Goat Drawing

Received a Christmas card from a new young friend, Alysha. She included this nubian drawing she did for me in her card.  Alysha told me that she enjoys drawing. Thought that was so nice of her and I loved the picture. I meet Alysha and her dad when they came to pick up a buckling, N. KY WindyAcres Sawyer Brown, this past summer.  It is not often I get to meet a young person that has an interest in raising goats. Alysha actually lives close to me in Grant County. I hope to be able to help her with any questions she may have about her goats.  Also told her I can talk all day about goats.  No problem at all.

Wingwood Farm Amazing Adonis

Introducing the newest member of our herd, Wingwood Farm Amazing Adonis!!!! Didn't know for the longest time what to call him.  Finally found the name that suited him, Maz.

I would like to thank Karen Smith of Wingwood Farm for letting me have this wonderful little guy.  Can't wait to see his kids next spring.

Maz is growing so fast.  He is bigger that my yearling does now.  Also has the sweetest personality.

Fruitcake

One of my favorite cookbooks is a church cookbook from the Greenbrier Baptist Church located in my hometown of Haysi, Virginia.  My sister, Fern, thoughtful wonderful sister that she is, remembers to get me a new one when they are available. I always go to this cookbook first when I need a recipe.

Around Thanksgiving I make a fruitcake from a recipe in this cookbook. I first had a taste of a homemade fruitcake at Ferns house years ago. Never liked fruitcke from the grocery store so was really surprised that I liked Fern's fruitcake.  It is an original recipe from Lockie Cumbo, who happens to me Fern's mother-in-law. Lockie also makes a great red velvet cake. 

Back to the fruitcake, I make it about two weeks before Thanksgiving.  After I take it out of the oven, I let the fruitcake cool for about 20 minutes.  Cut into about 6 sections. Wrap with aluminum foil and place in gallon freezer bags. Don't know why but the fruitcake always tastes better after it has been frozen for about two weeks. Freeze, take out one as needed.

When I make the fruitcake now I change the recipe a little. I use real butter, my farm fresh eggs, white whole wheat flour, with half dried cherries and half raisins for the box of golden raisins.  I get the Jumbo Raisin Medley from Traders Joe's.  Trader Joe's is the best place to get your dried fruit.  We try to make a trip to Cincinnati once a month for my supplies.  

 

New Grandson

This past week was very busy and wonderful.  Our grandson, Maksim Scott, was born on Wedneday morning.  He weighed in at almost 8 pounds and was 19 inches long.  Proud parents are Scott and Krystsina and his big brother is Alex.  Here is Alex in the waiting room at the hospital waiting for his brother to be born. No he wasn't reading the magazine, he was playing peek-a-boo with Momaw and Popaw.

Our Alex playing peek-a-boo.

We didn't have to wait long for Maks arrival.  Krystsina checked in at the hospital at 12:30 AM and Maks was born at 2:01 AM. 

Alex meeting his brother, Maks.

Scott and his two sons.

Maksim Scott Wright

Kentucky Wool Festival

We made it to the Kentucky Wool Festival in Falmouth yesterday.  Have been wanting to go for several years just never had a chance to attend. The weather was perfect!! Many other people besides us were taking advantage of the beautiful fall day by being there also. We didn't get as early start as we wanted. Everyone told us to get an early start because of traffic and parking.

There were probably between 3,000 or 4,000 people in attendance on Saturday afternoon. Parking went pretty smooth considering the amount of cars and trucks to get parked. Jeff and I sure enjoyed walking around at the festival. So much to see with all the booths of homemade crafts.

Also had a blacksmith and a grist mill going.  I wanted to purchase a broom but forgot to go back to get it before we left.

Also had some Kentucky Cloggers there. We had a great time.

Beautiful Day

Today was a beautiful day. Finally got a chance to get my camera out to take pictures.  Of course Cora Bell wants some attention first.

Summer, Jessie, Dominique and her doeling.

I pulled down a branch for them.

Only takes a second or two.

                                          Maisie is looking for more.

Homemade Bread

Nothing better than smelling fresh bread baking, except eating that warm bread with a little honey. I bake my bread in the oven in the winter, but it is just too hot in the summer.  I get out that wonderful machine called the bread machine.  So easy to use, just put your ingredients in and walk away.  I try be around when that beep goes off that lets me know the bread is ready.  It seems to get a little tough if left in the machine after it is ready.  I let my bread cool slightly and then use an electric knife to get nice slices. 

Here is my recipe it makes a large 2 pound loaf of bread:

Bread Machine Recipe

1 1/2 cups goat milk (I heat it up to room temperature)
3 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 tablespoon molasses (honey or maple syrup will work just fine too)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups white whole wheat
1 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup flax seed
1 1/2 cups yeast

Place all ingredients, in the order listed, in the bread pan. 

Raw goat's milk offers many benefits

Delicious fresh goat's milk

Raw goat's milk offers many benefits Friday, March 04, 2011 by: Luella May (NaturalNews) In western civilization, most milk consumption is in the form of pasteurized and homogenized cow's milk. Although such milk is portrayed as being healthy, it actually can lead toimpaired health, including allergies, tooth decay, colic in babies, arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. A much better choice is raw milk, and, though generally more difficult to find, the best raw milk of all is raw goat's milk. As the Journal of American Medicine states, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." Goat's milk is the most highly consumed milk in many other parts of the world and it is delicious aswell as extremely nutritious. Goat's milk has vitamins, minerals, trace elements, electrolytes, enzymes, proteins, and fatty acids that are easily assimilated by the body. It is interesting to note that goat's milkis digested in 20 minutes; whereas, it can take up to 24 hours to digest cow's milk. Pasteurization and homogenization are not what nature intended. These processes destroy valuable natural enzymes and nutrients that our bodies utilize to sustain health. They also alter food chemicals and make fats rancid. Cow's milk and goat's milk differ greatly in their nutritional composition. Goat's milk does not contain the complex protein that stimulates allergic reactions, making it less allergic. It also helps to boost the immune system. Goat's milk alkalizes the digestive system and also helps to increase the ph level in the blood stream. Furthermore, goat's milk does not produce mucus and will not worsen allergic respiratory conditions such as asthma. Goat's milk also contains less of the enzyme xanthise oxidase. When entering the blood stream, this enzyme can cause tissue on the heart to scar that results in the liver supplying more cholesterol in order to protect the heart. Arteriosclerosis can be the result of this mechanism. Additionally, homogenization of milk products has also been linked to heart disease. People who are lactose intolerant may find goat's milk to be a good alternative source of milk. Goat's milk contains less lactose than cow's milk and passes through the digestive system more rapidly. Most lactose intolerant people have no difficulty tolerating goat's milk. Additionally, raw goat's milk fights microbes, primarily due to the healthy medium-chained fatty acids it contains, such as capric and caprylic acids. It is very important to note that raw goat's milk is rich in selenium, a necessary bodily nutrient known for its immune strengthening and antioxidant properties. Raw goat's milk soothes the digestive tract. People with conditions such as bloating, diarrhea, asthma, and irritability may very well be suffering from an allergic reaction to cow's milk. Raw goat's milk on the other hand can be comfortably consumed without triggering these allergic responses. Because of its effective acid buffering capacity, goat's milk has been used to treat conditions such as ulcers. Children with problems digesting cow's milk may have a viable alternative in raw goat's milk. Goat's milk is a natural food that children can consume comfortably, even if they are sensitive to cow or other forms of milk. In fact, goat's milk is very similar to human milk. Children who drink goat's milk tend to remain more satisfied between meals and sleep through the night. In conclusion, goat's milk provides excellent health benefits, is delicious and is well tolerated - as opposed to today's pasteurized and homo- genized varieties, which are not only less nutritious and less tolerated, but also can be a precursor to poor health. Sources: http://preventdisease.com/news/10/1... http://www.roseofsharonacres.com/ra... http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/... About the author Luella May is a natural health advocate helping people to heal naturally. Luella is in the midst of editing her ebook, "The 8 Invisible Stains of Our Souls" which will be available in the next few months. She partners with Tony Isaacs, who authors of books and articles about natural health including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and "Collected Remedies" Luella contributes to The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed  illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Luella co-moderates the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and hosts her own yahoo group focusing on the natural wellbeing of pets

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031586_raw_goats_milk_health.html#ixzz1FkDRmS3s

Tomatoes

Spaghetti Sauce
(Taste of Home Recipe)

Ingredients:
25 pounds tomatoes
4 large green peppers, seeded
4 large onions, cut into wedges
4 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon,

place tomatoes, one at a time, in boiling water for 30-60 seconds.

Remove each tomato and immediately plunge in ice water. Peel

and quarter tomatoes.

In a food processor, cover and process green peppers and onions in

batches until finely chopped. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes,

green pepper mixture, tomato paste, oil, sugar, salt, garlic, oregano,

parsley, basil, pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours,

stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Add lemon juice to nine

hot quart jars, 2 tablespoons in each. Ladle hot mixture into jars,

leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and

adjust lids. Process for 40minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: 9 quarts.

Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet

or less. For altitudes up to3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add

10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.

Cucumber Relish

4 cups unpeeled cucumber

1 cup green pepper

1/2 cup sweet red pepper

3 cups onion
3 cups unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup salt
2 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Use the pulse action on your food processor to cut up your vegetables quick and easy. Make sure to cut the ends off your cucumbers and take the seeds out of the peppers. Combine all vegetables in large bowl sprinkle with salt.  Cover the vegetables with cold water.  Let stand for four hours.  Drain really good.  Combine sugar, vinegar, seeds in saucepan stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to boil and then lower temperature to simmer.  Add all your vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes.  Pack into clean sterilized jars.  Process in water bath at full boil for 10 minutes.

Cucumbers

My cucumbers did really good this year.  I have been home canning a variety of  pickles. Twelve day pickles, dill pickles, lime pickles plus cucumber relish are put up for the winter.

                                             What to do with these?

Guess I will do more dill pickles since that is my favorite.  Finally found something to with this cutter that I purchase at one of those Pampered Chef parties a long time ago.  It does a great job cutting those cucumbers into nice dill pickle slices.

Dill Pickles

7-8 lbs cucumbers
1 cup canning salt (not table salt)

35 peppercorns
1 Tbsp canning salt
7 cups water
6-1/2 cups white vinegar
7 cloves of garlic, each cut into quarters
14 dill heads
7 small grape leaves (used to keep cucumbers firm)

First Day

1- Wash cucumbers. Trim off ends and make the pretty slices with your Pampered Chef cutter.
2- In a large bowl, layer cucumbers and salt . Add cold water to cover . Place a plate on top to weigh down the cucumbers. Cover and let stand at a cool room temperature for at least 12 hours.
3- Soak dill heads upside down in a bucket of salt water overnight. Any bugs on the heads will either drown or crawl away.

Second Day

1. Sterilize jars by washing in the dish washer or a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Keep lids in a saucepan of water on low heat.
2-Rinse and drain the cucumbers. Rinse again and drain well. Set aside.
3- Combine the salt, water, and vinegar in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until salt is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and keep liquid hot.
4-Place 1 grape leaf, 2 pieces garlic, 4 to 5 peppercorns and 1 dill head into the jar. Pack cucumbers into the jar, leaving about 1 inch headspace, and top with 2 pieces of garlic and 1 dill head.
5- Place the canning funnel over the jar and using a ladle, pour hot pickling liquid into the jar, leaving 1/2-inch  headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe the rim with a clean cloth or paper towel dipped in warm water. Using the silicone tongs, remove a lid from the saucepan of hot water and place it on the jar. Screw on a band until it’s fingertip-tight.
6- Place the jars in the canner and return to a boil. Process for 15 minutes. Let the jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Then use the canning tongs to transfer the jars to a clean towel on the counter and let them stand for 24 hours. You should start to hear the happy pinging of lids sealing as they cool.



Flower by any other name?

