Nov 22, 2011

Grandma's Bread Bowl

Have I mentioned that I now have an oven?  A gas oven!  Today I finally got around to baking some bread.  It's been almost four months since I've baked bread, I think my flour's gone bad. :) 
So today I took out my grandma's bread bowl.  This is the first time I've used this because my mom just gave it to me a couple of months ago.  I remember my mom making bread in this and she'd knead it right in the bowl.  That bowl would roll and move around the table.  The table would shake.  Now it's my turn.

My whole wheat bread dough ready to rise.  This bowl has a cover with a vent in it.

I'm not cooking it on the stove, just set it there to rise.
The finished product rose nicely and is soft and yummy.  I made rolls for Thursday's dinner, a couple of loaves of bread and way down at the end is a dozen caramel rolls-minus one. :)

My bread products don't always turn out like they should.  After 30 years of baking bread, I'm finally learning a couple of things that help.  One is to add the salt with the flour and not into the warm liquid.  Another is to make sure that the oven is preheated before I put my breads in.  Sifting the flour first has helped a lot too.  And maybe using Grandma's bread bowl will be the thing that finally gives me good bread every time.

Nov 19, 2011

A Work of Art

It can be said of many vocations,  to do something well is a work of art. With painters, sketchers, sculptors, everything is a work of art.  The well shot goal at a hockey game can be a work of art.  The perfect burger off of the grill, a work of art. Given that intro, I would now like to show you one of many things that my honey can do well.  Loading trailers, especially with scrap, is one of his specialties.  So I present his latest work of art-
Involved in this masterpiece is an old Blazer, on top is a pick up box loaded with all kinds of treasures, and the piece de resistance is the old grain binder on the end of the trailer which almost decapitated more than a dozen mailboxes on our way home.  It sticks over both sides of the trailer by four feet. 

It's a good day's work.  Lord bless.

Nov 17, 2011

Bucket of Chicken(s)

A balmy 12 above 0 this morning.  Must be winter.  No one told this little lady.
Son came in the house carrying her under one arm and a bucket in the other.  The bucket full of little chicken "nuggets".  Fourteen of them in all.  Here's hoping that they're a hardy bunch.  The weather is only getting colder.  Mama has her job cut out for her.  She has a heat lamp to  help.

These little ones could be giving us eggs by March.  Seems a long way off. :)

Don't forget it's Farmhouse Friday.  Stop on over at http://www.therenegadefarmer.com/ and see what's up on the farm.

Nov 16, 2011

Wonderment




I so seldom use the word I had to look it up to make sure it existed.  What has happened to me? 
Remember when you'd see the first snow and beg Mom to let  you go outside?  The knowing that Christmas wasn't far off once the snow stayed on the ground.  So how do you feel now when you see that snow coming?
The snow is here and I look out my window with trepidation, not wonderment. When did I change?  I want my wonderment back.  I want to wake up every morning and look forward to all that the new day has to offer.  Jump out of bed and be in love with life.
Lord this is my prayer.  Make me excited about all that You have planned for me.

Nov 14, 2011

Kitchen Cabinets

Slow but sure, that's how our four year old addition to the house is coming along.  We tore down the old kitchen and put up the new one four years ago this month.  We still need to finish the sheetrock, but at least it's all up, put in floors, the tongue and groove ceiling, and cabinets.  Meanwhile, I figured I'd do what I could for the cabinetry.  I have a wonderful hoosier that I've been using for a couple of years and was blessed to pick this up for $2 at a rummage sale a year ago-
Now that shabby chic is all the rage, refinishing this beast was a lot easier.  :)  A bit of sanding, a couple coats of paint and viola!

It's missing a drawer pull and I haven't be able to find one to match, but I'm still looking.  I painted it to match my hoosier-

I'm excited about having more space.  Now I'm looking for even more old cupboards.  I may just do the whole kitchen in them. 
Anyone have ideas for this gem?  My honey picked it up for my birthday.
It's a bookcase without the shelves.  I think it used to be part of a room divider between dining room and livingroom.  It stands four feet tall.  I love it, I just don't know what to do with it.

Nov 3, 2011

Cleaning Stovepipes

My grandma cooked on a woodstove all of her life.  She would have that stove going year 'round.  She would also need to clean out the stovepipes once a week to get rid of the creosote.  I have a wood furnace and also need to clean out the stovepipes so I thought I'd show how Grandma did it. (It's how I do it, too.)
Let your fire burn down, or go out.  If you have two identical stovepipes, you can put the clean one on and take the dirty one off.  I only have the one pipe, so I let the fire burn out and then cap the end of the stove.
Haul the pipe outside.  Stuff the pipe with newspapers, and light.

Let it burn out.  The fire will harden the creosote and it will fall out of the pipe with a bit of persuasion.  I stand the pipe up and tap it. 

Here are some of the chunks of creosote on the lawn.

Here's my stovepipe cleaned out.  I only clean it out every couple of months, or when the draw on my woodstove is very low.

Check out http://www.renegadefarmer.com/ .  They're having Farmhouse Festival Fridays.  Join up and tell us about your "farmhouse".

Book Review-The Ultimate Guide to Homesteading

I've never done a book review before, but I am so impressed with this book I had to tell you about it.  I just received it in the mail today and have only read bits and pieces, but it is an awesome book.
There is so much information in here and it is so practical.  How to make biodiesel, how to weave, buy a homestead, dig a well, train oxen, tan hides, etc.  The information is presented in a user friendly manner and is very easy to understand.  I love it!  If you like Carla Emery's book, you'll like this one as well.

