more Pictures...

I was able to get the old camera working! so... here are the flat breads:

the shank with rice:

And... My socks! My nålbinded socks! they are done. I'm thinking of adding a tassel at the top.

I am going to make something to go on the sole, David makes traditional indian brain-tanned leather. So that is what I will put on them. So then I can wear them out side. Like what peasants wore.

Well, I hope you all have a good night!

I am missing Hannah...

Her and I always have a nice time together staying up late and reading other blogs and such and or just laughing about stuff 'cause we're really tired! :)

But I am sure her and Rebecca are having a nice time...

I would have went with them if I did not have to milk animals... I could have given the milking job to one of my brothers but I am a little particular on how it is done. And I had cheese and bread going to day... so I think everything worked out just perfect!

late posting... So.. It might be a little rambling...

I made feta, and yogurt today. In between times of waiting for the cheese making, I did my nalbinding. I am almost done with the second sock. Last saturday my nalbinding teacher taught me a new stitch it is called the Åsle stitch( pro: ÅL ). The stitch that I am doing on my sock is one that I made up. The Åsle stitch is very fun to do so I am hurrying up on my sock so I can start somthing new with the Åsle stitch. I am thinking of doing a pair of socks for Izzy. Speaking of Izzy, My sister and bro-in -law (and the boys: Buddy and Izzy) came over this evening. She came to pick up a kombucha mushroom. I reacived in the mail this week two kombucha mushrooms from my friend Cora Beth. I am excited to try my hand at making kombucha tea! My sister also gave me some of her mold ripened cheeses to try out, They were really good. Me and her enjoy sharing cheese and cheese making tips and recipes that we come up with. It is alot of fun.

I have been locking up the kids in a triangular pen that I put in the fence. So then I can have full udders to milk in the morning. And now I have milk to make cheese! I got a order last week to make some cheese for some friends that we know. I am going to be making feta and other mold ripened cheeses. That is why I made yogurt today, for that is what I use for culture. Yesterday while at the market me and hannah and Olivia went yard-sailing. I found a really nice big pice of unbleached muslin. On the way home from the market we stopped at Junque&Necessities Shoppe. There I got a skirt and a shirt. then we stopped at the flea market to see if we could find a angel food cake pan. we did! And we got icecream there too. I got a really nice bowl there too.

When we got home I tried on the skirt it fit very nicely then I tried on the shirt and it was to small. so I let Hannah try it on and it was too small for her. So, today I gave it to my older sister when she came and it fits her! I told her it can be a early B-day gift from me to her. Her B-day is in a couple a weeks, today was a fine day. I had a slight sore throat last night and a little bit today. I ate some spoonfuls of raw honey and a clove of garlic and swallowed a C capsule. and drank lots of tea at dinner. Oh and should say that I might be making nan for a friend who has a food stand in T.C. I have been thinking about that and how it will all work out for me to get up there and help her out. I am going to be working for her on the 13 of June. There is a dairy fest at the commons that our family is going to be at. My friend is setting up her food stand at the fest and I am going to help her. She is going to be doing either Mexican,Armenian, or Indian foods. All my favorites! I really like making food and doing fun stuff with family and friends. So, I am really looking forward to that day! Well I better get to bed... Or do should I keep rambling on?... I am tired... But should I write more? Do you like this post? Comment please!!!!! Oh and one more thing: My friend Elizabeth( yes I am quite fond of that name and am quite fond of her ) has a blog and she really wants more people to visit and comment on her blog, so please go over there now and leave a comment. She is such a sweet friend. Go here@ leaningonjesussafefromallalarms.blogspot.com

The cheeses that my sis brought over for me to try

They were good!

Mama made perogis

Me and hannah both found some really nice baskets at an estate sale on friday on way back from T.C. village market

Also at there, there was a spinning wheel that I tried out. I did not get it for it was a flax wheel and that spool was too small for the amount of yarn that I like to make at a time. But it was fun to try out, becouse the people had never seen a wheel used, so that was nice that I was able to show them. They enjoyed it. One older man comes up and the other older man says:" Look She's goin' ta make us'a blanket! "

Look at this beautiful raw cheddar. It tasted really good! Our friends were selling their own goat's milk cheeses at the market. They have a small goat dairy and cheese house and they are making some really great cheeses!

I'll probley be posting pictures of my socks when they are done. So until whenever...

Praise the Lord, it's Christ His glory

Praise the Lord, my song my story

Of the life that's found in dying

And the joy that comes by crying

Of the love that's shown

By laying down my life

It's of sorrow and suffering

Now known as joy and peace

Praise the Lord bless His name

I have been set free

~ R.A.~

Today's doings/pics

I got up early milked the goats and cow. I mixed up two batches of dough one rye/wheat and one all rye. Then I quickly ate some lentils and a glass of fresh warm milk. I hopped into the waiting truck and me and mama and Rebecca were off to her house. Hannah stayed home to take care of the household duties and do the pats and folds on the bread dough. Daddy got the clay oven going for me. I took care of my nephews while my sister Rebecca went to the dentist.

