Hectic Heaven

still here!

I haven't posted lately. It's the story of my life; I have been waiting for Liv to download pics & life got really busy all of a sudden. It went of cold very rainy Spring to Summer, right now! Animals, garden out of control, flowers being too wet now drying up, laundry, my oldest daughter's wedding in Colorado, kids summer camp, local parade & family day in the park where we took our goat milk soap & sold it, and on & on ...... I don't like CRAZY BUSY! I heard someone say once that B.U.S.Y. was an acronym for:

B-being

U-under

S-Satan's

Y-yoke

while that sounds a little strong to me at times, sometimes life just "get's busy"with 13 kids & a farm but, I do try to remind my self & evaluate the things I'm doing. Do they bring honor to God? Are they REALLY blessing my family? Alot of times I have to say No. So as I type I am evaluating some things and revamping my schedule. I want to be sure my farm living doesn't take all the carefreeness of summer out of my life the  life of my kids. I want to enjoy my flowers & grass not just worry about the watering & up keep, if you know what I mean. It is late & we have company coming for a visit thru the 4th of July so better go for now. I will post hopefully soon with news of our farm & family happens as well as PICTURES! lol

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

We are having taco salad for dinner tonight.  I always cook up my hamburger and add taco seasonings to it before adding it to my salad.  I realized this morning I was out of taco seasoning and it was time to make more.  This is another product that I make myself now.  We are not real big fans of the taste of the taco seasonings I use to buy from my health food co-op and I wonder about MSG in it as well (the grocery store stuff definitely is full of yucky things typically).  I recently was reading an article (wish I could remember where now.. maybe Dr. Mercola? If I find it I will give the link).  It said that if a product lists “spices” in their ingredient list and they purchase bulk mixed spices from a supplier that adds MSG to their spice mix then the company that uses the spice mix does not have to claim that it contains MSG. So basically something can say it is MSG free but still may contain MSG if they have the word "spices" listed in the ingredients.  If you have MSG sensitivities like my hubby does or you just want to avoid it for health reasons …  read your labels carefully!   

Taco mix is so easy to make. It takes less than 15 minutes to make up a batch, the recipe doubles easily.  I usually make a double batch but today I did not have enough dried onion, so I settled for a single batch.   

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

¾ c dried onions
½ c chili powder
¼ c salt
3T garlic powder
3T cornstarch
3T ground cumin
1T to 3T cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it) 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Store in plastic or glass container with a lid. 

It takes approx. 3T of this mix to equal one packet that you would buy in the store.   

This recipe makes about 2 cups.  I store it in a canning jar in my cupboard.

Quote of the week

I hope you enjoyed the week of sheep pictures.  I took Sunday off and enjoyed friends and family.  We had a fish fry with the fish Chris and Juliana caught at the lake.  Very tasty!

I was going to wrap up sheep week with before and after pictures of the llama.  She had her first shearing ever on Thursday!  She looks like a totally different animal.  I have yet to get the after picture taken, however, so you will just have to wait.  For now I will leave you with my quote of the week. 

      The best way to find good in thyself is to begin to look for good in others.

Unknown

Featured Blogger~Mama Hen

Welcome to this weeks Featured Blogger!

Help me congratulate
Mama Hen!

Great posts
Lots of neat ideas
Pretty pictures
Very nice little home on the web
Go by and let her know you enjoy her blog

Blessings,
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Homestead

This Weeks Menu

Our 25th wedding anniversary!! 

Tobin works so no holiday bbq for us.. already had it!

More on Fermenting Foods

I found some information on fermenting and a few recipes in a book I discovered at the library this weekend- Fresh Food From Small Spaces- The Square Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal.  The directions for making Kimchi say to cover the jar loosely with the lid or a cloth for 2 days, or until you get that "fermenting" smell; then, cap it tightly and put in the refrigerator.  Maybe that is what I've been doing wrong.  I put the lid on at the beginning; perhaps it needs to "breathe" a bit first???  The author recommends Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz, which sounds like a very interesting book on the subject.  I plan to look into reading this one, too; and am going to make another attempt at kimchi soon.   Wildfermentation.com was created by the book's author, and if you click on the resources button, you can find his recipe for sourkraut and pickles, plus a troubleshooting area.  Hope this info. helps some of you who are having the same struggles as I am in learning the art of fermenting food!

