Monday, May 14, 2012

Spring Days on the Homestead



I have lilacs all over the place filling almost every room with their sweet scent. 
How I wish I could give each one of you an armful to enjoy!

The days are full here and the nights are long.  Actually, there is light until almost ten at night already.  The nights feeeel long as Miss Cupcake is learning to live without her most cherished possession: The Pacifier.  It's a sad time.  See prior post for proof.

Sweetheart has been working hard trying to get the ground ready for planting.  He has plowed a huge area.  I am trying to see this as a great thing and not just a ton of work!  I know it will be wonderful to see all those rows full of delicious veggies.  I'd just rather not see all the weeds I know will be joining them.  We will hopefully be able to join up with the Farmers Market in the nearby resort town. And I should have plenty of produce for canning this year.  And lacking the cow will mean more time to do it in.

I went for a long bike ride the other day.  I went along the local trail for miles and miles.    They took out the train tracks and made bike paths that stretch for over 80 miles.
 It was a beautiful and perfect day for a ride.  I rode about two miles without pedaling to get to the trail as it is all downhill.  That part was fine, but what goes down, must come up.  Um, ouch.  It was really pretty though, even if both walking and sitting are a bit challenging.

When I got home I found my crew all hanging out in the hammocks under the apple trees.  The trees are full of blossoms and the bees were busy.  I collapsed relaxed in a hammock for awhile while the boys played in their tree fort next to the hammocks.  It was nice.


Yesterday was time to say good-bye to Colonel Chicken the Rooster.  He's just gotten mean.  So we ate him.  The end.

Today, Sweetheart was finally able to solve The Mystery of the Soft-Shelled Egg Layer.  (Can you tell we've been reading a lot of Boxcar Children stories?)  Sadly, it is Amelia Earhart.  She's too old to eat.  And now we are down to fourteen chickens.  All that are left from the original crew are Pecksie and Flapsie.

I am having my ladies group over tomorrow night.  We're going to do some demonstrations on bread making and all the fun stuff you can do with a basic recipe.  It should be fun.  I'll also be showing them how to mill the wheat and the different kinds of wheat we have.  Our town is a Wonder Bread kinda place, so we'll see how it goes over.

Well, Cupcake is done eating her lunch and looking ready for her nap, so I will wrap this up.  Hopefully, I can get some of the other pictures of her actually smiling posted soon.  Gotta go.

6 comments:

Bonnie said...

Living vicariously through your post. I'm wanting your lilacs! Beans is sitting on my lap, and quite distraught over Cupcakes crying picture. He keeps pointing and saying "Ungh!" In his worried voice. (Ungh is his sound for everything. Except cars and trucks and tractors). I'm hoping that B. will till next week, but we shall see.

Ann at eightacresofeden said...

We also ate a mean old rooster. He was as tough as old boots and ended up as stock! We now have a kindly rooster and I'm happy to let the younger ones go down to collect eggs.
I hope your bread making class goes well. I once offered to host a class for the ladies from church at my home and demonstrate how I make my sourdough (I have a mill too) but the suggestion was rejected by the leader who made bread herself but thought that the 'others would not be into that'. Oh dear. Thing is if I ever take my bread to church for a luncheon it flies off the plate and people tell me how much they love the sourdough from the bakery in town which is so expensive. It seems they just don't want to make it themselves and others just believe the hype and buy wonder bread. I hope you share how your demonstration goes as I'm thinking of offering a class again and I'll approach people in person this time.

Vicki in UT said...

I bet the ladies will love the homemade bread. I gave a breadmaking demonstration here, and although some were intimidated by the idea of making bread, there were several who tried it and now make all their own bread. It really helps when they can see how easy it really is, and how good it tastes.

BaileyZimmerman said...

Just one question ladies.....when you do a bread-making demo....do you have to wait around for the bread to rise or do you have bread dough made in various stages??

Kim, can't wait to hear all about it!!

ps...heard that you little coffee place closed....sigh....that makes me sad....I can't imagine how you must feel!!

Kimberly said...

Bonnie~I posted a new picture for him. :)
Good luck with the tilling. Sweetheart is still monkeying with the tractor.
****
Ann~He was a few months old, but it was like eating a rubber chicken. We chewed (and chewed) what we could and then he became stock as well. Waste not, want not!
As far as the bread demo--I would just invite them on your own. I had a neighbor who swore she'd never be able to make it come over for an afternoon and now she's making all her bread. I haven't done sour dough myself. I think now that it is warmer in the house I will give it another go.
****
Vicki-I agree! Once someone sees how easy it is, they will usually give it a go.
*****
Linda- I am bummed about the coffee shop myself. I went to a little coffee shop a few towns south last time I had some time off, but it is just too far to want to go regularly.

This will be the first time of trying to do bread for a group and on limited time. The plan is, barring trouble with our seven kids seven and under between us, my friend and I will make doughs and some rising and have some baked. I'll have the oven preheated and we'll just see what we can do!

I'll make sure to have lots of tea ready and maybe something chocolately to enjoy between risings!

tonia said...

"So we ate him."

Something you're probably never going to hear from my house. *hee* I need a dose of your practical-ness. Wish I had your lilacs!

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