The Cole Homestead

Its that time of year again... Eggs!

It seems that 20 hens are just too much for this farm.  I have eggs coming out of my ears!  Right now we are getting about 18 per day and they are huge.  I am coming up with new ways to use them all of the time. If any of you out there have any suggestions for egg use please share!  I already let a good little mother hen take 13 of them to see if they hatch.  We have also been drinking quite a bit of eggnog (which is a favorite of mine) since we have so many eggs and goat milk.  I made noodles a few days ago also to try to use up a few.  I have been selling them, baking with them, even put them into bread which I have to say turned out great.  Now that the garden is starting to come into its own we are going to have one of my favorite meals tonight, Egg Foo Yung! 

Right now the green beans are starting up and we have green onions, a few really small peppers and one really little summer squash.  With those and a bunch of eggs we should eat well tonight!  I got rice the other day at the Amish store and even soy sauce, lemon juice and cornstarch for the sweet and sour sauce.  This is the one meal I really miss in the winter time.  I am so glad for spring!

Three new goats

Chicken Update

All of the seeds have been started

As of today, all of my seeds have been started.  I started on March 2 and finished to day.  That is a grand total of 360 little plants ready to go.  Most will be tucked into our own garden but a few are going out to friend and family.  I have 48 tomato plants but need to start a few extras.  My mother in law has decided to plant more than I expected since she wants to share with a few other people.  I guess when people know that hard times are around the corner, they get in the mood to prepare a bit.  I know I am. 

I am hoping in April to make a trip to the local Amish store.  I am still pretty well stocked on flour but would like to get more beans, spices, and oatmeal.  Also pumpkin seeds.  I have been watching that show on BBC America called "you are what you eat" with Gillian MCKeith.  She might be a bit abrasive but she sure gets her point across.  Anyway, she has really convinced me that our diet might be lacking in some areas.  Like any mother, I worry that my family is not getting all of the vitamins that they need.  So I have been making seeds and nuts more available along with the fruit and veg we already have around the house.  I can't see us giving up our milk and milk products, eggs, and red meat though.  All things in moderation.  The only other item that I need from the store is lamp oil.  I know that i can get that in town but not at these prices.  At the Amish Store it is only 6 dollars a gallon.  I can't beat that in town.  I am OK on canning lids also but I am not sure how much my mother in law is planning to can this year so I might grab some for her.  They are running about $18.00 for 36 dozen on reg lids.  I feel that is a pretty good price.

A new goat on the farm

We have added another dairy goat to the herd recently.  We are going through so much milk there was a real need.  Our other dairy goat had two little ones in Feb and that really cut our milk down.  This new goat is the other goats mom.  She is still a little nervous around us but is starting to adjust quite well. 

My father in law also built us a new goat stand.  This is so much easier than milking on your hands and knees!  It has also been easier on my daughter.  In fact, she has recently found out that she can squirt the milk directly into her mouth.  I am always telling her that "The teat is not a water gun!' 

I am sharing the goat milk with a friend that is using it to help out her bottle baby that she is raising.  It was doing well on milk replacer but has really taking off after switching to real goat milk.  I give her milk and she gives me hay.  Great deal if you ask me.

Some slight wind damage today

Lat night the wind, thunder and rain were pretty intense.  By morning everything was pretty much a soggy mess.  Then came the wind.  Boy was it strong.  I was much worse on the goats though.  They hate the rain so everyone wanted to come in while I was milking.  Fun for all but at least all chores were accomplished.

After lunch we decided to head over to Grandma's for our weekly conversation/dessert.  A little tradition that we have that gives us all a chance to catch up with cousins, aunts, and uncles.  All was well there except the wind just keep getting stronger and did not seem to let up.  After we all said our goodbyes we started to trickle out.  As we were pulling out one of my uncles was on his way back.  He said that the road to his place was blocked by a down tree and was going to take the long way around.  So instead of a mile home he went 7.  Then picked up his chain saw and headed back to cut it up and get it off the road.

When we got home we realized we had problems of our our.  One of our small little storage sheds and flipped and tumbled across our property, went through the goat area fence, hit the chicken coop, hit the goat house and finally landed in a fence row,  I am sure that the goats were pretty scared and we felt very lucky none of them were hurt.  They are fainting goats.  I wood faint if I saw a 10x8 metal shed rolling towards me!

We also have a few shingles missing and it bent the stove pipe.  OF course I was not going to let my husband up there in this weather so we are making do tonight and we will call our insurance fella in the morning.  What a way to start the week.

Our first set of goat babies!

Thursday morning started just like every other morning.  Get up and get ready for the day while our daughter grabs some clothes and runs out the door.  She spends a good deal of time out playing with her goats.  Well, this morning she came running right back saying that "Wendy had her babies!". 

Wendy the Goat has been pregnant forever or so it seems.  Hubby decided to go along and take a look with her.  He came back and said "Get the camera, there are two little ones out there."  When he brought the camera back there were two of the cutest little bucks on there.  The odd part was they were not Wendy's.  They belong to a goat named Lilly and we had no clue she was in the family way.  She never showed. 

One is completely white and the other is a black and white mix.  They have blue eyes just like their mommy and daddy.  Both their folks are pure fainter's so I am wondering how soon they will faint?  These are first fainting babies so every step is a learning process.

My Christmas present from my Mommie-n-Law

Ever heard of great minds thinking alike?  Well that is true for Cricket and I.  We love the same things.  Same style, same look, same everything.  Well she found a wonderful pie safe and her frist thought was "I love it"  then "where will I out it" Answer?  Lyn's house!  This is what she gave me for Christmas!  It is a perfect place for me to store my home canned food in.  It is good and solid and has very large thick boards for shelves.  Just what I needed!  Thank You Cricket!

It's all in how you look at it

Our local Wal Mart is small and pretty well out of date.  But it's major draw for our community was its craft dept.  There is no other place for crafts and fabric for over an hour away.  Well they announced Monday that they are taking the whole craft dept out to make room for, get this... frozen foods.  We have 2 major grocery stores in our town, another 10 minutes away, another 20.  We need fabric and crafts.  So many quilters, dress makers and even the kids need this.  No where else to get yarn, craft paints, knitting needles, or even thread.  How sad.  My niece just received her first sewing machine this Christmas.  We don't have a lot of money to drive and hour away for a bit of fabric and thread.  How many others will not learn because there is not the tools needed?

But there is an up side.  Everything has an upside it just depends on how you look at it.  Since the dept is leaving all of their fabric is 1/2 off.  So I bought this years fabric and next years too.  Enough for 20 dresses for daughter and 10 skirts for me and enough flannel for wipes, pads and PJ's.  I will try not to think how much it will cost me in 2011.  Here is a pic of my sewing table.

Eggs

This spring I ordered a different breed of pullet for our chicken house. This year I tried the Leghorn.  As far as egg layers go, this is by far my favorite.  I also have a few lady buffs but these leghorns are great.  They are very small and wiry but they lay even when it gets cool out and each lay about an egg a day on very little feed.  Most times we let them fend for themselves during the day and lock them up at night.  Of course we have an egg hunt each morning but the children really enjoy it.  So far be have been getting about 12-18 per day from 18 hens.  Not bad if you ask me.  Now that the weather has began to cool (Frost every morning now with lows down to the teens) they have tapered off a bit.  Now only 6 to 10 per day.  They lay very large white eggs with good strong shells.  Some of the eggs have a hard time fitting in our egg cartons designed for large eggs.  I am amazed that such small chicken can lay such large eggs!

I have also recently learn a nifty trick to cleaning up a broken egg on the floor.  Just pour salt on top to coat it.  Let it stand for a minute or two and scoop up like kitty litter.  Works great!  No slimy mess to contend with. 

Easy Sugar Cookies

I recently tried this recipe on some of my husbands work mates.  Went over very well.  the best part was that it was so easy to do!  Traditional sugar cookie recipes call for chilling the dough and rolling and cutting.  I really liked the idea of "drop" sugar cookies.  Great to decorate and so nice for Christmas time.

Drop Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine (Room temp  Very important for texture)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour ( I have been using a prairie gold wheat flour but you can use white all purpose   for whiter cookies)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  drop and Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Best Chocolate chip cookies ever! Update

Quite a while ago I post a recipe for Chocolate chip cookies that stay soft.  I would now like to update that recipe.  Those cookies were very cake like and always soft.  They never seemed to get hard or crisp.  I have found that by making a minor alteration to the recipe the come out like traditional chocolate chip cookies and still never get hard.  The answer was so simple!  Shorting.  Not too much or they will  spread all over.  Just enough to make them perfect.  Here is the revised recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups margarine

1/2 shortening

1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 small packs of instant pudding mix

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups flour

4 cups chocolate chips 

bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Better than the Store!