Blessings,

Catherine

Busy Sunday

The thunderstorm that rolled through last evening brought some much wanted relief from the humidity and heat.  Today was "breezy" and cool.  Besides the wind it was quite beautiful outside.

I cleaned out the brooder coop since all we have left in there are a few ducklings and quail.  I moved the turkeys and older chicks to the barn yesterday.  Then my brother called, asking if this was duck rescue.  He had found 6 ducklings wondering across the street without a mama or papa in sight  He scoop them up to saftey and called me.  A short time later, the 6 orphans arrived at the farm.  I believe they are mallards.

Madison put the 6 ducklings in with the new chicks as I'm pretty sure old mama duck wasn't gonna want new babies with her youngsters.  I'll try to get a picture of the newcomers in the next day or 2.

Amber went back home today.  She seems to really like being out here and enjoying all the "different" stuff.  She's real good about helping but not real comfortable around the adult animals but she manages.

I sold out of eggs today.  I teased the kids that they needed to squeeze the chickens to get a few extra eggs.  I'm not sure if they did or not but 6 eggs came up from the barn after chores tonight, lol. 

We also had a couple milk customers.  I'm so thanksful they stopped in.  I was beginning to think I best be canning the milk as I'm running out of freezer space.  I've been reading on canning milk.  Anyone on here have experience with canned milk?

Hey Liz...  6 pound chickens.. oh, I'm sure some of mine will be there as well.  Glad to hear the pigs are doing well.  The chicken plucker... we got it for free from someone with sister-in-law works with.  It's a homemade jobber and needs new fingers.  If you are in the area, stop by and I'll show it to ya. 

I've been in the garden as well.  Those weeds seem to grow twice as fast as the plants it seems.  If you need tomato plants, I have many volunteers which I'm starting to pull as they are choking out my peppers.  You are welcome to have some.

Well, I think that covers today.  GoodNight!
Carol

Pear Tomatoes

I love pear tomatoes. I planted red and yellow ones. The red ones always ripen first, then the yellow ones begin....they are stingy, they take so long to ripen, but the golden pear shaped tomato is worth the wait. I plant them in garden containers. The red ones have been very prolific, they have grown over the top of the tub and grown down to the ground, they are loaded with small pear shaped globes. I find my self going out there several times a day, just to pop one in my mouth, hot from the sun, and so tasty. YUM ! They produce just enough each day for the salad or sandwich, and that is it......I faithfully water them and watch them closely. Today the yellow ones finally gave in, and I had four in my hand to go along with a couple handfuls of the red ones. I know I will itch, and probably break out again in hives, but I love tomatoes. I even love tomato jam. Tomatoes on pizza, a tomato sandwich with a little sugar sprinkled over it, nothing else, scooped out and filled with a macaroni salad, put in soups during the winter....I never tire of them.

Remembering Sam

Saturday Stuff

I decided to to finish mulching the potato plot today but got distracted by my squash plants who were losing the battle against the weeds so I started there.  I did manage to get them mulched and weeded and moved to the potatoes but the wheel fell off the wagon I was using to haul straw so I had to stop.  Rich has been busy baling hay today so he wasn't able to help me.  I guess the potatoes will have to wait another day.

I took Madison and Amber (my niece) to a parade in town despite the rain showers we were getting.  The girls didn't care... they had to go and collect that ever so precious candy, lol.

Ham was on the menu for supper which the girls and I enjoyed during a short thunderstorm that moved through this evening... we even got a small amount of hail.  Rich was still out in the fields when the storm hit and returned home looking like a soaked dog, lol.  He did mention that the hail didn't feel so good.  There isn't a cab on his tractor .

That's about it for today.  It's definately going to be a cool night.  It's been so hot and humid here that the cool night after the storm is very much welcomed.  Goodnight!
Carol