This is the homestead blog. We strive for self sufficiency and self reliance at the homestead while embracing everything farm and forest. Livestock, gardening, food preservation, fiber production, DIY, and traditional arts and crafts can be found at this blog.
The baby goats born earlier this week are growing. I decided to do a vlog showing each of the little ones. We still don’t have names for the two doelings, but we have named the buckling “Rudy”. Hope you enjoy.
P. S. – Be sure to check out my friend’s farm for more beautiful goats. Her link is: https://www.facebook.com/FourDiamondsRanchLLC/
Did you ever hear that phrase? It’s something I try to live by. Living in the United States, I think we sometimes take things for granted. We throw away food and other goods regularly without care. As a personal journey for myself, I am trying to reduce my footprint by buying and using goods with more thought. I try to look for reusable, not disposable. I am also trying not to waste food.
On the subject of food, I was hungry for bananas the other week. We don’t grow bananas at the homestead, although I’ve tried. At one point three beautiful banana trees grew inside the house. New leaves would form and they would get taller, but no fruit. New banana trees would form, but still no fruit. Eventually, the whole idea was a lost cause and the banana trees were removed. If someone could tell me how to grow bananas in my house, I would entertain the idea again. But I digress.
I went to the store and purchased organic bananas. Our store does not allow you to break apart the organic bananas and just purchase two or three. No. You must purchase the whole bunch. So, I came home with a bag of bananas. After eating my fill and trying to pass along bananas to others, I still had four that turned brown.
The voice in my head whispered “waste not, want not” in my ears, and I decided that banana nut bread would be a great use for these outdated fruits. I have a great recipe and I will share. Seven ingredients, barely any mess, easy to bake, and oh, so good. Here it is.
Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 cup course chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease loaf pan.
3. Mix ingredients together and pour into loaf pan.
4. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
That’s it! Easy peasy! Enjoy! Don’t forget to put your banana peels in the compost heap.
I am writing this post with a very heavy heart. The little white buckling born to Coco passed late last night. He had issues from birth and try as I might, I could not save him. He was fed every 1.5 to 2 hours, kept in a warm room, and seemed to be recovering, but turned quickly on me.
A typical kid will be up on all fours within a short period after birth and take their first milk. We noticed that this kid had issues standing. That was the first clue. With help, we tried to get him to suckle. He struggled. I came to the resolution that I would supplement feed and let him take milk from Coco when he could. By the afternoon of the second day, he was still getting milk from a bottle, but was also taken to his mama for additional milk. He also began to stand on his own. Everything was looking promising.
At this point, I named him “Boone”. It means blessing. It also reminded me of Daniel Boone, a folk hero to the United States, who was a pioneer in the 1700’s and early 1800’s. Seemed appropriate given that the kid was born at Pioneer Mountain Homestead.
I bonded with Boone. He would snuggle into me and nap with me between late night feedings. He was my constant companion for the past couple days.
However, something changed dramatically within about a 2 hour’s time frame. Boone went from seemingly a recovering kid to limp and nearly lifeless. It was very late. I struggled making decisions. Should I call a vet? If I call a vet, would there be time? Meanwhile, I was trying desperately to warm up a kid that was getting colder by the minute even though we were in a very warm room. I was also trying to get any milk I could into him. He would try to drink and it would just dribble out the sides of his mouth. I rubbed his back and legs trying to keep circulation and get him stimulated to drink. It all happened so quickly. Finally, Boone looked at me as if to say “Good bye” and snuggled his head into me. Tears filled my eyes.
I know it is all a part of farming and raising livestock. I have been down this path before and I know I will go down it again. It hurts. It really hurts. However, I never want to lose that feeling. I believe they call it compassion. I hope to never cross the line where I no longer care.
Boone was my reminder to remember to always care. He was my blessing.
