Monday, Monday

Monday, Monday.....can't trust that day.
Ah, I love the Mamas and the Papas. I always think of their song on Mondays.

                                           ***Zeb and Zelda***

You never do know what might become of a Monday morning.
This morning has been a busy day between getting the cow milked, the chickens fed, the horse and calf fed, and feeding the sheep. Oh yeah I fed the children too. Everybody and everything was hungry this morning.
The sheep were fed and the ewe, Sarah, is starting to "bag up". She's making milk, so I expect her to lamb within a few days. Of course the weather was beautiful yesterday but it's getting cold today and tomorrow. At least it's not snowing right?

Fletcher, the dear toddler boy, has spent this entire morning figuring out ways to get his diaper off. I have spent too much of my morning figuring out ways to keep the diaper on him. He can be a real stinker sometimes.

                    ***My new crochet project. It helps to have a relaxing hobby.***


The baby chicks will be here early tomorrow morning so Journee and I have been gathering the supplies needed to get a brood box going.  I always love getting baby chicks in the mail and must make sure I get lots of sleep tonight so that the exuberance of my young ones doesn't send me into over load. Baby chicks in a family with many kids can, at times, lead to over stimulation:-)

My seedlings are emerging and growing. Starting heirloom seeds is slightly more difficult than regular, hybrid seeds but I think the payoff is greater. Today I will get my tomato seeds into some soil and wait for the miracle of their germination.

                          ***Heirloom peppers growing near a sunny widow***


This afternoon we have piano lessons and weekly grocery shopping followed by cooking dinner and getting kids bathed and ready for bed. In a few minutes I am going to start some school work with the kids.

All of this to say that sometimes I feel inadequate. Truly inadequate. Last week I was talking about reinstating my license for respiratory and  going back to work a couple of nights a month. I can attest to the fact that doing ventilator checks and giving breathing treatments is easier than my typical Monday plus you get a nice paycheck for the work.

It was just frustration and doubt creeping into my head. It emerges itself  every now and again, making me think the work here at home is questionable. Usually it happens after I pay my mortgage and remember that my name is not on the loan. I have no credit. I'm just a mom. I'm just a dairy farmer and a gardener. I'm just a shepherd and a chicken processor. I'm just an educator and a bee keeper, a baker, an activist, a friend. I'm a bunch of things, a menagerie of talents bundled up into one.

Shame on me for thinking any of these things are  without merit. This Monday, as hectic as it has been (Fletcher just dumped out a ton of play dough and math blocks all over the floor), has been a Monday to appreciate and realize all that goes into maintaining a large family, a farm, a busy home.

I share this because I know that I am not alone in this journey. I am not alone when those moments of self doubt creep around. Grab life by the horns and make your mark.

*** Kickin back and enjoying my stinker***

Never let those negative feelings win. Change your perspective and open your eyes to the possibilities that sit in front of you, the moments waiting to be seized, and the talents that would have been buried deep had you settled for an easier road.

Inadequate is a word that doesn't belong in this home, or your home. Be the super version of yourself today...and every day.

Monday, Monday...................enjoy that day:-)

How Does Your Clutter Grow?

Well, my clutter grows quietly and without my knowledge until the day I decide to move a couch or dresser. Maybe I decide to hunt for a cookbook in the back cabinet and then it hits me.
Literally and figuratively.

It is the product of having many kids and many animals.
It is what accumulates during the busy, crafting holidays and the warm spring days in the garden.

It is the grime and crumbs that stick between the cracks of the table leaf because there have been many meals eaten together.

It is the dried water and mud splashes clinging to the baseboards after a long, rainy winter with kids and dogs who love playing in mud puddles.

It's having a busy toddler whose brain never quits running. Okay, maybe he does sleep a little.

I have successfully cleared out and cleaned my entire upstairs, with the help from the kids.
This means all of the kids have clean rooms, closets and bathroom. Now I am downstairs cleaning. Today I was able to clean the living room and the next two days will be dedicated to my kitchen.
EVERYTHING is coming out of the cabinets. Everything.
It's all getting cleaned and will either go back or go out. If I haven't used it within a year, it's gone.

I browsed through Pinterest and some blogs looking for some ideas to help organize my kitchen while still keeping it functional. Function is very important.

