Saturday, February 2, 2013

Triple Creek Farm, February 2, 2013

This week marks the end of the first month Mr. Bootsie has been retired.  Adjustments are slowly being made.  Things are starting to get addressed and plans are being made for this spring and summer.  It is always exciting when spring arrives on the farm.  I am hoping this year to increase my flock a bit, we are gathering more eggs than we can use at this point.  But this fall we shall have no eggs unless I bring in some new girls.

IN THE KITCHEN

I decided to sprout some beans this week.  Sprouting is something I do in a hit and miss fashion. I made some lo-mein and I really did miss the sprouts.  I am making these sprouts to go into egg rolls.

Mung Beans washed 

Cooking seems to be what is going on here this week.  I cooked down some beef bones to make a rich stock which we used.   Soup was French onion with homemade rye bread croutons and swiss cheese.  We purchased some ground beef from one of my favorite stores and I made sloppy Joe's and taco meat which is in the freezer.  Meatloaf was dinner Saturday,  there will be extra which I will freeze for later.  The pastry chef showed up and made a strawberry pie.  I do not mind making the crust but have no interest in doing the filling,  Mr. Bootsie comes to the rescue and makes the filling.    



ON THE FARM

Except for replacing the covers on the wood racks after the blow this week little was accomplished on the farm.   Wood stove is still safe and in the same place.  Remote for the TV is close by and Mr. Bootsie is loving this cold weather as he is hiding in the house.  When the temperature drops it is a job just keeping the wood in, the stove loaded and the ashes removed.  We have metal buckets to store the ashes in but this week they needed to be dumped as we had accumulated to many ashes.  We dump some around the coop to help with snakes during the summer.

We did start giving the goats raspberry tea.  They are enjoying a bowl of warm tea first thing in the morning and afternoon.

IN THE COOP

The girls are getting through the cold weather, laying is improving.  Plenty of chickweed for them to eat and we can tell the days are getting longer because they are going in a little later each day.  Ducks just want the cold to end so they can take a dip.

Egg count for the month of January was 133 from the hens  and 31 ducks eggs were collected.  This week we gathered 35 hen eggs and 7 ducks eggs.

IN THE GARDEN

All of the wintered over onions and garlic have been fed plant food.  I use a product for root vegetables and put in on right before the rain on Wednesday.  I installed a few beets and pac-choi in the cold tunnel.  I have started up potting the plants I started from seeds.


The cold tunnel made it through the snow, the tunnel was in need of a door as we were using sheets of plastic.  The door was put in and covered with plastic.  We were able to salvage a door from some of our collection of miscellaneous items.

IN CLOSING

The weather is playing games with everyone, all over the country. The temperatures this week ranged lows in the morning from 16 to 50, the high one afternoon was 74.  Bad storms came through our area. Tornado's to the South did much damage.  I hope all of you and your loved ones had no damage from the storms.  

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