prairiegirl...ramblings from our little farm

[keljonma]

The menu I posted above is moved to next week as I didn't do much cooking this week. My DH came down with a flu bug and it hit him hard. Our DD wasn't home for supper so I didn't see any need to cook. Anyway, when I'm caring for someone with a stomach bug, I don't have much of an appetite myself.
Thankfully, DH is feeling much better today.

I know what you mean about cooking and eating when you're caring for someone in the sick bed. I think I go through more tea, toast and soup, than anything in that situation.

Glad to hear dh is better! Will you get a chance to rest a bit this week-end and/or enjoy all that snow? We're getting it to... We have 10 inches on the ground and it is still falling!

 

[Okiemommy]

Oh I LOVE your life!! How awesome to have your own beef, and dairy, and eggs, and pork!! We want to add all of those things, but like you mentioned in one of those posts, we find it hard to get info from our friends even, on how to raise animals. I don't get it. Strangers, friends, you name it, don't easily give up "how to farm" info.

I have a few questions about raising calves also if you don't mind. How long do calves need to stay on the bottle? And how soon after they're born do they start on grain?
Glad your DH is feeling better

 

[prairiegirl]

Oh I LOVE your life!! How awesome to have your own beef, and dairy, and eggs, and pork!!

I have a few questions about raising calves also if you don't mind. How long do calves need to stay on the bottle? And how soon after they're born do they start on grain?
Glad your DH is feeling better

I'll try to answer from our experiences with calves.

We keep our calves on the bottle for about 6 weeks. All depends on the calf. The three we have now seem like they might wean themselves.LOL Just wishful thinking on my part. But, they are taking to grain well.

We usually set out calf starter when they're about 5 days old. They kind of sniff it for a few days before they start nibbling. Then it's awhile before they actually start eating it.

Yes, I love my life, too. But............it's so much work. Something always needs to be done. An animal needs care, milking to be done, milk to be processed - butter,cheese, yogurt, etc., coops/stalls need cleaning, feed/hay to be picked up..........then summer brings gardens and canning/preserving.
It is a great life. And my life is even better because I have my wonderful husband right at my side. Thankfully, we want the same things - most of the time.LOL

 

[prairiegirl]

Is anyone else amazed that we are almost to the middle of January? Yikes, where does the time go?

Thanks for the well wishes for my husband. Whatever he had, kicked him down hard. He is just getting back to normal. Today, he felt he had the energy to split wood. Good thing, we are expecting blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow.
Thankfully, nobody else got it.

Because of the forecast, I went to town this morning. I had several stops to make, but I think I accomplished all I set out to do. I know I should be used to it, but the prices of groceries still shocks me. A quart of Miracle Whip is $4.99. What's up with that.
But, that's not the thing that irked me the most. I only buy apple juice made from 100% USA apples. Our favorite brand now makes it's juice from USA and China apples. Apples are all American, or so I thought. It's hard to imagine that they are cheaper coming from China. All was not lost as I found a store brand made from 100% USA apples. Of course it was the third grocery store I visited today. Anyway, we have apple juice. Oh, and it was on sale.LOL
(Thanks for letting me vent.)

I've been busy with the house and sewing so computer time has been cut. Only the nativity is left to wrap and put away. Everything Christmas has been stored.
I got another set of napkins sewn. These are hearts so we're all set for Valentine's Day. I've also done some work on my flannel quilt. Wish I had it done for all the cold we're expecting.

Brrr, blizzard conditions tonight and into tomorrow. Frigid temps and wind chills. Hmmm, it would be a good time to have a hired hand around here to tend the animals.LOL Just wishful thinking.

Well, I need to run. The oven timer is buzzing.......pound cake must be done.

 

[keljonma]

I know I should be used to it, but the prices of groceries still shocks me. A quart of Miracle Whip is $4.99. What's up with that.
But, that's not the thing that irked me the most. I only buy apple juice made from 100% USA apples. Our favorite brand now makes it's juice from USA and China apples. Apples are all American, or so I thought. It's hard to imagine that they are cheaper coming from China. All was not lost as I found a store brand made from 100% USA apples. Of course it was the third grocery store I visited today. Anyway, we have apple juice. Oh, and it was on sale.LOL
(Thanks for letting me vent.)