I found a couple of good ideas. One is the shoe bag that now hangs inside the linen closets.

My old house didn't have linen closets, so when we built this house I insisted on them! I have three:-)

 

I can place cleaners up high and away from the baby. Ditto for the flashlights that are always without working batteries, courtesy of the 2 year old. Extra shampoo and such also goes well in the pockets. This has given me extra shelf space for other items.

 

I also found a great tip for battery storage. I usually have them all loosely placed in a plastic storage box. It works, but it makes it difficult to glance and see what we might be low of as I am making a store list.

 

 

Now I have them all in a small tackle box. It's so much nicer than just having them roll around in a bulkier box.

 

Now I start the kitchen. Is the kitchen ever large enough? Is there ever enough counter space? I ask these questions while looking through all of the wonderful ideas I see online.

 

As much as I searched, however, I never did find any ideas that really matched the functionality of my space, my kitchen.

I saw some lovely ideas for storing flour, beans and popcorn in beautiful glass canisters, but what if you buy these items in 50 pound bags?

There are many who suggest you place your most used items on the counter, while hiding the rest. None of these ladies had wheat grinders or automatic sprouters though.

Also, can you believe there was not one single suggestion regarding the 2 gallon scrap bucket that sits under the sink for the pigs.

 

I am partly being sarcastic because I have come to realize this week that my kitchen is all about function and little about decoration.

I plan to change that, at least a little.

 

 

 



Of course I need to clear my island of all the "extras" I removed from the living room.
It's gonna get messy. It's gonna get cleaned.
But most of all.......

it's gonna get lived in and that's exactly the kind of house I love.


Hope you are feeling the love this Valentine's Day!!!! See you on the other side of the clutter!

Meet the Sheep

It turned out to be a very exciting weekend! I found sheep for sale from a very good breeder and so we hopped in the van and drove to Asheville to pick them up.

I wasn't expecting to get them so soon, but the ewe is due to lamb this month and we wanted her settled in before the date got too near.

Meet Whiskey Creek and Sarah.

The ewe has some impressive dread locks, no?
These are registered Costwold Sheep and I must admit they are pretty cool. They are long wool sheep and will need to be sheared twice a year. There is a guy in NC who travels in the spring from farm to farm shearing sheep. I am hoping to make contact with him soon.

So far the sheep are staying with my goats and chickens in our rather large fenced lot. I am using a small coop as a stall and the sheep like to sleep in there on fresh hay.
Once we have a lamb I will need to move the ram out of there, although I am not positive where I will put him.
They are well behaved for sheep and will follow anyone who is carrying a feed bucket so that is good.

Now, one of the goats has taken to head butting and challenging the ram, but so far neither has gotten injured. I assume they will work it out soon. I am amazed at the goat's bravery since she is a fat, short pygmy goat. The ram ignores her, unless he is challenged.

Then there is Lucy. In the evening I bring her in through this area for the night. She is very curious about our two new additions.

Ahhh, two new animals. It's starting to feel like spring and I am very happy for that! I pruned all of the fruit trees yesterday and in a couple of weeks we will have baby chicks. If that doesn't make spring official, nothing does. (Except maybe blooming dandelions and warm temps:-)

Welcome to the farm Whiskey and Sarah!

Hoping your week is full new beginnings~!

Balance Has Been Restored

It has been a week of getting things back into the groove.

For starters the weather has been fantastic! It has been sunny and in the 60's. 5 days ago it was in the 20's and sleeting outside. You gotta love the South and it's crazy temperature extremes. Tomorrow it will be cooler and 100% chance of rain.
But today we enjoyed the nice weather!

I took the little kids for a walk to check the mail. Rose found herself a walking stick along the way...never mind the fact that it's twice her size!

My two middle girls cleaned the tree house spotless! It looks so great that it makes me sad the rain and wind will get it messy again.

School has been going well, even though we have taken a wee bit slower pace this week. We have been focusing on math and reading with a little less on history. The young kids have amazingly kept themselves busy with building blocks and play dough.

