Gluten in the House

I had a thought this morning about wheat gluten. I am allergic to hay and grasses, but I don't eat them. So I got to thinking...I probably should avoid inhaling wheat as well! That means...if wheat is to be ground into flour on our homestead, the mill has to be brought outside for the process! And, the mill has to stay outside when it is cleaned with the brush as well. I think that will help to keep it out of my system even better.

I have been following the gluten-free diet faithfully, and while I haven't noticed a difference in my sinuses or allergic reactions, my energy seems to have picked up and I seem to be thinking more clearly. I have also started a very low dose of thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism, so my improvement may be due to that as I started it the same time I dropped the wheat gluten.

My husband gets his allergy blood test results next Monday. I am expecting him to have a gluten sensitivity if not an out and out allergy, but time will tell. However, our children have been put on notice that if dad also needs to go gluten free, then we are going to become a gluten free household! Most of them are not thrilled at the prospect, but oh, well. Genetically speaking, I am thinking that if both my husband and I have problems with gluten, then they are all ripe candidates for for the same!

So, I am going to start experimenting with millet and amaranth, and I still eat rice. I enjoy vegetables, so I really haven't been suffering with this change of diet and reduction in grains. HOWEVER...gluten-free blueberry pancakes and pizza crust will have to be figured out!

Nasturtiums

Well, it seems that each year, every business wants to get the jump on the other, and so sends out their catalogs earlier and earlier. Seed catalogs never used to come before Christmas, and it makes me a little unhappy to see them before the new year. After the whirlwind of Christmas, when the cold sets in for what may be quite a while, the arrival of brightly colored, hopeful catalogs is a refreshing breath of spring fresh air. How can we not be hopeful, when we see those beautiful pictures of juicy tomatoes, yellow corn ears, bright peppers, and lettuce with dew droplets shining in the sunlight?

We forget the slugs and snails, aphids and voracious caterpillars, scale and squash bugs. Hey...gardening is a battle this side of Eden!

But. Flip through your catalog to the flower section. To the 'N's.

There they are!

Nasturtiums!

I think these flowers may have been named by aphids...Nasty-urtiums!

Because, aphids DETEST Nasturtiums, and so these lovely flowers belong in every spring garden. One year as an experiment, I planted Nasturtiums on one side of a row of broccoli, but not on the other side. The side with the Nasturtiums had no aphids, but the side without Nasturtiums had a noticeable population of the buggers. They didn't come within 5 feet of the flowers, though!

Another neat thing about Nasturtiums is that the leaves and blooms are edible, and can be put into salads raw. I like to eat the blossoms the most...they have a peppery/radishy flavor, but the middle of the flower is surprisingly sweet. Yummy!

Oh...and did I mention the flowers are beautiful?

Super Easy Ricotta Cheese Recipe

I LOVE this recipe for ricotta cheese! Its so easy!

Sometimes with our goats, we end up having way more milk than we know what to do with. One thing we make when this happens is ricotta cheese. Its such a versatile cheese and can be used as an herbed dip, sweetened for a dessert, or used in many different Italian main dishes, such as stuffed shells, manicotti, and lasagna.

To make ricotta, you will need a gallon of milk, 2/3 cup white vinegar, a large colander, some cheese cloth, and a large non-reactive pan. Bring milk to almost boiling...it gets quite steamy when its ready. Then stir in the vinegar. Turn off the heat and let the milk sit for a minute...the curds and whey will separate quickly. Line your colander with a single thickness of real cheese cloth...don't buy that gauzy stuff...its not really cheese cloth and if you try to use it, you can kiss your curds goodbye as they will go right through the mesh. Carefully pour the hot curds and whey into the colander. It will take a little while to drain, and you may want to scrape the curds off the cheese cloth as they collect to facilitate drainage.

Notes:

- You can put a large bowl under the colander to catch the whey and use it for soup or baking or what have you. Its good stuff!

- You can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in place of the white vinegar, but they leave a pronounced flavor in the cheese that I don't care for. The white vinegar leaves a neutral flavor.

-Old, worn pillow cases and sheets can be use for cheese cloth.

Is it Stuffing or Dressing?

Since we have just celebrated another WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, I thought I would explain the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing". 

I grew up eating "stuffing" every year while my husband grew up eating "dressing" every year.  In fact, I had never eaten dressing until my first Thanksgiving with my husband and up until then, I always thought they were one and the same. 

Stuffing is made with bread "cubes", onions, celery, eggs, butter and sage as the main spice.  Now you don't need to buy bread crumbs or the cubes labeled for stuffing, just tear your bread into chunks and be done with it.  You will save money and be healthier by using your homemade bread.  Mix the bread, eggs, butter, celery and onion together.  Add a little salt and lots of sage and mix well.  Now you "stuff" this into the bird that is not cooked.  Once the bird is stuffed, you roast the bird on 325 until it is done.  Check your Betty Crocker cookbook for cooking times.

Dressing is normally made with cornbread.  You will make your cornbread just like you always do unless you are cooking for a large number of people in which case you might want to double the recipe.  After the cornbread is cooked and cooled, crumb the corn bread.  Add turkey broth that you collect from your roasting pan as well as celery and onions.  Place this back into the cookware that you used to make the cornbread and bake for another 30 minutes on 350.  Now you have "dressing". 

