Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

frustratedearthmother

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Yum!
Do you use a meat thermometer? I know I’m slow, lol, but I’ve only recently started using one and I love it! You can’t beat a good digital one.
 

frustratedearthmother

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I've heard of that. DH worked in a restaurant when he was in high school and says that their chef used that method. Probably takes a little practice but seems to work well. I just trust the meat thermometer more than I trust myself!

Spent some time today doing weather preps. We put a round bale out Sunday and this morning the pigs had breached the panels around it and were all up in that bale - ugh! I got them out and re-did the panels in a more permanent (strong) manner. It was holding well when I fed this evening. Covered the Bird of Paradise plant - which is blooming now. Also covered the broccoli and cabbage plants even though it's not going to get as cold as previously forecast. Turned off the water valve going out to the pens. Probably didn't need to do any of it - but better safe than sorry.

I also moved some goats around this morning. Wanted to give the bucks a little something more substantial than their hoop house for this cold snap. That entailed moving some does to another area so the bucks could have the small barn. Those does went out to the red shed - but on the other side where they won't be overwhelmed by the mob, lol. These two does have just weaned babies that have been sucking them dry for waaaay too long. They need to put on some flesh so they have a private room.

I'm off work tomorrow to take DH and his mother their eye appointments. DH's is at 9am and his mom's is at 3:35. Using up that sick time!

Actually got a surprising statement from my boss today. She reminded me that I don't get paid out for sick time when I retire, so she was ok with me using it up.....as long as we get our big report done. I'm grateful to her for that and I would not have left them hanging. It is the one thing that I said I had to do before I left. Just wouldn't feel comfortable leaving that on just the two of them....it's a multi-person job.
 

flowerbug

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The oven is fine and I use a meat thermometer. Maybe I should just poke it. :idunno

i like low tech skills like that because i'm sick of going to use some gadget and finding out the battery is dead and we don't have one charged up or available for replacing...
 

frustratedearthmother

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We got down to 29 last night instead of the forecast temp of 31. :( Okra and eggplant bit the dust. :( I certainly wasn't surprised, but I was loving the okra and enjoying it a couple times a week. I wasn't able to get much of a harvest earlier in the year because the goats ate it down to the ground, lol. They like it too! But, it finally came back and produced very well. Sigh....

Eye doc appointment for DH today. He's having trouble with his left eye - again. We will go back in early December for another test...:( But, doc said there was nothing readily apparent on examination - so I guess that's good news.
 

frustratedearthmother

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Offa work today (cough, cough) and working on dog food. I was recently gifted about 100 lbs of lunch meat and ham ends that had been off temp for about an hour. I've been soaking it overnight to help remove some of the salt and then dehydrating it, powdering it and using it in dog food. Amazing how you can reduce it down to powder and nearly 100 lbs of meat will fit in a gallon ziploc bag.....crazy! I guess part of that is because a lot of those pounds were water - take the water away and light weight powder is what you get.

Not sure what else I'm going to do - but I guarantee you I'll be outside soaking up some sun today. I could do a little bit more cleaning in a raised bed and maybe put in some more carrot seeds. I think they'll grow... if not I'm only out a couple of seeds. I recently bought a six pack of brussels sprouts plants and promptly lost them. Not lost as in died - but lost as in couldn't find 'em anywhere. (Started thinking that the plants weren't the only thing I'd lost, lol.) I was coming in the front door the other day and looked down inside one of the planters that sit on either side of the door and lo and behold - there was my little starter pack. A bit worse for wear, but I think they'll be ok. I'll get them in the ground today too and just hope for the best.

Goats are looking fat and sassy! Hope they stay that way for the remainder of winter. They've got 24/7 hay and still a little browse when they get their lazy butts up and leave the barn. They aren't any more fond of walking through the mud than I am. As a consequence, they often hang around in the barn and call loud and long for room service...geeze!
 

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