Got Skunk? We Got Skunk!!

Isn't that the saddest little face? The dogs went with the Captain to cut fire wood like they always do. The dogs stirred up a skunk. Andy got SKUNKED! This must be our year for farm firsts. The mice...and now this. :) LOL

So my husband is going "Do we have any tomato juice?" No. So he says "Do you think pizza sauce will work?" One of the reasons I love him so much...he always makes me smile! :) Uhhh...no honey, I think that would only add the problem, because it would be a mixture between bad skunk smell and good pizza smell which cannot be a good combination AND the white dog would be stained red.

So we looked online and found a recipe that worked really well and didn't leave us with a permamant negative imprint of skunk smell + food smell. 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon dish soap. Sponge it over doggy immediately after mixing, let sit for 5 minutes, rinse well. I only had a pint of peroxide, but we figured it would work since Andy is a small dog. And it did!

He is recouperating today after the trauma of getting skunked (which I have read is very irritating to their eyes...as IF the smell alone wasn't already bad enough!) and then dragging that smell around farm (he was tail-between-the-legs depressed & embarssed about it), and then the dreaded bath. Poor puppy dog. I do hope he has learned his lesson!

A Cheap Eats Recipe to Pass Along...

So much to blog, so little time! I am due for a long "catch up" post. This won't be it, however. But I do want to share this! I found a great recipe on Heather's Blog, Beauty That Moves a while back and we loved it! I am making it for dinner right now. It is cheap, healthy, tastes good, and it is easy. What more could you ask for?

Brown Rice Patties

3 cups leftover brown rice

1 cup grated carrot grated

1 medium onion grated

2 cloves minced garlic

1 t salt

½ t pepper

2 eggs

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

Vegetable oil of your liking for frying

If you do not have a food processor you can use a box grater instead. Just make sure any onion juice makes it into the bowl, lots of flavor there!

Combine all ingredients except the oil. If you have the time to make this in advance and let it sit for a bit the garlic and onion flavors will blend even more, but it's not necessary, just nice. If the patties don’t hold together because they are too dry then add another egg. If they are too wet add a little flour.

Heat a frying pan or griddle on med - med/high heat until hot and add oil. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop out the rice mixture and gently lay them on the frying pan. Use the back side of the measuring cup to flatten out each patty. Cook until golden brown on each side, you might want to keep the oven on 250 with a baking sheet in there to put the finished ones on as you cook the rest. Enjoy!


Even my meat addicted husband liked this one! And it is a great budget stretcher for those of us who need to squeeze George Washington until he SCREAMS!!!!! :) I have also cooked these up early in the day and reheated for dinner and they are good that way too. The kids have taken leftovers in their lunch boxes and enjoyed them that way as well. Don't wait until you have left over brown rice...throw some on the stove to cook when you have time and then stick it in the fridge until you need it.

I hope you have a Happy Monday!

PS - MOM - This is the recipe I keep forgetting to email to you. Hope you enjoy it! Love you! You too Dad!

One Hour Without Electricity....

And you can do it too! Today is the day for Earth Hour. At 8:30 this evening, turn everything off for an hour...it is that simple.

Pull out the candles or the oil lamps. Have some old fashion chit chat and fun. Or just enjoy the silence. We'll be playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark. The kids love to play that when the power goes out! And they like to get spooked...it is funny how no electricity makes their imaginations go wild! Every little noise suddenly becomes six feet tall, covered in hair, with glowing eyes, and an appetite for small children.

Have fun! :)

Random Pictures - Crazy Hair Day

The school has Spirit Week here and there with a theme each day for a week. My son was already due for a hair cut, so he wanted a Mohawk for Crazy Hair Day....

Of course, it had to be blue...that is his school color!

By the end of the day he was back to short not crazy hair again. :)

EEEEEEEEEKKKK!!

Those dirty little beggars have returned! The first round they were only on the pantry floor. Of course we don't want them in the house period, so we set traps and caught four and haven't caught any since. But really it is just part of country life and is no big deal. It happens. Well, it really shouldn't happen in my opinion with 4 cats and 2 dogs around and this is the first time it has happened since we have lived here...but I digress.

This time they ***GASP*** left evidence in my SILVERWARE DRAWER!!!! My silverware drawer. Where we keep our silverware. You know, the stuff that we eat off of? That my KIDS eat off of? That we use to put food in our mouths? How dare they!

Oh, they have gone too far this time and it is ON! Either exit the premises and remain outside the castle walls or face the consequences. That is the only warning I will give you little meeses. The troops, I mean traps are armed and waiting. Heed it or else.

Gotta go now...I have a date with a bottle of bleach.

My Onion Plan and A Quick Update...

This is what I am thinking for my onions. If you have any thoughts or suggestions or experiences, please chime in! I have never grown onions before and I can use all the help I can get! :)

This year I ordered onion plants and onion seed. I hope for the plants to make it to storage size to store for this winter, the seeds to make my own sets or plants (haven't decided yet - maybe both) for next year, and also to let some onions go to seed to collect the seeds for future sets & plants. In my head, this works out well but we'll have to see how it does in real life! I also have seeds for green onions to plant this year - if the rest of the onions go well and I have enough seed, I will probably use regular onion seed for green onion size onions in the future. Worst case scenario, I have to buy more seeds/plants next year. But I really hope to get into seed saving and buy as little as possible.

