Project time

Friday was shopping day and going over to do lists. These are all do it yourself projects of course.

We spent hours in home depot going over what we needed for certain projects this summer and fall and are in bad need to have before next winter hits. We purchased some of it.


I am trying to think of them, Dave said there are 7 of them. 



Projects:
1. Jack up the barn where it has a problem and fix it, roof is also bowed and some rafters need replaced, this will be major.


2. Addition: summer kitchen/ tractor lean-to on east side of garage tied into the garage roof. Also major but not like the barn roof.


3. Re-shingle the garage and over on to the addition.


4. Raised strawberry bed 12 foot square, an easy one. Wired (called hardware cloth) bottoms to keep out voles for both number 4 and 5.


5. Raised herb bed, 3ft by 20 ft, another easy one.


6. Concrete in the corner posts on the fence lines that are having problems.


7. Gutters on 2 sides of the barn (south and west sides) to keep water from pouring into the barn when the snow melts off the roof or it rains cats and dogs, another not so hard as long as no complications crop up. And we know how that goes.


8. I thought of something that wasn't on the list, take down the 8x10 shed whose roof caved in this winter. Very old shed. We have had it 21 years and it was given to us second hand. 
I just hated to see it finally go. We have had to keep a tarp on it for the last 6 years so everything inside wouldn't get soaked.
At least nothing has to be purchased for this project.

He is also talking about maybe painting the barn again this summer so that would be 9.
We will keep our eye out for paint sales.
Last time we painted it we found 2- 5gallon paint containers in barn red for $15.00 each, we grabbed those real quick. Need to find that kind of deal again but maybe in white as he decided he doesn't really care for the shade of red it is, lol.

It is hard to tell but this is a raised barn and water can flow right under it, but the middle is for the animals to bed down and becomes a mud hole. Plus the ground is higher on the right side of the barn here which is west side of the barn.



It was snowing this morning but we shouldn't get much, supposed to turn to rain later.

51 week list and recipes

New 51 Week Storage Ideas Week Three

This is for two (2) people so buy according to your family’s size.

Read any good books lately?

 Week three food list

1. 30 - 50 pounds of flour, whole wheat or white your choice (50 pound bag for larger families wanting to get ahead with a bit more.)

2. 25-pound bag of sugar (cost is still under $12.00 these days depending on where you go) this is supposed to go up in price this year again, stores about forever.

3. 2 to 3 pound sealed bag of instant yeast. (After this is opened it can be kept in a refrigerator or cool place.)

4. Large box baking soda. (I open ours and store in glass or plastic jars to keep moisture out with date.)

5. Large container baking powder.

 Recipes

 Fried Squaw Bread

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 and ½ tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon oil

1 and ½ cup water

Use a skillet or deep fryer. Mix these ingredients and stir well. Then drop by large tablespoons full into hot oil or shortening, cook them for 3 or 4 minutes or until golden brown turning as necessary. Drain on paper towel or old cloth you normally wash and use for this sort of thing. Then roll in sugar or eat with honey.

Diet Or Water Bread

1 tablespoon yeast

¼ cup warm water

Mix these 2 ingredients let rest a couple of minutes, and then add

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups warm water

6 to 6 and ½ cups flour

Mix and then knead, let rise. Punch down, put in a greased pan, let rise. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

 Irish Brown Bread

Makes 2 loaves

7 –8 cups whole-wheat flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon honey

4 cups scalded milk (cooled to lukewarm)

Dough will be sticky, but if way to sticky add more flour. Using floured hands mix dough. When smooth but still damp it is ready for shaping. Divide dough into two loaves, rounded. Place on a greased and floured baking sheet. With a sharp knife dipped in flour cut a deep cross in the top of each loaf. Dust each loaf with flour and blow off excess. Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

Many other breads, rolls, muffins, biscuits and things like pancakes and etc. can now be made.

Woke up to snow again, it wasn't at midnight yet. I know I got up to travel to the bathroom and looked out the window to see the chicken coop wide open with the light on, gadsssssssssss.
To top it off the gate to the chicken yard was hooked open. 

Dh had let the chickens run around in the yard and filled their waterers and we got so busy with grand daughter and sending things to daughter in AZ for a college class, (she needed all kinds of family info for psychology class). Family traits, blood types, health problems pictures I felt like I had homework lol. So we forgot to close them up.
I get dressed and am about to go out the bedroom door and dh wakes up to ask what I am doing lol.
We left the coop open dear and we don't need a chicken massacre.
I was surprised an unenterprising owl hadn't already flown in there.

Chocolare Mayo Cake Oh Boy

I made a chocolate mayonnaise cake over the weekend, well I used Miracle whip type salad dressing but it still turned out great. No extra eggs, milk or butter used in this.


Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Oven 350 deg.
1 cup mayo or miracle whip
couple dashes of salt or 1/4 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix well and add
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 cup water
Mix
Greased 13x9 cake pan
Pour batter into pan bake for 30 minutes or till done but 30 min. is normally all it takes. use whatever frosting you like with chocolate cake.


