Joyful Chaos Homestead

Farm Mama Daybook

2011-11-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today, Wednesday November 2, 2011

Outside My Window…About a million blackbirds!! They are all over our property, the yard, the trees, and in all the corn/bean fields around us. It's driving the dogs and cats crazy. Even the hens had enough and ran off into the coop. Every once in awhile I hear a kid shout "HOLY COW!" It is a beautiful fall day, sunny and warm. Unseasonably warm I believe.

On my mind...Cecilia's cough. It sounds very croupy. No fever, just this awful, croupy cough. I think we might need to pull out the nebulizer. :(

I am thankful… Every day I am more and more thankful that we have finally moved out of the city. There is so much to be thankful for here in our old farmhouse. On this beautiful fall day I am thankful that the children can run and play freely outside. They have so much space, and they are so carefree.

From the kitchen… We filled our freeze with another yummy piggy last week and we have a continuous supply of fresh eggs. We have enjoyed many 'breakfast for dinner' meals and hot soups with fresh bread.

I am wearing…I am seven weeks pregnant and already wearing maternity jeans. The 'secret fit belly' pants cover my bloated belly very comfortably. I am all about comfort in my maternity jeans, cozy sweater, and clogs.

I am creating…Our 12th baby! A dozen children sounds just fine!

I am reading…Large Family Logistics again. A friend lent it to me last year and I devoured the 'implementing systems' portion of the book. Another friend gifted it to me as a housewarming gift a few weeks ago. This time I am reading it cover to cover. It is very inspiring.

I am hearing…Cecilia coughing. :( Markie playing Batman, and Marie Bellet from the CD player.

"I'm gonna pour it into water pour that water into wine and let that Precious Blood of Mercy wash me clean and change my mind."

One of my favorite things…"Mom, I'm gonna check for eggs!" :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…I am so thankful that Thursdays and Fridays are low key days for us. We have piano lessons and school work to complete, but this is all done at home. I get so weary from running around.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

Upgrades to the Coop!

2011-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

We have gathered quite a flock in two months that we have been on the farm. Chickens are so much fun to watch and there is a never ending well of silly chicken jokes and puns. We are enjoying many good laughs and good eggs!


We consistently get at least four eggs per day now. A couple of times a week we get six. As our hens get older and reach laying age, I suspect (and sincerely hope!) to get at least ten. The blue egg is from our Araucana, Crazy Lady. We have another Araucana that is not yet laying.

These eggs are so much richer in flavor and color than those off the store shelves. I scrambled a few up the other day and one of the children asked me why I put mustard with the eggs!


This is Niblet, our Jersey Giant. This picture does not give justice to the size of this substantial lady. We have had her for three weeks now and she has grown like a little (chick)weed. We call her Niblet because she nibbles on all of us - our hands, feet, ears, It could be because the children have fed her from all of those places. She is particularly fond of pecking at my wedding band. She lays about three times a week right now. Huge, brown, mostly double yolkers.

The chicken coop is inside of our barn. To get them accustomed to their home and one another we kept them in the coop day and night. It is a fairly large coop with good old drafty barn ventilation. They seemed to do okay that way, but I knew they would be happier and healthier out in the fresh air and sunshine. (don't we same the same for our children!?!?) So my husband and sons took to putting chicken wire around the barnyard. This was not to keep them confined, rather to keep them safe from the dogs and coyotes. The barn yard is very very large so I am comfortable calling it free ranging.

For the first month or so I was physically taking them in and out of the coop each day so they could free range. I noticed that their productivity increased once they were able to get out, but I was growing weary of physically moving them in and out every day. I knew that it would be even better if they could go in and out as they please. Foraging and frolicking in the daylight, going in to get a bite of feed or visit the nesting box, and going in for the night to roost in a familiar spot.

My husband saw my frustration and went to work on a solution. The side of the barn where the coop is has a window. He removed the glass from this window and covered it with a hand made shutter.


YeeeHaawww! Rhodie the Red says "I'm freeee!"

