Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What I've been doing...


Making cheese, Hubby loves coming home to finding cheese balls hanging from the cupboards...

Attempting to make soap...This batch ended up becoming laundry soap...waste not want not!

Attempted to make bread again and instead made bricks...again not wanting to waste all that hard work I threw chunks into the blender and made bread crumbs which worked really well for my homemade chicken tenders.

These are those baking soda shower discs. They are supposed to be like the Vicks Vapor discs, But I wasn't too thrilled about them. They did brighten up my shower floor though, even if they didn't open up my nose. I got more vapors making them then using them.

Potting my herbs I love growing plants and walking by running my fingers through them and smelling their wonderful fragrances.
My Hubby left his Gas job and went back to working for himself...We prayed about it for months before making that decision He was gone for 8 days home for 3 and with the farm stuff and our children it was taking it's toll. Amazingly circumstances all fell together making it possible for him to go back into business and be able to be home. God is GREAT! I truly believe God is in charge and I see him working in our lives. So we planted this tree to remind us of taking the leap of faith. Then we planted fruit trees and berry bushes...really planting roots at home.


Hubby built a shed to sell out of stuff here at the house

We went berry picking together. Hubby did much better this year picking. The last time we did this together he ate more than he picked! I love it when he does stuff like that because he is usually so focused on the goal that he works non stop. Apparently that work ethic does not apply tp berry picking! But I made 35pints of strawberry jam and quite a few servings of strawberry shortcake.
Then we moved onto getting more goats!

This is Grace, an Alpine Doe...really nice goat, great weed eater!

These are her bucklings they only stayed with a a few weeks, I sold them to another homesteader who has an issue with poison ivy. She named them Stihl and M'owen.

Ummm...Hubby and our buck Potter working out some testosterone in the goat yard...I don't ask, I just try to capture these moments

We drove to NY to get a new Lamancha and her two kids, but once we were there the Lamancha was much smaller than expected but she had this Saanan and her doeling for sale, cheaper than the lamancha!Her name is Willow and she is much bigger than this picture shows and STRONG, Hubby wants to build a cart for her to pull. But she is an excellent milker. The previous owner was not milking her. Said the last time she milked her she was getting a half gallon a day. She gives me a GALLON a day...Between the three milkers, Molly, Grace and Willow, I get 2-2 1/2gallons of milk a day!

This is her daughter Sandy she is also large and I believe will be a good milker when it's her turn.

This is a pot of yogurt. I have got to find ways to use up all this milk! The yogurt is perfect for the kids for smoothies. Also making ice cream, and buttermilk...who knew how easy making buttermilk was. I just added a 1/2c. of regular buttermilk to a quart of milk and let it sit on the counter overnight. Then back into the fridge and it is ready for use!

This is the start of the solar electric fence we are stringing in the field to pasture all the goats. It will cut back on feed and we can get another steer to raise without worrying where to put it!

This is the separation fence we added to the goat yard to keep the kids(goats, not mine) outside and away from the bigger goats that bully them. I didn't even get pics of the other stuff we are doing. I have got to show you Hubby's chicken tractor built with stuff we have laying around, our garden and my children who are growing as fast as the weeds!
I feel so blessed with all that God has provided for us...talk about overflowing!



1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the update! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures in goat milk land! What's your recipe for yogurt...? Would love to know your recipe for jam too!

    Stihl and M'Owen are doing great! Already have had M'Owen out on a leash.

    - Rosalyn
    www.rosalynpricenglish.com

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