Saturday, November 6, 2010

Winding up the HArvest


Harvest time is all encompassing.The vegetables get canned or frozen or made into tomato sauce.There's also the hay harvest that occurs 3(hopefully) times over summer & early fall and if you're especially lucky a 4th cutting.Don't forget the wood harvest for wood burning stoves.It's a beautiful thing to see hay stacked up to the peaks in the barn and wood stacked under the over hang in the back of the barn.We'll be warm this year & our animals well fed. Thank YOU, thank YOU LORD!
October & November are also butchering months.We don't like to think of that, but the reality is that WE LIKE TO EAT !! (sorry (:< ) So,October I had butchered
the last batch of meat chickens and this past week(November) turkeys and a pigger.I didn't raise the pig, this time, but a fellow in a neighboring county did.Today I picked up the meat,all labeled & beautifully packaged.I also picked up 32 lbs of loose sausage that I packaged up myself into 2 lb bags. WHY?? Well, I have many sausage mix recipes that I like for sweet Italian, Hot Italian links,Country patties & breakfast links,plus just plain sausage for 'whatever'.. So, that's my reasoning.
I am at the tail end of the harvest ingathering and every day that I'm off work is all encompassed with it.I'm sure the Pilgrims CLAWED ,with exhaustion,their way to the Thanksgiving picnic table
This past night, my son was in a play ("THE GOOD BODY") at his University.So, after I picked up the pork chops,hams & sausage and finished rationing out lard (YES!!! LARD!!!) into 1/2 cup portions to freeze for future pie crust, I hopped in my car & raced to the school and looked for "Corinthians pillars"~~ All I saw was the Library Pillars and raced in for directions to the theater and the restroom(first priority). These kids amaze me with their mental capacity to retain huge scripts for their lines plus prepare research papers for their majors and study for upcoming tests.My nickname is 'Dementia'.I can't even remember my badge for work that's hanging and swaying in front of me from my rear view mirror before I hop the parking lot bus that takes me to the hospital entrance.
Yes, it's a long night for me. But~~ my son is more important.This play was important to him and also to his friends who worked VERY hard, long hours to put on this production.Not all things that were said I agreed with.Some issues I take a hard right challenge with .But I went to listen.I certainly agree with a good deal that was said and had a really good laugh numerous times throughout the play.I enjoyed myself and they gave me ICE CREAM!!! YESSS!!!! (:>

Tuesday, October 26, 2010



Things to be proud of ! A well colored scarecrow & a clean locker ! (What will it look like come winter?)

I Love Grandparent's Day



I love Grandparents Day at the school my grandchildren attend.They always do such a nice job and it's a pleasure to visit the classrooms to see what they've been up to.Of course, one class will read a poem that will make my eyes sting and my face crunch up trying not to cry.(:< I never remember to bring tissues .

Friday, October 22, 2010

Pumpkin' Gathering!


Great stuff happens in the Fall! Pumpkins and multicolored fall leaves, yard sales and hunting breakfasts,apple butter and bow hunting festivals! Turkey hunting (all day!!) apple cider making, apple sauce,and FINALLY wrapping up canning for the year!! But then comes butchering season~~ piggers,8 month old lambs, the last of the meat chickens~~ well,soon I can look forward to winter. My sabboth rest.(:>

Egg Fight II

One of the good things about using old abandoned eggs from 'way up yonder in the hay bale nests' is that they don't break very easily. NAY!! They BOUNCE when they hit the ground and you can run and scuffle and scap them up for a second, even THIRD round of egg wars!
But there is no wisdom in encouraging these games.With one reckless 'whopp!', Joel got smacked in the kisser. He dropped to the ground howling in a tearful rage ,swearing to pelt mighty vengeange upon Kyle's Bulls-eye! Well,I tried to comfort the varmint and cleared his nostrils of shattered egg shells.I handed him an egg,still intact and surviving many assaults and demanded that Kyle "Stand still & let yer brother blast ya'!!" And of course, smack to the back-O-the neck, yoke drippin' down!~~ All is well a'top my mountain and little boys fell asleep happy Friday night! (:>

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

What to do for Grandparents Day


Every proper Garandma knows that for any Grandparents Day to be complete calls for an EGG FIGHT!! Found upon the highest hay bales in the barn was an abandoned nest of eggs.How long was it there? The egg test ( place eggs in a bowl of water to see if they float ) proved they were there a LONG TIME!! "Boys?? Would you like to throw them at each pther?" ~~~~ YESSSSSS !!!!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Ode to Canning Jars



