Rain finally Oct

My son is now a cubscouts and is doing really well in it. My husband a new den leader also joined for the first time and has taken to it like a fish to water. We have 10 boys in our den which is one of the biggest ones out of our pack.

Well we have finally been getting some much needed rain out on our farm, though I still feel like we have a bubble around us with only cracks of it letting the rain in its very strange. Dad is doing well next door but he is sick with a cold right now. A cold is no big deal for a lot of us but I worry for my dad because of his age.

We got a few pears this year from our pear trees, our apples fell to the ground and rotted so we didn’t get any apples. Our pecans are slowly following down; we have been trying to find a dry day to go out to the orchard to pick up branches and get some for firewood to some families I know that could use it.

Tom is doing well at work, we are blessed he has a good job where I am able to stay at home even during these tough times. We are going to have a few events happen in the next couple of months. One is our family reunion in my home town coming up this month.
Next is Halloween. Our small town has a great turnout for Halloween each year. The school and one of the Baptist church always has a carnival. Our routine is always to go to sonic for the special deals they always have that day 25cent corn dogs and icecream then we head off to trick or treat. A couple of houses have haunted houses, the fire department gives out candy, even this one house always gives out glow sticks for the kids.

Yes we do this “trick or treating” , no we are not wicked people, and by golly we are still Christian after this day. I find nothing wrong with doing what we did as kids, my daughter and her friend are 16yr and they still love trick or treating and taking her little brother out, we do this as a family. Some say they may be too old but what is too old? Who declares it? I say let them be kids for as long as they can, they have years ahead of them to be grown up.

Anyways we have my family reunion in Oct and I have family flying down from Calif to see us. Then we are off to Vegas for my husbands army reunion. Somewhere in Jan or Feb we are suppose to go sledding and skiing with the kids if we can find a place so if y’all know of a place where we can sled on bunny hills during this time that is close to Texas please let me know.
Chickens are still chickens laying just enough, our sheep we have to bring in every night there is a couger that comes around our area and takes one down if we leave it out I am hoping it will move on. That’s about it for now on the update on our farm.

Sheep

Well we got rid of 22 older sheep at the auction, but didnt get much from them. The only good thing is we got them off the field. Grass is scarce with hardly any rain. 1/2 was the only thing we go in months now.

Sold 6 to customers and will take more to another butcher to be able to resell individual parts. Pecans getting big, rotted ones are dropping, End of Sept they should start to fall.

Its been so hot here its hard to think straight some days even with air conditioning. Tommy passed his swim level 3. Both kids are now in Krav Maga I have been shuffleing things around to try to fit only two days a week to SA.

Hot, Hot, I am melting

Canning Tomatoes

Canning Tomatoes



These are notes for myself for when I have to process them again

Mistakes and Suggestions:

Make sure kitchen sink and counter are clean not only work space but you need use the sink a lot too. This took the longest time because I didn’t have things cleaned off first.

Make sure to find the right size pans for the quart or pint jars with the wire bottom so they won’t be touching the bottom of pan

Don’t underestimate the size of jar the Quart jars take in a lot! Check the tips of it to make sure not broken and bottoms!

Pan & Lid

Tongs that hold the jar

Funnel

Don’t use chopping block too messy use bowl so you can use the juice to put in jars that are not that full.

Bag of ice on hand

Start to bowl water for cans when you are done blanching the tomatoes it takes a long time to boil water. You don’t want it boiling when you put it in though because it might crack, needs to be in there as it boils.
Also in jars 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 tsp of salt per quart jar.

Takes about 30 seconds or longer to blanch the tomatoes keep an eye on them some take longer than others as it starts to pull away the skin is the best time.

45min for 6/7 quart jars. 12 hours to rest and let pop the lid

Would have liked to add some color

Before sealing the lid put a something in the side of inside of jar to get air out.

You may remove the ring when done if you want, press in the middle to make sure if its sealed and won’t easily come off.

If anyone knows of some kind of colorful herb I can put in the jars without the taste going crazy with it let me know.

Links:
http://www.canning-food-recipes.com/canning_tomatoes.htm

http://www.dinnerplanner.com/canning_tomatoes.htm

**** http://www.pickyourown.org/canning_tomatoes.htm

http://canningusa.com/IfICanYouCan/TomatoSauceHerbs.htm

The water cure

Farm life: Turkey chicks are doing great, almost chance of rain today but it blew by us so sad just half mile away it rained. Field is going really dry. We really need to cull our sheep but haven’t had the time. Pecans are still looking great!
Garden is doing ok, ants and other bugs are starting to attack it along with the over grown grass its been hard to go out and weed though. I did weed over the rose garden/Herb garden today.

It’s been one week since I started the water cure program with the book, “You’re not sick you’re Thirsty” I wanted to mark this day so I know exactly when I started. In one week Pros: I feel tons better. If I drink two glasses of water before I go outside I don’t have much allergys infact it’s been a week since I have taken any meds for it. My skin feels clearer. I am not eating as much.
Cons: I keep having to go to the bathroom they say its gets better as you go along you won’t have to go as much I hope that is true. My chiropractor gave me these strips to test to see if I am dehydrated; it has certain levels to let you know. Mine wasn’t really bad but I am still dehydrated the same for my kids. My husband was the only one that is doing really well with his water intake.

