I ran across Ruth Stout last year when a friend of mine (Thanks, Sherry) apologizing gave me a video about Ruth Stout. I say apologizing because Ruth Stout was a bit quirky and odd in some of her thinking and practices. Despite that fact, there is a wealth of gardening knowledge that one can gain from her. Ruth Stout was an amazing organic gardener that taught organic mulch method gardening. She claimed it was the No Dig/No Work organic gardening method that produced a good garden, good soil without plowing, without chemical fertilizers and without weed poisons.

After using her mulch gardening method last year, I have to say that I am sold on hay mulch gardening. We didn’t spend hours and hours of back breaking work weeding the garden last year. We also hardly watered our garden all summer long. The mulch kept the ground moist and the weeds a bay. The weeds that did spring up were easily covered up with more mulch or pulled up easily because they were unable to develop deep roots.

I’m a real country girl now.  Last year we bought some old rotten looking hay for $7 a big round bale for the garden.  It was a happy moment in my life driving home with all that old rotten hay in the back of our trailer! 

Here are a few interesting articles on her:

Ruth Stout System

Ruth Stout, The No-Dig Dutchess

You can watch the Ruth Stout gardening video called Ruth Stout’s Garden on You Tube here! It is a 3 part series.

Many of you have been following the HVP food recall or Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein recall that has been coming out in the news this week.   Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste and powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc was contaminated with Salmonella and has caused a nation wide recall on a variety of snack food items, dips, dressings and seasonings. 

Added to the list, Kroger has announced a recall on Kroger private label dill dip for concerns about salmonella contamination.  Trader Joes has also announced a recall on some of its products including their organic ranch dressing and dip.  Walmart (Sams) and Safeway announced recalls yesterday on a variety of dips, dressings and snack foods. Concord Foods, Fresh Foods Concepts and McCormick foods have also issued recalls on their food products.  Herbox boullion cubs and jars were also  included.  Check here for the rest of the companies and products that are included and check your pantry and refrigerator for recalled items. 

So basically, just avoid HVP, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein which is in an amazing amount of food found at the grocery store! 

Here is a ongoing list of items: 

CASTELLA IMPORTS

Chicken Soup Base 1 lb plastic jar
Lot: 0912039918, 1001121915, 1002013074, 1002194266
Expiration  12-3-2010 – 2-28-2011
UPC: 7 50144 33000 5

Chicken Soup Base 25lb white bucket
Lots:0911259508, 0911259508A, 0912150738, 0912180973, 0912211087, 1001192342, 1001282925, 1002194267
Expiration: 11-25-2010 – 2-28-2011
UPC: 7 501144 3320 9

CONCORD FOODS

Vegetable Dip Seasoning – Homestyle 1.5 oz 943grams)
Best By: 07/27/12
UPC: 041409002066

CULINARY CIRCLE

Pesto Ranch Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38063
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

Cucumber Dill Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38062
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

Spinach Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38061
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

EARTH ISLAND

BBQ Braised Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-01001-4

BBQ Braised Tofu 8 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-07025-4

Cheezy Garlic Pasta 8 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/06/10
UPC: 0-49568-01006-9

Cheezy Garlic Pasta 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/06/10
UPC:0-49568-04006-6

Curried Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-01010-6

Curried Tofu with Rice 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-04011-0

Heartsmart Burger 7 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/19/10
UPC: 0-49568-01098-4

Kung Pao Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01023-6

Kung Pao Tofu with Rice 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04003-5

Savory Tofu Saute 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/10/10
UPC: 0-49568-01038-0

Savory Tofu Saute 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/10/10
UPC: 0-49568-04014-1

Smoked Chicken Pasta 8 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/14/10
UPC: 0-49568-01076-2

Smoked Chicken Pasta 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/14/10
UPC: 0-49568-04076-9

Sweet & Sour Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01430-2

Sweet & Sour Tofu 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04430-9

Thai Peanut Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01028-1

Thai Peanut Tofu Wrap 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/11/10
UPC: 0-49568-01034-2

