Triple Creek Farm, September 28, 2013

Everything has been going good on the farm.  Then the apple cart gets turned over and they are running everywhere.  We do not have any apples except for the ones we purchase but this week we have had some interesting things happen.  I think I may have lost my position in the kitchen, we can not sex a chicken any better than a fish and my first mistake with kefir.

IN THE KITCHEN

Mr. Bootsie decided he wanted to make the cowboy candy which is made with jalapeno peppers.  I was impressed as he chopped all of the peppers and I did not have to get the gloves on to keep my hands from being on fire.  This turned out to be a wonderful project and there are 4 pints of candy on the shelf and a little extra syrup in the fridge.  I mixed some of the syrup with pickled peach syrup and glazed pork chops, they were very tasty, not hot just interesting. Yes, I will be doing this again.  He was so pleased with himself that he decided he would make the jalapeno jam.  Again, he chopped of all the hot peppers and I did the mild ones. When it came time to cook the jelly he manned the station in front of the pot, stirring and watching the pot boil.  He really has an interest in learning how to preserve food.

Kefir sour cream, this was a total mistake but so delicious!!!  Mr. Bootsie almost always puts the milk in the kefir jar for me.  He just wants to help as much as possible.  I had a really big grain, which I looked at thinking I should divide this but I will wait until the next batch.  When I went to check on the grain there was whey on the bottom of the jar, never have I had this happen.  I let the jar set another 24 hours and poured off the whey.  This left me with some delicious cream.  I have many directions I could go with this, but I decided to make a baked potato dressing.  I learned a bit more about working the kefir, I have always said I wanted to learn how to make other foods with the kefir milk and I think the kefir grains were tired of waiting for me to do something new.  I am excited and now I know I will be trying other cheeses and creams with the kefir milk.  I always have extra grains if any of you would like grains.

ON THE FARM

Every day there are projects to do, Guttering is finished on the pole barn, we were having so much water coming off the roof we needed to do something.  Now we are thinking about harvesting the rain water to use on the garden next year.  With thoughts of fall and winter coming the woods are being checked to try and remove trees which will be a problem with a snow load.  There are a number of tall, thin pines along the road, I hope we can remove more of these and not have to cut our way out if there is snow this winter.   

The goats are let out to munch leaves as we know the number of days there will be leaves on the trees is limited.  I am trying to save all of the holly and pine saplings for winter.  We are continuing to cut saplings for the ladies to have in their lot.  I removed some of the goat manure to add to the soil in the cold tunnel.  I hope to see good results using their droppings.

IN THE COOP

When the spring peeps starting coming into their own, one starting growing tail feathers, so with my little bit of knowledge about chickens I decided this one was going to be a rooster.  This week we had  pullet eggs in the coop.  There was a difference in the color of the eggs.  I now do not think I have a pair of chickens, I have not heard any trying to crow.  We still have tail feathers not a lot but some.  I totally have no idea as to what type of chickens we have but I know Heathcliff is going to be a difficult name for others to understand.   Rooster or hen I want the name to stay Heathcliff,  Mr. Bootsie on the other hand is starting to call this bird Henrietta.  I would appreciate any information you could give me about my chickens.  Is this a confused rooster or is it a hen with pretty tail feather?

IN THE GARDEN

Planted 3 pounds of onions this week.  A pound each of white, yellow and red.  The first row of garlic was planted.  I am having lots of trouble getting my seeds to come up.  But I will keep trying.  Bed is dug for the walking onions and they will be planted next week.  I need to add manure and ashes to the soil.  We have been picking a few cucumbers each day but the plants are winding down.  Nighttime temperatures are getting a little low for somethings.  Pole beans and butter beans are producing.  Picking the climbing spinach and freezing 10 ounce packages of it.  A few tomatoes are coming in,  I do not expect to have any green tomatoes to store this year.  The okra which was eaten by the raccoons is trying to bloom.  It would be so special have a few pods of okra after all we went through this year.  I am not counting on harvesting any okra but I would love to see the plants bloom.  The seedling peas are up in the tunnel and greenhouse.

IN CLOSING

I am starting to have a few minutes a day to spend in my flowers and herbs.  They have been so ignored after being moved here.  I spent all of my time working in the garden and learning how to preserve the rewards of the garden.  Then came the chickens and I never made it out to do any weeding or dividing of plants.  I just moved chives into the garden.  They were planted in the herb garden when I moved in the plants, I now have 2 types of chives in the garden.  There are some in the herb garden to be pretty but we use a lot of chives and I want to have enough for Mr. Bootsie to make chive blossom jelly.  I am pleased to finally have time to take care of some of the plants I enjoy.

