Sunday ~ September 22, 2013

"Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy.  Peace does not dwell

in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things

safely in His hands."            ~  Elisabeth Elliot

This Week On Leegacy Family Farm ~ 9/21/13

While we'd love to have an off-grid hydro system someday,  I'm sorry to say that the above picture isn't it.:)  Some of us spent some time in Gatlinburg, compliments of my mom,  but the four oldest sons ended up spending the past eight days in Texas and helping with a dear friends house.  And boy have we missed 'em! 

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork". ~ Psalm 19:1

Back at home, we've enjoyed beautiful blue skies, the last of the zinnias, working in the garden, and lots of adventure.  Wouldn't ya know it?  The cows seemed to know the minute we were short handed.  They all escaped into the wrong pasture about the time the fellas left.  But they didn't get far and they didn't eat the sorghum.:) Well, they haven't eaten much of it.

More of the farm chicks had begun to lay eggs when we returned from the trip and it was SO good to be back home.

Jake is recovering nicely from his little run in with a truck.

With tomorrow being the first day of fall and this weeks beautiful autumn like weather, we're thinking Thanksgiving turkey.    They're growing very nicely, and they seem to help protect the chickens from predators.

The sorghum appears to be almost ready and we've sure been praying that it will mature before the first frost. Otherwise, we'd lose it and it'd become animal feed. Someone mentioned that we might have an early one because the goldenrod bloomed early. 

But we will continue to pray and prepare, and we still have much to do with getting the press set up, a little sugar shack built, and a cooking pan located.  We'll make-do until we can set up a cooking shed like the one in Alabama, and we can't wait to see Jim and Jack (horses) at work again.  The local Amish, the experts, are already pressing, and we love to see them at work.

And the girls have still been canning and preparing apple butters, pear butters, and Bethany made a delicious batch of apple pie bars.  Yum!

And did I mention that the newer hens started laying?!  And that my youngest little girlies practiced cooking this weekend.  And that they've learned to make the BEST fried taters?!  They want to have their own cooking day.  Like the big girls.  But I failed to get a picture because the food they made was gobbled up before I could grab the camera.

Apple Cider Jam ~ has an aroma that makes a house smell like a home, but I haven't tried any of it yet.  New recipe.  The girls love finding recipes on Pinterest.  And the fellas are thankful they do.  My fellas can cook but prefer things that have to be cooked outside.:)  And popcorn.  And pancakes.

And lastly, I noticed Jeremiah preparing for Sunday and had to snap his picture. He was the man-of-the house this week, along with Little Man.  And now we all look forward to church and to tomorrow afternoon when, Lord willing, we will have more time to catch up with one another, rest, and share this seasons first bowls of warm chili, Johnny Cakes, and Tiff's yummy chocolate cake.  Hope you and yours are well.  And thanks for stopping by.   ~ Sherry

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. ~ Psalm 127:1

Harvest Time ~ Corn In A Pillowcase

Have you ever tried freezing corn in a pillowcase?  The whole ear.  Silks.  Husks.  Everything?

We really like it that way since it's quick, easy, and only the number of ears desired can be taken out, thawed, and cooked or grilled in the husk.  And it tastes so fresh.  A taste of summer to be enjoyed right in the middle of winter!

And with this weeks busyness of collecting the pears (above) for making pear preserves, making tomato paste from the last of the tomatoes, continuing to store away the ocra, making use of some perishing apples, and praying the sorghum will be ready before frost, we've been recalling every short cut we can think of!    

The corn-in-the-pillowcase tip was given to us by my mom a number of years ago.  And while we're just now beginning to prepare creamed corn and kernel corn to be enjoyed later on in soups, salads, cornbread, and a variety of other dishes.  And while much of it will be dried in the crib and used for next years seed, cornmeal, grits, and maybe some feed, we'll definitely plan to save some to be stored in pillowcases and in the freezer. 

How about you?  Do you have any favorite and/or tasty time savers during harvest time?

  Blessings

!

Sunday ~ 9/15/13

"This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience - it looks for a way of being constructive.

 

Love is not possessive. 

Love is not anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own ideas.

Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage.

Love is not touchy.

Love does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people.

  

                             On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
                             
                   Love knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope;

                     it can outlast anything.  It is, in fact, the one thing that stands when all else has

                            fallen."                   ~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be A Woman

This Week On Leegacy Family Farm - 9/7/13

  Life on Leegacy Family Farm has been busy this week, and we've been countin' our blessings.  What with the beautiful weather we've been having, we've found it difficult to stay inside for very long!

And with dreams of having a real working farm, we continue to try and get the old farm spruced up, fencing added, barns repaired, systems and spaces organized, and various other things.  This week we decided to pressure wash the house and one thing led to another.  Once the house was clean, it seemed logical that the porches should be repainted. 

Which is why all the rocking chairs are sitting in the front yard.

But once the work was done and the rockers put back in their places, we were very pleased with the results and ready to rest for a spell.  And cool off at the creek.  And admire the beautiful blue skies.

The painting continued on the side porch, and I love the light grey paint.  It actually looks blue to me.  And I do love blue.  My husband used to say that I'd probably paint the green grass blue.  If I could.:)  But green is also beautiful. :)

And since the porch was fresh and clean, the canning jars in the windows had to be washed, right?  Right!  Abi did think to turn them upside down instead of right side up.  Hopefully they won't get as dusty and be as hard to wash before canning.

And a friend of our family has provided a wonderful work opportunity.  He needs small trees for a project, and we have lots of little trees needing to be thinned out.

The three oldest fellas continue to milk in the mornings and evenings, build off-the-farm, and then come home and work in the evenings.  They are preparing a pole barn for this years hay and some traveled to Alabama for the day to help my dad (Papa) on some projects he can't so easily do anymore.

We continue to enjoy the ocra this year.  Yum!  And we continue to experiment with just how many vegetable plants we need to grow to feed our family and have some extra.  Always lots to learn around here!

And the girls have been canning apple pectin, apple butter, and LOTS of the last of the tomatoes for this year.  And preparing a fall garden.

Saving to buy a little piglet.  Like Farmer Boy.

Bethany's been canning and sewing.  And canning some more.

Re-stocking the pantry with this years bounty.  We are thankful!

If the grandparents are reading, I'll have to post later about their little job!

The jars on the left are green tomatoes.  The West Ladies gave us the recipe and it's also in their cookbook.  Do you have a copy?  If not, you can purchase directly from them on their Homestead Blessings website!  Won't those be delicious this winter?  Reminders of summer time fried green tomatoes.

This week has also included good food (chickens turned out extra tasty this year),  good fellowship with new friends and old,  and trips to the creek to cool off and celebrate the completion of a days work and blessings.

Tiffiny (and others) keep the good bread coming.  And Emi stays busy making the butter for this large crew.:)

And now it's time to wrap up another week and prepare for the best day of all.  Sunday!  From our home to yours, hope you have a VERY blessed weekend.

While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, shall not cease.   Genesis 8:22