Back again!

   I know over a year ago I said I was going to start posting again and only got one done. Well I hope to be better this time.

    It has been busy on the farm. We now are milking about 85 cows about 20 dry cows ( sometimes they dry some off when I am not there and I lose count), and about 20 bred heifers. It has quieted down in the new calf department. From the end of October into the beginning of December we had 30 heifers freshen so there were new little ones all the time and boy was I busy with the bottles. No bottles right now everyone drinks out of a bucket and I am happy. Although we did switch towards the end to the acidified milk replacer and the self feeding nipples and that saved a lot of time. I don't think it will be too much longer though before new calves start again just not as quickly because they will be just from the dry cows right now, the heifers won't freshen till spring.

  I have been doing a lot of make from scratch cooking lately. I usually get Sunday night of from milking and I try to make something new from scratch. I have made homemade mayonnaise, tater tots, ketchup, of course lots of bread, chicken soup, beef stew, soft pretzels, lots of bake goods anything to try to eliminate some of the preservatives and such in premade processed foods. Of course we still have our own milk, beef pork and eggs and when the chickens are past egg laying time the go in the pot for the chicken soup. Some probably need to go now but I do love my chickens so they stay longer then they should.

   I hope to get some pictures on and hope I do get the time to keep posting and of course reading some of my favorite blogs too. Gotta to go check on things, so cold here right now going to make sure things are not frozen and such and told the family I would make homemade mac and cheese for dinner so I better get that going. Toodles!