Married...Unmarried...and married again!

Hello there!

When our daughter Nicole was 4 or 5 she was absolutely convinced that if Derek or I took off our wedding rings, we were thus UNMARRIED.  Oh the fun we used to have at her expense...

Now, TRUE STORY...

Last week while Derek and I were cleaning horse hooves, tossing hay bales and just generally taking care of evening chores he stopped abruptly having noticed his wedding ring was no longer on his finger.  He happened to be standing in one of the horse stalls with Tye at the time so it was logical that that was where we began our search.

Though in the stall for a very short time while we brushed and groomed, Tye had already urinated a nice sized puddle so looking through the dirt and straw was not going to be "cut and dry"  ;)

With parent interviews at the high school on the agenda that evening, we decided to wait until the next morning and I would retrace Derek's steps from the paddocks to the hay loft in full daylight.

The next morning I studied the ground between the gates and the barn.  I poked through the hay loft going slowly with my fingers; checked the open bale on the main level and then with trowel and fingers took to digging through the stall that Derek had been in the evening before when he had noticed his ring was missing.

It was a stinky, dirty job... and I was not successful.  Deciding to call it quits for a bit and return with fresh eyes, I gave the barn a quick sweep and thought I saw a flash of gold.  I once again dug through the clean hay but didn't find anything.

The missing ring really ate away at Derek so with Canadian Tire money and a competitors advertisement he set out to get a good metal detector at a good deal.  And of course he did.

So a beautiful Saturday morning was spent on hands and knees in the barn with a beeping machine and us digging right where we already had.  After 20 minutes or so I stepped out to stretch my legs and thought, "Heck, I'll peek through that hay again"... and within a few moments I had the missing wedding ring in hand.  Ofcourse, right?  In the clean sweet smelling hay where I had already looked.

Finding this treasure opened up time for the little Schnicks to "treasure hunt"... they found many interesting bits and bobs but unfortunately no "treasure".

 And wouldn't you know it, when the neighbour stopped in for eggs, he mentioned he had lost a ring in his pond a year and because the pond is so low right now he had thought about finding someone with a metal detector to give him a hand...


... finding the neighbour's ring made the purchase a bit easier to swallow for me.  :)

So there you have it from MRS. "once again married" Schnick
xox
Jeanette

Happy Fall Y'all!

Okay, so Autumn doesn't officially begin until tomorrow according to the calendar, but the apples have been ready for picking for about a week now, so I'm welcoming in Fall a day early with a whole lotta Apple talk...

... and not the iPhone 7.  ;)

There are many apple trees around our property and our neighbour's.  We spent a glorious Sunday afternoon out picking apples together, laughing as the grasshoppers jumped on Sammy's legs and Krista found the tiniest "baby apples".  Erin is now just about taller than me, so she's a blessing for picking those way up high apples!

Our collection of apples were a nice mix of sweet and tart... some of the things we made from them?  

Classic apple pie of course... about ten of these, and a large ziplock freezer bag of apple pie filling in the freezer!

Apple cider vinegar from the peels.  These are mixed with honey and water and left to ferment... That recipe can be found here.

I also made a few jars of this apple pie jelly using the juices boiled off from the skins and cores in place of the store bought apple juice in the recipe.  It turned out very nice - we had some on vanilla ice cream; it was like pie a la mode, but upside down and backwards.

The smaller apples were cut and boiled with cloves, cinnamon, water and a little bit of sugar to make apple cider.

And lastly, tasty apple fritters!  I doubled this recipe and prepared the diced apples in a syrup of white and brown sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg (much like apple pie filling) before adding them into the batter.  Very, very tasty.

 And that my friends is just one week and one and a half bushel baskets!  And let me be the first to wish you a

Happy Fall Y'all!

Jeanette

Connect with me on Pinterest to see more yummy apple recipes!





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Don't be discouraged...

Good morning!

Its Saturday; we've been up since before the sun but its a wonderful day.  :)

Our goal of a simple, self sufficient life has been a roller coaster.  I have a new appreciation for what the pioneering Canadians went through a century and a half ago.... growing a life that is healthy, fulfilling and puts food in your tummy is HARD work.  And not just physically!

Our second summer here - though the first summer with plants in the ground - has been a tough one.  We have seen two months of drought conditions... dry hard earth that has challenged even the hardiest of plants not to mention how rough it has been on animals' hooves and feet.