I canned up a batch of white grape juice for the year.Good stuff! While setting them out to cool,I checkED out the names on the jars of the companies that manufactured them. Most of us canners are familiar with the old time standards like BALL, ATLAS,MAGIC BUTTON,GOLDEN HARVEST,MASON but what about the lesser known providers that may have bitten the dust of "Going OUTTA Business" ? Check out your jars and post on here what names you have. I used to have some pink glass jars.I guess they broke.I have quite a few blue jars and my all time favorites are the glass top lids with wire snaps because they are old as the hills and still going strong.(Just like my Gramma McCue's treadle sewing machine! Perfect stitches,every time).)
I love canning! It is probably the longest and most consistent hobby that has ever been part of my cellular structure.
Tomorrow there will be many tables at yard sales,pumpkin festivals,etc and I will pass by a jar or 2.Will I run my fingers gently around the rims and sigh and~~~~walk away? Will I let another lady strolling in the crowd behind be ponder if she needs it and barter for it? OR~~ will I spin around, race back and knock people out of the way,grab the jar out of her hands and hissss ~ "It's MINE!!" .(?????) I will give a full report tomorrow.

ODE TO A CANNING JAR

THERE ONCE WAS A JAR THAT WAS LOOKING AT ME
IT HAD NOT BEEN USED SINCE '73
THE JAR BORE A NAME THAT WAS NOT FAMILIAR
NOT BALL,NOT ATLAS,SO I WANTED TO FILL HER
SHE WAS DUSTY AND GRAY WITH THE YEARS IN THE CELLAR
I WAS CURIOUS WHAT COMPANY EXISTED TO SELL HER
DID IT LIVE THRU DEPRESSION OR DID IT GO UNDER?
YET THIS JAR SURVIVED TURMOIL WHEN ALL TORE ASUNDER
AND MANY A FARM WIFE KEPT HER FAMILY ALIVE
WHEN OTHERS IN CITIES STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE
BUT YOU DON'T NEED AN ACRE, YOU DON'T NEED A FARM
A TOWNIE CAN DO IT ! YOU DON'T NEED A BARN!
I STARTED TO CAN WHEN I LIVED IN BAYONNE
I LIVED IN THE CITY,I HAD A SMALL HOME.
TOMATOES AND PICKLES AND APPLESAUCE TOO!
PEACHES AND PEARS,TO NAME JUST A FEW.
I STARTED OUT LITTLE,I STARTED OUT SMALL,
AND NOW I'M A FACTORY BY LATE SUMMER AND FALL!
MY MOM DID NOT KNOW THE INFLUENCE SHE BRED
WHEN SHE WENT TO THE CELLAR FOR PEARS BEFORE BED
MY GRANDMA MADE JELLY FROM VINES IN HER YARD
UNCLE FRITZ MADE THE PICKLES AND IT WAS NOT HARD
WE SMILED WHEN SENT TO THE CELLAR FOR FOOD
WE MADE IT! WE DID IT! "AND GOD SAID,IT WAS GOOD"! (:>

Turkey Huntin'


This is my neighbor during last year's turkey hunting season. He was so excited when he caught this gobbler.He raced it over to my house because he knew I had a digital camera.So....I snapped the picture,printed it out 8x11,and he had a nice picture to frame for his very first turk. Nice prize.
Later,Ed got up and said,"What's new? Hear from anyone?" I said "Yep~~~ I found Randolf (our missing gobbler)! He's in the freezer,next house over".

Thursday, October 14, 2010

RED BEETS!!!

Wonderful Scrumptious Red Beet Recipe!!

Since the 1970's,I have been canning red beets. Pickled beets & Harvard beets.~~~Ho HUM!! My kids & husband were poor enthusiasts and I ended up eating them myself--- 2 year old pints.Sitting about and wasting with dust on the lids. THIS WEEK ~THAT HAS ENDED !!! I have found the WONDERFUL SCRUMPTIOUS RED BEET RECIPE!!! Written for canning lovers.It goes like this:

5 QTS chopped or cubed red beets (I use a french fry chopper, then cut them in half to make cubes).
1 large spanish onion chopped up
6 Tbs cornstarch
3 tsp salt
2 1/2 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c water
18 whole cloves
12 tablespoons butter (secret ingredient)

This will make approx, 9 pints.Or was it 12? (Hmmm).Place 2 whole cloves into each jar batch.Bring the batch to a slow simmering boil then spoon the HOT batch into pint jars. Can at 10 lbs pressure for 30min for pints (or 35 min.for QTS).
When the jars cool,you will see the butter lying on top of your beets,solidified.Pay it no mind and be sure to stir it into your saucepan with the beets when you heat it up to serve with your very best dinners! Tell your cardiologist to scoot back to his golfcourse.You will enjoy your red beets while he enjoys his Porche!

