So.so.so.EXCITED!

But I forgot to take a picture, so I can't spill the beans until tomorrow.  I know, what a rude thing to do...but it is SO...BIG....SUCH
HUGE NEWS!!!!

Tune in tomorrow....

It's Saturday....

First of All....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to My ReynBFF!!!!

It was farmer's market day...pretty good day.  Told lots of people about my lacto-fermenting jars and sold two to a mother and daughter.  It was the dilly green beans that sold it!

I have had so many of my friends (and folks at the market) say "I got one of those....but still haven't used it.  What?  Why?  So I am thinking maybe I should have a class here on the farm for everyone that buys one to learn hands-on how to do it.  It's really easy so I never thought I needed to do this, but....what do you think?

I need to spend some time this weekend on my www.InAPickle.homestead.com website and get it updated.  Haven't been working on it in quite a while and with the website being on all the information I am giving out...it's time to do a spruce up!

I didn't sell any more of my tomato plants, so into the garden they are going today...plus the 6 plants I bought from my friend at "Dragonfly Farms".  Yes, I bought 6 more...because I guess the...I don't even know how many now...plants I have are not enough.  But I didn't have any Hillbilly Maters....now we do!

I'll count and update on the total plants!

Busy...busy

Spring, early summer on the farm is quite busy.  We've been working in the garden and getting the 48+ tomato plants well situated.  The squash is in an blooming....

Our barn is being "re-vamped",  What started out as just the corner support post being replaced has ended up with new siding, new doors & windows, new gutters...whew...it's been 3 weeks so far and there is at least another week to go.

Then the update on the failed septic system that has not been working for at least....um....3+ months.
A whole new system is being put in on the other side of the house (the orchard) next Tuesday.  So both sides of the yard will be all torn up next week. 

I'm thinking by the time everything settles down around here it will be September. 

Still struggling with my health, but doing what I can when I can.  Finances are still very, very tight as the orders for our homestead business has dropped off (our usual lull time is August-it came 4 months early and we are afraid that it may last until August due to the rotten economy---but praying it won't be so!)

So all three of us are working at the farm market.  It's nice to have my Man there to help.  Boy spends more time walking around, but he's there to help set up and tear down.  And it's nice to see the other vendors....we're "regulars" like they are so there is a bit of a sense of community there).

Still doing the lacto-fermenting jars.  Just made some awesome (fermented) salsa!  Yum.  Love the kick.  And also dilly beans.  I can't wait to start getting beans from the garden to start fermenting my own!

Well, the timer just beeped...time to get the bread out to rise.  Have a great day!

Summertime!!

The temperatures tell me it's summer, but now officially it is summer.  This was the first week of the farmer's market.  Being at the farmer's market on Saturday morning signals summer to me.  I had forgotten how fun it is!

I sometimes feel like Vinnie in the "Slap Chop" commercial, (minus the microphone-grin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTmC7UQj7_M
when I am explaining our lacto-fermenting probiotic jars.  I know I am saying the same thing over and over, but what's neat is that it's new for each person I talk to.  Some of them have never heard of the idea of fermented and probiotic foods.  And that is cool!  At one point today, there were 10+ people standing there listening to me.  And I was hoping that I made sense, and that I wouldn't have one of my TN attacks in the middle of it. 

I didn't have an attack during any of times I was talking to someone (I had one early while we were setting up-BOO!)  The whole health thing is very confusing.  Just like everyone, I have good days and bad days.  The good days may have an attack or two, and the bad days are just bad.  (Mainly it's the reason I haven't been blogging as I've been having more bad than good.  Been to the doctor and had new and more meds added and that has messed my head up.  But I've missed y'all!!)

Anyway, back to more important things...the market.  It was nice to see all the vendors I knew.  To be out in the morning cool (although it got HOT!). To be out among people. (something I miss since leaving work-although the homeschool fellowship group helps with that too)  And my DH came along today.  Things have been really slow with our homestead business (our main source of income since I became disabled with this nasty disease), so we are trying to drum up more business for him.  He's branched out into making wood signs (hee hee...branched....nevermind).  I'm so excited as we did get an order this morning for his business.  Praise God!!  It was an answer to prayer.  We are also praying about another call I got yesterday of someone that may want 3 pieces of furniture. That would get us through the next two weeks!  If you are inclined...would you pray for our business to pick up?  God has had our business in His hand for the last 6 years and we know it is now too.  But I know He is faithful to answer prayers.