Ingredients for stuffing and dressing may vary, but what defines each item is "how" it is cooked.  If it is cooked in a bird, it is stuffing; if it is cooked in a pan, it is dressing.

Our family enjoys both for Thanksgiving because it would not be Thanksgiving for "me" if we did not have stuffing; and it would not be Thanksgiving for "my husband" if we did not have dressing.  And my children would not know a Thanksgiving without both!

Black Swallowtail Butterfly Larvae

Sometimes in my garden I will find Black Swallowtail butterfly larvae happily munching on things I would really rather they leave alone. I have found them on carrot tops, parsley, and rue. I don't kill them, but rather put them in a jar and give them to a teacher or a homeschool mom, so she can share the fascinating larvae-to-butterfly process with her students.

I like butterflies. Sometimes in the past I have had to wait a day or two before delivering the larvae, and I noticed that the numbers of caterpillars would slowly dwindle. At first I was puzzled, but I think I found out what was happening. Wasps would come and carry them away to feed their nest. While I like the butterflies, there are other caterpillars that I don't appreciate, and I like the thought that all day long, there are hunters looking to carry away the unwanted larvae. For this reason, when I see a wasp nest that isn't in a place where people are likely to run into it, I let them be. Free, all natural pest control for the garden!

Painting the Horse Trailer

Several years ago we bought a used horse trailer. It was red, sort of, with white splotches and rust from where the former owners had gotten it ready to paint. It was UGLY, but it hauled the animals around nicely.

But. I got sick of looking at it the way it was, and decided to paint it. Now, I didn't have many of the things one should have when properly painting a metal horse trailer. But, I did have oomph and aggravation. And a wire brush. And some masking tape. And a couple cans of oil-based paint suitable for painting metal. And...I had a couple smooth finish paint rollers. So, I got busy prepping, scrubbing off any loose paint and rusty areas. And then I starting painting with my rollers. The end result...a hunter green horse trailer with a white top and trim! It looks GREAT!

Do you have a livestock trailer that looks terrible but can't afford what it takes to get it done right? I spent about $50 and a couple afternoons, and I am so glad I did it. The paint job may not last forever, but it looks SO MUCH better than it did! I also know that the paint will help protect our trailer from further rust damage. I need to take a picture and get it on here so you can see it for yourself!

Sweet Potato Observations

Today is Thanksgiving for those of us in the United States, and we truly have many thing to be thankful for...the most precious is knowing to Whom we are giving our thanks! Thank you, Lord, for Your many blessing!

I helped my daughter make a sweet potato pie from scratch yesterday to help celebrate today's holiday. We grew the sweet potatoes here at the farm, and had our best year ever for production. I am still learning though, and next year I will be tweaking how I plant my sweet potato plot!

This year, I loosened the ground in rows, added organic material and cottonseed meal, planted tubers with little plants on them, and then just let the vines go everywhere. When they tried to cross paths and invade other places in the garden, I steered the vines back into the vine mass.

We dug them over the past couple weeks, and the biggest sweet potatoes were in the loosened, enriched soil...but there were MANY little ones in between, as the vines will put down roots to make sweet potatoes wherever the vines touch the ground. These little potatoes were mostly nuisances, and I know I did not get them all, and I fear next year they will be coming back with a vengeance, popping up vines all over the place. So...next year I think I am going to trellis the vines in my rows somewhat to keep a better handle on where the tubers end up!

I do plan to put at least some of the little sweet potatoes to good use, by keeping them for planting next year. Some I will store in the house, and some I am going to bury in the garden to see how they keep buried in the cold soil. I want to see where the best place is to keep them.

Super Easy Chicken and Rice

I enjoy this recipe for its simplicity and because my entire family loves it AND because it is still a great, nutritious meal!

Items Needed-

Chicken leg quarters

Rice

Water

Salt

Seasonings to suit you...I like granulated garlic.

Select a glass baking pan large enough to hold how ever many servings you are making.

Preheat oven to 350 f

For the rice, decide how much and what kind you are making. Add the appropriate amount of hot tap water to the pan, add salt, and then stir in the rice.

You can leave the leg quarters whole or divide them into thighs and drumsticks. White rice cooks faster than brown rice, so maybe for white rice divide the chicken pieces, but for brown rice, leave the leg quarters intact. Simply place the raw chicken pieces one layer deep and not touching each other into the rice water mixture. Sprinkle with salt and garlic granules or whatever spices you like on your rice. Put pan in oven. The juices of the cooking chicken soak into the rice, which is why we like using the dark meat instead of white meat. Cook until the chicken is done and the rice has absorbed the liquid. With a 5 serving portion, it usually takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes or so. Check at an hour so you can start watching it.

It takes about two minutes of prep to make this dish...the rest is just waiting for it to cook. You can bake a squash in another pan and it will cook in about the same amount of time, so there is your veggie!

Tweak the recipe to make it your own, and enjoy!

The Benefits of Trimming Goat Tails

Goat tails have a nice fringe of hair all along the edge and end of the tail. This nicely keep flies and other insect pests away from the goat's bottom area.

