A Cream Separator and Butter Churn

So why would we want to spend our tax return money on all these silly farm things?

Well, Goats milk doesn't naturally separate, so to get the cream off the milk, it needs to be run through a separator. So here's the one we got http://www.hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=4467&cat=142&page=1

the first time I ran it, there was this weird smell like something burning. found out part of the thing had melted due to some defect. But I called them and THEIR COSTUMER SERVICE IS GREAT.
A fellow called me back trying to find out what had happened, then said they'd send me a new base and gave me his name and number if I ever had any trouble with it again.

My butter churn, oh the fun of making butter and getting a good work out in the process. We got the hand powered one, which makes for a good evening activity while watching a movie with the kids.


http://www.hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=3523&cat=20&page=1

I really like Hoegger. They have so many nice things there.
No I'm not being paid by them to advertise, I just feel that when someone has a good product, they should get the credit for it.
so here is the product of our investment.If I separate cream morning and evening after milking and put the cream in the freezer... for a week. This is what I get: 5 beautiful sticks of butter
Which is about how much butter we use in a week. Pretty neat huh?!?!?

Our Sign

I've started painting on our sign out front. It was Elm's idea and I jumped on it.

I am so excited for this project. So far I've added a goat and our big Turkey Tom. I've started framing the lettering with white, so that it pops. I still want to add some more of our animals and will add updates as I get them made.

Our sign.
I was so excited, when I finally got Elm to hang my egg sign.. one hour after it went up we had our first costumer.
So far, that has been our only costumer.. bummer!


Callum our turkey a.k.a. Vicious Guard Dog


This isn't really one of my goats, she looks like my Scarlet, but scarlet has horns. But the foot in the bucket, is was she does ALL THE time when she's being milked

It's amazing how all these little things I get done around here, make my home feel more and more like MY home.

Canning - Pinto Beans

Oh how I LOVE my new Presto pressure canner, check it out here http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestop18qtcan.htm
We got it back in April with our tax money and I finally opened up the box Friday. My favorite to do is pinto beans. When I then want to make chili, it isn't a 2 day process like before.
And with fall coming fast this year, we need lots of beans for chili. The beans need to be "helped" out of the jars with a spoon. Yes some of them will break up. But they a fully cooked and soft and you won't ever have chewy beans again.
Canned Beans:

in the evening -
In cleaned quart jars, put about 1 1/2 C dry pinto beans.
Cover with cold water and let stand till the next morning.

in the morning-
pour out the water
( I put a colander over the top of my jars, then flip it.
When all the water has run off, I flip it back)
fill with new water
wipe off the rimsand put on sterilized lids and rings

set 7 quarts into the canner, add abt 3 qt. of water to it.
Close lid on canner, turn it on.
Make sure the weight is NOT on yet.
once steam comes out the top, let it went for 10 min, before putting on the weight.
then carefully watch the gauge.
here at my altitude of 23oo feet I would can at 13 lbs of pressure
(your booklet will tell you what to can at at your altitude)your have the burner on high until it reached the right lb mark on the gauge, then you turne the heat down until it stays at that spot. Once it stays put, you start your timer
90 min @ 13lbs of pressure

of course, mine I couldn't get to stay at 13.... but it hung out happily at 14 1/2 lbs

My canned beans, aren't they pretty?


Here's then the amazing Lion House Chili recipe. Look up Lion house recipes and you can find loads of their cookbooks. I can't remember which on it's in (when I find out I'll add that info) but my mother-in-law makes this chili.
And shhhh... don't tell, but it's better than my mom's (boy did I feel better when I found out where the recipe came from)
Plus I just miss placed the recipe card (you know within the last 3 hours, so here goes by memory, when I find it, I adjust the recipe)

2 C dry beans soaked and cooked in abt 4 C of water (I use one of my jars of beans)
1 lb ground beef, fried up
1 C chopped onions
2 cans of tomatoes sauce (15 oz)
1 can tomato paste (8 oz)
2 Tbs chili
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
I then add garlic to the batch as well, it gives it that little extra oomph!

This is the chili I make every year for our Harvest Fest that we have Saturday evening of the October General Conference.
I provide chili and fry bread, every family brings a pie to share.

Cheese Mashed Potatoes

The pictures I took of this, just did not do it justice.
These are SO GOOD. Everyone loved them and we ate the whole thing.
(so now there isn't any way to get more pictures)

Recipe:

6 medium baking potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked

place in mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients
1 C processed cheesed, cubed (I usually only ever have sharp cheddar in the fridge, I used 6 oz... shhh don't tell)
3/4 C whole milk (to make up for the cheese, I used skim)
1/4 C diced onion
3 Tbs butter
1 lg. egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

whip it up, and put it in a sprayed 2 qt casserole dish (bread pan was just the right size)

Bake @ 350F for 20 min

Zucchini Bread - no, not the spice cake type

Well, I have a recipe I worked out once for bread, that had pumpkin puree and yogurt in it.
I didn't have any pumpkin in my freezer, but in my fridge was a lonely zucchini.
So fondly remembering my very first Y.W. girls camp back in Denmark, I thought I'd do a zucchini bread like the one, one of the ward leaders daughters brought up for us one day. It was a loaf of bread with little green specks in it. And it was wonderful.

Here it is, almost straight out of the oven.
It stood in the pan for abt 10min before I removed it.

And the first slice. I ate is before I could get any goats butter on it.


Recipe:

in mixing bowl, whisk together, and let stand a few minutes
1/2 c warm water
1 Tbs salt
3 Tbs dry yeast
1/4 C honey

add, and attach to mixer
2 C yogurt (I use homemade goat yogurt)
2C grated zucchini

start the mixer, add one thing at a time and mix in
4 C whole wheat flour
1/3 oil (I use olive if I have it)
2 C white flour
3 eggs (I usually don't use eggs, but our chickens are going crazy out there)
2 C white flour more..
at this point start adding more white flour, till it looks "right" (for me that was 1 1/2C)

It will stick a bit to your fingers when you touch the dough.

*Cover with a damp cloth and let rice till dbl.
*Cut into 3 pieces, shape and put in sprayed bread pans.
*let rise till they are the size you want your loaves

Bake @ 350F for 30 min

Homemade Graham Crackers .... YUM

Here they are! Homemade Graham Crackers. I once found the recipe online. I've made it once before, but this time... Oh Baby! YUM! they are so much better than anything out there.

I used raw cane sugar instead of the brown sugar. And the only butter I had was our homegrown and homemade goats butter. I didn't have any vanilla so I used almond extract. They are soft graham goodness.

Recipe:
mix together in a bowl
31/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

cream together
1/2 C butter
1/4 C brown sugar (I used raw cane sugar)

then add
1/4 C honey
1 tsp. vanilla (I used 1/4 tsp. almond extract)

now alternately mix in
flour mixture
&
3/4 C water


*cover dought and let sit 30 min
*divide into 2 and place in sprayed sheets
*pat into 1/2 inch thickness, then sprinkle with flour and roll to abt. 1/4 inch thickness
* cut into squares or rectangles

Bake @ 325F for 30 min (till lightly brown around the edges)

Cool and enjoy with a nice cold glass of goats milk :)