Sauerkraut.....Slice, Salt, and Smash

Making sauerkraut is a January tradition for me so it seemed appropriate to kick off a restart of this blog with a post on my method of making it.  The ingredients are simple; cabbage, salt, and time.

I use a mandolin for slicing the cabbage...it does a good job of keeping the shreds evenly sized. 

I measure about 2.5 Tablespoons of kosher salt into a small bowl.  This is enough salt for 3-4 medium sized heads of cabbage.  

I slice a half of head of cabbage and place in a very large bowl and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt.

Then using the handle of a thick wooden spoon I smash the cabbage to break it down and distribute the salt.  This is how it looks when I'm done...

From there it goes into the crock.

I use my hand to pat it down in there, pressing it into the crock tightly.  Then repeat the steps over and over until the crock is full....

Once it's full, I pack it down as tightly as possible then add the weights....

I put the lid on the crock and keep it at room temperature and let it ferment.  I'll check on it every few days...depending on the temperatures it should be ready within a month!

Long time!

Once again I am trying to fill in gaps.  Kidding season this year was overwhelming!!  31 kids total.  Honestly, despite being a buck year, we had some of our best kids ever.

First, my excuses for being an untimely poster.   Linear appraisal.  A lot of prepping, a lot of this and that....

But there was also a lot of THIS.....

And now this....Paperwork!!

but meanwhile, the buttermilk and sour cream sauce is delicious!  First batch of the year!

I know I have been out of touch, but we are still doing what we do.  I'll be back soon!

Thank you for reading!

Corning Beef with Rylan....day1

With the price of beef going through the roof, we've really had to cut back on the number of briskets we buy.  That puts a big kink in my Corned Beef and Pastrami supply.  This week it was on sale for $1.99/lb and we were able to pick up 3 whole briskets.  My BBQ'ing husband was gracious enough to give me 1 of them for corning.  I am totally out of corned beef in the freezer, and besides that....it's time for Rylan to learn the process.  Behold my able assistant...

For this recipe we'll be doing the Tender Quick/Brown Sugar recipe that I've given on the blog several times over the years.

We start with a very clean bucket that has been sanitized with a bleach/water solution for 15 minutes and then rinsed well.  Even though I'll be using a bag to hold the meat and brine, there is always a chance of a leak....and this bucket will be going into the refrigerator.

The procedure is very simple.  Add the Tender Quick and brown sugar to the water and heat just enough to dissolve; let it cool.

From there the ingredients are basic.....a 2.5 gallon Zippy bag, Pickling Spices, Cloves, and Garlic.

I bought a big head of Elephant Garlic for this occasion.  It gives the meat that lovely background of garlic without slapping you in the face. 

Plus it is much easier for a 4 year old to chop 2 cloves of Elephant Garlic...

Next add the spices and allow them to soak for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, since we will be doing half of this brisket as pastrami, it's much easier to cut it in half now....

Plus it fits into the bag much easier this way....

Next add the brine.....squeeze out the air, and zip it.

Place the brining meat into the bucket and into the fridge.  Every few hours give it a mix and a squeeze.  Leave it there for 24 hours.

Mayhem and Loving It!

God has been so good to us, and I hope to be diligent reporting that goodness.  Things get busy and I fall behind here....but there is plenty going on.

I was looking back at my blog and how our family and homestead has changed in the last 7 years.  My first blog post here was October 15, 2008....and it began as a diary of what we do on our homestead.  It is just a glimpse of what we do every day to show other folks how simple it really is to step back, raise a lot of your own food, love the Lord, love your family, and get things done.

It's just a glimpse of us, and how we do things.

A handful of our followers have been devoted readers and thank you for that!

My how things have changed in just 7 short years!  Bob and I had 4 homeschooled kids when this blog began, and now our "baby" is 21 years old!

We have 4 fantastic grandkids, and I thank God every day for them.....

Our goat herd has changed from a couple of homestead milkers, to a selective breeding program over the last few years to develop beautiful Nubian goats that produce great tasting milk with extended lactations.  Goats that are structurally correct, beautiful dispositions, breed character.....and part of the family.

Now I feel that it is time to get back to the business of this blog. 

Day to day goings on.  After all, it's Fall, which tends to be the busiest time of year.....besides kidding season!

Canning, Trimmings, and a Wise Old Goat.....

I'm not offering any excuses for not posting, it's the same old......it's kinda busy here.

This time of year means we are doing more canning.  I was gifted with about 10 pounds of figs, and of course they must be turned into spicy fig preserves.

Also on the canning list is carrots.  The grandboys spend a lot of time here, and since carrots is one of their favorite veggies....I'm obliged to put some into jars.

So that's been the weekend, canning carrots and making fig preserves.  Of course, the carrot peelings and ends, and the fig tops (they were a little green) are turned into a lovely snack for the goaties.

The does were out browsing by the time I got the treats out there.....but old Faith knows when Mama calls, there's gonna be something good....

Lord willing, Faith will be 11 in January. Correction: 12 in January.

She is digging through the carrot peels to get down to the figs.  I love this girl!

A good treat for breakfast keeps a girl happy!

One last gulp before the others catch on and there's a stampede.

Getting Too Old....

Some days I feel like I'm getting too old for this .....

And then we decide to take the grandsons to the zoo.  Huh?  Because we don't have enough mammalian or aquatic life for them to observe at our homestead?

There is my dearly beloved husband and our firstborn grandson going in to the zoo.  I am following them pushing a stroller with a yearling grandson that is eager to run around in his new shoes and taste anything the the zoo droppings have to offer.

What was I thinking?

I know most people won't believe this.....but that morning we captured and relocated the biggest Texas Rat snake I've ever seen.  I wish I'd have gotten pictures.  

Speaking of pictures.....check this one out.  No, we were not feeding Darren to the Cheetah (look closely at the reflection in the upper left corner).....

All Rylan wanted to see was the Elephants.  He ran ahead when he saw them in the distance...

He was so disappointed to see that they ate hay.  Just like the goats. Nothing new here.  He had envisioned stacks and stacks of peanuts, and being able to feed each one to the elephants himself.

It was a fabulous day. 

Springing!

It has been very apparent lately that our barn kitty, Willow is expecting.

This is very exciting since we haven't had a litter of kittens in over 20 years!  Willow is our milkroom cat.  She does an excellent job of ridding the milkroom of rats...an important job since this is also where we store our feed.  

Well, the wait is over.  She gave birth to 5 kittens, unfortunately one was stillborn.  

I was very thankful that she chose to have them in her crate instead of going off somewhere to have them.

They sure are cuties!

I hope they grow up to be wonderful mousers like their mama...this one is already practicing to be ferocious...

Of course I have already chosen my favorite...

There are other signs of spring .... such as my beautiful Joseph's coat rose has made it through another winter and is getting new growth...

And is already getting it's first buds...

Probably for me, the most thrilling sign is that our wisteria has leaves appearing...

This wisteria was just a little stick when I planted it about 6 years ago.  I have anxiously waited each year for blooms....and it never bloomed.  Until NOW!!

Beautiful purple flowers are making their appearance!  I am so excited!

The wisteria provides much needed shade during the summer months, and we use the cuttings in the fall for basket making.....but this is the first year for flowers!

I love all the signs of new life each spring.  

Even a pen full of monster kids...

It is wonderful to shake off the winter woes and get back to work!