Chickens???

Right now we have 13 hens that are laying, we have 4 nest boxes and they all insist on using the same box.  There have been many times that 2 are in it at the same time and one or more might be waiting to use it.  The nest boxes are all the same size, have the same nesting material and are all next to each other.  It will be interesting to see what nests the 12 pullets that should start laying in August will choose.  We plan on adding 2 more nest boxes before then but with the 13 just using one, sometimes two nest boxes do we really need to?  Crazy chickens!!!!

Garlic Harvest

Just finished pulling the garlic that I planted last fall.  I've never grown garlic and I guess it's a good harvest.  I have it tied together and hung under the patio umbrella out back.  I know one thing for sure; won't be any vampires around here.  I now have a small bare spot in the garden and I think I'll put some lettuce in there for the chickens to have. 
Worked on some canning jar baskets today and have the reed cut for about 10 more.  I have a little more reed to cut but had to stop because it was pinching a nerve in my thumb and it was tingling and hurting.  Getting old is so much fun. 
Had baked breaded pork chops, lima beans and some tomatoes from the garden for supper. 
This weekend it is going to get warmer and we have a chance of rain on Monday.  We need the rain so bad, our area is almost 6 inches under the normal rain fall for the year.  We get our water from our well and I am so afraid it will run low or even worse run it dry if we don't get some rain soon. 
Later, take care. 

Raspberry Picking

Went raspberry picking for 2 1/2 hours this morning and got 16 cups, enough for 4 pies.  I bagged them 4 cups to a bag and froze them.  We saw a huge amount of berries dried up because they were not picked.  I'm surprised that no one picks them they are very visible.   Worked around the house and cut some reed to make baskets tomorrow.  Below are the jar/baskets that I am working on right now.  I know they need different garters for them but I don't have any material and wanted to see how they looked with a garter on them.  The one jar with the rag rug look is also one I made, not sure I am going to make more of that kind.  I will take them to the shop the first of the week and see what she thinks. The garter on it doesn't match at all but wanted to see how it would look. 

Basket jars I'm making, they are on a canning jar with an old zinc canning lid.

This is one I crocheted using material, with a different garter it would look nicer.

For my kids and local readers, I am looking for old potato mashers that look like this, of course without the deer antler handle.  I made a basket using one several years ago and want to make some more.  They are really unique looking but need to find some more of these.  If you find one under a dollar pick it up and I will pay you back.  Attention Gale, show Richard this and since he stops at a lot of thrift stores maybe he might be able to find some.  Thanks

Muffin Mix Recipe

Today I started on a new craft that I saw a picture of and really liked so I sat down to try and do it myself.  You weave a basket around a quart size canning jar, make a garter like thing and then add a old 1 piece zinc canning jar lid.  I will try and post some pictures tomorrow; I made 3 of them and made 4 garters.  I purchased some zinc lids off of eBay and should have them by tomorrow and then will take them to the shop next week to sell.  I thought I had a lot more basket reed than I have but will use what I have and see how they sell before I buy some more.  I will have to keep my eyes open and look around at garage sales, not one of those things that you hardly see but will try.

In the morning I am going to pick raspberries with Renee, I will put these in the freezer to make pies with.  I am out of sugar or I would just can some raspberry pie filling.  

Here is one more of the convenience mixes I keep on hand.  I've used canned pie cherries, bananas and pineapple for the fruit and all are very good.

Muffin Mix

8 cups flour

3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and store in cool place, makes 11 cups Muffin Mix.

For Muffins:

2 3/4 cup Muffin Mix

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine melted, or 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients, pour in greased muffin pans, bake 18 to 20 minutes 400 degrees.

For Peach Muffins, fold in 1 cup diced fresh peaches into the batter mix above.

For Banana Muffins, Mash 1 banana and add to batter mix above.

For Blueberry Muffins, fold in 1 cup fresh blueberries in the batter mix above.

Cheese out of the Press, Yard Work Done

Took the cheese out of the press first thing this morning and now it is sitting out and will be for several days so it can dry.  I will turn it over a couple times a day so it can dry evenly.   Went in to town to pay our property taxes that I almost forgot to pay (due today) and then came home and started the yard work.  4 1/2 hours later it is all done.  My arms are really hurting from running the weed eater.  Usually I do the mowing and my husband does the weed whacking but I figured since he works and I don't I should do it.  This is the first time in years that I have done this and all I can say is I need guards to go on my legs.  We have a lot of trim work and there is gravel on the sides of the driveway and that stuff hurts when it hits your legs.  I have at least 50 bruises on my legs now and a couple spots it broke the skin.  I watered the gardens and the trees today, I sure hope this no rain thing ends soon.  I picked 7 small tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 1 banana pepper, 3 onions and some lettuce today.  The garden despite the lack of rain is doing very good.  Last year we hardly got any peppers and so far this year I've picked 3 and it is only the 5th of June.  I have at least a dozen more peppers on my plants right now and lots of blooms.

Colby Cheese drying.

Garden pickings for the day.

Raspberry Jam and Cheddar Cheese Day

Started my day making 2 batches of Colby cheese.  The recipe for the cheese is on the link below, this stuff is so good.  In between stirring, cutting the curd and waiting I made some raspberry jam with the raspberries we picked yesterday.  I got 4 pints, 13 ea 1/2 pints and 1 pint that is in the fridge.  I also made some more butter and got 11 oz put in the freezer. 
So for lunch Brandon and I had a piece of homemade bread with fresh homemade butter and raspberry jam, OMG life doesn't get much better than that.  When thing got cleaned up I made another mess and used the rest of the berries and made a cobbler which boiled all over the oven and made biscuits and chicken a la king for supper.  Looks like I will be cleaning the oven before I can use it again, not fun. 

http://www.leeners.com/cheese/recipes/colby-cheese.shtml

Everything set up and ready for Brandon and I to put the jam in the jars.

Butter churn churning some cream.

The jam, the back left jar is what Brandon and I sampled for lunch.

The 2 batches of Colby in the presses.  The plastic bags on top have weights in them and I put the weights in the plastic bags to keep any dirt that might be on them off of the press.  These presses are ones my husband made me, the pans that the pvc pipes sit in have holes in the front seam so the whey can drain off.  Nothing fancy but they work perfect.  The only thing we had to purchase was the pvc pipes and found the wood at Menard's in the discount bin.

Sunday in Review

Up and out of the house before 8:30 this morning to pick raspberries.  Brandon, Ron and I started out and Renee joined us by the time we got to the second spot.  We picked a huge amount (a little over 7 lbs) and I plan on going again in a couple of days.  These bushes are along places where there once was some railroad tracks.  I also spotted a small patch of blackberries that should be ready in a month or so.  Right now the berries are in the fridge and I plan on making some raspberry jam and a raspberry cobbler tomorrow after I get the cheese started.

We separated the milk today that we got yesterday in the electric cream separator that Gale sent me.  After churning the cream into butter I see where we will need to adjust the cream setting, it is all by trial and error.  When I get the milk out to make cheese tomorrow I will try and skim some more cream from the top.  I also need to save a little of it to make a quiche for supper one night this week.  I think we will go down to get a little milk this coming weekend so we can try and get the adjustment set so I can have more butter to take to Gale when we go to Texas next month.  So far I got 1 lb and 5 oz of butter put in the freezer to take.  

Here is another time saving recipe to use, it is for Corn Bread Mix and I keep a batch of this in the fridge at all times.

Corn Bread Mix

4 cups flour

4 cups yellow cornmeal

2 cups instant nonfat dry milk or dry buttermilk powder

2/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.  Makes 10 cups.

For Corn Bread or Corn Muffins:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/4 cup Corn Bread Mix

Mix first 3 ingredients, add Corn Bread Mix until moistened.  Pour into greased loaf pan or muffin pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Milk going through the separator.

Butter in the churn.

After the butter is done I put it back in the churn, add cold water and churn for 15 seconds or so to wash the buttermilk out of the butter.  You need to try to remove the most you can so it keeps longer.

Look at those delicious raspberries.

This many berries is a lot of hard work but worth it.

Butter for Gale, it is so deep yellow.  The color is so much deeper at this time of year.  In the winter when the cows don't have grasses to eat the butter is almost pure white instead of the nice yellow.