Homemaking on the Homestead

  Looking out at the gray, rain and clouds is not my idea of a great way to start the day!   LOL..   Sunshine.. I love it and donÂ’t see enough of it in this part of the country!!     But enough whiningÂ…   on to Tuesday..     I have a question for other goat ownersÂ….   Have you ever used herbal wormers for your goats, what did you think of them?   I just purchased herbal goat wormer from Hoeggers and have just started it.   I am looking for anyone with experience on this one, would love to know what you think.     I work to get my familyÂ’s life more whole and natural, now I am moving on to my animals as well.     I posted my MILÂ’s chocolate chip cookie recipe on Friday and we (my daughters and I) actually made them that day and I have to tell you they were delicious!!   So if you are looking for a good cookie recipe.. give it a try..    We did add more flour because ours was fr...

  In honor of Friday being the Homestead Kitchen Day on The Front Porch .   I thought I would share a couple of recipes with you all today.   This first one comes from my very sweet Mother-in-Love, Nadine..    She is an amazing lady.. at 70 she and hubby have a little homestead where they raise Icelandic sheep, Dexter cows, Nubian goats, chickens and each year she as a garden to help provide for them.   Here is the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe she sent me:   Chocolate Chip Cookies   Evap. Cane juice crystals       1 c Sucanat                      1 c Butter                                 2/3 c Palm or coconut oil          ...

First of all here are pics of our new baby chicks!   It is really hard to get a picture of them because as soon as you disturb them they all run to one end of the brooder and do a little chicken pile up!   Then you move to that said of the brooder and they all run to the other! LOL..   So here is the best I could do:         And here is a pic of EmilyÂ’s new skirt!  ( Cute Skirt Pattern ) It is really hard to see the print on this fabric in the picture. It was a light pinkish red and the print was not really checks or plaids but thin stripes going in both directions.   In any case she was happy with it and now Leanne and Hannah are excited to make their skirts using the same pattern.    

Today is wet and rainy out.   I canÂ’t complain too much because it is a nice change from the cold weather we were having.   No more breaking the ice in water buckets down at the barn.   When is spring going to be here anyway??   I am done now with winter!   Yesterday our 50 new baby chicks arrived.   We spent time trying to get the brooder warm enough for them.   Finally last night we got it worked out and they were looking pretty happy by the time we went to bed.   I will be posting pics of the chicks later today!     I was also watching friendÂ’s children, who were so well behaved and just played with my children.   I hardly knew they were here.     Today will be a day at home, which sounds perfect to me.   I have soap to make, and laundry to catch up on.   Two of my children need to catch up on their school work.   Since it is grey and wet out we will have plenty of incentive for staying inside and...

    The Goat Sweater Pattern   I have posted the requested pattern for my goat sweater on my website!   It includes pictures of the process too!!     http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/crochetgoatsweater.htm    

OK.. my husband says I am getting a bit obsessed with this project LOL..   he wonders who feels better.. Me just knowing my goat babies are warmer or the goat babies ACTUALLY being warmer!   (This would strictly be a "mom thing").       None the lessÂ…. the temps were dropping again last night; close to the teens was predicted.   So we closed up the big barn window with plastic and pulled the barn door almost all the way closed and I set to work on some new and improved goat sweaters.     The first ones were just a dog sweater pattern that I found on-line and made a few changes to, but after making them I saw a lot more changes that I could make.   Now I feel better as they are in the barn sporting the “turtle neck” version and they are fitting a bit more snug now.   And I feel much better knowing they are a bit warmer!!     Now my brain is wondering what could I do next to this pattern to make it even better!...