I had a lot of fun with them. Izzy is one year old now and he is trying to do everything that his older brother does. But then it's kinda funny because then Buddy sees the babyish things that Izzy does and tries to imitate them so I then will give attention to him. For example: Izzy tries to push a cushion of the couch (They were trying to make a house) and he does not have quite enough man power to do it, so he whimpers for me to help him, so I help him. Then Buddy does the same thing and imitates all the little baby antics that his younger brother does. So then I help him in the same way. Then he gives me a big smile. It is funny! The younger one trying to be big and the older trying to be little! They are the most adorable little children that I know! I love them so much. I made tortillas with Buddy. He really enjoyed rolling them out. We had them with scrambled eggs for lunch. He calls eggs "eet-eets" that is his name for chickens, you know the sound that chickens make? He does not call animals by their name. He calls them by their sound that they make. It is so cute. Cow is "moo", Pig is a sound that I do not know even how to write, he makes this sound deep in his throat and it sounds just like a pig grunting maybe like this "Roughuufgh". Horse is "eeEEEeee", cat is "Eeeeeeeew!" Dog is "wuhwa! wuhwa!" and the funny thing is the only animal that he will say the name is rabbit he says it like this "ravit". Rebecca brought me and mama home and she stayed for awhile and visited with us all. When we got home Hannah had the bread ready to be shaped and put into the baskets. I did that and looked at the fire in the oven to see when it would be ready. Then I helped the Enoch &Nathanael wash eggs for the market tomorrow we washed 15 dozen. David left early this morning to go to a class in T.C. I am sure he will be posting about that in the near future on his blog. You can get to his blog on my side bar. It was a class about holistic farming. He is going to go tomorrow on a farm tour and a cookout on one of the farms while we all are at the market selling stuff. After we got the eggs washed and my sister left with her family, I baked the bread. Then just as I was getting the bread out of the oven David came home. He had hitched a ride for there and back with one of our friends who works in T.C. so that turned out real well for him. After baking the bread, Oh and one of the reasons why I baked bread today is because last week on saturday someone at the village market asked me to baked them two loaves. And when I bake, I a bake for my family too, so I baked 9 loaves today. Ok, so after baking I heated up some soup that I made the other day and we had that with fresh bread and a salad from the garden. After that I went out and milked the goats. They were in the barn because it was raining today so Hannah brought them in there. Goats don't really like the rain, Sheep don't really mind it. We like to bring our goats into the barn when it is raining a cold and wind driven rain. After milking I strained the milk of course then I put the chevre in a cheese cloth.

I started some chevre last night, I can't have bread with no cheese if there is fresh milk around. Then I clear, rinsed, and stacked the dinner dishes. Came into the living room and read a few chapters in a Mr Tucket book to Nathanael. Loaded some pics onto blogger. Then prayed with my family. And now writing this post. and now publishing it and now Good night!

For tomorrow is another early rising day. I like market day! I look forward to it ever day of the week. I am going to bring the spinning wheel and ply the yarn that I have been working on.

Buddy

Izzy

washing "eet-eets"

rye/wheat

rye

close up of the rye

this one is going to be so yum with cheese!

I had hannah take these bread pics with the chalk board for the background because the numbers on there are my morning figures for the mix of the dough.

Good night Folks!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

killdeer babies and spring days

David holding killdeer chicks

This afternoon David came in from the field and told us to come out and see something that he found. So we all ran out there to see these little fuzzy killdeer chicks. They are so cute. I held one of them. That was the first time I had ever held one of these tiny baby birds. Killdeer chicks are different than other baby birds. Most birds hatch without any fuzz and stay in the nest. Killdeer hatch with fuzz like a baby chicken and are ready to run around right after they hatch. It is so fun to watch them run after their parents. This has been the most wonderfullest of springs! I have been enjoying everyday of it. The past few days are starting to feel like summer.

very warm in the day and thunder storms at night.

On sunday we planted our field of corn.

This whole field is now planted in all corn. It is the corn that we use for baking and cook with. And feed for the chickens and pigs.

It was so much fun to all be out there planting seeds.

David made a place to plant the corn

Then Enoch and Nathanael put four seeds in place.

Daddy, Hannah and I covered them up.

Now there is about one thousand mounds out there that have four corn seeds in them waiting in the ground, getting ready to grow into corn plants. I think seeds are so amazing. Just think of everything that is in one seed. It is just amazing! Our God is amazing! I am so glad He made all these things for us to enjoy.

We worked out there all day. It was a little cloudy in the morning. By afternoon the sun was really shining. Now I have red arms and neck.

The new fencing came, so now the all animals are out on the grass.

Autumn is getting used to getting milked off the stand.

Shwanli and...

Hopli

are used to being milked out in the pasture.

It has been really nice having fresh goat's milk again.

The days doings here in my little corner

A spring lunch with sisters and nephews. Yesterday Rebecca invited me and hannah over for a visit. It was very enjoyable.

Me and three of my siblings and my nephews went to a garage sale. I got these two shirts. They are so pretty!

