Did You Think I Abandoned YOU

What a busy week this has been. Lots of schooling going on. As Baby O gets closer to graduating those classes can get pretty intensive. Her line up right now includes Biology 2, World Religions, Critical Thinking Skills, Societal Issues and Geometry 2. She just finished a health credit and we are starting a new French Year (French 2). 

At the farm I have had grandchildren some this week so have gotten a little applesauce canning done and that is about it. O Wise One has been mowing and weed eating one last time before winter. He also continues to clean out the garden and give the pulled plants to the goats as the crops finish. We have dug several 5 gallon buckets of potatoes and we are eating fresh potatoes regularly.

Thursday was a day of beauty for the inside dogs. Since we live with these dogs they get pretty regular maintenance and Thursday was the time for baths, brushings, hair clippings, toenail trimming and for Riley even an anal gland expression. What a stinky job! By the end of the day I was dog : ) tired!!!

I think the dogs were wore out too! 

They did look so much better. For awhile it looked like I was shearing sheep around here.

We have been picking quite a few last ditch small harvests of some crops that are just finishing up. O Wise One picked a small harvest of horticulture beans. Since we have plenty already dry and canned I decided to just cook them. 

So once they were shelled I simply washed them and placed them in water and boiled them until tender. Then I drained the beans and put them in the crockpot with a pound of browned ground venison, a large onion chopped and sauteed and about 2 slices of bacon browned and crumbled into them. Then I added a quart of tomato sauce from the pantry, brown sugar, molasses, ground mustard and Worcestershire sauce and allowed it all to cook on low in the crockpot for about 6 hours. I also sliced up about half a pack of hot dogs and threw in there for the grandson. Voila Hickery Holler's version of fresh Beanie Weenies : ) They were delicious if I do say so myself.  

And to go with them some freshly dug potatoes cut into slices and coated in olive oil and baked as oven fries as a side to the beans.  Took out some freezer slaw from the freezer and defrosted to go with it and we all stuffed ourselves. Those horticulture beans for those of you that grow them make great baked beans.

On the menu fresh for next week. Some venison stuffed peppers, oven fried green tomatoes, and there should be some more little green English peas to shell and the Bok Choy in the garden is ready. I'm thinking fresh peas, peppers and Bok Choy will make some great stir fries. Lots of potatoes, onions and apples left also. We also continue to eat watermelon daily. We are down to about the last 10 in the field and know that the first frost could come at any time.  

I am hoping for a more productive canning week next week as I should not have the grandchildren as much. O Wise One has a family event tomorrow to celebrate his Uncle Floyd's 90th Birthday. It should be fun to see the family. 

Hope everyone has a safe and blessed weekend.

See ya next week if the good lords willing and the creek don't rise!

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter