The Birthday

Saturday was Lydia's 11th birthday! She has grown up so much in the last year! My little girl looks like a young lady. When did this happen?

She celebrated by having a few girls over for a slumber party. They laughed and giggled well past midnight, and were right back at it by 8AM. They were so funny to listen to. Hard to believe how fast these kids are becoming young adults. It is a very bittersweet season for this momma!

Mustard -n- Maple Pork Loin

Pork loin is my favorite cut of pork, well besides bacon that is. The loin is tender, juicy and versatile. The flavor is best when the roast has a nice layer of fat on the top. The loin can be sliced and used as boneless chops, but in the winter we mostly use it as a roast.

I made this Mustard -n- Maple Pork Loin for dinner last week. It was delicious.


Mustard - n- Maple Pork Loin

Ingredients:
Pork Loin 3-4 Pounds
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C spicy mustard
2 TB maple syrup
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped.
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients, except the meat, together. Put the loin in and turn several times to cover entirely. Allow to marinate for at least one hour, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 375. Place loin in a pan, fat side up. Cover with the remaining marinade. Roast for about 1 hour, until meat thermometer reads 150 in the center of the roast. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.

For the Farm 2013

The past few years have been about pulling back, finding our feet again, and regrouping. We are still in that process, but things are much more manageable than they once were. Our little farm is a lot different than it was a few years ago. I miss the variety of animals we once had, but the changes were necessary. Someday, we may add back animals, but at this time our focus is not there.

We have had beef cows from the beginning. Our cows are pastured in fields belonging to neighbors. Our hay is cut from the neighbor's property. Maintaining those fence lines, pastures, and fields, just doesn't make sense when we are having a hard time keeping our own property under control. The last two steers are about ready to go. That will be the end (for now) of us raising beef. 

The hogs do well in the woods, and I think they are my favorite farm animal. They are pretty self sufficient. They are hardy. Their fencing requirements are simple; two or three strands of electric. The breeding stock are relatively tame, and if they happen to get out of the fence, they follow me right back in. The feeder hogs aren't always so co-operative, but then they aren't around for long, and they are mighty tasty.

We are keeping a boar, and four sows. We need to get another sectioned fenced off so we can rotate our pastures more efficiently. Somehow, we need to get these sows to co-operate and farrow together. We'd like to have two farrow with in a day or two of each other. Even though they visit the boar at the same time, they never seem to farrow together. 

We started a new system for the laying hens. We are buying a different breed each year. Last year we bought Light Brahmas. The breed for 2013 has yet to be determined.  Nolan wants Buff Brahmas. He likes their feathered feet. The idea is if we get a different breed every year, we will have a steady supply of good layers, and I will know which hens are ready to become stew.

We have a good system for raising broilers. We are using smaller and mobile pens to keep them on pasture. We have plans to convert a goat shed for chicken use. This will allow us to raise more than last year. Predators are a constant concern, and I've been keeping my eyes open for the right working dog to help protect the flocks. I've also been dabbling with the idea of raising another poultry species for meat. Still thinking about that one. 

Another project in the beginnings of a plan has me very excited. We would like to clear off several acres of land. The land we are clearing is relatively flat, and will give us more room for vegetable crops, and dare I dream, an orchard! Our property is entirely forested. The only cleared spaces are areas that were cleared for houses or utilities. From those we've carved a couple small garden areas, and we borrow a good sized garden spot from the neighbor, but it really isn't enough. I am so excited to plan uses for that space. A high tunnel, an orchard, and lots of garden space are all in the plans. It will take some time, and likely a lot of deer fencing, but I can't wait to see this project move forward. I hope to be able to use some of that space this summer.

Other things in the realm of possibilities are growing mushrooms, and making maple syrup. Kellen marked off some maple trees last summer. So, now is the time, for us to gather the supplies and make this happen. Mushrooms are another project we can be ready for quickly.

The farm has changed. I do miss having the variety of animals, but we just can't make it work now. Our goals now involve keeping projects manageable and working with the resources of our property. I am looking forward to 2013!