There is a beam inside of the coop that runs in front of the window. This allows the ladies to scale the beam and get to the window.

See them there all waiting their turn? It's like Cedar Point or something!

Then he fashioned a ramp from the window to the ground for the more timid of the flock. The man has been blessed with many sons, so he had many helpers!

Way to use the ole noggin there Isaac!


All done! Farmer Husband stands back and survey's his work!

We are all enjoying this set up much better. They can go in to sleep when they like, and come out to forage and play when they like. Other than making sure the feed bucket and waterers are full, and that the eggs are collected, it's pretty hands off work. We enjoy throwing them our scraps and watching them fight over grasshoppers too!


A few of our Reds

Goldie, the newest Aruacana, Obama, our Barred Rock, Rhodie, a Rhode Island Red, and Niblet, cackling in the henhouse!

Some House Pics

2011-08-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've had these on my camera for a few weeks now - it's time to share them! Here are some pictures of the dining room in new place. The downstairs is completely unpacked now. We have window coverings on all of the windows and many things on the walls. It is very comfortable and we are very thankful for more space. The dining room is one of my favorite rooms. It is twice the size of our old dining room. It is very spacious!


Both tables comfortably fit all thirteen of us, plus my Dad, who spends many dinners with us.

This dresser houses our napkins and table cloths. On top we have set up a small Mary altar. The Mother and Child on the wall was embroidered by my Oma, as was the table cloth over the dresser.

Table Blessing vinyl cling. This was a treasure we found on Ebay.

This is the view from the kitchen. The little one's playroom is in front of this, and our family room is to the right.

This is the view from the playroom.

Quick Upate in Pictures!

2011-07-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

We are here, moved in and getting settled. There is just SO MUCH to do! I thought I'd give a quick update with a few pics. I hope to get back to "real blogging" sometime next week. I do have a lot to blog about!

Moving Day:

Fun with the moving truck!

Looks like a lot of standing around. These are the only pictures I got because, well, I helped move too! LOL!

Attempting to load Freckles in the van

The younger crowd keeping busy in the water while the rest of us clean/prep the new place.


Reading in the Breakfast nook on a rainy morning

Reading at the bar

Greta playing games at the little activity table

and she is quite happy about it!


Celia emptying the train set

Mark and Greta on the 'activity table'. This was a window seat in a bay window in the dining room.

A view of the play room from the dining room

Waiting to introduce "Bob" and "Daisy" to the coop

"Crazy Lady" roosting in the rafters of the coop. She was left to fend for herself, from the previous owners. She seems to be enjoying getting some attention finally!


"Bob" the rooster venturing out of the box. He loves having, ahem, two ladies right now. One of the kids actually called him "Romeo"! And he did crow this morning!


"Bob" and "Daisy" together. We picked these two up from a farm about 20 miles north of us, for free. They are healthy, but Daisy is not laying. I hope that changes soon. I have her on a high protein starter feed right now, and some scratch to make her happy.

Of course, I plan to post more on our growing flock soon. In the mean time, I'd love any suggestions or advise for raising good layers.

We are so happy to be out of the city. Are days are filled with work. Good work. And plenty of play. We are blessed!

Super Quick Update!

2011-07-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

Exciting things are happening here! We closed (really, we did!) on the little farm Wednesday. This has been a very long, tiring, and emotional process. Some of you may remember that we were going to rent the farmhouse two years ago. That fell through a few times, with the owners pushing the moving date further and further out. Now, we own the house - it's ours! After a very emotional last minute negotiation, we gain possession Saturday, July 9. This is the first time that we can pack with full gusto - no reservations!

We have a lot of work ahead of us. It is a very old farmhouse that has not been kept up very well over the past year. Cleaning, repairing, and settling in will fill our days for the next few months. I know we will round those days out with time in the garden, sprinkler, barn, and for the little boys, in the trees!

Oh the trees!!! The property is littered with big old trees. Our lot here in the city has no trees at all. We will have a place to hang bird feeders, hammocks, and tree houses!

We will slowly be adding some farm animals too. We have two Black Australorps on the way from a dear friend thinning her flock. We are all looking forward to that first fresh egg retrieved from our very own chicken! Goats will be next, one of the boys is so eager to have a goat. He is especially keen on the idea of cheese and soap making. We are considering a pig next spring, and eventually a mini dairy cow!

Like I said, many exciting things are happening here. We are eager to get down to the business of making the farm our home. I'm sure my internet access will be interrupted soon, but I will keep my camera handy and update when I am able.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

{phfr} ~ First Day of Summer Edition!

2011-06-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the first day of summer appropriately in the sand and water. There was so much pretty, happy, funny, and real, it was hard to choose just a few. Here are the highlights!

{pretty}


Sitting timidly on the sand

{happy}


A day off work for the oldest makes the day even happier!

{funny}

With an entire lake behind him, he dunks his head in a bucket!

{real}

Sand - the perfect first food?

{this moment}

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Visit SouleMama for more

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-06-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Pretty....


and she knows it!


Happy (first!) Harvest


Funny...

So much funny around here!

Real tired!

Welcome to Our Garden; Early Tour

2011-06-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

We finally finished getting all of our plants in the ground yesterday. It is quite late in the season, but we are doing the best we can considering we are not moved in yet. My mother in law, who has a master gardener certification, started all of our plants in her greenhouse. Since this is our first year and so many things are going on at once, we hoping for the best.

Our garden space is a 25x35 plot surrounded by the most adorable white picket fence. The fence comes in handy to keep the little children and critters from romping through. The previous owners gardened organically so the soil is really wonderful. The plot runs north and south with a path down the middle. The beds are on the east and west side of the path. There are seven beds on each side. The center of the garden is a lovely sage bush that was left from the previous owner. Around the sage bush we sank clay drainage tiles and planted chives in them.

The beds to the right are filled with lettuces, cabbage, collards, watermelon, cantaloupe, potatoes, onions, and zucchini. We put the spinach out too late and it was very unhappy, so I scraped it. In it's place I will set out a few cukes. We have harvested enough lettuces for one salad this year!

The beds to the left contain sweet banana peppers, many, many variates of tomatoes, including ten Roma,(wonderful for sauces and salsas!) Mortgage Lifters (which claim to produce 3-6 pounders!) Celebrities, and a mysterious plant that was passed on to us called "Fireball"(?). We also planted eight jalapeno plants. The last bed on this side houses some culinary herbs that I really wanted this year, including globe basil, cinnamon basil, and bush basil. I also set out a few cilantro. I don't believe this will be where I have the herb garden in the future, but for now it will do.

Tomatoes and Peppers

Herbs - mostly Basil!

Grandma Resting!


Isaac Working

All around the garden we planted various zinnias and nasturtium. There are also many sunflowers cropping up. (I hear the previous gardener had a love of sunflowers!) I have plans for more of them along the end of the path. I am looking forward to fresh cut zinnias in the center of our dinner table! My dad paid us a visit while we were working and suggested a path of beans along the outside of the garden fence - I love this idea and plan on doing it this week.

It's not perfect, but it's a start. We are learning as we go and we are all very excited! Look for more posts showing our progress! Thanks for visiting!

Abby Joan!

Summer, As of June 8th, 2011

2011-06-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Two trips to the pond
One 8th grade graduation ( I now have two high schoolers - Congrats Abby Joan - we are proud of you!)
One piano and recorder recital. (three kids!)
One whitewater rafting trip
One 'girls only' pool party with a sweet neighbor girl.
Mega squirt gun fight in the back yard.
Lots of painting at the farm.
Lots of (very delayed) planting in the garden, no harvesting yet.
One hike through a local park.
One air conditioner out of service. (Oh yeah, it's hot!)
One awesome visit from Opa in progress.
Many outdoor meals from the grill.
One walk to the ice cream shop . (Sundaes for dinner on Sunday!)
Lots of popcicles, peppermint ice tea, and fresh lemonade!

First Kiss

2011-06-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Oh sure I've kissed her hundreds, possibly thousands of times in the past seven months. I've kissed her little rosebud lips, her dimpled cheeks, and her corn kernel toes. I've enjoyed her mouthing my cheeks when she's hungry, just before settling in to nurse. This one was different though, this was initiated by her. I wasn't even paying attention. I was standing in the back of church rocking and swaying through the Sanctus with her on my hip. I was singing in a low voice, my head bowed in prayer. I felt her pudgy little patties on either of my cheeks, I opened my eyes to see her looking right at me with that darling angelic smile. I smiled back. She pulled my face to hers and pressed those sweet little lips right on mine and gave a little *smack* sound. I felt my heart melt. My first kiss from Cecilia. What a sweet treasure.

I find this Adorable!

2011-06-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter took this very short video at the park the other day. She meant to take a photo but the camera was set to video. I find it so adorable. Just a few short seconds of a toddler running through the park!

Capturing Our Summer

2011-06-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog. I seem to blog in short spurts. Truth be told, I do a lot of things this way; sew, crochet, read a novel, and many other little hobbies. I'm not sure this is a particularly good trait of mine so I seek to improve. I was inspired today by Molly in a recent post: The Reluctant Blogger. I can especially identify with this:

"So, I do not write. Months go by. I compose profound posts while standing in the shower which are gone by the time I find some quiet. I take mental notes of those memorable days and priceless moments, just sure I will remember to write them down someday. But someday keeps getting pushed back and then it seems almost impossible to pick up where I left off"

But also like Molly, I want to capture these fleeting days. The children and I really enjoy looking back on through the past four years of this blog and remembering all of the celebrations, exciting trips, projects, and just the day to day.

I notice I seem to stop blogging when things are not going particularly well. I took a very long break when we lost Mary Rose last year. Since my last post nearly a month ago, the attempts at purchasing the farmhouse have been very rough. We have not closed yet, having to ask for an extension on our offer. We are coming close to the end of this extension with some big obstacles in our way yet. *sigh*

Regardless of the yucky stuff, appraisals, obstacles, yada yada....there are many beautiful moments to capture in our crazy little life. So, I'm taking a deep breath, grabbing my camera, and resolving to capture these moments. Starting today!

The Kitchen Madonna

2011-05-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

My birthday and Mother's Day are always very close to one another. (Sometimes even on the same day!) I had a wonderful Mother's Day Sunday. Tony and the kids made a great breakfast of french toast and coffee. Then we were off to our home parish for May Crowning and Masss. Later that day the children had their Easter choir concert and festival at St. Augustine's. (Check out Bridget's blog for pictures. You have to take a look the pics of Lydia - very very sweet!) We arrived home late and tuckered out! The next day was my birthday. My husband is the best gift giver I have ever known. He always chooses very thoughtful and personal gifts. This year I woke to find a beautiful statue of The Kitchen Madonna gracing my place at the table.

"Mary was not only Jesus' Mother, but also a housewife. Her utensils are earthly and heavenly symbols. The key represents the safety in the house and also the way into heaven. The kettle symbolizes nourishment for body and soul. The broom represents cleanliness in the home and in thoughts and deeds."

May Daybook

2011-05-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today, Tuesday May 10, 2011

Outside My Window… Spring! Beautiful, colorful, muddy...bikes being repaired, flower beds being cleaned out and in bloom!! It's lovely.

I am thankful… for two working clothes dryers! No more waiting around for clothes to dry - we get twice as much done in half the time.(?) math is a strong point of mine...

From the kitchen... I just got of the phone with a local farmer - our steer goes to slaughter on Friday. Next week we will fill our second freezer with fresh beef. The other freezer still holds plenty of pork, venison, and two wild turkeys.

From the garden... Nothing just yet, but many plans in the works. We are not living there just yet, but we are very blessed to know the current owners. They are being very generous and letting us get started. Next week the children and I will be cleaning out the garden bed and giving the ground a good work over. My goal is a no-till garden, but this year a good tilling will be necessary. We will put out some greens next week also. I am so excited to put some fresh organic greens on the table soon!

