Here it is...December 2012

And all is well.

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful, table over flowing with food, laughter and people. We had a great time!

Before carnage of course

I did get nervous this year. I was trying out a 'new' way to cook a turkey and I will say this..it turned out FABULOUS! I say thank you to my friend Johnnie for telling me about it.
Wanna know the secret? Ok..here it is. Don't be shocked and don't be shy to try it (with more then just a turkey)
Then next time you go to the grocery store, tell them you want 'paper' and get yourself a large brown paper sack. Yep..you heard me..a large brown paper sack. Take your turkey (or chicken or roast) and do whatever it is you like to do to your turkey (I injected mine a bit and rubbed butter all over it) and then..slip it nice and comfy down in that brown paper bag. Fold up the opening and staple it closed. Slip it into your roasting pan. Slide it in your preheated oven (not too hight 325 is good) and leave it alone for the required cooking time. (Mine was 4 hours)

You can't peek, so have faith. I fretted all day because the bag keeps EVERYTHING inside. You won't even be able to smell this badboy cooking. NOPE!
TRUST ME..when the time is up and you remove that bird..and open that bag..magic happens! It comes out just as brown and juicy....as you'd always dreamed and hoped your bird would. Try it..you'll like it!

Christmas/Yule is just around the corner! Are you ready? I have two more things to pick up and I'm done! I started wrapping a few days ago and hope to finish up today.

As you can see, I decorated the blog for the winter season..I guess the house is next!

Time to drag out the tree!

Till next time...

TURNIPS! (free no less!)

It's a beautiful day here on our little acre (or so) of comfort. The temps are low, the humidity is still hanging on, and the sun is hiding behind a river of overcast. It's all good though because today..it's TURNIP DAY!

Unfortunately the hubs and I did not plant a fall garden this year, but a friend of mine at work had a family member that seemed to be overun in turnips. Did I turn them down..OH NO NO NO! I met her today and she handed me over a mighty fine picking of turnips..tops and bottoms! (some were already cleaned and ready for the pot even! How cool is that!?)

I culled through the free bounty of greens, putting aside some for us and some for the furbabies (aka: bunnies) See..bunnies love turnip greens. You just can't feed them solely on them, but as an addition to their regular fare..they love them.
Here's proof!

The tops that I sat aside for the bunnies were bundled up, ready to dry for winter use (of course, I gave them some fresh) and the ones for us were washed, added to the prewashed ones and into the pot they went. Some Boston butt end portions rounding out the pot. :)

Can anyone guess what's for dinner??

I saved aside some turnip cuttings and a few of the stem cuttings for the bunnies for later this week as well. I'll wash these and put them in the fridge to keep them fresh. My bunnies are spoiled.

Till next time....
Down on the Farm

Full to bursting!

We've added to our flock again..this time, with rabbits.

We are the proud owners of 5, 8 week old baby rabbits. All are New Zealand whites crossed with Californian. Both.. a large meat rabbit breed. They are adorable and I know the kiddos are just going to love them!!

I will post some pics as soon as I can get some!

And as the title of this post suggest..the house IS full to bursting. Full of preserved food, stocked food and supplies to last us the long winters night through.

The bursting part is the sad part though. Yesterday, I decided it was time to practice with my new 'critter chasing gun'...a small 410 shotgun that I bought for myself to help protect the farm critters from the natural hunters of the wild (ie: bobcats, coyotes..etc)
Now, one must remember that our 'adopted' and rescued Great Pyrenees, Baxter is petrified of gunfire. He runs, bolts the fence, climbs mountains in great leaps and bounds and does whatever he can do to run as far as he can from the sound. (we are supposing that he was shot at many times in his wild and free youth!)

Anyway, we secured Baxter in the house and took the gun to the back of the lot and commenced to 'learning' the ins and outs of this particular model. Midway through the training and practice, hubs stops and says "I just heard a "POP" in the house"...*uhooh!..

We finished up quickly and came inside. Baxter was needless to say, trying his best to escape out the front window of the house, but found himself in a sorrowful predicament. He was stuck. Half on the couch, half off the couch, wedged behind the end table. This is what we saw when we entered the house.

Just open the window george..I'll get outta here!