However, in a pregnant doe, it is best that the tail gets trimmed. This is for several reasons. The first is that you will probably be checking her vulva for signs of mucus discharge which indicates that birth is imminent, and the hair can hide this tell-tale sign. She will NOT appreciate your attempts to look at her bottom, so anything you can do to help make your checking as quick as possible will be appreciated by all involved parties.

The second reason is that after the kid(s) are born, the doe will have a discharge for a few days. The long tail hair will collect the discharge, making it get all sticky and stiff. Having the hair trimmed will help keep her backside tidier.

To trim the tail, all you really need is a pair of sharp scissors. Traditionally, the fringe along the sides of the tail is cut off, and the hair at the end of the tail is trimmed to be an inch to two inches long so the hair on the tip has a straight edge and the goat still has a little flyswatter.

Bottle Raised Kittens

We have a cat named Babycat. We are not into the whole goo-goo name thing, not by any means. Her name is what we called her as a kitten because we WERE NOT going to keep her. She was just...the baby cat. Babycat will be 13 years old in a couple months, and has lived with us her whole life!

Someone dropped Babycat and her brother Tubby off for me to care for as bottle babies. So, I took care of them. I bottle fed them. I rubbed their little bums to get them to pee and poop. I helped them as they learned to eat solid foods. I adopted Tubby out. I kept Babycat. And as the years went on, I learned something about bottle raised cats.

They are mean, cantankerous, and unpredictable. I'm talking about with the family, and ten times worse with strangers! When I would go on vacation, Babycat had my housesitters on edge. Just plain old mean to them. She was mostly ok with us, though she still would scratch us when we would do something that offended her. Don't ask me what we did to set her off...she never said!

I learned that this was typical behavior for a bottle-raised cat. And...now I know what the problem is! I know a lady who works at a vet office and raises orphaned kittens on a regular basis. However...her kittens always turn out well-behaved. The difference? She is their momma, and treats them accordingly. This means lots of love, AND...a decent amount of hissing and popping them on the head the way their mother would have done. It makes all the difference!

The Goat Network

I attended a goat clinic yesterday, and realized something about new goat owners. They need to know the importance of networking.

Basically, unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you don't need to buy every medicine, tool, and piece of equipment that pertains to goats just because someday you might need it.

If you own two does...you probably don't have to buy castrating equipment, a tattoo outfit, a microscope, and a disbudding iron. At least...not right away, because that will be expensive. And...if you way stock up on meds, chances are a lot of it is going to go to waste because it will expire before you need it!

The solution? Make friends with other goat owners. They are generally a pretty good bunch, and want to promote the animal, and encourage new owners!

Networking works as long as you follow a few simple rules. First of all...listen when an experienced goat owner tells you something. Take care of your animals, and learn about them. Use common sense! When an experienced goat owner sees that you are sincere about learning what it takes to care for your animals, they will probably bend over backwards to help you! This means the sharing of knowledge, tools, meds, etc. As you build up your arsenal of knowledge, experience, and tools, you find yourself becoming...an experienced goat owner. And then guess what? Sooner or later, a new goat owner will look you up. And then you get the privilege of passing on that torch that was passed to you.

Goat Guts and Baking Soda

A goat's gut is a finely tuned cellulose breakdown factory. This is why they and other ruminants thrive on grass and browse, where if we tried to survive on it, we would starve to death! They...or rather the microbes in their gut...can break down plant chemical structures into more basic components, enabling the animal to absorb the energy and nutrients.

Now...sometimes things can occur that interfere with the happy beneficial bacterial colony. It could be an illness or a stress to the animal, or something the animal ate that throws a monkey wrench into the system. This can be dangerous, and sometimes things can spiral out of control quickly until the animal's life is in danger. It is called acidosis, and it is what it sounds like...a dangerous ph imbalance.

One simple thing that can be done to help prevent this condition is to feed the goats free-choice baking soda. It will neutralize the acid. The goats will only eat as much as they need, and when they need it.

Remember my post on acorns a little while ago? It is a good idea to have free-choice baking soda if your goats are eating falling acorns, to neutralize the tannic acid found in the acorns.

Baking soda is cheap and readily available, and an easy preventative to have on hand. I wish all goat solutions were so easy!

Fiskars Loppers and a Sawzall for Butchering

Through the years of butchering animals, I have discovered two really useful tools that help make the process go a little quicker.

The first is my ever-handy Fiskars 17 inch power gear loppers. These work very well for quickly cutting through leg bones and vertebra. I suppose other loppers will work, but I am rather attached to my orange-handled friend!

The other tool for cutting through bone quickly is a Sawzall. I have cut through beef femurs with these things, and they do a great job. I make sure I have human helpers when using a Sawzall to process an animal, to keep things more stable when cutting.

It is best to make sure the tools are very sharp before starting. And, of course...make sure you start with washed tools as well!

Of Field Fencing and Cattle Panels

So, I built this great wattle fence, but before too long the wood became weak and was no longer suitable to hold our goats securely. Our next fencing endeavor was to install field fencing. This fencing was fairly sturdy, and to stretch the wire as we put it up we used our tractor. It worked well! After a couple years, the goats ate most of the browse in the pasture, and started leaning on the fence to reach what was on the other side. After many lean-ons from ambitious goats, the fence stretched drastically and bowed and sagged! We added posts here and there, but we finally started on what I hope will be the final solution.

Cattle panels. The 16 foot sections of wire are VERY sturdy, though considerably more pricey than field fencing. However, I believe they make up for that downfall in two ways. First of all, they will outlive a field fence by many years. Second, the sections are kind of like lego blocks, in that if you decide to take down the fence, you can put it up somewhere else, or even sell the sections if you want. This is not an option with field fencing! Now...we do use t-posts with the cattle panels, and they are clipped together with the wire clips that are included with the purchase of the t-posts. I highly recommend using these over using wooden posts and staples.

If you find yourself needing to replace your field fencing, please consider using cattle panels. Even if you can only afford to do it one piece at a time, it is a semi-permanent investment that will save you time and effort now...and time, effort, and money in the future.

If you don't have access to a trailer to haul the cattle panels, you can do what my friend did to get hers home. She has a Ford Mustang, and she strapped hers over the top of her car, bumper to bumper. No kidding! Made her car kind of look like a Volkswagon Beetle...

Wattle Fencing

Through the years, we have used three different kinds of primary fences. The first one was way back before I even had goats, but was gearing up to get them. I had lots of small trees and saplings that needed to be removed from the area where we planned to put the pasture. That, and the fact that I was younger, had lots of energy, enthusiasm, and maybe am a little insane gave me the oomph to build a wattle fence. A wattle fence, for those that don’t know, is built by weaving small trees and saplings to make a wall.

I built the wattle fence almost exclusively by myself, using a bow saw and a pair of Fiscar limb loppers. The walls were about 3 1/2 feet high, and I left trees intermittently standing in a large circle for the upright posts...those were my warp. I had to use a couple real fence posts, but mostly my ‘posts’ were living trees. For the weft, I used saplings that I cut down at ground level. It was a learn-as-you-go process. At first, it seemed that I should weave the whole circle from the ground up, putting one layer at ground level the whole length of the fence, then one on top of that, alternating which side of the upright trees I went on for the weaving effect, and so on. Due to the ground being uneven in places, the varying lengths and thicknesses of saplings, and the varying length between upright trees, I had to amend that idea pretty quickly and make it work as I went. I ended up building in it sections, so as I cut the saplings I could match the appropriate lengths and thicknesses to what I needed for certain sections. In the weaving of the saplings, I did alternate which sides of the trees/posts they went on, but not every layer. It depended on the thickness of the saplings. I would cut a sapling, and strip off all the small branches, leaving the sapling as long as I could. Sometimes if a couple of the branches were mostly parallel with the trunk, I would leave them and weave them in. I admit, toward the end of the project, my hands and elbows were incredibly sore, and when my husband offered to cut a bunch of saplings for me using his chainsaw, this purist was grateful! I left an opening in the fence for a gate, which we built from fence wire and boards

It took a lot of work, but the wattle fence worked pretty well and kept the goats in and other animals out…plus it looked really neat. It was quite strong, but the wood was not treated and only lasted a year or two. Then…we went on to field fencing and beyond, but that is a post for tomorrow!

Butter and Cream and Eggs...How is My Cholesterol??

My lipid panel results were also included in yesterday's allergy report, but I thought this warranted its own blog post because it was so cool!

I will preface this by saying I eat as much cream, butter, and eggs as I want...and I want them quite a bit. Many of my meals will have any or all of these ingredients. I eat minimal amounts of partially hydrogenated anything, and margarine IS NOT ALLOWED IN MY HOUSE. It doesn't cook well, and tastes nasty....more to follow about that in a little bit!

So...my lipid panel? My levels are great, thanks! All my 'bad cholesterols' were at great levels, but I do need to bring up my LDL a little, which I will with fish oil capsules. I had to get the no-burp ones...the other ones and I don't get along!

Butter, cream, eggs...these are good, God intended fats...not the enemies to be avoided! My grandmother's cholesterol levels were HORRIBLE several years ago, but she was also in the habit of eating...lots of margarine. She needed the arteries in her neck roto-rooted, and was a walking cholesterol mess even after they tried to manage her diet by avoiding oils. Any time a person is eating something that is so far away from its naturally occurring state that they wouldn't guess where it came from...its probably something to be avoided!

Fourth Allergy Appointment

Well...I had my follow-up appointment today to go over the results of my skin tests, blood tests, and CT scan.

First off, the CT showed what I already suspected, which is a sinus infection in my left sinus, plus a few air pockets beside it that were also inflamed. Seeing as how it has been very sensitive/painful for YEARS, I was not surprised. I have had two courses of antibiotics in the past prescribed by my family doctor. The first one seemed to help, but the second course did not. This sinus rests is directly above one of my molars that has also been very sensitive and painful. I originally talked to my dentist about it, who offered to do a root canal though they could not find anything wrong with my tooth, though it does have a large filling. I knew it was more of a sinus problem than a tooth problem, because every time I would try to go off Allegra, I would end up with a painful tooth for days that would be partially relieved by decongestants and going back on the Allegra. I do use Sensodine toothpaste, and that helps some as well.

For my skin tests, I am quite allergic to oak pollen, black willows, molds, rag weed, various grass pollen, roaches, and dust mites. No surprises there.

