Hog heaven

Some friends and I went to visit the most delightful farm.  It was the best day!  See the baby pigs?  The young farmer is really trying to make a "go" of farming pasture raised livestock. Notice these pigs are given lots land to till up and get to stay with their mothers for an extended time.  All of his livestock was extremely healthy.  My camera gave out after just a few pictures of one set of the pigs, so when I get picture of the other pigs wallowing happily in shady pool, and of the cows out in the green pastures I'll post them.  They all looked like they belonged on the cover of a magazine.  SO happy looking and SO healthy.  I purchased one of his pigs and it will be processed into meat for our family.  I feel very strongly that I want the animals that sacrifice their lives for me to have a happy life and a quick death.

disco balls

Disco balls hanging down from the rabbit run.

Chickens in their shady run.

Here you can see how crazy the squash is growing.  It is giving the chickens and the rabbit shade and is trying to take over the rest of the yard, too.

My garden is doing really well.  The empty spaces were growing bush beans.  I'm in the process of putting in fall crops.

lacto-fermentation

What I've been playing with lately--- lacto-fermentation.  I love learning a new way to do things myself.  Sauerkraut could not be easier.  The hardest part is finding a crock appropriate for fermenting.  You can do it in a quart mason jar, but it is usually done in bigger pots.  Look at the thrift store for a straight sided ceramic cookie jar (or something similar).  Shred up the head of cabbage, salting it with sea salt and pounding it down into the crock with a meat pounder.  The released juices should rise above the shreds if you keep pounding long enough.  Add some whey (from making regular yogurt into "yogurt cheese") a few tablespoons.  Weight down the cabbage so that the shreds are below the juices.  This is generally done with a plate and a rock on top of the plate.  If your juices don't quite cover the cabbage add some distilled water until the juices do cover the shreds.  Put a cloth cover over and hide in a dark place for  few days to a few weeks.  When it is done to your desired level of fermenting put in the fridge.  Our first attempt tasted, dead-on, like the kimchi we got from the Korean restaurant.  Seriously, this is easy.

Garden is growing

Just wanted to post some pictures of how the garden is coming along.  The little trees are all apple trees and are looking very healthy.  The chickens are now outside day and are very happy to be living in the green grass and sunshine.  The garden is coming right along.

car cake

This was a fun fondant cake I made for a two year old's birthday.  The mom picked the colors and the basic design.  I thought it turned out really cute.

chinese take out cupcakes

These are the "chinese take-out" cupcakes I made.  They turned out really cute.

don't use it

I just watched a documentary (available on netflix.com) called "Bag It."  It spoke to me about NOT using things, such as plastic bags.  I've come a long way on that particular topic, but I've still got a long way to go.  Things I am currently doing well: #1 Mason jars for storage of many different types.  Mason jars are readily available from several sources, have interchangeable lids so you can dispose of ones that get nasty and still replace them easily.  They are made of glass, which is one of the least reactive substances on earth.  Whatever you store in a Mason jar does not influence the next thing you choose to store in the same jar.  #2 Compost of all food items and many other items.  Before I throw/recycle anything I first ask myself if I can compost it.  Hair from haircuts, natural fiber clothing, paper bags, and, of course, food waste of all sorts.  If it is compost-able it goes in the future garden plot (otherwise known as the compost pile).  I even have a humanure toilet, which no one in the house uses, except me, but it is a viable compost item.  My latest adventure in composting is grey water.  I'm diverting dish water and laundry water into the compost pile and that prevents water from going down the drain.  #3 I liberally use the thrift store.  That in and of itself is a huge packaging savings (saves money, too).  #4 I am a member of a CSA and support my local farmer, which cuts down on packaging in a multitude of ways and gives me much healthier food in the process.  #5 I garden.  Last year wasn't that great, but this year I'll have a beginner garden and hopefully next year a fabulous one.  #6 I buy from the farmer's market, which cuts down on packaging.  #7 I cook.  This is huge.  Because I enjoy cooking I forget what a difference it makes.  I don't buy MUCH of what is sold in the grocery stores as a result of my willingness to cook meals from scratch.  #8  I make our own cleaning products and beauty products (disclaimer-- I'm the only one using the homemade shampoo and body oils, but everyone likes the soap and the lip balm).   This frees up the amount of plastic and chemicals we have in our house.  Things I NEED to work on-- #1 I use too many plastic bags.  You'd think I would have this one down pat.  I've managed to lose most of the grocery totes I had and I just need to replace them.  #2 Buy less packaged stuff.  Even though I've cut back I still buy too much.  I like my morning breakfast cereal.  That's a hard habit to break.

Over all I need to look at what I am using that comes packaged and decide if there is a way to cut back on the packaging.  "Bag It"  It's an interesting documentary.