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Sunday, October 26, 2014

Mama's in the kitchen!

Yep!  Day off from work today and tomorrow so after church and lunch today I will begins to get things made for the up coming week.  On the docket for today and tomorrow is Bread, Granola, Black bean burgers, Hamburger buns, cookies of some sort, and possibly more yogurt. This will give me everything I need for packed lunches, breakfasts, etc.  It sounds like a lot I know, but really it isn't too bad.  It is more of a time watching thing ya know.  Bread and buns take me about 15minutes to mix up and knead.  The rest is waiting on it to rise and baking.  Granola is quick.  I can literally make that in the time it takes my bread to rise for the first time.  Yogurt requires a little more of my attention because I have to keep it at a certain temp for 30 minutes, but once that part is done it is just a matter of letting it incubate.  And cookies, well you know cookies.  Not very difficult.  The most labor intensive thing I guess would be frying up the black bean burgers for my son.  I am thinking that will be his job.  So no worries!   I have two days to do this anyway, and what I save at the store with doing these things more than compensates for my time and energy.  Plus I can do it while talking to DH in the " man cave".  Our Kitchen and Den/Man cave are one big room.  Like a studio apartment.  I like it that way. 

Outside we have moved one of the chicken coop/runs into place for the winter.  It is the very first coop we had, and currently houses Mama hen whom we refer to as Miss Priss and 3 of her offspring.  Those offspring are as big if not bigger than she is at the moment.  We decided to move the coops closer to the house for convenience and safety for the chickens.  Last year we actually had a coyote walk thru our back yard.  Neat to see, but concerning none the less.  Anyway, this coop had been lowered to almost ground level when we had baby chicks in it.  We didn't want to risk the little darlings falling out and breaking their little necks.  Now that they are bigger, we have elevated the coop up on 4x4 treated posts, about 8 inches off the ground.  Other remodels to this coop will take place as time and money permits.  We have learned a lot more since this coop was originally built.  Next week the plan is to move the second coop near the first.  Once the roosters that need to are safely ensconced in my freezer, we will combine the two coops with 1 main run.  This takes time, but once finished will be ultra convenient (for them and us).  Then hopefully we can sit back and enjoy lots of eggs coming in(hope). 

As for the garden, it is pretty much put to bed for the season.  The only thing growing in it right now are cabbages, lettuce, carrots, and herbs. Not sure how good the carrots are going to do.  As we move the coops, the spent hay/manure is being placed on the garden where corn will be planted next year.  it will age and break down over the next 6 months and be ready to till into the ground for hopefully a bumper corn crop next year. 

So there you go.  Updates from the homestead.  What projects are you working on?

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