The surprise came with my blood tests, that showed I have a sensitivity to gluten. Huh??? The doctor said "I don't make this recommendation to many patients, but for you, I think you should not eat gluten anymore." Apparently, when I eat gluten, my body sees it as an intruder and I have a decent amount of antibodies to it. Not enough for it to declare all-out war...more that it makes my body 'grouchy'. Hmm. Gluten-free means some major changes in my diet, and I am still trying to process this information. Wow.

I will begin serum shots in about two weeks to see if they will help reduce my allergies that showed up with the skin tests. My husband began his serum shots today, and got one in each upper arm. The allergy office made him wait 30 minutes before he was allowed to leave to make sure he did not have an adverse reaction to the serum. He said that tonight, his arms are a little sore in the deep muscle, but to look at his arms there is no visible evidence that he he got any injections.

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

Here is a great way to serve potatoes that is different from standard potato dishes.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, no substitutes
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 block (about 10 - 12 ounce) Cheddar Cheese, we like the extra sharp
1/8 cup of dried onions...you may use fresh if you would like
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced

On Stove top:
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook while whisking continuously for 1 - 2 minutes or until flour is lightly browned.  Whisk milk into butter mixture; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, onions, salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Stir until the cheese is melted.

Spread 1/4 cup cheese sauce evenly in a lightly buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.  If you are using seasoned stoneware, you don't need to butter the dish.  Layer half of the potatoes over sauce; top with half of remaining cheese sauce.  Repeat ending with cheese sauce on top. 

Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

If you don't have that much time and you can slice your potatoes very thin (like using a Mandoline or Simple Slicer) and cook for 45 to 60 minutes at 375.  The Simple Slicer has the thinnest setting that I have ever seen and is so thin you can almost read through the potatoes!

Let me know when you try this recipe and how it turns out. 

Last night we enjoyed this dish with our favorite purple potatoes.  Love them!

Milk Goiter in Kids

Milk goiter is a condition that can develop in goat kids that drink A LOT of goat milk. Affected kids have a swelling on their throat right where their head meets their neck. This condition, as far as I have ever seen, is harmless, though it makes the kids look a little weird. I have only personally seen it on dam-raised goat kids whose mothers are heavy milkers...either Saanens or Saanen crosses. When the kids decrease nursing or are weaned, the swelling goes away. I am not sure exactly what the mechanics are behind the condition, chemically speaking...only that we have had it here at the farm numerous times, and have never had any ill effects from it.

Some people will see the swelling and think it is bottle jaw, a dangerous condition brought on by heavy worm parasite overload. However, these two conditions differ in where the swelling occurs. Bottle jaw causes the entire underside of the jaw to become quite squishy with pooled fluids. Milk goiter is found at the back of the jaw, where the neck meets the head. Also, milk goiter is present all the time, while bottle jaw generally recedes during the night so the animal's jaw will look almost normal in the morning, then the fluid comes back to the jaw as the day progresses due to the animal keeping its head down while it grazes.

Milk goiter is no big deal. Bottle jaw is an emergency. If jaw swelling happens to one of your goat kids and you aren't sure which condition is causing the swelling, a fecal can tell you if there is a parasite overload. You can also check eye membranes for color. Bright pink is great, dull pink is so-so, and gray means dangerously anemic.

Turkeys...Something to Think About.

You have a homestead. Got the chickens, the bees, maybe some goats and a nice garden. And now, you are thinking about getting some turkeys, maybe a heritage breed.

Here are some things to consider...the negative parts.

#1 Turkeys can be mean, especially the males. If you have children who will be taking care of the birds, make sure your turkeys are not aggressive toward people. When I was a child, I had to feed the turkeys, and went into the pen carrying a pole to keep the male turkey from attacking me. And, several years ago, the last set of turkeys we had here at our homestead included a tom that had a thing for viciously attacking blue feed bags. Not such a great situation if you happened to be holding one of the 'blue enemies'!

#2 Turkeys eat A LOT of food! A lotta lot. They can forage if you choose to free range, and that will help. They also poop a lot, and that can make a mess.

#3 If you get one turkey and keep it with the chickens, it won't know it is a turkey, and a male may claim the chickens for his own. This can be a problem during breeding season, as a turkey is A LOT bigger than the chicken hens. Some friends of ours lost their favorite chicken hen when their tom turkey bred her to death. And...he was a heritage breed, a Bourbon Red. I have also heard that turkeys kept with chickens are more prone to disease, though I have not seen this first hand.

#4 Turkey eggs can be difficult to hatch. The heritage breeds seem to be ok at it, but watch that momma turkey! She can get crabby, possessive, and mean about her nest and poults! In an incubator, hatch rates weren't so great for me.

These are some things to consider before deciding to keep turkeys. They are beautiful birds, and taste wonderful. But, they do require significantly more room and more feed, and are a little more difficult to keep than chickens. The sight of a turkey taking a dust bath is pretty amazing! Just make sure before you bring them home, you really are ready and know what to expect.

And...I will also add. You can't cook a heritage breed turkey the same as a store bought one. Heritage breeds require a lower temp, and a slow, long roasting process. Then...it will be one of the best turkeys you have ever eaten!

