FarmerDenise's journal - full on harvest time = busy, busy, busy

[FarmerDenise]

That homemade food does taste better, even our animals seem to think so.
DD's parakeets have been "vacationing" at our house and we have been giving them homegrown millet. I tried to give them a spray of storebought the other day (DD had purchased it for them) and they wouldn't touch it.

Freezer White Bread from the "Fleischmann's Bake-it-easy Yeast Book" (1976)
Makes 4 loaves

12 1/2 to 13 1/2 c unsifted flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tbs salt
2/3 c instant nonfat dry milk solids (I omitted this)
4 packages Fleishmann's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 c softened margerine
4 c very warm tap water (120F-130F)

Thoroughly mix 4 c flour, sugar, salt, dry milk solids, and undissolved Yeast. Add Margarine.
Gradually add tap water to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 c flour. Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Cover with towel; let rest 15 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth round ball. Flatten each ball into a mound 6" in diameter. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm. Transfer to plastic bags. Freeze up to 4 weeks.
Remove from freezer; place on ungreased baking sheet. Cover; let stand at room temperature until fully thawed, about 4 hours. *Roll each ball to 12 x 8 inches. Shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
Bake at 350F. about 35 minutes, or until done. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
*to make round loaves: Let thawed dough rise on ungreased baking sheets until doupbled, about 1 hour. Bake as for loaves.

I found that there was so much dough, that it started to climb up the beaters. So I removed the bowl and mixed more flour in with a spoon as long as I could, then used my hands to mix more flour into the dough.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I put the thyme I stripped in a jar. Put seeds I collected in envelopes or ziplock bags and labeled them. Made a batch of blackberry sauce using the blackberries SO picked this morning. Put the dehydrated mushrooms in a ziplock bag and then the feezer. Strained my apple cider. It smells great.

I opened a jar of refridgerator pickles and they are wonderfull.

. . . a nice old fashioned hand drill. So I asked what I could barter her for, I have a lot of nice vegetables. She suggested my time, since I had already been there more than two hours helping her set up.

We had a nice dinner made primarily with homegrown food. Or food that was scrounged or somehow gotten for free or real cheep. We are not done yet either. For desert we have a choice of water melon, apples, cantelopes or yogurt with fruit. All the fruit from our garden. How great is that. I love this time of year.

You're doing great! I want to know how to make cider- it's so good . I grew and saved herbs and their seeds last year. Gave lots to friends to. Those fresh fruits sound wonderful.

 

[FarmerDenise]

dragonlaurel, for the apple cider, I will simply grind up the apples in my blender with enough water added to make it work, then strain it twice. Once through a sieve, a second time through a cloth. I will make sure to use only the good parts of the apples tough. I will then bottle it up right away and store it in the fridge.
I have made fresh apple juice before, it turns brown very quickly and needs to be refridgerated or frozen in order to stay sweet.

I worked all day yesterday. I had fun doing it. After taking care of the animals, I harvested a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers. I also picked zucchini and a bushel of assorted melons. I pulled the weeds from the lettuce patch and around the tomatoes and gave that to the chickens.

Then I went next door to the neighbors yardsale and helped them out. I found some nice shorts and a few other items. I enjoyed helping the neighbors. Then I set up my vegetable stand in front of the house and sat out there reading my survival book. I had 2 customers and made $2.30.

After cleaning the kitchen I made dinner and then proceeded to dehydrate some green beans. They are turning out nicely. It's amazing how little room they take up once they are dried. I hope to do one more batch today. The beans are ready for picking again.

 

[FarmerDenise]

It was awfully hot on Friday and Saturday. We did just the minimum and then lounged around the house. SO went hunting friday morning, but didn't get anything. Just as well, it would have been too hot to process it. I was too drained to do anything and yet feeling antsy, because there was much to be done. Thank goodness it cooled off Saturday night. I got caught up a some of the work on Sunday.

I received a call on Thursday from the Humane Society, asking if I could foster two little bottle babies until Sunday. So I said yes and had the two little kittens to care for. It is amazing how much laundry two tiny kittens can create. I just hung up the second load of laundry. They peed on the large sheet I use to cover the couch in summer. I am glad I had it on there though, otherwise it would have been the couch that would have needed washing. :/
They peed on my clothes, their blankets and then there are lots of diapers that got used to clean there bottoms and faces.n I return.

 

[FarmerDenise]

It's a sad day for us today. My DD called this morning to say that her dog with the tumor on his leg has been chewing on it last night. It is really gross. It is bigger than a grapefruit. She decided it was time to put him down. I went over and bandaged the tumor, so she wouldn't have to look at it and he couldn't chew on it anymore. She found a vet to euthanize him this afternoon.
She did manage to get his toenails clipped on Sunday. She gave him benadryl, and it did relax him enough so she could do it.

When I left her house earlier today, her SO was there as well as her best friend. They were feeding the dog his favorite treat, apples.

I dropped of a box of vegetables at FIL's house, for him and a family he knows of with four kids that are in need of food. Then I stopped at the Goodwill outlet and found some great canning jars, wooden crates to use for nest boxes and some clothes for us.

I am feeling all out of whack, after having to drop everything and go to DD's to take care of the dog. I have to check on DD, and make sure she is ok. Stress like this tends to give her migraines, I don't want her to end up at the emergency hospital!

 

[FarmerDenise]

 

[Blackbird]

I hope he'll wake up and come to his senses and realize that he's being wrong.

Will you still be online much?

 

[freemotion]

When you are out of the house, you will be able to see things more clearly. I know. Been there, done that. And am happy now.....there is hope.

 

[Beekissed]

I haven't been on here much, because SO gets so mad when I'm on the computer. Lately he has really gotten impossible to please. Everything I do is wrong or not enough.
I am now afraid of what he'll do to my stuff. I have arranged to start bringing things to my daughter. I cannot live like this anymore.
I am trying to figure out what is the most important to me and take those over tomorrow, when he goes hunting.
I just cannot live with a person who is always so angry and mean. He wasn't like this all the time. But even his sister won't come around anymore. It is time for me to get the H#%$ out of Dodge!! And I don't know where to go.

FD, praying for you now, hon. I also have been there and have done that...it's never worth it to live with someone who doesn't appreciate the person you are and are angry all the time. It brings you down to the bottom of your soul to have to live that way! You will find a place. Praying for it now....

 

[FarmerDenise]