Our First Snow of the year 2010

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

We woke up last week to the world being a christmas scene, As we just fenced in that part of the farm this year, it was a surprise to me at just how pretty the view out my living room window was when I sat down for breakfast at the table.. 

The hounds all had to roll and rub in it, being that most of them are a artic breed, they think snow is like a good shot of booze..

Speaking of snow, and good booze.. Here is a recipe to try out if you want a o so smooth drink to mix with coffee..

Irish Cream *

*Ingredients:*

– 1 (750 ml) bottle Irish whiskey (750 ml = 3 cups)
– 8 3/4 ounces milk chocolate
– 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
– 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
– 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
– 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules (I subbed w/ 2 T strong coffee)

Or for milk/cream

2 ½ pints cream
1-2 cup sugar

This recipe is easily cut in half, or make full amount and enjoy all winter or give a quart jar away as a gift. A full recipe makes three 750 ml bottles.
Directions:1. Pour a small amount of whiskey into a large bowl. In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth. Mix the melted chocolate with the whiskey in the bowl. Gradually stir in the sweetened condensed milk and the evaporated milk. Stir in the cream, instant coffee granules, and the remaining whiskey. 2. Pour mixture into 3 (750 ml) bottles, seal and store in refrigerator. Best if kept at least 1 month before using. To serve: shake bottle well, serve in small glasses over crushed ice.

 credit for the recipe goes to Rob on one of my farm groups..

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Sheep and the New Hay Feeder to be

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

Well, normally we get our barn filled with big sqaure bales of hay that are obout eight hundred to nine hundred pds each and it last us for the full five to six months  between freeze up and into spring when the hay pastures are growing but we don’t want to run them on it much when the ground is still so wet and the grass so lush that it can cause bloat.

The problem with this system has been that the hay is stored in the back of the big barn, The big barn has cement floors in the full front half (the orginal barn) but dirt floors in the second half of the barn(the newer part of it) and with the ground so wet, it means on average despite breaking up and putting straw down before the hay bales, we lose about 15/20 percent of all our bottom bales to mold.. this is a waste that I really don’t like, now of course we use this in our compost piles to add carbon, so its not truly wasted per say but the man hours involved in hauling it and given that straw is that much cheaper, I would perfer not to have it happen..

So our hay guy recommend trying round bales of hay, with him bringing two at a time once a month, that way the hay stays at his place, and does not have the same loss in qaulity at it does in our barn,  the other perk in a way is that we only have to pay a small amount per month in hay, raither then a large lump sum.

So we gave it a try ordering two 900 pd bales of hay, and here is what I have learned to date.

a) the bales won’t fit though my main gate by the little barn so that the hay ended up lifted up and over my fence behind the little barn.. not ideal but not bad..

b) you can lay out 2 by 4’s and roll the bales onto them for great airflow and cover with tarps, and it works ok, the sheep just eat all around but personally, I felt that there was just as much waste in the end by the sheep feeding this way as there was in the barn..

So that brings to mind a proper steel round bale hay feeder, general cost 300 to 400, and while I can get the first bale placed in it, I don’t have the tractor required to put the second one in.. which means that I would have to hire my hay guy to come and deliver either every third week one bale, or come every third week to lift the second bale into the feeder.. neither of these appeal to me..

So I have put my thinking cap on, and have decided to give a hand at making our own homemade sheep feeder that can expand or collapse at will.. and I might have finally found a purpose for those steel fence posts that I bought four years ago that have never been used and are just up in the rafts of the little barn.

So the idea is to build two solid wood sides, and then create moveable eating sides with the smooth metal bars  that can then slide in or out depending on the size of the bale itself and that the four sides will give me points to also attach my tarp to..

This should keep the amount of wasted hay down, as the sheep can only pull out small bites with their heads though it, and at the same time, lots of room for all the sheep to get a spot to eat from. So will share how the design turns out with a photo of it in action.. wish us luck on a building  day!

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My Most Beloved Old Gals

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

My wonderful old hounds Bella and Lily, Its really hard to believe that they are ten years old already.. it seems like only yesterday that I got my Bell-Bell from the pound in yellowknife and that my hubby fly to Calgary to pick up our sweet girl Lily-Willy..

These are such special souls to me and they have been with me though so many changes and have moved with me time and again, always with a wag and grin.. They are both starting to show their age in different small ways but its a price I am so willing to pay to have more time with them..

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Knitting, Knitting and more Knitting

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

Well, this little project, which has since become a large! project happened because in Sept, it was starting to cool off and the winds were becoming bitter and so I dug out my knitted ear warmer.. this was made by my mom’s mother, my grandma D

I was taught to knit as a child by my other grandmother when she came to live with us for a winter, I think I would have been eight or nine at the time, and I found it amazing that both my grandmothers could make slippers, and scarfs, hats but Grandma E had me, when she showed me how to knit my own barbie clothes.

Fast forward to now,  and I was looking at my ear warmer and thought.. I should make ear warmers in memory of Grandma D for my brothers little ones. Well, little did I know that such a simple thought would turn into what it has..

To date, I have finished scarfs for Ken, Mom, Dad, Hailey, Hayden, Dawson, Cloe, Verla,  and I am currently working on my own Scarf at the moment.

Extra’s that have been made, Knitted wash cloths, Knitted face wash cloths, Knitted hot pot center piece, little mini Christmas trees, Mini Wreaths, Hair pony tail, fingerless knitted work gloves, Headbane for Jason, knitted change purses

I am hopeful that I will have a few more projects finished by Christmas and then I am going to start working on a knitted patch quilt for a lap blanket and then going to start on hats for next year..

