Just another Day on the Farm

DIY Pinecones Colored Flames Project

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Simple DIY project using free picked up pinecones turned into a neat colored flames to use in your outdoor fall fires.

We had collected a large bucket of pinecones and I roasted them at 200 for 20 min to make sure they were clean, no bugs/eggs etc being brought into the house itself.

The video explains it.. one gallon warm water,

one cup of your choice of

Borax -green-yellow flames
Salt- yellow
Epsom Salt- white
Boric Acid- Green

Once Drained after soaking, allow to dry in well on a tray, shaking the tray to move them around twice a day until fully dry, then bag them up and store till needed. use a few at a time in the fire for color changing flames.

The reason, I do not have a wee video of these in action yet? this was on the plan for the weekend.. but.. Snow! lol

Posted in frugal | 4 Comments

How to Make Pineapple Fluff Dessert

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

Pineapple Chery Fluff is so easy to make. it’s a light fruity creamed cheese dessert.

Bottom

3 cups of graham crackers crumbs
1/2 a cup of butter melted.

Now you can make this a soft bottom, just mix your melted butter in and put it mixed gently in the pan and press it down and let it cool and go.. That would make this dish a no bake.

However I like a nice lift able firmer bottom, so press it down and bake it for 10 minutes at 350 in oven. Cool totally before putting it together.

Filling

8 0z of room temp cream cheese package
1/4th cup of butter
2 cups of Icing Sugar
3 cups of whipped cream
1 can of crushed pineapple (very well drained)
1 can of cherry pie filling.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together, then add the Icing Sugar and beat it in with the above. In a different bowl beat 1 cup of heavy whipping or use a tub of cool whip, your choice.. Beat the cream till its fluffy, then add the whipped cream and the crushed pineapple and gently fold it into the Cream Cheese, Butter and Icing Sugar mix..

Spread softly over the bottom layer. Open and spoon out the pie filling on the top and then gently spread it out as needed with great care to not mix the layers. Chill at least an hour ideally in the fridge

Cut and serve

This was my birthday dessert for Saturday’s get together.. it was a total hit with folks enjoying seconds and taking home a extra piece This is modified version of Pineapple fluff that was a popular dessert in the late 70’s and early 80’s and was at every potluck.

Lilli & Lotti’s Bunnies in a Bag!

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

Next up in the Lilli & Lotti Christmas Catalogue are bunnies in a bag!

These debuted last year at this time and have been a huge hit. Each little bunny is hand made and embroidered to show their own distinct personalities.

Each comes with six interchangeable skirts, a crocheted scarf and a cozy drawstring bag to tuck everything into.

I am taking orders for Christmas now, they are $25 each. Bags and skirts come in a variety of fabrics, and I can do my best to fulfill specific requests. I can also do PANTS 👖 if so desired. Because of the small parts, these aren’t recommended for kids under the age of 3.

Now, are they not just SO cute.. they also have other things on their facebook page to check out!

So here is me following the rules.. I did not get anything for promoting this company, I was not gifted anything nor was I paid in any way. To the best of my knowledge, following the link at the top of the post will not create any “cookies” beyond what facebook does in its normal way.

Now that I have that out of the way! The lovely ladies that own this small company, I meet one of them many years ago when she lived in the country and had her own little Canadian Blog, we were blogging buddies seven or eight years ago.. life changed and she no longer blogs but we became facebook friends and have stayed in touch since then.

I offered to put a post up here to promote their page because it means supporting a small handmade product. She does use new items but she is also totally open to using recycled material as well. So Perhaps you or your children or your friend is looking for a one of kind Christmas gift that was handmade with love.. Take a look, there are a number of different items, I just picked the bunny in the bag because I think its adorable 🙂

Posted in Life moves on daily | 2 Comments

Around the Kitchen Table Rambles

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

Come on in, Grab a seat.. Coffee or would you prefer Tea today?

I have been jotting down notes this week on things I wanted to talk about today on the Friday ramble post. They are in no real order LOL

We chunked out just over several hundred this past two weeks on building materials and hubby didn’t check each board and so we got a split dud. I want it to go back.. he says he can find a use for it. It’s almost impossible to get that guy to take something back or to get picky in the lumber yard.

I am sure the guys always want to see him pull in instead of me! I want to see the boards, I want to check each one. It’s a full hour of my time to go there and back and I do not want to waste the gas to bring one back and get it replaced so I tend to be picky at the start. Dear Hubby on the other hand is not as picky, nor does he want to take it back.. So at least one of my costly boards is not of quality. The price of lumber has gone up another 15% in the past two months.