Scotch Pancakes

Kellen is a kid with many talents, but some of those talents he likes to keep hidden. One of his hidden talents is cooking. He almost never voluntarily helps with the cooking when I am home, but when I am gone it is a different story. He makes all kinds of things, from scratch, when I'm out running errands without kids. He has made bread sticks, cinnamon rolls, and more. His latest culinary adventure was Scotch Pancakes, and all the kids loved them so much, they asked me to make them again today for lunch.

I have used My Favorite Pancake recipe for years, but Kellen found this recipe in the same cookbook, a few pages over.

Scotch Pancakes
2 C Flour
3 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 TB shortening (I used lard)
1 C sour milk (add 1 TB lemon juice to sour milk)
2 eggs lightly beaten

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in lard with a pastry blender. Add milk and beat well. Add eggs. Cook on a hot griddle, but only use a small amount of batter for each pancake.

The batter is extremely thick, and I was a little leery of how these would turn out. I worried for nothing. They  turned out light, but with a lot more flavor than the other recipe I've been using. They are a little tricky to cook though. They don't bubble up like most pancakes do. Watch the edges. Watch the top. When the edges look a bit set, and the top starts to look less glossy, they are ready to flip.

I made a quadruple batch for this crew (and they ate almost all of them,) served them up with sausage and real maple syrup. It made for a very delicious and satisfying Saturday lunch.

The only thing wrong with this meal is that I did the cooking! What was I thinking? Kellen found the recipe, and has made them before, why didn't he cook for all of us? ;)

2012 in Review

Life has moved at such an incredibly quick pace these last few years. I can hardly remember what happened last week, let alone last month. That is why I blog, you know.

This morning I took a few minutes to go back and look at my posts from 2012. This year my posts were full of stories about the kids, pictures of the farm doings, and my reflections on the busyness of life and the rapid maturing of my children. Pretty typical, yet 2012 contained a lot of catching up posts instead of individual stories; a reflection of our busy life I guess.

2012 brought us some crazy weather. We had the Derecho, and Hurricane Sandy. We had a great time showing llamas this summer with Annie. Kellen attended CTY summer camp, an experience that made a big impact on him. There are a disproportionate amount of stories on this blog about Nolan. He is such a character, and gives so many opportunities for a good story. Like this one where he claimed to be "African Starving." That phrase has stuck with us.  I love this story where Lydia has a creative solution to help her sister. And Vivian is firmly rooted in her place as the Baby of the Family.

Some of my posts were a little sappy in 2012. I resolved to Enjoy the Journey. I realized that my kids are growing up, and that I love the New Phase we are in. And on a lighter note, watching My Morning Entertainment, still brings a smile to my face.

Facebook has also compiled a Year in Review. I have to admit that Facebook has been detrimental to my blogging. Many stories are shared there, and don't make it to this format. Like this summer Lydia performing at a fundraiser for a friend. She had practiced this song for months, but she shocked us all with how comfortable she was on stage.

This one from Vivian in January of 2012 has to be recorded here.

This morning we were watching a video of jellyfish when Vivian pipes up, "I know how they see. They see with their testicles."

And then we had a lesson on pronouncing the word "tentacles."  

Happy New Year everyone!

Of all the Things

We aren't big TV watchers, but in these winter months when it is dark by six, the screen does come on quite frequently. We aren't big fans of most network shows. We don't have cable or satellite, but we do have Netflix. I love being able to pick our shows and movies, and to watch without commercials.

Tim and I love that some of the shows we loved growing up can be watched again. The kids however, are not thrilled with most of our nostalgic picks. They thought MacGyver was the cheesiest thing they ever saw. Lydia was angry that the Little House series did not follow the books. Wonder Years they just didn't get. They showed a brief interest in the Cosby Show, but that was fleeting. What they do like is unbelievable to me.

A few months back Kellen came across this video somewhere on the internet:

Do you recognize that super hero in spandex and pink? Yes, He Man. The kids did not know, but Tim had to show them. And guess what He Man is on Netflix. Personally, I did not watch this as a kid, but Tim did. He told the kids all about how he used to watch as he waited for the bus. He was always frustrated because the bus came before the show ended. He never got to see how the story was resolved. He wasn't missing much.

Our kids think this is a great show, and they have even found He Man's sister, She Ra. Really? Really?! We are watching He Man and She Ra instead of Laura Ingalls? Of all the things.....

