Queen's Edge Farm: Amy, get your gun....

Friday, January 30, 2009

Amy, get your gun....

The girls and I went out to feed the animals tonight, and one of our dogs had gotten into the barn, and totally destroyed the front of one of the rabbit cages, the one with the babies in it....she killed one of the baby bunnies (4 weeks old). This dog is going to have to go, she is too destructive. She kills chickens, rabbits and anything else smaller than her. We need to find her a new home, or she is going to end up shot. I can't have her eating what is supposed to be my food source. She never learns. We have her chained, and the rabbits secured, but she has been managing to twist out of the chain, and finds some way to get to the rabbit. Normally, it's the black rabbit, and not the other two white ones. We need a sturdier chain, a barn door, and/or a sturdier rabbit cage, or the dog is going to be dead as a door nail soon.

She didn't even eat the baby bunny, just killed it (I think she shook it to death, because there isn't any blood on it), and then just played with it...I could see not being TOO mad if she had actually eaten some of it, but she just wanted to play with it....that I can't stand. I was so mad at her, and she knew it....she went and crawled into her dog house.

We managed to get everyone fed and watered, even Jack, the donkey. He has started waiting very impatiently by the barn for a scoop of horse feed. We have only been giving it to him for about a week, but he sure learned fast. I have enough feed for all the animals for a couple of weeks, so Rodney and the girls will just have to go out each evening to feed and water the animals. I really would like bigger water containers or automatic waterers, so we don't have to go out every night, but that will have to wait until water lines are run to the barn....

No eggs tonight...either not enough light lately or too cold. Oh, and the cuckoo marans hens have bloody vents. I can't find out in my poultry book if this is normal. It's only the cuckoo marans and not the other hens. If anyone knows if this is normal, or not, please let me know.

Today, was a good day, and productive. I picked up the house, cleaned the kitchen, made a fresh batch of laundry soap, so that Rodney and the girls can wash something, if needed, while I am in the hospital. Everything is ready to go...I have my suitcase in the car, and I installed the car seat base and car seat in the car (what a pain in the butt!) It took a long time to get it in there....

Lauren cleaned her room, finished the Wizard of Oz, and started Anne of Green Gables. She is reading more on her own now, and not only as part of her school work. Today was our day off from school work, but I didn't have any errands to run, so we were home for most of the day. With the cleaning, watching tv and resting, it was very relaxing.

We should be ready for the baby to come now. Everything is done. Finally!

I also made it to the grocery store to get a few items for the girls for breakfast (milk, cereal, oatmeal, bread, fruit) and sandwich stuff so they can eat and sort of fend for themselves while I am in the hospital. Lauren can cook grilled cheese and soup, plus make cookies and stuff, so they will be okay until I get home. Their dad will probably take them out to eat some, but there are also things here that Lauren can cook or heat up.

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Grandma's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs active dry yeast or 5 tsps if using bulk yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not too hot)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, butter, margarine
2 tsps salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 to 12 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

Yield: 4 loaves

Soften yeast in warm water, springkle in a tsp of the sugar
In LARGE mixing bowl blend sugar, shortening, salt and milk until shortening is melted. Add cold water, cool to luke-warm. Stir in yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover with foil or damp towel. Let rise in warm place (85 to 90 deg) until light and doubled in volume about two hours. Punch dough down by plunging fist in center. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Roll out one fourth of dough to a 16 X 12 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 TBSP of melted butter. Combine 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or more to taste). Sprinkle mixture over dough. Starting with 16 inch side, roll jellyroll fashion. Either cut into 16 1 inch slices or leave as a whole loaf. Place on a greased pan, cover and let rise in warm place until light, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix one box 10X sugar with 2 tbsps water. If too stiff, add more water until icing consistency, add a drop of vanilla too. Spread on baked bread while bread is still warm.

2010 Homestead Stats

Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small washpan or bowl that holds about 2 gallons.

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the washpan. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Transfer soap (using a funnel if necessary) into empty plastic laundry holders, milk containers (I use my empty glass milk bottles and old Fab containers) Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

5 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds of ripe grapes)1 (1 3/4 ounce) box of sure-jel pectin7 cups sugarBefore getting started it is best to clean the entire kitchen, making sure the sink is empty. Bleach the sink and all utensils used in making jelly (I do this as I sell my grape jelly as part of my homesteading business.)

Wash the canning jars in warm soapy water, and rinse well. Set off to side.

Place a large pan of water on the stove to heat. Once it starts steaming, place lids and rings in the bottom, and 2-3 jars (depending on if you use actual jelly jars or pints) to sterilize.

Next make the grape juice using clean washed grapes (make sure you use rubber gloves when picking or washing wild grapes)To 3 1/2 pounds of clean grapes (6 cups of grapes) add 1 1/2 cups water.Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.Strain and squeeze out all of the juice with cheese cloth (see paragraph below)
I didn't have cheese cloth, so I poured the grape mixture into a large spaghetti strainer with a large pan underneath. I had to stir it around some as the skins and seeds would sink to the bottom, and clog the colander up. Stirring allowed the liquid to drain out. I then used a large metal spoon and squished it some to get more of the juice out.

In a very big pan, put 5 cups of the juice (it’s okay to add no more than ½ cup water to even out amount)Add the fruit pectin to the juice.Mix well.On high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil, again boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove jelly from heat, skim off foam
Use a large spoon inserted inside the jar to lift CAREFULLY out of the water. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE JAR OR THE RIM WITH YOUR HANDS.
Ladle jelly into hot jars, place a lid and ring onto jar (do not tighten yet).
Set jars to the side. After a while you should start hearing “pings” as the jar seals.
When jars are completely cool, tighten rings and store on pantry shelf.**SIDE NOTE: Wild Mustang Grapes are normally ready the end of June, so be prepared. Keep an eye open for vines on the side of the road, or any that friends and family may have growing in their yard. Many people just let them grow and don’t do anything with them, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a good supply. Also, the more you pick off the vine, the more the vine produces new grapes, so you probably won’t EVER run out of grapes to use until the vine dies or you get sick of making jelly. Good luck and feel free to contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com for questions.