Too Tired For Supper

With the promise of rain tonight and tomorrow we had LOTS on the to do list. Getting the garden in was at the top of the list. While baking, I put some soup bones in the oven to brown for a few hours and after delivering the bread and milking, it was off to the greenhouse to get plants. I came back with tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Doug had already gotten most of the rows laid out and was cultivating a few more when I arrived with the plants. As I started planting the peppers, he came to make sure that I was planting them straight. I had a childish urge to plant a very crooked row... I never knew there was a garden police, so those unsuspecting pepper planters...beware. (HUG EYE ROLL!!)  In addition to getting the plants in the ground, we also put in two rows of corn and some filet green beans. Next we staked the tomatoes and tied up the ones that were already in the ground. A late lunch and then we were off to the barn. I did the daily cleaning chores and feeding while hubby laid new plywood down the center of the hay loft for the new hay elevator to go on. That done and the evening milking complete we started weeding the kitchen garden. Loosing track of time, it was well after dark when we quit. A long day for sure but a huge amount accomplished. When we finally came in, I put the soup bones in the crock pot to cook during the night for stock and deciding we we too tired to cook, we made a meal of goat cheese, crackers and beer. How's that for a balance meal?!  

Garden Harvests & Freezing Eggs

The rain missed us last night and my plans for weeding today were put on hold. Instead with the help of our intern we got the morning barn chores done and harvested instead of weeding. I finally was able to get most everything fertilized with fish emulsion and seaweed.
The greens are still hanging in there and she was able to pick close to a bushel of spinach and kale. At least a quart of strawberries was picked along with a handful of early garlic scapes. We hauled our harvest for the day to the house and enjoyed a late lunch.

Just after she left the rain finally arrived and I spent the rest of the afternoon indoors. I put a pot of white beans on to cook for a pot of kale soup tonight. I washed the greens and began dealing with the avalanche of eggs that threaten to fall out of the fridge each time I open the door.
Now last fall I couldn't beg an egg from the girls even though the younger ones should have been laying. However, I think they have decided to catch up and I have 22 dozen fresh eggs to prove it! I made a spinach quiche, boiled some for deviled eggs and egg salad and froze 3 dozen. To freeze the eggs I cracked a dozen at a time in a bowl. I beat them with 1 teaspoon of salt and poured into ice cube trays. After they were frozen I put 1 dozen per freezer bag. (To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.) I am sure they will be welcome this coming winter for baking!

As time allows I will be making more quiches to freeze for quick suppers so stay tuned for some egg-citing recipes.

Picking Asparagus In The Dark

Kinda sounds like a sad country song.... or maybe the beginning of a weird poem. But that is what I was doing tonight.
Early this morning after the milking and feeding of the kids, the new owners of the five due to leave today arrived to pick them up. Once they were caught and loaded, I finished the usual routine and shortly afterwards my husband arrived home for lunch. While he was eating, I  made some cucumber sauce and tossed some lamb ribs in the crock pot for supper. Off to the barn to get the steers and lamb loaded that were headed to the butcher. Today it all went very smoothly and soon we were headed to Taylorsville, which is about an hour away. A three hour round trip and we were back home. I finished part of the evening chores and picked spinach for supper. Then it was back to the barn to load my milk cow and a round bale of hay. Once she was settled in her temporary home we were once again headed to ours. By this time it was 7 o'clock and the boys were starving. Most of supper was ready and just needed assembling. I washed the spinach, shredded the lamb and put the gyros on the table. They were delicious!
Supper over, kitchen cleaned and it was dusk dark. I still had milking to do and the dogs to feed. As I traipsed across the orchard I could see the thin outline of the asparagus poking up out of the ground. Tomorrow they would be too large and so I picked asparagus in the dark...

Bringing Up The Steers

Tomorrow our two steers are headed off to the butcher. Today we separated them along with my dairy cow who herself will be off to visit a neighbor's bull. No easy feat since they were in a pasture with three horses and two rams! Usually either they all want to go in a small area or no one wants to go there. Today they all went. Ugh. Finally after a bit of chasing and several buckets of grain, everyone was situated for the night. We also had a lamb leaving. He was a much easier catch and put in a stall until tomorrow.

 Flower beds were weeded and more plants moved. This has been taking a bit of time since a lot of the plants are old and established and their root system seems to go clear to China. Little by little though...

Late in the day I went to move the chicken tractor and refill their water trough. I wandered to the garden and found our strawberries were beginning to ripen. There was more that a few to eat and I thought this called a for a celebration! Off to the house to make an angel food cake and chocolate syrup!

The evening milk was brought up, strained and cultures added for a pot of fromage cheese. Tomorrow it will top the lamb gyros that are on the menu. And so another day on the homestead has come and gone....

A Month Ahead?

We checked the hay fields today. They are thick and lush and ready to be mowed. We don't usually mow until mid May. This sent the boys scurrying to double check that all the mowing and baling equipment was in top working order. It also meant the tractors needed to be washed. Really? (to their credit they saved that chore for last ;o))

Hay mowing season also means the loft needs to be cleaned out.The small amount of hay left was moved to the front and the floor swept. This year (this week!) we are putting an elevator down the center of the barn to move the bales to the back. This will save 100 feet per bale as we now carry each bale 50 feet back and walk to the front to get another. Those first few rows are killers!
We also moved the meat birds to the orchard and cleaned the brooder for the next round due in Monday. They were most happy to get out on the grass. I figure butchering time in about 5 weeks.

Two more alpine kids left for their new homes. Monday, five more will leave and we will be swimming in milk. Every year I vow to master hard cheeses~ maybe this year?
On to the garden where we pulled dirt around the potatoes. I had started by hand but Doug showed up with the plow and made quick work of that project. I feared I would be out there until midnight since the ground is so hard. We are desperate need of rain and weeding is almost impossible at this point. I had hoped to get more things planted but as usual the day had slipped away and it was now time for evening chores. At this rate we may be a month ahead but  I"LL be a month behind!

A Narrow Escape

Here on our homestead it looks like we may have gotten through the night with little or no frost damage. We seem to be a bit more protected since the entire farm is surrounded by trees. A quick check this evening and all looked well in the big garden and new kitchen beds.
Others were not so lucky loosing squash and early cucumbers...
Tonight though in the thirties will not be as cold and hopefully this is the last of the threats. My plan was to finish planting the better part of the large garden this weekend. The green house is quite the jungle and plants are becoming most unhappy. It is time!
 

Frost?

It has been so warm that we have been lulled into a false sense of  safety with the garden and animals. My plan today was to finish planting the tomatoes and move the meat birds to the orchard. However, a frost advisory is out for tonight and all plans were changed this morning. Instead I will be covering what has been planted and moving things in and not out! The good news is that tonight looks to be the only close call for the next week and the weekend promises to be warm.
And so after doing the morning chores, I picked up our huge grain co-op order and got it sorted. I was also able to get a bit of paperwork caught up and lastly I snuck away and fished a bit. I figured if I couldn't plant supper I could maybe catch it! A large catfish was landed and is slated for the supper table in the not to distant future. The filets from this monster weighed two pounds.
Then it was back to the barn for the evening chores and milking. Afterwards I perused the garden to see what might be added to the supper table. I was saddened by the sight of the bolting spinach but know others goodies will be coming along soon. The early garlic is starting to send up scapes and most likely can be harvested sometime next week. I spotted a few ripening strawberries and lettuce is ready to harvest. To everything there is a season...