On the Farm...

 

Have you ever seen this?

Lizzie the cat decided to join the few chickens who like to lay eggs in this hay chute when she had her litter of kittens this spring. She would nurse the babies, and the chickens would lay their eggs. Then the playing field changed, and Miss chicken decided to glare at Lizzie and give her a few pecks until she left her kittens and the hen would settle in on the babies as if they were her own! Thankfully everyone is fine, there are no identity issues, and did I mention...

we have thirteen of these cutie pies needing a home (wink)?

What Do You Do With Twenty Dead Chickens...

...that were grass-fed,  farm fresh, processed and frozen, ready to feed the family? Oh, let me mention that the real issue surrounds the fact that it was recently discovered (today) that as of ten days ago the freezer was unplugged for a "moment" that actually has lasted well, until today? *ugh*

Since I had already been on my "broomstick" earlier, Jenna sweetly came in and suggested that I "be prayed up", which is code for, "This is bad, you're not going to like it..." . So it was handled calmly, with a "meyh" and I decided that if my heavenly Father cares for the sparrows, He'll care for us too. And perhaps, freezers are over-rated.

Just another day on the farm...

Waste Not...Want Not!

What would you do if...while you were unloading your meat chickens at the butcher, you noticed that one in particular was not doing so well? In the 92 degree heat, Josh and I did our best to revive the poor thing, to no avail. Our schedule for the evening was full, but it was hard to imagine wasting a perfectly good, pasture-raised chicken. So...we brought it home for yet another "Charlotte Mason" teaching moment!


Those children who were interested gathered around while Josh and I made our best attempt at skinning the big guy and removing the "viscera".That is a fun word, isn't it? Much more noble than "guts". We did pretty well, I have to say, then ran the bird inside to place in cold water. Right now, he's in the freezer and will soon be roasting in the crock pot.

So, would I quit my day job to butcher chickens? Meh...not so much. But the best part is painting the toe nails bright red and pulling on the tendons after the foot is cut off. Go ahead...try it:)

On Birthdays and Hens....

The sweet birthday breakfast table waiting for me...farmhouse cinnamon rolls and farm fresh eggs~

Last month I had another birthday. I remember my dad always grumbling something about not wanting to celebrate his birthdays, and all he really wanted was "peace and quiet". Well this year, I found the thing I really wanted was a few uninterrupted moments to clean my bedroom! Being low on space and needing to fit the belongings of three people and two beds (one for us, and one crib for the baby), piles seem to abound. I hate even admitting this, but, it's the truth. A larger problem though, is my children are watching the habits (or lack thereof) of their mother and not necessarily seeing a good example. So I've determined again to faithfully attack certain areas of the home and conquer those pesky things that accumulate. I made progress that day, and several more bags of clothing are out the door. Yes!

Something else I decided to do in celebration of my birthday: I would learn to catch a chicken. Not such a big deal for some of you farm girls, but this farmgirl has a bit of trouble touching the birds. Since we have a present problem of escaping hens, there have been many opportunities to conquer my fear/discomfort. With Caleb at my side coaching me along, I am happy to report that I successfully captured and returned several of the wayward girls. And, I learned something new :)




I'm not going to wax eloquent here on amazing birthday thoughts, but it was a very small picture of something else going on in my life, and that is, being willing to change things or areas in my life that need to be changed. Areas of weakness, conviction or failure...it was just Monday when Josh said ever-so-quietly, "Mom, you're embarrassing me". And the embarrassment came from my behavior, something that I immediately cried out to God to change.





So Happy Birthday to all of you tonight, whenever your birthday may be. Challenge yourself to do something new, and purpose to be someone renewed.

Chicken Poo, and the Making of Godly Character

Could chicken poo ever develop godly character? Not in and of itself, but the CLEANING of chicken poo and the process of "freshening" the coop sure has some great life lessons. Take today. Yet more complaints on the disgust of the job, the impossibilities of "getting it all", and the injustice of making children do the nasty jobs.

I couldn't help chuckling, then I began to wax eloquent. All the virtues of learning to do the unpleasantries of life while young would surely apply throughout the years. I'm quite certain that those youngsters who learned early to deal with the yuck, and do it cheerfully, are the better for it. Imagine the advantage of learning to bear up under the arduous and noxious tasks of childhood with a joyful, happy spirit...

Those will be the heros and heroines of the next generation! Those will be the courageous defenders of the weak! Those will be the trustworthy, reliable, and noble...

Let's hear it for chicken poo...

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Breakfast on the Farm...

...usually consists of delicious farm fresh eggs. Over the years, I feel that I have developed the best way to scramble eggs, but I have had to resign myself to the fact that other people in this group think their way is best. So, it is fairly common to buddy up with the other family member that likes scrambled eggs in that particular way so that every one is happy with the end product.

One thing we all agree on~there's nothing like a cast iron pan to cook in!



Every good momma out there serves meals with variety :) , so here is something we make to mix up the routine. Though I have always had a texture issue of sorts with oatmeal, I can honestly say this recipe is the best I've ever had.

Muesli

from Nourishing Traditions, P.457

1 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. almond slivers

1/4 c. coconut

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 c. warm filtered water plus 2 T. whey, yogurt, kefir or buttermilk

1/2 t. salt

1 c. filtered water

1/4 c. raisins or apples

1 T. flax seed, ground (optional)



Mix oats, almonds, cinnamon, and coconut. Combine oat mixture with warm water mixture, cover and let soak at room temperature for at least 7-24 hours. Bring an additional 1 c. of water to boil with sea salt. Add to soaked oat mixture, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Remove from heat and add ground flax seed if desired. Serve with butter, cream maple syrup, etc. Serves 4.



This is on the stove fermenting right now. The best part (and I think the key reason I like it) is soaking the grain in buttermilk. Check out Jenna's blog for her post on fresh, raw, home-made buttermilk. It's delicious!

Chicks...all 104 of them!

Just a little cold!

Here they are in their pen

This is what they come in....

Yes, we got chicks! All 104 of them arrived this morning...bright and early:) Their breed is Isa Brown, and with lots of feeding, care and 6 months they'll be laying some nice brown eggs for us to eat and sell~

~Jenna