A little sticky....

We have still been busy in the sugar shack.  I thought I should take a little break while my guys are gathering to quickly post on here again!  Looks like we are going to be putting in another late night tonight.  The other night we boiled till 11pm so that my hubby could take off with the 2 oldest children to go to a vet meeting.
I figured I should start today by kind of explaining when to tap the trees and stuff like that!!  What is takes for the sap to run is warm days (above freezing) and cold nights (below freezing).  So, we kind of watch the weather forecast and when we see it looks like it is going to be warm we start to tap.  The sap will continue to run as long as the weather is in our favor (nice days and cold nights).  When the trees start to bud and split we are all through with the season.  At that point the sap will taste bitter instead of being sweet.  When we start out each year tapping the sugar content in the sap is 2 1/2 to 3 percent sugar and as the season progresses it drops down to around 1.  Which means we have to boil the sap a lot longer to get the right sugar content in our finished syrup.
Here are a few new pictures of us out boiling on Wednesday.  Hope you are enjoy this spring weather~

Drawing off more finished syrup

hanging out playing cards with Bumpa

It is always fun having friends come over!!

Elli loves this nice weather to be able to play outside while we boil!!

even Brownie is enjoying the warm weather!

We are all loving the warmer weather, but I think the ducks are the only ones enjoying all of  the water puddles~

Syrup 2012

Here are some more pictures of us doing syrup today.  Hope you enjoy seeing them!

Me filling the fire!

watching the temperature of the syrup

drawing off the finished syrup!

busy canning the syrup!

capping them for Abby

Taking a little break!

watching the tank to shut off the pump when it is full

dinner time!

Sweet times

We are back in the sugar shack again!  We started tapping the trees last week, and started up the old evaporator this afternoon!!  It is smelling sweet around here now!!  I thought you might like to see some pictures of us getting it going today!  If it weren't so windy out I would have gotten pictures of the girls gathering the sap today.  I guess they will have to be in another post!

our wood supply for this years season~

hooking up the evaporator

Eliza getting the fire going...

Miranda warming up on the cook stove out in the sugar shack

the old cook stove!

ahhh smell that sweetness!

I think it is time to go and enjoy some maple syrup on pancakes, or on ice cream..... Mmmmmmm

Goats Milk Soap

Goats milk soap

4 cups Goats Milk (can use water)
48 oz of lard or shortening
32 oz coconut oil
16 oz olive oil
12 oz lye

In a container put goats milk and then the lye.  (I do this outside because it has a strong smell)
Stir it till the lye dissolves. ( It will turn almost an orange color)
The lye mixture becomes hot.... add to it your lard stirring till it melts.
Then add the coconut oil and olive oil.  Stir till it traces......
At this time you can pour it into a mold or container, or I add at this time 1 1/2 cups oats and 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon or cloves.
This will fill about a 11X17" container.  Grease your container with either your coconut oil or lard.  Pour your soap into the container.  Then cover it with a lid & a towel.  Let set for around 2 hours, and then cut into bars.  They won't be all of the way set yet, but if you don't cut them you won't be able to get the knife through it later~  Leave for a few more hours till they are set.... take out and let air dry a little longer.  Your soap is now ready to use!  It does last longer if you let it air dry for around 3 weeks.....
Hope you enjoy this natural soap~  we sure do!

Bread day again~

Around here it seems like we are needed to make more bread several times a week.  Nothing beats the taste of nice hot bread out of the oven though!

here is the bread raising!

I posted our recipe on another post~  Hope you are all enjoying the last few weeks of winter!

Laundry~

Today we needed to make some more laundry soap.  With a larger family we sure do go though alot of that stuff!  Most days we have to do 4-5 loads of laundry to keep it done up.  I thought I would post some pictures and the recipe for you~

Laundry Soap~

1 bar of Fels Naptha

3/4 cup washing soda

3/4 cup of borax

Grate 1 bar of fels naptha into a pot and add 6 cups water.  Heat till soap is melted.

fels naptha grated into a pot~

then add the borax and washing soda.  Stir until dissolved.  In a large container add 4 cups hot water and the hot soap mixture.  Stir, then add 1 1/2 gallons of cold water. Stir it.  

Your soap is now ready to use! 

You can leave it in the large container or put it in another container at this time!

To use it add 1/2 cup of laundry soap per load of laundry!

Enjoy washing~

Baby Goats

We have had a few busy days with baby goats being born! Thought you might like to see a few pictures!! Looks like we are going to have lots of goats milk around again~

Elli kissing one of the new baby boys!

another baby boy~

M~M holding the only little girl born so far!

A few of the mommas or soon to be momma!

Elli playing with one of last years babies

Lubby with her little girl Dazzle and Sparkles watching them

ABBY drying off Sprakles baby, another little boy~

the new mommas with their babies!

TRYING TO STAND FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Elli is making sure they have enough straw down for bedding!

Hope you enjoy this little peak into part of our lives!!  Blessings~