THE GIRLS ARE HERE!!!

So we went out this morning and picked up two new girls. The girls are soooooo CUTE and love able. They did not want to leave mom, but I think they are doing OK here? Right from the start Buddy was all over them. Well he is male and these girls are cute. He is fixed, but going through that stage of exploring. After both girls kicked him, he stopped trying and they became fast friends and Buddy took them around the yard to show them around. Buddy is the same size as these two which is great to see.

And all the other goats are slowly getting to know each other. The girls know where their pen is and where the hay is and I've all ready feed the cob for today. The sun is out, the first time we have seen sun around here in a long time. I was out mucking today, the lovely chore of having goats. But it was the first time in a long time to get out there and clean up their area. Clean out all the old hay and such. So far every one has been getting along. So here are a few photos I went out and took of my now nine babies.

This one is Sierra (I hope)
This one is Bridget (I hope)

Sierra and Bridget on one of our wood piles. Max and Leo in the back there.

Bridget and Bella getting to know each other. This did end well.

Chip going what the Hell MOM!

The gang, Buddy is the dark one on the left.

This is Buddy up close.

Sierra and Leo getting to know each other. Bridget wanting nothing to do with him.

End of The Season

So this was taken last month, end of the season crops. Hubby cleaned out the garden and this is everything he found that day. We now have more pumpkin in the freezer then we know what to do with. I don't think we grew that child through?

GF Southern Biscuits

So it's 11pm on a Thursday night and I'm in the kitchen baking and I blame Alton Brown. I really do. I got the kids in bed early tonight and with nothing on TV I turn to the food network to find Alton Brown making Biscuits. As he is dumping each ingredient Oh I can change that to this and that to that. Oh I wonder if I can make it work? Not only work I can get out my cast iron biscuit pan I found this summer for like 2 bucks at a garage sale. I have been wanting to use that thing?

So here went nothing. And normally I do not taste my own baking I have never been one for sweets but I do like a good biscuit so I had to try this, so I smothered on the butter and went for it. I am amazed. I will be doing something different next time to see if that may work better, more below on that one.

Southern Biscuits

Recipe from Alton Brown

Made gfcfsf by myself

2 cups Mock Better Butter Flour Mix (Below)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter (I used earth balance that is cfsf)

2 tablespoons shortening (I used spectrum)

1 cup buttermilk chilled (I used one cup rice milk with added vinegar) (I mixed this first and set aside until I needed it)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingers, rub in butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

I then grabbed a handful and rolled into a ball and put it into my biscuit pan. I have not tried to roll it out like Alton says to do and to cut out with a 2 inch cutter. I will be trying it and updating this when I can.

Bake until biscuits are light golden on top 15-20 minutes.

I tried these as they came out of the oven and I normally do not eat my own baking. These are ones I will eat again. This will be a fun recipe to play with.

Mock Better Butter Flour Mix

2 Cups Brown Rice Flour

2 Cups White Rice Flour

1 Cup Tapioca Flour

1 Cup Potato Starch

1/4 cup Potato Flour

1/4 cup Guar Gum

1/8 cup Pectin

Mix well.

Helping Mommy

So we spent some time tonight finding hiding spots for our canned foods. So under Cole's bed Tucker went to hide Applesauce and Potatoes. Under this bed is packed. There can be no monkey's jumping on this bed! But we got all but 5 jars under the bed so we did pretty good. Now where to hide those darn carrots?

Tucker's Turn

Tucker's turn for Preschool today. He was so excited to finally be going to school. He was up and dressed early and all ready eating cereal. So we took brother up to school and then raced across town to drop Tucker off. We pull into the drive and had to stop so I unbuckled him, he jumped in the front seat and opened to door ready to jump out. I had to stop him as he needed to wait for a teacher to come and get him. Poor guy was so excited.

So I went to pick him up and talking non stop about his day. He then got to spend a few hours with me at my office just goofing off playing with toys. What a crazy day for him. He goes back Friday....Wish Mom Luck.

Ed

Ed will be missed. A very eventful weekend as Ed fell ill early Saturday morning and near death we brought him in and somehow he recovered. He was doing so good that we put him outside to get some fresh air on Sunday morning. I would check on him off and on and the last time I checked on him he looked at me, he cried, and he layed down and that was it. When the vet was here Saturday he said Ed had a 50/50 shot but I thought Ed was on the mend. It was a combo of probably bad hay and over drinking of water, bloating.

My little buddy will be missed!

Ethan's First Day Of School

So today was Ethan's first day of school. The photos came out cheesy to say the least. But he had fun.

This morning we got up and I checked my email something I was not going to do but did and good thing I did as they called for all kids to be there at 8:40am. So we race to get the kids out the door in the now 5 minutes we had and made it there on time.

I took him to his classroom shortly after 9am and he did not want me to go but I went. When I came back to get him he did not want to leave and asked why can't he go all day? Hard to explain we just can't afford all day class right now. But soon. Bear with us.

So we came home and he dived right into the homework and got that done. I got the biggest hug and he is just over the moon with being happy. What a great day he had. He can not wait until school starts tomorrow.

The Room Is DONE!!!

THE ROOM IS DONE!!!! So remember a wee back my son wanted a new room and wanted it as Mickey. Well we got the red and blues done and then late last week Mr. Ethan had this idea that he and brother would sleep on baby's floor in sleeping bags so Mommy could work in the room. Well OK then, but I did need to get the room done so I took advantage of the time. I got in there and painted. Well tonight on the fourth night I am proud to say we are 95% done and the boys can see their room tomorrow. See we have not let them see anything mommy did in that room. So right now they have no idea of what is on the wall besides the blues and reds.


We still have a few tiny touch ups and need to hang the curtains. But come morning I will be showing two boys their new room. We have moved things around to give Ethan an art desk and room for a book case for his paper and such. Photos are below, one is too dark, sorry's.

It looks so much better in person!

Peaches

So what does one do with over 20 pounds of peaches? They can them. Num, Num. I can not tell you how good my kitchen smelled tonight. OMG.

First up we did a batch of Peach Butter. I added cinnamon and a touch of vanilla. Oh the smell. Heavenly.

Next up I did Zesty Peach Barbecue's Sauce. I ended up doing two double batches. Separately of course. Two different pans. I can't wait to cook this up with some of my canned chicken. The smell was amazing.

Both recipes came from this book. A book I picked up this year and have used it many times so far. I will be picking up tomatoes on Sunday and doing some more Barbecue sauces next week. Things like this will be wonderful when I have about 20 minutes to cook dinner.

Go and get this wonderful book! I highly recommend it.

A Sad Day In My World

So about a month before my son's birthday my older son, he came to me and said Mom I don't want any gifts. Good thing I was sitting for that? Mom instead can we paint my room? So on the verge of tears I asked how he wanted his room painted? He showed me a photo of a Mickey Mouse room. Oh how sad. But I gave it and said sure but not until after your birthday.

Well here it is after his birthday and he still wants his room painted. We have bought half the paint so looks like we are doing this.

The sad thing is when I was 5 months along with him I painted his current room. I did this all by hand. Well with my projector, but every paint stroke was by hand. And now I must say goodbye to this room. The room that took a few months to work on as I had the time. He says he has outgrown it. What can a mom to do?

Stay tuned for the new Mickey Room....