My dh went shopping by himself on Friday while I was at work. His comment later was - when did everything get soooo expensive!

 

[Okiemommy]

Thanks for answering my questions! Do you know about how many bags of calf starter you go through in the 6 wk period per calf?

That type of work is the type of work that I love. I have always been weird that way I guess. Last summer we went and helped a friend that buys calves and sells them, and he thought that we, especially me, would be grossed out at bottle feeding them, and prissy about it, and wouldn't be able to handle it. He was wrong and a bit surprised that I enjoyed it so much. We were dog tired at the end, but it was the kind of tired that has a depth and richness to it. A sense of accomplishment, and like we did something that mattered. It was a great "kind of tired."

I would love to start raising calves, but I know that is a ways down the road for us. We want to get established with the chickens, garden, getting the house the way we would like it on the inside etc.

And realistically is that something we can take on right now with all we have going on now, and being brand new at it. I will glean all the wisdom I can until we figure it out I suppose ^_^

I saw on the news the other night that Clorox, who also makes food Who knew!?! said that their prices should be going down within the next month I think. Wish all of them would get to that point!

I'm floored that we're in the middle of Jan. Pretty soon it will be spring!!! Time for planting and new chickies!!!

 

[prairiegirl]

Winter has dumped some snow on us here in N. IN. The schools have had snow days so I didn't have my grandsons. Blizzard conditions have closed the college campus so our daughter is home. It's been rough waiting and praying as she's had to travel to school the last 2 days.

I've taken my "free" time to get some things done. Still working on 2008 paperwork for taxes, got the checkbook balanced, our bedroom, living room and dining room cleaned and a few other odd jobs done.

My husband has been working with our bank trying to decide if it would be feasible for us to refinance our home. After the banker called yesterday afternoon, I'm thinking it might be worth it for us. We'll talk more today. Just another of those "grown up" decisions to make. I always tell him I'm too young for these kind of things!LOL

Today is bread making day. I had planned to bake yesterday, but we had some store purchased Italian to use up. Didn't use it up, but DH thinks he needs home made. It really is better.
I'm thinking about making soup for supper. Maybe a Meatball Minestrone.
I didn't work my hour on my flannel quilt yesterday, so that is at the top of my list today. At least I figured out how many blocks I'll need. 90 blocks is what I came up with for our queen sized bed.

We are below freezing here. So far the animals are doing well. Those old Dexters sure are hardy. The hens aren't laying, but I wouldn't either at these temps. The calves stay warm and snuggle when sleeping and don't seem to mind when we let them out to play in the snow.

Stay warm everyone. Be safe if you have to travel.

Brrr, I'm getting another cup of tea before I read anymore.

 

[MorelCabin]

I would love to see a pic of your flannel quilt when you are done with it, I really want to make one for our bed as well but want some ideas!

 

[Okiemommy]

I would love to hear about your Dexters If we get cows, we are thinking those sure seem to be the ones for us. We "only" have 5 acres. It's enough to us, but in terms of cow world it's not much

 

[prairiegirl]

I haven't accomplished much on the quilt or anything fun for that matter. I've been busy cleaning and organizing this house. We have to have it presentable by Tuesday morning. I'm not looking for perfect, but the cob webs, dust and clutter need to go. I won't get much done today as we have our 2 1/2 yr. old grandson with us all day. He's taking a cat nap now and I have to stay close because we have the basement gate open so my husband can carry firewood down. Gives me a couple of minutes to check on what you're all up to.

It's another blustery cold day here. We got more snow, too. We lost the newest calf yesterday so just having to bottle feed 2, my husband did it for me this morning. I didn't miss bundling up and braving the cold. I'll get a chance for that with the later chores.

I didn't get a menu worked out for this week so I don't know what we'll have today. Something warm for sure. I made rice pudding for dessert last night. What a nice warm treat.

I still have beans to be canned starring at me each time I pass through the kitchen. Maybe I'll get them soaking tonight.

Stay warm!