Christmas Crafting

After working on this peppermint bark for a couple of days.....I'm getting a ton of ideas for modifying these.  Instead of just melting the candy coating, I melted candy coating and a giant hershey bar for the dark chocolate in them....

Poured into the silicone mold, then add crushed peppermints and refrigerate until well set.  Then add the layer of white chocolate...

And top with more crushed peppermints.  Refrigerate until set then pull them out of the mold....

With the Hershey bar in there....and the thickness of these beauties...

Heat a cup of milk, pour it over one of these....and stir.  You have hot cocoa!

I'm thinking about trying them with peanut butter and chocolate....like a home made peanut butter cup.  Or maybe with some raspberry jam in the center.  The possibilities are endless!

I also made a bunch of these hot cocoa stirrers.....Just use a candy cane, a marshmellow, and some candy coating..

Individually wrapped and placed in the Christmas baskets....I think they'll be a hit.

This is another one that we make each year....chocolate dipped candy canes...

And a couple of more gifts for my nieces.  Here's a neat way to jazz up plain home made soap.  Pic out some fabric that your giftee will like...cut out a piece of the design....and glue it to the soap.  You can pick fabric that will match their bathroom decor...or like I did for the girls, just something that is cute.  Use any white glue like Elmer's...

Meanwhile, melt a hunk of wax in a pan large enough to house the soap...

Using tongs, dip the fabric side of the soap into the wax.  Don't dip the whole bar...the goal here is just to coat the fabric side enough to seal it.  The other side is left plain so that the bar is still useable...

I dipped each bar twice....allowing just a minute between dunks for the wax to harden.  You could do this as thick as you'd like....

And then I tucked each bar into a little stocking I made and the gift is complete...

Just a few more things to get finished and we'll be done.  Good thing since tomorrow evening we're having Christmas Dinner at mom's!

TOP Tuesday On Hold For the Holidays...And Other Stuff

I sorta missed yesterday.  It's hectic here.  I will send this recipe on, it can easily be a TOP dish except for the bacon.  It is an easy supper to put together....

One Pot Dinner

1/2 to 1 lb ground beef (1 pint of canned)

3/4 lb bacon, cut into pieces (you could use home canned bacon)

1 cup onion, chopped (you could use dried and simply rehydrate them)

2 cans Pork N Beans

1 can Kidney Beans (drained)

1 can Butter Limas (drained)

1 cup Ketchup

1/4 c Brown Sugar

1 T Liquid Smoke

3 T White Vinegar

1 tsp Salt

dash pepper

Brown ground beef, drain. (just simply drain it if using home canned).  Brown bacon and onions.  Mix all ingredients together in a crockpot and cook on low for about 6-8 hours depending on your crockpot

This can be baked in a cast iron dutch oven at 325º for 3 hours.

We are still making things in preparation for Christmas....today it was a new twist on peppermint bark...

And I got the beef jerky wrapped up and ready to gift....

Oh, and solved a problem with storing Rylan's winter hats and gloves.....

A close-up of the picture hanging on that wall.....

Guess I did too much yesterday, lots of pain today.  Hopefully we'll get more done tomorrow!

It's Fall!

I love the colors of the trees around our house in the fall.  We've lost so many trees this year due to the drought, it makes me appreciate the ones we have left even more.....God's paintbrush is evident once again!

Our dear goat Lace is very pregnant.  As a result she acts as if she is starving....and will eat just about anything including dog food.  Unfortunately she managed to get the gate open and made her way into the milk room where I had some bags of feed stored.  I got home just in time to see this...

She probably ate about 10 pounds of crimped oats.  For those of you that don't have goats, a grain raid such as this can...and does...kill goats.  They overload on grain and as a result the bacteria in their rumen multiply at a rate that their body can not handle.  They bloat and can die within a matter of a very short time. 