My sister also took the test and I laughed when she said, “But I just drank water” Your body is like a dry sponge when you’re dehydrated and each time you drink water it’s like only a drop being put into the sponge. It will take many drops to make to fill and heal you. It’s so fascinating the book I found out when you feel thirsty its already too late for your body, which means your body is already in red alert that you needed that water long ago.

Also found out those sensors that try to let us know we are thirsty we usually lose it as we grow older. Which might be the reason why so many people are overweight when they get older the signals get weak and they might think they are hungry not thirsty.

If you look closely you can see the pecans in the leaves hiding. I am so happy most of our trees are full of pecans. Last year these lil babys just fell off one day I was so sad, it looks like its going to be a good pecan year.

This means every morning and night I will have to be out there to pick them. Co-op will be hard to do this year if I don’t get organized. I plan to do 1st-3rd bug science for the co-op and get a lot of my stuff from oriental trading. I wont have more then 12 kids in my class because the kits are 12.

Our garden is doing really nice, I went ahead an mowed this last week, I would do more but its gotten so hot the last few days in the 100's! its brutal to go out. My berry bushes are doing great too I wish they would bloom this year I might have a few but they are young yet.

Going to try to plant some flowers today and order some flower farmer books this upcoming payday I want to learn to flower farm since daughter wants to become a florist and son loves to plant we can be a family business :) Told daughter if we can get some flowers going we can sell them on weekends at fleamarket.

I lost my old cat this week, I think it was cancer we came back she had a lump was still eating but getting skinner then one day she was gone. She was not a loving cat but she was a good momma.

I got to take my son to swimming lessons all this week again so got to leave now.

Sam

Yes I love flea marketing or in this case city wide garage sale finds. Last weekend a town near me had one of these sales. I was so excited I only regret I didn’t have any more money to spend for that day.

I ended up with those two white chairs for $2 for the pair. They match sort of the others ones that I have for my dads dining room/porch . I also got some silverware from an estate going on the same time as the garage sales. The local library was having book sales out front of their library. They were selling $1 a bag, you fill up as much as you can fit in the bags. I filled up 4 bags :) I just love books.

Not much more going on at the ranch right now other then things are growing really well in our gardens right now and we are picking all kinds of salads, collard greens, tomatoes, radishes, it’s not enough to can but enough to eat fresh.

The sheep need to be culled badly we just haven’t had time. Not much grass out there for that many so it’s best we get rid of some of the older ones. The brooder needs to be build but we haven’t had time for that either. Hawks been attacking my chickens again I have lost three so far.

They are getting really smart and brave going into the netting even now to get my chickens. I am attempting to make relish tomorrow we will see how it goes so far buying the cucumbers wasn’t that expensive but the red peppers have put me over my budget on it so I hope it will be worth it. I also have to put away some local corn that I bought from a local farm near us. We don’t grow corn ourselves because it would take up too much space.

Gardening coming along

Spent this last month of April $420.40 for a family of four $53.90 was Non food related Personal Household stuff. I saved $82.55 on coupons which brought it down to $283.95. $30.72 was special stuff for Easter. So total came out to $253.23 for the month or $63.30 per week for family of four.

I have a budget of $500 for Food/Household Items/Personal stuff for the month so I did really, really good. Most the stuff I bought also was for stocking up. The $83.55 was the most I have every saved in a month before it sets a record for me. Working on putting a youtube for my briefcase coupon binder but will have to wait till after vacation.

Farm News:

We got most of our watering system in, it was part of my mother's day present :) My tomatoes are doing all really good. Got the fence around the garden too so now the dogs can't come in and wreck havoc keeps most of the cats out too.

We have had a really bad week and half, you know how the saying goes when it rains it poors.

1. Had 30 chickens stolen from coop by someone one night
2. Got a flat had to replce the two front tires.
3. Husband trans had a hole had to replace the whole thing
4. Air Conditioner fan outside broke for our house
5. Air conditioner for my car broke
6. Husband started with migranes really bad so bad had to take him to doctors and pick him up from work.

Good news...well I still have 111 chickens left they were nice enough to close the coop afterwards.
I have two new tires
Husband has a new trans didnt cost as much as they first started.
Air conditioner outside has a new fan at least it didnt happen when we were on vacation
Air conditioner in car not sure whats wrong with it but we will be on vacation while its being fixed...praying its not that much and it should be covered.
I think with Mexico fire burning had something to do with it hopefully it will be over soon.

Our trip to Disney is coming up soon just trying to tie up lose ends and think postive thoughts. I am so happy I have been dreaming of this for years. Kids are excited, hubby is not so much but I know he will have fun once we get there....Hey its better then being at work lol

Hot, hot hot here already and its only May sigh....Wasnt I just whining about the cold? lol