Lost Arrow Acres Oat Waffles

I felt a bit creative, and since I can't hold a crayon straight, or not get tangled up in yarn and thread, I have to be in the kitchen or near music.  This week I was in the kitchen and decided to experiment with my waffle maker.

They actually turned out really good.  Umm...I didn't get pictures this time and I am afraid they are all gone, but they were beautiful, really.

My recipe:

1/2 c. quick oats
1 1/2 c. unbleached flour (I used King Arthur)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 c. homemade goat milk yogurt (heaping)
1 1/2 c. raw goat milk
3 Tbs. raw sugar (turbinado)
1 Rita egg (duck)
1/3 c. coconut oil (almost melted in the warmth of the kitchen)

I put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and combined them.  I mixed the milk, yogurt, egg and oil in a separate bowl and then combined.  I used 1/2 c. measuring cup per waffle.  This made exactly 8 waffles.

The family enjoyed these waffles.  We ate them warm as breakfast with maple syrup and grass-fed butter.  We even had them as an afternoon pick-me-up, plain and it was tasty that way too!

I would like to tweak this a bit more to use our honey and maybe add some flax meal for extra nutrients, but then again, maybe not.   Let me know if you have a favorite waffle recipe!

I promise, pics next time.  :(

Menu Monday-Food Friday. Everyday Edibles...Whatever!

This week, as usual, didn't go as planned.  We had some extra expense relating to animals and bees and thus my menu and grocery list had to change a bit too.  

Last Saturday we did go strawberry picking.  I got the pie made. Used mom's recipe, but next time I will use butter, not Crisco...what was I thinking!  It was fine, but I just prefer to stay away from that when I can.  I  froze 4 quarts of sweetened berries.  I did not make the 
not make jam or a cake.  I have my reasons!  It was one of THOSE kitchen days.  I dropped everything, including the Sam's size cornstarch. Not too good.  We do have some fresh, sweetened berries in the fridge to eat too. 

  

I got the trail mix made and bagged, hubby's oats made and bagged.  Pancakes made and put in the freezer.

I did not freeze any biscuits or some of the other things that I had planned, but let's not dwell on the negative...

Anyway I hope you have a productive, healthy week.

No Summer Garden

I am sad.  Because I am SO behind in anything gardening, there is not going to be an early summer garden.

I am hopeful.  Because I am going to sow seeds and hope for a wonderful late summer / early fall garden.

Mail order seeds that have been patiently waiting

Not the best sowing medium, but it is what I have on hand.
Fingers crossed. 

Tomatoes, peppers (hot and sweet), squash

Last year was so hot, but because I had soaker hoses and everything going well by this time and was still at home full-time, the garden did very well. This year...only the Lord can help me.  Let's bow our heads now.

Time to Make the Laundry Soap

I wish I knew the last time I made my detergent...I can't say how long it lasted.  Yes, I could do some research and let you know exactly, but I really need to do other things.  ( I will make tags/labels so I can let you know next time.)

 This was just enough to get one more bottle out of it.  I am really glad this batch is finally done.  It was actually a fail.  I did not let my soap melt well enough and it made very clumpy soap.
I don't scent the whole bucket though because I am a bit fickle, only the bottles.   My new favorite flavor is peppermint, tea tree and sweet orange. I love the way that essential oil combination makes my clothes faintly smell.  I also will add eucalyptus in a bottle every now and again.  I am sorry, but I am tired of all things lavender smelling. I have always been a citrusy girl anyway.

 All the empty buckets, dippers, bottles and things need a good scrubbing to get rid of the soap buildup.  Not a hard chore at all.

I know I have showed this before and probably have better pictures.  I grated one laundry soap bar (the smaller the grate the better and faster) and melted in about 4 cups of water on the stove.  Once that was melted (about 30-45 minutes),  I add 1 cup of washing soda, a little over 1/2 a cup of borax and 8 cups of hot tap water to my bucket and start stirring.  I slowly add the melted soap into the bucket, trying to avoid making too many bubbles that will turn to a top layer of foam.  I get that all thick and pasty and then begin adding hot water (8 cups at a time and stirring) until the bucket is full.  Right now this is sitting and melding and gelling.  Tomorrow morning I will open the lid of the bucket and get my hands in there to break it up and get it as smooth and combined as possible and let it sit until I am ready for it.  It will actually be another week since I just made a fresh bottle this morning.  No more worries for months! Yay!!

To-Do Tuesday 4.25.17

This week's inside chores:  It's getting warmer and I have to sleep cool, so our room has a window unit, probably a bit overkill since we just had a new central air unit installed this fall.  Nonetheless, the window unit stays and I need to make sure the filter is clean and ready for night use.  This week I really want to get the sunroom area cleaned up so that we can continue to work in there: clean off scaffolding, move portable AC to kitchen, sweep and make sure hubby has everything he needs to mud and tape and prep for primer.  If it gets done I will prime the drywall this week.  I also need to clean up around the other side of the new wall to prep for insulation installation and hanging of the drywall-sounds like an Olympic event!  
I need to clean off my canned goods rack. We are down to a couple of tomatoes, a couple of sloppy joes, several canned chicken breasts and maybe even a taco sauce.  I think I have a strawberry jam left too.  I should probably consider making more since now is the season.  I need to declutter the empty jars that we have been using for milk storage.  I would like to make some goat milk yogurt this week as well, maybe add a little freshly picked strawberry to it.  Mmmm!  As mentioned Friday, I need to get some baked goods in the freezer.  My goal is a couple of extra batches of pancakes, 1 batch of buttermilk biscuits (which is about 20-22 biscuits), a couple of extra pizza doughs.  I also want to make sure hubby has his oats and everyone has trail mix for lunch boxes/bags. 