Monday, October 11, 2010

CORNED BEEF-make yer own !




I used to be a dummy! I bought my St PAtty's Day corned beef & cabbage in the supermarket. They don't have me by the neck anymore (:< I am an independant corned beef cure-ererererer.Ever buy a corned beef from the super market and it has as much flavor as wall board? Well ,just go ahead and make your own! You can do it!! So easy. You need a bowl.A ziplock plastic bag and Here's the ingredients.

A piece of beef 4-6 lbs~ top round,a brisket,bottom round,etc.
5 TBS Morton Tender Quick or Sugar Cure mix(you can get this from True Value or Agway or Cole's HArdware stores and also many grocery or rural mom & pop grocery stores.
2 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS ground black pepper
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground bay leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp chopped garlic (or from the jar)
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 thsp ground cayenne

Mix well in bowl then rub into the meat.Put meat & rubbed in mixture into a zip lock bag and place into a roast pan or glass roasting dish. Store in refrige for 5 days per inch of meat depth. Flip meat over and massage meat & mixture into it once daily.After the week or two, rinse off all coating mixture. Then drop into pot of boiling water, along with onion,pepper corns, garlic,bayleaf,mustard seed (or just plain pickling spices)!!!! and onion & cabbage and potatoes.Do NOT add salt.It's had enough already.Bring to boil and reduce heat to soft rolling boil.Cook 3 hours on low soft boiling heat or for 2 hours if small roast. (:> This year instead of cooking it, I cut each piece into sections and canned it along with cabbage,onion, garlic,pepper,mustard ,bay leaf(or just plain 1 tbs pickling spices)in the wide mouth quart jars.OH SO SO GOOD!! I can't buy it in the supermakrt anymore. The flavor isn't the same.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What a Corny Day !





I got the BEST corn seed from my nearby RT 42 Market! Such perfect white corn! So sugary sweet and scrumptious..you don't even need to cook it.Ed said,"Want help strippin' corn?" (?????)~~~~ (Do cats love mice?? Do cops love to give tickets?? Ho YEAA!! I love this man!!)


Sooooo anyway, 8 thousand ears later we were briefly stopped by Angus the cat.Look at HIM!! Whoa !! He decimated that ear of corn in minutes.Back & forth like an old Underwriter Typewriter carriage.It brought out the lion in him ....and tears of joy to my eyes!(sniff)
One thing I noticed was that I never dusted my corn with killer insect powders..neither did local fruit producers.But whereas the tips of some of my corn had some caterpillars,over the years I've noticed that a large portion of ears of corn were affected by corn caterpillars by local producers we bought from that were'nt sprayed. I think the difference was that my chickens & turkeys were on daily patrol throughout my fields , whereas no birds protected the other guys.

Monday, September 13, 2010

New generation of egg layers

Oh yes, this buddy of mine knows that there's something wonderful inside.Whatever can it be ???
Ash sits waiting patiently.His tail switching back & forth.

After 5 years of egg laying chickens & incubating their eggs, I'm starting to see puny eggs competing with the nicer large & jumbo eggs.The culprit is a very active Bandy Rooster.While I thought I was incubating beautiful large eggs, the sire was a midget.Therefore, the hen that would hatch would be crossed with a bandy roo.In other words~~~~ itty bitty eggs 7 mos later when she grew to adulthood.Sooooo, I hit the hatchery catalogues & bought some more egg laying peeps. One day old & they are $2.47 a piece (!!) Heck!! But, I need a fresh start , so I gave in.I bought 25 new peeps.12 Barred Rocks (outstanding large egg layers & great tolerance for cold weather), 12 Australorpes ( black with green sheen) and also great daily egg layers & great tolerance for cold weather.And ONE surprise little peep bonus~ who knows what? He's red feathered & marked like a chipmunk- probably an Auracauna (green egg layer) and a rooster.I don't cull(destroy) old hens that become poor producers.They have served me faithfully for many years, gone into LABOR everyday of their lives and produced an egg. For me.They serve out their days munching on garden bugs and caterpillars that would otherwise destroy my corn, etc.,

Sunday, September 12, 2010

La Tomatino !



Good ol' tomatoes!! Nothing tastes better than a fresh picked tomato from the vine, then popped into your mouth. The fresh smell of a tomato vine is intoxicating.It is one of the earliest childhood memories I have of my parents in our yard in the early 1950's ,Bayonne.My dad tying vines onto stakes and my mom picking tomatoes in the evening shade. I am so sad this beautiful scent only lasts a few weeks of the year. If I was a Parisian perfumer, I would invent "La Tomatina". But I fear actual bites to young maidens' necks would outlaw this wonderful perfume as the result.

