Saturday, July 27, 2013

Triple Creek Farm, July 27, 2013

We are only a few weeks into the summer and the work is just beginning.  Time to start planting the fall garden, wood to be secured for the winter, hay source for the goats and my list just goes on.  I remember the days when all I had to be concerned with was where am I going for dinner tonight.  My life has taken a 180 degree, I am pleased to say the farmer's market is my garden, the grocery store is my pantry and I am hoping with what I learned using the cold tunnel last winter I can continue to say this for the next few months.  While a number of people of getting their last trip to the resorts we are getting the fall greens planted.  We make our own choices and I love the choice I have made.

IN THE KITCHEN

I finally came to senses and realized there is no way I can put up all that is coming from the garden.  I have not learned how to plant for just the 2 of us.  I need enough to can but I am learning, tomatoes were picked washed an x cut into the bottom and they were placed in the freezer, when there is enough I will can them in some way, tomatoes, salsa, maybe tomato sauce.  There are now 2 batches of pickle working on the counter.  They are both sweet pickles.  We are having late nights and quick meals.

ON THE FARM

The Wee Folk were here for a few days this week and the goats were wonderful with them.  Not once did they try to butt the Wees, I was so pleased to see them all playing together.  They even had to go and say good-bye to the goats before they left.  When the Wees are here we try to spend all the time we can with them so very little was done, only what had to be done.

IN THE COOP

The little peeps which were hatched early spring have made the adjustment and they are now big chicks.  We have no idea as to what type of chickens they are or the sex.  I am hoping we have a pair but one must wait.  They are roosting on top of the door at night so Mr. Bootsie was busy adding a roosting pole to the coop.  I am not sure this will take care of the problem but we are trying.  It has been a good week with the new peeps, all five are doing great, eating scrambled eggs for breakfast just like the big girls.  I won the battle with Blanche, she is still making the gentle clucking sound walking around the run but she is off the nest.  This pleased me so much, she would not be a good momma hen.

IN THE GARDEN

I knew we would see babies and we have, this week I have spent hours in the garden working the stink bug babies.  Rabbits and squirrels are coming with their picnic basket, having cabbage, tomatoes, butter beans and string beans.  Traps are set but they are walking by the traps laughing as they know where all of the veggies are.  I had one beautiful Chinese cabbage and was looking forward to a big bowl of cole slaw but I missed my chance.  Blackberries are hanging, I have never seen so many blackberries, they are so heavy the plants are breaking.  I dug a few potatoes this past week, picked the first butter beans, harvested and froze the country gentleman shoe peg corn.

IN CLOSING

I was saving some homemade bread which we had really enjoyed,  I froze several slices, they came out of the freezer this week.  The bread was loaded with mayonnaise, lots of pepper and tomato sliced 1/2 inch thick.   There just cannot be any better sandwich than the first tomato sandwich of the season fresh from the garden.  I have lots of first from the garden, I have not been able to grow and harvest everything I remember as being wonderful but each year we are adding a little more, the ground is getting better and I am able to remove another thing from my bucket list every once in a while.

I wish to Thank You for stopping by for a visit!!!  It pleases me so many of you are stopping in to see what is happening on the farm.  Come Back, real soon!!!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Triple Creek Farm, July 20,2013

Hot, Hot, HOT, so hot I think it is affecting the way I am thinking.  I know what needs to be completed but my body is in a NO, NO,  NO mode.  I am grumpy, go outside and you appear to have taken a bath in just a few minutes.  Wipe my brow, my eyes burn from the salt in the sweat, wear a hat to protect yourself, the sweat line appears on the hat in just a few minutes and more sweat heads for your eyes.  Glasses are now smeared because you have wiped eyes and glasses.  What the heck, start watering the garden but water the gardener first to find some relief from the heat, which will only last for a short period of time.

IN THE KITCHEN

We are picking small amounts of fresh produce.  Made fresh pepper poppers, tried making a salad with the pepperoncini peppers which was quick, simple and delicious.  Sliced up cherry tomatoes, fried pepperoncinis in olive oil for only a couple of minutes, a hunk
Thrusday's Harvest
of feta,  a drizzle of EVOO and sprinkle of oregano.  This is now on our if we have pepperoncinis make this as it is so yummy list.  Made tomato juice from the sun gold cherry tomatoes.  It was not enough to can so it went into the freezer I will can this when I have enough or when canning other goodies with the same processing time.  First batch of pickle is in brine where it will stay for 2 weeks.  We are eating the goodies from our garden,  I am always on the look for recipes for fresh vegetables which are easy but tasty.  I am now using zucchini for pasta, this made a delicious meal, I know because there were no leftovers.