I am wearing...We spent the morning painting fences at the new property. I am very much a skirt kinda gal, but between the painting and the wind, I opted for capris and a quarter length tee. It is so nice not to worry about socks or tights!

I am creating…lists, plans, and designs. Lists of things to be done before and during the move. Plans for the garden, and designs for setting up an efficient household. Ana White - Homemaker is inspiring and motivating my imagination right now.

I am reading… I have been picking up and reading The Catechism of The Catholic Church in bits and pieces lately. (Yep, the big green book!) Just picking up and reading whatever page I happen to turn to. It's like sitting down and chatting with a (very!) wise old friend. So comfortable and so right.

I am hearing…Errr... the radio in the kitchen is on the local country station...if the children were in the house, I'd probably rush to turn it off. Something about tequila and losing items of clothing...

One of my favorite things…I get a huge kick out of how eager a little one can be about losing a tooth...until they see a little bit of blood!!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Tomorrow we will finish painting the fence. We have girls group meetings, fencing practice, a birthday on Friday. Have I mentioned that the older children are already done with school for the year? Math will continue for a while yet, but I highly doubt any writing will be going on...

Here is picture thought I am sharing… The cutest baby EVER!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Easter Week

2011-04-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

{pretty}

Celia's Smile!

{happy}

A happy little girl splashing in the mud!

{funny}

I asked him to smile!

{real}

My goofy brood at Easter dinner

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more!

Tuesday Tips for the Homestead!

2011-04-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

This week I have another kitchen tip. I learned this from Storey's Basic Country Skills. When you drop an egg (or your child, or your husband, or you trip over the cat and the egg(s) lands on the floor, under the kitchen table when your nine months pregnant and everyone else in the house is still sound asleep...) sprinkle it liberally with salt, wait a few minutes and sweep it all up with your whisk broom. Works like a charm. Thank you Martha Storey.

Beautiful Celia!

2011-04-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

A Simple Mama Daybook - Easter Monday!

2011-04-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Outside my window... Rain rain go away come again in mid July when everything is thristy!

I am thinking… About packing - again. We packed up a big part of our household over a year ago when we planned on renting a house - the same house we are buying now. Everything was in boxes for months after plans changed and we continued our search for our house and farm. I was nesting while pregnant with Celia, I unpacked and made our house look like a home again instead of a college dorm. We will close on the house sometime in the next few weeks (banks underestimate the patience of a woman in limbo!) and I believe we will be moving in about seven weeks. So, here I go packing - again. The children finish up their year at the HEP the first week of May. That will be the perfect time to pack up the school room and this years books.

From the kitchen… I milled flour and made four loaves of bread this morning. For dinner I prepared two quiches from the leftover Easter ham and asparagus. There has been lots of nibbling on chocolate today - as we continue to celebrate the Glorious Rising of Our Lord! I love that Easter is not a day - rather a season! Alleluia!

I am wearing… I am totally disregarding the cold rain by wearing a springy blue floral skirt, white t-shirt with blue smocking, and bare feet!

I am creating… Abby ended up making a sweater for Molly that looked beautiful with her Easter dress. I just had too much on my plate to make the swing sweaters for Celia and Greta. I would love to get the sewing machine out and make some pillow case dresses for them for the summer. My mom gave me the most beautiful vintage pillow cases that beg to grace a sweet little girl on a hot summer day.

I am reading… A lot of gardening blogs and books. Though we are only moving a tad further north, I want to make sure I plan the right things in the right spots. I plan on starting out small this year, especially since our move will be late in the spring and we will have tons of other things to tend to, but I am crazy excited to put lots of tomatoes and peppers out so we can put up salsa and sauces late in the summer.

I am hearing…The baby nursing. It amazes me what a loud eater she is. A seriously rowdy Euchre game, and the radio from the kitchen. We turned off all 'noise' during Holy Week. It is kind of nice to hear some music again while I cook/clean. Right now, Brad Paisley is singing about his love of water.

