Thursday ramble

New cow is settling in. Yesterday morning I milked two coke bottles and she was done. This morning I did the two coke bottles then about a cup maybe 2 in a jar and introduce her to lambs.  She did great. Lambs nurses just a little bit were both full acting and didn’t take much bottle so hopefully they got enough.  Tonight they get a bottle. I will start in the morning with a lamb on one teat and milk three. Then maybe two lambs and milk two.  She is an easy milker. Tests not terribly long which is hard. Especially the far back one. That’s where the lamb will go. She’s just so skinny.  We wormed her last night and she is eating grain well so hopefully we will see some weight gain. Her hair looks good. Time and love and feed !  

Funny of this morning. My other DRY milk cow is feeling left out I guess she should be bred and could calve in November.  She may or may not be starting to bag.  This morning she was dripping to the point of puddling milk!   Her bag isn’t any tighter but she was leaking. I just shook my head. Only at my house.  
I have a new lamb for now. I’m not holding out much hope.  But it did make it through the night. It isn’t from my sheep. It’s someone my son knows.  I have yet to save a lamb he has given me.  I think he waits to long to pick them up.  This one honestly felt like a dried up dead lamb.  Absolutely nothing but skin and bones and the skin even feels dried out.  I gave it molasses coffee and probiotics while I thawed colostrum and then gave it colostrum twice before bed.  I gave it milk as soon as I got up this morning. Time will tell. When the sun comes out I will move it to a sunny spot.  I’m still doubtful. 

I found a guinea nest!  Dogs bothered her this morning so don’t know if she will go back. I just shook my head when I saw it. Said dog is going to get his hearing aid reapplied 

As promised mop pictures

Before 

Wet

Mopped and dry again

Far from perfect. Mainly because the seal is already wearing off.  But no streaks on it.  

I have always used a old fashion mop on the floor because the damp mops just didn’t cut it tiny and so hard to not leave streaks. My floors even afte dust mopping are really dirty.  

This is my new favorite mop. It wouldn’t link so this is the best I can do. 

24" Professional Microfiber Mop | Stainless Steel Handle | Premium Mop Pads

The dust mop part isn’t much. I have a 36 inch old fashion commercial dust mop. But I am impressed with the wet mop part. 

It’s Monday Again! Already!

Clothes in the washer. Clothes in the dryer. Morning chores done. Vacuums running. It’s only 8:30 so I’m taking my week over in a big way. 

We have some light (very light) sprinkles.  Enough to sound good on a tin roof.  It’s cool out here on the porch. Long sleeves would feel good.  I of course don’t have long sleeves on. 

They finally got the wheel off the trailer last night. It was stuck!  The have been coating  the lug area with penitrating oil for days.  They have hammered. They have pried. They finally hooked a chain around the wheel and attaches a come-a-long to it and pulled tension while taking the cutting torch and warming the area. It gave finally!  Wonder what the other three tires  are like.  Hopefully getting it fixed and remount tonight so I can go get my cow tomorrow.  

My plan is to get the floors mopped today. I bought a new pricey mop that seems to be much easier to clean and not leave streaks.  I will try and take before and after pictures today. With mud and the weekend the floors are horrible. 

Once it warms up I plan on playing in the dirt. I just remembered I need to water greenhouse too. So that’s still to do.  I have plants I want in the ground before winter.  They are plants I did have in the greenhouse last winter but I have a real fence so can finish flower beds.  It has been to hot to plant until now.  Once trees go dormant I have more to get out of tubs.  They didn’t winter in the greenhouse last year.  I’m just trying to lower the number of tubs.  Planting in the ground will all less water also. 

Just heard I’m keeping almost 3 yo grand this afternoon. She decided to stay with me rather than go to homeschool coop and stay in her class room. Honestly she will probably take a 2-3 hour nap if I put her on my waterbed.  Her favorite place to nap. 

Guess I better get busy around here. Everyone have a blessed day!  

Best Laid Plans

I have three milk cows that “could/should ” calf by mid November.  None of them look remotely ready.  One maybe two I can’t imagine.  So since I really want fresh milk again.  Especially before Thanksgiving I have been on the search for a new milk cow.  

I finally found one about 2 hours away .  My plan today was to go get her.  I didn’t hook the trailer up yesterday because I wanted my truck under the carport in case of hail. I really didn’t want to have to back the trailer out from there.  It rained!  Thrilled but ....  I did manage to get the truck and trailer hooked up with grandson helping.  Flat tire. So I had to back it in enough using 4wd to air it up. Nope not happening. Air going out as fast as it was going in.   

