Updates from the Micro Farm

Well. We'd been talking since we moved, okay since even before then, about how lovely a grass-eating goat would be. Then I have had the privilege of mowing the lawn twice now, and well. Say hello to Sir Linus Goatington:










He's a sweet little wether Oberhasli (which means he's been "fixed") and likes to headbutt the dog, who does NOT appreciate it. Jonah, in just three days, has learned to avoid Linus' front end, Little Linus has taken to the weed eating I'd hoped he'd enjoy, like a fish to water, or a goat to overgrown grass. No, he won't be able to handle the entire acre of grass that requires mowing, but any little bit helps.

We like him.
Additionally, things are growing. They are a bit desperate for some nice warm sunshine (rain rain rain rain rain rain) but they are hanging in there regardless.



And I don't believe I ever showed you the completed (okay, not quite, but enough that the chickens can live in it) coop.



Derek did a fabulous job. The girls agree.


Our little micro farm is growing.

As Derek was assembling an "emergency" pen for Linus on Sunday morning (Father's Day), he looked at me and said, "Am I a farmer now?"

I'm not really sure, but nonetheless, our little house on the hill is blooming and growing.

It's a dream come true.

Update From the Tiny Farm on the Hill

Well. Things are moving right along.

School is continuing to be a challenge as the weather is turning warmer. I knew it would be this way. But we have to keep on it. It's not easy convincing those little boys to sit still long enough to get it done. We'll keep at it.

Our little micro farm is growing. The seeds are starting to poke their way heavenward (minus the few that Ezra accidentally knocked onto the porch. Oops. Maybe they'll grow there anyway.

The trees we planted don't seem dead yet. That is hopeful.

The chickens are fat.

The dog is lazy, except for this evening when we were chasing chickens and he decided he wanted to participate. We can NOT have that. No sir. I'm pretty sure he would have killed a chicken if he'd caught one, not necessarily on purpose, but still. But he was stopped and sent in the house. But it was some drama! Oh my!

We're in serious talks trying to actually add MORE creatures to our little place here on the hill. Maybe we are crazy. Maybe. But dreams are coming true, and that is what we are here for. There is so much delight in the few "farm" chores we have. The boys don't seem to tire of them. So we're counting our blessings, embracing the little corner of the world we've worked so hard for. It's wonderful.


($10 prize if you can guess what is all over my shirt!)

Miriam was plagued with a high fever for three days, and so we headed to urgent care on Mother's day. Now, we are squirting antibiotics down her throat twice a day. Thank you ear infection! She's much improved. Not that she was acting sick in the slightest, minus the 103 degree fever, because she wasn't. She was behaving as bright and sunny as ever. Dork-butt.

So, yes. There is the update.

Hagey Hens

For a very long time one of Derek and my goals has been for self-sufficiency. We've always ALWAYS discussed chickens, but they were continually put off because we were perpetual-renters. Farm animals and renting don't usually mix well.

Well. My bank account app tells me that we have a mortgage that we owe ALL KINDS of money on now. And it's spring. That means CHICKENS.

So, on Friday we hauled tushie over to the farm store to get the girls. We ended up "settling" for a mix of breeds because the breed I wanted was only available in "straight run" which means that the gender is a mystery. Could you IMAGINE six roosters? If was going to eat the chickens, then big deal. But our ladies are not for eating. So, ladies they MUST be.




Anyway, we'll see what we end up with breed-wise in a couple months, but for now, they are little balls of fluff (who's wing feathers are already showing at just 5 days old). They are residents of a rubbermaid tub under the school table.

Here is the viewing arena:
 

The big boys are allowed to "hold" the babes but the little boys have learned "wun-finner" as Ezra says, which means "one finger" so they are learning to be gentle. (I promise, it LOOKS like Henry is squeezing the crap out of this chicken but he's being gentle!)




The poor dog can NOT figure out what these girls are all about, but he is very interested. We aren't sure if he thinks they are food or what, so he is NOT allowed near them unsupervised.

We are anxiously engaged is scavenging pallets for the chicken coop, which will be all set for the girls as soon as it gets warmer and they get some good feathers. In the meantime, they are growing and making the cutest little chirps.







Dreams come true! It's the real deal, folks. Awesome.

A New Tradition

Unrelated: I don't know what this is a picture of. Oliver took it. But, it's the newest picture in my phone... so it had to be from today. I just don't know. 

I initiated the big boys today.

Into what?

Harry Potter.

The books, not not the movies. Don't be ridiculous.

They are six, almost seven and five. I was wary. Derek and I talked about. We're trying to sort of foster a love of reading here. Boys, for reasons I don't *quite* understand tend to shy away from reading for pleasure. That's a broad assumption, and I know it's not true of EVERY boy, but many that I have encountered.

My boys are in LOVE with being read to. They love to sit and have me or Derek read book after book. So, we decided that first grade and kindergarten certainly wasn't too small to learn how to sit and listen to a book with virtually no art work.

So, today, I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and asked them, during the naps of the smaller siblings, if they wouldn't like to listen to me read it.

I was surprised (for no good reason) when they agreed.

So, we made our way though chapter one. The Boy Who Lived. They listened attentively through the entire 25 minutes, and then spent a large chunk of the afternoon asking me to clarify. It's pretty cool.

I have vivid memories of my mother working her way through countless classics as she read them aloud to myself and my siblings. It became a nightly, before-bed tradition. I loved it.