Christmas 2012

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with my brother Jake and his family. We had a great time playing games, opening gifts, and eating (my favorite part of the holidays!)

We  started with candy making. We made turtles and chocolate covered pretzels Saturday afternoon, and the kids spent a lot of time playing the Wii U, and running outside.

Lydia and Vivian. Viv was covered in chocolate by the end. 

Elise cheesin' it up. 

Dylan enjoying the end product.

Sunday morning the first item on the agenda was opening gifts.

Jude and his candy mustache. 

Kellen is a little possessive of his new edition of "Lord of the Rings."  

My mom had an extra special gift for Jake and I. She took quilt blocks that my grandmother had pieced, and appliqued and framed them. The pieces of the design were made from clothing my mom and her siblings wore as children. My frame had one of these flower designs with another Sunbonnet Sue square. My grandmother made me a quilt of that pattern when I was a little girl. This square was an extra that she made. Sadly, my childhood quilt has been lost, but I love that mom captured a bit of it for me in this framed piece! 

Jake's quilt frame. 

 Our Christmas food traditions are a little unusual, but we certainly enjoy them. We had seafood stew, cheesecake, and homemade bread. Oh my, how I love Christmas dinner. After lunch, there was more Wii U, more playing in the woods, and we decorated salt dough ornaments.

It really was a great weekend, and a great way to kick off our Christmas celebrations.

Then and Now

Going through some old pictures, I came across these. Less than four years ago, the kids pooled their money together to purchase the Wii. Then they created a chart to track their savings. They were so proud and excited to be able to meet their goal!

April, 2009

And this year. No chart, but look at those proud (and grown up) faces. 

Dec 2012

Life in the Fast Lane

We live in the woods. We tend to animals, homeschool, cook from scratch, and do a lot of things many would consider old fashioned. This is the quiet simple life. Or is it?

I began this blog after we moved here, almost seven years ago. For me blogging was a way to keep in touch with far away family and friends. It was also my version of scrap booking and photo albums. It was a way for me to preserve the memories. I remember the early days when the kids would say something cute or something interesting would happen on the farm, I'd be running to the computer to tell the story.

A lot has changed since then. We have more farm responsibilities, and more off farm activities. We are doers. It doesn't matter if we live in the city or the country we tend to say, "yes" to things. After seven years of living here, we have said "yes" to a lot of things, and now find ourselves just as, and likely more, busy than we've ever been.

Now, the kids' funny little stories are more likely to end up on Facebook because it is quick and easy. Larger stories get piled up in my head waiting their turn to be shared on the blog. And when I finally get around to putting those stories down it comes out as a synopsis of many stories instead of individual memories and stories. Kind of like today's post.

So, about a month ago, Nolan and Kellen were playing on the roof of our storage shed. Nolan decided he wanted to jump off of it onto a pile of 2x4's about 15 feet down. Kellen tells Nolan, "Sure you can make it. Go for it." Did I mention he was wearing Crocs? Worn out Crocs.  This was the result of that little story:

He broke his heal. And just when I thought he was past the stage of yearly ER visits.

Our next adventure following the broken heal was a field trip to see replicas of the Nina and Pinta. This is when Nolan found out how difficult it really is to get around on crutches.

Then there is this complete randomness I found on my camera. Kellen sweeping the floor in a bow tie. I have no explanation.

We've butchered chickens a few times in the past few weeks, and the boar was a regular visit to our front yard for several days until we found the problem in the electric fence. The problem has been fixed. He has once again learned earned to respect the fence.

Tim's Grandma Apple passed away, and we traveled to Mt. Vernon, Ohio last weekend to say goodbye and spend time with the Appleton family.

We spent the remainder of the weekend in Central Ohio. We stayed with my brother Jake. We went to Christmas lights at the zoo. Do you like Nolan's ride? They were out of wheelchairs. I don't think he was overly thrilled with it either.

It was the first Saturday of December. The weather was gorgeous, and I think all of Central Ohio came to the zoo with us. Despite the crowd, we enjoyed the zoo, the lights, and the exhibits that were open. The aquarium was fantastic, and we saw the manatees, the reptiles, and penguins.

