The Fox

  We have been having HUGE issues with a fox! We have lost 9 hens this spring! It is soooo sad! Its bold, it kills, and we want it gone! Jeremy has been setting traps, we have a gun by the back door, and we also have snares out. You know the movie "Fox and the Hound" ? Well real fox, are not so nice! We love our chickens and sell their eggs! Anna and I get tears every time we lose one.  We take really good care of our animals. They are all a part of our family, and we always thank God for the blessings of what they contribute to our family, friends and neighbors.

Pigs

                                 Here is a picture of our new additions to the property! Six new pigs!

They are huge, and so friendly! They are already eating out of our hands. and we just got them Friday! They love to eat, and dig around.(Anna is in the background.)

New Pics of the Stand

  I know, I am a huge nerd! But I am REALLY excited about my stand! I have no expectations of it doing well, but its CUTE. Still some things to do on it. :) Happy weekend everyone!

Frost

  We were under a frost watch last night. Not good news when your garden is huge, and LOTS of things are getting larger everyday. I had an idea to make a fire, and heat up broken cinder blocks, that we had in the barn. Anna and I made a fire in our pit, threw all the blocks in the fire, and heated them up. Jeremy fished them out of the fire, and placed them around in the garden. It worked! No frost damage! Picking our first lettuce and spinach tomorrow! Take that frost watch!!!!!

Farm Stand

 Jeremy built me this cute farm stand! It is made of reclaimed wood. I am painting signs and putting a few touches on it today. More pics tomorrow! :)

Documentary's

  My family thinks I am a huge nerd because I LOVE documentary's! When its my turn to pick the movie on the weekend, I have 5 people sighing, and rolling their eyes! A lot of " oh Momma!". They all do this, because I usually pick a Chevy Chase movie, or Steel Magnolias(best movie ever!), or a documentary!!! I love them! This weekend was not my turn, but I found a doc called "Food Chains". We watched it, and it was amazing! Its about farmers, farm workers and big super markets. They shed a light on how the farm workers live, what they are paid, and how many hours they work, and still live in extreme poverty. Its really good! Shines a light on a lot of issues that are going on in the US, that gets over looked. I think you will find it very moving and thought provoking.
P.S. "GMO- OMG" is a great one too.(they are both on Netflix).

Jeremy and Jess

  Jeremy and I had our 16th anniversary on April 9!!!! We have been together for 17 years. We are very proud of our marriage! We are partners in every sense of the meaning. We work together at home, we are parents, we are best friends, we support, we love, we fight :) This is Jeremy's card to me! I loved  it! It is Jeremy! I have an amazing Husband!

                                                             

Weird

  I have asked all my kids to contribute in writing the blog. This is Matthew's post. He is 9. We all call him Chewy. It has been his name from when he was a few weeks old. He was a HUGE eater! I am short, and fairly small... Chewy was 9.6 and 21 inches when he was born. He was huge! All he did was eat! Now, he is tall and skinny, and wants to be just like his Dad! This is what he wrote for our blog.

Weird

This is Chewy. Our family is weird because of what we do and say. Anna always makes sound affects for things, so does Mom. Elijah is always moving, and spinning, and jumping. Sam is crabby and always studies for school. Dad likes to work and take naps. Mom likes to say words, that we are not allowed to say. Here are a few thing about me:

My favorite:

Color- green

Food- pasta

Movie- transformers

TV- sponge bob

The first question you would ask God- Why did you create the world?

One place you want to go- heaven

He is a sweet, caring, and loving boy! Love ya Chewy!

Today

                                    A few pics around the house. It was raining like crazy all day, but our plants are coming up!!!

Garden 

     

Garden

Wood Shed and Tractor

Hops

Wood Shed

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

   This is my recipe for banana bread. I am allergic to dairy and eggs, and this is the recipe I came up with.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

4 really ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 C. sugar

2 T canola oil

3 C bisquik mix 

1/2 C Vegan chocolate chips(or regular chips)

 Mash bananas, add sugar and oil. Mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix gently. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool, and serve.

   

Chick Pea Salad

  This is my chick pea salad. I eat it on bread, and on salads. Its really yummy! Its also great as a dip!

Chick Pea Salad

1 can chick peas, drained

2 C. water

1 clove garlic

2 T. olive oil

2 T. vinegar

salt to taste

2 T. minced onion

   Drain peas. In a sauce pan add peas, water and a clove of garlic. Smash the garlic with the back of your knife. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove garlic clove. Drain peas. Smash peas with a potato masher. Add salt, oil, vinegar, and onions. Mix and cool. Yummy!