We also have had our share of pests!  From picking off cabbage loopers early on to finding our poor tomatoes crawling with ugly HORNWORMS!  Acckk!  Leaning away from insecticides, we tried home remedies... but in the end plain old hand picking was what worked.

Our chickens ate these uglies only AFTER I drowned the worms!

At times, I just didn't want to walk through the veggie patch.

But then you know what?  I looked around and counted my blessings.  Our hard work was paying off.  I harvested tons of carrots!  The freezer is full, bunches were given away and I replanted a second bed of these beauties!

Beans and peas were abundant - harvested once and replanted!

I have a pantry FULL of crispy pickles in all kinds of flavours.

And this week's harvest had us eating broccoli and  cauliflower with cheese AND homemade marinara sauce on fresh pasta.

Tomatoes, peppers and onions!

Though I had been feeling pretty low, the last few nights of rain has brightened my outlook and  I can  see we're not out for the count just yet!  These small triumphs put enough fuel in the tank to keep going and show our girls that we can do this.  :)


Jeanette

Horse Run-in shed

Hi there!

Last month we completed one of our remaining tasks on the year one to do list.  A horse run in shed.  A lot of friends have asked "what is a run-in"?  A run in is exactly as it sounds.  A small shelter that horses (or other animals) can run into, should inclement weather hit.

With wide open paddocks on our homestead, we knew we either needed to convert part of the barn to a run in with fencing so that the horses could come in should they need to OR we needed to purchase or construct a free standing shelter.

After much researching and planning, Derek concluded TWO things.  One - there are very few plans/instructions for a build your own run in shed; and Two - we could totally plan and build our own.  And that is exactly what we did.

Measurements were calculated and plans were drawn before Derek spent a weekend in the workshop cutting boards and beams and assembling the frame.  I got the glamorous job of putting together the roof trusses.

Again.. love me some power tools.  ;)

Next the frame was moved into place in the paddock and assembled and the outside of the run-in was covered with 2 inch barn board.

We opted for a corrugated steel roof.. in green to match the other buildings.  :)  My trusses are holding!  Yay!  And with a busy family of six, these projects sometimes have to happen by moonlight.

The last step was the wooden battens, and metal corner covers.

Pretty cozy! Now, a few days after completion we had a massive thunderstorm and guess where the ponies were?!

Standing head to rump side by side in the middle of the field.  Ugh.  Ah well... at least I felt better.

Plans are being organized and written up to be shared online with anyone else looking to build a run in shed of their own.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanette

We be JAMMIN'!! Field to table #1

Hello Monday!!  (And happy Memorial Day to my friends in the USA)

I just love instagram.. I've connected with so many interesting people and have gotten so much inspiration.  This weekend the inspiration came from Northern Ontario - a very neat lady that was making dandelion jelly!!

Before Derek got too carried away with the weed-whacker/whipper-snipper/edger.. whatever you want to call that lawn care tool that tears down weeds, the girls and I got out to collect some dandelion heads.

I read over Pinterest and found a few different recipes for Dandelion jelly.  I gave one a whirl.

Now remember what I said about me in the kitchen??  Recipes are only a guideline, I do not measure.

Boil...  Steep... Mix... Jar...

But when my first batch didn't set I realized maybe with jams and jellies accuracy is required and I broke down and took Derek's advice.  I measured and I timed EVERYTHING!!

And (tongue in cheek, not admitting he was in any way right) I had success.

I won't share the recipe here - like I say, there are many different ones out there but its a very simple process (when you follow the directions... *sigh*)  Here are some tips though:

Make sure your dandelion crop is free from pesticides and other chemicals.  Get help with removing the dandelion petals... it is the slowest part of the process.  And get ready for black thumbs.

Test when you have boiled your jelly long enough.  Derek found this trick - a cup of ice and a chilled teaspoon.  Using the cool spoon, spoon out a bit of jelly after the final boil and set over top of the ice. If your jelly is ready, that spoonful will be set by the end of one minute.

Use a timer!!!

Final tip, remember to save some of these delicious blooms for our bees.

So just what can you do with this jelly?  We've eaten it on scones and bagels.  I'm told it would work nicely as a glaze for chicken or pork!

Canning is an art form.  I love when I hear the seals popping letting me know they are all set.  Whew.

 I have really enjoyed this little taste of canning and preserving and I am looking forward to doing more!

Oh!  And I have a few tupperware containers of our dandelion jelly in the refrigerator which will keep for a while if any friends close by would like to try some!

Jeanette

Friday Farm Update.. Barn Roof Complete? Check!!

Happy Friday All!

I am thrilled to be able to share another completed project here at home.  The barn roof has been moved from the TO DO list to the DONE and CHECKED OFF list!  Yay!

Derek began work priming and painting the roof the weekend of April 23rd.  Great progress was made and the end was in sight...

...until just one more quart of paint was needed to be ordered in.  May 4th - Check!  Ready to go...

And then a whole week of on and off again rain... and snow and hail in the middle of May.  Seriously!

Finally the sun was out and the ladder was back up!  One evening and the roof was complete.

I think it looks pretty fantastic, wouldn't you agree??  :)

Jeanette

**even with a homemade jig to stand on, no Schnicks were harmed in this project.  :)

My Mother's Day gift...

Happy Monday and a belated Happy Mothers Day!

**(Hello to Tuesday - this was supposed to go out yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't upload my pictures yesterday... and they're very cute lamb pictures!!!)**

I think my family sometimes struggles with me and happy occasions.  I don't think I am an easy person to buy a gift for... I don't wear a lot of jewellery; I'm happiest finding books at a discounted used book store and I don't have a lot of home decorations on the walls.

I do love receiving handmade gifts from my girls (especially the funny non-rhyming poems the littles create) and I do love receiving gifts that make me laugh...

A few weeks back, Derek had been very delayed in getting home after work - he had stopped at a yard sale that looked to have bee hives for sale.  The bee hives were not for sale, but the retired couple selling their items made the stop a memorable one for Derek.  :)  On Mother's Day, as I unwrapped the gifts he had helped put together with the girls I burst out laughing... the kitchy 'yard sale' feel to the items tickled me.

While chatting with this yard sale couple he had spotted some chicken items - rooster salt and pepper shakers and a hen napkin holder.

He knew that they would make me smile and they did.  I proudly display them on a kitchen shelf and roll my eyes every time I think of Derek's stories of the random people he meets.

Now the week before Mothers Day, I had spotted an ad for lambs born to ewes that were going for slaughter - these little boys needed a home and a bottle.  This got Derek and I talking about animal plans around the homestead.  Goats were on the list but the fencing required to keep them in and their habit of chewing everything had us a little cautious.  The idea of a few sheep for wool and milk was appealing to us.

Later that day Derek found another ad for a little female lamb that needed bottle feeding and love.  In a few short emails we were loaded into the van (the entire family!) with an empty chicken brooder making our way to meet Todd and his orphaned lamb.

Todd was very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to our sheep questions.  He has a flock of forty dorset-charolais sheep at his farm but unfortunately had a pair of twins who's mother was an older ewe and did not make it through the lambing.  He had been bottle feeding the twins but was finding it a bit much.  The other little lamb had been adopted and we knew we couldn't leave without this little one in the van with us.

So... my Mother's Day gift came a week early and with a bottle.  The girls named her Jessie (though had she been a boy they were set on the name "Jean-George").  Jessie is very sweet and very attached to us already, following me down to meet the schoolbus and even trying to get into the chicken coop when I go in to feed or clean.

She has quickly become a special part of our family.  :)

Jeanette

I am a homesteader. Because we all need a label.

Wow.. Okay, so I need to get better at carving out time to sit here at the blog... I've got tons to get written down...

Rewind to the Christmas holidays.

A family member was inquiring about our move and our property and asked me "is it a hobby farm or a working farm?"

The question stopped me in my tracks and my answer was disjointed.  Ummm... well its not our main source of income but we are selling produce but that goes back into helping pay for the pleasure animals - horses...  what am I???

I chewed over this for about a month.  And then I took a look at our goals here at SchnickAcres:

Its really only one goal:

To be as self sufficient as we can be.  In our food, household supplies and one day energy production.  (renewable wind and solar..  just in case you pictured us erecting a nuclear power plant in the back 40.)