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The Golden Reward for the Morning Chores

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

Well its wet, and cold this morning, with a little fog.. the whole farm is damp with the ground soaked to the point of puddles and our little  ponds overflowing at their edges.

Bundled up and wearing the good old duck boots, I head out the door for chores, somehow the crisp cold air feels good but the dampness quickly creeps in as I work.. First out to the big pasture to cut open a new round bale of hay for the sheep flock, check the tarps on the other bales to make to all are holding in these winds and then pitchfork two full 80 liter carry totes with hay, while I listen to Girl bawl for her breakfast.

Carrying one tote and the freshly made warm milk bucket for the calf, I head out on the path that cuts though the swamp, normally the raised path hubby has made for me means I am high enough to avoid the swish.. but not today, the two days of rain has the water whelling up around my boots, up to the calf shed, first milk, then ration, then a new feeder full of fresh hay, and then clean out time, and fluffing an adding fresh bedding to her sleeping area.

Back Across the swamp to get the second tote and across the fields into the big barn, to feed Butterscotch and Ripple Chips my in lock down sheep, Fill their feeder, and start hand pumping the barns water, I know, I know it makes so much more sence to have it set up for auto but I wanted one well on the farm to be off-grid, and choose the deep well to make it so.. so three five gallon buckets of water later,  my arms are burning, my lungs puffing my breath out into the cold damp air, and I am Feeling fully alive.. The high water level means that the pump is smooth and sweet to work today.. unlike when its dry out and the pressure required is at least twice the work per stroke.

Up the main path and on to the little barn chores, first the rabbits need their feeders filled, and their water dished dumped and filled, also I see a few extra tuffs of hair in one pen, a very quick peek shows me a nest of fluffy creamy hair about six inchs wide that has the puffy movement under the hair that tells me a new litter has arrived.. I throw in a big extra handful of straw in the front of the box, in case momma rabbit wants to fix her back bedding a bit more.

The ducks are dabbling in the muds and rain puddles in their outdoor pens as they sing their morning greets to me.. the ducks are always happy when it rains.. the chickens not so much, they are all in the inside pens, sitting up on their roosts under their heat lamps..  Wimps..

First to the pen of new up and coming layers, my little chicks are not so little anymore, growing like weeds, they are now little chickens, like a teen boy that just needs to fill out as the frame is there mostly.. The roosters will be ready for freezer camp in another four to six weeks, the little hens should be starting to lay in late Jan or early Feb.

Time to feed the current hard working girls, and I am pleased to see eggs waiting for me in three nest, and blessed be.. one of the hens is still in the nest, and when she hops out for me, there is a still warm, just layed egg..

Back inside, and warming up with a mug of tea, and its time for my breakfast..  yummmm! Check out that wonderful yolk.. dippy egg  is a delight to the senses..

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Introducing Girl

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

Girl is a mixed breed Calf, she is a bucket baby, half dairy and half beef mix, a beautiful deep rich red with a white underbelly and little white socks, she is a very friendly and sweet calf who we got from just down the road.

She is being raised to be our family milk cow and also to be our oxen.. she is almost old enough to start training to wear her gear.. watch for updates.

She is halter broke and trained to walk on lead at that time and loves to be brushed down, getting much better on her feet being picked up.

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Life on the farm..

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

Welcome to my little farm blog

My Goals for 2011

To be a great wife and partner.

Make time for family and friends.

Take good care of any animals that I have in my care.

Not waste any resources that I have access to

To continue to learn and grow in all farm related areas

I hope you will find it interesting to stop by and read an or see lots of snapshots of our life..

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Creamy Rice Salad in a Pumpkin Serving Bowl

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Just another day on the farm

So, this week at my Girl’s lunch out, I was on Starter, and this weeks food is Rice..

So here is what I came up with

Creamy Rice Salad

1 cup of uncooked Red Rice (which if you have never had is as close as I have found to wild rice in taste without the very heavy cost to go with, its a good chewy and nutty Rice) Cooked per instructions. Then put in the fridge to get cold
1/4 green pepper diced
10 mushrooms diced
1/8 Large Purple Onion Diced
1 Stock Celery Diced
1 Large Leaf of Purple Cabbage Diced
1 clove of Garlic-Diced

The veggies were fried up till just starting to soften, then spread out and cooled in the fridge till cold.

Dressing
2 Heaping TBS of my homemade mayo
1 Heaping TBS of my homemade Greek Style Yogurt
1 TBS White Wine Vinergar
1 Tsp Raw Honey
1 Tsp of my Dried Basil (the spice one)
1/2 tsp of Dried Ginger, Black Pepper, Salt

Mix together the Rice, Veggies and Dressing, Add 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds and 8 half whole raw walnuts chopped.

I took a pie pumpkin, Cut it so that the bottom will be 3/4, with top 1/3, cleaned out the insides (don’t forget to keep the pumpkin seeds for later use) and wrapped it up in foil and baked it till just done.

Split apart, drain any extra water inside it and allow to become cold.. Take Salad and fill the inside bowl, then top to be able to serve, just lift the lid and vola..

This salad can be eaten as side for sure but as it was to be a starter, I brought a fresh baked loaf of my sweet, soft and tany buttermilk bread that I made yesterday. So I will cut up the fresh bread to be served with the topping of the Salad..

I will post reviews on it being served that way.. but do consider giving it a try as a side salad.. its very different but O so yummy.. It has a Excellent rating from me personally.

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