Just another Day on the Farm

A little Sunday Fun.. This weather just begs for you to go riding..

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Well, today was a huge! day in our adventure with brandy, today was the day we went riding with her with a friend.. I will admit that I had hoped last fall to be able to do this when I first got her, but quickly figured out that we needed to do some work both on the ground and in the saddle to get her ready to do this.. Having said that, I fully intend to spend a amazing amount of time in the saddle this year 🙂 and alot of that time is planned to be heading out with dear friends at the same time.

Look at how good my big baby is being, just hanging out, all ready to go for a little ride..

It was a great ride, she was as well behaved as you can get, of course when it came time to split them up, things got a little different at that point, but hey, lets focus on the good parts of this ride and leave the learning and training parts to the side 😛

So, so pleased with her..

Posted in draft horse | Tagged Winter Riding | 3 Comments

Feeding spuds..

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Hmmm interesting, I am just going to put these links out there, might need to plant even more spuds and really consider some of the info in here..

Very, Very interested in them in regards to the chicken feed, they must be cooked but for a small flock owner, and with the amazing price of feed, being able to take it to 50 percent cook potato with 50 your grain mix, that is a lot of savings over the year..

The only way to see if this would work as well as they say is to do a trail flock.. What say you? Should I do a little feeding and raising experment?

Normally when you heard about potato’s and chickens, its don’t feed them and that is true if its raw, but not true if they are cooked, same with the pigs, they need their spuds cooked but sheep, cows and horses do not, they just need to be carefully done in terms of feeding percents.

Very, VERY interesting on the study that showed that potato’s done in the correct way for fatting lambs could outfatten even corn, but of course the work load is harder and the requirements for storage harder, I can see why this would not catch on in N.A. with all our ability to grow and store grains but for a small loop farmer, this is very very interesting, I have feed lots of cooked potato’s to my pigs but never feed them to any of the other critters.

Do you or do you remember your grandparents using potato’s as livestock feed?

http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/Fact%20Sheets/FeedingLivestock.pdf

http://www.gnb.ca/0170/01700002-e.asp

http://digitool.library.colostate.edu///exlibris/dtl/d3_1/apache_media/L2V4bGlicmlzL2R0bC9kM18xL2FwYWNoZV9tZWRpYS8yNDc2MQ==.pdf

Posted in Critters, Life moves on daily | Tagged Feeding potatos on a small farm, potato's as livestock food, potato's as part of a fodder ration for livestock | 1 Comment

March Challanges- Feel free to join in!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Now normally, March is my eat only from my house and farm, the rules are simple if something comes on sale, I can buy it but it must go into the pantry and not be used, this is always a good challange, as March is without a doubt one of the hardest months, and therefor one of the best months to find out where your pantry is lacking..

This march is coming in no different, anyone care to join me in the march challange, I have two breaks this month, one I am still going to get my green box, and I will own up to it and what was in it, so given that, if anyone else decides to play along this year, I feel its only far to give the same amount up for everyone, that means that you are able to have a total of 20 dollars of fresh fruits and veggies, that keeps us on equal footing but that is all that you can bring in fresh..

Otherwise, you are on living out of your pantry and freezers, and see how it goes and report back, let us know where you have found your strengths and your weakness?

Now in keeping with challanges.. anyone besides myself and deb going to take on the Double Dare ya, plant challange for 2013

Sign up for the Double Dare Ya Weed Challange, its so simple, and for all your gardeners ad cooks, you should love this one! for the rest of us, o boy are we all going to get to ideally learn something new!!

Starting in spring in your area once a month, I want you to find something growing in your yard, flowerbed, lawn, ditch or garden or park that you “think is a weed or non-useful” be it tiny plants, big plants, bushes or tree’s! and I want you to research it, report on its extra uses, (get creative here girls, can it be used as a color dye, can it be used to make cordage, can you use it for medical, herbal, compost, in a salve) and then pick on thing that can be done with it, and do and report back with a link to your site and or put it all in the comment section and I will put it up on this blog for you.

Lets go with the end of the month but I am not going to put a set date, sometimes in the last week of the month is the time to share your Double Dare You Weed Challange

While I really want to keep this challange as free flowing as possable, join in when you want, and if you can only do a certain number of months that’s just fine. If you need idea’s just say so and I will be happy to put up a few different thoughts.

The Year of the Cheese is coming right along, and I have a few things planned on it for this coming month.. My soaping is also coming right along, and I continue to make sheep milk soaps.

Last but by no means least, I am going to try and do one more oddbits or offal recipe per month. March is going to be heart! so if you want to join in, its simple at any point in time in March, do up a nice heart recipe, share it and let me know and i will link you back in and we will all see some nice recipes..

Jan – Rabbit Livers on a bed of veggies

Feb was Bone Broths-A lovely pork bone broth soup

Posted in Life moves on daily | 1 Comment

Currently in my seed box for this coming garden season..

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

These are not in order, its more of what I pulled out in that order got written out.. now to figure out what I still need to get.. I will get to flowers and herbs at a later point. and the reason the kind is listed is because CD always asks me what I grow..