It's been 2 days since the raid and she finally ate a bit of alfalfa today; I think she is in the mend now...but it was touch and go for a while.  Lace usually has quads, and going off feed this late in the pregnancy can cause a number of problems or even kill the doe and/or kids.  For the next 3 weeks everything she eats will go straight to the kids so every bite of food is very important.  I can not imagine how huge she will be by the time she kids....look at her now!

We are busy this week getting things ready for Christmas.  I am working on a couple of gifts for my nieces, ages 8 and 10.  I made a couple of travel games for them....a tic tac toe game that rolls up...

Being made of felt they can play it in the car and not lose the pieces...

And a checkers game with a little bag for the pieces...

Of course we have gifts from the kitchen as well....the beef jerky went into the dryer this morning...

There is still a lot to do....candies to make and cookies to bake!

Pete

This week I showed you Frodo, our youngest herdsire (Pete's 2011 son).  Today I will introduce you to Pete.  Pete started here as a leased buck but I think he's ours now....just have to tidy up the paperwork before it's official. 

We brought Pete here to put some stature into our herd.  We are very happy with the form and function of our does and their daughters, but we just wanted more size.  So we introduced Pete's genetics (he has a fantastic show and production background with the same line breedings as most of our herd); due to his size and stature we thought he'd be a perfect mix.  Stature covers a wide range of areas.  It doesn't matter if a goat is 10 feet tall if it's cowhocked, undershot, and has twisted feet.  You need to achieve that size and couple it with correctness; which is what we have here....(please excuse the flabby arms)

Pete broke his pastern when he was about 6 months old, and it never healed properly; this kept him from the show ring and brought him to us.  The hoof on that leg tends to overgrow and he requires a bit of extra care with it.  No problem, we seem to have a lot of special needs around here.  Other than that, he is nicely proportioned and smoothly blended.  He has a magnificent head and those wonderful nubian ears and face and he passes those on to his offspring.  He's got a very smoothly blended neck that leads to powerful shoulders.  He's long, he's tall, and he's dairy.  Yep, he was our buck of choice last year (2010) for breeding.

And stature.  My goodness this is a BIG buck!  He's as big as a pony.  In fact he is bigger than some ponies I've seen.  He's as gentle as a kitten though.  You couldn't ask for a more gentle buck.

Haven't gotten an idea of his size yet?  Here's a normal sized buck...

That's my boy Ditto.  He is probably the most "dairy" of all our bucks. He almost looks a bit feminine until he comes into rut....then he turns into a buffalo....all head, neck, and shoulders.

Still don't have an idea of Pete's size?  How about a picture of him standing next to a car....

We didn't use Pete for breeding this year, but we kept 3 daughters and a son from 2011.  Lord willin' The does will be bred in the fall of 2012 for 2013 kids.

Mr. Clean

This week we are finishing breeding season with the goats....in fact, today is the last day.  We put Frodo out with the does for 3 days since MoonPie came into heat this week.  Hopefully Frodo accomplished his goal as "cleanup" buck and saw to it that Fiona and Pie are both bred. 

Last year we bred for stature.  Our does were producing daughters that were a little shorter than we'd like, so we used a leased buck, Pete...and Pete is a VERY big boy.  Frodo is Pete's son, and as you can see in the picture above, he is a big boy as well.  Keep in mind Frodo is only 10 months old...and the doe he's standing next to is a 2 year old.

This year we are hoping to add width to that stature.  Look at Frodo's rear width!  I can't wait to see his daughters.  By the way, that's a 3 year old doe he's standing next to in this picture.

We have his grandmother (Legacy), his mother (Angel) and hopefully his daughters will be just as lovely!

9 days Till Christmas!

This last week before Christmas gets very busy.  We don't do much shopping, but there are a lot of things to be made.  Yesterday I went to one of my favorite meat markets and got an outstanding beef roast to turn into beef jerky.  This beauty was just over 5 pounds, cost nearly $30....making it the most expensive purchase for the Christmas season....but it was perfect for what I needed.

I wrapped it and put it in the freezer for about an hour before slicing it into this...

