Tuesday, May 26, 2015

HOME Sweet Homestead

I can't believe it has been a week since our two newest lambs were born, but it has.
 We walked out to the field to move the sheep and there they were. We knew Ruby, their mother, was close to having them, but we thought it would be the next morning. They were born (we are guessing) a little before 7 pm. She had one black ewe (girl) lamb and one white ram (male) lamb. We have named them Opal and Gilbert. Since our flock is entirely black, we were excited to see our first white lamb. We are expecting more lambs any day from one more ewe.
 Our garden is still not entirely planted yet. Last year, I planted the entire space in a day. This year it has taken me weeks. But it is big. We are harvesting spinach, garlic scapes, and lots of radishes these days. The strawberries get picked before they turn completely red by the boys and I ate our first Sun Sugar tomato last night.
 It's good to have bees again, and both hives are doing well. 
I really love our new location for them this year. I can see the hives from our front porch.
  
The kittens...well, they are just so cute and playful right now.
The wildflowers in our fields are beautiful right now. The pastures are about to be bush hogged so they will come to an end shortly, but I'll enjoy them while I can.
 I am itching to paint our dining room these days and my new piece of furniture given to us by a sweet friend is making me want to even more. Both the walls and it are getting a fresh coat of paint one day. Until then, you get this sneak peek.
Also, if you like to see what's happening, 
I post a lot more to Instagram, so check that out for more pics.

Monday, May 25, 2015

from the {Little Barn Kitchen}

a peek at what I've been cooking and we've been eating/drinking...

{Main Meals}
smoked sausage (this came from J&J Farm for all you Jackson folks), broccoli, rice, over easy (homegrown) egg, and siracha
 (local) pork patty, black eyed peas, and (local) sauteed cabbage, squash, and shallots.
 I call this "throw all the leftovers in a pot" with some rice, coconut aminos, and (homegrown) honey. This usually happens at least once a week.
chicken thighs, roasted veggies, and fruit
gluten free (homegrown) turkey pot pie (with too many veggies to remember them all)
chicken, potatoes, (local) broccoli, carrots, (homegrown) eggs, rice, and duck sauce
(local) porkchop, (homegrown) braised radishes, lima beans, and mashed potatoes
When we don't get to eat dinner until it's bedtime, because we've been working so hard, we scramble some (homegrown) eggs with any veggies we see in the fridge. I also like a couple of slices of homemade gluten free bread drizzled with honey.
{Snacks}
honey peanut butter and banana

Thursday, May 14, 2015

{Gratitude} Lately

The other day, at a gas station of all places, tears streamed down my face because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude. This life, these moments are unbelievably amazing. 
Lately I've been grateful for...
evenings crossing old bridges with friends
 
 mornings sipping nettle tea from a thrift store mug that reminds me of home
 small town soda fountains and Coca-Cola floats
  great big hugs from a little bitty boy
 parade watching and gluten free sweet treats
 
 afternoons exploring creeks
 the bravery it took to be able to kill my first snake
the beauty of a tulip
 and the many attempts that were made by friends to unlock a car
and for the husband that always comes to the rescue with a key.
 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Monday, May 4, 2015

HOME Sweet Homestead

Boy, oh boy, do we have a lot going on at our sweet, little homestead! 
It is definitely Spring around here! 
We've been busy planting and still have more to do, but we've also been harvesting, too.
 Flowers are popping up all around in some unexpected places.
Our Muscovy duck is sitting on 16 eggs! We will have ducklings very soon.
In the last month, Bryan built our laying hens a new eggmobile. Our chickens could already move around in the pastures, but not very easily in the very heavy coop that we had from the city. Now we can move the chickens so much easier and it can hold so many more chickens.
 We used metal that we found in the barn to cover the sides and a trailer for the base. 
We still have a few finishing touches to do, but it is now in use.
 Our first batch of 25 Rainbow Rangers came last week. These meat chickens will only live for about 11 weeks and then they will be processed and added to our freezer. We are hoping to raise another batch of 25 this summer. We are raising our own protein!
 We pick up our bees (2 hives) this coming Saturday. So we've been painting bee boxes!
 Mabel has been moved in with the sheep in electric fencing, and they get moved to a new section of grass every other day. She is a year old and slowly, but surely, she is growing into adulthood (thank goodness). She is now a Livestock Guardian Dog!
  
And....
today our first lamb was born!!! 
Her mother, Harley, gave birth to her shortly after 5 a.m. 
She is healthy and strong and her name is Victory.