He looked so pitiful..but all we could do was laugh. We rescued the rescued dog. He continued to tremble and 'hide' for the next 1/2 hour though. He's a mess.
Problem was...:We were so entertained by the stuck dog that we failed to find what may have caused the "POP' that the hubs heard.
Now...come to this morning. It's early early early and Pixie our temporary house guest (read: Son and DIL's cat) was insistent that I check our her food bowl. Alas, I walked into the craft room where I am keeping her dish (away from the other animals so they don't eat it..it isn't working)..and what to my wonderous eyes should appear but a mess that I could not wrap my brain around.
Chaos unbelievable.
It looks almost like a war had gone on in this room, there was even BLOOD on the floor...................wait. That's not blood..that's tomatoes. Wait....................WTH?  (blink blink)

This was how my mind reacted to the chaos.
(sadly..I did not think of taking a pic)

What I had truly found was the "POP" that was heard yesterday. 9 quarts of canned tomatoes were smashed, broken and spilled all over the floor, along with 5 pints of fruit and nut conserve. (all canned by me just two days prior) Skeins and balls of yarn were tossed about harry-carry, paintings and canvases littered the floor. WTH had transpired in here? This was the work of a scare-dy cat dog, named Baxter, who was trying to escape out the window, or into the pantry..anywhere he could to get away from the gunfire.

Egads what a mess. After the clean up, we discovered there were 5 quarts of the tomatoes and 4 pints of  conserve still intact. This was lucky. Still, it is sad to loose any canned supplies ..all the work...I nearly cried. But..now you know the 'bursting' part.  

Ohh the tragedy! But alas..Baxter is still safe (and still a scare-dy cat), 5 jars and 4 pints were still saved, the mess cleaned up and here we are...early morning of another day.

Sir Baxter the Wuss of Sagewood Farm

Welcome to our chaotic farm life! Critters..gotta love em.
See ya next time..down on the farm!

Fall has arrived!!

Well, here we are into October, Halloween just around the corner. Our weather has taken a change for the better..we still have a few 80 degree days, but all in all, it's pleasant enough that our air has been turned off! WOOHOOO! This is a good thing.

Over the past week we've canned up 12 quarts of potatoes, 16 pints of pears and 12-1/2 pints of onions. We've filled the freezer with venison and various other meats and stocked the pantry with  good sale items! Bring on the winter storms..we are ready!

(sad thing..the south doesn't get much in winter storms, but I can pretend and prepare anyway!)

We've been working on the rabbit hutch, making repairs and changing a few things about in it. Not only have we added to our poultry flock, but Rabbits are on the list to gain soon. I suppose in a few weeks we'll be on the search for the bunnies..for now, preps for their home must be finished.

Seems like I can't catch up on the housework as of late..what with working, the final crop harvesting, canning and preserving along with the holidays looming ahead, the house work seems to be the last on the list. Unfortunately, my energy runs out long before I get to the bottom of the list!! LOL


I've got a few more seeds to order for next year, but alas, my biggest seed purchase for some herbs and the like is complete and in place in my seed box. As far as herbs go..and most veggies, I'm ready for next year! How about you?

Life on the farm, even a small one, is busy from spring till fall. Winter it seems is our 'down' time..a time to relax. Even then if one thinks about it, Winter is a busy season too with handiwork. Way back when, clothes were made, blankets knitted or crocheted, quilts finished up, along with various outside work that could be done. Life in general is busy. Busy is good.

Till next time..down on the farm,

Adding to the flock!

Well..today we added a few more chooks to the mix of chooks we have. We purchased 10 Golden sex links..all hens (a breed I have never had before) and I'm still on the lookout for a 'sitter'.  Rhodies nor Sex-links are prone to 'sitting' a nest.  I'm hoping to find someone who may have a Orpington, Barred Rock or Dominque they are no longer wish to keep because she has gone broody..I hear tell they are good broody hens and mothers...I can always hope! We would like our 'flock' to self perpetuating. I know many don't want that..but we do. :) I'll take natures incubator over an electric one any day. :)

We'll be starting to revamp the small garden with this coming fall. It has to be totally redone. New fencing, new posts....boxes removed..tilled several times...and on and on. We are planning on only tending the smaller garden next year, instead of the bigger one or both.

Currently we are on the lookout for a few rabbits to add to the chaos here. Searching for the big white meat rabbits..New Zealand whites..need just two..one male, one female.
I guess we are creating an 'eden' here! LOL

But..that's all the news for now..see you soon!

Hiatus over

Well, after my hiatus, and job secured (sort of) I'm back.

Life always gives each of us different loads to carry, and with the coming of this year, my load was a heavy one. Personal loads for the most part. Having taken time and working through some things, life seems to be getting more on a track to normalcy again.

I spent a week over the summer on Emerald Isle in NC had a blast...wine was flowing. I've worked in the garden now and again and put up plenty of pickles and relish for the year and now it seems pear season has waltzed in while I wasn't looking. Pears will be heavy on the bedroom floor this weekend. (pears do not ripen on the trees, you have to pick them and then lay them out for about 2 weeks)

The one job I was hoping would come through did. (months after I expected it) but nonetheless, I am now working there as a temp. I'm loving it so far, and I hope I can get on permanently. The hours can seem daunting, but they are not so bad once you start doing them. 3 days at 14 hour shifts (with one hour for lunch) Of course, it helps that the workplace is very relaxed and homelike. We even have a full kitchen in which we can all go and cook if we so choose. 
 I've been doing a bit of crafting (not as much as I would like), making a few pieces of clothes for the grands here and there and just small stuff generally. I'm hoping that the job will allow me to do even more since we are allowed to take in hand work.

The holidays are nearly here much to our dismay. I've done some Yule shopping already. Every time I went into the store, I'd go through the 'reduced' area (mostly summer toys) and pick up one for each of the grands. I've got a good little load and if you add that to the few clothes I am making, they should have a nice Yule morning.

Summer was hot here..but we seemed to have had more rain the we did last year. Our garden did not do as well as I would have liked, our tomatoes flopped and I don't think anyone has had any decent bell peppers in years. Sad thing too. Next year, if I do a garden, I'm hoping to do a few things differently (like keep the hubs out!) LOL just kidding. I do believe next year, I will only work the small box garden. Give the big garden a years rest.  I keep telling the hubs we need to amend the soil over there, but he just doesn't seem to believe me or doesn't want to spend the money or time to do it. Probably a bit of both, but if we want a successfull garden we are going to have to. Otherwise, we are doing what my mama always said 'throwing good money after bad'.....

The Grands are growing and getting older as we all do. Brayden is now 4 with Ciannon running right behind him (turning 4 in Nov) and of course Lillian to be 3 in Dec. All so close in age. Ciannon and Brayden will be heading off to school next year I believe. Oh how the time does fly.

We had a small family gathering (reunion) over the summer. It was good to see so many together again, some I had not seen in years and years. It was good. We drove up on a Friday and came back on a Sunday so it was a quick trip for sure, but a good one nonetheless.

Well, I guess that's about it for an 8 month update! I'm hoping to post more often with goings on around the farm. We shall see. Life still has a way of staying busy and well, busy is better then boring. :)

See you next time....down on the farm.

Happy New Year

It has been a while since I've posted here..I know it..so shoot me. I hope everyone had a grand Thanksgiving, Yule and New Year!  Ours has been pretty good so far. Pretty normal actually..not too many changes in life, and sometimes that's a good thing I guess. I mean..who want's tons of changes coming at ya at once anyway?

Just like everyone else in the world, I'm currently looking for a job. I've applied at a few places and hope to hear something this month from at least one. I don't want to go back to work, but right now, I find it's an important thing to do, at least till the end of the year.

It is unfortunate though that when I go to work, gardens are usually out the window. Neither of us (hubs) or myself will have time for them. I may try to just do the small box garden this year and nothing more. Sad really. I guess this is the same dilemma that many in two income household face. Lack of time.

I plan on doing some 'stocking up' this year. Dry products and things that have no real expiration date so to speak. Flour, sugar, rice, oatmeal, honey. Basics. The money from me working will help out in this way a lot. So there is a plus to everything I guess.

I've been doing some cleaning and clearing out in all those places we sometimes forget about or ignore for the longest time. Like, drawers, and cabinets and under sinks. This week, I get to tackle the kitchen drawers. Empty them, clean them, root through the stuff, toss what's not needed and re-organize the drawers. This is a good thing, really. I did under the kitchen sink last week. It looks fab under there now. Clean and organized.

It's funny how sometimes the smallest of accomplishments will give you the greatest amounts of pleasure and satisfaction. I like it. :)

Well, there it is, my first post to Sagewood for the new year of 2012. Just a small update to tell you where I am in life. Same spot really. Just plugging along, as most are doing. :)

Have a great week!!

Till next time