Then made the marinade.  You can use any recipe you like, and I'm keeping mine in the family...but I will share a couple of my secrets.  I always use fresh garlic.  No garlic powder or dried garlic.  If I have to go dig immature bulbs to use or collect wild garlic so be it.  It MUST be fresh.  Also, I use candied ginger.  I have found fresh ginger doesn't have the same sweetness once dried, and don't even talk to me about dried powder ginger (no flavor).

And the last of my secrets.....is the soy sauce Kikkoman only...

Once the marinade is mixed, put the meat and the marinade into a big zippy bag and into the fridge.  I'll smoosh it around a couple times a day and it will sit in there for about 3 days.

Tomorrow I'll start the venison jerky.....

TOP Tuesday! Ham and Corn Chowder

On the menu this week for Turn Over the Pantry Tueday is Corn Chowder that is easy to make and takes less than an hour.  Remember everything that goes into the meal came directly from the pantry.  By actually using things from your pantry you are rotating it at a better rate, and therefore reduce the chance of spoilage.  This is a hearty soup that is great for chilly winter days!

So for the chowder we need:

1 quart canned ham chunks, drained

1 quart diced potatoes, drained

1 can whole kernal corn, drained

1 can cream style corn

1 quart chicken stock

1 can evaporated milk

canned butter

flour

1 T each Dried onions, celery, chives and bell peppers (or red pepper flakes if you like heat)

Salt & Pepper

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan, add the dried onions, celery, and peppers and bring to a boil.  Cover and gently boil for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have rehydrated.  Using the flour and butter make a roux that will thicken a quart of stock.....about 2 T each butter and flour.  Add to the stock/vegetable mixture and bring to a low boil.  Add the whole kernal corn and the potatoes and return to a boil.  Gently add the ham so as not to break it into flakes, and add the creamed corn.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the can of milk and simmer for another 10 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with crackers, tortillia chips, or bread.

By the way, I used a quart of potates that I had canned in 2009....the last jar from that year (it was back in the corner on a high shelf and has been hiding).  When properly canned and stored, your home canned foods are good for many years.

Ducks are Done!

We had a very busy weekend getting the last of our winter meat butchering finished.  I've been putting these ducks off since I hurt my knee...but their time ran out.  This batch of ducks was a first for me.  I had never butchered ducks before....and I still have never eaten duck.  But since we are a family of carnivores, and we are firm in our commitment to avoid grocery store meat...we are taking the duck plunge.

These were buff ducks, and we kept a pair in hopes that they will make more ducks...

I love ducks....they are like little cartoon characters. They bring back fond memories of my grandfather...when I was little he and I would go out and feed the ducks that lived in the creek behind our house.

But these are not fun ducks.  These are meat ducks.  The difference?  Well, it's kind of like the difference between meat chickens and layers.  If you've ever raised a batch of broiler chickens you know what I am talking about.  They are bred for bodies not brains or character.  Critters like this have one purpose....to be raised with kindess and butchered as humanely as possible. 

They are much more enjoyable when they look like this...

Quick and Easy Breakfast

Ever have a couple pieces of bacon left after breakfast?  Or a few sausage patties?  Leftover country breakfast gravy?  This is simple to put together and they taste fantastic....plus they use up those pesky leftovers! 

Put them together and pop them in the oven while you get ready for church.....then you can eat one before you have to scoot out the door.  Easy to make and tastes great....I put the recipe on my recipe blog so I can find it again some day!

Raspberry and Rolaids

It's that time of year again.  One month from today our first doe is due for the 2012 kidding schedule.  Of course the first doe due is Faith, my favorite...

Don't let this horrible picture fool you.  She is a milking machine, she carries a pack, and she makes fine milking daughters that tend to be rather indestructable.  Never a sick day in her life, will work for cookies, and is a sweetheart.  What else could you want in a doe?

Next to Faith is Lace.  Lace is due the day after Faith is and it will be interesting to see if they keep the milkstring in order.  Lace and Faith are about equal in my favoriteness...but Lace's quality as a Nubian far exceeds Faith's.  Not a great picture of her either.....