What Honeybees and Yellow Jackets Eat

Here is a simplified article on what honeybees and yellow jackets eat, and why.

When they are young, they eat protein, and when they are mature, they eat sweet stuff. The end. Just kidding! I mean...they really do, but I will give a few more details as to why.

When larvae of either honeybees or yellow jackets are developing, they are fed a diet rich in protein. This is so they can grow properly. Other things are mixed in what they are fed, but their diet is definitely protein-heavy during the larval stage and young adult stage. For honeybee larvae and young honey bees, the protein source is pollen. Pollen is very protein rich! The worker bees collect it and bring it to the hive. For yellow jacket larvae and young yellow jackets, their protein sources are insects and scavenged meat that the adult yellow jackets bring back to the nest. So...if you have ever been trying to clean a fish or had meat outside for some reason and found that it attracted yellow jackets by the droves, now you know why. They had a nest nearby and were feeding baby yellow jackets.

Mature yellow jackets and honeybees primarily eat sweet stuff. Mature honeybees eat mostly honey and nectar. Yellow jackets, on the other hand...it depends on the time of year where they get their sugar fix! When the yellow jacket hive has larvae and young yellow jackets, the mature wasps bring the young ones protein. But, the mature yellow jackets do not forage for the sugars they need to survive, because they have a source right there in the nest. The immature yellow jackets produce a sweet substance that the adults eat. So, when the nest has a decent larvae and young yellow jacket population, the adults generally only scavenge for protein. However, later in the year when the queen stops laying eggs, the mature yellow jackets suddenly lose their source of food. Then, they turn to scavenging sugar sources in order to survive. They will go after anything sweet...soda, juice, ripe fruit, etc. They can become a real nuisance in the fall when they want their sugar fix, kind of like someone who abruptly stops their Atkin's diet!

Fall-time is also the time of year when honeybee keepers must keep a close watch on weak hives, as they could get overrun by aggressive yellow jackets raiding the honey. Not a good situation, but may be helped by adding a hive entrance reducer so the honeybees don't have to protect such a large entry area.

Is it Real Honey?

Twice in less than a week, people have brought up to me that some of what is being sold in stores that looks like honey...isn't honey! Or, it isn't pure honey.

A friend of mine was telling me how she was in a store not too long ago, and saw a young mother buying a little plastic honey bear filled with what appeared to be honey. My friend thought the price was really low, and when she read the ingredients, it was mostly high fructose corn syrup, and the last ingredient was honey. No wonder the price was low! She asked the young mother if she thought that she was buying honey, and the lady said "Yes." My friend told her to read the ingredients.

I am surprised that some unscrupulous people would sell counterfeit honey, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Very tricky to put it in a bottle that has always indicated the contents are pure honey! Either they don't realize there is a huge difference between the sweet syrups...or they don't care. Anything to make money. At least they are labeling it accurately, I suppose.

The best honey you can buy will come from a local farm that harvests the honey from their own hives, filters it, and then sells it raw. Or, just sells it in the comb. Hard to counterfeit that! The price is worth it.

Recycling Fishing Line

I debated writing this blog. Still not sure I will post it, but if you are reading this, I guess I decided to go through with it.

Like many homesteaders, I really enjoy fishing, but there is a responsibility that must be addressed...what to do with old fishing line. Throwing it on the ground is unthinkable, but I have seen wads of the stuff on the ground and thrown in bushes. If I am in a position to do so, I grab the line and stick it in my pocket so it can't entangle an animal...and because whenever I go somewhere, I try to pick up a piece of trash to leave the place a little better than when I got there.

Throwing old line in the trash could also cause problems for critters later on, unless you shred it. There is one other better option, though. You can find a place to recycle it! There are places that sell fishing equipment that also have monofilament recycling stations. Our local Extension Office also has a monofilament fishing line recycling box, and when it gets full, they send to a place that melts it down into plastic planks that fit together to make fish safety habitats.

The Extension office also built nifty recycling bins out of PVC pipes to install at various popular fishing places, so people would have a readily accessible place to put their used fishing line. The bins are clearly labelled and put it obvious locations in parks, on docks, etc. My family volunteered to monitor and empty one recycling bin that is located not too far from out house. We enjoy doing it! The first reason is because it helps keep fishing places free from fishing line litter.

Ok...so are you wondering what the big deal is yet about why I debated writing this post? Well...its because of the other reason why we enjoy emptying the fishing line bin. Its because...people throw lures, sinkers, bobbers and hooks in along with their fishing line! Its great! We put this stuff right in our tackle boxes...free fishing gear! How cool is that? Sometimes there is other trash in there, too, and we just sort it out into piles of usables, recyclables, and trash. Don't tell, ok? Its a secret. But you can see about setting up a fishing line recycling bin at your neighborhood fishing hot spot, and fish for free fishing gear!

Acorn Meanderings

I know these posts are supposed to be on things I have done, experienced, or have knowledge on, but today is something I only have observed, am thinking about, and need to research further. And I invite you to do the same.

Acorns. I live in an area of the United States blessed with many, many oak trees, and right now, acorns are EVERYWHERE. I hear them falling on my house, I step on them on my driveway, I run over them on the road and in parking lots. Even at church, there are acorns all over the playground! I pull tiny oak trees out of my garden year round. At my husband's place of employment, there are thousands laying on the ground.

To the native Americans, these little oak nuts were used as the 'staff of life'. Did Europeans use them throughout the centuries as a source of food? I don't know. I do know acorn flour can be found in some Oriental food markets...mostly Korean, I think. Not sure about that.

I have never been in a place where acorns were not plentiful in the fall. All different sizes and various shapes. Ten years ago I walked in the park beside the Saint Louis Arch, and found the biggest acorns I have ever seen in my life. Some were almost the size of golf balls...they were amazing! And a couple weeks ago I held a small new acorn in my hand from my church's playground. It was smooth and beautiful, bright green seamlessly merging into lily-white, and so round it looked like a little marble. I carried it in my pocket most of the day, to touch and look at it, like a little jewel.

Acorns. They are everywhere, but mostly ignored. I know they are very high in fat and protein. I love they way they smell, but the tannic acid gives them a bitter taste. I know it can be leached out, but never could find a practical way to do it. Now I am wondering if I could mix it in with whole wheat flour and maybe it would taste ok. They are definitely nutritious! Maybe God put the tannic acid in them to make most people ignore them when times were ok. Acorns aren't commercially important, and because of that...as far as I know, anyway... they are untainted by 'modern technology', and non-GMO. They are readily available to many people to eat, being easy to gather and pretty easy to crack and eat. In times of true need, they will be there for those who recognize their value. I wonder if they were eaten during the Great Depression? I don't know.

As far as livestock is concerned, in the back of my mind it seems that there are cautions given regarding letting the animals eat too many of them. I can't say I even remember for certain what the caution was regarding, though it may have been due to either the high tannic acid causing problems, or maybe so much fat and protein that caused bloat or some other chemical imbalance. I don't know. I do know that two of my friends have oak trees and their goats eat the acorns that fall in the pasture every year with no ill effects other than the goats gain weight. I am thinking that should hard times ever arise, I would definitely supplement my goats, sheep, and hogs (when I have them) with acorns. Deer, squirrels, and wild hogs know all about acorns being a great, nutritious food source!

Many acorns seem to have a small worm inside them, so I don't know about long term storage. Maybe roasting or freezing them? Another thing I just don't know!

So...acorns will be on my mind all day, and I plan to research them further. If I find out something or do something interesting with them, I will let you know. And, if this blog post has piqued your interest...I hope that you do some research for yourself about these valuable yet neglected treasures.

Meatballs and Homemade Spaghetti For Dinner

So I have this new piece of stoneware that I'm not sure how to use. I thought about this a good bit yesterday and decided to use it for meatballs since my mom gave us some ground beef. All day long, I kept thinking about homemade meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. Finally, around 4:00 pm I started to make my meatballs.

I put in one fresh farm egg; fresh rolled organic oats; pizza seasoning and then the ground beef. I mixed well with my hands and then rolled out meatballs about one inch in diameter. I placed 12 of them in my small ridged baker and baked for 30 minutes at 375. Now I know that I could have put them in the microwave and they would have been done in 12 minutes, but that is not my style of cooking. At 4:45, I loaded my second set into the oven and decided to think about noodles.

I asked JAB if we still had two packages of spaghetti noodles in the pantry. To my disappointment, he replied no.

Oh boy! What am I going to do for dinner? I have 24 meatballs almost done and another six ready to go into the oven and I have no noodles! Not good since we live 30 minutes from a store.

I have my manual pasta maker, but I really did not want to go to that much trouble. As I pondered this problem, I realized that my DLX has a pasta attachment that I have never used. I located all of the parts which also included a recipe that was just a little different than the one for my manual pasta maker. This recipe was 500 grams (by weight) of durum flour, 5 eggs and 3 teaspoons oil. I used extra light olive oil. All I had to do was put these ingredients in my bowl and turn the DLX on high for about three to five minutes. I had a dough ball formed. I then removed the bowl from the base and attached the pasta attachment. Next, I put the dough into the machine one small ball at a time. Each ball was egg shaped and about 3/4 inch by 1.5 inch. With one recipe, we ended up with enough spaghetti to feed my family of seven and we had just a little left over for the dogs.

To cook the noodles, I cut them to the length that I wanted and put them in a pot of boiling water with just a touch of EVOO. I boiled them uncovered for 15 minutes. Once they were strained, I served them with the appropriate number of meatballs for each person and sauce and everyone had a great tasting and nutritious dinner. And yes, each member of my family really liked the noodles!

If you have questions about how to make your own pasta, just ask!

Happy Cooking!

Spinning Demo Today!

Today I did a demo at a local museum festival with my spinning wheel from 9 am until about 4 pm. A long but good day. I have learned a few things over the years to help things go more smoothly.

Most important, be ready for the children with less than optimal impulse control and their slow reacting parents. I have a traditional Ashford spinning wheel, and to little ones, my spinning wheel looks like a ship's steering wheel and car gas pedal rolled into one. Some children would LOVE to get their hands and feet involved in every way they can. Unfortunately, they can...and sometimes do...break something in a short amount of time, usually the connecting leather between the foot pedal and rod that makes the wheel spin. I always carry a screw driver to festivals so I can make the repair needed to keep on spinning.

