Mixing Bowl Academy

Let's start the New Year off right! With a giveaway!!


On this blog, in cooperation with Currclick, Ami is having not one but two giveaways. The first is for a one time "Mixing Bowl Academy Class." These classes are held "virtually". Some are pre-recorded and others are at a set time weekly. The second giveaway is for a month long class. You can see what they have to offer here .

Go to Ami's Blog to sign up!


"Reprint of my Examiner article"
http://www.examiner.com/homeschooling-in-columbus/mixing-bowl-academy-homeschool-class-giveaway

Merry Christmas from the Homestead

Here's hoping yours is Healthy and Happy!

Our Christmas eve was quiet.  Man's business is very busy so we spent the day working.  I've started helping out in the woodshop as well.  So all three of us were working like Santa's elves to get everyone's Christmas wishes completed for pick up.

A local family had a terrible fire night before last and lost absolutely everything, so I've been sorting clothes for the mama.  She is about the same size as I am.  Scott took a gift to the bank and we are looking at what else we can do.  Luckily, a neighbor saw the blaze and was able to pull the two of the family to safety.  They didn't have an alarm and they almost slept through it!  Thank God everyone is alright!! 

And it is a reminder to us to test the smoke alarms and burn a cresote 'log' to clean out the inside of the chimney again.  Since we heat only with wood, this is so important.

Boy's favorite friend and her family were to spend Christmas Eve with us, but they had unexpected visitors....in the form of little hair bugs...so they are having a "Lousey" Christmas.  Keep your chin up, K...it's almost over!!

Tomorrow, my sister will be over to have Christmas dinner with us!  We're on "puppy watch" as there is a 10% chance that Iona, the pyrenees might have puppies.  At this point, I don't think so as she doesn't seem to be "showing", but we'll see...she would be due between Christmas day and New Year's Day.  So right now she is living on the back porch.  We tried to bring her into the house, but she totally freaked out!

Have a wonderful, blessed Christmas!  Remember why we celebrate it!!

Early Hard Winter

The cold came in fast!!  It went from 40* to 5* in a day....unfortunately, the animals did not take well to the quick temperature change.  We have lost all the Californian Rabbits except Robbie.  And we also lost Sweetie (the lop).  So far, we have lost 3 guineas (both the white ones) and 14 hens (mostly the newish Americaunas) and Gibby Gabby.  Most all we lost the same night...the first really cold one.  It's disappointing because we did have the coop winterized.  It's continued to be frigid and we have not lost any more in the past 4 nights, so hopefully the worst is over.

Here it is the beginning of Christmas week.  I can't believe I haven't posted since Thanksgiving.  Sorry about that!  2011 will be better!  I promise.  I will be posting regularly for a few different topics.  I've been coming up with my plans for the blog and the new year.  As I posted before, I will be blogging for an online "newpaper." and the articles will also be posted here.  I am mainly a homeschooling examiner, but will be posting on some other topics as well...so watch for homeschooling articles.  I've also come up with some "themes" to keep me posting on a regular basis.  I will also be doing some reviews of products and will be able to do giveaways as well!  WOOT!  So start commenting.  The more comments I have, the more products I'm given to review and give away!

Here are some things to look forward to:
Made from Scratch Mondays
"Wordless Wednesday" (This is from another blog carnival)
Field Trip Friday
Homesteading Homeschool

Let me know what you would like to see....

It's Thanksgiving week...and time to be thankful.  I'm thankful for my family who have had to deal yet AGAIN with my health issues....and my mental health issues.  For the farm despite all the work it is.  For bountiful crops and full pantries. For a job that has been here even when I don't love it and even gives me time to blog occasionally.

Last week we took the last 10 meat chickens to be butchered.  Well, I thought it was the last 10 birds...after returning from the processor...two more were lurking around.  We have a bit of a challenge with "chicken math".  Two nights before it was time to take them, I tried to count the number of birds we have.  There are so many right now that I don't really break it out by what they are...just a beak count.  I came up with 73.  THEN we took 10 to the processor...so it should be 63, right??  I counted 67...then found 4 more sleeping in a tree...HUH?!?!  So God multiplied where I subtracted.  Since then we have lost 3.  We had gone almost 6 weeks without finding a dead bird, so it was a bit disheartning to start counting again only to have them go and die on me.  So I think we are at "about" 70 birds. 

• 2 silkies (Professor & Princess)
• 3 adult Muscovy Ducks (1 Drake-Drake, 2 hens- Brownie & Quack)
• 6 "teen" Muscovies (1 Drake, 5 Hens)
• 1 Turkey (Thanksgiving-whom I think has been dieting as he is not ready for Thursday)
• 11 Guineas (2 white, 8 purple, 1 white & purple)
• 2 "left over" meat birds
• 2 roosters (Boo the Americauna and Mohawk the Rhode Island Red)
• 43 Hens (20 newish Americaunas, 2 newish RIR, and some of our named birds including the original Buffy and Muffy and Arica.  Also Susie and Gibby-Gaby)

We've had a dwindling of baby rabbits and are down to 2 "teen" Californias.  So the Rabbit Count is:

• Robbie (Buck-Californian)
• Meg & Mollie (Does-Californians)
• Spot (Buck-Lop)
• Sweetie & Frosty (Does-Lops)
• 2 Teen Californians that need to be "checked"
• There is a possiblity that I will be picking up another female "mini-lop" today.

Everyone is going to be breed this weekend.

We still have the 3 dogs.  Kristl, the inside Eskimo Princess.  Danny, the inside Eskimo Spazz (who was fixed on November 8th and just finished wearing the "Cone of Shame". and Iona, our barn dog Pyrenees.  She is getting on the thin side so we are working on getting her fattened up for winter.  Also, we are not completely convinced that Danny didn't have a romantic interlude with her before his trip to the vet....those cold be some interesting looking pups!