So at the hardware store was an interesting little sign, it said..

Due to the lack of sawdust, we are not able at this time to get in bulk volumes of wood pellets for the wood burning stoves. We will update as soon as possible.

This made me go hmm.. why do we have a lack of sawdust, clearly our lumber mills are working, we have lumber, we have our own forest’s and our mills.. so why are we in lack of sawdust?

Now this is an issue for sure for all the folks that have the big cast iron wood pellet burning stoves to heat their homes. It will lead to higher “heating” costs if they need to use backup systems which tend to pull power to do so.

The way the stoves are made, they can not use regular wood in them and while you can get cords easy enough in our area. The cords have gone up another 1o dollars this year..

So tell me, are you seeing a sawdust shortage in your area for wood pellet stoves, can you get your firewood locally and if so, have you seen a price increase?

The weather has turned and winter is truly nipping at our heels this week. -8 this morning and under a weather warning that we will be getting our first true snow storm of the year this coming weekend, thankfully it is not to be arriving till later Saturday afternoon which means we can idea get our build done Saturday morning. Talk about pushing it right to the line.

My second subject today is passing the buck! Sometimes when it comes to cats I feel like there is a sign on my farm that says.. hey.. drop them off here.. she has cats, I am sure she would not mind one more. I had already spoken to the vet about booking in and fixing momma cat and that is one of the things we are saving for in the month of Nov. So to say I was not happy when “Mac” (we had to give him a name) appeared this week.

We heard a cat “talking” just off our deck and both hubby and I looked at each other because it was clearly a “help call” and so off we went to see who needed us.. and there he was a 2 to 4-year-old in good shape none feral intact male cat. He is not afraid of other cats, he is not afraid of dogs, he loves people, full on purr, head bop and body curl up and down when you pet him. This boy has been well-kept and well-loved..

So I thought, maybe he is just doing a fall walk, so I let those up and down the road that we had him.. nothing.. I had him scanned for chip (long shot I know) no chip.. we had locked him up for a bit in case we found his home fast.. we let him back out.. he shows up on our deck and sits on my lap for a cuddle.. NOT A STRAY!

While I am thrilled that we had added our little wee LeeLoo to the farm, I was honestly not looking for another cat this fall. Now the perk of this boy is that is outside only, he is a good hunter, he has a good temperament.

However in order to get him his rabies, altered and get him his meds (even for just one month) it will cost us around 300. The simple truth of the matter is.. I am pissed.. not at Mac, not his fault.. but instead at whoever loved and dumped him. It’s not like this is a farm born feral that I need to trap, fix and put back into barn because there is no hope of him being rehomed.

Rat-B@#%tard’s for putting it on us! Do you have a low-cost alter clinic in your area? Do you have a farm cat placement program? We have a low-cost program in the city but we make too much money a year to use it.

There is a very good low-cost no frills Rabies shot clinic held each fall. Thankfully we can give the rest of our vaccines ourselves to the cats to help keep costs down. Not many do.. but if you have knowledge and skill to do it properly, it will save you a lot.

We will tighten our belt just a bit more and we will do what is right.. Maybe I will be able to rehome him, if not.. he will be looked after properly.

So how was your week? Did you see something in a store that made you go hmm? Did you read something in the news that you thought was interesting? Is winter nipping at your heels as well?

Leeloo says Dezbot is warm and me snuggle!

Looking forward to our visit next Friday!

Posted in At the kitchen table | 12 Comments

Dill Pickle Pizza

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

Have you ever had Dill Pickle Pizza?

No, me either till last night! Hubby said, stay out of the kitchen, I got this!

My darling hubby is over the top on his happy birthday song but I think its adoreable.

So what does a Dill Pickle Pizza taste like.. well its like a garlic cheese bread pizza with thin slices of dill pickle.. its good! Its different but very good.. I love that I got to try something totally new on my birthday!

He also brought home a truly bad store cake.. I scraped off the fake icing and got a piece of the cake/cherry in me but he will be the main eater of that cake.. The older I get, the more I do not like “fake” food.. but none the less the thought was sweet as can be!

Hubby got me two pairs (on sale two for one.. good man) pairs of hot socks!

I also got the most lovely metal tree for the wall from my mother in law.. I like it very much 🙂

Now I must say thank you to those that took the time to wish me a happy birthday on the blog, facebook, by phone, by private message and by email! Over a hundred people took the time out of their busy lives.. Bless you all!