ON THE FARM

If something is a must do it is being completed but we are choosing our battles very carefully.  The gutters were put on the barn this week but the barn is in the shade.  The goats are doing their cleaning of the undergrowth because it is cool under the trees.  Watching the sun and knowing where the shade is has helped with getting the grass cut.  Keeping fresh water in the waterers is of top importance, the goats are getting a batch of raspberry tea in the afternoons, they are now having the excess green beans and I bring them from the fridge, another cold treat for them.

IN THE COOP

Friday morning, Aurora had one little peep which she proudly showed to me, by the afternoon there were 2 little peeps. Saturday morning 3 little peeps.  Smokey Lonesome was still on her eggs but she has left the nest some and I really do not know if there will be peeps on not.  Much to my surprise Smokey Lonesome was set on 2 eggs and she has hatched both of them by Saturday evening.    Blanche is in the boxes and out, as I said I really do not want her to have peeps because I am not sure about her.  Mr. Bootsie caught Eva eating an egg on Thursday.  I knew there was someone eating eggs and had no idea it was her.  I will be watching her in the future.

IN THE GARDEN

The garden in producing, it makes me very proud, the process has been a long hard road but this year the results are showing.  I don't know if it is the chicken and goat manure we are using or if it is the years of work paying off.  Whatever it is, it brings me happiness.  I like different varieties of veggies, Italian purple podded flat beans (pole), climbing spinach which is a summer until fall frost crop, yard long beans a type of string bean with very little seed  (pole), bull horn paste tomato from South America with very few seeds and a bull horn pepper from South America which produces.  I have spent a lot of time looking the vegetables I plant in the garden.  My choices are plants which produce a lot with not a lot of work from me, have a good taste and long growing season.  This year I tried a Polish cucumber and it is producing a number of pickling cukes.  I am a firm believer of finding what works for me.  Folks stop by and look at my garden, they always find something that is different and why do I grow it.  I grow mini bell peppers because the plants are hanging with peppers now as the full size bells are growing and we will be harvesting them later in the year.  I like to keep things coming in the garden.  The black eyed peas came up this week and they will have the young okra plants to climb on.  This week, July 25th is turnip planting time.

IN CLOSING

We made it through the heat, I think we have kept everything in the garden alive with watering, pre-mulching for the heat and inserting pipes by the pepper and tomato plants which carries the water directly to the roots.  I put these in when the transplanting the pepper and tomatoes into the garden.  The plus about this is none of the water is wasted.  I do not water everyday.  The raised beds are watered everyday because they dry out quickly and need more water.  Next week as the temperature returns to the 80's even if high 80's it will be a relief for all of us here.  If this should be the only spell of hot weather we have, I would be very pleased but it is summer and I am sure there will be some more coming our way.  I do think we have learned a little more about how to work with the heat and how to protect the flocks.   Isn't this what it is all about?  Gaining a little knowledge to help us in the future.  Have a good week, enjoy the wonderful summer veggies, see you next time!!!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Triple Creek Farm, July 13, 2013

I have a passion for wild flowers, some in my circles call them weeds but they have never stopped to look at what has come from a tiny seed.  To think of all the magic, the wind, birds or insects will carry a tiny seed somewhere and it finds itself in a space where it can sprout, grow, bloom and go to seed so the magic will continue.  This week I was coming through the yard by some of the flower beds and there to my surprise was a purple cone flower.  Yes, cone flowers are listed in the wild flower books as a wild flower, I stopped in my tracks went over and yes, it is cone flower.  I moved a few here but they have struggled.  This one is a gift, the magic happened.  Healthy, because it has found the perfect place to flourish, I could have looked for weeks and never found where the Master Designer wanted the seed planted but something did.  I love my land here, we have so many different varieties of ferns which grow in the warm seasons.  To keep me happy, Mr. Bootsie works with a type of weed eater and carefully works around the ferns!  I planted blackberry lilies here and they have found paradise, they are everywhere, I have large beds of them, I can look out of any window this time of year and see the orange bloom followed by the seed head which will look like a large blackberry.  To me, all of the flowers and vegetation are beautiful, I see what was placed here to cover and protect the earth, I do not want to change what grows best in my woods.  You can have your lush lawn but for me, I love, let me say it again, I love my flowers which I do not plant, they just show up and brighten my day.



