A site to check out...

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.01.18.21.28.archive.html

Just another day on the farm...

Nothing out of the ordinary to report to day,windstorm debris is always the first job of the morning, followed by me making breakfast, today that was pancakes.  I  baked bread, bought animal feed, took care of our buckling.  Then, I worked with Elisha on having him read "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe", he is not thrilled with the idea of chapter books yet.  Dah'veed is still reading "Dainties Inferno", and I am sure he will be glad to finish and move on to our next reading.  As for the boss he has been working on tearing down the old van and making it ready to taken to the junk yard.  The price for such scrap is high, 10 cents a pound, how can you go wrong, that makes the van worth over $390.  The money will be used, I believe to buy propane for the big tank.  Sadly,we did not watch the tank as close as we should have and ran it dry, so I foresee a hefty fee for pressure checking it and such.  In reality what ever needs done, will be done. So this leaves the big kids,  I bet you are wondering what the two oldest children did today.  Well they went back to college, but not before creating a ruckus at 5:30 in the morning,  there were dogs woken up, goats needing tending and milk which was forgotten(sorry lady J), they also killed 5 of our indoor/outdoor plants, the plan is that the plants go outside when the weather is above 40 degrees. This pan had served us fairly well all winter, so of course, now that the plants were perking up and the tomato had started to make flowers they forget them out side, and killed every last one. For them it may not have been a good day, as it stands I think they are still trying to fix this mornings mess, I wish them luck, because I am not pleased.

On the animal front, pigeons were moved around today, yummy looking ones in one pen, flight birds in another. Plans were laid to butcher many roosters and return the balance of the farm to a more level one.  We have decided to eat 2 male Muscovy ducks a week, at least until the numbers level off.  We are laying out the lines for the new fences and pens, planing on buying another hay ring. The hay is holding out better this time and I have hopes of making it last longer in the future.  Adam and Eve are still doing well, Lady seems to be taking to her new role as farm protector.  The cows are well, the goats look great and the sheep,well they are sheep...lol. The horses are calming down and learning to get along.

Tomorrow I go back to school at Ozark and I have wrote myself a little prayer to help me get threw it. So here it is:   Dear G-d, protect me from the stupid, because I can not fix it. Save me from the ignorant who before today had only used a book to level a table or as a door stop. Shield me from the use of improper words in improper ways. Guild me to be gentle in speech to those who can not write or read, in English, even though it is their first language. Let me sing the praises dear G-d, of those, who thanks to the closing of American factories will be attending Ozarka and colleges like it, even though they do not have the basic knowledge to do so. Please above all else let my Biology teacher have a sense of humor, because he is going to need it.

One more thing:

I wanted to protest tomorrow, and blacken my webpage, but I am sure if the bill passes the government will do it for me. My website is based outside of the states due to issues with a village missing it's idiot and me refusing in a free country to stop selling the shirt.

Be Blessed dear one and may your hearts be light!!!!

Shekhinah, Michael and all the kids and critters on Mahanaim Farm

A quick catch up on our little farm

Welcome family and well wishers back to our little farm blog.  I am sorry for not keeping up with you all, but sometimes I just get down about all that we need to do each, and all the drama that seems to follow.  So anyway I am working on keeping up with blog a little better. 

A quick catch up, we have a new roof now on the main structure and soon will start on the new kitchen.  The hold up, seems to be the utter mess that the last roof, or should I say roofer has left behind.  The back porch will need to be modified, in a effort to ease the water coming through the concrete block walls in the back of the house which could cause a mold problem if not dealt with.  We are also working on the other things that break on the farm, or need repaired on an almost daily basis.  Right now that means water pipes, incubator, ect.  The list goes on, seemingly forever.

What changes have occurred with the animals: First and foremost we have slimmed down the flocks to more manageable numbers and this has left me to fix and replace things on our main website.  We have also traded two ewes for two goats, this has so far worked well for us.  Our surprise holiday gift, a sweet little baby buck has added a lovely long eared, moon spotted, Nubian herd sire for the future.  Moses our main Ram has found him self a home in the barn as his age has caused us concern and the reality of him as sausage is looming in the near future.  Threw careful barter we were able to acquire a Jersey bull to bred our cows, and latter fill our freezer with yummy meat.  One cow is currently in milk and I think a vet check is due on the the other cow, as we still have had no baby from her.  The fact that she produced no calf for us, and no milk was very disappointing, as well as costly.  I'm sure I will have to find a way to recoup the loss we  have in her.  We have found a lovely home for Dreamer, the horse we were trying to place.  Than turned right around and got a pony and a horse in need of a home.  The horse I was told was a bused and is very skidish, he reminds me of the horse from the "Black Beauty" story.  I hope to be able to make friends with him, as he is a young horse and will most likely turn out to be a good ride.  the incubator is down so new new peepers at the moment, though we did have ducks hatch out from one of the Muscovy ducks, around a week ago.  We also adopted a pair of Italian sheep dogs, that are very sweet, great with the goats, but the sheep are terrified of them.  We have named them (the dogs), Adam and Eve.

Still having issues with vehicles, but I want to believe we have made some progress and as early as tomorrow we should know if the new cable for the box truck, will work or not.  We have so much hanging on this truck being up on the road again, but right now, all I can do is hope and pray that it will all work out.

The very best sandwich bread I have ever baked!

Ingredients and supplies

3 ½ cups un-bleached white flour, I have made it with 6 grain flour, yummy!

1 tbsp softened butter

1 egg, I use 2, just saying, I like a little more bulk to our bread. Using three or more eggs and you have a very easy Challah recipe.

1tsp salt, I use sea salt.

2 ¼ tsp dried yeast, no need to add to water ahead of time.

1 ¼ cups of milk at room temperature.

1 buttered bread tin

1 egg beaten and thinned with water and a pastry brush.

Put flour in mixing bowl along with the softened butter.  Using your hands mush the butter throughout the flour until no large pieces remain.  Next add the beaten egg, or eggs if using 2, the salt, and yeast.  Holding the bowl with one hand add milk slowly while mixing to farm the dough.  It says in the instructions that dough should be ragged, if you are making this , most likely you have made bread before and know what to look for, if not IM means I will hook you up with photos.  It says to turn out onto a well floured surface, however, I kneaded it in the bowl, just added a tiny bit of flour, took less than two minutes.  I than greased the bowl and turn the dough over, covered it with a piece of butter muslin and into the none-heated oven to rise until doubled.  Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and with your hands form into a rectangle, than roll up, tuck in the ends and place in butter pan.  Now you are going to cover this again and let double one more time.  Once it has doubled again use the egg wash mixture on the entire top and place into a 350 degree oven for 1 hour, try to let cool for three hours before cutting…

Most of all have fun and share the joy of fresh baked bread with family and friends, store bought bread is full of nasty stuff that no one should eat…who know maybe you can barter your bread for other things you need, you never know till you try.  Just my opinion, but if we bartered more and bought more local food the world we live in would soon be a better place.

Well I do not know what else to tell you all, but you are welcome to ask questions which I will answer here.

Be Blesssed
Shekhinah, Michael and all the kids and critters here on Mahanaim Farm, USA.