  "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16"

We've been working hard to get the garden in.  It's at about 3/4 way done...except the corn patch.  Alot of tomatoes are in, but we still have about 5 varieties to still plant (I'm out of tomato cages-ug).  Part of the peppers are in, but the ones that I'm so excited about (Fooled You, Jalepenos-taste of jalepenos without the heat) are still too small and only 1/2 of them have their first set of "true" leaves.  Beans are in, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Summer Squash, Beets are in.   Boy tilled a new big patch for the corn this year.  We are trying some neat new types.  Popcorn that the kernals are blue and green!!  And we have sweet corn to put in.  We are planting the pumpkins out there, but haven't yet gotten the chickens reined in so they don't eat the seed as we are putting it in.  That section is not yet fenced.  So there is still work to do out there.  We had a nice rain last night (first one in two weeks) so that should have helped the seedlings. 

Well, again my intention is to check in more regularly.  There might be some upcoming fun stuff here on the blog...giveaways and such!  In the meantime, I thought you would enjoy a picture of one of our April born bunnies (about 8 weeks old now).  They have been handled a lot and are really laid back....see.....

Barn Progress....

Day 1 (5/16):

The big crane to hold the second floor up



AH!  Taking a chainsaw to the beam!

Surprise!!

Just earlier this week, we put our two baby bunnies in their own cage.  They are so furry and cute! 

Last night while doing chores I noticed that Mama Mopsy was pulling fur out...what?  So I put the nest box in and gave her hay.  Immediately, she started gathering the hay and arranging the nest (called making "bones") Hmmmmm.....

Yes, this morning we awoke to new baby bunnies!  She had 2 the first time, and 8 (YES, EIGHT!) this time.  They are very very tiny. 

Spot likes to jump into her cage..apparently he is a "fast worker!"  Yikes.

These pictures are actually of them at one week, with their fur.  4 are white with tan crosses and spots on their backs (and faces) like their daddy, and 4 look like mama.

Here is their cute little faces and a close up:

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

The Saga of Black Cat

Let me tell you the recent goings on of our cats....

Tommy (Otherwise known as Black Cat) got into a bit of a scrape about a week ago.  He came to the backdoor first thing in the morning as he usually does, but one eye was almost swollen shut with tears coming down.  So I wiped his eye and noticed that he had bad scratches near that ear and it was swollen.  So we got out the trusty Hydrogen Peroxide....and started to doctor the cat.  And THEN put Peroxide on the scratches in my side, arm and shoulder (grin-have you read the email about giving a cat a pill??) Anyway...so he seemed to be alright.  The next day, we couldn't find him.  After two days and 1 night missing he showed up at dinnertime.  I fed him (and Yellow Cat) some of the biscuits I had made (and don't ask for the recipe...they were not good, that's why they went to the cats and other animals) soaked in tuna fish juice.  I put a pet antibiotic in Black Cat's and kept shooing Yellow Cat off. 

Next morning, another antibiotic in tuna.  Then, he disappeared again.  This time for 4 days/3 nights.  I worried and fretted that I had killed him with the antibiotics.  That he had gone out into the field and was attacked again and since he was sick, couldn't run away.  Had been eaten by the coyotes we keep hearing.  Last night, I had finally given up seeing him again.  So much so, that my Boy who is highly allergic and not really a cat fan, actually suggested that I look on Craigslist to find another cat to keep Yellow Cat (and me) company.  Black Cat has always come when Man calls as he feeds the cats the mice we catch in our traps.  This morning, Boy and I prayed earnestly that the cat would have either found a new home and they took him to the vet or that at least he didn't suffer.

So I started typing this earlier today with a "RIP Black Cat"....then Man went out to the shop calling the cat, but didn't look for him or even stop.  10 minutes later, my Boy looked out the back door and who was there???

A bit more beaten up as now his other ear has a bit of scratches on it.  He is now locked in a cage in the barn until he is healed up and I think he can hold his own against other foes.  And yellow cat is laying right outside of the cage waiting on him!!

OH, and this is a picture from 1/31 when I planted some experimental plants.  Black Cat tends to keep me company around the farm....I also updated the 1/31 post with the other pictures from that day... http://wallacehomestead.blogspot.com/2012/01/warm-day-lots-done.html

In Just 3 Days....

The baby bunnies are almost a half an inch longer and now have a soft down all over.  Looks like one will be red like Mama, Mopsy and the other will have spots like Daddy, Spot.

We don't know yet if either will get the floppy ears or if they will have straight ears.  Time will tell.