Just another Day on the Farm

Orange Cranberry Jam

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Cranberries are such an awesome treat for Christmas but watch for those sales that “should” come after boxing day on them. It’s a perfect time to pick up extra bags and make up some awesome Cranberry jam.

This is a very simple recipe to make and can up using a water bath method.

4 cups of cranberries (or two small bags)
1 can of frozen orange juice (I used no pulp)
2 cans of water in the orange juice tube
1 tsp of salt
5 to 7 cups of sugar (I went with five because I didn’t want to it to sweet, please do not reduce it below 5 cups if you want to can it.. you can reduce it below 5 cups if you want to freeze it. If you want it sweeter, can use up to seven cups of white sugar)

Take your cranberries/juice/water/salt and add it all to a big heavy steel pot, bring it to a boil and then drop it down to a simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes till the cranberries start all popping, if you want chunky jam, use a potato masher, if you want a smooth jam, carefully take it off the stove and hit with a stick blender till you get the smoothness you want.

Put it back on med-heat and add your sugar stir in and continue to stir while you bring it to a boil, skim the foam. Jar into hot jars, wipe your rims and into a hot water bath for 20 minutes for shelf stable Orange Cranberry Jam.

Bet you thought I forgot the pectin? Nope.. I just like this one as is. Its got natural thickness to it. Its a cross between a jam/butter in texture.. just lovely!

If stored in a cool dark pantry, it will be good for up to a year. Use it for jam but so much more than that. .use it in salad dressings, use it in sandwich’s its outstanding with old aged cheddar cheese! and don’t forget to consider using as glaze for meat, or adding a kick to your homemade BBQ.

Made 4 pints plus a bit leftover for fresh use.

Posted in Canning | Tagged Easy Orange cranberry jam, How to make orange cranberry jam, Making homemade jams, Orange Cranberry Jam, Waterbath canning | 9 Comments

Happy Anniversary

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

20 years of being together with my wonderful mountain man and today we are having our 19th wedding anniversary. Its been a challenging year in many ways and I am beyond grateful that you were at my side though it all dear!

Note to self, must take more “couple” photos though 2019.. So many great single photos but not nearly enough “couple” even if they need to be selfies LOL

Posted in At the kitchen table | 5 Comments

Self Reliance Challange 2019

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Once again Lisa is having a 31 day Self Reliance Challenge for bloggers to join in with.

Make a resolution to be more self reliant in 2019! Being more self reliant helps save money and increase your confidence and skills. I’ve pledged to share my self reliance posts, tips, and plans with you in January 2019 as I challenge myself to learn new skills!

I am going to be working with fellow bloggers listed on her page, I also have included a link to the main site with all the bloggers in my side bar if you ever want to check them out in more detail.

If you are a Pin Gal the group has you covered! Follow the link to our board, where you will see all the new posts from all the homestead bloggers in the challenge.

If you are blogger and want to join, please feel free to drop me a note or go right to lisa’s site and see will get you all set up. You do not need to post daily and you are allowed to link back to older posts as well.

I am trying something new this year.. I have written out a schedule for the full 31 days and I have a daily plan on what goes out when. I might love this or I might hate this! Its a busy month and I am interested to see if this will help or hurt me for keeping things on track.

Sometimes having a subject matter can be great and other times if I am not feeling the writing flow with it, I can’t get it come out when something else needs to be written first. In hopes of keeping it moving correctly, I have one backup post already done for each of the “general” seven day subject matters done in the plan. This means if I hit a bump on my writing, I can use the pre-written one and or the older post that is related to the subject matter and well worth bringing out again.

I break all the rules because I do write most of my post fresh daily, rather then writing ahead of time but I think that most of the time that is perfect for my blog as I keep to the season’s and the happenings on the farm and our outings/trips and so forth.

I am not taking on any “new” for this challenge.. instead I am going to focus hard on what I KNOW inside and out.. I am going to try and look at programs/kits/How to that are second nature to me and share them.

These will be tried and true write out and tips on how we do things on the farm, with new fresh updates on posts written years ago with new photos in some cases. While I admire so many of the bloggers trying new things and new challenges and learning curves.

It got my thinking cap on and I decided that I would go the other way!

Posted in 31 Day Self Reliance Challange | Tagged 31 Day Self Reliance Challange, 31 Day Self Reliance Challange 2019 | 2 Comments

Farmgal’s Christmas Journal 2018

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Dec 21st.

Its raining.. they say that we are going to have record breaking rain today and into tomorrow, its melting the snow on top and just sitting floating on the sheet of ice below it, there is some movement but right now, things are mainly just sitting in puddles over ice.

