Rabbits Busy Growing

The baby rabbits have opened their eyes and are growing fast. We still don't have a final count, this was the first time one was picked up. They are so adorable! Gonna be the hardest animal to butcher, I think. I keep telling myself they will be loved and live a good life. They are the sustainable meat. I am having a hard time calling them rabbits instead of bunnies.

Twelve

 This girl of mine celebrated her 12th Birthday this week. Here she is holding a photo of the two of us back in '99. I love this photo. Just look at her now! 12 seems such a step up from 11.

...Thank you, Kaziah, for blessing my life with your beautiful self...

Garlic

The garlic has been planted, twice as much as last year.

Our Busy Fall Weekend, Butchering Roosters

 

We butchered 7 young roosters this past weekend. We follow Joel Salatin's Killing Cone method. An old bleach bottle works well for this. Dipping the chicken in hot water makes for easy plucking.

Roxie helping pluck with my mother, Mimi. Roxie did much better with the butchering that she did last time. And this may seem silly, but I was proud to have plucked 2 completely by myself! The meat will be a bit tough, but these roosters were sealed with a Food Saver and placed in the freezer for future broth making.

Walk about the Farm on a Cold November Evening...

Finn loves to collect eggs!

 

And mooooo at the cows! 

 

Stop in the barn and you'll find: 2 goats and a handful of chickens we call "The Misfits". These hens, and one rooster, Big Red, never did seem comfortable in the larger group. 

Chickens are funny like that.

 

  

Also in the barn: what do you get when you put 2 bunnies together? 9 bunnies, of course!!! 

Awww wabbit...the sustainable meat! Enchiladas anyone? 

 

They're hidden quite well, but there are at least 7 baby bunnies here. 

What a surprise for the girls Sunday afternoon! 

 Finn approves of this year's pumpkin harvest.
Looking for a great pumpkin seed recipe? Look no further - click here!

PW's (Bacon!) Corn Cheese Chowder

Pioneer Woman's photo of her Corn Cheese Chowder

I made Pioneer Woman's Corn Cheese Chowder for Halloween dinner last night. It was simple and Fabulous!!!! Of course it was, it is Pioneer Woman after all!

It should be titled, 'Bacon Corn Cheese Chowder' and I say: double the bacon and add a bit more heat (if you're into that sort of thing) in form of peppers sauteed with the onion.

I have a habit of listing ingredients and deciding if a meal is farm sustainable -and this one is! (if we were actually at that point anyhow)

A new cold weather favorite...to be made again and again throughout the season.

Halloween 2011

From the Sugar Mountain Pumpkin Patch! 

 

An adorable Mr. Finn who doesn't know what all the fuss is about, but loves the candy...

so that will do, thank you very much!

Zombie UpRising!!!

Halloween brought out the zombie girls. They participated in the 'Thrill the World' event, which was pretty dang cool. I really didn't like seeing the blood and oozing cuts -no mama wants to see that on her babes, but it was a memorable experience.  

This was the first year the girls did their pumpkins completely by themselves. They cut them open, ripped out the guts and carved the design. Even Roxie was hip to the challenge, and I think they did a great job! Happy Halloween!!!