Gardening in 2012...Tomatoes!

Was gardening good for us in 2012?  No, not really.  Well, now if you ask me about tomatoes...  Ok, yes!  We had a bumper crop of tomatoes!  



Celebrity Tomatoes

 We decided to only grow Celebrity and Roma tomatoes this year.  Yes, I know.   Celebrity is not organic.  It is a hybrid.  We grew lots of different kinds of tomatoes last year.  We wanted to test them, what grew great in our area, how they tasted, etc.  The only really good producer for us was the Celebrity.  And, they tasted great too!  So, that is all we grew this year. 

Here are the rows of tomato plants just a few days after planting.

And boy, oh boy, did we have a bumper crop!!  We would have had even more if we had of been diligent with staking the plants.  We were late with our staking so we lost probably as many as we picked.

One of only 4 wagon loads of tomatoes! Pretty, huh?

Oh, did you know that goats LOVE (no, really...I mean LOVE) tomatoes?  One of our LaMancha goats, Anaheim, got to this wagon load.  There were lots more piled high but, well, like I said, Anaheim was hungry!  Oh, and did you also know that goats are messy eaters?!? Well, now you do.   Don't invite one for dinner unless you are prepared!

Anyway, back to tomatoes...  Around our farm, gardening (and all that goes with it) is a family affair.   We all work together doing all the work.  We think that is completely fair since we all reap the benefits.    But, you know what??  Gardening work can be fun!!  And, it takes a lot less time for 6 people to hoe the garden than it does just one.  

Here are some pictures of our canning adventure...



Houston is a pro!

Delanie is such a hard worker!

Mason was very helpful too! 

We found that it was so easy to peel tomatoes after putting them in a hot water bath.  That means putting them in boiling water for just 30 seconds or so.  Then, we put into cold water for a few minutes.  This makes the peeling basically just fall off of them! 

Tomatoes in Hot Water Bath

See?  No peeling needed!

Here we are in the thick of it...hot water bath, cold water bath, peeling/coring, cooking down the tomatoes a little, actual canning...makes for a messy and long day!

Scott isn't really mad...he really enjoys canning tomatoes! LOL!

And, drum roll please......

SOME of the final product!!  Beautiful, huh?

I certainly can't say we're the best canners in the world, but we get the job done!!  And, we have a little fun doing it too!!  

We learn more and more every year we garden.  One of the most important things is to "stay ahead of the game".   We have difficulty keeping ahead of the weeding, etc.  I hope that we will do better this year.  I am so excited that it's nearly time to begin planting here in East Texas.  We need to have onions and potatoes in the ground by the 15th of February.  Oh boy, I better get busy...tilling!!! 

2013...?? Really?!? But, what happened to 2012?

Wow!! I can't believe we are already well into 2013.  Where does the time go??   Our 2012 was a very, very busy year.  I wish now (hind sight is 20/20, right?) that I had kept up with this blog better.  Facebook just isn't good enough for those times when we want to remember what was going on during the year...and the emotions that went along with the memories.  Memories are God's blessings to us of times past.  And, I want to be able to immerse myself in every single blessing that He bestowed!!!  Remember everything?  No way!  Do you think my memory is that good?!?   LOL! But, I sure can remember the highlights.  How about a trip back in time...

2012 in pictures...Welcome to our crazy life!

One of our Bantam's hatched some chicks...this one became our pet.  And, someone around here named him Eagle.

Lanie and Eagle...oh, watch out for the bird poop!

Lots of fun playing with "OLD" toys!



Lanie studied hard...  Was this picture staged????  LOL!

Mason hard at work too?!?



Princess...the newest equestrian addition to our farm!!  Lanie claimed her immediately!

 

I'll have to add a current picture of her.  She has filled out beautifully!!













AND then....on Feb. 23rd, the smallest goat we've ever seen was born on our farm. Here is Bailey, moments after he was born.



And, here he is over a month later...still tiny! 

To say that we fell in love with him is the understatement of the world.  We had to bottle feed him since he was only about 1/4 the size of his brother. He lived in our house, on a heating pad, for months!  Oh Bailey...you stole all our hearts!!!!      

Spring time, oh Spring time...came to the farm!

Our beautiful "new" pond!!

Along with....

Scott's idea of "fun"...it made a GREAT science experiment for the kids! 



....and a birthday! 

Lanie's 9th Birthday!  Where did the time go??

She liked her cake..."holes and all"!

 

And finally...more GOATS!!!!!!!

 

 

Anaheim - our first milker!

And Kojak - who will be our herd sire!

Well, how about that for the early months of 2012??   I think that's a pretty good start to our year (and probably the busiest part too)!    We are so blessed in this crazy and busy life that God has lead us too.  There are many more pictures...many more memories.  But, those will have to wait for another day!

 

 

Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast....NO WAIT!!!!!!!!

So, today started out like any other ordinary day...  Even though I stayed up way past the time that even a nocturnal creature would, much less a human. So, this morning my eyes were droopy and and my head was loopy. But, life must go on....right?!? 

Anyway, as our ordinary morning began, cereal was out of the question since we were down to our last gallon of milk and grocery day is not till tomorrow ~ horror of all horrors!  So, loving mommy that I am, I decided I would make cinnamon roll biscuits.  Can we all say YUM? So, as I am deep in floured dough and sugar and cinnamon, I hear a small voice   s c r e a m i n g   from outside.  Now, if you're a mom (or a dad), you know your heart just drops from your chest when you hear one of your children screaming.  BUT, what could I do...remember, I'm up to my elbows in dough and flour. AND, even more importantly, I couldn't tell exactly WHAT was being screamed.  SO...I continue with my task.  LOL!!  However, our screaming child would not be silenced. He knew something that just had to be told....and heard!!!!

WHAT was that something that he knew and that he was gushing with such enthusiasm to tell us..???????

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words.............

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yep...we have a new baby on the farm.  Our first chick born "el natural".  LOL!! 

We were all so excited!!!!  And, yes, I guess we were ALL a little proud!!!!!    Here's one more...

So, due to our carnivorous cats...  We put momma, chick and her last egg in a cage to keep inside.  Here she is all settled in but let me tell you she was mad as a hornet when we started messing with her and her sweet chick.   Hehehe!

I think we are in love...  

We did, however, finally get to eat some yummy cinnamon roll biscuits!

BTW, today is Link-Up Wednesday at Women Living Well Ministries.  Courtney has a wonderful, uplifting blog.  Be sure and check it out!

http://womenlivingwell.org/category/women-living-well-wednesdays/