We are preparing for winter, the tunnel cover will be going on after the cucuzzi squash are removed.  They have grown all over the tunnel and will be a project to remove.  I knew this when I let them go.  We have really enjoyed watching them grow and eating them.  As we think about the shortening of days I may have time to finish some of my inside projects or I may just find a soft pillow and rest until it is time to order my seeds.

Loving this weather, because I am able to spend a lot of time outside.  Thanks for stopping by!!!   

Triple Creek Farm, September 21, 2013

Fall is in the air, there was one extremely chilly night this week.  Next week the night temperatures may be a little warmer.  Some of our friends have had frost in other parts of the country.  We shall welcome the fall on Sunday and I hope fall will last for a long time.

IN THE KITCHEN

Our soup of the week was a chili, I am trying to return to my schedule of a soup a week.  I miss having a quick and easy meal ready to serve in just a few minutes.  I decided it was time for me to learn how to fry grits.  I have fried them twice this week.  The second time was much better than the first.  Both batches of fried grits were enjoyed, they taste quite different to grits, I really want to keep at this one until I am able to fry perfect grits.  I made spinach pies and finally learned how to use the "as seen on TV dough press.  The pies were a nice size and the tomato jam, from the pantry, added a wonderful flavor to them.  

ON THE FARM

I have been working on cleaning a flower bed which was started on the drain field, 7 years ago, and has been forgotten for several years.  Wild blackberries decided the worked and moist soil was a wonderful place to grow.  They grew over 12 feet tall and poplar trees decided to come up and support the blackberry vines.  Well, the blackberry vines have all been cut down and the goats have been eating the leaves from the poplars as I cut them and take the trees to the goat lot.  I have some butterfly bushes I want to plant in this area.  It was a real surprise to find plants alive under all of the jungle and blooming.  I am hoping with Mr. Bootsie's help I can do better next year and have a flower bed once again.  We are still clearing out undergrowth and starting to see some progress.  

Monday we had a visitor to the farm, a neighbor's hog came over.  Later in the day the hog went home and had the fence to his lot repaired.  

IN THE COOP

Blanche has decided to start molting again.  This has been a real puzzle to me.  But I guess with some of the older girls, they are going to start laying when ever they feel like they want to lay.  All of the momma hens are laying again and egg production is up a little.  Saturday afternoon, Mr. Bootsie came in and asked me if the spring peep we named Heathcliff could be a hen because he saw that one in the nesting boxes.  Tonight when I put the girls down to sleep there was a pullet egg in one of the nesting boxes.  Now we have to be sure which one of the spring peeps is laying. It may be time for a name change in the coop.   The girls are busy working compost and I am going to be scooping this from their run.  

IN THE GARDEN

Mr. Bootsie has been hauling sand from the creek to add to the soil in the garden.  The compost we are making needs more sand to help hold the moisture.   I found onion sets at the feed store this week.  I wanted to add the sand to the soil where the onions and garlic are to be planted.  Mr. Bootsie located another sand trap in the creek, which is easier to get to and will be much easier for removing sand.  Turnip greens are growing and I think I shall be picking some in a few days.  Inside garden is started.  I potted one spinach plant and brought it into the greenhouse, the seedling pea has been planted.  I plan on heating the greenhouse a little more this year.  I have pondered if it was time to cut one of the tromboncino squash, it is over 5 feet long and I am afraid if I do not remove the the squash it may fall and break.  We did cut this one and it is now inside.  I will be doing more research and I believe I can now treat this as a pumpkin.  I must take the time to learn.  We have been using these squash, much smaller, as summer squash.

IN CLOSING

Life is never boring here on the farm.   I could see an endless supply of sausage and bacon one morning this week, but of course the hog went back to his home, as it should be.  I was thankful we could locate the owner as quickly as we did.  Many Thanks to our local animal control officers who helped with locating the owner.  The garden of summer is ending,  the fall and tunnel garden is growing.  I will miss the summer vegetables but look forward to using the preserved veggies in the pantry.  Comfort food made with our vegetables, this is going to be so rewarding.

Many thanks to all of you who stop by and visit, I enjoy your comments you leave here and on FaceBook.  Have a wonderful week!!!  

Triple Creek Farm, September 14, 2013

I have been shelling butter beans since, well, forever, and I have seen many a bean with 4 but this one just blew my mind, for the first time in my life, here is a Fiver, grown in my garden!!!  Maybe I am doing something right and never realized I would be rewarded with a gift like this!!!  This is as exciting as a triple yolk egg, my chance of seeing another 5 bean butter bean may never happen again.  As I sit in my rocking chair shelling my beans I really need to wipe the grin from my face, but this is my accomplishment and to my knowledge my gardening hero's Momma and Daddy never has a Fiver!!!