We worked in snow flurries and low 30's on Saturday, but the main part of the barn is clean, the stall shoveled out he had a big pile of manure in from in front of the door and 3/4's of the creek bed racked out and Dave wonders why his shoulder was hurting that night.
It has snowed the last 2 nights but is melting off with some spitting snow in the air.

We are supposed to have snow/rain all week with a cold front coming, but when things finally dry out we will start to work on the garden.

 

The side of a garage in Union Town on the way to Spokane.

Fields yet to be planted.

Our doings and Week 2 of 51 week food storage

 I don't know if I will continue this as I have only had 1 person who said it was interesting even lol.

I am including family recipes as you see. Most of them are over a century old and more and some newer ones.

Oh and it is 51 weeks because then that gives you week 52 to see what holes you need to fill yet. I am not putting everything people need in this so you will have to figure out  what you use the most besides toiletries, medicines, baby items etc etc.

New 51-Week Storage Ideas Week Two

This is for two people so buy according to your family’s size.

Chicken: 2 cans whole if possible

Olive oil: (or other vegetable oil you prefer): ½ gallon

Crushed pineapple: 6 cans

Tang: (or other orange juice substitute) 1 container

Cinnamon: pepper, garlic powder 1 container each

Flour: 20 pounds

Recipe

Mexican Orange Chicken

Oven 350 degrees

 3 to 3 ½ pounds: cut up if it is a whole chicken

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

½-1 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup orange juice or substitute

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 can crushed pineapple (not drained)

Mix the salt and pepper with the flour. Coat the chicken with flour mixture. Cook chicken over a medium heat until browned on all sides (about 20 minutes). Place the chicken in a 13x9 baking dish or cake pan. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Spoon the juice over the chicken once in a while. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Dave is off to Spokane today and Kaylee to day care for the first time this week.

No more news from cousin in Japan, last he said was his 20 something daughter is now home and everything seems alright for now.

No more news on Sandy, just waiting for the infection to clear up.

Dave's spots on his head looks a whole let better this week :).

We have started to separate the cow and calf at night now so we can milk in the mornings and get more milk, I have to do that by myself tonight. Hope it goes okay.

The snow is gone except for the highest drifts and under the trees. Makes us think of the garden and Dave thought today  whoops need to get the rototiller in to see why it won't start.

We have it all

Lost all of what I wrote earlier sheesh.

We have had it all alright sun, wind, snow, rain, sleet. I feel like we have had about all the kind of weather early spring can bring.

It is a beautiful morning so far partly sunny. It was 28 when I went out to open the chicken coop. At least the snow and ice are half gone from the back yard and it is much easier to walk up to the coop now.


I got the wood stove going and other morning chores done.


Dave had a check up with the doc. and the doc. found Dave had 3 spots of precancerous cells on Dave shinny head. The doc. froze them and we will keep an eye on what happens from there.


We had a busy weekend, Friday we left around 10 AM after chores to head to town to do business errands, shopping etc etc. We try to get all the errands done we possible can in one trip. We got home around 7 PM.


Saturday we headed up to Spokane before 8 AM got back to the valley and picked Kaylee up at our daughter Terra's house. Then on to the Clarkston chapel to help clean it for Sunday.

Well I guess it is unto the laundry.
I just finished watching or mostly listening to the show on NBC Who do you think you are.

Food Storage Grocery list week by week and recipe 2011

New 51-week storage Ideas Week One

This is for two (2) people so buy according to your family’s size.

 From President Gordon B. Hinckley, the Lord's prophet, we hear:

"The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes. . . . 

"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one-week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months, (and so on). . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.”

List: Peas 6 cans

tuna 6 cans

cream of mushroom soup 4 cans

pasta of what kind you prefer 3 large bags

salt 2 containers

toilet paper one12 pack to 24 pack

cold medicine box, bottle or pack.

*If you have children don’t forget children's cold medicine.

  

If any one is interested in powdered vanilla, these are the best prices I have found.

Imitation: http://www.shopbakersnook.com and enter powdered vanilla in the search window at the site.

I have already tried this product and it works and tastes good. You use ½ teaspoon of it when recipes calls for 1 teaspoon of liquid vanilla,

Real vanilla powdered vanilla: http://www.beanilla.com, click on arrow in search window and a list of products will come up.

They also have ground and vanilla beans.

Recipe:

Simple Stove Top Tuna casserole:

Boil until done 1 bag of noodles, drain, put back in pan

Add 1 can of drained peas

1 or 2 cans drained tuna, (some like 1 some 2)

1 can mushroom soup

1-cup milk or water

Salt and pepper to taste

1-teaspoon onion powder optional

Mix and stir until warm enough to eat.

Sandy and surgery

I just heard back from my brother here is what he wrote:

As far as the surgery went, they opened her up, found to much infection, cleaned it up and closed it back up and delayed the surgery again.

I know she is very disappointed to have to wait.