The next day we went to COSI. The kids had so much fun here!

The kids have been pooling their money together for months in the Wii U fund. Last week, they finally had enough saved, and over the weekend they were able to purchase it. I'd say Kellen is pretty happy about that! 

Then yesterday, on the way home from getting feed, Tim took the truck and the feed trailer over the hill.

from the road

from below

He walked away with barely a scratch, and thankfully none of the kids went with him.. Thank God! He reports this morning feeling beat up. The trailer was in shreds by the time the pulled it up the hill. The front of the truck is smashed. The roll bar on the bed kept Tim from being smashed in the cab. Believe it or not, almost all of the feed bags in the trailer survived the journey, and none of the straw bales in the truck bed broke open. Some very nice guys who lived near by brought 4-wheelers and a truck and helped Tim load the feed and straw out via the hollow. They even drove it home for us. The truck and trailer took the tow company the entire afternoon to hoist up the hill. It could have been worse, much, much worse.

So today I sit here and am so very grateful for my family and for their health. I am thankful for the good times we have together, and for the experiences we've faced in this adventure of life. Life is busy, too busy. Events like yesterday's make me stop, take a deep breath, and remember the what is really important.

Quarters

To give allowance or not to, that is a question that seems to plaque every parent at some point in time. It is one that we have gone either way on over the years, but have mostly landed on the not side. The bottom line for us is money doesn't come because you exist, it comes because you work, and daily chores around the house are part of being in a family.

And even though I strongly feel that way, we've started giving the kids $2 per week. Doesn't make sense does it? Let me explain.

I found myself at a place of frustration with the kids. Frustration at whining, feet dragging, and complaining over school work and chores. I found myself nagging, and getting angry for needing to repeat myself 20 times before anything got done. No one thing was really enough for a consequence, but added up, times four kids was very frustrating.

A friend had told me about how she uses quarters to address this kind of issue. I started with her idea, adjusted it a little, and put it in place. This is how it works.

Each child has a container. Every week I put two dollars in quarters in the containers. When someone whines about their school work, or has to be asked repeatedly to complete a task, I take a quarter out of their container. If they run out of quarters, (which no one has yet) there are more serious consequences. At the end of the week they get the money that is left.

Admittedly, this plan was put in place mostly for the youngest two. I really didn't expect a quarter to mean much to the older children, but I have been surprised how well it really does work.

We've been using this system for a couple months now. On the one hand, I realize I am paying my children to do what they should do anyway. On the other had, I've found that my children are very motivated by money, and the peace this has brought to this household is well worth the potential loss of $8, and the slight change in our stance on allowances.

An added bonus is that the two younger children now have a way to earn a little money. The older two have the opportunity to earn quite a bit of money from farm activities. Before the quarters, the younger ones really only had their own money from birthdays or holidays. It has been good for them.

I'm still not a huge fan of allowances, but I am a huge fan of figuring out what works to keep my children motivated and on task. Who knew that all it took were a few quarters?

Cleaning

It is no secret, I am not a good house keeper. I really do appreciate a nice clean house, but somehow lack the discipline and motivation to keep mine that way. I am easily distracted by other tasks when there is cleaning that needs done. (As in always.) In the summer, the great outdoors calls. I'd much rather be digging around in the garden than accomplishing any cleaning task. Winter isn't much better. The kitchen is my distraction then. Below are today's distractions.

We just keep our heads above water (clutter.) Though the laundry pile never seems to end, laundry is done on an almost daily basis. The kitchen has to be kept decent. I can over look a lot of things, but waking up to a kitchen of dirty dishes makes me a little crazy. The kids help with picking up, sweeping, and the bathrooms. Though sometimes it is questionable whether their help is actually helpful.

Below you can see Kellen's idea of helping me in the kitchen, licking the cinnamon and sugar off the table. Seriously, I don't make this stuff up.

I'd like to think when the kids are gone, I'll have a clean house. But let's be real. Before kids our house was cleaner, but cleaning still wasn't my top priority. I don't see that changing anytime. Maybe, when the kids are gone, I can afford a housekeeper to keep up with the tasks that I let slide. A girl can dream can't she?