Friday, April 13, 2012

April 13, 2012

still working on the landing...ross was off work today, so we got a bunch more done today.

made the last chicken move today......took the REDS (layers) and put them in the back room of the coop....they will stay in this area until the ROCKS (meat) go to butcher.


in their new area for less than a minute and the girls have already found the roost


the Rocks are enjoying having the entire front all to themselves...if the weather cooperates, we will put them outside in a couple of weeks and let them start free ranging....gotta fatten them up!!!


friday night is homemade pizza night


we have a busy weekend planned around the farm...

Pleasant Dreams!!!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

April 12, 2012

busy day .....had a stray yellow lab show up on the farm today (he has visited us before)
it sent Pouncer (Brizzy) kitty running for cover up in the loft of one of the barns


stopped by the neighbors, Pam & Cody, he gave me this BROOM


so....I ran home.... got the camera....and went back to his barn so he could show me the equipment he had to make the brooms.....all 3 pieces are well over a hundred years old.....it was a great lesson, and he said once he gets more practice under his belt that he would start selling them...don't know a price yet....but a homemade broom made in a barn in Hanover Michigan....that is the definition of COOL!!!!



this piece made the handles


this piece cuts the straw


this piece binds it all together


I will post the info when Cody is ready to start selling them.

Pleasant Dreams!!!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

April 11, 2012






WELCOME TO OUR FARM
sign that our daughter
Amy and her family gave to us 
a couple weeks ago....
We LOVE it meemers!!!!








Started working on getting garage doors on the office last winter....
first....the driveway...Thanks Bob Gray....Great Job!!!!


then working on the hole for the first door......


then...this morning....the hole for the second door....



got home from choir practice this evening and WOOLAH....it is all finished...
with the siding put back and everything....well done Ross!!!


work....work....work....always something to do around the farm.

Pleasant Dreams!!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

April 10, 2012

had a busy day today....started with making a couple of loaves of sandwich bread


then we went outside to make a separate area, outside of the garden, that we could grow our potatoes and onions in.....we decided over by the playground area....Ross made this great 8' x 8' box. We got it all filled with our dirt, compost and manure....and it is ready to go......now we wait on the potatoes......



we cut up the 3 kinds of potatoes (red, white & yellow)...now they need to heal (dry)....
they will be ready to plant in about a week


when I came out of the greenhouse....it was snowing....yes snowing on April 10th


made BLT's for dinner with a piece of the Banana Cake from yesterday for dessert...Yummy!!!


Pleasant Dreams!!!

Monday, April 9, 2012

April 9, 2012

made another chicken move today...removed the boards that created the brooding area for the White Rocks...now they can roam the entire front part of the coop....next step for them, will be outside!!!


1 month old...crazy how quick they grow...


had some bananas that needed to be turned into something...googled some ideas.....
decided on Banana Cake...

Triple Yum! Banana Cake: (recipe from FOOD.com) with a couple of changes

2 cups ripe mashed bananas
2 tsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

combine bananas and lemon juice in a bowl....in another bowl...combine flour, baking soda and salt.....in your mixer cream butter, sugar and vanilla...add 1 egg at a time......add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk.....stir in bananas......heat oven to 325 degrees...grease/flour 2 round 9 inch pans.....it took about 45 minutes.....turn onto a wire rack to cool

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter - softened
8 oz cream cheese - softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup walnuts

cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla together....add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time.....mix until smooth....after cakes cool....ice cakes and add walnuts to side or top


it did taste Yum Yum Yummy!!!


Pleasant Dreams!!!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

April 8, 2012

Christ is Risen...He is Risen indeed!!!

had 2 great services at church this morning.....wonderful message http://www.h-hcc.org/

spent most of the day going through boxes of ancestry research from my uncle Dave Miller....he passed away a couple of years ago....he did some amazing, in -depth research on the Miller side of the family.

here is a picture of Elbert & Alice Miller...this is the school teacher / farmer
 and who the financial journal is from


back on April  5th ...when I posted his journal for this month in 1912...there was a item in his expenses called School Cards....we were not sure what they were until I actually found some of them....they are a decorative card that says the name of the school, the administrators and the students names.....and he would of needed to order them in April because school always let out the 1st of May....I took some shots...hopefully you can read them......just AMAZING.......100 + years later and we are looking at the actual cards he gave his students.

1898 - 1899 schoolyear


1901 - 1902 schoolyear
~ this one even has his picture on the front ~




1906 schoolyear



1907 schoolyear



1928 schoolyear
think that this might be his last one...he started in 1898 and taught for 30 years


Ross cooked a woderful Sunday EASTER dinner....my favorite...and a Miller Family Tradition

Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Peas...smothered in gravy



Pleasant Dreams!!!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

April 7, 2012

made another batch of bagels for Ross...this time i added our garlic chives from the garden into the batter...we changed up the EVERYTHING topping as well and used a 50/50 mixture of Garden Seasoning and Canadian Steak Seasoning both from GFS. 



they truned out great...Love trying new stuff!!!

Mowed all 9+ acres this afternoon....it takes about 3 1/2 hours

looking forward to Easter services tomorrow....CHRIST is risen!!!