Sprouting, pruning and garden

I love sprouts and started just a couple. There are so many to choose from. 

Day 1 - today, I just soak them and then the next week, every day, rinse them. 

I will keep you updated. 

Even though we still have snow from last week it is a good time to prune. I took the lower branches. 

I know a lot of people use them as kindling for the fire but I use mine to root and plant in the spring. 

Again, I will keep you post on their progress and if it is working. 

It gets down to about 25* at night but the days are warm. Well, warm to us at 50*. (snow is due Saturday evening and Wednesday of next week) The spinach likes the warm days too and has come back to life. 

Cilantro is doing well too. The rest, hmmm, not so much. 

Norman the dog, loves resting in the snow. 

peace 

Champange jelly

Our mantra this year is Rescue and Recycle. 

We are not drinkers but I got a bottle of champagne to ring in the new year.  We basically have a taste, clink glasses and there it is.... the rest of the bottle.  So every year I make jelly with the rest of the bottle. It cooks out the alcohol and makes a nice jelly to give as a gift.  I ended up with about 2.5  cups of champagne, added a tablespoon of lemon, 3 cups of sugar . I cooked it down, dissolved the sugar, and gave it a good boil. I removed from the heat and added liquid pectin. Bring to a rolling boil for a full minute. 

Remove the pot from the heat . Ladle the hot jelly into hot sterilized jars/lids and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  I am at high altitude so I water bathed it for 15 minutes.

Another recycle... my son and his wife got new furniture ...sooo we recycle their old couch set.  Plus found a trunk at the thrift store. 

 peace

New year brings new goals

Every year I make a dream board - goals for the year.  We have a whole year to complete it which is great because most homesteaders , like us, aren't wealthy.  Here are some so far...

Lights in the kitchens.
Finish the bird house for chicks, milking goats and storage.
Finish at least one of the addition rooms..
Buy sheep, for eating and a ewe for wool and Wilbur's wife.
Get a milking goat.
Overcoming my fear of horses, learn to ride.
Increase the raspberries, strawberries and grape sections.
Plant roses.
Dude hates being retired and wants to work again.
Expand gardens.
Exercise more and get outside every day.
Save a big chunk of money for a barn and big trip in 2019.
Go on a quilting retreat. 
At least one trip back east.

We put these on the chalkboard and keep them up all year.  When we think we haven't accomplished anything we look over and think....wow, we did that? 

From Dude:

Christmas baking and all the drippings from pies and casseroles splattering all over  the oven is over.  Now is the time to clean it. He cleaned the oven and I took everything out of the living room and gave it a good cleaning.

Replace the furnace filters.

Time to put new bedding in the horses stalls and that was done today. 

Make sure your car has new tires, windshield wiper fluid, and the oil is changed and topped off. 

peace