I am interested to see how it will go, the collection system for the rain garden worked very well in the fall but that was while water was also releasing into the ground below.. this will be a good first test run on what we will be getting in the spring melt/new water movement in the yard.

The last of the xmas gifts arrive in the mail today and I can’t wait to share them with you after they get opened, I know what they are but I will wait.. they are from the critters, do you do that.. maybe that is just my family but just like the critters get food presents/photo sessions, the critters also gift things back.. as adults Santa does not visit the farm. What would have been santa gifts are now gifted with the farm or the critters names LOL

I keep waiting for the Blue Jays that come though the yard each day and always make a stop at the hawthorn bushes to find the red roofed suit hanger.. soon I hope!

Hubby got home a bit later then normal but that is because he was kind enough to stop for a few things at the LCBO store, I asked for a smaller bottle of Baileys (so I can have fancy coffee and loaded hot chocolate) and a some Crown Royal in my tea over the holidays. Hubby does not drink at all, so they will last me a good while.

Dec 22nd

It was frozen and snowing this morning, so much for the heavy rain and freezing rain they said was coming for Saturday.. the rain ended mid afternoon on Friday and total the area is white with a fine dusting of new snow. We did the normal farm stuff and then we decided that it would be a perfect way to bring in winter with some time together in the local forest. I took my camera, I was on the hunt for birds.. while we heard them and we caught glimpse of this and that.. Only this pretty dove (who was sure it was hidden in plain sight) stayed still long enough for me to get a really nice photo of it.

Hubby said good eye, he missed it totally. I was like freeze. I spotted a lovely wild turkey high up in a tree on the edge of a open area and I thought for sure if we were careful that I could get up to get a nice photo of it.. but it flushed out, you have no idea how I wished I had been able to get a good photo of it come flying down out of the trees to the ground below.. It was lovely to watch!

I need to make the nuts and bolts mix yet but otherwise we are ready for Christmas! I am happy that we can relax and just enjoy the coming days. Hubby got another chapter done on his new novel. good for him!

Dec 23rd

The sunrise this morning was stunning and I am sorry to say that I do not have photos of it for you.. I will see if I can get some soon. The day is cold and crisp but sunny.. the winter windows for the big barn went up and in place, allowing sun to still come in but stopping all “draft/fresh air” from coming in. That is the last big push in the big barn to get it ready for lambing. I will need to check over the lambing kits and see if they need any touch ups.

The house smells awesome, I have Cedar/Orange/Cloves on 🙂

Well as tomorrow is Christmas eve, I figured I had better get our version of a tree up an the box’s of presents that have arrived out from family and friends. I did not want presents on the floor, nor did I want to have lots of hanging or shiny things to get LeeLoo kitten really excited about

I like it very much.. Hubby and I are not wrapping our gifts, we do sometimes use the same gift bags for years now but this year we are only doing stockings and one bigger gift each. I am looking forward to seeing what the critters and farm got me LOL

We don’t have santa visit but we get gifts from the critters/farm.. of course our critters get food gifts on Christmas!

It was a quiet lovely evening of reading/writing

Dec 24th

Hubby was up at the normal time as he had to go to work, it was more like a half day of work as they are always given the nudge to go home around lunch but that means that the bus’s are crazy so he heads out about 1pm. It also means he need to drive in much further for a different park and ride so that the can come home early.

He was cleaning his office and doing some shedding because its not like there is much pressing on Christmas eve.. He came across his Whale Cove CD photos from 2003 I will share just a few there as I want to do a full post on it soon.

This is a overview shot of Whale Cove, Nunavut, Canada. taken by Dear Hubby in Late July 2003.

Atop a hill overlooking the community is a whimsical whale’s tail monument built in 1967. The monument celebrates the close association of Whale Cove residents with the resources of the sea. At one time the local co-op operated a cannery in Whale Cove, and shipped canned muktuk or whale blubber to the south. From the hill or the monument, visitors can easily see the whole community.

He was leading a exploration trip for collecting rock samples on behalf of the Canadian government. He is wearing his Nasa Cap from when he went to the mar’s Base camp the year before! Our Sweet boy is at his side on this trip.. Most of you know him as the old man, he lives to be 17 and half years old.. so close to 18 years my sweet Vaskur.. Here he was still so young! They were thrilled to have found a snow bank on the off-side of the rocks to cool off in on their hiking that day.

Dec 25th

The hounds let us sleep in which was lovely, we enjoyed hot chocolate and opened our presents.. I got some very nice gifts from my family and Books! from hubby and critters

We took a lovely winter hike, it was a touch brisk at -15 but filled with bright warm sun! You are going to be seeing a lot of hiking photos, we are planning a trip this spring and we (by that read me) are going to be starting our walking/hiking to get in shape for the trip. I have my eye on a couple pretty tougher moderate/longer hikes. I know that I need to be in better cardio shape to make that happen.