 Earlier today we decided to make a list of every space that needs to be totally deep cleaned. We have given a day for each space, excluding Sundays. The list is hanging up and starting tomorrow we will clean the girls' bedrooms. I left the closets for its own day. We will not only de-clutter and get junk out but the baseboards and doors will be wiped cleaned. I might need to touch up paint in the kitchen and living room when we get to those areas.
This means that I am no longer overwhelmed by the huge amounts of messiness that is within these walls. I know that by March we will be deep cleaned, and I love that idea. Once warm, spring weather arrives in March it is VERY difficult to stay inside:-)

FINALLY, I got word from my AI tech that Lucy went into standing heat late this afternoon! She will be AI'd twice over the next 24 hours and then will be ready to come home!

Ahhhh, balance has been restored to My Barefoot Farm.

Hope your week finds balance!

Bring All of the Animals Into the House

I have a serious case of project ADD. I can't seem to concentrate and finish one single thing.

I have been wanting to clear the junk out of my house. All of the junk, the crap that does nothing but sit and sit for years, serving no purpose.

                                        ***Beautiful Arwen***


Early in January I was doing well too. I cleared out my clothes and organized my fabrics and I really thought I was full steam. Now I am distracted by my ever growing "to do" list.

Now, I don't want it to seem like the walls are falling here, but I seriously have got to get my bootie back in gear.
**
Yesterday we loaded Lucy up and took her to the farm of my A.I. tech. Her last A.I. did not take and we felt like she needed to be around other cows so the tech would know exactly when she was in standing heat. The weather was rainy and windy but Devin only had one day available to load and haul her.

                                  ***Headed to load Lucy onto trailer***

When we got there Lucy charged out of trailer to meet the other bovine ladies that had gathered around the trailer. Cows are such curious creatures. She seemed to enjoy the company. We will get her back in about a week.

SO, you would think with no milking chores we would be set, right? Pfft!
**

All of this brings me to my point.

Raising kids is busy. Managing a farm (no matter the size) is busy. Educating your children at home is busy.

There are and always will be days when nothing seems to get accomplished or finished.

There are and always will be days when the house feels small, cluttered and messy.

                                   ***Speaking of messy, Athena is a messy eater!***


When the kids were all much younger we had a little audio book from Chik Fil A, one of the kid meal gifts. It was a book on tape from the show Between the Lions. You remember that show? I loved it and so did the kids. Great show.

On this book was a story about a man who was discouraged because his house was so crowded and small and cluttered that he didn't even have room to "put on his pants."
He went to see the village wise woman and for a fee she told him the solution. She told him to bring all of his animals into the house.
Of course he did and after a few days he went back and complained that it was even more crowded, messy and cluttered.
For a fee the wise woman gave him the solution.
She told him to take all of the animals OUT of his house.
Of course his perspective had been changed and he was much happier with his surroundings.

                                  ****The calf is now 6 months old!****

When we feel cramped and discouraged here, we simply say "bring all of the animals into the house."

Change of perspective.

                                           ***Zelda kissing Journee***

Here's hoping you have a positive perspective.

Spring Workshops

We have three workshops lined up for this spring.
Although a newsletter went out last week, I wanted to give some details here for all of the local folks who might be interested.

First a Backyard Chicken Workshop.

This workshop will give you the knowledge and confidence to keep and raise a small flock of laying hens in your own backyard. The eggs provided by back yard hens are much more healthy than store eggs and a few hens are very simple to care for, plus they provide a great experience for children.

This workshop will be held March 16^th from 10am until 2pm. The cost is $100 and includes a starter brood kit (box, light, water, feeder and food) for baby chicks PLUS 4 baby pullets (hens). You will leave the class with your own baby chicks and all the supplies to begin caring for them. *attendees are responsible for checking with the city ordinances for laws regarding back yard poultry.*The chicks will be a combination of Buff Orpington, Black Australop, and Easter Egger (blue egg layer).

A deposit of $50 is required by Feb 16^th. Class size is limited.

Second, Basic Beekeeping Workshop

This our second year offering this workshop. Attendees will learn the basics about bee life cycle, keeping a hive, and the equipment needed. An observation hive will be set up so that the bees can be observed closely.

Date of workshop is April 13^th from 10am-2pm with a rain out date of April 20^th.

Cost is $50 and includes a copy of book Backyard Beekeeping.

Deposit of $25 is due March 13^th. Class size is limited.

Third, Vermi Composting or Worm Farm Work Shop

 

This workshop is for those who always wanted a worm farm for kitchen compost.