We have had a lot of rain and it has been crazy windy out! The cold frame is outside and did just fine with the rain and the wind. The green house is still in the shed, which I wish we had set it out and staked it down to see how it would have held up. This would have been a great dry run! (dry run...LOL!)

We haven't caught anymore mice. My youngest has made it her job to check the traps several times a day and she gets irritated if anyone else checks them. She also learned how to blow a bubble with bubble gum yesterday and spent 3 hours straight following me around wanting me to "LOOK MOM!!" at every attempt she made. :) I have pictures of her I will post. We did some celebrating for 3rd quarter grades...all three of my kids are doing excellent in school! They wish we'd pay them $25 per A...but we would be broke if we did that every quarter! My son is 11 and in 6th grade and he scored a 13+ on his reading level...that means he is reading beyond that of an average 12th grader at the end of the school year. Wow! His teacher also told me what they have been telling me since he was in 1st grade....he is the class clown. :) In a good way though...he doesn't get in trouble with his antics. He's funny at home too and always has been. I am very proud of all three of them for their hard work!!

Oh, and I learned how to purl over the weekend. So I can now cast on, knit, purl, and cast/bind off. I think I am getting close to trying a real knitting pattern!

That is it for now. Hope you have a great night!

Are the Cats on Strike or Something?

We have had a first around here...mice in the house! I thought it was just one, because there was very little evidence. But so far we have caught four! Ewwwwwwwwwwww! With as many cats as we have around here, I am very surprised! I do wonder if cleaning out the flower beds around the house had stirred them up. Either that or the cats have gone on strike...napping in the spring sunshine.

Yesterday we planted two apple trees, a Winesap and a Mcintosh. They are fabulous! We also planted two raspberry bushes. The raspberries are three years old, so I think we'll have a few berries this year. Of course, it will be several years before the apple trees produce, but my parents have an apple tree that put out a bumper crop last season so we'll have pleanty in the meantime.

I also planted some Jewel Weed seeds yesterday. I have never dealt with a seed that had to be kept in the fridge before. Jewel Weed grows wild, but I have never found any. It makes a wonderful poison ivy treatment. I bought a bar of Jewel Weed soap that I swear by, and would love to get some growing and make some of our own. I have read that it can easily take over an area. And that it can be hard to get started. It seems it is one of those feast or famine things...either too much or not enough. Hopefully it will be a success.

The cold frame is done. The greenhouse will be done later today. I'll post pictures soon! I am waiting on my onion plants and potato sets to be delivered. Darn it. I think I have already said it, but I am not going to order from catalogues again unless I absolutely cannot get it local. Makes for a bit of frustration when the dirt is ready and your stuff isn't here yet! I know, there is pleanty of time. I just keep thinking back to last spring when we ended up getting a ton of rain and the soil stayed saturated.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Seedlings and Cold Frame and Green House Building Update....

The tomatoes and peppers are doing great! I think I need to transfer them to individual pots soon.

These are experimental...Morning Glory vines and Moon Flower vines. This is the first year I have grown either, so I wanted to try starting some indoors. They are doing really well. I hope they continue to!

Ok, remember this picture of the canopy frame from an old wagon that I found here on the farm and planned to re-purpose as a little green house?

My AWESOME husband has transformed it into this so far....

This weekend he will attach the door and plastic and it will be done!!!! I think it is fantastic! he's a talented man, for sure. :) I have never had or used a greenhouse before, but I am going to learn!

And this is the Captain, my hubby, with the almost finished cold frame, propped open. The lid is hinged. Doesn't it look wonderful? All that is left to do to it is to attach the plastic to the lid. We had wanted to use plexiglass, but he priced it and it is just not in the budget right now. I think the plastic will be fine for now. Rain may be an issue if it pools on the plastic, so we'll have to keep an eye on it. I am just thrilled! :) I will post pictures of them as soon as they are finished.

There is a Farmer's Market meeting tomorrow night that I am going to attend. I have never been a vendor, and I don't have anything specific to sell there (yet) but I think it may be in our future so I am going to go and see what it is all about. I think it will be fun!

Ducklings - I just checked the calander and it is approximately 26 days until their arrival!

Have a great night! :)

Bounce, Bounce, Bounce. Whoops! Make that Spring, Spring, Spring!

It is a gorgeous day today! In the 70's and sunny with a nice breeze. I took a break to share these...

My Cute Little Seed Starting helper...

Cold Frame is being built as I type this...Thank you Honey!!

Composting....bottoms cut out so they sit directly on the ground and holes drilled in the sides for air flow...

My knitting....I am getting better! The pink one is my first one, then second inthe middle, then third. I am having fun with it. :)

This is what happens when the kids fail to pick up toys and the black lab gets bored....

