Gleanings from September and October~

Well, the season has officially changed along with the time, and I have yet to decide if I like it.

I usually love fall and the approaching chilly weather. This year though, I'm just not ready for it. I have already had a cold that lasted the whole 10 days, and wasn't so bad, but just annoying enough to keep me awake at night coughing and sniffling. I wasn't on top of the game with my herbs, and just trudged through it.

We finally started our school year and it is going well. I switched to Teaching Textbooks Math and I am soooooo glad I did! It is like a weight has been lifted off my back! Brody's loving it and I'm loving it because he's loving it and I. don't. have. to. teach. it! Which has allowed me to cater to some other subjects that we've been lacking in. :) History has become one of my favorite subjects now and I'm learning so much! I think I am filling in all those gaps from my own school lessons way back when. I think that's one of the best things about homeschooling is we get to learn right along beside our kids!

Hailey is spending her days crocheting a~ way! (and helping me of course)  I think she is most addicted and for that I'm pleased! She crocheted a DRESS and it is awesome! She finally got to wear it. She always has those sticks in her hands making up something! She is quite the rabbit keeper also and helps tremendously on the farm. I love having her home. I know it's not what the "world" would see as politically correct, but I really don't care. She is learning and thriving being home. She will one  day be a wife and mother, and I think she will excel, and in the mean time~~ she is gaining all kinds of skills they just don't teach out in the world these days.

Missy, our goat, was taken to our friends farm for breeding and should be having our first doeling on the farm in March! She is Nubian/Boer and the buck is Kiko/Boer. Should be an interesting match. We really need to get more does, but the budget just didn't allow us to grow the herd like I wanted this year. There is always next year and I can keep dreaming.....

Missy with her wonderful head gear on. Gotta love duct tape!
 

We are now down to 4 chickens! YES, I said 4. We had narrowed the bunch down to 10 with the help of the hawks and coyotes. It's a sad thing indeed. My favorite chicken, Mabel, was one of the 6 massacred. And yes, it was a massacre. We went on vacation and we come home to a yard full of dead chickens and feathers and my Mabel was one of the casualties. She was given to me by one of my very dear friends, Sally, and was a very special chicken. I did keep some of her feathers for a special keepsake along with Roscos, who was killed while eating merrily under the mulberry tree by a coyote. I was really wishing I had put up the deer camera while we were gone, but I have learned my lesson. You know, I don't think it matters how old you become, those lessons are going to keep coming at you!

My sweet Mable.

The cows are doing well, and I am hoping for spring babies this year! I hope Bucky Burger did his job and we will have precious baby calves playing in the pasture and of course rich, creamy spring milk! This spring is going to be such a busy, glorious time. Who doesn't love spring babies?

We have butchered our first batch of rabbits. I know this can be a touchy subject for some people and I certainly don't want to scare anyone off. If this is a sensitive subject for you, I would like to share how I dealt with this task.
                        When we started raising them, I had the "cute, bunny syndrome." I was worried about the time to come, when we had to do THE. DEED. How? How on earth can we take this little bunnies life? They are cute, soft, adorable, funny and have sweet personalities to boot! It was hard! We are not raising these rabbits as PETS. They are raised for FOOD and you just have to keep that in mind.

~I ~ had to keep that in mind.

 When you WORK everyday taking care of them, day in and day out, you come to appreciate what they are for and for us, that is food on the table. AND, very good food at that. We were very happy with the results and the taste was delicious! Rabbits are very great to have on the homestead, easy and fun to take care of, and are a wonderful source of low-fat, high protein meat. I would encourage everyone to try to raise these sweet creatures!

Well, the woods are turning in for the winter, leaves are falling in the autumn breeze and all signs of summer are now almost gone. I sure do miss her. I didn't go enjoy it nearly as much as I would have liked! I do have a stack of firewood started that I hope to enjoy soon with a nice cup of hot tea.

Holidays are almost upon us and we will be busily crafting~creating~cooking up a storm!

Blessings,
Melissa

Apple Scrap Vinegar

We use a lot of vinegar. Or, I should say me..... I use a lot of it and I'm always looking for ways to save money. I love Braggs raw vinegar with the mother, but it's a little pricey, even through the food co-op. I also use store brand vinegar for cleaning and such~ the "non-important" things. I love using vinegar in the No-Poo method of shampooing which I've been doing for a while now. I have almost waist length hair, so it takes a lot!
After visiting my local apple orchard this fall, and buying a bushel for all kinds of good things (like fried apple pies!)-- I remembered something about using apple scraps to make vinegar. So, after a little research, I decided to dive into my own brewing.

Take your apple scraps and place them in a food-grade or large glass container about 3/4 full. (It doesn't matter what kind of apples you use. It can even be mixed.) I used a gallon glass container and several 1/2 gallon glass containers because I had a lot of scraps. I didn't have anything large enough to hold them all at the same time! Keep your glass pickle jars for uses such as these! I don't think it much matters about the shape and size, as long as it's safe to use. I try to always use glass for projects because they can be sterilized and they are not porous to hold in bad germs or bacteria.

Now for the sugar/water mixture. Use 1/4 cup regular sugar to 1 quart of purified or filtered water. You can use honey, but it may take a while longer to ferment into vinegar from what I've read. I used regular sugar and it seems to be doing fine. Dissolve the sugar in the water and pour over your apple scraps. Make up enough sugar water to cover your scraps and cover each jar with cheesecloth or a towel. Secure with rubber band. You don't want fruit flies or other flying creatures to ruin your product. I love to use old pillow cases for a covering over the jar and straining. They can be found cheap at thrift stores- much cheaper than cheesecloth- and they are much stronger and allow your projects to breathe. They can be cut up to the perfect size you need for any project.

Covered and fermenting!



This is how it looked after 2 weeks.

Over time, your scraps will start bubbling~~ fermentation!!!! Stir every day or even several times a day. You will need to do this because the scraps will float to the top and they need to be submerged. This keeps everything mixed up well and keeps mold from growing. If you ever see black mold growing, discard and start over! I didn't have that problem with mine. You need to keep your containers in a temp of about 70 degrees. It just doesn't need to get too hot because mold will start growing. If it's too cold, it just slows fermentation.

 

After a few days, take a taste test. Be brave! It's not quite vinegar, but it sure isn't sugar water anymore!

Straining the vinegar.
 

 I have read to leave your vinegar brewing for 2 days or for 4-6 months! This varies widely!!! I left mine 2 weeks. At that point, the bubbling slowed and it just looked like it was done. I strained them, rinsed my jars out well and filled them back up with my strained vinegar. A few days after straining, the mother appeared! I GREW A MOTHER!!! You can too!

The Mother..... gross isn't it?

What is a mother? It is an acidic strain of acetobactor bacteria that when combined with oxygen, (hence the reason your container needs to breathe) causes fermentation. It has a jelly like appearence and is quite gross looking.

I am at this point with my own vinegar making. Even though I strained my scraps, it is still fermenting. I will leave them covered with my pillow cases and rubber bands for several more weeks. Possibly months. I will taste every few days until it tastes like vinegar. Then I will bottle up and store.

Strained vinegar.

I do have to say that when you make vinegar, it can be quite odorous! At first maybe a family member may ask, "What is that funny smell?" You may want to tell the whole family your intentions so everyone is well prepared for the odor that will linger. After straining, I did notice the odor got better.

I encourage you to do your own research on this wonderful," I-can-make-this-at-home" product. It makes a great homeschool project too! Try using different fruit. Maybe throw in some cranberries. Maybe lemons?
Next time, I'm going to be a little adventurous!

Blessings to you,
Melissa