I am pretty overwhelmed in September with 'things to do'. Most of it relates to canning. So much produce reaches fruition in September! I understand why the Pilgrims chose November to give 'Thanks" for the harvest. By that month, they were utterly exhausted and glad to be done with it!.Anyway, probably the most time consuming of my canning fruits/vegetables is tomato sauce.I try to put up enough for the year (52 weeks worth) at 2 Qts a week. Well, you do the multiplying.
I can fully understand why the Spanierd's have the festival "La Tomatina" every August where they have a great tomato fight in the streets.It's because you can only take so much!! After that, you just start throwing the dang things!!

Chicken Soup 101



Back when I was a maid in nursing school, we learned proper and essential skills at curing the sick and dying.Chicken Soup 101 was of course at the top of the list of Nursing Fundamentals.In fact, I was SOOOOO impressed with this course that I started my own pharmacy of chickens in my own backyard.Let me clue you in on a secret ingredient in making perfect chicken broth (without adding boullion cubes~~~~CHEATER!! (:<
Get a pot of water,toss a bunch of necks in,a chicken carcass (left from a roasting chicken),some giblets and chicken feet. The secret ingredient is the FEET!!! Don't let your butcher cheat you out of them!!Demand that he toss them in the shopping bag.If you shop at world class supermarkets you will be outta luck.They don't believe in them.Toss in salt to taste & parsley and simmer at a soft roll for 2-3 hours.DON'T LET IT BOIL!! (It will cloud & lose clarity) .Put it in the refig overnight to cool.This lets the fat float to the top & harden. Scoop it off (don't let it find its way to your coronary arteries!)& toss it in the burn barrel ( or save it for greasing creaky hinges ).Reheat the broth & ladle it through a strainer to remove scrappy particles.Then can it at 10 lbs pressure for 80 min for Qts.or just plain freeze it in containers. This may sound complicated & too much, but it's not.No, not at all.It is one of life's pleasantries! (:>

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Corn Pickin'


These little boys are getting lost in the corn (:> They have to climb over pumpkins & vines to get to the cobs that are ready for pickin'.I hear the yellow pumpkin flowers make good soup.(I saw it in a Keanu Reaves movie ..you know,the grape vineyard movie where he returns from WWII? I forget the name).

This little farmer buddy informed me that, "When we drive to NJ it takes a long LONG time! My dad brings stuff for us to eat and drink to keep us alive ! He don't want us to die." (!!) (:< "Yep",I said, "You sure got a good dad" (:>

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Making your own grapejuice recipe


2-3 handsful of Concord grapes . Place in Qt canning jar
1/4c.sugar
boiling water Fill half way in jar.Stir well to mix sugar (otherwise it will settle to bottom of jar & crystalize like a rock during processing).Then finish filling jars with boiling water.Set your lids on and process according to canning books.I use Ball Blue Book. I pressure can it on 5 lbs pressure. They will be ready to drink by November.Then just get a strainer,set it atop a juice jug & pour juice through it.Press remaining juice from grapes .Toss the grape remains to chickens & turkeys and Whallah!!(:>

Grapevine


It is such a great time of year! The grape vines are 4 yrs old and produced 60 lbs of Concords.Enough for grapejuice for the year & wonderful jelly. My neighbor said he could smell them across the street! One of my favorite memories of my Grandmother's house was the grapevines in the backyard & my mom making jelly with my Aunt Annie (Actually we all pronounced her name 'Ann-Annie'.Haha)

But I HATED picking them off the vines because I just loved looking at them dangling beautiful & deep blue purple in the hot sun.Japanese beetles were merciful this year and didn't set out to destroy the grape leaves.Last year they looked like green lace.I slapped them off the leaves into a bucket of water & fed them to the fish off the dock.I hate using pesticide spray on fruit & vegetables. Turkeys & chickens cluck ,scratch & peck their way through my garden.I lose a few tomatoes here & there & some corn, but you have to feed your soldiers.