However...prevention is the best method. To head these children off at the pass, I always set up a nice little display of if projects I have knitted, felted, and woven from wool...and I put these items right in front of the wheel, on a nice piece of red plaid. This makes an effective barrier that few few children will walk over to touch my wheel.

Most children are fine, however. They are fascinated by the spinning process. Women enjoy watching me spin and looking at the things I have made. Men are most interested in understanding the mechanics behind the spinning wheel.

I spin in demos so people can see a spinning wheel in action. I am not sure how many people...even elderly folks...have come up to me and said "I have never seen anyone use a spinning wheel before!" Hearing that makes me happy, but a little sad too, and it gives me reason to continue spinning.

I get some great questions. My favorite came from a little girl who was looking intently at the wool in my bag. I had told her it had come from a sheep, and she quietly looked for a little while before finally asking me "But where is the sheep's head?"

Inexpensive Web Cam

Web cams are expensive, but there is one easy way to find out who comes calling to your farm at night. Simply clear a small area of plants, rake it smooth, and check it daily for tracks. You can include a little bait if needed. If the dirt gets too dry to hold a print, sprinkle it with some water. You can see what type of animal is roaming around, and the size of it. We have seen possum, raccoon, fox, squirrel, bobcat, wild hog, and deer tracks. And bird tracks...mostly dove. Its neat to know some of that world that we rarely see, but knows all about us!

My Chickweed is Back!

I can't say the thought of colder weather enthralls me, but I AM very happy to see that my chickweed is up and doing well! This is the 'weed' that last spring I was ripping out of my garden, handful after lush handful. What a waste, but I didn't know! This year, things are different. I know it is healthy and nutritious. I know it can be eaten raw or cooked. And, I know that it is DELICIOUS!

Typing 'chickweed' into a search engine brings up all kinds of chickweed pills and seeds and health food stuff. It also brings up numerous pages for killing it in the lawn and garden. Clearly, there are two camps when it comes to chickweed.

It is very important to positively identify anything before trying to eat it. It takes practice, but with time you learn what identifying characteristics to look for, and what sets a particular plant apart from another. The internet is a great source for this info, and there are some really good wild plant identification books out there, such as the Audubon series, and the Peterson Field guides.

I will tell you that chickweed, raw, tastes just like corn silk! I confess I haven't tried it cooked, yet. It has just now started growing nicely and there hasn't been enough to gather for that. I have heard it tastes similar to spinach in flavor, and when I try it, I will let you know how it is. I like cooked spinach, I like raw chickweed...so I suspect I will also really enjoy the cooked chickweed!

Canned Salmon

I have started to be on a bit of a canned salmon kick! I live nowhere near where any salmon run, so I have been buying canned salmon...14.75 oz wild Alaska pink salmon.

Its good stuff. I used to not like it, because it has the skin and bones in it. Finally, I took someone else's advice and just mixed it all up together, and I agree with them...I can't even tell the bones and skin are there. Well...I do remove the vertebra bones. Those just don't mix up well enough to 'disappear'. But, the rest of the bones just finish disintegrating as I mix.

I make the expected salmon patties, but I have included it in Alfredo, and last weekend my son made up a great salmon salad with mayo and homemade sweet relish.

Ingredients are pink salmon, salt. That's it. For a canned product, it appears to be quite nutritious! 80 calories per 1/4 cup, 25% rda of protein, 6% potassium, 10% calcium, 2% iron, and 1 gram of omega-3 per serving.

I have been paying around $2 a can for the pink salmon, 14.75 oz size. The label says '7 servings per container'...but I make about 4 good sized patties from one can.

Ok...another reason why the canned salmon has me a little excited...the expiration dates! This stuff stays in the can for 5 years and it is still ok! The can I have right here beside me expires July 2016. I totally plan to stock up, and rotate out the cans to keep them fresh. In the event of an emergency...bad storm, natural disaster, or who knows what, this is something I definitely want plenty of in the pantry!

Egyptian Walking Onions

These little onions are among the best in garden additions to a homestead! Hardy, prolific, and great tasting...what's not to love?

They are hardy from New England to the Gulf of Mexico...I imagine most places, actually. In my book, 'hardy' means forgiving, but still thriving. It means that the tomatoes and peppers get watered, but I don't even think of watering the onions. And they don't seem to mind!

By prolific, I mean they like to reproduce. They do this in two ways. First off, in either fall or spring, I take the bulb clusters and break them up. Each little bulb will be a whole new cluster of onions by next fall, and should produce anywhere from six to twelve little bulbs, sometimes more. Egyptian Walking Onions also reproduce by flowering and then producing tiny bulbets where the flower was. As the bulbets get bigger, they pull down the stem and plant themselves in the ground...hence the name, 'Walking Onion'.

The green tops or bulbs can be eaten any time. They are great for salads, sandwiches, sushi, omelets, or what have you. Some folks store the onion bulbs inside the house for future use, but I haven't done it. Our winters are mild here, so the onions keep just fine in the garden until I need them.

These onions lend themselves so well to the homesteading lifestyle! If you don't have some already, try to find some and get them in your ground...or even a pot...when possible. If you know me personally and want some of these onions, ask me and I will try to get some to you!