And so have begun the mornings on the Farmstead here, when the first activity of the morning is to start a fire in the furnace. For anyone that doesn’t already know, we heat the house almost exclusively on wood. We have a wood burning furnace that has an oil burner back up in case we need to be away for a day or two (which hasn’t happened within the reach of my memory).  It takes a lot of work to harvest and split all the wood it takes, and to build and tend the fires, but it’s worth it to be able to be warm and cozy for less that $300 per year when you figure in the cost of the little oil we use and the gas and oil for the machinery we need to get the wood. We estimate that to heat the square footage we have, we […]

So, Lacey was just beside herself that the Poopy Crew was loose, she came up and stood in front of my mop and looked up at me as if to say, “Mom, their loose…Mom…” So she and I worked together, she chased them all toward the cage and I coaxed them into their cage with some millet, it’s like candy to chickens. After Lacey was  sure that they were safely put away, she went over to the dove’s feed bin, jumped in and took her own reward for her job well done.

I had already decided that today I wasn’t going to be able to write content for the website or the book today, that I needed to get in one dedicated Domestic Goddess day. I was mopping the area that we refer to the Runway. It is an approximately 50 foot stretch of hardwood floor that spans 2 rooms. At the far end is where the cages are for the “inside” birds. Everyone was shut up in the cages except Booger, so I could get my cleaning done. I mopped a section, turned around to walk back to the kitchen and before I got my mop rinsed and got back to the area, Boog had let the Poopy crew out of their cage and they all came scraping and scrambling down the run way with Boog close behind. Thanks Booger. :-/

Today on the Farm, we put 24 bags of homemade mulch in the runs today to keep the outside birdies feet warm and comfy. We brought in 1/3 of a cord of fire wood to keep the inside birdies and the humans warm and comfy, and we built the new cage in the barn so that Big Bird can move into the barn where he can be warm and comfy for the winter. What did you do to ensure a warm and comfy winter so far?

The most amazing dinner tonight. The Bald Eagle did 2 whole backstraps on the grill. I tried a new technique and it was a huge success, I will post it later with specifics. I used my left over lasagna noodles from the pierogi lasagna and rolled ham and fresh mozzarella inside them and layered a pan with them, then covered them with the left over Green Tomato Salsa Verda. We will HAVE to do that again.

We have been discussing what kind of description to put with the recipe for Rooster Hooch (the beverage) when we upload it. So far we have come up with this, in true vintner descriptive style… Rooster Hooch is a tempting wine whose rawness draws you unsympathetically into its downward spiral. With a pinkish opalescent color reminiscent of separated milk solids, it is malodorous profusion of aromas of peach and strawberry such as might be found once lost under the seat of a fine automobile. Its high alcohol makes it full and generous in the mouth and it overwhelms the palate with intense flavors of paint thinner mixed with battery acid, prolonging your pleasure with its characteristic bitter finish of milk of amnesia.

http://youtu.be/kr862-7umwA Waffle was getting her groove on while we watched Dancing with the Stars.  

Check out Al the Turkey doing the hat dance in the kitchen.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNzKpdQOtCo  

So you want other ideas to use up your green tomatoes? Well you’re in luck, Green Tomato Salsa Verde is one of the tastiest salsas I’ve ever had. Check out My Favorite Recipes to find out how to make it.