Anyway, being a month away from their due dates, today I started mixing raspberry leaf into their food.  Also each day they get a fruit flavored antacid (calcium tablet).  Also on the menu for this month will be plenty of kelp and pumpkin seeds.  It will still be a couple of weeks before they check into the day spa...but kidding season is just around the corner!

Chicken Stock....the new Calgon??

Remember those commercials...."Calgon, take me away!"???

Since my chef son introduced me to the many uses of chicken stock.....I'm thinking it's my new Calgon.  No, I'm not bathing in it...but I'm using it in most everything I cook and it has added a WHOLE new dimension of flavor.  I use it in place of water in almost every dish.

Almost....but not these beauties.

Do you know what those are?  It's the most decadent brownie on earth.  Bottom layer is chocolate chip cookie dough, middle layer is oreo cookies, and the top layer is brownies.  Need I say more?

I'm not sure which is sweeter.  The brownies or Rylan.  Guess I will spend my day with both of them!

Turn Over the Pantry Tuesdays and Making Chicken Stock

There is a lot going on here today since I am feeling a bit better.  I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday after a miserable weekend with my knee.  He took xrays but they didn't reveal any fractures or anything obvious and he thinks I've torn a bit of cartilage in there....so injected it with cortizone and gave me some more meds for pain.  He wants to do an MRI but I'm not getting into one of those things without some serious meds....so it's not going to happen any time soon.  I know I just need to let this thing rest and heal; and am working on some comfrey oil to make a salve.

Walking, especially up and down hills is what really tears the knee up....in my tiny kitchen there's not a lot of steps to take even when I have a lot of things going on, so one of the things I CAN do right now is cook!  After using my last quart of chicken stock during Levi's last visit, I decided I'd better get a couple of canner loads done.

First, I arrange 10# leg quarters in a large roasting pan and season with salt & pepper....and pop it into a 350º oven for about an hour.

 Meanwhile I gather the other ingredients.....celery, onions, carrots...

and of course some very fresh garlic (can you tell that it's been raining here?).....

Now for this batch I am using my largest stockpot.  It's actually a canner.  Coarsely chop the washed veggies and put them in the pot...

Add a couple of gallons of water, some herbs, and a handful of peppercorns...cover and bring to a boil....

It takes some time to get that big pot up to a boil.  Once the chicken is fully cooked, quickly remove the pieces from the pan and add the juices to the stock.  Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle I pull the fat, skin and bones from the meat....and add them to the stock.

The meat doesn't go into the stock.  I put it 2 cups at a time into packages and freeze for future use....

The stock simmers all day....until the vegetables are really mushy, then it is all carefully strained...and put into jars. 14 quarts of liquid gold in the pressure canner....

For the meal from the pantry today, I made a cheesy-smoky casserole....Remember that everything that went into this dish came out of the pantry.  Nothing came from the fridge or freezer.

The list of ingredients are:

All Purpose Flour

Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese

Canned Cheese

Home Canned Smoked Sausage

Home Canned Butter

Shelf Stable Milk

Egg Noodles

Pinto Beans (the veggie side dish)

I'm not giving exact measurements or a recipe, but this is easy to put together for 4 or 40 people.  Cook the egg noodles until soft but not fully cooked, then drain.  Cut the sausage and cheese into chunks...

Use an equal amount of flour and butter and make a roux...

Add enough milk to the roux to make enough sauce to cover the pasta.  Season with pepper, salt, and garlic powder, add the cheese and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened....

Add the sausage and pour over the pasta.  Stir well and pour into a buttered casserole dish.  Top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes until brown and bubbly...

I can not even describe to you how good this stuff is....and remember it is 100% off a shelf!  The smokiness of the sausage mixes with that thick cheese sauce and with that touch of garlic in the sauce and the parm on top no one would believe how easy this is to make when they taste how yummy it is!