Since bedtime is at best chaotic around here, for now, nap time definitely seems to be the best option.

I'm looking forward to making it a tradition.

Awesome.

Busy Bees

Much -ing has been happening around these parts. Please be prepared for photos.

Most of our goings-on have related to food in some way.


Apple picking:

From September 2011

Enjoying the bounty with our buds:

From September 2011

Standing

From September 2011

Smore making:

From September 2011

Gardening (and hosing!):

From September 2011

Counting (Gardens are good for math!):

From September 2011

Itching:

From September 2011

(We were making natural paint and um, the berries were not only poisonous to EAT but quite itchy to handle. This is them with their hands in an oatmeal bath. Whoops.)

We've had a busy week. It's best that way.

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs with Rice

So, I got the chance to participate in BlogHer's Knorr Chicken Stock Recipe contest. SO exciting. So, with Derek's help, we created something out of a little tub of concentrated stock. I get to now claim having created a recipe from absolute zero. It was a blast! And the results? Delicious. It makes a light but filling summer meal. I highly recommend it. But of course, I created it. ;)

Mediterranean Chicken 

1 Knorr Stock Concentrate

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup chopped chives

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 

1/8 teaspoon dried ginger

1/8 teaspoon Red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 chicken breasts, chopped

Grilled Greek Olives

8 oz mixed olives

1 bell pepper

1/2 cup marinade

Lemon Rice

3 cups boiling water 

1 Knorr Stock Concentrate

3 cups rice

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Four pitas, cut in half (or 8 halves, depending on brand)

Serves: 8
Cook time:
Chicken, 20 minutes
Olives, 10 minutes
Rice (instant) 15 minutes

And now for the details!
Marinade:

From June 2011

From June 2011

Whisk stock and boiling water until dissolved

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Mix in the yogurt until completely incorporated

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Add all the spices and olive oil together, then add to yogurt/stock mixture.

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From June 2011

Chop the chicken. 

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Cover chicken with marinade. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade (before covering the chicken) for later. 

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Refrigerate 6 hours. 

Skewer  the chicken and pour the marinade that dripped off from the chicken back over the chicken.

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Chop bell pepper and kabob with the olives, use the 1/2 cup reserved marinade on the veggies. 

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From June 2011

Grill chicken for 20 minutes on medium heat, turning frequently to cook evenly. 

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Grill veggies for the final 10 minutes. 

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Lemon Rice: 

Boil 3 cups water, add 1 Knorr Stock Concentrate, whisk to combine, bring water to boil again, add rice, and 2 bay leaves. 

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Cook according to package instructions. 

While the rice is cooking, zest and juice half a lemon.

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When rice is finished, remove the bay leaves and discard.

Add lemon juice and zest, 1 teaspoon paprika and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the pita for one minute on each side. 

Viola! Mediterranean Chicken, Greek Olives and Lemon Rice with grilled pita on the side. 

From June 2011

From June 2011

Yum!

Some notes:

~If you don't have time to marinade, just dredge the chicken and grill it immediately, it will still be delicious.

~If you can't/don't grill then you can stove-top grill the chicken. Just skip the skewer stage and use a well-oiled skillet and turn frequently to avoid burning, cook it on medium and it will be done in about 10 minutes. Toss the olives and peppers in with the chicken the last few minutes.

~ You can control the lemony flavor of the rice by adding more or less zest and lemon. An entire lemon's zest and juice yields a very tart rice, but the flavor will mellow by the next day, so if making ahead of time, a whole lemon won't be too much.

Enjoy!

You can Make Yogurt

Readers, I made yogurt.

From June 2011

Once upon a time, it wouldn't have really occurred to me that one could make yogurt.

Then, I had a baby with extreme lactose issues. This baby also LOVES all things dairy. Yogurt and cheese being HIGH on the list. And you can not buy in a store of any kind, lactose-free yogurt.

A conundrum. Specifically because, the EW factor in diaper-changing when one's child is lactose-intolerant and insists on eating things that are lactose-y is high.

Very high indeed.

So, I googled it up real nice, and not only can one make one's own yogurt, one can make one's own lactose-free (almost) yogurt in one's own crock pot.

These things, they astound me.

So, I bought some lactose-free milk (as I am wont to do) and some plain yogurt (For a starter) and one day later, I had *almost* lactose-free yogurt. The starter had lactose in it, but I'll use my OWN yogurt as starter from here on out and in a few weeks time, I'll have made completely lactose-free yogurt.

One must add some form of sweetener to said yogurt.

From June 2011

But it is MOST delicious. Oh so very good.

From June 2011

Two thumbs up from Lactose-boy! Three bowls downed in one sitting.

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These two yay-whos love it too, although they don't look thrilled here. Don't you think Spencer looks awfully grown up here?

Even Ezra approves.

From June 2011

See? Ezra's chunk-a-li-cious thigh agrees. (I must refrain from chewing on that thigh, SO chunky. SO delicous!)

Derek too, voiced his approval, and to say he was a skeptic would not be using strong enough language. Eye-rolling was involved when I declared my intentions to lactose-free-yogurt-make.

Men. 

So, when it's 6 for 6, for the win, I think I shall make my crock-pot-yogurt-making a thing around here. 

Let's hear it for *almost* lactose-free yogurt! YAY! LIVE AND ACTIVE CULTURES!

YEAH!