Thai Peanut Braised Tofu 8 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04407-1

Texas Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/12/10
UPC: 0-49568-01037-3

Veggie Burrito with Cheese 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/05/10
UPC: 0-49568-01070-0

Low Fat Veggie Burrito 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/05/10
UPC: 0-49568-01069-4

Beef Au Jus 224 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/19/10

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 12 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10, JUN 21 10
UPC: 0-49568-66012-7

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 32 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10, JUN 21 10
UPC: 0-49568-66032-5

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 128 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10
UPC: 0-49568-66128-5

HERB-OX

Beef Bouillon Packets 1.13 oz (32g) 8 packets
Code Date: Mar 2012 V02220
UPC: 0 336303 9

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 1.13 oz (32g) 8 packets
Code Date: Mar 2012 V01280
UPC: 0 336313 6

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Code: V01290 ,V02040, V02080
UPC: 0 33600 34793 0

Vegetable Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Code: V02020
Carton Code: 0 33600 35562 1

Beef Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Carton Code: 0 33600 35188 3

Jarred Bouillon
Beef Bouillon Net Wt 4.0 oz (113g)
Code date: Feb 2013 V01210
UPC: 0 336203 0

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 4.0 oz (113g)
Code date: Feb 2013 V01200, Feb 2013 V01250, Mar 2013 V02030
uPC: 0 336213 7

HOMEMADE GOURMET
 
1.96 oz packages
Lots: S1004812411,S1004912111
Sold:   2/17/2010 – 3/1/2010

1.96 oz (55.6 g) pouch part of Let’s Make Dinner Collection
Lots: S1004812411, S1004912111
Sold: 2/17/2010 – 3/1/2011
Stock number: 40.1032

1.96 oz (55.6 g) pouch
part of $800 pre-select order for consultants
Lots: S1004812411, S1004912111
Sold 2/17/2010 – 3/1/2012
Stock number: 37.0320

JOHNNY’S FINE FOODS

French Dip Powdered Au Jus 6 oz bottles
Expiration date: 0332

1.1 oz foil packets
Expiration date: 02212

OAK LAKE FARMS

French Onion Chip Dip 16oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR2310F, JUN1110F, JUN2610F
UPC: 73534 43480

GREAT VALUE (Wal-Mart, sam’s Club)

Ranch Chip Dip 16 oz plastic tubs
Best By: 042810F, 050810F, 052910F, 053010F, 053110F, 060410F, 060510F, 061110F
UPC: 78742 43099

MCCORMICK & CO.

French Onion Dip Mix
BEST BUY: OCT 06 11,OCT 07 11, NOV 03 11, NOV 06 11, DEC 04 11, JAN 04 12, JAN 23 12
UPC: 52100168609

RESER’S FINE FOODS

Ranch House Dressing 8 lb
UPC: 54627.20327 Carton
Use by: 1/23/10 – 4/27/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00171
Use by: 5/1 2/10 – 6/9/10

Clam Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00240
Use by:  3/22/10 – 6/5/10

French Onion Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00243
Use by: 3/1/10 – 6/5/10

Cheese and Bacon Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00249
Use by: 4/2/10 – 5/27/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 8 lb. Carton
UPC: 71117.16981
Use by: 5/2/10 – 6/4/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 4 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.17050
Use by: 4/29/10 – 6/5/10

Redskin Potato Safeway 16 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 21130.06741
Use by: 3/14/10 – 4/10/10

Potato RedSkin Walmart 16 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 1131.91681
Use by: 12/27/09 – 4/6/10

Potato RedSkin Walmart 32 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 81131.91687.
Use by: 12/27/09 – 4/6/10

Redskin Potato 5 lb
UPC: 71117.06031. Plastic Tub
Use by: 2/24/10 – 4/5/10

Ranch Dip 8 lb Carton
UPC: 71117.14751
Use by: 4/25/10 – 6/5/10

TIM’S CASCADE SNACKS

Kettle Style Potato Chips – Sweet Maui Onion:

1 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 10
UPC: 1159400116

1.5 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 11
UPC: 1159402213

2 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 12
UPC: 1159420211

5 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 13
UPC: 1159400503

8 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 14
UPC: 1159410034

18 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 15
UPC: 1159402005

32 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 16
UPC: 1159403201

2 oz 15 pack
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 17
UPC Bag: 1159420211
UPC Box: 1159499007

1.5 oz
It’s Time for Tim’s Variety Pack, 36 count
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 18
UPC Bag: 1159402213
UPC Tray: 1159436001

70 gram bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 19
Tray UPC: 1159436002

210 gram bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 20
Tray UPC:  1159436003

908 gram bags
Code:  MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 21
Tray UPC: 1159436004

Sweet Maui Onion Rings

0.75 oz bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 10
UPC: 1159407501

1.5 oz bags
Code:  MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 11
UPC: 1159402022

4 oz bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 12
UPC: 1159440401

42 gram bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 13
UPC: 1159401501

T.MARZETTI

Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip 15.5 oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR2010F, APR2810F, MAY1610F, MAY3110F, JUN0610F, JUN1410F, JUN1910F
UPC: 70200 52004
 
Fat Free Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip 13 oz plastic tubs
Best By: MAY1610F, MAY3010F, JUN0810F, JUN1210F, JUN2510F
UPC: 70200 5203

Spinach Veggie Dip 15 oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR1910F, MAY0910F, JUN0710F
UPC: 70200 52059

Spinach Veggie Dip, Epinards, Trempette A Legumes
340 gram plastic tubs
Best By: 10AL11F, 10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN12F
UPC: 70200 58843
 
Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip, Ranch style sud-ouest americain Trempette A Legumes
340 gram plastic tubs
Best By  10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN05F, 10JN14F
UPC: 70200 58844

TRADER JOES

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip 12oz
Use By: JUN 13 10
UPC: 0069-6890

If you google Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, you will be overwhelmed with the amount of articles that show up about the recent recall of a additive, not a food!  This recall is reported to be heading in the direction of the largest food recall in U.S. history.  It’s not the spinach and it’s not the peanuts.  It’s a additive added to a large majority of our food!

I’d highly recommend reading about the HVP recall as it sheds light on a very serious issue we have with our industrial food system.  The industrial monster is a raging diseased animal and is on the loose!

Check out some of these articles:

It’s Not a Food. It’s in Everything…And Now It’s Tainted with Salmonella

FDA announces a recall of an acronym – HVP, or “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” – found in soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, snack foods, dips and dressings. It could lead to the largest food recall in U.S. history

Salmonella found in food additive sparks recall

Stores including those operated by Safeway are pulling items that could contain tainted hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

Salmonella Scare Leads to FDA Recall of Processed Foods

A list of more than 50 recalled foods on the Web site includes several dips manufactured by T. Marzetti, Sweet Maui Onion potato chips manufactured by Tim’s Cascade Snacks, Tortilla Soup mix made by Homemade Gourmet and several prepackaged “Follow Your Heart” tofu meals manufactured by Earth Island.

List of Walmart Recalled Items

List includes several different sizes, kinds and flavors of dressings and dips as well as some snack food items.  Some Brands include: T. Marzetti, Oak Lake Farms, Great Value Ranch Chip Dips (Walmart Brand), Tim’s Cascade Snacks, and Reser’s Fine Foods brand.

Recall:  Products Containing HVP Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein from the FDA

I ran across this news article today. It’s another food recall except this time it’s a bit more complicated!  How about Salmonella found in a widespread common food additive!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) March 5, 2010– U.S. food regulators announced a voluntary recall on Thursday of food made with a common flavoring that could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria but did not estimate how broad the recall will be.

The flavoring — hydrolyzed vegetable protein — is used in soups, sauces, hot dogs, snack foods, dressings and dips and is made by privately held Basic Food Flavors Inc of Las Vegas, Nevada.

“At this time there are no known illnesses associated with this contamination and obviously we’d like to keep it that way,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told reporters in a teleconference.

“The manufacturer had many first-level consignees who obviously had individuals who had firms that they sold to who sold to the other firms,” said Dr. Jeff Farrar, associate commissioner for food safety at FDA’s Office of Foods.

“We expect this to get larger over the next several days, actually several weeks,” Farrar said.

A handful of companies have recalled products ranging from dips, potato chips and dressings to tofu, burritos and pasta. They include T. Marzetti, a unit of Lancaster Colony Corp, which said on March 1 it was recalling various dips.

You can read the full article, U.S. recalls common flavoring after contamination for more information.

Unfortunately the big concern for American’s who believe in freedom is Big Brother’s solution to controlling  and treating the diseases of the the self made industrial food monster!  The solution isn’t more laws and regulation!

The FDA, CDC and USDA are currently working with Congress to overhaul U.S. food safety regulation.

Deputy FDA Commission Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said this outbreak showed why new regulatory powers were needed.

“The shift in the food safety system that we can accomplish with the food safety legislation is one toward prevention and we would like to set strong preventive standards that keep contamination from occurring in the first place,” he said.

Since 2006, the U.S. food supply has been battered by a series of high-profile foodborne outbreaks involving meat, lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach.

I don’t know about yall, but we have been becoming big believers in local food and growing a lot of your own food.  Not only does it taste better, but it is safer, healthier for everyone involved!

We are starting to see spring around the corner.  Sure, it’s 30 degrees outside now….but the sun was out today and it warmed up enough to send the kids outside in a coat to run around.  We’ve had a long, cold winter and we are very ready to thaw out a bit.

I’ve been aching to start gardening.  We’ve been pouring over seed catalogs.  We have a lot of seeds already that we saved from our plants last year, but it is always nice to look at all the nice pretty pictures in the seed catalogs.  I love all the variety that the heirloom seeds offer.  Green stripe tomatoes, yellow and red stripe tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, orange tomatoes, purple sweet peppers, chocolate peppers….  all amazing fruits and vegetables that God created for us to enjoy that are rarely, if ever, seen in a grocery store.

Here’s some of our garden load from last year’s garden.  We grew several different varieties of tomatoes.  We not only enjoyed the wonderful taste of heirloom, home grown garden tomatoes, but we all enjoyed watching our tomatoes grow and marveled at the diversity and uniqueness of these rarely seen garden varieties.  By the way…Wow, look at that green carpet of grass!  We’re looking forward to seeing that again!

I just found out about this great conference going on in our backyard this weekend, March 5 -6 by TOGA (Tennessee Organic Growers Association).  (Thanks Donna for letting me know!!!!)

It sounds like a wonderful conference if you are in the area.   Saturday has a full line up of great speakers.  Joel Salatin is on the line up several times with talks on:  Marketing, Local Food and Salad Bar Beef.  The Barefoot Farmer, Jeff Poppen, is also scheduled to be there and speak.

Cost is $50 for just Saturday as the Friday Farm Day Tours are sold out.

Check out more information here:  TOGA 6th Annual Conference

So the children were right, our dairy goat, Mally, had twins!  Finally on Feb. 1st, she gave birth the day after the other goat had her baby!  Newborn goats are so cute!  She had one doe and one buck who have some very nice Alpine colorings.  The momma and babies are called Cou Blanc Alpines which means that they have literally a ”white neck” – white front quarters and black hindquarters with black or gray markings on the head.

Our daughter had a nice surprise out in the pasture yesterday. 

One of our goats gave birth to a very cute little mixed nubian alpine doeling, which we weren’t expecting.  The boys found the baby and thought it belonged to Mally, the goat who we have been anxiously awaiting to give birth.  They ran inside to announce that Mally had her baby!  We were all excited and jumped up from the table to go see!

We soon discovered that the baby wasn’t Mally’s and was in fact from one of our other goats — a first time momma.  

I’m not complaining.  We love the snow in the winter time.  It’s just working in it…the frost bitten hands, layering up before chores and what the combination of mud, ice and worker boys do to my back door area.  A couple of days ago the down pour started.  It blanketed our field and animals within a matter of hours.  The boys were hustling to finish up some farm work before the storm hit.  They found themselves right in the middle of it.

Night came and brought in ice.  The ice covered everything from the trees, to the fences to the animals.  I took some pictures around the farm on my morning hike.  

All the animals seemed grumpy and unhappy.  Some of the cows had cut up their hooves from the ice.   The goats were the only ones who didn’t have icicles hanging off them.  Goats run for shelter at the first drop of rain or snow, the other animals don’t.  The sheep have a nice thick winter coat on them.  Our Katahdin sheep are beautiful hair sheep.  They do well in the heat as well as the cold. 

Here’s the new momma and her two babies who were slipping and sliding everywhere.  They are growing so fast!

Some smart chickens were nestled up in warm hay nesting boxes.  Others were covered in ice and snow.  I was beginning to think that maybe they were frozen to the coop.

While the winter is beautiful, the boys are talking an aweful lot about warmer spring weather!

Feed corn, winter snow and boyhood farm work are beautiful sights!  The boys went up to a new feed store that just opened up in town.  They bought some bags of corn for $5.75 for a 50 lb bag.  They were doing good to get the trailer unloaded and the feed put away in the barn with the down pour of snow we were having.  After they unload and stack feed bags, they bolt in the back door wanting hot cocoa.  They take the layers of  coats and gloves off  as I fix them a warm mug of raw milk hot cocoa…something our family loves on cold days like today!  I love hearing them talk about how many pounds they lifted and watch them compare muscles.  Boyhood farm work is so good for young men!

If we were real agrarians, we would have a corn crib full of corn and hay piled high in our hay loft that we grew in our fields this summer.   But we aren’t experienced agrarians yet.  We’ve experienced a lot of what not to do.  (like the example we give here)

When you start living on a farm, you quickly realize how inadequate your farming efforts really are.  It’s good to put your hand to the plow so to speak and start somewhere and be grateful for the work you do get done.  However, as spring turns into summer….summer to fall….and fall to winter….the grass disappears, it gets cold and your animals get hungry!  A real farmer would plan to store up enough food for the winter.  Just like a real farm wife would still have a pantry full of wonderful food stores conveniently stored away for the winter blasts.

We’re grateful for the lessons we are learning on the farm.  We’re grateful for the challenge, for the growing and the stretching.  We’ve come to understand the completeness and depth of the words provision and preparation.  Our 24 hr. Stuff-Mart cultural mindset is completely opposite of the agrarian life where forethought and preparation are vital to survival.

Ideally, we would love to find a resource for buying bulk corn and mixing it ourselves.  It’s too cold to think about that now though.  We’re collecting the last pieces of firewood and hoping to hold out until spring so we can start over and try preparing for winter again!

I found some other “When It’s Cold Outside” posts I’ve written in the past.  Here are just a few.  There are a ton more:

When it’s Cold Outside and the Natives are Restless

The Not So Glorious Agrarian Life in the Winter Time

Ice Weather

Farming Frustrations

Farm Boy’s Birthday Saga

He knows she’s a moo cow and he’s not afraid of her.  He runs right up to her and moo’s with her.

He doesn’t like the chickens much.  He tricked them by walking around the yard with an empty feed scoop.

They kept begging.  He kept shouting “NO” and pointing his finger at them.

He’s a small farm boy….but he loves helping his big brothers out!

We have a pregnant dairy goat about to give birth to one or two kids.  I’m guessing one…others in the family are guessing twins.  We are anxiously awaiting!  The children have been updating us on her progress as they have been checking on her throughout the day every day for a little while now.  The first signs are usually that they notice the pregnant goat or animal is gaining weight and has a growing belly area.  Near the final stages of pregnancy in dairy goats, the milk goat’s udder will start to swell or fill and become very large in comparison to what it was previously. 

We suspect our dairy goat is within a few days of birth.  She has a very full udder, very fat and her birth canal area is looking quite different.  The children checked her tail ligaments.  Today, she’s indicating it will be very soon. 

Here’s Mally.  She is 75% Alpine and 25% Nubian….which will give your goat airplane ears!  She’s more friendly than the most Alpines and I suspect that’s the friendly-I-think-i’m-human-nubian blood in her. 

Here’s another good dairy goat resource we enjoy reading with detailed instructions and great pictures on how to check your doe’s tail ligaments and tail head:  Fias Co Farm

The kids thought this was the greatest thing.  Today they were officially able to walk, slip and slide all the way across the pond.  With the temperatures getting down into the single digits  and the arctic wind we have had, the water was frozen hard enough today for the kids to slip and slide around on.  The snow kept it from being too slick

Snow Boy Walking on the Ice Pond

Our boys are the main milkers here on our farm.  They have strong hands to prove it.  I am very grateful to them for all their hard work around here.

Having a milking animal changes life pretty dramatically.  She’s a big part of the family.   She requires attention and care daily, but we are rewarded with lots of good fresh milk.

May still has a calf nursing on her.  So we are managing the calf and the amount of milk we are getting.  The calf is close to weaning.

May’s our sweet milk cow. She’s very curious about the new lambs that have been staying in her milking stall.  Or maybe she just wishes she could stay in the warm stall and lay around on the cozy hay like they do?

The ponds have been frozen.  Not yet frozen enough to ice skate all the way across.  Although they have had some good laughs at the ducks slipping and sliding all over the pond.   The kids are sure hoping the drop in temperature coming up later this week will do the trick.

We appreciate the many wonderful great Christian families the Lord has put in our path!  Franklin Springs has been such a blessing to our family! 

Check out the cute little mice in the country at our farm and out on the town in the city here at The Mysterious Islands premier screening…

Have you heard about Homestead Blessings?  It’s a great new DVD’s series from our friends over at Franklin Springs…and it’s all about homesteading topics!  Gardening, Herbs, Candlemaking, Breadmaking…Canning. 

Franklin Springs says about the Homestead Blessing series…… “The West ladies are back – Vicki, Jasmine, Hannah, and CeCe – in an exciting new six DVD instructional series.  Homestead Blessings is a fun-filled collection of homemaking skills presented in an educational and entertaining beautifully packaged six DVD gift set.  The southern hospitality of the West ladies will welcome you into this unique series that is encouraging to ladies of all ages and teaches valuable skills that can be applied to many homemaking endeavors.  The six DVD set includes instruction in bread making, candle making, soap making, canning, gardening, and herbs.”

I added the Homestead Blessings links on my sidebar over there ——–> Go check them out and watch the video traliers!

I also added a link to the really great Venture Academy .  If you have not seen the trailers for this DVD set…you must go over to Franklin Springs and watch them.  They are excellent.  Paul was able to attend the Venture Academy and loved every minute.  Two Thumbs UP and Highly Recommended!!!

Yesterday our sweet momma ewe, Georgia, had two baby rams.  Momma and babies are all doing wonderfully even if it was 9 degrees last night. 

We are glad the rams are thriving and “boinging” around like lambs do.  We have some other ewes that are due to have babies, so we are all anxiously awaiting the new lambs this season. 

Newborn lambs are so incredibly soft….and cute….

It’s cold…very cold.  The boys enjoy updating me on how cold it is outside.  It’s been below freezing for a couple of days. 

We’ve had a busy first few days of the new year and all very eventful.  The boys heard coyotes out one night while doing their chores that they said they were so close that it ”made their heart leap into their throat”.  Today, one of our ewe’s had twin baby lambs.  We were all guessing that with the extremely cold weather, the ewe’s were going to start having their babies.  Today she did and several of us were able to see her giving birth as we watched from the upstairs window. 

I hope to get some pictures of the cute lambs soon.