One of my favorite things... The the little *gasp* from the young children when we walk into the church on Easter morning. They look in awe at the uncovered statues, the white and gold altar cloths, the fragrant lilies, hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips all around, and the lighted sanctuary candle that tells us that Jesus is back in the tabernacle again.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… The children are on spring break this week. We need to play some serious catch up on laundry and math lessons. I hope to squeeze in a trip to the park later this week. If the rain keeps up we'll probably end up going to Cabelas for an outing. On a side note, I do plan on doing Tuesday Tips tomorrow - please share some tips with me!

Here is picture thought I am sharing… Two pictures this week: (an odd pair for sure!)
The biggest Butler Garter snake I have ever seen:

And Celia's first bites of homemade sweet potatoes:

{this moment}

2011-04-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Visit Soulemama for more!

Playing Dress Up!

2011-04-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tips for the Homestead!

2011-04-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have a tiny kitchen right now. Tiny kitchen, huge family - calls for some serious creativity. The room itself is not so small, it's the total lack of counter space that gives me fits. I have been known to get out the ironing board, throw a table cloth over it and use that to set things on, but with the little children running around, it creates a precarious situation. One small thing that I have learned to do that helps, especially when serving food, is to pull a drawer out and set a cookie sheet on top of it. I wouldn't suggest putting anything heavy on it, but it works for things like bread, drinks, or tator tots!

A Simple Mama Daybook

2011-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today, Monday, April 11, 2011 The Feast of St. Margaret d'Youville,

Outside my window... It's a cool spring day. Rain cloud are hanging over head.

I am thinking… About my neighbor. She is very ill and nearing the end of her life. Please offer an Ave for a happy death? We will be praying the chaplet of Divine Mercy for her @ 2:00pm for her if anyone would like to join us. It is times like this when the Communion of Saints becomes so evident.

From the kitchen… Considering the price of gas, our meals will be pretty basic for awhile. I have beans soaking right now.

I am wearing… A khaki skirt, brown, red, blue and green striped quarter length sweater, and new red open toe Birks that my mother gave me.

I am creating… I purchased the yarn to make swing cardigans for Molly and Greta. I hope to have them done for Easter.

I am reading… Boys Should be Boys by Meg Meeker on the recommendation of some friends.

I am hearing…Dishes being done in the kitchen, Molly humming, Nick and Gabe arguing.

One of my favorite things... My husband. Okay, so he's not a 'thing'. But, he is absolutely my favorite person/place/thing ever.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… We are officially into our ten day inspection period on the farmhouse. We have a family friend that is a general contractor, he will be going through it with Tony sometime this week. We will also be having the septic pumped and inspected. I am really looking forward to spending more time over there.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…Sammy's Slash impression! LOL!

This Moment

2011-04-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Visit Soulemama for more!

Tea Party!

2011-04-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

Abigail had a beautiful tea party for her 14th birthday. It was a formal tea at a lovely local tea house. She was joined by all four of her younger sisters, her Grandmother, a dear new friend and her mother, and myself. It was a lovely afternoon!

Seating began promptly at 2 o'clock. We arrived a bit early and waited on the front porch.

We first visited the quaint gift shop.

We were then seated at our table in the window.

The Girls!

The Birthday Girl!

And her sisters:

Gifts!

Friends!

Molly made new friends and joined them for dessert!

Music!

Greta loved the food:

Especially Abby's cheesecake!

And mostly the tea!

We arrived home happy, full, and pleasantly tired!

Rendering Lard

2011-04-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Lard is what you have after cooking down the fat from a pig. Some dear friends of ours raised a pig for us over the winter. They live on a small farm about an hour north of us. When I called my cutting order in when the pig was butchered, I asked them to bag up the leftover fat. I got about fifteen pounds of fat. It takes a little over a pound of fat to make a pint of lard.

Here is the fat:

I used half of this fat and stored the other half in the freezer.

First I cut the fat into roughly one inch cubes:

I then put all of the cut up piggy fat into my biggest cast iron kettle:

I added one cup of water to help prevent scotching, turned the flame to medium, and waited and watched. After about an hour I could see the fat beginning to turn a pale brown and start to render:

Another hour:

After another hour of watching, waiting, and stirring, with an adorable baby on my hip:

It looked like this:

When I do this again, I will stop here and call it done. Everything I read said to wait until the cracklings (those hunks of brown fat you see there on the top) sink to the bottom. When they began to sink:

I thought it looked like it was beginning to scorch, and it smelled vaguely of burnt bacon. I cooked it down a bit too long. Live and learn, right? While I drained the cracklings from the lard:

I prepared my canning jars. I put the rings and lids in a stainless steel bowl and poured boiling water from the tea kettle over them:

I did the same thing with the jars, then setting them on a rack to cool:

I then poured the rendered lard into the jars and capped them tightly. The heat from the lard was enough for them to seal on their own.

We wanted to keep the cracklings for cornbread, but they were just too well done. I then washed the dishes and had a glass of wine:

And in the morning, we had eight pints of freshly rendered lard!

Tuesday Tips for the Homestead!

2011-04-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

In my quest to learning more and more about my profession of homekeeping/homesteading, (marriage, then in turn motherhood, is my vocation, homemaking/steading is my side job!) I am constantly looking for little ways to do things better, easier, more efficiently. I would like to share those little tidbits that I learn along the way. Each Tuesday I hope to post a new tip. It is my hope that you all will join me. Please leave your link below. I am super eager to learn from you!

My first tip: Making lasagna can be a real pain in the tooter. (Like that word? Yeah, I have little boys...) I never have a pot big enough to boil the noodles properly. I know some people say you don't have to boil them, but mine always turn out like sticky cardboard if I don't. I finally found a way to make this task easier! Fill your tea kettle and set it to boil. While it is heating place the uncooked lasagna noodles in a 9 x 13 dish. When the kettle whistles, pour the water over the uncooked noodles. I add a bit of olive oil to help prevent them from sticking. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Remove the partially cooked noodles (I lay them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.) and proceed to prepare your lasagna. (My favorite lasagna is from The Pioneer Woman - seriously the best ever!) The noodles are not cooked through this way, but they will continue cooking when you bake the lasagna. This way they are not mushy. They have a nice "bite" to them and keep their shape.

Good Lard!

2011-04-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Lard - it has a very bad reputation. High in cholesterol, high in saturated fats...bad for your skin, bad for your figure, bad bad bad. Or is it?

Did you know that human breastmilk is extremely high in cholesterol and saturated fat? (some sources site human milk to contain 85% cholesterol!) Have you ever caressed delicious newborn skin and wondered why it was so smooth, soft, and supple?   (mmmmmmm, it's heaven I tell ya!) I'm sure most of you know what a perfect food breastmilk is for babies. A prolonged diet of mother's milk actually lowers a person's risk of developing heart disease later in life. Last, but certainly not least, God Himself developed the composition of human milk, with all it's cholesterol and fat, for human babies. Obviously our bodies need saturated fats and cholesterol. Lard is high in both.

Saturated fats have been used by human societies as the MAIN form of cooking oil for thousands of years – lard in China, butter in Europe, ghee in India, coconut oil in the tropics without causing health issues.

In modern times, the rates of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other degenerative diseases began to shoot up after people started to eat less saturated fats and switch to polyunsatured vegetable oils, as well as artificial fats like margarine, which contain harmful trans fats.

Lard is also high in vitamin D, especially lard rendered from a pig that is free to roam out in the sunshine during the day.   Better yet, our bodies are able to absorb the vitamin D from lard. We just don't get that from milk with "Vitamin D Added" or other such artificial supplementation. Another good source of vitamin D is eggs - another super food with a bad rap. Cod liver oil is also a great way to get adequate vitamin D in your diet. Ample time outdoors in the sun is also good - minus the sunscreen of course!

Now, back to lard...

The last thing that you want to do is run out out to the nearest supermarket and pick up a big white square of it off the shelf. A quick look at the ingredient list on the side of the container will reveal that your not getting the good stuff: lard, hydrogenated lard, BHA, propyl gallate, and citric acid. Ew.   RUN from anything hydrogenated! All of those health problems said to be caused by lard? Yeah, it's not the lard, it's the hydrogenation.

