Home Alone

When I actually get to spend a day at home, ALONE, I feel like Kevin McAllister in the classic Christmas movie.  "I made my family disappear!"  A whole day unfolds with peace, quiet, and endless possibilities.  It takes me a while to focus on the day's tasks, uninterrupted, what really should be done.

Yesterday, was such a day.  It's difficult to prioritize when so much around the house and farm need doing.  Luckily, the frozen ground prevented me from doing much outside, so in I stayed.  A roaring fire and scented candles made the house nice and cozy as I got to work.  I needed to look at the budget, and start working on next one.

Next it was on to my disaster area of a kitchen.  My fridge was overflowing with goat's milk.  My Nigerian Dwarfs don't produce nearly as much as their larger dairy counterparts, but it is enough to fill up a fridge in short order.  I had a half gallon to transfer into a larger glass bottle, a half gallon for cheese making, a quart for making yogurt, and still more for drinking.

Cheese making has been going well, so there's a new batch in the fridge.  I let it drain for quite awhile, so I'm not sure if it will crumbly or spreadable.  I guess the true test will be at breakfast.

The highlight of my kitchen time was successfully making yogurt.  My last attempt in the crock pot failed miserably.  Luckily, my chickens didn't mind when they were fed my failure.  Yesterday, I went simple.  I heated a quart of milk to 180 degrees, took it off the burner to cool down to 110, added a small container of plain yogurt to the cooled milk, poured it into jars and put it in a 100 degree oven for 4 hours.  Viola!  Yogurt!

The Life of a Farmer

The Life of a Farmer

My back is broken
My body is bruised
Dirt under my fingernails
Muscles well used.

Skin kissed by the sun

Fresh air in my lungs

Despite the hard work

Farming makes me feel young.

Feeling Blessed!

Saying good bye to little Candor at her new home.

I awoke this morning with a true sense of joy and peace.  The first two days of the New Year have been magical.  2014 was a difficult year; lots of changes, lots of upheavals.  Luckily, 2014 ended quietly filled with lots of love.  In the first two days of January I have sold my crop of Nigerian Dwarf babies and got to spend some time with a dear friend.  2015 is filled with prospect, I'm slowly getting my act together in areas that I had let flounder last year.  I'm thankful to be able to live on a beautiful mountainside surrounded by my beautiful family, lots of critters, and good friends.  Here's to a fresh start!

Happy New Year

from 

Big Buck Ranch!!

Surviving the Cold with Thoughts of SpringSeed

Seed catalogs start to pile up on the Christmas table cloth.

As the Holidays come to a close and the bitter cold of winter sets in, my mind drifts to spring.  The glorious seed catalogs have started to make their way into my house.   Each page teasing me with beautiful photos of unique and delicious vegetables.  Unfortunately, I live on the side of a mountain with rock inches below the soil and a short growing season.  

I am enjoying the Territorial Seed Company catalog.  They have some great plants that grow quickly at cooler temperatures. Time to start dreaming, I mean planning!

White Gold

Whoever originally said, "don't cry over spilled milk," had never milked a goat.  Though I love the little dears, their behavior on the milk stand can bring me to tears.  I have been milking WebiGayle off and on for a year now.  It's taken that long to build a relationship and learn all of her little nuances.  We have to follow a routine: first she runs into a shelter, then she lets me catch her, and we head to the milk stand.  Once on the milk stand I always have to be aware of her behavior.  Sometimes she gets bored with the time it takes to milk and starts to jump around.  Other times a noise my spook her.  I always keep a hand on the milk pail.  Goat milk is a precious commodity; sweet and delicious.  Yes, I will cry when it spills; it's taken time and hard work to produce.  

It's a Blog About Nog

Fresh Goat's Milk Eggnog!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  It is  FINALLY snowing in the Rocky Mountain Foothills.  We are enjoying a warm, cozy day at home here on the Ranch.  It's so nice to relax in front of a roaring fire, making Christmas goodies.  I still have cookies to bake, but I thought I'd give homemade Eggnog a try.  I have fresh goat's milk and eggs, so why not!  

Goat's Milk Eggnog Recipe

Ingredients:

1 quart raw goat's milk

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Pinch of salt

Dash of vanilla

Pour 1 quart of goat's milk into a pot and slowly heat to 160 degrees.  This will pasteurize the milk.  (Have a candy thermometer handy to check temperature.)  While the milk is heating add sugar, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla, whisking as ingredients are added.  Continue to whisk occasionally.  As the milk heats crack 4 eggs into a blender and blend until frothy.  Once the  the milk mixture reaches 160 degrees, slowly pour in the eggs, whisking constantly.  Whisk mixture for 2 minutes to cook eggs slightly.  Pour into a glass jar and chill for several hours.  Once chilled, ENJOY!  

The Eggnog is delicious by itself or with a shot of whiskey or rum!

The Battle Has Been Won

Playing momma goat.

For a week I have been doing battle with my doe, Erudite.  Last weekend she developed a VERY full udder, and it didn't look as though her doeling, Candor, had been nursing.  Erudite was attentive to little Candor, but was constantly keeping her from getting anything to eat.  I milked Erudite out and gave the wee one a bottle.  After a day of this little game, I discovered a cut on Erudite's udder probably from Candor's sharp little baby teeth.  I spent the past week milking Erudite twice a day and feeding Candor with a bottle.  Candor was definitely ready for the bottle when I'd head out, she was crying in hunger.  Erudite would give me at least 8 ounces at a time when I milked her.  She was paying attention to baby, but wouldn't let her nurse.  Finally, yesterday morning Candor was less whiny and Erudite was less full.  By last night Candor didn't even pay attention to me, and I only milked a trickle out of Erudite.  Baby's happy, momma's happy, and I am happy.  Thankfully, the three of us remedied this very frustrating situation.