IN THE KITCHEN

I spent a few hours visiting some old cookbooks and found some interesting recipes for sourdough.  Of course, I found one I just had to try.  Sourdough french bread, the recipe is for 2 loaves and is not difficult and the results according to the recipe is a crusty bread.  This bread turned out very crusty and was delicious when rubbed with a fresh garlic clove and heated.   I saw a  recipe for garlic and red pepper jelly,  this jelly was worth making.  I like the garlic and sweet pepper combination, this is not a hot jelly only a sweet one.




ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie and I took a few hours this week and visited a farm just a few miles away.  The purpose of visiting was to learn how they are handling their goats,  They have a beautiful ram and so gentle.  Arrangements are being made for our ladies to visit this farm in a few weeks.  I am so pleased to think I may have little ones in the spring and maybe we can start milking.

IN THE COOP

There is peace in the coop, finally.  The only challenge remaining is bringing in the little peeps and that will be a few weeks away.  The little peeps were hatched from welsummer eggs, this is a new breed of chickens for us.  We know there is 1 rooster and 4 hens.  This breed is very easy to identify the sex of the bird at a very young age.  I have been very pleased with their development.  Saturday, was the day to do the fall cleaning of the coop.  New curtains were put over the nesting boxes, coop was scraped, sprayed with vinegar and new straw was put in.  When the girls came in to go to bed they seemed so pleased to have a clean coop which was smelling fresh and they were wondering who picked out the fabric for the new curtain.

IN THE GARDEN

The butter bean vines are hanging with pods, if the cold weather holds off, the harvest is going to be wonderful.  Several pole beans volunteered and I have learned a good lesson from these plants.  I have been planting my pole beans wrong.  Next year, I will be planting them differently.  There has been 1 bean plant on some of the teepees and we have harvested a large number of beans.  Some of fall and winter crops are starting to come up, the bugs have found the turnip greens and Holland greens. I am not happy sharing, so I will nurse these plants along until there is a frost.

IN CLOSING

Plumbing problems in the house has taken sometime away from doing chores.  Problem has been found as this new construction is not built with access doors to the plumbing, there was dry wall to be removed.  Now we are waiting for our plumber to come and fix the leak.  Mr. Bootsie told the plumber he had things under control and next week would be fine.  As I walk around our house and look at where the plumbing is located, I can already tell you, we shall be putting in more access doors as needed.

Leaves are falling, there is a crispness in the air, hickory nuts are everywhere. The squirrels are busy making their winter stash; however, the garden is a no-no.  Every time I find a hole dug in the garden I look for the nut and toss it away.  I learned a few years ago if the winter is not harsh, I will have a garden full of hickory trees, it is much easier to remove the nuts than the small trees.

We have had another good week here on farm and life is good.  I am thinking about making French toast with the bread I made as a wonderful way to start the week.  I hope for all of a week of happiness!!!   Until we meet again!!!

Triple Creek Farm, September 7, 2013

It has been 8 months,  since Mr. Bootsie retired.  He received the telephone call a few weeks past I had dreaded.  I was not sure if he was called and asked to return to his old profession what his answer would be.  Much to my surprise he said,  no, when asked to return for a while.  I had been very concerned, if the opportunity was offered, what he would do.  I had often thought about how this could affect my feelings about being on the farm if he left me to handle it all again.  It seems now I can left any of those thoughts leave my mind.  I know he really enjoyed his job and was proud of what he did.  I was not sure doing the routine of running our little farm would be the challenge he had experienced during his professional days and may not reward him like it does me.  Maybe my city boy is becoming a country box at heart.

IN THE KITCHEN

I am trying to correct the bread shortage.  I have baked garlic cottage bread, sourdough sub rolls and made sourdough English muffins.  Of course, some have been eaten but a few have been put in the freezer.  Pizza crust is starting to become a staple, with the fresh veggies from the garden add some different types of cheese and you have a quick meal.  Dehydrator is going this week drying green onions.

ON THR FARM

It amazes me how different everything is starting to look, the clean up Mr. Bootsie is doing is really making a difference.  We feel this needs to be done because of the number of critters we have around here.  There is now an 8 to 12 foot border around the garden on the outside.  I was working the in garden and looked up to see two poplar trees which are dying.  More wood for the wood pile.

IN THE COOP

Tuesday, Mr. Bootsie found an egg in the brooder side of the coop.  Aurora, one of the mother hens has laid an egg.  Time to move her back to the big girl side of the coop.  I found both of the mother hens setting together, side by side as if they were the best of friends.  Only yesterday, grabbing their little ones and going in different directions as if they did not want the other momma chick near their babies..  It is so interesting to watch Mother Nature doing her job.  We have put the two hatching together as there was only 1 day difference in their being hatched.  The little ones are getting along, with no problems.  I was very concerned about this as I have never put hatching together before.

