We have an excalibur. The one thing I use it for more than anything is taking the skins and seeds from when I'm done with making 5 milllion quarts of tomato sauce and drying them to make tomato powder. With tomato powder I can do anything, dips, sauces, breads, taco seasoning, etc, etc...
Just an aside but if you're canning beans you do NOT have to soak them first. Fill the jar to a little less than half full, put in water to one inch from the top, add your salt and pressure can. They're perfect.
Oh yes, we do have squash, turnips, the beets of course, lots of carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.... I'll just dry some of it for the critters and us and store some too. LOVE dried kale both for us and the animals.
We were talking about adopting this little girl and it suddenly occurred to me that that would mean we would have nine kids. I said "Nine"! "That's an uneven number, we'll need to adopt one more". If looks could kill I should be coughing up blood by now.
Well, I'm kinda sort back. We've had so many projects lately that I just haven't had time to get on and talk with everyone.
We now have four dairy goaties that I ADORE!!!!! Right now their milk is going to feed baby piggies and a baby Jersey bull calf who will someday be mate to my mini...
We planted with an eye on things that are going up in price at the grocery store. So with that in mind animal feed was a priority. We planted a whole row of pumpkins (I usually plant one hill for the kids to play with) as animal feed. We planted extra kale for the turkeys, pigs and goaties...
I'm all about sweet dressings. I like some basalmic, olive oil and some raspberries all whirred up together in the food processor. Of course I also like just some basalmic and olive oil with whatever herbs strike my fancy that day but the raspberry is my fave.
Yeah, I'm not so in love with the soap making part but since it lasts so long and you can make so much in one batch I don't see it as being a HUGE problem that I have to take care of very often as I don't plan to sell any soap. But I can see me getting WAY (get it WHEY....?) happy with making...
I think those are all wonderful ideas for a great class though it sounds like it would take the better part of a day to do. But that's okay too since I see me going down to my teacher's house several more times before I really feel like I'm ready to bring the goaties home. Did you know...
Ummmmm, did you know that if you take "extra" jam and put it in a pan with a little water it's nice warm fruit syrup for pancakes and french toast and waffles?
We used to use jam as ice cream topping or put strawberry jam into the ice cream when we were making it. Every Christmas we make...
The class itself started about noon and was more or less over about 4:30 but I went early in the morning and helped with chores. This is a 60 year old woman farming 100 goats and various cows, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys, etc and I wanted to learn goat care so I went to "help." I know it...
I just LOVE Christmas (though it's Yule here) and with all these kids and now we'll have foster babies in the house again this year I LOVE getting it all planned out early. Not gonna stress one bit over it but since things like the vanilla and the cheeses need curing time it's nice to know I've...
If you didn't get your clear gel sample ordered yet-don't. My canning group created such a demand for the stuff that they're now charging postage. Still not a lot to pay for the BIG ol' jar they send you of the stuff but it's a shock if you're expecting a free sample. I got my BIG ol' jar of...
I'm sorry, I'll quit thinking about Christmas. Just nice to know it's all taken care of at least for extended family. We won't talk about the five little kids at home who just really don't care about soap or vanilla or cheese since they'll be getting it every day.
The relatives I will be sending gifts to don't or can't really appreciate my home canned stuff except for the jelly and I can't count on getting fruits to do jellies AGAIN so I'm going to get some soaps together for Greg's Mom and sisters and hopefully a cheese or two some vanilla and then I'll...
So I'm starting a Gallon jug of homemade vanilla for Christmas presents this year and after my soap making class I'll be all set for Christmas presents.
Whatcha gonna do for Christmas this year?
That's exactly what we were doing with the hanging buckets. I was VERY disappointed with the results of hanging tomatoes but the yield from hanging peppers was quite satisfactory and of course the herbs growing from the tops doubled my output from the buckets. We have the tomatoes caged and...