Summer treats, sewing, and turkey update

Today's high was 88 degrees (F). Tomorrow and Friday will be the same. So its time to start making one of our many favorite summer treats.ICE CREAM SANDWICHS!We like to make ours with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. If homemade ice cream is not all gone, we use that. But any store bought Vanilla or yummy frozen yogurt ice cream will do. Here is a recipe we made for today's treat:Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich's1 cup margarine...

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Long weekend picture story and video.....

Frog caught/held her first hen (Dr. Seuss), all by herselfI do believe she is going broody! Yahoo!!Tomatoes are almost knee high! (hey! stop looking at my dirty garden feet!)Cilantro finally poking its head out and taking form!Lettuce bed- still needs weeding.....But look how green the butter crunch is!(In the picket fence arena are Lil' mans pumpkin/broccolli/& cauliflower patch-don't ask...).And click here for a very short film of lil' man...

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Grape startings from Freecycle!

Candice grape "startings" to be exact! An explanation of its qualities excerpted from Henry Fields:"Completely seedless red fruit has a pleasant tang, tender skin and plenty of juice. Ripens late Aug. through Sept. Candice Red Seedless tolerates subzero coldVersatile and fast growing, a grapevine can bear in just 2 years. One vine requires about 8 ft. of trellis or fence, with each plant producing on average about 15 lbs. of fruit per year. All grapes...

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My poor apple tree & "Nature boy"

Last year, I sprayed the apple tree with an oil based "organic" spray from gardens alive. Did not help at all. So this year it seems they have doubled their inforcements and taken over the poor thing!I assume aphids. It did make me smile to se the black ant attacking- or so it appears.The fruit have been formed no more then a few weeks and they already look like this:I fear there will be another apple-less harvest from our yard. Since we are bringing...

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Hatchery trip and our local Bee Man....

Today we made way to the Meyer Hatchery in Polk Ohio. Since it is not that far away, we were able to do a pick up order. No shipping fees and no minimum amount. We picked up 1 day old- 5 Delaware hens, 4 buff silkies-unsexed, and 2 broad breasted bronze turkey's. The turkey's are a tom and hen which were promptly named Tommy Lee and Pamela. One of the turkey's are pictured (to the left) with a bit of grass greenery in its beak. The tiny one in front...

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grey water waste solution & you silly kid....

The clouds could not decide what it wanted to do today so I centered my attention on some of the little things around the outside. Last Spring we had to have the road ditch re-dug due to some major overflowing storms. This had an effect on the drain pipe for the washer. Apparently previous owners had it draining to that road ditch and being re-dug cut it off. Thats the day my laundry room sat in water. Thankfully the floor is tilted towards...

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Send a woman for chicks &...

She will come home with a kid..... (the one behind the human kid that is)As I wrote before- If I PLAN to go for certain things, I rarely get them.Another Doe! I am guessing around 6 weeks old & Alpine but not sure if there is anything else in her. There was a brother but been there. Done that. No more bucks till we are on larger land.So what's next? Well she needs a name. I thought about Delilah since "hey there Delilah" by the Plain T's came...

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A peek at my current sewing project...

I am 3/4 of the way done with the entire project. It has been too nice to sit inside, but the call of the machine lured me in for a little while. This is a "napkin bib" for Frog. She likes to play "wipe" with napkins, but they in no way keep her face, tops or lap clean. This is long enough to cover her lap and wide enough to cover her top front. I found a "honeycomb" stitch on the machine and it quickly became a favorite. I have just a little...

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Peek into my messy garden...

Sugar pie pumpkin sprouting Spinach taking its first glimpseand just a peek at one of 4 gardens beds:in front is broccoli & cauliflower Timber framed Lettuce bed has butter crunch (bright green sprouts) and romaine lettuce (in the back half not really visible).I have a small trench running the length of my beds. I put wide wood boards there for the toads to hide under. I have to give reminders to the kids about how we want...

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Lily of the valley fills the air....

My lily of the valley blooms around mothers day almost every year. I rarely see it. I only know when I walk close by. The scent makes you stop in your tracks and smile. You smile not only because of the wonderful smell but because it is the sure sign nicer weather is here to stay. ~Pink lily of the valley on the left- white variety on the right plus bouquet w/ white in middle~ I have lots of the Pink variety....

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Farmchick Trail bars

We hit the trails at least 3 or 4 times a week when the weather cooperates. Besides a picnic lunch that waits in the car, I like to bring along healthy snacks for the kids to munch along the way.I have experimented with making granola bars but they seem to come out hard. I do not like hard/crunchy bars (or even cookies). Then I found this recipe for homemade granola bars from Denise Garoutte’s article, "Homemade granola bars" in Mother Earth news....

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Lets talk Dandelions... (link heavy)

Lady Chia wearing her dandelion crown- Mr.Turken behind on leftWhat a wonderful plant with a bad rap. I get so excited in the Spring, when they cover our hill like a yellow blanket. Much quicker to pick them that way in my opinion.Around this time last year, we picked till our little fingers became stained yellow & green. if you were a reader of my previous blog- this would be a reminder. We tried our hand at Dandelion Wine. No, I have not tried...

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Lazy mans potato bed

This morning I am feeling the aftermath of a few too many woodchucks (I indulge on occasion but these went smoothly) and a bonfire head throb. So I will direct you to a forum thread on the beds I mentioned for doing my potatoes. It has a few pictures which will help illustrate what I wanted to share. Excuse my sloppiness/laziness today. *So here ya go*All the plants are in the ground...

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A peek at the freshly painted....

Goat Cabin/ Chicken chalet!Apple tree is in bloom and the pen has been moved/replaced. An improvement I assure you. Now all that is left to do is landscape the dirt area by my new gate. An actual hinged gate I made from dog ear planks and scrap lumber. I attended a livestock auction today in the hopes I would bring home a silkie hen. I really would like to hatch out some turken eggs. With no incubator here or with anyone I know, A broody silkie...

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