Today's Harvest 1/2/13

Got down to the garden today with the intent of trying to find the beds again. They have been completely overgrown with chickweed again. I did do a little weeding though there is still a lot more to do but I got side-tracked when I found, first, the turnips and then, the cabbage (and then I remembered that I had left all the dogs on the bed together and Romeo and the little boy -who ended up being named Scooter- still have rather terrible fights so I didn't get anymore weeding done).

I am just amazed at my little heads of cabbage (there isn't any brown on them, I am not sure why it looks brown in the picture). This is what I should do every year. Totally neglect the garden and it will grow!
So now to figure out what to do with the cabbage. I don't need sauerkraut as I still have some. I may just blanch it and put it in the freezer.

Happy Easter!

I know it's been a while but we are still at that point of change where we are trying to get things together but are still working on it, which puts everything else on hold.
Anyway, my garden has been growing without my assistance (lots of weeds) and I did get down there a few weekends ago and harvested these:

I almost left them out there too long as the heads started to break apart but I just took the good and cut off the bad and ended up with three good meals of cauliflower and one of broccoli shoots.
Other than that, I sold the quail and almost all of the bantams. I may sell  the ducks too, I haven't decided yet. It has been a relief to not have so  much to do at home every day.
Yesterday I took a class on home buying. It was very helpful and I know that I have a couple of ways to go with that and how to help my credit score so we can eventually qualify for a loan.

We, of course, smoked a ham for Easter. I had it soaking in the cure for the last two weeks. It was a smaller ham than some of the others we have done before. We smoked it in apple wood for 5 hours at 250 degrees. It turned out to be the best one we have done so far.

I have been playing with my aquariums a lot. I have a 10 gallon and a 25 gallon and was just given a 55 gallon that I haven't set up yet. I may start a new blog about them but can hardly keep up with this one blog lately so may hold off on that.
Will try to get on here more. I have a couple of more give-aways still to do and hope things will get going more for us and I will have good news for you all.

A Little Winter Harvest

I finally made it down to my garden today and found a little harvest waiting for me. Lots off little broccoli shoots off of my three plants and just a few turnips. Though it doesn't look like I will get more turnips, I have never been able to grow turnips in my garden before so this is definitely progress.

I see a few more small cauliflower heads starting and the cabbage is looking good. The kale seems to have stalled a bit in the cold weather but we will be getting warmer soon.

And the WINNER IS......

...I shook up the coffee can, slid my hand in and pulled out the first slip of paper that I encountered.

Yeah Mary!!!!

And then I worried because she is in the same state as I am and I thought you all might think that was a bit of a coincidence but no matter what anyone else thinks, it was just the luck of the draw.

Yeah Mary!!!! Send me your address and I will get the book out to you Tuesday (I have to work all day Monday or I would do it then.)

You all keep watching for more give-aways as I have a few more nice books and thanks to all who liked my facebook page. I would also like to mention there is a twitter page, pinterest and a forum (links are on one side bar or the other).

Just a little note on what I am doing today...nothing....it's cold. We had a chance for snow flurries but we only got rain. I did go shopping and just a few minutes ago I went out and caught all the bantams for someone who bought them from me when I put an add on craigslist. We need to scale down some on the animals right now so more of them will be going soon. I'm just plain too busy lately and I need a break and we are trying to save up some money. Will keep you posted as things progress a bit more.

Let's Have a Give-Away

Unfortunately it will have to be U.S. participants only and the book I am giving away is used.

Years ago when I first started this quest towards self-sufficiency, there was one book that was recommended to me more than any other and that was Back to Basics. I wanted that book more than anything but it was just too expensive. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I finally found one in the thrift store and got my own copy. Finally! And it definitely is a good book. If there is something about self-sufficiency that isn't in the book, I don't know what it is. So today when I saw another copy at the thrift store I just immediately snatched it up. I didn't know at the time what I would do with it but I had a feeling that there were others out there who might want this book and couldn't afford it either so that is where the give-away idea came from.

So if you have been wanting your own copy of Back to Basics you can enter 3 ways (and get an entry for each one):  like us on facebook here (sorry only new likes are going to count), link to us on Twitter, or link to us on any other page you have such as facebook or a forum etc.
Let  me know what you did in your reply and if it was the last option leave me a link to where you shared this blog.
I'll do the drawing say.....next Saturday (hopefully that will be enough time). Just so you know, I won't be swayed by anyone's "story" of how badly they want the book. I am just going to put the entries into a coffee can and draw out a name.
You will then have to email me at becky3086@yahoo.com so that I will know your email and can contact you in case you are not paying attention to who is the winner next Saturday (I, myself, tend to enter these things and then forget that I did).
I got a few other really good books too so there will be more give-aways to come.
Good luck!

Today's Little Harvest

I just plain have no time to blog lately and there really is nothing to blog about anyway...until I picked a few things from the garden today and even that is not exactly "news worthy" but here they are anyway. Just two little cauliflower heads and a few broccoli side shoots.

I am going to put these together with the two little heads of broccoli that was my last harvest and they will make enough vegetables for one meal.
I was going to pick one of the turnips (I have a whole 3) but decided to let it grow a bit longer.
There not much else going on. I have pineapple wine in the bucket. I thought it would be hard to get it to ferment but it is fermenting like crazy.
I racked the pink lemonade wine again and it is clearing nicely this time. I'm thinking once it is racked one more time it will be ready. The apple wine turned out pretty good after all. I guess it just had to set a few days after I opened it.
I am not sure that I mentioned the two new additions to our house here on blogspot. I found these dogs sitting in the middle of our dirt road and they were definitely starving. I found out later that their owners were some neighbors who got in a fight and ended up in jail for the fight and "other" charges. They are extremely needy and quite attached to me already.

We have not named them yet. It is a boy and girl so I am thinking of keeping with our stupid love theme that we have with Romeo and Juliet and naming them Samson and Delilah.
They have issues since they were kept outside in a pen outside and never really taken care of. I am working on the fleas and both need to see a vet and have their nails groomed.
Anyway, so now I have two sets of dogs to walk. Plus take care of Dukey who is getting old and having issues himself. Plus the other animals to take care of, then practice my violin and tin whistle, take Michelle to school and back, figure out supper and then go to work myself. So my time is a little limited lately but I'll get on here when I can.