Yummy Pickles!!

 My Pretty Pickles in my "Pickle Crock"

A friend pinned a link to a Claussen Pickle Knock Off recipe on Pinterst and I had to try it out.  I love pickles, but not always the ones you can find recipes for in all the canning and pickling books.  All I can say is these are so yummy!!  They are definitely my new favorite pickle!  Head over to Foodie With Family to fetch the recipe and check out the blog. 

One Big Goose Egg!

Someone was selling goose eggs at the farmer's market and my middle boy really wanted one.  I just love how excited my kids get over things like farm eggs and veggies.  Anyway, our middle son "A" could not wait to cook and eat this egg.  You can see how big it is compared to his 8 year old hand.  The yolk was as big as his palm.  When scrambled, it was the equivalent of approximately 3 chicken eggs.  He loved it and now he is trying to get my dad to get geese. 

First Tomato

It is small, but we were so excited!!  The first tomato of the year was picked this morning.  There are about 5 more that are starting to turn red and many, many more that are still green.  Yay for tomatoes!

Small Garden Harvest

This is today's harvest.  It will make a nice little lunch salad.  I love being able to pick our lunch right before we eat.

Garden Update

 Asparagus

 Blackberries

 Grapes

 Hibiscus

 Salad Mix

Strawberries

We live in town now with a very small yard, mostly  being occupied by a very large dog.  This leaves little room to garden.  Consequently. the garden is currently all in containers on the front patio.  Our yield thus far has been quite small, only a handful of strawberries and some lettuce, but everything is growing nicely and I have high hopes.

Our chickens moved to my Dad's farm and are doing well.  They are currently digging and fertilizing a 4X8 garden bed for my summer garden and laying eggs. 

Roses from my garden

Well, we did it again.  We moved in December.  We are living in our hometown again, and though we are now living in town and would prefer a rural home, we know it was the right decision.  My Dad needed us to be closer in order to be able to help him with my Mom as her disease progresses.

The above it a pic of some antique heirloom roses from a 6 foot tall bush in our yard.  Aren't they beautiful :)

LIttle Cabin Update

I have such respect for those moms of the past who had no choice but to harvest and put up all of their family's food, no matter what obstacles were in their way (like a baby trying to walk and getting into EVERYTHING).  Learning to produce some of our family's food and cooking from scratch and preserving much of it from farmer's markets while we have a baby in the house has been a real eye opener.  We managed to accomplish a lot, but I am so thankful that we do not have to depend on what we were able to put away, because, while it was better than nothing, it was woefully inadequate for our family's needs.  We froze or dehydrated many gallons of berries and figs, several gallons of squash and many quarts of other veggies.  We also canned lots of salsa, tomato juice, figs and a few jars of various pickled veggies. 

We have reached the one year mark on our hen's egg production and our girls are still laying well.  We had a few weeks this summer when we were getting fewer eggs because we had a broody hen who was hoarding the eggs and sitting on any she saw, including all newly laid eggs.  We handled the situation by sending her to live with my Dad's hens.  She is doing very well there and has not tried to sit on eggs since her move.  Our new hens are beginning to lay.  We are finding pullet eggs in the laying box.  So fun :)  Our plans for chickens next spring include raising a meat flock and maybe trying our hand a turkeys as well.

Our peas are almost done producing as are the tomatoes.  We put in lettuce a few weeks ago and that is growing well.  I am behind on planting the spinach, kale and beets.  I need to do that today.