Posted in Blogging | 6 Comments

Farmgal’s turning 46

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

I am on the back side of my 40’s starting today 🙂 I am glad to be starting a new year. I have to admit that I am happy to put the year of my 45th behind me and have that feeling of starting a new year in my life.

I will admit that my 45th was a wild ride.. while there were certainly a number of highs and lots of just really good moments, events and days.. there was also a lot of lows, a lot of struggle and more time finding my footing after it felt like it had been swept right out from under me.

I had a very hard time on my 44th as it was the year that I truly was forced to accept that we would not be able to keep trying or have another child. For those that are knew to the blog, we were blessed with both a daughter (Maeve) and a son (Nathaniel) but both were born as premies and passed within days or hours of being born.. There was years of trying, many lost little ones within the first months over the years.. Its hard to let go.. The gentleman above is my rock, he has been with me though it all and I am so lucky to share my world with him!

I come into 46 with a more narrow view of what is important to me, what I want in my life, what I do not want in my life. There are changes afoot. I also come into year 46 with many blessings, a better understanding of what has value to me. I feel like 45 did some trimming of things to make room for what is to come. I am ready to spread my wings and let go of what must be and let the wind carry in the new.

This is scary, hard but a needed thing.. I am looking forward to all the new things we have planned for the coming year.. plans for myself, plans for the farm, plans with my wonderful dear hubby! Plans with my friends and family Some will be local, like when we went hiking just down the way in the photo below.. other’s might take us to further place and maybe even see new land.. I have a craving to go in the coming year!

So hope you will stick around for the coming year here on the blog, there will be recipes, lots of photos, more video’s, lots of farm things but also some trips in there. Bless you all

I want to send out a big Thank you to my readers, you have no idea how much your comments at times have meant to me over the past year.. some of you reached out when I was off line and sent me the most wonderful notes! Some of you just made my day, some of you I feel like I have gotten to know you and that if we ever could, that it would great to sit down and have a meal and visit in person. Thank you to the those that we have done just that.. I am grateful for those that I have been able to connect with face to face 🙂

Posted in At the kitchen table | 17 Comments

November No Buy

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

Now normally it is No Buy Feb and I might do that one as well.. but I have been reading along on a couple of blogs and a Facebook group that are all doing “reduce” or no Buy challenges.

The Facebook group is asking for 7 days.. really I have to admit that I went huh.. cuz 7 days really does not get the point home to me.. I mean I guess if you truly are the type of person that really only does keep 3 days of fresh food in your house, maybe.. or maybe if you are a skip the dishes regular or count of the good food box (which I am not knocking as at least it is Fresh food in a box that comes with recipes that you make at home, I would never knock fresh food/home cooking.. you go!)

But if you count on ordering it to give you meals because you do not have extra’s well then I guess the 7 day no buy could be felt. I think for most of us who are homesteaders in fall, our pantries overflow with things but on the other hand, Nov at least in my zone and many area’s of the states means that our gardens are done.

I am looking at doing a No Buy Nov for a few reason’s

I want to save a bit of money for other projects
I want to focus on the farm
I want to push myself to use what is available right now on the farm and explore possibility’s that I miss because I normally do this in Feb
I do not have any milking animals this month which means that I have limited milk products, I do have dried milk powder, dried buttermilk powder and of course canned milk.. So I am not without but I am limited.

My regular rules for a no buy apply here.. I will pay my bills, I will buy all needed farm and farm critter needs. I will allow us to buy what ever is still needed in regards to fall/winter repair on the farm.

I will if I need to have a small? hmm 20 dollar budget for the whole month for possible blog projects, if required. It’s not free money for any other use.

Hubby as always is out of the challenge when traveling for work but is in the challenge when on the farm and or taking his meals/snacks and such from the farm. He needs a new pair of boots but we will get them before Nov arrives. His old pair earned their retirement.

As always required vet/farrier needs for my farm or house critters will be done on time.

I have really enjoyed reading and back reading on The Realm of Silveryew and her weekly posts that have a daily little putter note on how things went.. I am not sure my time on the farm will be as interesting as I find her’s .. I am just in awe of some of the finds she has gotten.. I want bags of apples for 45p (and yes I had to look that up to confirm that would be 45 cents) and then to have the store owner just gift them.. how lovely!

I will be allowed to barter.. I am not sure what if anything I will be bartering for or with.. but it’s still allowed!