Friends of ours has asked if we would consider keeping a meat cow on the property for them.  We are considering it.  There is the whole fence situation...some areas are not very secure....and I'd like to have a goat or two to take care of the weeds and such.  If we do keep a steer for meat....I'm thinking we ought to have one for milk too.  But that's kinda getting the horse before the cart....oh and speaking of a horse....JK!

Our church had a "Thanksgiving" dinner last night.  I didn't get to go because of work, but the guys went and took my entry for the Cranberry contest.  Each family needed to make a dish with cranberries in it. It could be dessert, salad, etc.  I made a Cranberry and Apple Crisp Bake with Honey Crisp Apples.  There were 18 entries....and I got 3rd!!  WOOT!  So I hope I wrote down.....somewhere.....what I did!

So there's a quick update as to the happenings on the farm.  I am looking to redo the blog so it has tabs and catagories instead of having 6 different blogs going on.  I have been accepted as a local and national blogger for an online magazine site so I need to get this stuff figured out soon.  The bonus of having deadlines for my blogging is that you will now get more timely updates!  There will be tabs for homeschooling, homesteading, canning, scrapbooking, and also one for Zachary's "Smiles for Sam" blog...which was also updated this week.  There are also some other things that I am working on that will be a cool addition if I can get it worked out....hopefully by January. 

Stay tuned.....and please comment!

My apoligies

I have been very far from blogging lately....you see, I have a bad back.  And it has it's moments when it MUST have all the attention.  The last 5 weeks have been all about it.

It's not really better, and I'm coming to realize, that this is my "thorn", as Paul put it.  I'm learning to cope and relearn how to do what must be done, and can be done....just differently.

We'll be back with farm antics, homeschool antics, my new cupcake obsession, and the last of the canning very soon.

Canning Scoreboard

Below is the list of the jars on my shelf.....(I didn't put quantities)

• Jelly / Jam
• Sunshine (Peach/Pear)
• Blackberry
• Black Raspberry
• Queen Anne Lace (aka Weed Jelly)
• Cherry
• Blueberry
• Elderberry
• Concord Grape
• Peach / Cantaloupe Conserve
• Peach
• Strawberry
• Red Raspberry
• 
  Veggies
• Corn
• Creamed Corn
• GreenBeans
• Fruits
• Diced Tomatoes
• Quartered Tomatoes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Tart Cherries
• Others
• Spiced Pears Pear Chutney
• Peach Salsa
• Tomato Salsa
• Tomato / Tomatillo Salsa
• Pickled Peppers (Pepperochinis)
• Bottled Tomato / Garlic / Basil

Frozen

• Corn on the Cob
• Corn (not on the cob)
• Blueberries
• Peppers

Dehydrated

• Corn (Have I mentioned how much corn I got?  Look here)
• Blueberries
• Elderberries
• Peppers

Other Harvest

• Homegrown Popcorn

It's been a busy summer....and I still have two pear trees that need harvested and processed and also 2 bushels of apples to do.  And possibly a few more tomatoes.  And I need to dig up the potato harvest.  Oh, and I picked up Golden Raspberries at a U Pick...well, actually Boy picked, so that will be jelly soon.

Oh, I was asked if I am selling the jellies....yes, I suppose so...The local market for a half pint is $3.50.  Let me know....

for 'colie

I was picking up our RIR's and saw this crate.

Diversity and a Balanced Portfolio...

Our flock has never been told that they shouldn't get along with other types of fowl, so we have everyone free ranging together.  It's what I like to call a "balanced portfolio".  Who needs stocks and bonds.

So...see if you can find all our different types of birds in these pictures...You will definitely find more than one type per picture!!

Thanksgiving, the turkey

6 lavender guineas

2 white guineas

meat chickens

rooster, Boo

meat chickens

layer chickens

pullet chickens

mama duck

Drake Duck

Ducklings

Answer Key

New Rhode Island Reds

A lady who lives up north of us was looking to rehome 4 of her Rhode Island Red Hens and their Rooster.  Boy and I went up and after getting lost a few times...ended up with 5 very beautiful and healthy chickens to add to our flock.  Currently they are in isolation in the movable coop while everyone gets used to one another.  We're not sure how Boo (our Americauna rooster) and Mohawk (the new RIR rooster) are going to get along....but if one has to go, it will be Mohawk.  We love Boo and he is so gentle with his girls.

Boy and Mohawk

Apple Pickin'

HONEY CRISP!!

We love Honey Crisp Apples.  And so does everyone!  There was a traffic jam getting into the orchard on the morning they were "released" and they were gone by the afternoon!!! 

We brought home a whole bushel!

Then we went to the farmers market and bough another peck of peaches, a peck of peppers, a bag of pickle cucumbers, an onion and an acorn squash

(I grew two but the chickens got to them--grr)

Butchering

No pictures with this post.  We butchered 11 of our meat chickens today.  What a mess...and an experience.  I was totally queasy at first, but after a bit you get somewhat de-sensitized.  But the smell. UG!  We wanted to do all of them (ME especailly as they have decimated my tomato patch!!), but with the "learning curve" it took almost 6 hours just to do those.

So the others get another few weeks to get bigger....and now that I know HOW to do it...I think I might see if I can find a local processor :)

Ducklings getting big!

Our first clutch of "surprise" ducklings are getting so big.  It's fun to watch them dipping for water under the watchful eye of Brownie, their mama.

Second clutch of ducklings.

Blackie our Muscovy has been sitting on a nest....forever!

Finally she hatched out 7 ducklings (1 didn't make it)
Here they are just a few hours old.

Unfortunately, within about 5 hours of the last hatch, we found Blackie dead on the floor.  What a dedicated mama that she waited until all were hatched.