fuzzi's "Gardens and Chickens...and Goats? Oh My!" Journal and More Thread

[fuzzi]

I did the turkey all by myself this year.

Ron cooking the sausage for the stuffing a few years ago.

The recipe is his.

 

[Mini Horses]

Another day in retirement

 

[fuzzi]

So glad it wasn't snow!!!

The thermometer registered 46°, but the wind was COLD. When I walked Caleb about 3pm it went right through my heavy hoodie. When I walk him later I will put a fleece pullover on over my sweater, before the hoodie.

I pulled the last two arugulas today. They had perked up after the last frost, but I would rather feed them to the chickens before they get freeze wilted. I tossed the flocks some BOSS too, as it's supposed to get below freezing tonight.

And I gave each coop half a flake of straw...happy chuckling and scratching followed immediately.

 

[fuzzi]

The now empty arugula bed with two collards

Back side, with cabbage

Collards and leaf lettuce and Chinese cabbage

One of the carrot beds, plastic came down with the rain

I didn't get a picture of the other bed that has carrots and turnips, under plastic.

 

[Baymule]

Wind sweeps across the fields here. Wind bites and makes it more cold. When it's real cold, I put on Carhart overalls with a Carhart jacket over it. The heavy brown canvas material stops the wind. On really cold wet nasty days, that takes away all my outside chores ambitions, I just suit up over my sweat pants and sweat shirt to go outside. Then take off the Carharts and slop around until time to go out for evening chores.

 

[fuzzi]

Wind sweeps across the fields here. Wind bites and makes it more cold. When it's real cold, I put on Carhart overalls with a Carhart jacket over it. The heavy brown canvas material stops the wind. On really cold wet nasty days, that takes away all my outside chores ambitions, I just suit up over my sweat pants and sweat shirt to go outside. Then take off the Carharts and slop around until time to go out for evening chores.

The extra layer of a fleece pullover made enough of a difference. Down jacket is available for 20° weather.

Heavy frost last night.

"Shake it off, collards!" (they will)

Had to scratch the frost off the thermometer.

That was about 8:30am.

From yesterday, the other bed of carrots

And turnips

Glad I covered them up again last night. They still got cold, but had a little protection.

 

[fuzzi]

Decided to make a pie today using strawberries and rhubarb, as both were getting freezer burn from a lengthy stay in there.

The filling was a bit mushy, probably due to the age of the fruit, so I added a little extra flour.

Pre-baking

After baking

I lost one small section, edge of the crust, and only a little bit of filling, hardly anything really.

And it's delicious!

 

[canesisters]

That looks AMAZING!

 

[fuzzi]

I also had a chuck roast I'd purchased from a local farmer, sitting in the freezer. It was cold and damp today, so why not cook? Into the slow cooker it went, on top of onion chunks, and with a small amount of water. As it cooked the smell was so good I was impatient for it to be ready.

Eight hours later it's fallen off the bone, fork tender. And the taste of chuck is yum! The juice will be saved for soup stock.

 

[fuzzi]

That looks AMAZING!

Thank you. The lattice crust on top does add appeal.