Animals

Home Grown and Home Made!

Before I jump into today's post,

I have to give a big shout of "thanks" out to

Jim and Kathy, Anna, Amanda, Tim, Shannon, Ben and Kara....

for helping out with farm chores while we were in Alaska!

(Oh, and did I mention that the salmon were running while we were there?

Unreal!)

It was wonderful to take this trip knowing that all of our beloved friends at home

were well cared for!!

THANKS!

One visit to the garden told me that we had had rain while we were away.

Everything grew like weeds. (including the weeds!)

I spent a good part of the past couple days weeding and harvesting.

We are inundated with tomatoes, corn, peppers, cabbage, beets, leeks, onions,

and ground cherries.

We had so many hot peppers to preserve that I had to call in the HazMat team!

With the help of Hubbs and Amanda,

who lovingly offered to clean, cut and chop the hot peppers for me,

I canned 12 pints of hot pepper relish.

We love spicy food, so this will be our #1 condiment in the months to come.

With the tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and herbs,

we made a huge pot of homegrown spaghetti sauce to which we added some of our
local, grass fed beef (ground).
Hearty meat sauce!

(Note the sign that sits on the backsplash of the stove.

a little tongue in cheek humor!)

Tim and Amanda tried their hand at homemade pasta.

Farm fresh eggs and Italian style flour (from King Arthur Flour Co.)...

made a wonderful yellow dough that they worked through the pasta machine....

producing the most beautiful spaghetti...

cooked al denté, that tasted fabulous!

Homegrown and homemade from start to finish!

Delicioso!

While we were gone, our guinea graduates from the Birdbrain Academy

started roosting in the old pine tree by the barn.

It seems that their schooling paid off.

They spend their days with the "smart" guineas...

(yes, I realize that is an oxymoron - as any of you with guinea experience will attest to!)

hanging out on the farm, hunting for bugs,

and sounding the alarm when anything out of the ordinary happens.

So far, we have suffered no losses....

almost a miracle with guineas!

I am so happy to be back to my regular routine of caring for our beloved furry and feathered friends!

Travel is fun (once in a great while),

but, farm life is simple and satisfying.

It's where I am happiest!

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Animals