how cold is it?

actually Thursday was our mildest day since January 11--it's been a very coooold stretch.

BlueRidgeBlog, Keen Boots & Soap Molds

Isn't that photo a beaut? BlueRidgeBlog by Marie, she is certainly one of my favorite photographers and she is local. This pic was taken in Watauga County, in the Valle Crucis community not far from where I live in the MeatCamp community.

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If you gals want a great boot, waterproof, good tread, and ankle support, this is the one for me.
Keen Palermo Boot
I broke [shattered] my ankle in July '08, DO NOT leave the house wearing CROCS, so I needed all of the above. I started with a black pair and now have this brown pair. Zipper on the inside.


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I want to start gathering supplies to make some goat soap. I bought these, 2 each, on ETSY but haven't received yet so did I do the right thing for molds? ...perfect for melt and pour soap and work great for hot or cold processed soaps. Because the plastic molds are reusable and flexible, you can make lots of soap bars, which pop out easily... any advice/suggestions would
be greatly appreciated.

Because we sell poultry eggs at our local Farmers Market when it's open for 6 months out of the year, I thought it would be cute if we sold goat-soap eggs too. :-) I've never made any soap so will be a new experience, but I need to be getting my supplies together.

hilarious blog

[look at our temp over on the right, Brrrr]

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Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk.
Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so we can all fly.
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CASA HICE by Alix click
if you want to read a hilarious blog, this particular subject-

Gas can cut you down to size faster than a machete on steroids. I'm not talking about the paper thin little puffs of air that escape when no one is looking either. I mean the head-on, unresisted, unrestricted, clear as a bell, no doubt about it, undisguised, loud, odoriferous flatulence that typically comes with either great immaturity - or in our case - old age.

MLK Day, snow in Watauga, NC

Snow is to *intensify* this afternoon here in the NW NC Appalachians. I'll likely be taking more photo's tomorrow.

All puffed up, Franklin had some snow on him this morning, but still wanted to show off his tail to me.

a branch of Watauga River

wish that was my barn

my house

crabapple tree and rhododendren in my yard

birdhouses in my yard

the boys staying warm, MilkDud and Nougat, Nigerian Dwarf Dairy bucks

my precious SweetPea, the 3 does don't want to get their feet wet

Is that not the most darling little goat you've ever seen? look at those chubby thighs.

Sunday fixin's

I hope my doctor doesn't read my blog, or she'll confiscate today's potato salad and the chocolate cake I made yesterday. One thing though, she'll never catch me at is a fast food place 'cause none of 'em offer anything I like. I often thought I'd like to own and operate a fast food operation, the FAST part being that folks could quickly get the ordered food but the food doesn't have to be junk. I'd like to run it with some of you blogging gals, we'd make a fortune. Open, just for lunch. I did try to get a concession trailer but I that fell through, the guy is in jail now.

27 degrees and light snow today

For compost pile #3 that's in the chicken lot, the girls can get in there and scratch aound.

I used the rest of my pork loin for this recipe today.
Crispy Potato Flakes Pork Chops
Ingredients
2/3 cup potato flakes, instant
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoon milk
4 medium pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray pan with nonstick spray. Wash pork chops; set aside.
Beat egg and milk together. Place potato flakes in shakable container. Dip pork chops in egg mixture, then into potato flakes. Lay in pan. Grease the pan fairly well. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle paprika on top to brown. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until done.

Ready for the oven

I like making potato salad because:
1) a dozen hard-boiled eggs went in, good when girls are producing a lot of eggs
2) it keeps for several days, good for a side, and taking lunch to the office
3) we like it, pickles is the first thing you taste

My doctor and I met at a local gym a few years back. Mike and I were faithful about going, but then the gym went out of business, and we're back to being blobs. It's fun to be a blob but not
healthy. I'm a happy, fat blob.

Store brands work just fine.

some fresh, some store-bought

Although they've been in deep-freeze conditions, the girls have been laying. I've got some young Ameraucana girls too but no eggs from them yet.

Used three fresh eggs in my German-chocolate cake, and I whipped up some cream-cheese frosting.

At the grocery store, I buy store brands and on-sale items.

I used some of the pork loin in this soup.

Also, got some London Broil on sale.

London Broil, potatoes, carrots and onions.

Store brands below. I save more than pennies.

We like these Bush's Steakhouse beans and they were on sale for $1.79 a can, usually over $2 a can. I don't buy too much frozen stuff because the electricity may go off. Yes, we pay our bill! :-) especially during winter run more of a risk for losing power and I like to stay stocked up in stuff because you never know when we may need to be self sufficient. HotBellyMama had a great post today about stocking up on food and laws, I encourage you to go over and read it although a little scary - ...allow the government to seize all of your hoarded items in the event of an emergency.

As I write this at 5:30PM est, 16 degrees outside, I'm hoping we're slowing climbing out of this deep freeze. We are blessed to be warm, fat, and happy, and try to make keep our animals as comfy and we can too.

for you lamb lovers

I like to window shop at ETSY
at the ETSY search, type in LAMB
http://tinyurl.com/8gaf7g


The front is a panel and the border is pieced. Machine quilted, machine washable. Mainly green but has an assortment of colors. Cute little lambs. Size 45x53. $60
(I don't know the person who made it, just thought the quilt was nice, I'd like to hang it on the wall.)