IN THE GARDEN

I am having to remove a number of walking onions because they will be in the potato bed next spring.  These will be put to good use in the kitchen.  I am moving things around in the garden and making a few permanent beds.  If I can establish some of the garden with permanent beds it will reduce the amount of work I have to do each season.  It always looks good when I draw it out but often when going into the garden I see the sun is not going to cooperate the way I thought it would.  The beds I am working on  need some shade during the heat of the day.  When clearing for the garden the old farmer who was bringing down trees had no idea what I was trying to do and all he wanted to was open up everything like a 40 acre field with sun coming in all day.  I kept saying I need afternoon shade and he kept telling me I did not what I was talking about.  Because he had the chain saw and big equipment he won that round and I am trying to correct the problem.

IN CLOSING

As I have been posting the corn crop was ruined by raccoons, we have caught more than our share in traps.  I decided to clean the corn beds this week, I was cutting the corn stalks into manageable sizes as everyone was broken.  Moving down the row, much to my surprise, I found one ear of dried corn.  This amazed me.  I do have an ear of corn for seeds for next years crop.  I had to stop in the garden, and be very thankful that I have seeds from my crop and I know these seeds are good.  Once again my greatest desire was taken care of.  Do I thank the raccoons for leaving one?  I really do not think they would have left one.  No, there is always someone looking out for you and once again it is shown to me in a very simple way.

Another week is put to bed, we will be moving forward with other tasks.  My friends, I enjoy sharing with you what has happened on the little farm.  I hope many of you understand this is my record of activities where I look back to see how to improve on what we are doing.  May this week be wonderful for all of you, and I look forward to seeing you again real soon.

Triple Creek Farm, August 31, 2013

The garden is starting to look tired, the season has been very wet.  I saw this week our area has had 8.3 inches over the average rainfall.   We had rain 3 more days after this report.  Because of our raised beds the moisture has not been a problem.   I  have not watered as I have in the past years.  The critters have helped making the garden look sad.  I lost most of the blackberries with the vines being torn down.  All I can think about is next year, maybe things will be better.  The traps are staying set and we do see action around them.

IN THE KITCHEN

I have heard about tomato jam for many years, I remember some of the old-timers eating tomato jam.  I never had any desire to store this away until we starting making some interesting jellies a few years ago.  I have made basil jelly which is wonderful, this year we have made some unusual jellies,  I will try tomato. (Recipe Link)  As soon as the first batch came off the stove the decision was made to do another.  There are 12 one half pint jars in the pantry.  I did have a little bit I put in another jar for us to sample, I know a jar will be opened real soon.  I have been making a lot of bread.  I guess when I made the decision to start baking all of our bread I had no idea how much bread we would be eating.

ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie has been busy working our wood yard.  He has been having more help than he wants when the goats are out helping him.  You can now hear their cry when they hear the tractor and wagon start to move.  Some of the trees he has felled are being used in the garden making new and repairing raised beds.  There are some trees we will not burn so this is an excellent use for them.  The goats clean up the tops eating all of the leaves so this another win, win project.  He brings in a wagon load of wood which needs to be split and racked every few days.  The chimney sweep came and our chimney is clean and ready for this season.  The stove has been cleaned and the hearths scrubbed.  With all of this complete I think fall cleaning is going to be on the to do list.

IN THE COOP

I am finding myself setting outside of the coop several afternoons watching the 5 week old peeps play.  They are really growing.  The war of the coop has just settled from bringing in the spring peeps.  They are holding their own most of the time.  If they could just learn to go up on the roosting poles.  Help has been needed every night this week.  Patience is starting to wear thin, but they must be up at night time.  Some nights we play with them and those tired nights they are picked up and placed on the poles.  When the storm came in Saturday, the girls put themselves to bed, all of the girls put themselves to bed, even the spring peeps for the first time.

IN THE GARDEN

We are still picking enough vegetables for our table and put a few away for the winter.  I have started to harden off some of the winter squash, I plant a variety you can use as a summer veggie or storage squash.  The dehydrator has been drying squash and I think I may have enough.  The varieties I am drying I use for pies and breads.  Some of our beds are being pulled out and being prepared for onions and garlic.  Fall planting time is almost upon us.  Turnips are up and some of the other greens.  We are 6 weeks from the first possible frost date.

IN CLOSING

Saturday evening before putting everyone up for the night.  A storm rolled through.  After all the work of cleaning and clearing, a tree came down by the garden.  It all starts over again, this tree is close to the wood piles so it will lessen then task.  There will be more firewood because this one is a hickory.  This is the one thing about life on the farm, there is always something to do.  One nice thing we mange to do almost everyday is stop for a few minutes and plan our upcoming projects.  Of course, any plan can and will be changed in a moment's notice because we have learned to roll with whatever comes our way.
Here's wishing you a wonderful week, Until next time.