This week's outside chores:   It's that time of year where we need to be outside the most, so this list usually stays the longest.  Continue to work in the garden area: clean a section at a time, till as we go, lay black plastic in another area.  Sow a few more tomatoes and peppers for our extremely late garden.  Make sure the soaker hose is in good shape.  Repair the garden hose.  I will need to buy a repair kit at Home Depot (use my Christmas gift cards). We are going to start fencing an area that I originally planned to free range our chickens, but first we are going to let Mad Max clean it up a bit for us.  There is a lot of briers and honeysuckle vines and low hanging oak and cedar scrub that he will adore!  We have our corner posts in and need to purchase some T-posts and the 4x4 goat fence, 220 feet will work just fine, and we also need to install a gate.  How much of this can we accomplish this week in reality.  I am hoping that we can get the T-posts in and the gate purchased.  The bees need honey supers added NOW! As you know, the one chemical that I use on the place is fireant killer. We didn't get to this early and now we are paying the price, but it's time to get out the sprayer and poison and kill the little...Lord, forgive me my curse-word thoughts...

Now I just need to figure where we are going to get the time and money for all of these things-no problem, right? 
FINDING TIME:  First, everyone needs to walk away from the Netflix.  Put the remote down and back up slowly, hands up while I shut the TV cabinet (yes, I have one of those old-fashioned TV cabinets, okay!-you know I like to live in the past 100 years to about 1990 anyway).  TV is only for the winter!  Back, I say! Wait, not that far!  Put down that fishing pole!!  *sigh* 

Menu Monday 4.24.17

Last week (Friday), after getting back in the swing of things in the kitchen, I combined Menu Monday and Food Friday.  What is the difference?  Monday I am supposed to plan the menu and grocery list and make sure everything should fit into my budget.  Friday is the proof of what I REALLY did, including pictures, prices and changes I may have made.  

This week's prepping includes:  (This is a repeat of Food Friday this week, sorry!)
Peanut butter sandwiches.  I did get a loaf of bread to make PB&J to put in the freezer for their lunches.  
Trail mix.  I am running low on chocolate chips and will add it to my Sam's club shopping cart online so as not to forget. 
Hubby's oats.  Need to add powdered milk to my list. 
BAKING:  I need to make buttermilk biscuits to freeze and pizza.  Also need to make and bake a pie shell for my first strawberry pie. 

This week's supper menu, in no particular order:
Tacos/taco salad
Meatloaf, smashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits
Pork roast with carrots and potatoes, salad, leftover green beans
Grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes, leftover corn/green beans, homemade bread and butter
Crockpot roast with carrots and potatoes, salad, leftover bread
Spaghetti, broccoli, salad, cottage cheese
Eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, milk


Lunches include: 
Frozen or fresh PB&J, banana or apple, trail mix
Sliced Turkey tenderloin and swiss sandwiches, fruit salad, trail mix
Meatloaf sandwiches, chips, cucumbers, orange or apple
Grilled BBQ chicken thighs, corn, homemade coleslaw, baked beans, lemonade
Tuna salad sandwich, apple, cucumber, trail mix OR tuna with rotel tomatoes, black beans, avocado, apple or orange
BBQ pork sandwiches, coleslaw, beans
Vegetable soup using all left over veggies and beef and grilled cheese

Aldi grocery list:
Oranges, 4lbs $1.79 (fruit salad, snack fruits)
Hamburger   $8.95 for 5lbs.  (Meatloaf, taco meat, freeze into patties for later)
Pineapple $1.29 (Fruit salad, smoothies)
Mini cucumbers $1.19 1lb bag (Lunches, salads)
Strawberries 1 lb $1.49 (fruit salad)
Cantaloupe $.99 each (fruit salad, snack fruit, freeze for smoothies)
Chicken thighs $.69 lb. (Grilled chicken thighs, bone broth, dog food)
Turkey tenderloin $5.99 (Bake and slice for lunch meat)
Pork loin $1.69 lb (Oven roast, grilled chops, BBQ sandwich)
Chuck roast $3.89 (Crockpot beef roast with potatoes, carrots)
Tortilla "scoops" $1.79 (Snack, taco night)
Salsa $1.49
Mexicorn $.89 (Taco night) Stock up on about 10 of these. 
Dry black beans $2.49 for 2lbs (taco night, tuna lunch, can in pint jars)
Diced tomatoes with chilies (Rotel) $.45 (taco night, tuna lunch)  Stock up on 10 of these.

Other things to find: 
Cheddar cheese, carrots, romaine, tomato sauce if no home-canned spaghetti sauce left,
butter, cottage cheese, jelly, apples, bananas, sandwich bread, baked beans(Publix deal), lemons, cabbage, tuna (Publix deal), avocado, american cheese.  

I will give the final results Friday! 

Have a blessed week! 

Quintuplet Update

They are doing well for the most part.  I do worry about the girl, Gypsy (short for Gypsophila).  She is smaller than the boys and does not seem to be able to digest as well. She is not as playful and never wags her tail when she is drinking her bottle of momma's milk.  Time will tell.

They have been moved around because of overfeeding, bullying, underfeeding.  I have learned a lot about having a herd set up and we are continuing to make improvements through trial and error.

As of right now they are in the fenced garden area.  (No, I do not have my garden going yet this year-oh the woes of the working wanna be farmgirl!!)

The boys being lazy while Gypsy keeps guard.

Free mineral and baking soda for all

New places in the garden to explore; good thing nobody cleaned up this winter!

The abandoned asparagus patch

The old rooster house in the garden will be an excellent shelter for the babies
until a more permanent home is made

I am hoping the babies will help clean up the grass and briers that the roosters did not.  Shelter, sun, shade, food and water.  Hopefully everything they need until they are sold!  So, any takers?  Just let me know if we need to band them/castrate them for you!