Vegetable garden mapped out under manure

Okay so where does this fit in with the farming definition?  The more I thought about it, the clearer it became to me.  We enjoy doing for ourselves and receive great satisfaction in our successes - such as enough extra eggs to share with friends and neighbours.  We are not survivalists but feel assured that we can process our own poultry and eat should we need to.  The growth we talk about, whether it be a vegetable garden, a wind turbine or a dairy goat and a few sheep all comes back to goals of providing for ourselves.

What can we build/make ourselves today that will sustain our family tomorrow?  Basically we enjoy living a pioneer life... but with electricity, high speed internet (which is coming) and NETFLIX.

Haha... seriously though.  I really feel that the label (because we all need an important title) of homesteader fits us best.

Thanks for catching up with us,
Jeanette

The Dream... Visualize and Realize.

Hey there!

We are nearing the end of the first week of 2016 and though I am not one for resolutions, I am a goal oriented person and like to revisit my list of long term goals and sometimes cross off successful short term goals.  :)

This time last year our family was contentedly going about daily life in Burlington.  My days were filled with car pools to preschool, Girl Guide meetings and crochet sales.  Fast forward to today.  We have been in our forever home for just over six months now and though we are still content, I feel a lot more daily joy and pride.  

With my laptop back up and running, Derek and I took a peek through our initial photos of our home here on Nassagaweya and reflected on the potential that WE saw when first walked about the property.  Needless to say, there weren't many with us that saw what we saw or fully understood the connection to our dreams that we were feeling.

Here is our first view of the barn (complete with green chainlink fencing and overgrown pastures).

Okay, there IS a part of me that will admit a slight mood of disappointment when I first saw it but it didn't take long to see that although it wasn't aesthetically pleasing, it is a well built barn with a great layout for what were we hoping to have live in it...

Here is our barn today.  Still in need of paint on the roof, but new doors have been built (all by Derek), barn board replaced and windows secured.  Looking at the photo below I just realized I had left the door open... but it IS there.

Green chainlink fencing removed, wooden fence for the horse ring installed and horses in the paddocks behind.  But this next photo shows my favourite accomplishment:

Chicken/Duck coop with free ranging hen... oh and green chainlink fencing.  It came in very handy in fencing off a small yard for times when we need to keep everyone close to home.

Funny... I became a crazy chicken lady so quickly, I didn't even notice it happening.  Love these little birds and enjoy spending time with them.  :)

Alrighty, now for the real deal.  On that cold March morning, we opened the barn doors expecting to see a barn that had been ignored and in need of a little work.  What we were met with was... 

A teenage version of a man cave... complete with BAYWATCH posters and a Lionel Richie album cover (I don't know what that was all about, but okay.. not judging..) moving on...

The white walls in the above picture is drywall that was nailed to posts and beams to create a type of games room with the other sections being storage.  Below was one part of the extra storage areas.. complete with four wheeler and boom box stereo.  :)  For the times you wanna bomb around the yard to the sweet sounds of Lionel's "All night long"...  Again I regress..

Alright, so consider the above photos our BEFORE pictures.  Now, walking into the barn you find yourself in the main hallway with three complete stalls.  Two on one side (the closest stall in the photo below was where the four wheeler was parked) and one stall and a completed tack room along the other side.  

Most of the two inch stall boards were still in the barn and were fitted back into place to divide the stalls.  Derek built and hung the sliding stall doors himself.  Have I mentioned in this post how amazing I think he is??  :)

Here is the tack room, complete with tack!  New floor boards where needed and a solid ladder to the hayloft.

Over the Christmas break, Derek was able to rewire the entire barn.  Some of the wiring looked to be original and was a little scary.  All lights were changed from the fluorescent boxes to shatter proof LED lights.

There is still one end of the barn to be tackled.  Right now it houses the riding lawn mower, wheel barrow and miscellaneous items.  Thoughts have been to make it a run in for animals, hay storage or another stall.  We will see where inspiration and materials take us.  Because that is something that I am thankful for and can't forget to mention.

Though we did need to purchase new wood.. (quite a bit of wood) we were blessed with a lot of usable building materials that were left behind by the selling family.  From larger items such as the tracks for the hanging stall doors to small items such as door latches and green chainlink fencing!  We were able see potential uses in items we had on hand.

So there we are.  An amazing six months looking back.

Thanks for sharing our journey,
Jeanette