Using up the Yummy Goat Milk!

      I've been using the goat milk like crazy around here! Everything from chevre, to cake! It is so good! Just ask Winterlynn and Riley! They couldn't get enough of it when they were here! I just haven't mastered mozzarella yet. I will keep trying. Or a creamy cheese. It turns out more like a course ricotta. I will keep trying with that as well. Right now though, I'm using goat milk in recipes instead of store bought milk. It's a season, just like eggs. Sometimes you have a lot. Other times, none. I still have to buy the guys milk. They don't like drinking goat milk. Ugh! I've made creamy potatoes, a chocolate cake or two, bread, waffles, just to name a few. I'm so thankful I have learned how to milk the goat by myself! It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Maybe less at times. That includes getting the goat out and fastening her to the stanchion, and taking feed over to the other goats while she's on the stanchion. I can't forget about them! She gives almost a quart at a time. I don't know if that's good or not, but it's working for me. I milk her twice a day. I've even been able to sell a gallon here and there. For pet consumption only, of course.

      We had the girls here last week. I was so happy to see them all! We got a surprise day visit from Yasmine and Layla! Hurray! I don't get to see them as much lately. Soon three out of four of them will start to school! I won't get to see them for sure then. Except on occasional weekends. 

      The weather has been extremely humid and hot this summer! We have gotten showers on an almost daily basis; thus the reason for the extreme humidity! It's not good on a body! Especially one that is prone to headaches! They come on slowly and turn into a pounding! Glad I have some otc med to stop them! I think I'm almost over the poison ivey! It has been so itchy! Along with chiggers! I put DE on my ankles today in hopes of deterring them. The 'farmy' homestead life! I love it!

      Ya'll stay in where it's cool! Don't overdo it in this heat! Blessings from Bama!

It's mating season for snakes. I caught two of these together in the hen house!

Homemade salsa from our tomatoes.

Creamy potatoes from goat milk.

Bread baking in the Sun Oven.

Momma and baby. I'll get to milk her before too long.

Fresh hot bread from the Sun Oven.

Me milking. I wear these shoes outside everyday. They work pretty good at protecting my feet from fire ant bites. The hat is my signature.

The Udderly EZ Milker works really good! Faster than hand milking, but I can do either.

We had to modify the stanchion since it was made for Nigerians.

Lemon cheesecake cooking in the Sun Oven. I've been using this a lot! The cheesecake did not turn out good. It was a lemony, sweet, goaty tasting thing! I did not like the course texture either. Cheesecakes are supposed to be creamy!

Yummy spaghetti sauce made from fresh-picked tomatoes!

Randy is doing the "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" on Riley's back!

Homemade soup made with fresh-picked tomatoes and store bought produce.

Yasmine wasn't 'in' to the swimming pools this day. The other girls had a blast! They hardly even notice the big pool is gone!

Of course a golf-cart ride is always to be had when Uncle Randy is home.

It's so hot, the rooster and hens hide in the shade.

As well as the goats.

A five gallon bucket almost full of tomatoes, was picked from my garden!

Almost seven quarts of tomato sauce from the five gallon bucket! This is the first time I've canned my own tomatoes!

A nice, big pumpkin.

A different pumpkin. They look like they're almost ready to pick!

A moon and stars watermelon.

A sugar baby watermelon.

A kakai pumpkin. I found out about this one from watching John Kohler's Grow Your Greens on youtube. They are good for seeds. I thought the chickens would like them.

More tomatoes that will need to be picked soon.

A cantaloupe.

Fried, green tomatoes, anyone?

I picked those ripe tomatoes. Not enough to can, but good for eating and cooking with. Or I may cut them up and put them in the freezer to can later.

I Baked Bread in the Sun Oven Today!

      I just love trying new things! And today, I used my weekly bread machine recipe and cooked it in the Sun Oven! It took a little longer than anticipated but turned out delicious! I just miss the smell of fresh baked bread in the kitchen! Homestead cooking never tasted so good! You can even hard cook eggs in the Sun Oven! I haven't tried it yet, but whenever I want to make deviled eggs, I'll give it a go! I'm also going to bake cookies in there whenever I finish this. I need the cooker to get back to 350 so the cookies will bake. I hope they turn out good and I don't have to turn on the oven inside! It's 74 out and the sun is shining in the kitchen! We haven't turned on the a/c yet but we probably will this week as it's supposed to get up to 80! Wow! Last week cold and rainy, this week hot! Good ole Alabama weather for you!

      We did have a couple of nice weather days last week and I got to plant some blueberry bushes and some Concord grape vines. I think the way the blueberry bushes look, they will have berries this year. I bought these at Walmart, then I found a local who sells them from her home. I hope to get a couple of those soon. The kids love grapes so as soon as they produce, they will be gone! Speaking of kids, they were all here the weekend before last, and two were here this past weekend. I was exhausted before they left! I don't like to feel that way! Am I getting older? I try to take care of myself and stay active but I just can't seem to keep up with them! Guess that's why God wanted us to have children in our youth!

      I have been very fortunate that I haven't gotten sick all winter! That has changed as of today! Of all the pretty days! I need to be out there planting the Chinese cabbage I bought the other day, but no, I don't feel like bending over and letting all that sinus drain! I'm glad I could at least fool with the Solar Cooker! I got this from Skylar; he just got over it. It's sneezing, sore throat, low temp. kind of thing. Doesn't last too long however. Hope ya'll don't get it!

      There's a lot more I would like to say but I will have to save it for another day! Just remember: God's Not Dead! Have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

Cool day for a ride!

We have beautiful sunsets everyday here at our homestead!

Funny how babies need babies! Even when jumping!

Blowing bubbles in my 'jammies'!

They do lots of golf cart riding when they visit the homestead.

Don't you just love these looks?

Uh oh! Lulu got her hand stuck! Winterlynn to the rescue!

Lemon thyme, Chinese cabbage, two blueberry bushes.

Do you know what these are? Peonies!

Can you tell this is mint?

One last stand of beautiful daffodils.

Grapevines soaking in water for planting.

Wondering how the two will do.

The bees of our neighbor are doing a good job cleaning the old hives.

First grapevine planted.

Second grapevine planted.

The forsythia is still showing out!

Win loves her big wheel!

She is so fearless!

Pushing baby sister.

A goat will even try to eat swimming pool hose!

Just two girls this time.

She actually walked around with this big shoe on!

Bread rising nice and high. Made the dough in the Cuisinart.

Baking at 350.

I didn't know I was getting a selfie!

Perfectly baked!

And delicious!