My frist troll

In a way, I feel honored.  Even in a negative way some one is reading what I write.  Even though this blog has been a way to share what I have learned and to help others, it mostly has been a way for me to keep track of daily life.  I know that I have been away for awhile but I am back now and planned a different type of post for today.  When I checked my e mail ( what I normally do while my little girl is working on her school work) I noticed that a comment had been posted.  I was curious since I had not posted for awhile so I decided to take a look.  Here is what I found:

1. Your DH has a job and you complain!!!!!!!!! Idiot.
2. You are making a huge fire hazzard in your home.
3. You chain your child to you like a dog.

Do you see anything wrong with your post?

Of course this was left by "Anonymous".   I felt the need to include a response.  I know, probably not the best idea but I wondered about the others that read this blog.  Maybe this is not a troll instead just a person that is having a bad day or just disagrees with what I said or am doing.  I included a response to help clear matters.  I do hope this is not a true "troll" and instead is just a person that disagrees.  Any ideas?

Fall projects

I have started my fall projects since the weather has improved.  By improved I mean that you can work long hours outside and not worry about the sweat dripping into your eyes.  We plan to clean the chicken coop this week and spread fresh lime and bedding and make minor improvements.  I made a mention to my Uncle that there was nothing worse than cleaning a chicken coop on a humid 80 degree day.  He said yes there is, a rainy 90 degree day.  He had a point!

I am starting to make candles also.  I have saved all of my scrap wax, grease, used oil and am ready to start.  It didn't take as much stearic acid as previous years so that was good news.  I am using a new mold this year.  It is same as the old ones just longer.  I am hoping to be done by this weekend.

This weekend is our Spoon River Since Drive.  Folks come from all over to drive along the Spoon River (Same river gave its name to the book Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters) and stop at the local craft booths.  Also a few museums a great photo op's.  Every town has a Walleye Wagon and plenty of crafts.  My mother in law plans to spend the night on Friday so we can get a early start.  The Amish store is going to be our last stop.  The first Sat of every month is a "Doughnut Sat".  That means hot fresh doughnuts and cinnamon rolls.  Can't beat that.  Also want to stock up on flour, barley, baking soda, and honey.  I am not sure what the prices might be by Jan so I want to get enough to hold me through April at least. 

I will post some pics of the trip when we return.

All Alone

Well not really but I am starting to think that I am.  My husband is working so much over time these past few months I feel as though I am trying to run things on my own.  Normally I could handle it fine but I have goats on the loose.  My husband was in the process of upgrading their fence and has not been able to complete the job due to his schedule.  I would try to attempt the fence but he likes things done his way and I would hate to mess up his hard work.  There is also the problem of my little boy. 

Have any of you seen the movie "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"?  My youngest is just like her youngest.  He can get into anything.  He can unlock doors, undue knots and loves to climb.  We have had to put sticks in the screen windows to keep him from climbing out windows, we have to block our main door with the couch to keep him from opening the large door and escaping.  I have more child safety locks than anyone I know and this little one can get through them.  Most days I have him anchored to me through a child harness to my apron.  Needless to say, this slows my chores done quite a bit.  He is only 2  and 1/2. 

Anyway for today I am processing some of the apple that we got from the orchard today.  I bought 4 bushels of Gala apples and plan on getting a few more in late October for a few other varieties.  I started a apple crisps last night and plan on canning a few jars of apple pie filling.  So far the goats are loving the apple peels! 

I also want to start my candle making while it is so cool but not cold out.  I have a new, longer candle mould that I am looking forward to trying out.  I normally make soap at the same time but I feel I have enough on my plate for a moment or two.

Not much accomplished over the weekend

We were not able to accomplish much this weekend do to the rain.  It seems that most of Illinois is flooding right now.  Everywhere I walk there is a "squish" noise behind me.  Rain even blew in the chicken coop window so now the bedding needs to be replaced for our ladies.  They are laying so well right now I would hate to interrupt that.  Right now we are getting about 8 a day.  So that means it is time for baking day again.

I have a bit of dough ready for bread this morning. (about 4 loaves) and plan to do some cookies and muffins.  The canners and supplies have been put away for the season and the kitchen has had its fall scrub down and is ready for the cook stove to get going but I hear that we are to have temps back up to 80.  I am so looking forward to Fall!

Tomorrow the kids, my grandmother, and I are going to an apple orchard.  My grandmother has been wanting to make a few apple crisps for our Sunday dessert.  Every Sunday my whole family comes to grandma's for a good chat and dessert.  It all started in 94 after my grandfather died.  We all worried about Grandma and how she was handling it all.  My Uncle started coming out on Sunday afternoon to check on her and help keep her company.  My father farmed for her and lived a very short distance away so he would come over and spend time with her and his brother also.  Next thing you know the other brother came with his family and then the cousins that had moved out and away from home started to come.  My father died a few years ago and we still all visit together.  Most Sundays all 14 of us show up and on occasion even Grandma's brother.  With that many people it takes a lot of apple crisp!

Now the next item on my list is clothes.  My daughter needs a few more chemises for night gown and layering uses.   I also got her some really great material for a few dresses and I need and dress and a few warmer skirts.  Plus there are diapers and pads to make.  I am hoping to design a chemise for a plus size gal ( being me)  I found a interesting pattern here: http://www.tstitches.com/store/patternspagepg3.htm#Underpinnings:

If anyone has any ideas let me know.  I think that it for now. 

I'm Back!

Sorry to be gone so long but there has been so much to do!  Isn't that always the way of children and farms?  I am hoping that since most of the garden has been harvested and the chickens butchered and most of the gardens bounty put up, I am done for a moment or two. 

The weather has started to cool a bit here in Central Illinois so I feel much more energetic.  This past Sat we butchered 40 chickens.  Now when I say butcher we don't do it like most folks.  We pretty much skin them.  We chop the heads off of eight of them and then go to work.  We hang them on the clothes line and start taking the shin off.  first comes the drumstick and thigh together then we remove the breast fillet.  All there is to it.  It seemed to be so much work involved in the "normal" way.  I prefer no skin, and honestly there was a lot of work for two wings, a back, and some skin.  Most of the thighs were canned for chicken and noodles and chicken soup.  (Our version of convenience food.) and the beast meat frozen for Italian chicken or sandwiches, or fried chicken. 

Italian chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods.  All it is white chicken meat oven baked with red wine Italian dressing on top.  Great with baked potatoes.  (Never cook potatoes in Italian dressing because of the vinegar content.  They will take forever to cook.)  Also a great left over food.  Just slice the meat on top of a salad.  So great!

Also all 5 of our lady goats are in "the family way".  At least I hope.  They seem to be getting bigger and the have been very friendly with our buck.  Four of our ladies are fainting goats while the last one is a Sabeen alpine mix.  She was mated with a Nubian buck so we should have a interesting turn out.

All of the garden is in now except for the pumpkins, tomatoes and some peppers.  I have also left my turnips and potatoes in for awhile.  My husband said he would plow them up for me when he gets a chance.  He has been working on a new fence for the goats.  The keep testing their limits.  We use a solar powered electric fence that I know is working but does not seem to stop them.  My husband did put ion a few sky lights for them in their goat house which they seem to like.  I am wanting to get it cleaned and limed again here soon to.

The last item I have been working on is my fire starters.  My mother in law brings me left over candle wax and dryer lint for these.  I have and old muffin tin that I place a wad of lint in and pour melted wax on top.  Not much, just enough to hold it all together.  Works great in our wood cook stove.  I can normally do this while my daughter is doing her school work.  This is our first "official" year homeschooling and so far it seems to be going well.  I am always a little concerned about her progress but it seems to be more of a case of proving to family and friends that it is a good decision.  It is almost like I need her not just keep pace but excel.  I should know better and am trying to work on this.  She is always excited to learn and that is what matters. 

I will post more soon and hope to post a few pics soon also.  For now I most get back to making soap and candles while it is cool and the children are asleep. 

Sorry gone so long

I really did not mean to be gone so long.  The past few weeks have been filled with the garden coming due all at once.  There was so much to can!  Green beans, corn, salsa, tomatoes, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, peaches, jams and jellies.  So far the wonderberry jam is my favorite.  And of course we had the hottest weather so far this year.  (Heat indexes over 100)  Now things are starting to slow down a bit and we are getting ready to spend more time schooling as weather and garden allow. My daughter is growing her first pumpkin and she is pretty excited. 

Since the weather is getting to a more "workable" temp we have decided that next weekend would be a good time to butcher chickens.  I have heard that there is a chance of rain so we might have to work around that.  I hope to get about 60 to 70 done then.  That will leave me with 28 layers.  Most of them are leghorns but there are a few buff's to help with the mothering.