Lard also tastes wonderful if rendered and stored properly. It makes the best buttermilk biscuits and flaky pie crust. It is the best way to deep fry food also. We enjoyed the most delicious batter fried Tilapia for supper last Friday. You may suspect it has a pork-y or meaty flavor, but it does not.   I might say it has a slightly nutty undertone, but I believe I cooked the fat a smidgen longer than necessary giving it that flavor.   We've just recently added lard to our diets, and it has been a very tasty and healthy addition thus far.

       Coming soon: How to Render Your Own Lard.

A Daughter's Daybook

2011-04-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Today, Monday, April 4,

Outside my window... A dreary Monday morning. (kinda depressing!)

I am thinking… Okay, what homework do I have today..

From the kitchen… Cheese tortillas...breakfast!

I am wearing… Red p.j. pants and a comfy t-shirt

I am creating… A headband for a friend.

I am reading… Emma by Jane Austen & Wuthering heights by Anna Bronte.

I am hearing…Little sibs singing country songs

One of my favorite things... A good book

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Finish all my homework

Here is picture thought I am sharing… Greta, when she was so little, she looks like Celia, So Sweet!

A Simple Mama Daybook

2011-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

Today, Monday April 1, 2011

Outside My Window… It is still very dark out, but warm. When I took the dog out this morning, the air felt very smooth, warm, and springy. But I just heard the wind kick up, the rain start to fall, and thunder ~ I am expecting the day to bring our first spring storms!

I am thinking…About a busy week ahead and all of our exciting upcoming plans. The children have a few weeks left at St. Augustine's. We will officially end our 'school' year the second week of May. Although we will continue math, literature (although this takes on a more relaxed and fun turn for the summer months) and catechism.

I am thankful…I am not listing anything specific here today. I have resolved to keep an attitude of thankfulness through out this day. I am trying to slow myself down and appreciate the 'small' things that I have been blessed with.

From the kitchen… Our basement freezer is stuffed full of fresh pork that some dear friends raised for us. We have half a cow on order late next month to fill the second freezer. Since yesterday was Laetare Sunday, we feasted. The day was full of rich, delicious meals. Today, the pantry and fridge are bare! I will grab a couple of helpers and go to ALDI today.

I am wearing…Eyore pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt. I have a three year old little boy in my lap wearing nothing but his underoos. I suppose we should get ourselves dressed!

I am creating…After a winter of many crochet projects, I'm not making anything. My creative mind is preoccupied with many exciting plans for the new house.

I am reading…Devouring the latest edition of Mater Et Magistra. So much good stuff!!

I am hearing…Someone is coughing upstairs and Markie is on my lap belting out random tunes here and there.

One of my favorite things…The rhythm of the liturgical year. Beautifully perfect in every way.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…School work, Mass, laundry, music lessons, the usual!

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

Welcome to Joyful Chaos Farm!

2011-04-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

After blogging for years on wordpress, I have decided to move to Blogger. I can't keep up with all of the changes at wordpress and blogger is much friendlier to the user. It seems fitting to move the blog as we prepare to move our family. You may notice that the title is now "Joyful Chaos Farm". Yes, that's right, we are moving to a small farm, which I'm sure will be just as joyful and chaotic as our home in the city has been. We have lived in the middle of the city for seventeen years now. It should be quite entertaining to watch us make the transition out in to the country. Granted, the new place is just a hop skip and jump up north of where we are now, but we are looking to add chickens, goats, maybe a horse and miniature milk cow, a huge garden some fruit trees and grape arbors to the mix. The next two months we will be preparing, inspecting, packing, and then finally, moving. This is going to be a very exciting learning experience for our family! I hope to share a little bit of our excitement here!

~~St. Joseph ~ Oro Pro Nobis!
~~St. Isidore ~ Oro Pro Nobis!
~~St. Fiacre ~ Oro Pro Nobis!