Attendees will learn the basics of composting with worms and will go home with a complete worm farm ready to go (with 2000 red wigglers!). I do suggest keeping the farm in your home until the weather warms up.

 

Here is a picture of the farm:

 

 

 

This workshop will be May 18th from 10-2pm and the total cost is $85. A deposit of $40 is due April 13th.
This will be a fun workshop that I think kids will love too!


Pastured Chicken will be offered again this year. The chicks will arrive the first week of May and will be processed the end of June.

The price is the same as last year $15, and a deposit of $5 is required per chicken.
If you are interested in ordering any pastured raised chickens, I suggest you do so soon! I have a limited number available.
If there is enough interest I will run a second batch in September and have them ready the first week of October.

 

Thank you for being part of our lives and our farm. If you are interested in any of our workshops, please send an email to barefootfarm@catt.com

Baking Sour Dough Bread

Just joining? You can catch up:
Sour Dough Starter Day 1
Sour Dough Starter Day 2
Sour Dough Starter Day 3,4,5,6
Sour Dough Starter Day 7
Maintaining Sour Dough Starter



Now that your starter is ready it is time to actually bake a loaf of bread.
There are two things I must emphasize before we get started.

1) Sour dough bread takes a bit of time. Do not bake on a day when you are out running errands. Plan  baking on a day when you are home. There are a few rise times involved so baking this bread is great for days when I am home cleaning or doing laundry.

2) This is an artisan bread. If you want to bake a plain loaf then you can certainly bake this like you would any other dough, but it truly is best when you bake it artisan style. For this you will need a hearth-like oven. You can accomplish this by baking on a stone if possible and adding steam. Placing an empty cast iron skillet on the very bottom rack of your oven will work. You will add some water to that skillet just as you start baking the bread and the steam will create an authentic artisan loaf.

Let's get started!

Sour Dough Bread or Pain au Levain

5 C all purpose flour
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 3/4 C water
2 1/2 C starter
2 1/2 tsp salt

Combine the flours in a bowl. The whole wheat flour gives the starter a little extra nutrition!
In another bowl combine the starter and the water. Add the flours and mix until combined but not smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap loosely and let rest 20 minutes.

Add salt to the dough and knead until it's smooth. Try not to add flour, you want the dough to be slightly sticky. Adding too much flour will ruin the texture of your bread.
Cover loosely with plastic and let rest 1 hour.

 

Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

 



Gently flatten the ball of dough out with your fingers. Be gentle so that you do not push all of the air pockets from the dough.

Now that you have a flatter piece of dough, you want to fold it up. Fold one side over, then the opposite side. Repeat with other two sides until you have folded your dough. Be gentle:-)

Your dough should look something like this. Now return it to the bowl, keeping the seam side down. Allow to rest and rise  for an hour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Now it's time to take the dough and form a ball. Gently turn the dough out and fold the sides under until it's a ball shape. Be gentle and do not stress too much about the shape:-)

Now the dough needs a final rise. You can allow it to rise on a lightly floured surface or you can place it in a bowl to rise. The advantage to a bowl is that it will keep a more rounded shape. I use a brotform bowl, which is a bowl  made up of bamboo. Before I had the brotform I would line a bowl or basket with a floured tea towel.

Which ever method you use, you will need to flour the surface. Now the dough will rest for 2 hours. It's time also to prep your oven . Place a cast iron skillet on the bottom rack so that you can place water in it later. Preheat oven to 450.

Turn your dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. You will need to place two slits across the top of the dough. Be quick and decisive and try not to smoosh the dough. These slits will allow the dough to rise and expand while baking.

Place the dough in the oven. Pour about 1 cup or so of water into your skillet or whatever pan you have on your bottom rack. Close the oven door! Steam will be released immediately and this will give your bread a nice, hard artisan crust.
Allow bread to bake about 50 minutes. This is a large loaf and will turn a nice rich color when finished.

Allow bread to cool on a rack. Pat yourself on the back for baking a wonderful loaf of bread from scratch!!!!

Time for an egg in a blanket! Don't forget to feed the little bit of starter you had left! Give it 1 C of warm water and 1 C flour! It will be ready tomorrow for another loaf if you are ready.