So far my experiments with soap are going pretty good.  I have been working on a pure old fashioned lye soap.  My only complaint has been that it tends to "curdle" in my hard water.  I have found that if I dissolve a bit of borax in my lye water before it is mixed with the fats it tends to work a lot better.  I am still learning.

We have also grown and now ground our own wheat for our bread.  My husband bought an attachment for our kitchen-Aid for grinding grain.  The flavor was good before but now it is even better.  Fresh ground wheat make all the difference.

We also invested in a sock knitting machine.  This has been a bit of a problem.  I need to get new needles for it and they can be a little difficult to come by.   I have found a place on the net that still carries the needles I need so I will be purchasing them soon.  I want to make sure that the machine is in good working order before fall.  This is to be one of my major winter projects.  Along with quilting so course!

I must end for now.  this is the only chance I have to work on my sewing while the youngest is asleep.  I hope to post pics of our going ons real soon.

Sorry gone so long

I really must apologize for being gone for so long.  I have been up to my ears in garden.  We planted 4lbs of green beans this year and we are no reaping the benefits.  A bit frozen and the rest were canned.  Boy was that an experience.  This was my first year attempting to can quarts on my glass top electric stove.  (It was free so I can't complain.)  My smaller canner works great on it and so does my water bath canner but my larger canner just won't work.  The sensor wants to shut down every time the canner gets up to temp.  That left my handy wood cook stove.  Not only has the temps been around 90 but we add a wood cook stove to the mix..  To say the least we are tuckered out!  Most of the beans has been put away so the rest in the garden are for fresh use and friends and family.

My Tomatoes are starting to have blooms.  they seems pretty late this year but better late than never.  The wonderberries also are in bloom and I am looking forward to wonderberry jam.  My little girl also pick the first squash of the season and the veggie spaghetti are starting to set on also.

Now that the house is a bit cooler we are working on dresses for my daughter.  I am finishing up the rest of the washable pads, wipes and then I can work on night gowns.  (For those of you that have ordered or requested, they should be out this Friday.  Sorry so late but I think you will all like the new design.)  I have added a large table to my living room for this purpose.  I was having a hard time working then cleaning off for lunch then starting again and then cleaning up for dinner.  I spent more time cleaning up and shuffling.  Not very productive.  This way everything is ready when I have a free moment or two.  Everything works out in the end.

And with Summer comes .... Mosquitoes!

I am so tried of getting eating up!  The mosquitoes seem so much worse this year and I have seem more deer flies this year than in all years past.  Where are they coming from?  And that is just here at home.  My daughter has gone camping with my mother in law and at the campsite the bugs are so much worse.  I hate to let the kids run and play with the fear that they are going to be sucked dry!  Not to mention the fear of the dreaded West Nile Virus that seems to be carried by these little varmints.  I have been trying so hard to keep my children protected.  I really had to choose between a whole lot of chemicals or letting them get eaten or just never letting them out to play.  Anyone with small children can tell you that is not an option.  Well, I think I have finally found an answer and there are no chemicals involved.

A while back some one mentioned on here a internet site called www.bulherbstore.com .  I have been interested in using herbs for awhile.  About six years ago my father died of cancer.  He was a farmer and a repair man for CAT where he fixed big melting furnaces that melted the iron for engine blocks and such.  Both environments were not so good for his health.  While farming he used every chemical known to man.  Many were later outlawed but he always said that was because they were the ones that actually worked.  Now I know that every farmer does not get cancer but I feel that those chemicals helped in that respect. 

Anyway, on this website there was an herb mix called The Vinegar of the Four Thieves.  I found this interesting.  I use vinegar for everything.  Cooking, cleaning, whatever.  I have even used this on sunburns.  This mix included   peppermint, wormwood, Sage, Lavender, garlic, and apple cider vinegar.  Hmm, I have most of these either growing or made here at home.  (I haven't tried growing garlic yet)  After reading about the benefits of each herb and about the mix I decided to give it a try.  So far it has worked great.  It takes about 3 weeks to brew but it was worth the wait.  I have not had a problem with no see'ems, mosquitoes, or even flys.  It also seems to work on the goats.  They have been plagued by horse flies all season.  The best part is that there are no harmful chemicals.  I might smell like a salad for a few minutes but that is a very small price to pay.