Friday, September 7, 2012

We're getting goats!

      I read Craigslist before we went to the Amish country last week and saw where someone was selling Nigerian Dwarf goats. I figured they would be gone by the time we got back. Just because, I decided to look at the website that offered them, and lo and behold, they were still for sale! I was ecstatic! Ran and I had talked about where we would put the goats if we got them, which is where the chickens are. We don't even have to put up more fencing or a shed! We're just going to modify the hen house area a little bit. Getting goats may not be as interesting to some as it is to me, but I can hardly wait! I've been wanting goats for a couple of years now, and I figured it would be a couple more before we were 'set up' properly. But with the Nigerian Dwarfs, one doesn't need a whole lot of space! They are a small goat, so they don't need as much area as a larger goat. We still want to fence in the back woods, though, so we can rotate them.

      Since we're talking about farm animals, are ya'lls hens molting? Most of mine are! I only have about four hens that are laying any more. Will the ones that have molted, begin laying soon? Like right when it gets cold? I guess I can't complain because some laid right through the 'winter', if you want to call it that! I just don't want to have to eat grocery store eggs anymore!

      I got the beans all snapped up and canned that we purchased from the Amish. Boy, that was a job! I'll know not to buy beans this late in the season again! They were stringy and beany! But delicious! I also canned the purple hull peas. Next time, I won't fill the jar so full! This was my first time to can green beans and purple hulls! I love canning! Today, I chopped up the hot banana peppers we got from the Amish, and some jalapenos from my garden, and some my Mom brought us. I used gloves on the Jalapenos, but I didn't think the banana peppers would warrant me wearing those. Now, my fingers are burning! I'll know next time! I wished I had done all of these things when I was much younger so I would know how to do these things now! Oh well, I guess the things I learned when I was younger are helping me a little. I learned to use a pressure cooker when I was in my late teens, and I'm so glad that I did! It helps me get food on the table in a pinch! And I'm not afraid to use it! Plus, it has helped me to learn more quickly how to use a pressure canner! 

      I'm glad ya'll are enjoying reading this blog! I just write about the things that go on around here! I love living a simple life! Gardening, canning, living a frugal life, traveling, I could go on, but ya'll get the picture! I also enjoy reading your blogs, when I have time! Community, even on line, is important! Thanks for commenting when you can! Hope ya'll have a great weekend! Blessings from Bama!

Okra and a few raspberries from our garden.

This is what happens when the canner gets too hot! The glass broke at the bottom and all of the beans went into the canner! The rest of the jars were ok, though.

Thirteen quarts of rattlesnake beans.

Okra frying.

Nine pints of purple hull peas.

Jalapeno and black bell pepper, along with tall grass and some okra!


The Japanese eggplant is weighing down the plant!

These eggplants are touching the ground.

Nice black beauty's! 

I'll be glad when we get more than a handful of these raspberries!

Starting to look a little 'fallish'.

The dehydrator is going again!

My Mom brought me a pack of zucchini; and I didn't really have time to do much with them, so I sliced them and put them in here. They taste delicious!

I had more green beans than would fit in the canner, so I decided to dehydrate them.

Jars of hot banana, jalapeno, and pickled cherry peppers.

13 comments:

  1. Hey Bama Girl!

    Guess what? We are getting our goats tomorrow! We are excited and I have to admit a little nervous. We have been waiting such a long time and it seems surreal that we are actually getting them. I will probably have pics on my blog soon.

    I have had my jars bust like that before. No fun at all. You are doing a great job putting everything up!

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    1. Hey MaMaHen! That is awesome! We're both getting goats on the same day! What kind are ya'll getting? I bet the kids are excited too! I will have a post sharing photos of our babies, possibly on Monday! Thanks for the encouragement!

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  2. I dehydrated zucchini for the first time today. I planned to use the chips to scoop an eggplant dip that I made. I left them on the dehydrator tray for a few hours and noticed they had lost their crispness. Bummer! We still enjoyed them. They were just a little chewier than I had hoped.

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    1. I always hate when things don't turn out the way they are supposed to! Glad you enjoyed them, anyway!

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  3. Oh I am so jealous! If I got goats I would want some dwarf Nigerian too. I'm still working on the goat thing though. Haven't found a good deal yet at the right time. I will be waiting for pictures of yours and information on how it goes for you.

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    1. Oh, one day, you'll be the proud owners of some cuties! They are so hard to find around here that I'm paying top price, it seems! But I'll make money back in the future when they have babies and I sell them. Oh, don't worry, there will be plenty of photos!

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  4. I love to watch baby goats! My hubby even says no to a few chickens and I don't know if thy are allowed in our sub division anyway. Enjoy yours. Lucky you to have learned how to use the pressure cooker when young. I still don't use those things. I want to learn to like Swiss Chard besides a few young leaves in my salads. How do you enjoy yours???? Have fun with your farm, canning and travels! Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy! Yes, the pressure cooker is a nice asset to the kitchen. I like to saute swiss chard with onions and garlic! Yum! If I have excess, I will probably juice it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Hi,
    I finally joined. But, your follower count went from 40 to 45 when I did. That's puzzling. I think you had a jar fail, not an overly hot canner. Of course, not having a rack in the bottom of the canner would cause breakage, but I imagine you had that in place.

    When a jar is dropped, cleaned wrong, bumps another, and invisible little flaw occurs. Then, the jar strength is compromised and it breaks.

    All your canning looks great!

    I just dehydrated about 30 bananas and put them in two quart jars. I love my dehydrator!

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    1. I did not mean to post. This is Linda here. I need two more hens that are no more than a year old. My last two of four hens will probably quit laying this winter. They are three years old, and I had to buy eggs to bake last fall and winter. So, I am in the market for new hens. Mine never fully moult. They are Rhode Island Reds and just look raggedy sometimes. They lay through moults. I think they are permanently broody, but I don't want to have baby chicks.

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    2. Hi Linda! Thanks for joining! I now have 45 followers! It showed up on my account that I had 44 before you joined. Sometimes Blogger is weird!
      That may have been what happened. Yes, I did have the rack in the bottom.
      Thanks!
      Wow! That's a lot of bananas! I love my dehydrator, too!
      The hens are weird too! I think some are laying when they aren't and vice-versa! My older hens lay for just a short time now. I will get more chicks this Spring, too. Thanks for posting anyway!

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  6. Wow! Look at you. I have preserved a few things this year and it is such a great feeling! You must be so proud!

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    1. Thank you Tara! It really is a good feeling! Just wished I could do more!

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