You know the saying, “a watched pot never boils”?
Well, a watched cow never calves – until she is ready that is!
We have been watching Buttercup very closely for the past 3 days because she was showing signs of being close to calving. We were preparing for church on Sunday and just glanced in the pasture, saw her standing and looking normal so we did not bother going out for a closer look. Evidently, she was about to calve because when we returned home, he was here -a light brown bull calf! So, we named him LBC for Little Brown Calf. Both mamma and baby are doing great.
As usual, the first milking was difficult. She is tender, swollen and does not want anything to do with the milking machine. John (because I am too scared to get so close to her well aimed kicks) began by hand milking and then was able (with help from the boys) to hook her up to the milker. After the first couple of milkings, she calms down and everyone begins the milking rotation. Until then, John is present at all milkings to help.
LBC is taking the colostrum very well from the bottle. Needless to say, everyone loves feeding him!
For now, we are milking Buttercup twice each day, freezing the extra colostrum and looking forward to her milk coming in which means 8 gallons of milk per day!
I posted last week on the progress made building our new cow palace (aka milking parlor). From framing to finishing, we have done the work ourselves. Besides saving money, it also gives the children a chance to learn additional skills and confidence to try new projects.
After pricing ready mix concrete, especially after there was a 3 yard minimum and we only need 1 1/2 yards, we purchased the ingredients and mixed it ourselves. Using Portland cement, we mixed it with sand and gravel purchased from a concrete supplier about 5 miles away. Mixing was done rather easily with a small cement mixer and then poured onto the floor.
It happened to be one of those rare rainy days here in West Texas so, as much mixing as possible was done inside the cow palace.
As usual, Emme was the most curious about the work being done.
For the finish, we have a brushed or rough surface so it will not be slippery when wet. We even added everyone’s hand prints - everyone still at home that is! They are in the middle of the cow palace floor so they will be seen and not covered up by feed and other stuff!
So, as you look at the finished milking parlor, complete with covered porch, remember that it will be nicely painted pale yellow – hopefully, in the not too distant future!
Now, if Buttercup would just have her calf, we are ready to milk!
Our new cow palace, otherwise known as milking parlor, is almost finished. Milking is going to be exciting in the new surroundings!
Using left over tin roofing, the sides are somewhat mismatched but only until there is another break in vineyard work, then it will be painted. As you look at it, try to visualize a pale yellow cow palace surrounded by a field of green grass.
Inside, the wiring is finished giving us three lights and three electrical sockets. Pouring the concrete floor will hopefully happen tomorrow. The doors have not yet been hung – one opening from the pasture for the cows to enter and one from the front giving us access to the milking area and feed.
The cows were given their nightly feed in the new stanchion last night but only after some coaxing. In preparation for milking, we begin now (especially with Buttercup so close to calving) to get them in the habit of entering and eating in the stanchion. Once we begin milking, they eat their grain while we milk – it helps keep them occupied and calm.
While they were both curious about the work going on, neither wanted to be first. Emme finally cooperated and had the privilege of being the first one to eat in the new cow palace.
As Emme ate, Buttercup began to get a bit antsy to have her turn. You can see her looking in the door impatiently.
Sometimes they can be so like children – not wanting the other to get more than they think they have!
How many fermenting things can one kitchen hold? Since we have been on the GAPS diet and I have learned the probiotic benefits of lacto-fermentation, my kitchen is full of ferments! Does this show an addiction? I am saving money making them myself! But, after all, how many jars can one kitchen hold?
Under my dishes is my sauerkraut.
To the left of the kitchen sink are the fermenting carrots.
To the right of the stove are jars of fermenting water kefir. This so fa,r is my least favorite ferment. I have tried several recipes and have yet to find one that does not taste or smell like a garden hose! If you have a good recipe, please let me know. (The jar to the far left is actually tallow.)
Beside the coffee maker are the jars of fermenting milk kefir.
And, don’t forget the top of the refrigerator – that is where the 6 gallons of kombucha are fermenting.
I have read that a space of a few feet between ferments is good and I do have that. So far, there has not been a problem and all is working well.
Do you have anything fermenting in your kitchen? Leave a comment and let me know what – I’d love to hear that I am not the only woman with too many jars in her kitchen!
When we started the tomato, bell pepper and jalepeno pepper seedlings in egg cartons several weeks ago, I knew transplanting them would be necessary. The young seedlings would not stand a chance if planted directly in the garden with the West Texas wind. Transplanting them into small pots was not an option – I have no space for so many little pots! So, we decided to make a hoop house. If you are not familiar with a hoop house, it is a miniature green house. They may be purchased complete or as a kit. But, like most things, making it yourself is much more economical. Ours cost under $20!
We had selected a small 10 x 12 area of the garden and placed a black tarp over it to begin warming the soil. The soil in that area was hoed and compost added. Using a spoon, we carefully scooped the seedlings out of the egg cartons. Separating the seedling (very carefully), we planted them about 4 -6 inches apart.
As we transplanted, the seedlings were also well watered.
Pieces of 1 inch PVP pipe (scrap from a previous project), cut into 12 inch lengths, were sunk into the soil at the desired width of the hoop house. These provide stability and help anchor the hoop house down in the wind.
The frame of the hoop house is 4 pieces of 1/2 inch flexible electrical conduit pipe (cheaper than water pipe and UV stable) placed 3 feet apart. These pieces were bent the desired width and placed inside the 1 inch pipe. Another piece of scrap PVC pipe was zip tied to the top of the hoops the length of the house. Bottomless buckets were placed around the seedlings to provide a bit of shade.
Next, 3.5 ml plastic was put over the hoop frame. We started with each end and taped the plastic to the frame. Once the ends were secure, the top plastic was taped to either end of the frame. One long side was left unsecured for ventilation.
We learned however, that packing tape dries out to quickly and does not hold for long. So, John made clips from 1″ PVC by cutting a 1/6th section out which allowed it to snap over the plastic sheeting and frame.
The bottom edges were then buried under dirt to secure them.
I am watering through the side every 2 to 3 days.
So far, our little seedlings are growing very well!
I posted quite awhile ago about making yogurt, how easy it is and how much our family enjoys it. Well, I have found something better and easier – homemade kefir!
While most people are familiar with yogurt, an even more potent probiotic drink is kefir. Kefir is not as thick as yogurt but has more twang. We drink it straight but you could easily sweeten it with fruit and honey. Once the heat of summer hits, I will be putting it in the blender with some ice and fruit to make smoothies.
Kefir grains, which look like little cauliflower pieces, are needed to make kefir. Since the grains multiply, it is very easy to obtain some from a friend who already makes kefir – if you have one. Otherwise, they are available online. I purchased mine from Cultures for Health. Along with the grains, they sent detailed instructions for the care and use of them. If properly cared for, they should last indefinitely. If you need a break from kefir making, the grains may be rinsed and refrigerated in non-chlorinated water (chlorine will kill them). I have even read that they can be frozen for future use but have not tried it.
Like most things, homemade kefir is tastier and more economical than its store bought counterpart. With homemade kefir, you get the taste you prefer because the twang is determined by the length of time you leave the grains in the milk.
This is one recipe that must be tried to believe how easy it is!
Kefir
To make 1 quart:
4 c whole milk (we use raw milk from our family milk cow, Buttercup, when she is giving milk)
2 – 4 Tbsp kefir grains
Other items needed: 1 qt mason jar, lid or cheesecloth to cover jar loosely, mesh strainer, spatula
Put the kefir grains in a 1 qt mason jar.
Pour whole milk over the grains leaving about 1 inch space at the top of the jar.
Stir the milk and grains and cover loosely.
Leave in a warm place for 12 – 24 hrs. – depending on the taste you prefer. The kefir grains culture the milk and the longer it is left the tangier it will become. I leave mine on the kitchen counter for 24 hours. If it has separated and there is a bit of liquid on the bottom, I shake it before straining.
Pour the kefir through a strainer into another jar catching the grains in the strainer. Refrigerate and enjoy.
Use the grains to start another batch.
I rinse my grains every second or third use before I add them to a clean jar and start a new batch. Some people rinse their grains after each use but mine do not multiply as quickly if I do.
It is just that simple! There is no need to heat the milk like you do when making yogurt. I do not even bring the milk to room temperature – I pour it straight from the refrigerator over the kefir grains and it works every time!
*I recommend Cultures for Health only after being a satisfied customer. If you choose to purchase from them, please use one of the links from Dimes2Vines as I do earn a small commission.
Kombucha is a drink made from sweet tea, is slightly carbonated and delicious! Being full of probiotics, B vitamins and enzymes, it not only tastes good but is also good for you.
If you have not tasted Kombucha before, you might want to buy a bottle at your grocery store or health food store. While a purchased bottle of Kombucha will often cost around $3+, you can make your own for much less.
Kombucha is naturally carbonated tea that starts with a Kombucha scoby (also called a starter or mushroom) which looks like a flat grayish disk – see the picture below. Since the scoby does grow and multiply, if you know of someone who already makes Kombucha, they may share with you. Mine came from my daughter-in-law, Jessica. The picture above shows Jessica’s Kombucha fermenting. There are also many sources available online. One company I have used for other starters is Cultures for Health and they also carry Kombucha scoby. The scoby is reused and transferred from one batch to the next and consists of yeast and bacteria which live together in a symbiotic relationship. SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast.
Once the scoby is combined with brewed tea, sugar and water, it is allowed to ferment for 7 – 10 days (depending on taste). The longer you leave the tea fermenting, the stronger the flavor will be. That being said, leave it for 7 days and begin tasting it daily. The majority of my family does not like it really strong – it tastes too much like apple cider vinegar – so I pour mine off before that point. It is easiest to make a gallon at a time. I was able to find 1 gallon glass jars at Walmart and had 4 of them going on top of my refrigerator at one time. I am now using two 3 gallon tea dispensers which is working very well.
A couple of notes to help with successful Kombucha:
- Make sure to use non-chlorinated water as chlorine will kill the scoby.
- The scoby needs sugar to live on – honey, rapadura or sugar substitutes will not work.
The following recipe is adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon – I multiply this recipe to make 6 gallons at a time.
Kombucha
3 quarts water (non-chlorinated)
4 organic black tea bags
1 c. sugar
1/2 c Kombucha from a previous batch ( you may use purchased Kombucha for your first batch)
1 Kombucha scoby
Other equipment needed: 1 gallon glass jar, cheesecloth to cover jar, rubberband, 1 gallon jar with tight fitting lid to fill with the finished Kombucha
Brew the tea by bringing water to a boil and adding the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep until cool and remove the tea bags.
Add sugar to the tea and stir until dissolved.
Make sure the tea is at room temperature and add 1/2 c of Kombucha from a previous batch and then add the scoby. (If the tea is hot it will kill the scoby)
Put a piece of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and secure with a rubber band - this allows air in but keeps bugs and dust out.
Place the jar in an out of the way place.
If your kitchen is warm, the Kombucha will ferment more quickly, so for the first batch or so, taste it after 3 or 4 days. Once the taste is to your liking, remove the scoby and place in another jar to begin your next batch.
The fermented Kombucha may be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed at will.
*I recommend Cultures for Health only after being a satisfied customer. If you choose to purchase from them, please use one of the links from Dimes2Vines as I do earn a small commission.
You may have noticed my latest recipe additions – Sauerkraut and Fermented Carrots - are fermented. Being on the GAPS Diet and reading about the health benefits of probiotics, I have purposefully added them to our family’s diet. One way to get probiotics is through fermented foods. But, not just “fermented” as in pickled, I mean “fermented” using the lacto-fermentation process. So, what is lacto-fermentation and why is it so healthy?
The result of lacto-fermentation is the proliferation of lactobacilli which increase the vitamin levels and make the fermented foods more digestible. These beneficial bacteria, lactobacilli, produce helpful enzymes, as well as, antibiotics and anti-carcinogenic substances.
Lactic acid is the main by-product of lactobacilli and has two important jobs:
- It helps preserve vegetables and fruits.
- Promotes the growth of healthy flora (or bacteria) throughout the intestines.
Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits bacteria which putrefies. Vegetables and fruits contain starches and sugars which are converted into lactic acid by the lactic-acid-producing bacteria. There are many species of these bacteria. One species, lactobacilli, are present on all living things and can be easily encouraged to grow.
Basically the lacto-fermentation process uses good quality produce, sea salt and water. Good quality produce provides the nutrients necessary for the lactobacilli to work. Sea salt is used to inhibit the growth of putrefying bacteria until enough lactic acid is produced. Once a sufficient amount of lactic acid is produced, the vegetables can be preserved for many months. Kefir (or whey)) is often used to “jump-start” the lactic-acid producing bacteria’s growth. Kefir (or whey) also helps to make the fermentation process more consistently successful.
You might wonder why, if lacto-fermented vegetables are so nutritious, the process is not used on a large scale for profit. The answer is simple – the lacto-fermentation process did not yield consistently predictable results when converted to an industrialized process. Changes were made to produce a more uniform product but unfortunately, that does result in a more nutritious one. Examples would be the addition of vinegar and pasteurization (which kills all the lactic-acid-producing bacteria which benefit the digestive system).
With the recipes I have posted utilizing the lacto-fermentation process, as well as any others you might find, there are a couple of important things to remember.
- Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobi process and once fermentation begins, the presence of oxygen will affect your results.During the sauerkraut fermentation, if you do not have something weighing the cabbage down below the surface of the liquid, you should push it down into the liquid using a clean spoon, morning and evening. If you do not, a mold may grow on the surface which is exposed to air. This mold normally can just be scooped out and thrown away with the remaining sauerkraut being fine. But, if your fermented vegetables taste or smell rotten – throw them out and start over. I have made many batches of both sauerkraut and fermented carrots and only one batch of sauerkraut went awry – there was no question that something was wrong and I threw it out and started over!
- The vegetables will expand slightly and may even become bubbly during the fermentation process. Make sure to leave a 1 inch space between the top of the vegetables and the top of the jar.
While there are a few brands of lacto-fermented vegetables available through health food stores, they tend to be rather expensive. I have enjoyed the adventure of learning the process and trying new recipes. I encourage you to give them a try also. I have several others I will be experimenting with and will let you know the results.
Our daily routine is just that, pretty routine. Each morning after breakfast, we all walk to the vineyard to prune. I say “we” loosely, because this “we” also includes our two cows and Bob.
Each morning Buttercup (our black family milk cow) and Emme (short for Emmentaler cheese) wait for us by the hot wire fence to take them to the vineyard. Emme is a jersey heifer purchased with the anticipation of more milk but we have had problems breeding her. Hopefully, we will find out this week if she is pregnant or not. If not, she will probably be sold.  She is such a nice cow but a 700+ lb pet is a bit large to keep when she essentially brings no benefit through milk production.
With winter here there is not much green anything for them to graze. But, in the vineyard, we have rye planted between the rows to stop the dirt from blowing. It is beautiful and green and there are also plenty of weeds for them to eat – they love both! Allowing them to graze at the vineyard has really saved on our feed bill. Since the vines have not yet budded, there is nothing for them to hurt – it is a win-win situation.
The boys lead them over to the vineyard with a lasso around their necks (the cows’ necks, that is). They lead very easily and since each is wearing a cow bell, they ding-a-ling as they go.
As you can see from the picture below, a snack is needed for the journey! 1/6 of a mile is a long way!
Once at the vineyard, both cows go up and down the rows as if trying to find the most delicious mouthfuls. It brings back wonderful memories of our 4 years in Switzerland as they walk with their bells ringing. We used to hear both cows and sheep grazing on the hillsides with their bells ringing. Once the wind stops blowing so much (it might be awhile here in west Texas!), I would like to post a video so you can hear them too!
As always, the grass (or weeds in this case) is always greener on the other side of the vine row.
When their first course is complete, the wander up to the center of the vineyard where we have a barrel of water for them.
So goes the day – first, second, third, fourth and I honestly don’t know how many courses they actually have in their menu, until they are led home at evening!
This homemade Wheat Thins recipe is so easy and costs a fraction of the price that the store-bought crackers do! And, they taste amazingly like the real thing. If your family is like mine, you better at least quadruple the recipe. I cannot seem to make enough of them.
Everyone loves them!
Well, nobody wants to marry them, but they sure get eaten fast!
Since I have been on the GAPS diet, I make a couple of modifications to the recipe. First, I substitute rye flour for the whole wheat because rye has less gluten than wheat. I also mix all ingredient the night before, leaving the dough mixed through the night. When mixing, I leave out 1Tbsp of the water and add 1 Tbsp kefir and continue with the rest of the ingredients. This allows the phytic acid to be broken down in the rye which makes the crackers more easily digestible. This actually makes them more convenient because when I am ready to roll them out and cook them the next day, they are ready and waiting.
Homemade Wheat Thins
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt plus more to top the crackers
1/4 tsp paprika
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 c water (may need a bit more)
1/4 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 400F.
Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Add flour, sugar, salt, and paprika in medium bowl and mix.
Cut butter into mixture and mix thoroughly – it will be crumbly.
Combine water and vanilla in a measuring cup. Add to butter and flour mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. If it is too dry, add more water.
Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time (cover the remaining to prevent it from drying out), roll to 1/16 in thickness on a floured work area and turn frequently to prevent sticking.
Use a pizza cutter and cut into squares. Transfer to cookie sheet
Bake until crisp and brown – 8 – 12 min. Check frequently because they burn quickly.
Remove from oven and cool. Store in airtight container.
Recipe adapted from FoodBuzz.
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About Me 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has been challenging to say the least. I have had the opportunity to take a crash course in frugal living and become a real farm girl - complete with milk cow and chickens. I have learned the importance of health from the inside out, "traditional" cooking and cod liver oil!
I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have. |