I called and rescheduled getting the cow for next week.  Was just bummed that my plans got changed.  I am thankful for the rain thought!  

Morning Ramble

Such a beautiful morning!  Not hot not cold. Little windy but not to bad. It’s cloudy and we ha e s chance of storms tonight and COLD tomorrow and tomorrow night.  

I think I got my first double yoke duck egg this morning!  It’s definitely big enough!   I am getting 1-4 duck eggs most mornings.  

I have these really cute sheep checkers. I turned that responsibility over to them.  This morning they came bac and said “Granola we have a tiny problem.  A ewe lambing in the calchie pit.” This shows how careful they are checking.  

See the black spot?  That’s the ewe. She wasn’t having problems just well hid.  I was very proud of them for spotting her.  Then we found one more ewe with new babies.  One of them is beautiful!  

Can you see the brown spot by her head?  That’s the second lamb. 

Guess that’s enuof a ramble to start my day. All have a blessed day. 

Thanksgiving Grain free Recipes

These are recipes I used last Thanksgiving. Saviothem here for easy access 

Almond Flour Pie Crust (gluten-free)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (225 grams) blanched almond flour (almond meal–which often has bits of the dark brown skins in it–works but makes a heartier, more rustic crust) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional; omit for a savory crust) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons coconut oil (chilled briefly to firm up, if necessary; may substitute cold butter) 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional; omit for savory crust)

Preparation Steps

1. Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a food processor and pulse several times. Add the egg and vanilla, and then scatter small pieces of coconut oil over top. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch pie dish, working the dough all the way up the sides. (For added ease, I like to press the dough ball into a flat disc first.) With a fork, prick the crust several times over the bottom and sides, and then bake for 8-12 minutes. If you are baking again with a filling, bake the crust until the bottom is just dry. If you are adding a filling that does not require further baking, bake until the crust is lightly golden around the edges.

Notes

Greasing the pan is not necessary when baking traditional wheat flour crusts. When baking with nut flours, I highly recommend it--or line the pan with parchment. The following crust tastes delicious straight out of the oven, but I like it even more on the second day.  Wrapped tightly and refrigerated, this crust will maintain its freshness for one week.


Yield: 1 pie crust

Recipe Source: fountainavenuekitchen.com

https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/almond-flour-pie-crust-gluten-free/

Almond Flour Pie Crust (gluten-free)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (225 grams) blanched almond flour (almond meal–which often has bits of the dark brown skins in it–works but makes a heartier, more rustic crust) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional; omit for a savory crust) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons coconut oil (chilled briefly to firm up, if necessary; may substitute cold butter) 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional; omit for savory crust)

Preparation Steps

1. Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a food processor and pulse several times. Add the egg and vanilla, and then scatter small pieces of coconut oil over top. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch pie dish, working the dough all the way up the sides. (For added ease, I like to press the dough ball into a flat disc first.) With a fork, prick the crust several times over the bottom and sides, and then bake for 8-12 minutes. If you are baking again with a filling, bake the crust until the bottom is just dry. If you are adding a filling that does not require further baking, bake until the crust is lightly golden around the edges.

Notes

Greasing the pan is not necessary when baking traditional wheat flour crusts. When baking with nut flours, I highly recommend it--or line the pan with parchment. The following crust tastes delicious straight out of the oven, but I like it even more on the second day.  Wrapped tightly and refrigerated, this crust will maintain its freshness for one week.


Yield: 1 pie crust

Recipe Source: fountainavenuekitchen.com

https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/almond-flour-pie-crust-gluten-free/

Nola

Sent from my iPhone

Nola

Sent from my iPhone

Friday ? Already??

Wow it seems this week went poof! I accomplished very little.  

I am up to three lambs in the yard but hoping mom will claim the one we found this moo.  She is really pretty so not a big deal if she doesn’t. 

We have had a mild cold front blow in.  Wind or breeze was out of the North this morning. That’s about the only way you could tell.  Maybe over the weekend we will have a stronger one. 

Every morning if I’m home I let the ducks and Muscovy in the yard to mow and gather bugs.  The all make a bee line to clean up the bugs that the bug zapper got over night.  They aren’t bashful about it as you can see. .  

My Malabar spinach is so pretty. Even just for a decorative plant it would be a keeper.  Add the leaves taste like spinach and are high in all kinds of nutrients it’s definitely something I’m going to plant next spring.  

Hope everyone has a blessed day.