There are only so many quarts or pints of pickles a person will need to get through the year. Have dill, bread and butter, sweet, garlic and relish put up. 27 quarts to be exact. Enough really.
I hate to let anything go to waste so I went in search of other ways to prepare them. Found a recipe for Cucumber Bread. Joe's Place http://www.theingredientstore.com/joesplace/swap1.pl
It will do. Definitely nothing to rave about. Has a slight green color, a slight cucumber odor. It was best served hot out of the oven smothered in butter.Cucumber Bread
2 cups peeled and mashed cucumber
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Mix well. Bake in 8x4 loaf pan at 350 ยบ for 1 hour.
Annie venturing off away from herd.
Baby boys sticking close to Mom.
A small goat shelter built of recycled materials.
This past weekend the beautiful fall weather(finally no rain) allowed us to work on the never ending "To Do" list. With the help of the farmhand and bringing in a piece of heavy equipment the better half was able to accomplish a great deal. Unearthing and disposing of 2 large tree stumps, moving the 500 gallon propane tank and a bit of landscaping.
We expanded the holding pen (when and where I came in contact with the poison ivy). The sheep are scheduled to arrive October 3rd. We decided to buy all 4 of the wethered ram lambs the sheep farm had for sale. The old pen would have been fine for 2, not quite large enough for 4. The boys will be housed in the pen for roughly 3 weeks until they are familiar with their new shepherdess and know this is now home. Then they will be turned out onto their 4 acres to browse.
Every winter I worry that the goats have enough shelter. This year we decided to add a few smaller out buildings "just in case" they don't want to gather in the pole barn as a group. The photo above is a small shelter the guys put up Saturday afternoon. Built of all recycled materials we had on the farm. The flooring is made from pallets feed is brought in on from the feed mill, the frame is odds and ends pieces of lumber the better half never wants to throw away, the tin sides and roof salvaged from the remains of an unused out building we tore down. Still in need of a few finishing touches the goats seem to love it as is.
Imagine you can help but notice the dilapidated dog house resting up against the shelter. It has definitely seen better days. We just don't have the heart to dispose of it. That poor old house has sheltered every guardian pup on the place (7), served as a nest box for a few chickens, a jungle gym for the goats, even a table top to shear sheep on. Jim's brother made it (very sturdy I might add) and gave to us when we first moved to the farm. We have the shingles to re-roof it and a bit of siding to recover it. That is another item on the "To Do" list.
1 comment:
It has been lovely here too!
~*~Amy~*~
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