More Drama at the Homestead

Things here have been busy.  We have been having issues for a few months with the septic system.  It is progressively getting worse.  And there is not much that is worse than septic issues....Hello?  So I'd like to say it is resolved...but that would be a lie.  Waiting to find out what is the next step and being renters, the decisions are out of our hands, so being a control freak is not helpful.

On another note, there is an organization here called Three Bags Full and they do these HUGE consignment sales for kids stuff.  I've heard of them but have never gone  And of course, one would think, I will go to the sale....but that would be normal. So I am consigning stuff and volunteering to help at tonights pre-sale.  I have no idea what to expect, but I told them of my limitations and they have very graciously given me tasks that should not be too much of a problem.  And my shift is very short.

My mom & dad are home from Florida!! Yeah!!  We'll see them tomorrow.  Hopefully!  My son has caught a nasty cold and I am hoping he will be better (or at least not as sniffy).  We are doing a delivery and then going to see them.

Boy, Man and I have been spending hours mowing and trying to keep the grass under control.

Looked at a cow last week.  I would really like to get it, but our finances are so tight that I'm not sure about the hay for the winter.  The man will deliver her for us (for a fee) and she is due to calve at the beginning of next month, so almost immediately we would be in milk.

Speaking of finances, I received my second denial letter from my long term disablity provider.  The first denial was denied because they ruled my Trigeminal Neuralgia was a pre-existing condition.  Now, they've ruled that it is not a pre-existing condition, but it does not prevent me from working a normal schedule.  I just called the lawyer working on my SSDI, and they don't do LTD so I think I am going to call the abulance chaser from the back of the phone book.  If they can afford that kind of ad, they must win a lot!

I am weary.  Not just tired.  I haven't been posting as my mood has reflected the soul weariness I have.  I am blessed to be where I am, to have what I have, etc., but sometimes the pain and the expectations I had for my life that will no longer be just gets to be too much.  My 101 list reflects some of the high goals I had hoped for....but then again, I wrote that list before I started having the TN flare ups.  I am doing much better than most with TN, but it's hard to know as it is considered a rare disease, and the only reference point I have is on a TN group on Facebook.

Anyhoo....life on the farm in spring brings lots of joyful things.  I will try to post more of those in the next few days!

Canning Baked Beans

Remember all those beans I got last fall?

Remember my 101 goal to can something every month?

Yeah, me too.  So with the leftover ham and ham stock from Easter, I decided that I would can my own baked beans.  We really like the "Meijer version" of Bush's Baked Beans, but at $1.79 a pint, it's a once and a while treat.  So I scoured the internet looking for something that might come close.  I loaded the ham bone (still with a lot of meat) into the crockpot.  I usually make bean soup, but just didn't feel like it this time....so....here is the recipe (I actually doubled it, so we ended up with 11 pints and 3/4 of a pint for lunch today.)

• 1 quart dried pinto beans (about 2 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons salt (for soaking beans)
• 1/2 lb lean salt pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2/3 cup molasses

This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Cover beans with 3 quarts cold water and soak 12-18 hours in refrigerator or other cool place. Add 2 teaspoons salt to the soaking water. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until skins begin to crack. Drain, saving the liquid.

Put the beans into a Crock-Pot or bean pot. Add pork and onions. Mix remaining ingredients together and stir into pot along with 4 cups of the liquid that the beans were cooked in (I used the ham stock instead). If you don't have enough liquid, add water to make 4 cups (at this point use the "bean water"). Pour over the beans. Cook for 8-12 hours on low

Pack into hot canning jars leaving 1 inch of head space. Process pints 1 hour and 20 minutes, quarts 1 hour 35 minutes, at 10 lbs pressure (you might have to adjust for altitude).

Final thoughts.  It was sweeter than I like.  It needed more pepper and salt and then I also added about 2 Tbsp of Ketchup when I cooked the last pint for lunch.  BUT...Though it was somewhat time consuming (I've been working on it for about 24 hours now)....the whole recipe was about $1.84 for 12 pints...about the same as one can of our favorite from Meijer.

Easter Eggs....

Remembering the Reason for Easter!!

Here is one of the Baby Bunnies...now 3 weeks old.

And Kristl (the 3-legged pup) checking the bunny (Jacob Jr) out.

Pinterest Projects....so far....

Black Olive and Cream Cheese Penguins  (Christmas Eve)

Rolo Turtles....sorry for such a lousy picture....I was going to take a better one, but then they were all gone!

Crockpot Cranberry Pulled Pork

There are more....I forgot to take pictures of the homemade pita pockets.

Oh MY!  I actually won something!

I entered a blog giveaway on one of my favorite magazines and liked them on Facebook.  Just now on FB they posted that they had the winners listed on the blog.  I almost didn't even click it as I never win...but wanted to see what other books were coming out....and Oh.my.head. there.i.am-

8.Rea Wallace.

Go check it out.  I'm tickled!


http://create.northridgepublishing.com/signature-series-day-1-winners-circle/?doing_wp_cron=1333490150