IN THE KITCHEN

The bounty is coming in from the garden.  Two loaves of zucchini bread were baked on Monday.  Pickled peaches were made, of course we do not have peach trees and I purchased the peaches.  This is one pickle I love having in the pantry.  Green beans, 7 quarts canned and placed in the pantry, this makes the quota of green beans to be stored this year.  Yellow squash are being dehydrated.   We are enjoying fresh veggies for our meals.  Summer is such a refreshing time of the year, the veggies fresh from the garden are so good.


Opened the pickled garlic scapes, they are a nice addition to the pantry.  Just thought I would share this with you.

ON THE FARM

Wet, drainage ditches, run off everywhere.  There were two additions rain storms this week which dumped on us.  The land is so wet there is no place for this additional moisture to go.   The goats are so pleased to have the playground which has walks to keep them off of the ground and that is where we are finding them.  We worked some of the drainage ditches this week after the first storm and they were very forgiving with second storm which came in during the night.  The water was running into the creeks just like we wanted it to do.

IN THE COOP

My Blanche has gone broody, the girl with the most attitude in the coop.  I have 2 setting now and will have hatching next weekend (I hope).  I am trying to see if I can get her to change her mind but it may be a loosing battle for me.  I am concerned if she would be a good Momma, she has been her own chicken and I am wondering how she would work with the little peeps.

Our spring hatching is growing up and now the sounds from the brooder is changing from peeps to  something else.  We have no idea, there were only 2 which hatched, girls or boys when an egg is laid or when one crows we will know the sex of that one.   With the voice changing and their ability to eat without walking through the food bowls they may be getting ready for a move into the big girl side of the coop.

IN THE GARDEN

I have been pleased with the garden, our harvest continues, our pantry is being stocked for the winter and this is why I garden.  I have no interest in doing farmer's markets, it is all I can do taking care of the garden for us.  The many varieties of peppers are starting to come in.  The dill bed is starting to grow.  This week I planted black-eyed peas.

With the storm this week there was some sadness, the corn really took a beating and I have lost some.  I raise this corn for the animals and, of course, we can eat some early in the season.  I just want to be able to feed the flocks corn I know about, I do not like worrying about what I am feeding them.  So I thought I would grown it myself.  We did corn first-aide earlier this year and it worked but some of the corn was about 10 feet high and I just could not do anything.  We will be thankful for what we are able to harvest, if any, and if there is not a harvest the girls really enjoy the fodder from the broken stalks.




Do you see the sunflower standing tall?  I could only smile through my sadness when my morning was brighten.  I grow the sunflowers for the flocks, my girls get so excited when I fed them sunflower seeds.  So maybe this is the year of the sunflower and not the year of the corn for me!!!

IN CLOSING

Flowers are blooming everywhere, the garden has flowers which turn into veggies for us to eat.  The tomato bloom is followed by the tomato which makes the seeds, the lovely purple bloom of the eggplant to be followed by the fruit with the seed inside.  I grow many of the veggies in the garden because I find the blooms to be so beautiful.  The corn blooms are the tassels which are very interesting and I love adding them to a dried arrangement in the fall.  Some of the okra pods are always dried, the pumpkins and winter squash add interest to the holiday season.  I see my garden as on going.  You can find a summer flower arrangement here with veggies added in to bring interest.  We grow them, we eat the veggies and some of the flowers but most of all we enjoy all of our gardens for the beauty they bring to us.     


Saturday, July 6, 2013

Triple Creek Farm, July 6, 2013

We are so far out in the country there is not many ways I can use the internet.  Weather conditions control if I can get on line and what speed I will have.  Someone sent me an e-mail the other day and I spend over 3 hours trying to respond.  I have not been able to get on line to do the blog, but I keep trying.  As old as I am getting slow sounds good to me.  If my mind could accept what my body is saying, things would work out.  But my mind will say if you try one more time it will work and here I sit for another hour or so and I really do not accomplish anything.  I  am so pleased to have so many of you visit with me on the farm,  I welcome you comments and I will always try to answer them.  May not be quite as quick as you would like but I will try.  Thank you friends and neighbors, for all of you have become my friends and neighbors.  I am going to fix a nice glass of tea as it is really warm today, go sit on the porch and tell you about my week.

IN THE KITCHEN

Green Beans, Green Beans, Green Beans, when you start picking they seem to just keep coming in.  We have been picking every other day sharing some, cooking some, eating them fresh from the garden,  pickling and canning.  This week I made Cajun-style pickled green beans and carrots.  I canned string beans with potatoes and onions, this is one of my fast foods, add some ham or bake some pork chops and you have a wonderful meal.

Another vegetable which will overwhelm you is zucchini, I am always trying to find a new way to use them.  One of our facebook friends came up with a recipe for zucchini crisp which is delicious.  This crisp tastes like an apple crisp.  I made half of the recipe and baked it in a smaller dish but Mr. Bootsie is eating it loaded with ice cream and saying I would not have believed this was squash if I had not seen you make this.  If the zucchini is filling the veggie drawer of the fridge, pull some out and give this great recipe a try.  Be sure to tell our friends over at Crocked Acres Farmstead Bootisie is still raving about this recipe.   I love finding a new recipe which is tried and tested by others.  Please remember I am always looking for something new and delicious to make in my kitchen!!!

ON THE FARM

The ladies have eaten just about everything in sight.  There is new grass coming up in the pasture but it is not what they are wanting to eat.  I think it is far to tender.  Mr. Bootsie is busy cutting down trees and moving them to the goat lot.  There is quite a lot of clean up to be completed around here and he is busy every morning working away.  Progress is starting to show.  I am starting to prune the dogwoods we wish to keep hoping they will bloom.  Blackberry lilies are blooming everywhere.  They are a wildflower, I planted them when we moved here and there are clumps of them everywhere.  I have seen Mr. B cutting around them, said he is starting to love them as much as the ferns.  We have wild ferns and he is trying to save all he can as he clears out the undergrowth.

IN THE COOP

Aurora has settled in on the eggs and I am sure there will be little peeps.  Much to my amazement Smokey Lonesome has decided I want to be in one of the brooder boxes.  So Sunday morning we gave her 2 eggs which she truly did not like, then Mr. Bootsie took one from the nest she had been setting on and we put that egg in the brooder, she pulled it in and is now down for the count of 21 days for baby peeps.  So I have 2 of my girls setting, I have really been surprised and now I just hope from all of the eggs we are setting this year we can hatch a gentle rooster.  That way we will have our own eggs we could hatch.

Our first hatching is growing, Saturday morning as I was working around the coop, I heard a new voice, not the peep, peep peeps but someone trying to sound like a big chick.  This is so exciting, I would like to have the little peeps out of the brooder before the new hatching is ready to go in.  We already have 1 week down for Aurora and 2 more to go.

IN THE GARDEN

The garden is pleasing me, I dehydrated cabbage this week which I will be adding to soups during the winter.  Fall cabbages and broccoli seeds have broken through the soil Saturday morning.  Corn is starting to tassel, climbing beans are starting to make the journey up the fences and poles.  Bush butter beans are blooming and I can see the tiny little bean pods.  Now, if I can keep them watered enough we may get some butter beans, that would be a first for here.  Found my first pickling cucumber Saturday morning.  Find of the day on Saturday was baby squash bugs, I took care of them quickly.  Most of the onions have been harvested.  The walking onions are still in the ground, I should start removing them next week.  All of the elephant garlic is pulled and cleaned.  Starting to see some redding of the blackberries.
Friday morning harvest from the garden

IN CLOSING

I think we have had another wonderful week here on the farm.  We have been gathering plenty of veggies from the garden.  The Girls have been laying lots of eggs. Everything seems to be as it should be.  We are slowly moving forward, little baby steps.  Except for the green beans they seem to want to be picked everyday and fill up our baskets, this is my count on veggie, I always plan for lots of green beans, I really am not complaining, I am pleased one more time they did exactly what I wanted them to do.  Have a wonderful week!!!