My Mom always had flowers in our yard and her garden.  I also plant a lot of flowers.  I like sunflowers, zinnias, daffodils, marigolds, iris's and any kind of day lily.  I try to grow roses but never seem to do a very good job with them. 

One spring my daughter-in-law dug up some daffodils for me.  This bushy green plant came up beside the daffodils.  And then I thought it had died.  A couple of weeks later a stem came up.  Just a tall skinny stem with no leaves. The strangest looking thing.  Next came the pretty pink flowers.  I ask some of my neighbors if they knew the name of this flower.  Someone told me it was called Naked Lady.  Well I wasn't too impressed with the name, but sort of understood why it could be called that.  My daughter-in-law said someone told her it was called a Mystery Flower.  That makes sense too.  Then the other day my sister, Fern, said it is called the Resurrection Flower.  So many names.  Do you know the name if this flower?  Would love to hear from you if you do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis

       My daughter-in-law has a friend who took one look at this flower and said "Amaryllis".  Thank you Laura. But it is also know as "naked lady". I didn't think it was an Amaryllis at first, so I did some research on the net. The Amaryllis comes in many colors and the petals in different shapes.  Mystery solved after ten or so years.  

Mela's Kids

Mela had her kids on July 15.  I made a lot of visits to the barn to check on her before those kids were born. Finally around 4:00 PM, Mela was in labor.  She went into full labor very fast but I knew she was having problems. She was pushing too hard and too quickly for the kid not to be coming.  Then came the head but only one foot. Mela was pushing and she was in pain.  The kids head was out but only one foot. What to do? I tried to push the kid back and find the other foot. Mela was pushing with all her heart and I could not find that other foot. So I had to try something else.  Broke the water bag so the kid could breathe and pulled gently when Mela pushed. The huge buck was born and breathing fine.  The first one was out only a few minutes before Mela started pushing again. Then came the other huge buck with no problem.  I guess that is why I couldn't push the first one back to find that foot.  I think the second buck was in the way.

Mela was a little weak and didn't eat much the first couple of days.  Both huge bucks are doing great. Already going out in the field with Mela. Everyone is fine, that is all I can ask.

Mela and her bucklings.

                                                 The dreaded disbudding!!

                                                     First Buckling

                                                  Second Buckling

New Baby Chicks

New chicks one day old

Every couple or so of years I have to order new baby chicks.  This year I ordered my chicks from Meyer Hatchery out of Polk, Ohio, here is their link  http://www.meyerhatchery.com/  I ordered 25 pullets but received 27 healthy chicks.   All are still doing great.  I always order a variety of chicks that lay brown eggs. But ordered a couple of chicks this year that lay white eggs. Will post more pictures as my chicks grow. 

I ordered my chicks over the internet.  I was able to pick out a delivery date that was convenient for me.  The chicks arrived at the post office early one morning. Our mail carrier doesn't delivery here until in the afternoon.  I went to the post office to pick the chicks up. 

The most important thing with baby chicks is keeping them warm until they get feathers.  I put them in a large box with straw on the bottom. I partially cover the box with a quilt. We have a heat lamp bulb hanging over the box holding the temp at 95 degrees F.  Please be careful of fire hazards if you do it this way too. I check and double check that everything is okay. If the chicks start staying away from the heat, raise the heat bulb so it isn't so warm on them. I had all this ready before I picked up my chicks.  Also had Start and Grow from the farm supply store for them and their water bottle. One of my neighbors years ago told me to put one teaspoon of sugar in their water at first for a good start.  I still do this, don't know if it helps or not.

Some of the new chicks have a hard time finding the water.  I take one at a time and dip their beaks in water. So cute to see them lift up their heads and swallow for the first time. I feed my new chicks start and grow feed and give grass clippings or they love the left over lose hay to scatch around in. They also like fruit and vegetable scraps.

Just a couple more weeks and I will be able to move them to the chicken coop.  Oh, guess I forgot to mention that my husband puts up with baby chicks in the basement!!



Three weeks old.

Almost three months old.

They are happy to be free.