Merry Christmas to All, Our Tree is Up.

The tree is a little odd, but it's ours :) The temperature dropped to 7 degrees late this afternoon. Dh was plowing the new snowfall out of the driveway, and said no wonder it felt so cold lol.

Tree time.

Our tree is a combo of store bought and what the kidlets made through the years.

The dogs were exhausted lol

Snow, Sleet. Rain, Ice, Mud

Yep, we have gone from -2 to this week in the low 40's and melted to mud. We have had, lots of snow, sleet, ice and now dogs wallowing in mud. It is supposed to snow again starting tomorrow. Next week we will be back to the 20's for highs.

We have been trying to figure out what to do for family members this Christmas and we think we have got that on the go. Now have to mail some things out.

We found the all the Christmas boxes and have to put a tree up yet. We have been setting out our decorations. I think we will get a fresh tree from our woods.

I ended up with some kind of infection in my left eye and woke up with fluid all around my eye and swollen. Been using warm and cold compresses on it. At least it isn't hurting like it did yesterday. A great relief. I just hope it doesn't go into my right eye, which is starting to feel funny tonight. ACK.

Christmas recipes:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/rainbow-christmas-wreath/358392f7-9643-4f9a-978b-17b2889f89d6?utm_source=Email_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BC_12_10_2015&vcode=AQAAAAAdg1dbllAgZHi51nQ3bkDK7dZDoXKaAcjCUC72cXju1amEPKURzHuGXqTRoO6gFR9x_NEZlu2IMvRJPPZ0pZ9HFKUcafOXa1DDZfChdrgDew

http://click.e.kraftfoods.com/?qs=f0dbab8cd9fe6d0f72cdfce620d4b4262556b6839c454971f47de006b0ff20dc1fef21d4a54b65e1fd8b296edb3ace46

Are We Ready Yet, Nope

Hello everyone,

Just thinking about this last of the year and how quickly the first 11 months whooshed past. Here we have just finished Thanksgiving, again. And no we are not ready for Christmas yet.  Still just thinking about what needs accomplished.

Our Thanksgiving Day was held down in the valley at son and daughter in laws, J and J's with their two little ones. All together there were 17 of us including my mother who is a great and great, great grandmother. We had four generations represented at the tables. A couple were missing when the picture taking was happening, they were up and about, son Jo for one.
Daughter on top left Ch and her fiance Ath just got engaged like 2 weeks ago. He will be a great addition to our family and we hope us to his.

Hello new family to be in Alabama.

We sure missed those who were unable to come this year but we know it always doesn't work out. Some had to work and others had priorities or live far away. We do miss all of our remaining children being together with us once in awhile.

The 28th of November was our daughter Tanya's birthday, she would have been 43. We miss you.

Hope all you folks are doing better than us at your Christmas preparations. My major part is keeping the love we have for one another and healing any bridges that need so.

We were snowed on. Dry spell Broken.

Yesssss, we are now wet. We even had some snow.

But wet at this time of year makes mud as it doesn't stay frozen. The dogs become wet muddy messes. Lily loves to wallow in her two holes she has made in the back yard.

We have also been burning the slash piles, as we are allowed to at this time of year and things being so wet.

Not to much else going on up here. Oh the potatoes are all out of the ground and stored away for the winter, We ended up with 300 plus pounds. With plenty to eat and save for seed potatoes next spring.

Here are Lilli and Bear while still clean :).

We are getting in gear to think about the Holiday's, Thanksgiving will be at a son and daughter in laws house J and J, down in Lewiston. We are bringing the last Turkey we raised that is 48 pounds. Don't know what else yet. But that one is a for sure.

All take care and stay warm and dry.

:) Winter hits next week

As per our weather report we have a chance of snow on Tuesday and lows in the 20's. We have had a great Indian summer and fall, except for the lack of rain. We did get quite a bit last night and today in our area. That should put an end to the fires even in the Umatilla National Forest Wilderness area.

We have the fence and all but the two small gates up. One that leads up to the well house and the other one that leads to the upper woods above the chicken coop area.

