Brrrrrr ..!!

Well we survived the night. For those who read this from somewhere other than Minnesota last nights temps were in the -17F region. That wouldn't be so bad in and of itself but the winds were coming out of the North at 20-30MPH. This poor old house couldn't keep making heat fast enough. So the house was in the mid 60's this morning. Also the shower froze up. That made for a rough morning. I did get the pipes thawed out this morning and had a nice warm cup of coffee on the way to work. No damage done except to my state of mind.

Take care and stay warm,
Rick

Week end wrap up

Spent a few hours working with a shovel this afternoon. First I finished shoveling out the driveway. I also opened up a passage out to the forge. We are getting more light in the evenings these days so I am looking forward to spending more time out in the forge. I will try and get some pictures once I get it going again. I guess I will have to look around and see if there are any garden or farmstead related forge projects to try my hand at. I really am a hack in the forge. I enjoy it though. I guess that is the price of being a Jack of all trades.
Jess and I also went to Gertens today just to dream and see plants. I always love going to a greenhouse of some form on a sunny day in the winter. It reminds you how good spring will feel.

Rick

Peak oil movie.

Latest Happenings

Well we traded some eggs to our pal Ben yesterday for a waffle maker. I have decided to give the maker a value of 20$. That is probably a bit high but it will allow me to offset almost 3 bags of chicken feed. I would need to turn the house into a small appliance shop to totally meet my goal of showing a profit on the farming activities. Just the same every little bit helps.
In other news I am getting increasingly interested in energy use in the house and farm. I have been looking into solar for heating and electric. I have also been looking into wind power as well. I love the idea of getting the farm off the grid but right now it isn't really all that possible. In the mean time I have been tightening the ductwork and insulating everything I can get access to in order to make the most of what we are already using.

Also made dried cherry scones for breakfast.

Rick

Carb lovers weekend

Well with the low low temps this weekend we have been staying in and doing some cooking. Yesterday we made some pasta. It was my first attempt at making pasta and I think it turned out quite well. We finished it with a sauce made of canned tomato sauce and herbs and onions from the pantry. We used some of the oregano that I had dried last year. I love when we make a meal out of mostly home produced stock. We used the pasta recipie from Lidia Bastianich's cookbook. It was great because a single batch used up a bunch of egg yolks. I will have to try and dry some pasta at some point. I am just a little concerned about leaving egg product out that long after they have been mixed with something. It is probably nothing to worry about considering we are using eggs from the hen house, but I still needed to take this step first.
We also made 2 loaves of bread. The first was my first modification of the No-Kneed bread recipe. I added a hand full of fresh rosemary and some chopped up dried tomato from our garden last year. It turned out good but I think I will be adding even more tomato and rosemary next time. The other loaf was just the standard recipe.

Stay warm folks
Rick

New Post.

Well a lot has happened since my last post. I turned 35. I think I am starting to notice more the passing of the years. I don't feel old just that I think I am more aware that I will be old. I don't mind the idea, but I would rather it took it's time with me.
In related news my mom was struck by a car while coming to the party. I can't talk about the details of the event right now. But mom is OK. It has taken up a lot of time lately but at least winter is the less busy season around here.

They are predicting temps to the low -20F this weekend!

Stay warm!!

Dinner and The Good Life

Hey all,
Well Jess and I have been spending a lot of time in lately. We have been watching a lot of DVD's. Jess got me the complete series of Good Neighbors. I believe it was known as the good life in the UK. I think I got started on the whole self sufficiency thing from that show. I was most impressed by the relationship of the main characters especially Tom and Barbara. I think a number of the current crop of self sufficiency devotes got there initial interest from that show. The Selfsufficientish forums even use the main characters to denote number of posts.
In other news we made dinner the other night of egg bake with garlic sauteed kale. I have to tell you after working in the chow hall in boot camp in the Navy I thought I hated kale. I never had to eat it there, just use it to cover everything. Rotten smelling slimy kale. Well it turns out that like a lot of things kale is better in the real world. I decided to buy some and see if I could handle it. It turns out that not only can I handle it, I loved it. The things you learn I guess. I am planning on planting some this spring.

Obligatory new years post

Well it seems a bit late but here is my obligatory new years post. I have been trying to develop a list goals for the farm in 2008. I decided that goals are more concrete than resolutions. My big goal is to keep detailed records of expenditures on the farm and use them to try and show a profit of at least 100 $. I am pretty sure it will be difficult if not impossible to accomplish. My hope is that at least by trying and by keeping close records I will at least get an idea of how much this crazy plan is costing us.
I have a few other goals. I am hoping to spend more time with family and friends in the new year as well. I also plan to finish some projects around the farm this season.

Well take care,
Rick

Welcome Back

I figured We needed another update. I actually have alot to add to day but I plan to save some for tomorrow. I made the famous "No Knead Bread" this morning. I do have to say that it produces a heck of a nice loaf of bread. I was really impressed with the crust though I slightly over cooked it. I made a modified version from an article in Mother Earth News. The bread was really great with some of the jam we made this summer. I discovered some mixed fruit in the freezer this evening so I may need to root around and see if I have any rhubarb and make some more.
Other than that I spent a little time in the basement treating the dandelion wine with a clarifying agent. I plan to bottle it this weekend sometime. More on that soon.

Rick

Happy holiday

I Just wanted to wish you all a happy holiday. I say holiday because I can't even begin to anticipate the various and sundry religions my multitude of readers may hold. I only hope that whatever you hold true brings you joy .

Rick