I haven't made my jam/jelly yet.That will be this coming week.This is the first year I haven't had to buy any grapes at all. (:>

Monday, August 16, 2010

Turkey on the roof


In May you saw the turkey peep in the palm of my hand by the Lilac Bush. Well~~It's August & peeps are maturing & my border collie loves to herd & harrass any moving critter on this farm.This is a mama turkey hen finding refuge on the barn roof.Well outta range!Click onto the picture for a better closeup view! (:>

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A time of Lilacs



My yard is heavy with the perfume of lilac bushes.The butterflies are busy about the spring lilacs ~ can you find the butterfly?
One lone baby turkey hatched out of 28 eggs.After 3 days another hatched. I was glad because lonliness can cause failure to thrive, as in any infant.I carried him around in my pocket while I did simple chores,petted and whistled to him.Last night the 2nd peep pecked his way out of his shell.They're buddies! (:>

Saturday, April 24, 2010


The sheep shearer came yesterday.I nearly forgot what color these guys are! My hands got a lanonin treatment while holding them.I understand a small tin of lanolin costs quite dear.

While Sweetpea was being sheared, her lambs (Moonbeam and Starlight) carried on terribly while being seperated in their stall from their mama.After she returned, they continued to BAAAAAAAA! and BAAAAAAA!!!!! They no longer recognized her and wondered where their mama went!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Oh,the Good Earth!



Oh,the good earth! It's produce keeps my belly full and provides warmth to my bones.This is my neighbor's farm and your looking at my wood for our woodstove for next year.It will be split by this AM and I'll be stacking before I go in to work.No~I don't have any trouble at all getting to sleep at night.
My farm actually was part of my neighbor's farm a long time ago.It's been in their family 195 years!! Wow! Nice not to have a mortgage. (:>

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

potato planting



Well, today was a good day to continue planting. Too doggone cold at night up here to transplant 'started' plants, despite the warm daytime temps.Just deal with seeds in April.Today I planted 3 big rows of red pontiac potatoes growing'eyes'in a wooden bushel basket down in my basement.I still have another bushel basket of potatoes with foot long eyes if anyone wants to give it a go.Potatoes are gloriously exciting to plant and dig up.As my grandchildren have said, "It's like digging for GOLD, Nana!!" Especially when you dig one up the size of your shoe!! ALWAYS a trophy to be shown off to the neighbors!! Toot the horn of your pickup truck while you hold them up high above your head ,driving down the road !! MAKE those Clampetts jealous!!

GOD, I LOVE THIS PLACE !!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

What to get the man who has everything


My husband always gets me nice gifts~shotguns for Mothers Day,Muzzleloaders for Christmas,roto-tiller for the Anniversary,machetes,etc. He's the tough one to buy for.......until today!!

My cousin Mark saved my sanity.He sent me this new Texan style BBQ grill picture.I no longer have to fret and wring my hands ,Father's Day is now taken care of. (:>

Friday, April 9, 2010


Hooray for hot sunny spring days!! The sheep run out of the barn like they were shot out of a rocket.It never ceases to amaze me how high a lamb can leap from a stationary position!


Every day the grass turns greener and more lush with growth.

Happiness is stretching out under the warm sunny and napping with the buddies ! (:>

The Springhouse


I wondered what purpose the springhouse would serve when we moved up to our farm 5 yrs ago.It sits nestled under a very old & huge pine tree and a big lilac bush hugs it's south side.I planted 3 grapevines for Concord grape juice and jelly.Now the vine hangs like a sorry looking man dangling from a clothesline.

I was very excited to discover an asparagus bed there popping thru the soil every April at the time forsythias and daffodils bloom.Yesterday I picked a handful and cooked up some cream of asparagus soup.I made turkey broth from easter turkey gobbler(a 28 pounder!!)and combined with asparagus it was magnificent (:>

Our springhouse is also home to huge bumblebees (or carpenter bees).They always hover over me as I trying to snip at the bases of asparagus .I can't gather them fast enough.I've been told they don't sting, but Murphy's Law has taught me that I will be the exception.Springhouses are the farm monuments of laid back warm sunny days,when you just want to hangout with a good book on the benchswing in the shade of the pine tree & lilac bush.It's also the place where kids play "Fort" or make a clubhouse.My turkey hen made her nesting place in secret there for a full month before she was discovered.We thought she ran off with the wild turkeys.You know how some women are attracted to wild men!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Mucking Boots



I'm out of breath.It's hot out there today and I thought I'd plant 3 blueberry bushes & 2 white grapevines I received in the mail. They're starting to bloom and I don't want them to dry out.The ground is finally drying out. A few days ago it was saturated & like melted chocolate.I need new mucking boots. I have several pairs but they all have thru-n-thru slits in them.I crossed the stream yesterday and my feet were soaked.
Time to get the garden plowed.I have a neighbor who is very nice and uses his big tractor to plow it up for me.After that we roto-till. But my tiller is in the repair shop .Have to get ready for work.The shower will feel great!