I got the strawberry bed de-mulched and hoed. It wore me out! Spring is definitely going to whip me into shape!

And here are some strawberry plants coming up....Look closely...

And just incase you aren't fully convinced that spring is almost here.....check out what I found around the yard!

Have a great afternoon!

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This....

You ever have one of those days? Just a wonderful, perfect day. Doesn't matter what junk is going on in your life, community, or the world on those kind of days. Worrys just seem to fall away. Inside you feel a true sense of peace. And connected to God. Outside the afternoon sun has warmed your skin. The breeze brushed your face. Then the coolness of evening settling in. Today was one of those days for me. Just now was the topper to it all...walking out on the deck into the darkness, looking up and seeing a clear sky full of stars. While gazing and giving thanks, in the distance frogs are singing their evening chants. And just when you think it couldn't get any better, the coyotes in a far pasture begin to cackle and howl. The air smells like spring. You're tired, but in the good This-Was-A-Great-Day sort of way. I love country life. And I love these days! :) May we all have lives filled with many of them, and learn to be thankful for the ones that aren't so perfect.

On to the rest of it...we started some seeds! Tomatoes and peppers, and a few broccoli for experimental purposes. So far we have learned that you don't start broccoli with tomatoes and peppers! They are fast to start. So I will be moving them out of the flat. We also finished the compost set-up and moved the compost I started last fall. I made 4 loaves of bread. I looked up 5 new recipes. We trimmed bushes. We got the supplies to finish the green house. We cleaned flower beds. We had dinner outside on the deck! We are counting down the days until the ducklings arrive. I have been knitting and loving it. Ok, you have to promise not to laugh at my knitted dishcloths when I post the pictures! Or the "greenhouse" either. Or the compost system, the one that when my 11 year old son refers to it he says, smartalecy, "your compost bin" and literally does the quotation thing with his fingers as he says it!

I am going to make time to sit down and blog about all of these things. Which reminds me...I need to remember to take pictures of stuff too!

How was your Monday? :) Wishing you a wonderful week!

Dogs and Litter Boxes...

We have this 80 pound black lab, Buddy, who is not quite a year old. He is really a tiny lap dog trapped in a big dog's body and is just a lovey big baby. And apparently camera flashes excite him because everytime I snapped a picture of him he would run madly and excitedly around the house!

So anyway, yesterday I am in the little bathroom where the cat litter box is. Buddy comes walking through, lifts his leg, pees in the cat litter box and walks on! I had never seen such a thing, so I was amazed and cracking up laughing all at the same time. But then a thought hit me...maybe this was a fluke thing and he is just randomly "marking" things around the house which would be a very, very, very smelly and bad thing. So I followed him around and then looked around the house for evidence. None was found. He has done it (used the litter box)several times since then.

I have heard of dogs sneaking a cat poop snack from the litter box, which he has never done, but peeing in it? How neat is that?!?!?!?!

Good Boy Buddy! :0) Keep up the good work!

The Trickle Down Effect.....

People get new stuff, they get rid of their old stuff. We get a lot of stuff that way, especially from our parents. My mother-in-law got new furniture - so we got their old couch and a big fat lazy boy recliner to put in our little living room (we have a big one and a little one) and even though it is used, it is in a lot nicer shape than the free stuff we had in there! But that isn't even the best part, even though it is wonderful. The best part is this table that she no longer had room for that now lives at my house....

It has this great pull out surface (does that have a name?!?)....

And these deep, deep drawers.....

My MIL was told it is a baking table. If anyone knows anything about this type of table, please let me know. I am absolutely in love with it and I'd love to know some history. I am so happy to have it!

We placed the duckling order. I am still in a bit of disbelief for some reason. We got done and I said "I can't believe we just ordered 15 ducklings!!!" We have everything ready for them, even feed. They confirmed our order and gave me a ship date of April 13, so we should have them probably April 14th or 15th. We were in the farm store over the weekend and the kids were begging to bring home a chick or a duckling. It was hard to say no, they are so darn cute (the chicks and the kids!) but we managed. Our little flock will be here soon enough.

We also made a trip to the neighboring Amish community over the weekend. I put the camera by my purse and then forgot to take it, so no pictures. We had a great time just driving around and seeing the homesteads and the horse and buggys all over the place. We all love the first horse and buggy sign we see on the way in to let us know we are almost there...

We mostly went just to get out of the house for a bit and I wanted to go to their bulk grocery store. I bought bulk yeast, bulk pectin, several bulk spices, several food service quality big stainless steel spoons. (The ones I have either rust or fall apart. One new spoon, the spoon part literally fell into the spaghetti sauce as I was stirring! Hopefully these ones will be sturdier) I also bought a new wooden rolling pin...my old one has only had one handle for years now and is a pain to use. I plan to repurpose it, to make newspaper pots like this thing does...

Well the wood stoves need tending and hubby is out of town so I better go get them filled and head to bed. It has been a long day. Oh, one more thing, the younger two kids had dentist appointments and NO CAVATIES!! Hooray!

Have a good night, don't let the bed bugs bite! :)