Nov 22, 2011

Grandma's Bread Bowl

Have I mentioned that I now have an oven?  A gas oven!  Today I finally got around to baking some bread.  It's been almost four months since I've baked bread, I think my flour's gone bad. :) 
So today I took out my grandma's bread bowl.  This is the first time I've used this because my mom just gave it to me a couple of months ago.  I remember my mom making bread in this and she'd knead it right in the bowl.  That bowl would roll and move around the table.  The table would shake.  Now it's my turn.

My whole wheat bread dough ready to rise.  This bowl has a cover with a vent in it.

I'm not cooking it on the stove, just set it there to rise.
The finished product rose nicely and is soft and yummy.  I made rolls for Thursday's dinner, a couple of loaves of bread and way down at the end is a dozen caramel rolls-minus one. :)

My bread products don't always turn out like they should.  After 30 years of baking bread, I'm finally learning a couple of things that help.  One is to add the salt with the flour and not into the warm liquid.  Another is to make sure that the oven is preheated before I put my breads in.  Sifting the flour first has helped a lot too.  And maybe using Grandma's bread bowl will be the thing that finally gives me good bread every time.

Nov 19, 2011

A Work of Art

It can be said of many vocations,  to do something well is a work of art. With painters, sketchers, sculptors, everything is a work of art.  The well shot goal at a hockey game can be a work of art.  The perfect burger off of the grill, a work of art. Given that intro, I would now like to show you one of many things that my honey can do well.  Loading trailers, especially with scrap, is one of his specialties.  So I present his latest work of art-
Involved in this masterpiece is an old Blazer, on top is a pick up box loaded with all kinds of treasures, and the piece de resistance is the old grain binder on the end of the trailer which almost decapitated more than a dozen mailboxes on our way home.  It sticks over both sides of the trailer by four feet. 

It's a good day's work.  Lord bless.

Nov 17, 2011

Bucket of Chicken(s)

A balmy 12 above 0 this morning.  Must be winter.  No one told this little lady.
Son came in the house carrying her under one arm and a bucket in the other.  The bucket full of little chicken "nuggets".  Fourteen of them in all.  Here's hoping that they're a hardy bunch.  The weather is only getting colder.  Mama has her job cut out for her.  She has a heat lamp to  help.

These little ones could be giving us eggs by March.  Seems a long way off. :)

Don't forget it's Farmhouse Friday.  Stop on over at http://www.therenegadefarmer.com/ and see what's up on the farm.

Nov 16, 2011

Wonderment




I so seldom use the word I had to look it up to make sure it existed.  What has happened to me? 
Remember when you'd see the first snow and beg Mom to let  you go outside?  The knowing that Christmas wasn't far off once the snow stayed on the ground.  So how do you feel now when you see that snow coming?
The snow is here and I look out my window with trepidation, not wonderment. When did I change?  I want my wonderment back.  I want to wake up every morning and look forward to all that the new day has to offer.  Jump out of bed and be in love with life.
Lord this is my prayer.  Make me excited about all that You have planned for me.

Nov 14, 2011

Kitchen Cabinets

Slow but sure, that's how our four year old addition to the house is coming along.  We tore down the old kitchen and put up the new one four years ago this month.  We still need to finish the sheetrock, but at least it's all up, put in floors, the tongue and groove ceiling, and cabinets.  Meanwhile, I figured I'd do what I could for the cabinetry.  I have a wonderful hoosier that I've been using for a couple of years and was blessed to pick this up for $2 at a rummage sale a year ago-
Now that shabby chic is all the rage, refinishing this beast was a lot easier.  :)  A bit of sanding, a couple coats of paint and viola!

It's missing a drawer pull and I haven't be able to find one to match, but I'm still looking.  I painted it to match my hoosier-

I'm excited about having more space.  Now I'm looking for even more old cupboards.  I may just do the whole kitchen in them. 
Anyone have ideas for this gem?  My honey picked it up for my birthday.
It's a bookcase without the shelves.  I think it used to be part of a room divider between dining room and livingroom.  It stands four feet tall.  I love it, I just don't know what to do with it.

Nov 3, 2011

Cleaning Stovepipes

My grandma cooked on a woodstove all of her life.  She would have that stove going year 'round.  She would also need to clean out the stovepipes once a week to get rid of the creosote.  I have a wood furnace and also need to clean out the stovepipes so I thought I'd show how Grandma did it. (It's how I do it, too.)
Let your fire burn down, or go out.  If you have two identical stovepipes, you can put the clean one on and take the dirty one off.  I only have the one pipe, so I let the fire burn out and then cap the end of the stove.
Haul the pipe outside.  Stuff the pipe with newspapers, and light.

Let it burn out.  The fire will harden the creosote and it will fall out of the pipe with a bit of persuasion.  I stand the pipe up and tap it. 

Here are some of the chunks of creosote on the lawn.

Here's my stovepipe cleaned out.  I only clean it out every couple of months, or when the draw on my woodstove is very low.

Check out http://www.renegadefarmer.com/ .  They're having Farmhouse Festival Fridays.  Join up and tell us about your "farmhouse".

Book Review-The Ultimate Guide to Homesteading

I've never done a book review before, but I am so impressed with this book I had to tell you about it.  I just received it in the mail today and have only read bits and pieces, but it is an awesome book.
There is so much information in here and it is so practical.  How to make biodiesel, how to weave, buy a homestead, dig a well, train oxen, tan hides, etc.  The information is presented in a user friendly manner and is very easy to understand.  I love it!  If you like Carla Emery's book, you'll like this one as well.