My first doe of the year has delivered her kids!!   Two little does..   They were born late at night on the 13 th .        I found out about this on Valentines morning about 7:30 .   The kids were fine and had nursed they were just cold.. wouldnÂ’t you know it the temps last night dropped down to 25!!     My ValentineÂ’s Day was already a full and busy day.     It was my Father-in-Laws 73 rd birthday so we were   making  him a big birthday dinner.     Aside from the heart shaped cake that Emily was making for Grandpa, we had heart shaped cookies to frost, 15 homemade cards to make and 2 songs to practice that morning as well!   We were headed to the local seniors home to sing and pass out cookies and cards.   We got home from that event and still had to clean up the house and make a big dinner.   AND in between it all I was busy crocheting goat sweaters for my 2 new little girls..   th...

  My newest project lined up this week (after a birthday dinner for my father in law on Valentines Day and an event with my homeschool group for the seniors in our community also on Valentines Day) will be to start sewing cloth diapers for my daughter who is expecting in September.   My daughter is a frugal person due to being raised by a frugal mom and really likes the amount of money she will save by washing her own diapers!   And she sees the benefits of cloth diapers for the environment too.   So I told her I would be helping her out in this by making diapers.     After researching on-line I have found lots of websites with information and how-toÂ’s for making diapers.   I have tried my hand at a few and they are not hard to make!   I am going to start by making her a couple dozen new born size and then go from there.   I am going to make the fitted diapers (with and without velcor so she can tell me what she likes better) and so...

Here are current pics of the pom puppies!   They are 5 weeks old now and the time is getting closer and closer for them to have to sold.   We will be sad to see them go, they have been so much fun to have around.     We have not named these puppies because we are going to sell them, so each day we come up with a new set of names for them.   Here is a sample of some the names we have come up with:   Belly & Berry   (this is a combo of both parents Bear and Ellie) Bonnie & Clyde Fred & Dianna Gilbert & Ann (we were in a Green Gables mood!) Pudgy and Rose Monica & Bradley Little Man & Little Girl Spunk   & Whine   Ok.. enough of that.. here are the updated photos of them!   Here is the little boy pup:       Here is the little girl:        

  We have baby chicks arriving on Feb. 20 th .   Fifty baby chicks to be exact!     So this next week we will be  getting ready for their arrival.   I thought I would share with you my experience in case there is anyone else planning on raising some hens this year.   Chickens were the farm animal that began our homesteading adventure.   I was not prepared for them at all!   My husband built the chicken coop while we used a cardboard box in the basement to brood them in.   They quickly outgrew the box and we were taping more and more boxes together trying to keep them contained while he built the coop.   We were all happy when the chicks finally went to live in their new home.   Every couple of years now it seems it is time for new chicks!     We just ordered chicks last year but my girls have more egg customers than eggs so we decided to get more chicks to keep up with the demand.     My girls and I will ...

Canning Milk (taken from my website) I have been canning my goats milk lately to preserve it.  My freezer was overflowing with milk despite selling goat shares, making cream cheese, yogurt and kefir.  With limited freezer space I thought this would be a great way to save it so I have some milk available when my does dry up for the winter.  The instructions and times I have found on-line for doing this are conflicting at best!  I have experimented and there is no FDA (or any other governmental group) regulations on this so if you try it, do so at your risk.. as I am doing!  Here is what I have been doing and am finding the best results: Fill 7 clean, sterilized quart size canning jars with milk to within ½ inch of the rim.  Place brand new lids on and clean rings.  Make sure to boil the rings and lids a few minutes first. Put pressure canner on stove.  Add 2 or 3 inches of water.  Set your jars in the canner.  Cover and turn heat on hi...

(picture of milk I canned last summer in the background)   Gena asked meÂ… Why would someone jar up milk?   That is a good question, because I guess it could seem pretty odd!!   But it is not odd if you have gallons and gallons of milk to deal with weekly!!   Canning milk is a way of preserving it without taking up freezer space.   While my goats are at their peek of milk production I am always looking to use the milk any way I can.   I make cheese, kefir, yogurt, smoothies, soap.. etc.. but there is still milk!!   So I can it up and put on the shelf to use now.. during the winter.   It works great in baking and cooking.   Drinking it is not that great, but for other uses it is very nice to have on hand!