House Update and Beef Soup

Well, I had my entire post with pictures done, and the satellite went out, then blogger wouldn't respond (sigh). 

PH has been working on the house construction the past few days, after a break.  We had to save up a bit before getting the next load of lumber.  Here are some pictures showing the progress that has been made.  The second floor is laid, and now the four foot back wall is going in, along with the side and front walls.  The opening for the stairs has also been cut.

West Wall - Left

West Wall - Center and Right Side



South Side (PD#2's future bedroom)

Front Wall portion of bedroom

(dormer windows will go in the top part,

with the roof for the downstairs coming out mid way from the wall)

Another View

View of the future staircase opening

We've been staying home and working on winter preparations.  Cutting and stacking more wood, breaking out the blankets and washing them, taking an inventory of food stores, plus making a list of what I need to stock up on.  It's a long list.  When you start using your pantry/stored items exclusively, pretty soon it becomes depleted.  We haven't had money to stock up, it has all been going to the house.  The next few weeks, we'll have to remedy the situation though. 

Here is a recipe I made tonight out of foods we had on hand.  It is for our church fellowship lunch tomorrow afternoon.  I made a double batch and we had some tonight.

Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

CALDO DE RES

2 pounds organic, grass fed beef BONES
1 pound organic stew beef, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 onions, chopped
1 quart of diced or stewed tomatoes
6 cups beef broth
8 cups water
1 bag of organic baby carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or dried parsley
2 tsp oregano, crushed
4 potatoes, quartered
4 ears corn, cut into thirds
1 medium head cabbage, cored and cut in (optional)

Directions

1.  Add oil to a heavy soup pot and heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Make sure to tilt the pan to coat the bottom.
2.  Add the meat and bones, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thoroughly browned.
3.  Add onions, and cook until onion is also lightly browned.

4.  Stir in the tomatoes and broth. The liquid should cover the bones by 1/2 inch.

5.  If not, add enough water to compensate.

6.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours with the lid on loosely.

7.  If meat is not tender, continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.

8.  Pour in the water, and return to a simmer.

9.  Add the carrots and cilantro (or parsley and oregano), and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the potatoes and corn. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

10.  If using the cabbage, push the cabbage wedges into the soup, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
11.  Ladle soup into large bowls, including meat vegetables and bones.

12.  Garnish with jalapenos, minced onion, additional cilantro, and squeeze lime juice over all, and serve with radishes (if desired) or corn tortilla chips.





Sitting here by the wood stove.  A cold front literally blew in around 6 pm tonight.  I was at the barn putting up the baby chickens (about 2 months old).  It was pretty warm, about 83.  The wind started blowing and I felt  cold air.  It was amazing how the weather could change so fast!  It is supposed to get down to 49 tonight.  Not too cold, but cold is magnified in a metal storage container.

The wood stove is banked for the night, and putting out a good steady heat with the oak we are using.  Good wood, I won't be up all night trying to keep the place warm, I hope.

Our banty rooster, Napoleon noticed the baby chicks for the first time today.  I've been letting them out of the chicken tractor to free range for a bit in the afternoon.  They don't "range" far.  They primarily stay in the barn, or right outside the door where they can rush back in...Napoleon started preening and dancing in circles around them.  This so startled my innocent little ladies, that they ran flustered back into the chicken tractor.  Napoleon seemed so happy to have ladies his size, though they are way too young for his attentions.

Our Americauna rooster was interested in the ladies, but immediately tried to get down to business, jumped on one of them, and was squashing her.  He is huge, and she's kind of small (banty size still).  I want to separate them, the Buffs with one rooster, and the Americauna hens with the Americauna rooster.  But we'll see..

time for bed, I'll add more later, it's getting late and my eyes are crossing. LOL

What did we do this week?

Well, we've all been sick (which is unusual for us) this week.  I started with it, but thought at first it was prompted by the cooler temps and rain.  Nope, not allergy related, because we all have the same thing!  Sore throats, itchy eyes, drainage, congestion, tiredness and general ick.

I've been doctoring everyone with GSE in juice, Echinacea Goldenbiotic tincture in juice (this is vile stuff), also Vitamin C, Kid's Defense tincture (echinacea, elder flowers and a few other immunity boosting herbs), plus Motrin and/or Benadryl at night to help them sleep.

I made a chicken broth from organic stock, cooked it with onions, garlic, red pepper and carrots.  Strained off the solids and had them drink the broth this afternoon.  It's pretty spicy, but it is very nutritional and healthy.

Worked in the garden more this week.  Watering and moving seedlings.  Lots of volunteers.  Must be seeds from the earlier garden that never germinated.  After our big rain, NOW they want to grow.

I made another large bucket of laundry soap.  With cloth diapers, and potty training underwear, I sure do have a lot of laundry to do.  We have too much clothing and such.  I'd love to get rid of half of it, but I know it won't happen.  PH is a big clothes horse.  He has WAY too many jeans (over 20), and too many shirts.  Yes, he wears them to work, but washing and hanging on the clothesline is very tiring.

We are moving on in changing our eating habits.  I am trying to not overwhelm ourselves by changing everything at once.  I'll be glad once the fall garden starts producing it will help us eat even healthier.  We are cutting out processed foods (as much as possible).  I am sure PH and the kids will sneak things every now and then, but I am not buying the pop tarts, chips, cereals, etc. anymore.  Food prices are way high, and I can't justify spending money on those things, when I need to replenish our pantry with basics (flour, sugar, etc.,)

I also made homemade toothpaste tonight.  A little oily for my taste (used coconut oil).  I think it might need a tad more baking soda.  I'll mess with it on Saturday afternoon, and see if I can make it work for me.  I brushed my teeth with it, and they feel great.  I should have brushed with the Oregano Oil first, then the toothpaste, but I forgot...

Tomorrow is a full day of splitting wood, PH working on the second floor of the house we are building, and I have a full baking load to do (bread, doughnuts, cake, cookies).

Recipes

Traditional White Bread

6 to 7 cups all purpose flour (organic white, 1/2 and 1/2 white/whole wheat, gluten free all purpose flour)
3 tablespoons sugar (I use honey, regular sugar or raw sugar)
1 tablespoon salt (sea salt or regular)
3 tablespoon oil (shortening, vegetable oil, lard or olive oil - I use olive oil)
2 tablespoons of yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water

Mix 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and oil and yeast in large bowl.  Add warm water.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast is foamy.  (Make sure it is not too cold in the house, or it may not foam).  Mix completely.  Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle. 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surace and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise in warm place until double, 40 to 60 minutes.  (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

Punch down dough.  If using traditional size bread pans, divide dough in half.  If using 10-12 inch long pan DO NOT DIVIDE.  Let rest 5 minutes.  At this time I normally place dough mass in pan tucking it in to fit.  There are various methods on working with the dough, but this has worked better for me. 

Let rise until double, 35 to 50 minutes.  Often I make it before bed and let it rise overnight.  Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top so it won't dry out. 

Heat oven to 425, place bread on low rack and bake until golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove from bread pan IMMEDIATELY and let cool on a rack.  If the bottom of the bread isn't raised and air can cool it, it will get soggy wet, and then once it dries it is tough.

TORTILLAS

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/flourtortillas.htm

DOUGHNUTS

looking for my recipe, this is for a cake doughnut not a yeast doughnut with icing. 
For that recipe here is the recipe I use:

 http://www.paratusfamiliablog.com/2010/09/better-than-crispy-creams-doughnuts.html

FRENCH BREAD

1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/4 cupswarm water
1 tablespoon raw sugar or regular sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour (your choice)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
2 tablespoons cold water

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.  Stir in sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth, stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle (dough will be soft). 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead unitl smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise at room temperature (about 70 degrees) until slightly more than double. , 1 1/2 to 2 hours (longer rising gives tyical French bread texture).

Punch down dough; cover and let rest 15 minutes.  Grease cookie sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal.  Divide dough into halves (if you have french bread pans or want to make two long loaves).  Roll each half into a rectangle (15 X 10 inches), roll up tightly, beginning at 15 inch side.  Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well.  Roll gently back and forth to taper ends.  Place both loaves length wise on cookie sheet.  Make 1/4 inch deep slashes across loaves at 2 inch intervals or make 1 lengthwise slash on each loaf.  I don't make long loaves, I make one big round "baguette".  I use a 9 inch cake pan to place the dough in and let it rise.  Slash three slashes across the top.  Brush bread with cold water, after you decide on a shape.  Let rise uncovered until slightly more than double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 375.  pour 1 cup hot water into rectangular pan.  place pan on lowest oven rack.  Brush loaves with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove pan of water from oven.  Mix egg white and 2 tablespoons cold water; brush over loaves.  Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer.  DO NOT USE SELF RISING FLOUR.

DROP BISCUITS

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of honey

½ cup of coconut oil {any oil will work}

1 cup of milk

Begin by preheating the oven to 475 F. Then grease a cookie sheet with oil {we like to
use coconut oil.} Combine flour, baking powder, salt, honey, and oil, in a large
mixing bowl. Be sure to fulling incorporate the oil {if you decide to use butter
be sure to cut it into the dry mixture well.} Slowly add the milk to the dry
mixture, mixing as you pour. The batter that should form will have a sticky,
wet, and slightly-’gooey’ consistency. Take a spoon and drop ¼ cup sized balls
of batter onto the pre-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until
golden brown.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

1/2 cup shortening (I use veg oil)
2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead 10 times.  Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter (a large mouth canning jar is what I use).  Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides.  Bake until golden brown 10-12 minutes.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet (I use a round cake pan or two).

I also use this recipe to make dumplings for chicken and dumplings.  I pat it out flour and using a knife I cut small squares to drop into the hot broth.

HAMBURGER/HOT DOG BUNS

This is my friend Brenda's blog.  I use her hamburger bun recipe.  You can use the same recipe to make hot dog buns, just make them the proper shape, and follow rising/cooking directions for the hamburger buns.

http://freedomacresfarm.blogspot.com/2011/09/touch-down-oh-yeah.html

TURKEY STOCK

Remove all large pieces of meat from turkey and put to the side. Break turkey up in small pieces ( make sure it is cooled first).  Place in stock part or large roaster.  Fill with filtered water (DO NOT USE CHLORINATED OR TAP WATER UNLESS FILTERED FIRST) almost to the top.  Place lid on roaster/pot and allow to simmer on low for about 12 hours (I did mine overnight while I was in bed).

Strain broth/stock using a large pot and colander.  Set broth to the side.  Allow bones and meat bits to cool to the touch.  Sort through and make a small pile of bones (to throw away), a pile of useable meat, and a pile of the "yuckies" (slimy stuff, skinn, giblets).  The yuckies I gave to my dogs as a treat.  The bones I threw away, and the useable meat will be used to make soup/stew.
************************************************
TURKEY STEW

10 quarts of turkey stock (made with your leftover Turkey) - you can add a small amount of water to even out the amount.
2 pints of green beans
2 pints of corn
2 TBSP Parsley
1 TBSP salt (or to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp Sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dried onions or one small fresh, chopped
All the reserved turkey meat

Place all ingredients in stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (covered).
Ladle into hot quart (or pint) jars and process in a pressure canner for 1 hour and 30 minutes (for quarts) at 15 lbs of pressure.  If you decide to use pints, please check your copy of the Ball canning book for the proper pressure and time

The Garden has Sprouted!

Yeah! The seeds we planted last week have sprouted!  Primarily, the broccoli, carrots and radishes.  None of the lettuce yet.  Also the pumpkins in the long row have come up, and the onions are looking good (even though, the tops have been eaten twice by the goats).  Now to keep the critters out of the garden.  I may have some hope to get another crop harvested.  The one we planted in late August didn't even sprout.  Too hot, probably, but I think planting after such a heavy rain helped tremendously.  Our day temps are still in the high 80s with night time temps being in the 50's.  We are scheduled for the high 40's this next week, but the plants should be fine.  My peach tree has even sprouted a few new leaves.  I had thought we had lost it after the drought, and the goats stripping it clean. 

I've been sick, and I was hoping the sore throat would go away on it's own, but it didn't.  So Friday, I started taking one of my herbal remedies that I COMPLETELY trust in and that has worked for me for years.  It is a tincture, Echinacea Goldenbiotic (a combination of Echinancea and Goldenseal - two good herbs for infections.  A really good herbal antibiotic.  I usually put 20 drops (about a dropperful) in a medicine cup (the kind that comes on top of the kid's Motrin), then top it off with orange juice or cranberry-grape juice.  I take it like a shot of alcohol (not that I've ever done shots, but I've seen it on t.v.).  It's FOUL.  Here it is Sunday night, and my sore throat and most of the congestion is gone.  I'll keep taking it for several more days. (NOTE:  This is not something I am telling anyone to do, I am not a doctor, but an herbalist.  Please do not try anything you read here because I shared with you what I do.  You need to make medical decisions on your own.)

It's amazing.  It's been 5 days since it rained, and the ground is still damp!  It's so strange to not have the water evaporated.  After such a brutally hot summer, the weather has cooled down.   We have only reached the high 80s and low 90s lately, with low to mid 50s at night.  Last night I put one of the oak blocks the PH brought home (we have two cords of these) in the woodstove.  They are SO dense!  It lasted ALL night.  There was still about 1/4 left at 8 am!  This is wood is so awesome. 

We planted our fall garden.  PS#1 came over earlier this week, and helped to get the beds outlined using some scavenged timbers.

We planted iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce, carrots, broccoli, radishes, onions, and pumpkins.  PD#1 has started seeds in her place house, it's like a mini greenhouse in there.  She has little pots lined up in front of the window, and had planted lavendar, marigold, Echinacea, Mint and Catnip.  She is documenting germination time and recording in a notebook.  She is doing this all on her own.  I think it's a good idea.  We'll call this Science/Botany ;-)

We were able to purchase more plywood, and will have the second floor completely decked this weekend.  After that the upstairs walls, then the roof ;-)

PH will also be picking up more downed trees from his father's place in the morning.  He'll bring them back to cut and split into stove lengths.  Yeah! FOUR trees worth of firewood.  The trees are about 12 feet long (each) and bigger around than I can reach, so that will get us a good wood supply. 

This weekend we will be working on our Sukkot booth, and learning more about the biblical holiday.  We'll also be winterizing more, as temps in the 40's are expected this next week.  That's COLD for South TX, and COLD for a metal building.  We'll be ready.

Also on the agenda will be doctoring myself with the Echinacea Goldenbiotic Tincture, tea with honey, and DE mixed in water for the joint pain. 

More apple jelly is also on the "list", as well as, laundry, watering the garden, and canning more greenbeans and corn.

The grass is turning so GREEN since we had the rain on Sunday!  I am beyond excited.  The horses seem to be happy too.  It's amazing what 7 inches of rain will do.  Here it is October and the trees are finally getting more leaves, the grass is green and everything is JUST beautiful.  I wish the weather could be like this all year round (sigh).

Our congregation is also working hard on food storage preparations, and working out details for many aspects of church growth, and general preparedness.  This makes me so happy, as I have been trying to get them on board for five years.  It's baby steps, but I'll take it!

Next Up:  Random Pictures

PD#2's Math Lesson

PS#2 Giggling

PD#2 Holding Duke and Posing All Serious Like

Plaque in my kitchen

Cooler Weather and LOTS of rain!

We had a MASSIVE storm center that came through last night/early a.m.  It began raining about midnight and didn't stop until 10 a.m.  The thunder and lightening were horrific, and the NOISE!  You haven't lived through a storm like this until you've lived in a metal storage container.  It was impossible to sleep, so we were all dragging this morning.  It was so dark and dreary in here, I neglected to get up, thinking it was early still, and was late for church.  The creekbed was flooded anyway, and even going over the bridge to avoid it wouldn't have done any good.  The upper part of the driveway was flooded too, no way around.  We received AT LEAST 7 inches.  The rain gauge was full, and it was still raining.  PD#1 dumped it out, but it stopped raining shortly thereafter.

I was worried about the baby chicks all night.  They were in their chicken tractor right outside the door, covered with two tarps.  I had no idea the storm was going to be that bad, but the ground was flooded.  They were soaking wet this morning, I felt so bad for them.  We put the chicken tractor in the barn, on a nice bed of warm hay.  They are nice and snug in the barn now, and should do fine. 

I made spaghetti last night using our wild hog sausage and the tomato sauce I canned.  It was pretty good. PH liked it, so it is "good to go" to make it again.  I also made a big batch of laundry soap.  It seems no matter how much I wash, I always have more.  I'd love to get rid of all these clothes, but it doesn't seem possible (sigh). 

Feeling sick with a sore throat and earache.  Drank some Echinacea Tea tonight, and if I don't feel better tomorrow, I'll take some more herbs.

It was pretty chilly inside tonight, so I lit a fire in the woodstove.  Unfortunately, it has died out and my feet are still cold. Finished watching my nightly episode of JERICHO, and so am off to bed.



PH sharpened his chainsaw.  He will be getting ready to go over to his parents to cut firewood.  We have plenty for this year, but his dad had several trees that were cut down.  They are live oak so will be great for our woodstove.

Autumn preparations

We took the week to get the place in shape for cooler weather.  Each day we tackled a different project in our quest for the best!

Monday:  Pick up all trash around land, declutter living room, clean off "hot spots" from woodstove, bring in wood, wash sheets, break out blankets for beds, sweep floors, organize bookshelves, trash in truck to go to dumpster

Tuesday:  Clean out wash house, throw out old toys and trash, clean out fridge, organize kitchen, clean oil lamps and fill with new kerosene, buy candles and batteries

Wednesday:  Clean loft, go through clothes and take out too small, torn, stained; clean bedroom, heater in bathroom

Thursday:  Clean up playground, put pool away, move chicken tractor, cover with tarps

Friday:  Errands, wash jackets, get down tubs of winter clothes (wait until cold weather)

Saturday:  Clean up gazebo area, clean out animal pens, restack hay in barn, clean barn, sprinkle DE in pens and chicken coop, clean chicken coop, organize bridles/lead ropes, etc.  Weatherize animal pens (dog house, hay bales, lean to); scrub water trough, clean feed bowls; make apple jelly, bake bread

Sunday: REST

Drought, A Little Rain, and more House Building

It's pretty dismal news.  According to climatologists, TEXAS will remain in drought conditions for 5-15 years!  I am so devastated, and have been praying for rain, and really speaking to God about his plans and intentions for us. 

We did receive 2 inches last week, but we need at least 15 to get out of drought status.  After checking my farm journal, I noticed that the past 3 years we received substantial rainfall, between 7 and 9.5 inches each September.  We didn't even receive 4 inches this year.  Our well has dropped over 40 feet, the grass is dead, and our garden didn't do very well at all. 

This week we've been busy preparing the cabin, barn and land for cooler temperatures.  We don't normally get too harsh a Winter, but my farm journal shows extremely cold temps around November, instead of just in February like the past 20 years.  We took the week from lessons for the girls to go through their clothing, clean their loft room, make their beds up, clean the woodstove, declutter, bring in wood, and get the place cleaned for a prolonged time inside.  It will start to get darker sooner, so that will force us inside, as living in the country means it's PITCH BLACK without lights. 

PH has been diligently working on the house, though I believe sometimes the stress is getting to him, and I know he is overwhelmed building it basically by himself.  PDs and I give him what help we can, but it's basically all on him. 

Here are a few pictures:

Went to the LDS Cannery again.  I am not an LDS member, but I appreciate their allowing me access to their Home Storage Center.  I am able to get #10 cans of a variety of foodstuffs for CHEAP.  I have been paying three times as much ordering through Shelf Reliance,  though I really like Shelf Reliance also.  But money is money, and food is food. 

I ordered sugar, oats and hot cocoa mix from them.  Came home and promptly made cocoa.  PS#2, an avid Starbucks fan at 2 1/2, loves their Hot Chocolate.  He was STOKED to find out I had a big can of it.  He drank two sippy cups FULL of HOT cocoa.  He LOVES HOT tea and cocoa.  The heat has never really bothered him, which I find odd.  A few members of my congregation also ordered through me, I packed and picked up their items, and will distribute on Sunday.

My baby chicks are growing so fast, and are doing great in the chicken tractor PH made for them.  As soon as, they are big enough to go in the big coop, I'll order my meat chickens to raise for butchering.  A friend also told me tonight about a baby piglet for sale for $20.  We plan to get it, and raise it to butcher.  PH wasn't too excited about a pet pig, until I told him I didn't want a pet pig, I wanted it for FOOD.  He okayed it then, so I contacted my friend right away.  I ams so excited!

All the canning I did early in the summer, has unfortunately not been enough.  I have been needing to eat out of my food stores, and it isn't lasting as long as I wanted.  Darn...I'll need to plant more next year, since my Fall garden isn't panning out.  The stupid goats won't stay out of the garden.  NONE of my pumpkins made it.  I was looking forward to canning the pumpkin.  Nuts!

Time to watch Jericho (again).