Finishing up March

We are still in  a cool and wet period.  Three inches so far.  Things have greened up quickly.  We have mowed one time.

First of all I want to report on the new "yard crew" (2 people).  First day they trimmed and picked up all the debris from the yard.....took three hours.
They were back today.  The soil is still too wet to do digging or tilling. Now, I have a country yard.....which means no delineated beds or formal edgings but since I hope to have them do my trimming (fence rows, front ditch and around beds, I decided to try his suggestion of what I think is an English type of edging.  They dig a flat bladed spade into  the edge around the bed and remove the sod toward the bed leaving about a 6 inch deep trench.  He says once  I mulch (once they mulch) then grass does not encroach passed the trench and he just uses the trimmer on edge to keep it sharp.  I certainly isn't my style but it is very tidy looking. I hope the look grows on me. I know I  need help to keep things under control so I may have change my thinking a bit.

This morning (Saturday) is another very cool and cloudy day.  The Seckel pear and the apple tree are in full bloom and the pie cherry is just beginning.  My plants under the lights and on the patio seem to be at a standstill.  I may move  them back inside for warmth.

I have made butter three times now.  I started by saving for three days but that is too much for my food processor so I am doing it every two days now.

I hope the thickness of the cream shows here.  It is skimmed  in globs that almost stand up on the cup.

 I tried to use both but the mixer was way too slow so I just used the food processor in two batches.  It makes almost before you are ready.

 

Finished product .  I used the spatula as a butter paddle to work in the salt.

I actually weighed and froze this in 8 oz. pieces....not doing that anymore.

Farm is going well.  We have made arrangements to take two cows to the vet  next week.  The heifer for dehorning and an older cows for a foot trim.  Max will have help for that project.  He doesn't like to haul cattle much these days.

Here is hoping for some warmer days and sunshine!

Lots of Chores Done

I had a super good morning after a very crummy night.  Still having sleep problems but I survive!

Today was a beautiful sunny and warm day.  It wasn't windy at all when I went out at 8 AM.  First on the list was to skim  the previous  milking.  I ended up with 2 full cups to go with the two cups in the fridge.

Next on the list was dormant oil spraying.  With our many drizzly days and high winds this was the first time I saw a 3-day window to get this job done.  I couldn't do the peaches and plums because they were in full bloom but I did the apples and pears and one prune plum which blooms late.  A first for me!  I hooked up the garden cart that had the sprayer in it and loaded the battery and hooked it up and it was a go the first time!  Usually I have to charge the battery but it held over the winter months.  I mixed the oil and began in the garden first where I have two pears trees that are just showing buds, no color at all, and there is one apple with nothing showing.  Then off to the orchard where I discovered an iffy tree had died over winter.  I sprayed a peach that is a late bloomer, a prune plum and another apple.  Two plums Superior and Shiro were in full bloom.

I have more fruit trees to plant:  A yellow delicious, an Arkansas Black, a Red Haven peach, a North Star Cherry and a Wilson  Delicious Apricot.  My old apricot tree is about half dead and we were worried the cherry tree was fading.

I decided the entire orchard needed  mowing so I disconnected the garden cart, lowered the blade and mowed .  I headed back to the garden and mowed around it.  I discovered a few short asparagus tips that I will keep my eye on.  Several have died out but I have two nice clumps left.

Was going to mow the front yard but was very low on gas so decided to quit for the day.  Max will have to fill the mower for me.  I can't handle those 5-gallon cans.  I need to check  we may have gasoline in the tanks out back that just have hoses that I can fill with.

I came in and made butter.  I got 11.4 oz. from l quart of heavy cream.  I am getting quite a supply in the freezer.  Max said the calf is starting to take more milk so we may have to start separating them  the night before we milk.  But as it is, we are getting more than we need.

Miscellaneous pictures:

This is the seedling peach outside the kitchen.  It had a few large peaches last year.


This is a new flat-cupped daffodil that was in a mixed bag from White Flower Farm:



I wanted to take more of the different daffodils but the wind got up extremely powerful this afternoon and it was impossible to hold the  bloom and photograph.  I hope the wind doesn't bring rain!

Tuesday At Last - Milk Project

Much colder today at around 37° and very cloudy; slight chance of rain or snow.  We need rain.

Tuesday, at last because Monday was MIL's doctor appointment and the first time I went  with her and went into the exam room.  I doubt I will be  doing that  again.  Enough said.  I don't want you to think I am a mean person (but I am often!).

She got a good report with no more changes made in her medicines.

We (Max) has been milking Jewel every other day so we were getting a considerable accumulation of milk.  This morning I worked up 2 gallons.  First thing I did was skim most of the cream from all.  This gave me slightly over 1 quart of heavy cream.

This left me with a full gallon for making mozzarella and a quart plus for buttermilk.  It is a messy process as you can see.

I made another 12 oz. of beautiful dark yellow butter which I will freeze.  I used the mixer this time and it is not nearly as quick as using the food processor.  I was afraid I would overload the processor but it would have been faster to just split the amount and made two batches.

From 2016-02-23

The mozzarella is at the curds ripening stage and I will finish it off in the morning.

I combined the left over milk from the butter with the quart of whole milk and it is setting in the kitchen to curdle and ripen like grandma made clabber milk.  No additives of any kind.

Most of the mess is cleaned up and I am resting at the computer!

This is for Kris.

The texture of the Oatmeal bread.  Please note it is not the true recipe because of my using too much liquid and the 'sort of' correcting it.  It didn't hurt the flavor at all.  The whitish pieces are the bits of  steel cut oats I added plus the rolled  oats.

Note it is a little to holey in the center.  I think that is due to adding a little too much yeast on the correction.  I know that last rise was almost instantaneous and I had to be careful putting it into the oven so as not to deflate it.
Also I had to cut the loaf in half and then slice the halfs so it would fit a toaster and be easier for sandwiches.  This is actually half a slice.  See what I mean.....

Butter Making

It is another beautiful day here.  I went out to help process Jewel's milk and to stroll the yard.  DH was right, I need  to mow and not just the leaves.

First thing in the Milk Parlor was to skim yesterday's cream off.  I had strained the milk into my old faithful large McCoy crock.  That makes skimming so much easier.  Her cream is so thick and heavy, I have  to scrape it off the spoon into a jar.  This made day two of skimming so I have a quart of heavy cream and that is the limit my food processor can handle without overflow.

It took less than 5 minutes for butter to arrive.



I strained it through a double layer of cheesecloth and then began the washing which is just running cold water over it and squeezing until the water stays almost clear.  Then I salt it.



I ended up with over a pound of butter.  Notice how much yellower it is than 'store' butter?  That is Jersey milk for you.


We may start milking her daily.  We are leaving the baby on her 24/7 so we are sure she is getting all she wants and we are too.

Strolling pictures:

A few daffodils are blooming:



and the Korean Boxwood by the back door is blooming and getting fragrant.  I wish I could describe the scent, but I can't  come up with a word.  I notice some say English boxwood smells like cat p***. Well mine certainly doesn't.  I suspect not everyone would like it; it is not a flowery scent at all.



I finally got my lonely rhubarb plant  heavily manured.   

Note:  New Header Pictures The flock of turkeys has been spending time in the west lots.   This is the first time I have caught the tom displaying his tail feathers.  I counted over 20 and quit since they were spread over two fields and in several groups.