Veggies

Mustard Red Giant

Turnip- Laurentian

Radish-cherry belle

Carrot-Scarlet Nantes

Carrot-altas

Carrots-Chantenay Red Cored 2

Onions- Salad Laser-Green Onion

Bean-Bush- TenderGreen

Squash- Zucchini Dark Green

Squash- Zucchini- Black Beauty

Bean-Scarlet Emperor

Cucumber- Market More

Pea’s- Homesteader

Radish- Sparkler White Tip

FG-Seed Potato’s

Anut Molly’s ground cherry

Squash- Golden Health

Pumpkin- Tonda Panana

Spinach -Bloomsdale

Carrot- Creme de lite F1

Pea’s Little Marvel

Sweet Corn Peaches and cream

Beans -Kentucky Wonder gReen climbers

Lettuces- Buttercrunch, Romaine, Grand Rapids, Prizehead and salad bowl

Beets – Detroit Dark Red

Broccoli- Green Sprouting

Sqaush- Table Queen

Cabbage – Golden Acre

Pumpkin-sugar

Watermelon-Sugar Baby

Cantaloup- Hales Best

Pepper- Jalapeno

Carrots- Rainbow Blend

Onion – Sweet Spanish

Brussel Sprouts- Long Island

Leek- Large Musselburg

Squash- Buttercup

Chinese Cabbage-Michihli

Tomato- Assorted heritage FG mix-blend

Tomato- Amish Paste

Tomato Roma

Cauliflower- Super Snowball

Celery- Tall Utah

Asparagus- Mary Washington

Endive- Broud Leaved Batavian

Pepper-early calwonder

Squash- Waltham butternut

Squash- Sweetmeat

Squash- Green Hubbard

Posted in gardens | Tagged Seeds for the coming garden year | 10 Comments

Cubed Steak with veggies..

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Super easy, o so yummy, Steak with veggies in a pepper sauce, one big beef steak, cubed up, a full bunch of greens and a full package of mushrooms, most of the time I would do onions or peppers but you work with what you have.. after cooking them off, strain out and add a bit bone broth or beef broth and make it into a gravy after deglazing the pan, lots of salt, pepper, garlic, fresh or powdered.. can be served with mashed potato’s, can be served over a bed of rice or served on a bed of pasta or serve as is..

Posted in Food Production and Recipes | Tagged Cubed Beef Steak with veggies in a pepper sauce | Leave a comment

Lamb Meatballs on a Mango chuntey

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

One pound of lamb, made into spicy meatballs, I used salt, pepper, and a good amount of keens powdered hot mustard with a tiny bit of dried ground red pepper for a bit of extra color in the meat.. make meatballs and bake them off in the oven, you can make extras for other dishes if you want or just enough for this very hearty lunch or supper.

Take one large mango, peels, dice into peices, one large pear, One small onion dice into peices, and 1 tbsp of raw local honey, 1/4th cup of white or red wine vinager , rice or apple in a pinch, cloves, ginger, and allspice with a bit of salt round out the flavourings, simmer this still the fruits start to get softer but not mushy, serve under the meatballs, goes well with a cabbage colslaw salad for a lunch or a rice side dish for a supper..

Posted in Food Production and Recipes | Tagged lamb meatball with chuntey, Lamb Recipes | Leave a comment

Mile High Lemon Pie..

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Make a single bottom pie shell out of regular pie dough, I can tell you how I make my homemade lemon pie filling if folks are interested, but for sake of being easier, use a good quality lemon pie filling (a freshly made one on the stove, not a canned one!) and here is the trick, they say to make your topping out of the two egg whites, Bla, that’s for whimps, crack out a solid dozen egg whites in total and whip those whites up till they will give you nice little peeks and make your whites at a min three times as thick as the pudding is in the pie.. AKA Mile High Lemon Pie.. Bake off for about eight to nine min till golden brown, cool and serve..

Now this pie is so good that it should be eaten right up but let me say it right up front, this is not a keeping pie, you can make a good fruit pie and it will keep a number of days with very little issue, this pie will start to weep by day two and forget it by day three, its going to be flat, weepy and wet bottomed..

Eat it fresh and if its to much, have friends over for coffee or take it over to someone you like and share it with them 🙂

DH’s offical B-Day cake, or pie 😛

Once its served I will come back with a sliced picture to add to this post, but gotta love that top!

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged Mile High lemon Pie | 4 Comments

Lonesome Charlie Johnstone’s Strange Boon by Jason Sharp is in..

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

The Masked Mosiac-Canadian Super Stories, currently Number 1 Best Seller on Amazon.ca in Fantasy Anthologies.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/bestsellers/books/959140/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_b_3_4_last

I am thrilled to say that DH (J) has his first published story in this wonderful collection listed above, but not his last published story for 2013, will update on as more info comes available.

He will be doing a short reading and book signing on March 16th in ottawa at “The comic Shop” from 2 to 4 pm if you want to come over and say hi and get a sighed copy..

The book is available on most larger retailers sites..

Posted in Book Reviews, Life moves on daily | Tagged Dh short stories, Dh's books, Writing | 4 Comments

Happy Birthday to my Beloved Dear Hubby!

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

I am honored to once again been blessed to have spent another year with you as your wife, you are truly one of the most kind, thoughtful and loving husbands any girl could ask for and I give thanks every single day that you are in my world.. I love you so much husband of mine!

Posted in Life moves on daily | 4 Comments

The other, other white meat- mealworms..

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Just another day on the farm

Group two is no more.. and I found out that chickens are not the only thing that likes to eat mealworms.. so do hounds!

One of my mealworm box’s was safely(I thought) tucked into a second shelf, where it would provide extra warmth, a bit of darkness and still have them around for me to check on them etc..

Well, clearly the hounds had other idea’s, while the farmers are away, the hounds will play, this involved taking said pet box out, broke into two and not a worm or oatmeal flake to be found, nothing left but very quiet, laying quiet, Who US? looks on faces..

So that was a wash! and I need to make sure Group one is moved to a safer area as well, who knew!

PS, this was after they had been feed their supper at six and they took it out around eight/ninish..