We will see how the month goes. It will be a good thing to switch it up to a different time of the year! I will let you know now much I saved at the end of the month to go towards the project I am saving for.

Posted in No Buy Feb | Tagged Belt tightening, Cheap and Frugal Meals, Frugal, No buy challanges | 10 Comments

Rustic Apple Tart

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

Apple tartlet with mixed dried fruit and pumpkin seeds.

Sometimes it just needs to be fast and easy. I have enough pie dough left over to do one crust and I have a bin full of fall apples. I rolled out the dough.

In a bowl, I put three sliced, cored and peeled apple slices, a handful of a fruit and nut trail mix, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 tsp of flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and half tsp of ginger powder. I mixed them all together.. put this in the middle of your tartlet and then lift and pinch the dough to create the raised edged crust, this was baked on a cookie tray but you could do it in a pan with edges if you are worried about leaks. Made four servings

Just because I could, when it came hot out of the oven, I drizzled one tbsp. of dandelion honey over the apples in the middle for a added boost of flavour. it was served cold with a bit of ice cream

Posted in Baking | Tagged dandelion flowers, Fall Apples, tart, tartlet, using up leftovers, Using your canning in baking | 2 Comments

Frugal Pasture Repair

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

Happy Sunday to my lovely readers..

We are having a very productive weekend, we are in repair mode on a project here on the farm.. We are in the final push on it today.. If we get it done fast enough (HAHa) we will be building a new Goose house.

We went last night till we were working with head lamps and we are back at it this morning.. Batteries are charged, New wood is ready to be cut and worked.. We will get this repair done before the snow flies and it will be a GRAND thing..

So today’s post is a easy and simple one.. How to use hay to re-seed your pasture. Now everything you read is going to tell you that you should feed off the ground and in a feeder and I totally agree!

If you are feeding out hay that has the critters ringing around it, then for sure you need a hay feeder, we have a large round hay bale ring feeder and we have smaller hay feeders in the barn stalls.

Let your sheep or goats or? graze that part of the pasture right down, this will mean that the new seeds will have a good chance for sprouting and growing up with the other plants, it will not work as well if you have taller plants.. you can mow it if you are doing a smaller area. Use a mulching blade to put the plant material back on the pasture and then feed out. ON

Having said that there is nothing wrong with feeding hay on clean ground each time you feed it out.. and no matter how good they are at cleaning up the area, they will not get all the hay “seeds” which will be scattered over the feed out area which when done in fall means added to the fall seed bank for spring sprouting.

So in our small pasture, we have slowly but surely been feeding out load after load in a line and then do the next line.. by the time of freeze up and winter hits, we will have feed out over the whole pasture and the sheep’s feet will have helped press the seed into the soil as they eat the spread out hay. I do need to spread out the horse poo’s and or pick them up so that they do not hold those spaces as non-growth for 2019. I break up the hay into smaller bundles from the middle and touch them out in a small circle with the main drop in the middle.

The horse’s do more spreading by tossing the hay around and the sheep do the biggest of the clean up, they leave very little but enough that you can clearly see where each feed out has taken place for when you go to do the next one. This does not work on trails, or main feed out area’s because they have worked the soil up to the point of dirt..

When you get to the point of dirt, you need to do a full proper seed out and a removal of the livestock to do a regrowth time allowed without hoof pressure. The very reason that folks say do not use hay in your garden unless you have to because of the seed’s it will drop in your soil is why this very frugal method will work on your pastures.

Posted in frugal | Tagged Frugal, hay, Pasture | 1 Comment

Corned Beef Hash

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

I have had a craving for old fashioned Corned Beef Hash, I will be starting some meats to corn them up.. I perfer homemade to the store..

I picked up a small can of corned beef.. it was from france.. it had Beef, Salt and Pink Salt.. that was it.. so I grated up some baking type potato.. and here is the important part.. Rince off your extra starch from the grated potato’s. To this in a big bowl, I put the potato’s, the hash, grated onion, Salt, Pepper and dried garlic powder. I would guess that for the 4 big potato, one small onion and half a tsp of the the spices.

In a large cast iron or other large non-stick pan, add a thin layer of oil and at med-heat, add the hash and cook till crisp golden brown, flip it and repeat on the other side..

Now unlike potato hashbrowns where you leave them whole, you chop this up, mixing the two layers and keep cooking it till at least 50 percent of the hash is or has some golden brown crispy bits to it..

Serve hot.. hubby likes his plain, I like mine with a bit of ketcup on them.. with fried dippy eggs.