It was a truly sweet day with my man, it was quiet but it was so peaceful.. I could not have asked for a better “us” day.. Thankful for the phone to touch base with family on both sides of the family.

Dec 26th

The morning saw us up at a much earlier time, it was just time to get up and moving, So many eggs coming in the house, I feel like its spring in that way.. eggs for breakfast, finding ways to add eggs to this or that.. feeding scrambled eggs to the hounds, feeding hard boiled eggs by the dozen to the pig..

The girls are laying between 7 to 8 dozen a week pretty much and there is NO way for us to eat that many and sales are slow right now.. so they get turned into critter food, something that is very good for them but sad to be using good farm fresh eggs for in a way.

Its Boxing day! The flyers are full of sales, full of deals trying to get folks to spend just a little bit more, put just a little bit more on credit for many.. we are staying home, there is only one thing left on our to buy list and we checked online.. its not on sale and even if it was, I would order it online and still avoid the stores, the crowds and the craziness!

No, I expect that the truth is we will not spend a dime today.. its a grey overcast day, so glad we basked in the sun as much as possible yesterday, it was such amazing blue sky’s!

We are back to overcast today.. so much grey these days!

How is your boxing day? Are you staying home? or are you braving the crowds? Shopping online? Relaxing or heading out for a event deal? I have seen a number of my friends talking about getting out to different events today..

I looked at them and went.. nah.. I think I will spend time with hubby/hounds/horse’s. I wish I could go for a ride but its way to icy out there to ask that of the horse’s, I can barely walk around, its like bambi on ice out there.. would never do that to my boys.

Posted in farm journel | 4 Comments

Merry Christmas! 2018

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Merry Christmas 2018 to you and your lovely families! May you have been blessed with a white Christmas if where you live its possible, maybe the day bring you lightness and lift your hearts with the sounds of song and laughter!

Dear Hubby and the farm critters out did themselves this year on my Christmas books! So many interesting things to read, try and do. It will be a grand time reading and working my way though them.

Everyone have a great day!

Posted in At the kitchen table | 3 Comments

Christmas Eve is upon us

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Mr Bojangles has been with us now for two years this Christmas.

Its been a growth year in many ways, this also means its been a difficult year and there has been loss. Sometimes you seem to be able to move forward and there is so much room for the new and other times as much as it hurts, there is loss that happens to open up that space for new growth.

Miss Brandy is still missed so much, but without her passing, Bojangles would not have come into our life! Bo will never replace Brandy, they are so different but Brandy reminded me of just how much room in my heart and life I had to hear a snicker greeting me.

More often than not, the truth is both. This is the first Christmas in a long! time that Hubby and I are having the holiday’s as a couple only. Its been an adjustment and then some to get a grip on the fact that we will not be sharing time over the holiday’s with family or friends this year.

Samwell was truly a family horse, first living with us here before moving to alberta to be loved on by both my mom and dad and then heading up to northern alberta where he carried my brother and his girls on many an adventure. Despite his advancing age, it was still a surprise when he went down and the vet helped him over.

It’s just us, the critters, the farm and forest that will be sharing the holidays together and closing out 2018 and bringing in 2019.

When Samwell moved on, there was room in the pasture and our hearts for Caleb to come to the farm.

I have been doing a lot reflecting lately and part of that is been looking at photos, I love my Christmas Photos of my horse’s. It got me thinking though, sometimes people or animals you care about move on. It’s not easy but that is what is going to happen.

Sometimes you are going to just lose them totally! You are going to grieve!

However if you can when the time is right for you, open your heart and embrace the future, bring in the new! You will have to build those new relationships, learn each other and create those bonds.

The new will never be the old

but you have to keep moving into the future and embrace what you discover there.

It’s Christmas eve and Dear Hubby and I will be doing some traditional family things, we will open our one present before bed, we will be snacking on things that connect us to our families and childhood. We will be making new memories, new photos for me to look at in the years to come.

One part of me is grieving!

One part of me is in the here and now!

One part of me is filled with sadness at what was!

One part of me is filled with Joy for what is!

One part of me is filled with hope for what the future can be!

Today.. Well today..

I will honor the past, live in the day and allow myself to see the future for all its many truths both positive and negative..

Blessing to you all!

Posted in At the kitchen table, Life moves on daily | 15 Comments

Natural way to add Christmas Scents to your home.

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Like many of us, I adore my house being filled with “Scents” of Christmas time! The scent of the spruce or pine, the scents we think of for baking, cloves, cinnamon..

We have Christmas oranges so all peels are saved to be used in this. A stick or two of cinnamon curls.

Add your choice of the greens, cedar trimmings, or spruce or pine..

