Sunday Night

I have honestly been thinking about what to write since Tuesday last week.

But, I've got nothing...

Pathetic I know.

But I realize I've been procrastinating about a few things, so I need to write them here so maybe I'll get them finished up.

1. DE-CLUTTER. I bet it's on most people's lists. (I just did a cabinet declutter, I'd show you, but then you'd be depressed about the lack of kitchen cabinets in my home.) I need to declutter a few closets, my office, freezers & fridge, my bedroom (which means my closet) and heaven knows my garage...And devise a plan so it doesn't become so overwhelming.

2. Paperwork. I need to catch up on paperwork. I have A LOT!!!! Farm records and stuff, I'd like it done before Jan 31, but let's be realistic and say Fed 15. Again...I need a plan that I will follow so I don't keep doing this!

3. Farm store-I need to get the stove fixed out there, clean it up, take an inventory on the remaining cuts of meat that I have, and where they are, and promote them as specials (so I can get them out of the freezer...)

So there's my post. Crap I need to do...

Peanut Butter Cookies

OK. I have the EASIEST EVER peanut butter cookie recipe. 3 ingredients. Yeah that's it!! 3! (Are any of those even really sentences?) Best cookies ever and they make a perfect amount, not too many and not too few (unless you are like my girlfriend who has 21 12 children! But still everyone would get at least one... It makes 21ish cookies depending on your judge of an 1 inch ball. (Ok so I'm a grammar nerd. But "a 1 inch ball" sounds better than "an 1 inch ball" all though technically since it's a number under 100 I'm supposed to type it out...) Wow that's a long ramble for a parenthesis.

I Digress

Picture:

Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter (creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Place all three ingredients in a bowl. Mix all three ingredients with your hand!!!!  Very important, they will not turn out if you use a spoon or a mixer or a fork....I am telling you use your hand! And keep mixing until you get a "good cookie consistency." Roll into 1" balls and place on your cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between, these cookies don't spread too much. once you've got all the balls on the sheet :) create hash marks with a fork. Bake at 350 F for 8-12 minutes. Remove from pan when cool(er) and enjoy. Yeild: 24 cookies (depending on your 1 inch judgement)

I make these for lunches. Because with only 3 people in the house they last about 2 days (just enough time for you to want a different variety). And they are cheap. I mean 3 ingredients. So let me do some math really quickly....

1 c sugar $0.22
1 c peanut butter $.21
1 egg $0.13

So for $0.56 I have fresh homemade peanut butter cookies with no preservatives and I know what's in them.  Yes I know refined sugars...(I'm working on that!) and I also know that the peanut butter is also not homemade. But the egg was... so there!

New Year

The New Year pledge for this family is a spending fast. We are lucky in that we have almost no debt (except for my school loans). Our house is paid for, and we have no credit card debt. But this past year we have gone through some extensive changes. One is that I lost my full time town job. So now we are living off a farm income in the winter months (not a prosperous time for a farm). But I had money saved, and we are OK. I start a part time job off the farm next week so that will help some.

I figure that by cutting our budget (which was already slim) we will be able to save for next years winter months and put some away for our MAJOR projects. Major projects include city water, my MAIN focus this year. So on top of saving for winter months, I will be saving an additional $4,000. We live off the main road and will have to lay A LOT of pipe to the houses. So until then we live with water soluble iron. Lots of it! Lots! I think it can be done, I just have to be hardcore about it all. But I am either getting new water, or else!

I'm sure the rest of this year you'll see me pout about stuff...stuff I want. I know this farm will produce all that I need, but I know there will be stuff I want and can't have. But we are going to try to meet our goals. I'm going to be excited about this project...I probably will have to repeat that SEVERAL times this year.

Christmas

Aren't they cute? This is a picture of my grandfather on his birthday. He turned 92. 92!!! Yeah that's right. I think he's pretty awesome, and he loves to hang out with his great grandson. (The kid likes it too!)

Grandpa got several good presents this year for his birthday, but my cousin gave him a toy helicopter. Really it was for both the kid and grandpa! They had way too much fun playing with it during the birthday party.

I love to sit and listen to my grandfather, he has so much knowledge. Stuff I can't even imagine he knows how to do, and can even explain how to do it to someone else. Really he's forgotten so much more than I will ever know. I think our elders have such a wealth of knowledge, we just need to remember to ask them for it!

Back in the saddle

SERIOUSLY!!! I am trying to get better at the whole blogging thing. Currently I'm not so great remembering to blog something, but they say a habit takes about 7 weeks to be a habit...so my goal is one blog post every seven weeks, every Thursday.  I am even going to put it into my calendar with a reminder to actually post something...

Week 1 of 7

This picture is from September, and may be one of my favorite ones from the farm. Jack is probably complaining about the radish crop and I was probably in a great mood because I wasn't listening to him.

Out of this this garden we got radishes, turnips, cabbage, and mixed greens this fall. I enjoy when he is out there in his garden. I really think it's his therapy. I enjoy making jewelry, him-vegetables! Fun combo uh?

This winter we are enjoying our cold weather veggies with our dinners. No radishes were saved (my dad ate every bit we didn't sell at the farmers markets. Turnips are used in lots and lots of soups. Cabbages, what few we ate due to a lack of rain, were used immediately. And mixed greens were sold all over the county to customers and restaurants.

It is nice to know that my family is nurished with good fresh, local, raised on our farm pork and venison, and veggies we stored or canned. It allows me to have a grocery bill of around $100 a month (if I meal plan and stay creative).

Happy next few days!

I HATE FLIES

I know you shouldn't use the word hate. But I HATE FLIES, obviously since I have stated it twice already!

I have waged my own natural war against them. At least in my own home. I am trying to keep with our all natural low processing, no pesticides lifestyle in my battle so below are some of my solutions.

I have tried the fly flap (aka the fly swatter) front. I've won a few battles on that front. 

I am doing the hang a bag of water over the door with pennies in it. It is supposed to help persuade the flies not to come in because the bag is supposed to look resemble a hornet nest. Apparently flies are afraid of hornets, and this keeps flies out.

Picture via http://www.commonsensehome.com/

My next attack will be the bait method. Cut a 2 litter bottle at the bend. Set the lid off to the side. Place a piece of water soaked meat in the bottom of the bottle. Put the lid (without the cap) inverted into the bottle. Tape around the edge of the lid and bottle "sealing" it down. I'm not sure if you have to hang it or not, but I'm going to try both ways (which means I'll have 2 of these traps).

Do you have any methods you've tested to be good?

Events

As we continue to grow and work on our farm we are participating in more events throughout the 

area.

Seeds to Silverware was a local foody dinner that was FABULOUS! we donated all the meat for the main course and the soup. Super good!!

We then designed the display you see below. Man the food was good. And so was the company!

One of those events was the Cleveland Co Fair. The largest county fair in the southeast. We had a booth on display about the benefits of grass fed meats.

 Then we also did the Grillin' to Chillin' demo in Rutherford County. I did not get to attend it, but had to "send" my dad (as Mr. Cowboy was wandering along the Appalachian Trail).

All were successfull and fun and we are thankful for the opportunity to participate in all.