This will be where the gate to the well house will go.

 This below is the lower gate that goes out to the bigger pond and lower field, just a cattle wire but it works well for a gate.

Yeah I know my blogs been all about gates for quite a while now. But the this is it until next year. Hope we can finish up along Coyote Flat road next year, that will be the last for the time being. Mainly fence fixing after that. The winter, elk and deer to a number on it all.

I took a picture of the moon setting the other morning above the barn.

Recipe: Here is a good one for fall I found.

Caramel Apple Jam Recipe

Robert Atwood, West Wareham, Massachusetts

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Process: 10 min.

MAKES: 56 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups diced peeled apples (1/8-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups packed brown sugar

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, combine the apples, water, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are tender. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into seven hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
3. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Yield: 7 half-pints.

Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Fence Is Up & Plum Butter

That's the fencing around the house and the main parts that we need it to keep the dogs from going walkabout. We put field fencing up at the main gate in the high areas so they can't go under it. Give Lilli four inches and she will flop on her side and crawl sideways under it. I could hardly believe it when I saw her do that.
A gate still needs put in thats is a ready made one, and another that needs built' but we have fence in the area for now. The rest of the fence on our east side along the long side Coyote Flat Road will have to wait for next year.

A cool front came in last night and so last night and today we got a little bit of rain. Not much but a little is better than nothing these days.

The dogs came in tonight stinking to high heaven, somewhere on the property they have to roam, they found something dead and rotting. GAK.

Another season of volleyball and football is over with for two of the grandgirls and Homecoming for the teens this past weekend.

Our daughter who moved back here from VA. found a place and has moved out, sure hope it works out to be a good place :).

I made plum butter this past Saturday and will have pumpkin to can up, and maybe some potatoes, but that should be it for this year as far as canning goes. This was taken before it was cooked down to half what I have here. This was a triple batch.

Plum Butter

Large Crock Pot

12 cups of pureed plums with skins

6 cups sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves, if you don't like as much in cloves just add 1/2 teaspoon.

1/4 cup lemon juice

Cook on alternating low and high, stirring once in awhile, more so when on high. At least 24 hours or until 1/2 gone or as thick as you want it when cooled.

Put in clean pint or half pint jars and process in a steam or water bath canner. 30 min. for pints and 20 min. for half pints.

More Fence & Paleo Mayonnaise & No milk Ice Cream

Right now the fencing never seems to end. Our neighbor who Dave has been helping with his comes over to help us when he is able. I get to be the Supervisor instead of the helper/Go-fer. I still run for things now and then but not as much. :)

We concreted in 13 wooden posts to put the field fencing on the back side of the house down from the garden area up to the coop. There will be a 12 foot gate down by the garden going into the lower field. One in the middle on the long right side of the house not far from the clothes line so we can easily go up to the well house, and a new one up by the chicken yard.

Lilli and Bear are getting along just fine. They have to be with us or in the fenced locked garden area, so they don't go on walkabouts. Like 2 and 1/2 miles from home.

Still trying to do more Paleo.

Mayonnaise Paleo Style
One half avocado
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup avocado oil
Dash of pepper
One large egg
One and a half tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard or to taste more if necessary
Place the one half avocado, lemon juice, egg and mustard in your food processor and blend this well. Very slowly add your oils while machine is still on. Season with the pepper. Put in a container you can seal tight and place in fridge.

Small batch No Milk Fruit Ice Cream
One half pineapple chunks or pieces, freeze
8 ounces of coconut milk
Two cups of sliced bananas, freeze
4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
Dash of salt can be regular, kosher or sea salt
YOu can add strawberries instead of lime or lemon juice if you prefer, experiment.
Thaw the banana and pineapple for 5 to 7 minutes.
Put banana, pineapple and coconut milk in food processor, blend smooth. Add juice and salt and blend some more. Line a bread pan or a 8x11 pan with plastic wrap. Freeze to soft serve stage 30 to 45 minutes is normal. Depends on your freezer.