Farmgals frugal tip!

Use your pickling spices, there is no need to pay the higher costs of the blends I have seen at the store. Its perfect way to do it on the cheaper costs, I buy my pickling spices in bulk at a large discount. You will have bay leaf, black pepper corns, and of course cloves in your blend.

Put your fixings in a pot, fill with water and put it on simmer and other then checking it now and again to make sure its still got water, you are good to go.. if you want you can use a crock pot.

If you are going to be out of the house, turn it off, do not leave a working pot on the stove while you are out, please!

The perk.. everything in here is safe to be added to your compost pile at the end of the day!

Posted in gardens | Tagged Easy All Natural Simmer Blend for Christmas, Frugal ways to scent your home | 5 Comments

Do you want your Lambs or Kids to be birthed in daytime hours?

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Would you like to know how a simple change can help increase your flock or herd’s day time lambing rates? Do you dislike cold winter all night baby watch, checks and 1 to 4 am birthing times.

How you ask? Its simple really.

Change your main feeding time for your hay.

Make your feeding time after 6 pm in the evening and your ewe’s or doe’s or cows will spend the night working on their dinners and will have their babies during the daylight hours between 6am to 6 pm.

I had noticed that I had a lot of morning and daylight lambing and I love that.. I also found that those girls that hang back on the morning feed out are ready to go.. and It give me a nice heads up for getting them into the lambing jugs.

This works if you want it moved the other way if you work a full-time job off the farm, you can adjust your feeding times to give you the best results for when you ARE home.

The reason I can say this is because they have studied this to the point that they have the present’s that give birth in what timings.

Researchers at the Kansas State Experiment Station followed up with a five-year study to give us all a better idea of what we could expect from a change to evening feeding.

Their results are similar to other studies. Dusk feeding meant that 34% of calves came between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Another 21.2% came between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and then another 30% arrived between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. That left only 15% of the calves being delivered between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Of course your results may vary.

We have done this for years and we have most of our lambs/kids and calf’s born between 7 am and 11 am. If you tend to have most of your babies born at night and would prefer them to be born during the daylight hours.. do give this Canadian method a try!

This post is part of Self Reliance Challenge Jan 2019.. I am just early! It will be included in the round up posts!

Self-Reliance-Challenge-2019

Posted in Critters, Real Life | Tagged how to help your goat kids be born in daylight hours, how to help your lambs be born in daylight hours, kidding, lambing, simple feeding chance helps lambs be born in daytime hours | 30 Comments

Friday Rambles around the table “Soil Regenerative”

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Quick, Quick its pouring rain.. glad you made it, its raining so hard that there are road closures, and the kiddo’s buses are canceled as well. Shake yourself off and come on in..

I have got a lovely pot of spicy Chia tea on today or perhaps a hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick?

How are you doing today? Its getting so close to Christmas? Are you ready for it? Got your plans made? Still need a stocking stuffer? How about a little package of seeds? I know how excited I get when I get seeds and I expect that others feel the same 🙂

I am waiting for a convention to open up, I am on the email list to get in on the early bird cost fee, I would like to save as much as possible. Its a three day event and I have a feeling its going to be filled with hot topic/cutting edge knowledge in regards to living soils.

The new year is coming and might I make at least one of my own little New Year Predictions!?

I predict that you will be hearing “Regenerative” and “Soil Carbon Capture” along with “Year of the Soil” and a new one even to me..

Climate Victory Gardens!

Now this little video is very tailored for the states but it gets the point across that this is a movement that is up and coming..

(now please don’t think that the five tips are going to be new to us homesteaders or old gardeners, its old hat for most of us.. other then those that are still tilling every year and keeping bare soil gardens)

I have been hearing that word, just slipped in on the main news, seeing it pop up in BBC news and more.. then one of the grass roots groups I follow and work with, posted that one of their main ladies was going to be a speaker at the coming soil event for 2019.

This is the video from their first one in 2017!

You are most likely thinking hmmm.. but I think that we are going to find that this is going to be a HUGE push in the coming while.. it’s of course NOT this simple.. there are many other factors at play but none the less! I will stay on topic..

This is a much longer video but it explains the basic’s of how/why when it comes to carbon capture in the soil

If you have the time to watch this, its worth it! I know that its dry but I really want you to remember that this was done in 2017.. so many of the things he is talking about is our “right here and now”

I had already planned a number of compost posts and one really longer video on compost and soil in the coming year, I knew that I would be sharing a good amount of posts on my yard work. I have a feeling this convention will provide the spring board to a lot more information sharing with my readership 🙂

As we get closer and the outline come together, I will come back and see if there is any questions you guys have that you want to see if I can get answers for on a global scale.

So do you think that climate victory gardens will catch on?