Fun Times Three!

Sorry folks, I've been a little bit busy lately. Savannah had triplets two weeks ago today--two bucks and one doe. They are just the cutest things. But, she also developed mastitis in one of her udders. She had it last year and the vet was sure it would be 'cured' once she dried up. Well, two days after kidding, her udder was hard, red, and swollen.

I couldn't bring myself to put her back on antibiotics. She had so much of it last year and it did her no good whatsoever. So. . .I put her on apple cider vinegar (with the mother). Two teaspoons on her grain at each feeding and loaded her water with it. I'm also adding a little bit of vitamin C and dolomite to her feed. She is doing great! The udder (which is ruined from last year) has no milk. But it has shrunk way down, not hot, and it getting softer and softer every day! I am so pleased that this 'cure' truly works.

She is a very heavy milker, even with only one udder, and so far I only give two bottles a day to one of the kids. I'm sure as they keep growing I will have to give them more in the next few weeks.

I'm so glad winter is on it's last leg. I didn't put out any peas, but I'm getting ready to put some onions out in some of my raised beds. And potatoes will go in soon. Are any of you gardening yet?

Happy Holiday!

Yep, today is a holiday~National Chocolate Cake Day!! Any day to celebrate chocolate is my kind of holiday, LOL!

Click here for an easy Chocolate Sundae Cake from Christy Jordon's Southern Plate site.

She uses a cake mix, but this cake could easily be made from scratch.

Enjoy your chocolate!

Winter Fun

What are you doing to keep yourself entertained while stuck indoors? We've had a lot of really cold days, but also some nice, mild days with lots of sunshine. We've a possibility of freezing rain tonight, but then in the 50s tomorrow.



A lot of my entertainment on snowy days is watching our animals. Domino, above, does not really care for the snow. He, along with the other goats, is definitely looking forward to warmer weather! I have several bird feeders on my porch, so sitting at the dining room table with a nice cup of tea is an enjoyable way to watch the activity outside.

I'm also learning to crochet. I'm only a beginner, so I have a long way to go. I've been practicing different stitches and am about ready to start on my first project--when I decide what it will be:).

Everyone stay warm and have a wonderful day!

Happy Friday!

I've been going through some of my kitchen drawers, sorting out things I do and don't use very often. I, unfortunately, have one drawer for most hand implements, so it's become a little crowded. I've taken some out and stored them away in a place I can get to easily. Knowing me, I'll have them all back out in another month, LOL!

Some things I do use quite often, are these two items. I use my old potato masher whenever we have mashed potatoes. I don't have to put together my hand mixer and I find this little thing easier to clean than the beaters.

This other little implement is new to my kitchen. It is a Danish dough whisk. A lady on a forum I go to recommended it for folks who don't have a large stand mixer (that would be me), and for anyone who has trouble with arthritis in their hands, also me. It does such a great job of stirring through any kind of thick dough, such as bread dough or cookie dough. And even better, it was a very good price on Amazon! It comes in two different sizes and I bought both. I use the biggest one for my bread making and the smaller for cookie doughs and anything else that's not quite as heavy as bread dough.

What are some of your favorite kitchen gadgets?

Sunday

I hope all of you have had a good weekend. We had a warm, rainy Saturday. Today started off COLD. So cold we got. . .graupel. I guess it may be common where some of you live. It looks just like little beads of styrofoam--or those little beads of ice cream they sell at fairs and specialty shops. Very interesting to see (I borrowed a picture from another site). It didn't make anything slick and melted off after a few hours. I love any kind of snow as long as it doesn't make the roads slick!

I also wanted to say a special thanks to my Aunt DJ for making my new banner! The blog was really needing a facelift and she did a great job incorporating some pictures taken through the years of our home. It is an ever-changing decor around here and it is fun to see these pictures.

I hope you all have a great start to the new week:).

Big Waves

Hello friends! I know I have been AWOL for a while. A lot has been going on. I have been reading your blogs and trying to keep up with all of you. I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year. We had a white Christmas here in the Ouachitas. It started snowing Christmas day and continued into the night. We ended up with close to seven inches. There is still some out there in places. We are supposed to get rain tonight or tomorrow, so I figure that will wash away all that is left.

With the weather keeping the ground wet (which we need!), we don't have as many pecan trees in the ground as we would like. We are still working on having the land cleared and, hopefully, some ponds will be put in soon.

I've been trying to find some lighting ideas for my kitchen and found this idea on facebook. I'm not sure it will work for me, but I like it!

Have a great day!