Making Chevre' The first goat cheese I made this year. The vest thing that I am wearing in the pic is another thing that I got from the sale.

carding wool

Leeks that I picked out in the woods this morning

Pickled Leeks

There was a very nice classical guitar at the garage sale for $150. We went to the sale on tuesday and bought stuff. Yesterday evening I decided that I would go the next day and look at the guitar some more and play it. I went this evening and the guitar was sold. The people said that the lady who has the ducks and goats just before the big hill bought the guitar. I am glad she was able to get it. She likes to sing and play so it will be a nice thing for her to have.

A thing to remember: "When you see something at a sale get it right away if you really want it".

Here is the recipe for the pickled leeks/ramps

20 small wild leeks/ ramps* (10 oz.)

trimmed to one inch of greens and cleaned well,

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup of Honey

1/4 cup of sugar

1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon whole black pepper

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the ramps, and boil for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge the ramps into the ice water to stop cooking.

2. In the same medium pot (emptied of water), bring the cider vinegar, honey, sugar,red pepper, peppercorns, fennel, coriander, and bay leaf to a simmer, and then remove the pot from the heat.

3. Put the drained ramps into a clean pint jar. Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar. When the mixture is cool, cover it tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating. The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month.

*If you do not have wild leeks you can substitute 10 medium shallots, peeled, with root end trimmed but left intact

birth announcement, my morning thoughts, and spring pictures...

Three more kids joined the herd. On sunday Hopli had triplets and they are so adorable! Two does, one white and one grayish brown with dark brown markings, and a big white buck. The buck weighed seven lb. and eight oz. The brown doe weighed five lb. and four oz., and the white doe weighed six lb. two oz. All together Shneahopli was carrying nineteen lb. and four oz. I think that would be alot to hold! They are doing very well. They already want to run and play outside. It is a little cool out this morning so I am going to wait till it warms up a little and I will bring them out in the sunshine today. I took Hopli out to get some grass this morning. It was so pretty out there. The morning sun shining on the dewy grass as she ate. I sat on a stump and sang while out there watching her. One of my favorite songs to sing in the morning is Morning Has Broken. When I sing and give thanks and praise to God, everything that seems so big and overwhelming in this life melts away and I know it no more. I think this has been the most pleasant of springs ever. It is so beautiful and nice outside. David has been getting the fields ready for planting. Lambs and kids are running all around the barnyard. Robins hoping about the garden. Busy birds finding nesting materials. Freshly wash wool drying in the sun and wind. Clothes on the line. Wild flowers in the meadow and woods. Leeks and morels sprouting up in the woods and orchard. Geese trying to set on eggs. Ducks trying finding good nesting spots. Daffy-down-dillies a blooming in the ditch along the road. Crisp frost in the morning covering the freshly plowed earth. Beautiful little pink blossoms on the peach tree. Bright green catkins on the birch trees. Golden dandelions popping up there cheery faces everywhere. Barefeet running everywhere. Buds on the lilac bush. Compost piles steaming in the morning sunlight. New leaves on the rose bush. Bright new leaves on the maples. Forsythia bushes in full bloom. Wild cherry trees clothed in white blossoms like star clusters. Bunches of new onion plants to plant in the garden. Chickens scratching everywhere. Wooded hills covered with new growth. Rivers and streams flowing down where they are directed. Lower and lower still,ever singing, giving water and life to every thing they touch. This is my Father's world! A place that He has made for His pleasure. May every thing that we say, do and think be pleasing to Him. He has made us for His good pleasure.

(I wrote the above at 8:24 AM this morning)

Here are some pictures from today:

my nephew's flowers

planting peas

pounding in a stake

smiling sisters

Fun!

Big Smile!

This morning me and Hannah visited with Rebecca. Daddy,David and the boys had to go to a farm and pick up some bees for David. Hannah and I were going to go to the library but it was closed so we had Daddy drop us of at our sister's. We helped her plant peas and onions in her garden. It was very fun. Then Daddy came and picked up some bales of hay that my sister's husband said we could get. We visited for a little longer then we left. Went to the library and checked out some books. Last night I finished the book "The Meeting Place" by Janette Oke ,and I had to get the sequel. If you are a book worm like me then you know just how it is. When you finnish a good book and it says at the end that there is a sequel to it and that sequel is 9 miles away on a library shelf you just have to get it in the fastest possible time that you can. Then when we got there I saw that there are even more sequels to that sequel so I got three more books all in the same series. On the way home we stopped and got more hay from a neighbor. We are still feeding our animals hay as the grass is still growing.

When we came home I got the clay oven started and mixed up a batch of natural leaven dough. I had taken a little brake from baking bread on the clay oven. The reason why? Well go to this link HERE and you will see something that I made. I was so mad I could not even blog about it at the time. At least someone was able to laugh at what happened! The oven was too hot and I was getting tired as it was getting late in the evening. I put the bread in too soon and that is the result, burnt dough!. In that picture you can see Daddy in the kitchen. He is scraping off the burnt part of the other charred lump of dough.

I hope this time it turns out very well.

I am going to do chicken for dinner. So I must go and get stuff ready for that.... enjoy the spring!

Picnic with Nephews...

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord

Oh how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

Thy word is very pure: there fore thy servant loveth it.

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is truth

Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways

Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name for it is pleasant.

O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever