondering if we should call the fire department. I admit that I was nervous at first, also. When my family was here for Easter weekend, they'd seen a fire truck heading to a field fire that had become a problem. I feared we'd have a repeat of that situation, but with stronger consequences since this is our home, not just our field. But, Steve assured me it was under control, and working well, so I chose to trust him and reassure the children. That took some effort, because some of the children moved from asking if we should call the fire department, to threatening to make the call themselves. At which point, I told them that if this fire got out of hand, I would come get them out of the house and call the fire department, but they had better NOT touch the phones.
I helped Steve play fire fighter, as we stood guard over it, and then finally made the choice to put out the edges of the fire, after dark. It had moved as far as we wanted it to, so we put it out. I manned the hose, and he fought to move it to the areas I needed to reach. It kept snagging on those bush stumps and he'd have to go unhook it. Fighting the HOSE was harder than fighting the fire, at that point.
We came in covered in black soot. Our white tennis shoes may never be the same. And we found out that boys should not be allowed in the burned area. They run instead of walking, so when they trip over bush stubble, they fall into the soot, and cover their clothes with it. Then they come inside and track it everywhere. Yikes! I'm going to have to rewash some laundry my four year old stepped on in his sooty boots. I had to tell him NEVER to step on Mom's clean laundry, but especially NOT when all SOOTY.
As Steve said last night, "Now that's something you never did when we lived in town!" No, it isn't. But, it's one more country living experience under my belt.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Apr. 7, 2008
The Evolution of a Clothesline ...
Last August I posted an entry entitled "Falling In Love with Whole Laundry" about my love of my clothesline. I followed it up with "Photos to Go with My Laundry Love". At that time, my clothesline was an umbrella-style clothesline tree.
We left that clothesline behind, when we moved to the farmhouse. We talked about digging it up and bringing it with us, but just haven't done it yet. We still own that house and could move it later, if we choose to.
After we moved here, we tried to string a new clothesline on the existing clothesline poles. One pole was loose, though, and the clothesline we bought was too stretchy. It sagged to the ground, when it had clothes on it. We only strung one line, since the rope was so bad. I posted about "Our Rustic Laundry System" in November, about two weeks after we'd moved in.
I wasn't able to use our saggy clothesline for very long, before winter really set in. Then we spent most of December using our two indoor wooden drying racks. I was able to keep up with drying clothes this way, as long as I washed a load or two of clothes daily, washing exactly what would fill the two racks. We set a fan in front of the heater vent to blow on the racks.
Then in January, my parents came to visit, and my Dad put his electrical knowledge to use, and installed some wiring that would let me run my electric dryer in the basement. We continued to use the indoor drying racks, at times. I tried to air dry half my laundry, and use the electric dryer for the other half.
In March, my Dad and Uncle came to visit over Easter. They came to help do some work on the house, as I blogged about in "Making the Family Homestead our Home". One of the many things they did was to fix my saggy baggy clothesline. After they left, we just had too many cool rainy days to use the clothesline. I could have used it some days, but worried that the items I line dried would have to come in that evening and finish up in the electric dryer, since rain was expected overnight.
But this weekend, we had warm, sunny weather and I finally was able to test my new clothesline. It worked wonderfully, although I think we are going to tighten the lines (THREE LINES) a little bit more. It was a bit challenging hanging out clothes in 30 -37 mph winds. I realized we really need to put a new windbreak along that property line. The previous one (an orchard) was cut down several years before we bought the farmhouse. I had to hang heavy items like jeans indoors, because they just blew off the lines.
Now that's a clothesline I don't have to be ashamed of! We've finally arrived!!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Mar. 28, 2008
Making the Family Homestead our Home
This Easter weekend, and into this week, we had my parents, sisters, nephew, and Uncle here visiting. My Uncle and Dad came to help us work on the house. Their original intent had been to redo some of our wiring. But after examining it, they felt it was actually safe ... a little wonky in its arrangement, but safe. We do need to replace our fuse boxes with breaker boxes at some point, but we didn't do that this weekend.
So, then they started looking for other projects to tackle. They reworked some of our plumbing, and replaced our toilet with one that actually flushes well. They added wiring for two ceiling lights in the living room, so we can flip a switch and have bright lighting instead of turning on 6 lamps to have less light. They added insulation over the kitchen and master bedroom, so that area will be easier to keep warm. They redid my wobbly saggy clothesline. They got the chain saw working again, and the 4 wheeler. They hauled fallen limbs (from the ice storm) to the burn pit, with the 4 wheeler. They changed a door knob, and generally made us ladies feel rather lazy sitting around inside, although we were caring for the children, cooking meals, doing dishes, etc.
Steve was only able to work with them on Saturday and Sunday, then he had to return to work. But Dad and Uncle Howard stayed busy. They are such hard-working men, with lots of experience in many different areas. We were incredibly blessed by their loving and generous acts of service this week, and are very thankful.
We've been buying little electric heaters as they go on clearance. That, along with the added insulation in part of the house, should help us prevent using so much propane next winter. We will also do something about our windows before next winter ... caulk them better, or cover them with plastic. Something to prevent the cold drafts. The thermal drapes have helped, but it could be better.
We are slowly making this our home. It is Steve's family homestead, and he is the 5th generation to live on it ... our children are the 6th generation. But we are making it our HOME, not just our family history. We haven't painted yet, and there are many things left to do. But it feels like home already, and we are slowly making changes so it will work better for us.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Mar. 4, 2008
Spring is coming
The signs of Spring are starting to appear. This weekend, I used the clothesline for the first time in months. And on Saturday, we opened our windows to enjoy the 65+ temps. It was beautiful! (Of course, we had rain and snow on Sunday.) Monday, I looked out my kitchen window and saw a fat robin in the yard. Today I looked out my kitchen window and saw 4 robins looking for worms! Yes, at the same time ... it wasn't one bird coming and going.
Spring is coming. I've been reading and studying to learn all I need to know about having our own laying hens. I've been pricing the cost of chicks, and their accessories, and making plans. And hoping we can keep our chicks safe from coyotes (yes we hear them howling at night sometimes), hawks, foxes, coons, stray dogs ... and, and, and. The list seems endless.
I started reading my gardening books, plus a few more from the library. Then it hit me. Rabbits. Deer. Raccoons. Gardening will be different this year, and I need to figure out how to protect our garden without too much cost and trouble. I don't know if we have raccoons here, but we probably do. I know we have deer and rabbits in abundance. Just last week Steve came home to find 10 deer in the wheat field right next to our proposed garden plot. And we've seen the bunnies, and their tracks, all over the place. Do we even stand a chance at harvesting anything? I hope so.
I think I need to "toughen up" a bit and adjust myself to the uncertainties of country living. But, at the moment, I'm just enjoying all the signs of Spring. This week's temperature may be falling again, but the signs of Spring are still around.
Blessings,
April
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Jan. 21, 2008
34th Carnival of Homesteading
What a wonderful winter treat we're in for today! This carnival is full of yummy recipes, and some craft ideas to fill your winter hours indoors. Maybe keeping our fingers busy will keep them warm. Or am I the only one whose hands just never seem warm this winter?
Let's begin with the recipes. Firing up those ovens can warm the kitchen, our hands, our bodies, and our hearts as we share home-made meals with our families.
Gloria, of No Place Like Home, has shared a delicious recipe for German Apple Pancakes. She has even included a mouth-watering picture that is fit for the cover of a cookbook. I've never had German Apple Pancakes, and now I'm ready to buy some more apples and try them.
Sisterlisa, of The Homespun Life, has shared her recipe for Hot Dog Rollups in her post "Yes, You Can Eat With Your Hands" . A fun meal that children always enjoy!
Sheri, from The Shades of Pink, has included the recipe for a staple at her home, Twisty Dogs. She also includes a picture so we can see her fun "twist" on serving hot dogs to her family.
Amanda, from My Learning Experience, isn't trying to boast when she says she makes the BEST deviled eggs. Thankfully, she's generous enough to share her recipe for her Delicious Deviled Eggs with us, so we can enjoy them, too.
SimpleFolk shares about A Simple Saturday at home, and blesses us with memories of her Aunt, and a recipe for Baked French Toast. Mmmmm ... it sounds wonderful!
Gloria, of No Place Like Home, shares her plans for A Quiet Evening on the Homestead, and another recipe ... this time for Mom's Lemon Meringue Pie. Again, she shares a picture worthy of a cookbook. I haven't had lemon meringue pie in so long, but it used to be my Dad's favorite. Good memories!
Farm Wife Suzy, of Farm Life ... Farm Wife blog, shares a recipe for Making Tub Butter, that saves you money, and tastes better than margarine spreads.
After all those yummy foods, we might need to brush our teeth. HOMEFree has shared several different recipes for home-made toothpastes on her blog, Marvelous Mud Washing Machine. I think I'd prefer the Basic Toothpaste recipe, rather than Ben Franklin's toothpaste recipe.
Speaking of Homemade Clean, Lisa shares about natural hair rinses on the Homestead Blogger Front Porch. There are more ideas in the post comments, too.
Now to keep those fingers busy, and warm, Catherine Love~ Ramblings from my Heart and Home, shares about a fun craft her family enjoyed last week: Bean Mosaics. She says it's so fun, even the Moms join in.
Kitty, of Kitty's Kountry Korner, has suggestions on how to keep busy (and warm) with Winter Gardening. Her post is full of ideas on how to begin your garden preparations now, with some indoor ideas and outdoor ideas.
Keri Mae, of A Happy Home, is staying warm with her list of Winter Goals. Her list includes a cute Valentine's Day craft, a link to a truffle recipe, and a peek into her family life. Perhaps her list will inspire you to make your own list of things to do and try this winter.
Speaking of Valentine's Day, Rachel of Rachel's Reasoning, provides a church history lesson in her post, St. Valentine --- Cupid's Arrow or a Saint? After you've read it, you can share the information with your children.
Abi, of Lighter Side, shares about her experience with bunny trails, in her post Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail. Her bunnies are much bolder than mine, which we rarely see. But after a snowfall, it's fun to see how many bunny trails criss-cross each other in the yard.
Boltbabe, from Journey to Simplicity, has shared several frugal tips on recycling household items, in her post, Simply Frugal: Tips for Reusing Ordinary Rubbish to Save $ and the Earth too! The milkjug bird feeder would be a good afternoon project with your kids. Then you could set it up, and watch to see what birds are spending the winter in your area.
Enjoy exploring the Carnival today. Stay warm, and have fun trying out the recipes and craft ideas.
Next week, the 35th edition of the Carnival of Homesteading will be hosted by Abi at Lighter Side. So be sure to visit Abi on the 28th for another Carnival of Homesteading.
Blessings,
April
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Jan. 15, 2008
Carnival of Homesteading News
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