Norman the dog, chicks, and dinner.

For some reason I can't get pictures to load so you will need to go to our Facebook or Instagram to see pictures until I can figure what is going on. 

Norman, our 8 month old black lab and well over 60 pounds, was getting into trouble all weekend. He found and chewed more shoes.  I let him outside and told him to go play. An hour late I called him in the house. He came running with a large stick, so big he had trouble getting it in the door. We have so few trees so I wondered where he got it. I looked out the window and  my young peach tree was missing a large limb.  errrrr! Later, I decided to go turn the compost . When I got out there I found dog poop piled in the compost. I yelled at Dude thinking he was dumping dog dropping on the pile. This is a huge NO, no... no cat or dog manure goes in the compost.  Dude swore it wasn't him. I looked out later and Norman, has made that his own private toilet area...OHNORMAN.

I got a lot of spring cleaning done this weekend on one end of the house while Dude finished the ceiling in the kitchen. He decorated it with sections of wainscoting  and seven lights. Along the edge of the ceiling he built a shelf and along the shelf he placed LED lighting.  When finished he proudly displayed his wooden planes and a large tank ... yes, in the kitchen. It is beautiful but he does make me laugh. 

So far we have 10 new laying chicks under warming lights - Australorp  and Silver Laced Wyandotte . They are a week old. We haven't lost one. 

We ordered 40 meat hens but due to the cold in Idaho, only 34 made it and over the first night 4 more died. The company only charged us 80 cents a chick.  We are down to 30 chicks but due to the warm weather we are having and keeping them under a warming lamp  they are  do well. 

Our new warming mats came in the mail this weekend. This week we will begin planting seeds.  The apple and austrees (a type of willow) I started a month ago continue to do well but the strawberry starters don't seem to be doing anything. 

Dinner last night was a lamb steak from our lamb. It has been so good that I have decided to raise at least one this year, maybe two.  We had it with green beans and our spinach with strawberries, red onion, and walnuts. 

Craft today is a St Patrick's Day card with an Irish tea bag packet stuck inside and cutting a dress out. 

Using our pantry and other Thursday happenings

It was a gorgeous morning so after chores I went out to work on the compost piles and container. Then over to fill the feeder. 

See , even with snow in the background it is dry here!

Cool part about guineas is they eat bugs like grasshoppers without digging up the ground like chickens...like it matters here - smile.

Dinner was made too.  Roasted potatoes, 

Oven 375*

Cut up and wash 4 potatoes. 

Drizzle with olive oil. 

Add salt (I used pink Himalaya salt), pepper, dried rosemary and parsley from the garden, and garlic powder. Toss.

Bake for 30 minutes and turn the potatoes and bake for another 15 minutes. 

Then from the pantry our sauerkraut.(we make sauerkraut twice a year ...when cabbage goes on sale during St Patrick Day week and when they are ready to pick from the garden)  I added smoked fish to my dinner. Dude added leftover roast beef.  Good dinner.

Remember these I am rooting?  I need trees! 

I found some containers in the greenhouse to plant them in tomorrow. 

I did get this quilt pinned and ready to quilt.

This one is traced and ready to start.  So, excited. 

Time to head to work. 

peace

Young saplings and crockpot greenbeans

At the beginning of the month I trimmed some of these branches to try and make new trees. 

They were put in water and then we waited. 

Here is what they look like today.  Leaves are sprouting.

And look how beautiful the roots look!  Next week they will go into pots until the threat of snow and frost in the spring is over. 

Crockpot

This morning I put green beans in the crockpot. I got the idea here.  I thought the amount of maple syrup and brown sugar was way too much and halved both of the amounts. 

Dude loved this recipe so much he almost ate the whole thing! Give it a try and see what you think. 

Tomorrow I try overnight loaded oatmeal. 

peace