The Homestead ...

Well it is really starting to look like a little homestead around here.
The garden is in full swing.
The goats are done having babies until next year. (Is this really making us $$) that is for another post... And the chickens are growing and getting ready hopefully in 8-10 weeks laying eggs for me.


The question of the week is?
Do you know what Chocolate Gravy is?
I was born in Texas and raised in Florida and had no idea what it was, so my "southerness" was called into question. So, I made some. First I drizzled it over homemade 'from scratch' slightly dense (overworked them) biscuits.

Then next with some fruit...

I gotta say it was pretty darn good. I am now officially a southerner :) Yay for me. Can you say the same?


I still haven't figured out how to add a "pin it" link to this blog, but I am absolutely addicted to pinterest.
Hook up with me there for the recipe.


On this Memorial Day a heartfelt thank you to the men and women that have so bravely sacrificed for my freedoms ... THANK YOU and may God always bless you and your family.

My Goat Stand - YAY

I have been wanting to build or should I say waiting on my husband to build me a Stanchion for ... well about a year. So I decide to enlist the help of a friend and build it myself.

AND IT IS WONDERFUL.... See:

I have the directions on how to make this ... just message me if you want them.
It took my friend Allison and I 2.5 hours to make it.

Stuart Litte 1 ~ Me 0

So, he's cute and yuck ... a mouse ... I said a rat, but my husband corrected me "he's just a small mouse".
However, I'm the one bleaching everything when I see he has appeared.

My plan "the glue traps"! THEY WORK. Believe it or not, (I'm kind of embarrassed mentioning this) I have tried the 'humane traps' they DON'T work. The mice that have made their way into the house I swear have a PHD in evasion.

It started this morning... I come down stairs and check my glue traps. The first 3 empty, the last one - "MOM, I CAUGHT STUART" - first epic fail, NEVER name the rodents.
Mom says, "is he still alive? I said, I don't think so I just saw him then shut the door. She said "you have to go save him". "Mom, he's glued to the trap, there is no saving him. Anyway, Dan is going to have to get him when he gets home...I can't do it."
I know ... what kind of a farm girl am I ... I know ... So I go upstairs, get dressed, and well... Man up!
I grab a bag and decide I've got to get him. I open the door and Stuart JUMPS and drags the glue pad with him. "AHHHHH, Mom he's still alive... I can't do it!! Barbara Lee, you HAVE to do it, he could starve to death!!" WHAT ??? Mom, it's a rat ...

Shut the door ... Leave for work ...

Dan calls me, "where's the mouse" I tell him "nope, not there" WHAT? "looks like he chewed himself out of the trap, trap there, Stuarts gone" WHAT???

Yep... I said, "well he deserves to be free if he went through all that".

Sigh ...... I don't know if I'm pathetic or cute for the fact I still can't dispatch a mouse ;/

What's in your tub??

I almost feel like I can remove the "Newbie" portion of my blog title ...
I HAVE CHICKENS ... I'm a real, honest to goodness HOMESTEADER.
Chickens validate me :)

So Dan finally caved (ssshhhh, I told you he would) and said I could get a few :)
Few to me means 26 hehehe

I got a variety because I thought they would be both good layers as well as just being
aesthetically pleasing to look at. I got some Americano's!! They will lay different colored eggs like blues, greens, etc...

6 months... seems like such a long time!!

Note to self and whoever also dehorns/disbuds their goats:
My poor babies were in so much pain :( they looked up at the sky, and kind of acted dizzy.
I ended up giving them aspirin and they seemed much better this morning.

Next weekend we should get the garden tilled and partially planted. The seedlings are doing pretty well :)

Spring ... Garden ... Chickens ... Kids

Bring it on ...

So excited to get my garden going. THIS year I will work hard to make it a success!! THIS year I have tripled it size and will be bringing in 3 other women to help with the up keep it and share in the bounty.

Then chickens ... SO VERY EXCITED about them.

and more cute Nigerian kids ... Need to sell some of them.

It is begining to look more like a homestead around here. We have been working to keep the property maintained and clean.

I'm just excited to be checking some things off the list.

Now ... we need a new president!! OH, where did that come from (:

Chickens ... Chickens ... Chickens YAY!!

A real HOMESTEADER... With chickens and ALL!! Woot Woot!!
Hubby has finally given it :) 


I already have the breeds picked out.
I want a couple Rhode Island Reds, some Black Sex Links, Australorp's and may a few Ameraucana's.


So excited.


Now we just have to build some laying boxes and the ramp to the coop.

Belle Stars Babies...3 doelings... YAY

3 doelings all doing well.