Around here

Things are growing.

There isn't much wind.

I made a bean trellis from an old swing set frame.

There is the other part of the swing set.

Tomato plants are looking good.


So is the lettuce and broccoli.

The clothes line is up.

I found this giant wok in a freebie pile at a garage sale.

I can picture stir fry on the fire pit this summer.

Little Mama says hi.


Do you see our little treasure?

Here's a better view.

(I haven't weighed it yet for all you egg weighers out there)



Thanks for visiting.

Isn't she lovely

Todays harvest basket.

Wait, what's that on the left? Something other than green?

One of my Pink Girl tomatoes.

Thank you Tomato Gods.

Meet my salad

I don't think I will ever tire of going to the garden, picking what is ready and sharing with my family.

This salad had various lettuces, cabbage leaves, beet greens, nasturtium leaves and flowers (very peppery), lightly steamed then chilled asparagus and a hard boiled egg my hens gifted me.

This bowl didn't last long.

Help

I am trying to buy my seeds for this years veggie garden. Our Michigan economy is so awful, 10.6% unemployment, so I wanted to buy my seed from a local business instead of mail order. My problem is I don't want to buy from a Monsanto owned seed company. Most clerks give me the crazy lady look when I have inquired about what company their seed comes from.

Can any of you that are way smarter than me, point me in the right direction?

I thank you in advance for any help on the matter.

1 year

I have had my blog for one year today. Little did I know what I was getting into. I started reading other peoples crafty blogs and thought what a fun thing to do. A journal for myself but also to show others the little things I am doing in my day to day. The fact that any of you find it interesting is just a bonus!

I still read and love the crafty blogs but I have evolved into the farm type blogs too. Now mind you, I barely qualify in the farm department. I have 4 acres but no farmhouse. I have chickens but no livestock. I have a tractor but use it for hayrides and plowing snow. I have a nice size garden but it doesn't feed us for the year, not even close.

The thing that I love most about this blog world is the women I've "met". Sharing ideas and our lives with each other. What a funny, talented, interesting bunch you all are.

Countless times my hubbie will come in the den to see what is so funny.

Today I want to talk about food preservation.

As I stated above my garden isn't a huge one. When you toss in a few rabbits who wipe out over half of your bean crop, red worms in your potatoes, a month of drought does the cukes in, you are only left with so much to eat fresh and a bit left over to put away.

We have been eating fresh pretty much the whole summer, first asparagus and peas, then peas and lettuce, then lettuce and cucumbers, cucumbers and beans, now beans and tomatoes. We will eat as much fresh as we can and if there is extra, that is when I start canning.

I had about 25 tomatoes, not enough for a huge batch of sauce but still a good amount.

I quartered them, put them in a pot and set it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I poured a considerable amount of water out (less to boil down). Then put it on the stove warm up and poured more tomato water out.

I save the water, label and freeze for winter soups.

I then pureed the thick tomatoes, add the spices, sauteed the onions an garlic in a separate pan.

I ended up with only 2 quarts worth of sauce, not worth canning right? WRONG!

I just use a smaller enamel pot lined with old canning rings twist tied together to keep the jars off the bottom.

I went back out to the garden, picked the beans and made a 2 pint batch of dilly beans with what i had.

I got water boiling, put the 4 jars in, took the dilly beans out after 10 minutes, got the sauce out after 40.

This is what the pot looks like with a steamy camera lens.

Who says pints and quarts cant get along.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Last evening while watching mindless TV, I sliced more apples and got out the dehydrator.

I woke to a quart of apple chips.

I put some in the kids lunchboxes and snacked on some myself.

With rising food costs, every little bit will help this winter.

I want to thank you for the wonderful year of sharing ideas, your funny, kind and thoughtful comments and new friendships!

farm news

I have a lot to share about my show but it will have to wait. I have so much happening around home to share so I prioritized and this is first.

(My photos usually are crap but you have to enlarge this one, I am proud and surprised at how great it looks)



I got home from my show last evening and discovered my first red tomato. Oh thank you wise tomato gods for waiting until now. I couldn't imagine blueberries, green beans, cukes, getting ready for a show, not to mention regular life stuff AND ripe tomatoes waiting for me. I am seeing fresh salsa, sauce and tons of canning in my near future.

Also in my future, I got the summons for jury duty. Third time in 3 1/2 years. Lucky me.

T-Bone says hi.

The chickens have been laying in the dog house more since the raccoon attack. They don't feel as safe in the coop.
(Chip and Freckles)

Speaking of raccoons, trapped #4 last night and discovered this nighttime damage to the coop. I am so thankful you ladies understand my dilemma with the masked wearing devils.

Does every farm, mini or big need this symbol somewhere? I think so.

Hubbie picked up this beauty at a garage sale for $15 bucks.

Small enough to hook to the 3 wheeler for mini jobs around here. Cleaning the coop is going to be so much easier. Not to mention wood hauling and garden work. Yay!




Yes that is duct tape covering the seat of the 3 wheeler, cheaper than a new seat right?

