Winterizing and Moving Puppies

Today has been slightly warmer so I decided to get  some  more winterizing  done.  DH is not really a detail man...................

Yesterday I rewired the heater for  the chicken waterer.  Those things never  last over a few years and they are grossly expensive  for what they are.  It was sort of  an unlovely fix, but it works.  No frozen water  this morning.  I also drug the long outdoor  extension  cord out to the chicken house so both the  heater and a light could be accommodated.  Of  course, the hens thanked me  by cutting production in half!!!

I bought a heat lamp for the puppies and we got them relocated today to the east sheds.  The brown one with white on her face seems to be the most lively so far.  They are beginning to get  their eyes open when they aren't squinting them....and are  more active.  I hope they don't wander out of the box/nest.   DH says Mama will see to them.  I hope he is right.



This one once disturbed decided to find a snack,



and had great success,



I had a busy morning before it warmed up enough to venture outside.

I made a batch of peach  and  strawberry jam for the kids.  I  also made a small apple tart for us.

From Food

The skimmings are always reserved for the chef....and her mate:

The foamy stuff is a little tarter but  very tasty.

From Food

and the tart,



I was out of frozen crust so I made up the batch of Nathan's  Never-Fail Recipe (6 crusts) so I now have my crusts in the freezer for Thanksgiving.

I am finished for the day.

Tomorrow I will move  some potted things I didn't get planted to the Milk Parlor for the winter.

Organization....loosely!

The cold front arrived sometime during the wee hours of the morning.  It was 30° and very windy when I got up. Yesterday it was 70°.  I hate these fluctuations....and so do the plants outside.

Yesterday down --- to ----earth blog had an interesting subject, Organization.  I do organize my days, often not formally with calendars and lists but in my mind each day I think about what I want to get done that day.  I think it is a very good way to get things accomplished.  I often do make actual lists......and check off when I get each thing accomplished.  My Iowa sis makes a lot of fun of me and my bookkeeping tendencies!  I admit it freely; it is just who I am.  (I also research books I read, the authors and if it is a historical based one....I research that and read up on it......she thinks I am nuts doing that too!)

OK, back to organization.....for today.  I always think ahead about what I will fix for dinner so when I am outside I can get what I need from the freezer or the milk house (canned goods, extra milk).  I don't like to make unnecessary trips outside in this weather.

I knew this was milking morning.  When I came back to the house I brought a jar of warm milk to start yogurt; a cold half gallon for the house, and a  jar of apples.  I wanted to make a tart for dinner.

Here are the projects for the day: Jar of apples, frozen pie dough; milk is in the pan to heat, Dannon yogurt for a starter measured and waiting.  While making the yogurt the pie dough will be thawing.
 

I use the heating pad, 7 hour method and that is currently culturing and should be finished late this evening.

I made the tart for dinner. 

Dinner was a jar of home canned turkey vegetable soup and a slice of the tart. I am loving having these canned, ready-to-heat foods and unfortunately this was my last jar.

Ilene asked me about the cheese peppers so I thought I would show what I did with them.  They are very small, probably smaller than they should be because or our dreadful growing season.  I normally slice and dice peppers for the freezer but these were very small so I just washed and dried them and dropped them in a large freezer bag.  I love using them.  1 or 2 is the perfect size for most dishes.  I just run them under the cold water for a bit and then slice them down from top to bottom and then slice or dice.
I also did a bag of hot peppers this same way.  I will probably still process the larger bell peppers (if I grow some) the normal way so they won't take up so much space in the freezer.


This afternoon I whipped up (rather roughly) two new hot pads.  Mine were getting pretty sorry.

They aren't fancy, but they will work and I won't have to buy two and a kitchen towel (W-M) to get a POTHOLDER!