A future blog teaser...

...I tied for first place this weekend.

Next post will be about Summerfest!

If you plan on blueberry picking...

...you'll want to take my mom.

The kids and I brought water bottles, my mom showed up with a little red wagon. In the wagon was a cooler of water and iced tea. SHE ALSO BROUGHT CAKE!

Yes we ate cake while picking blueberries. It can't get much better than that.

The kids and I filled this giant bowl. 14 pounds in all.

I washed and packed nine 4 cup bags of berries for the freezer.

I made 2 blueberry pies and have about 3 cups left in the frige for eating fresh.

I love the blueberries.

I also finished 2 more skull bags.

I trapped raccoon #3 last night, I find it funny that the chickens are very curious when they see a coon in daylight.

Hubbie usually checks before going off to work, not today though. I called my dad to come over since I am not an expert with weapons. Thanks Dad.

Todays plans are finishing things for the show, loading the Monster Truck and picking and processing all that I can out of the garden since I won't be around the next couple of days.

Fun busy :-)

What ever happened...

...to that mellow summer I thought I'd have this year. Not that I'm complaining, I like being busy.

Over the weekend we were invited to a fishing party, I caught the biggest fish but the other competition were kids and men, they didn't stand a chance. I hooked this one bass, it stole my rubber worm (my fav of lures) the line was a bit brittle, so I caught this other bass with a new rubber worm and guess what was inside, my original rubber worm. So I actually caught the biggest twice! Hubbie knows my fishing addiction and brought a plate of food to me because he knew I wasn't coming in, not when fishing is involved. I love that man.

Then Sunday was my hubbies family reunion. It was nice seeing everyone, the kids saw cousins and swam, I ate half a plate of lemon bars. Delish.

We drove my "new" neon and on the way home it was overheating, the fan went out, so we drove the last 45 mins with the heat blaring and the windows down. We have frequent adventures like that.

My next show is this Friday & Saturday, Saline Summerfest. I loved being in this show last year and am looking forward to seeing the other artists and the gals who run the event couldn't be nicer.

I sold most of my skull bags at the last show so today I worked on some new ones.

It is fun playing dress up with skull heads.

I finished this one.

It's ok with me if they aren't your kind of thing. It is usually teens that buy them.

I have been spending about 2 hours every other day picking veggies out of the garden. I have been canning dilly beans. I love them. We have also been enjoying fresh pickles every day.

Fresh pickle recipe

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon mustard seed

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

heat in a pot

add 6 or so cukes sliced thin

I use my salad shooter

onions are optional

stir and chill

The girl and I eat them as a snack.

We are heading to Dexter in the morning for blueberry picking. Grandfolks, Sister and her kids, me and mine. I hope to get all we need in this one trip.

I guess it has been fun busy.

The latest gossip from Michigan

A woman in her pajamas was spotted taking pictures of the wildflowers surrounding her mailbox, the neighbors had no comment.

Some delicious spuds were unearthed and consumed by a local family.

Weeds have taken over gardens everywhere...

...in spite of that the green beans are about a week away from feeding the masses.

Giant Dill is popping up everywhere. Luckily it is a harmless giant, its only goal is to make homemade pickles taste better.

The bees are doing what bees do best...

...while the cukes just hang around and watch.

The local garden security officer chased a couple of teenage rabbits off the premises before any real damage was done.

A local woman bought her kids a new playstation.

Not the kind you plug in but the kind you plug up.

We were informed she did not win the lotto but used some of her earnings from a recent business adventure to thank her family for all their help.

She then was seen napping in a hammock.

This reporter has the inside scoop on major celebrity news.

This Monday actress Drew Barrymore will begin filming her latest picture in our little town.

Other actors include Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis, Marcia Gay Harden, Zoe Bell and Kristen Wigg.

It is a roller derby movie and the only extras they needed were very old people or teenagers with lots of piercings and tattoos.

This reporter did not fit any of those requirements, drats!

In other news...

sugarcreekstuff was paid a very big honor.

I would like to thank Children in the Corn http://childreninthecorn.blogspot.com/ for this Awesome Site Award, coming from you sure means a lot!

I would like to pass this Award along to some other sites I love.

Twinnville at http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/ , I love her funny take on all things chicken, goat, sheep, llama, cat, dog, guinea pig, desert and family.

Ceecee over at http://undertexasskies.blogspot.com/ who likes to take photos of all things creepie crawlie and thinks I'm funny.

Frugalmom at http://everydayhappeningsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/ for her frugal blog and also because she loves my llama bags.

ga_farmwoman at http://georgiafarmwoman.blogspot.com/ , her young dreamers stories are a wonderful read.

And last but not least

Danni over at http://critterfarmgirl.blogspot.com/ , for whom I wouldn't have even been able to accept this award (literally) if it wasn't for her help and computer knowledge. Thank you for helping this gal with practically no computer skill on more than one occasion and for your friendship.

Well that pretty much sums up the news in this little corner of the world.