Food: How to Freeze Peaches

If your family is anything like our family, then you LOVE peach cobbler. Doesn't everyone?!

Here is my Peach Cobbler recipe, in case you need that too. 

Now, back to the topic... to make peach cobbler, you need peaches. There are a couple ways to store your peaches through the winter. You can either can them or freeze them. I have a tutorial in the making for canning, but for now, here is how to freeze them. 

Pick yourself some peaches.

It is always a good idea to wash anything that you are going to eat. But after that, you will want to peel your peaches and slice them into chunks. Toss the seeds or save them to plant yourself some trees. 

Now that you have as many peaches as you need chunked up, mix them with sugar. Mom's pressure canner that we had the peaches in will can 7 quart jars at a time. I believe it is a 23 quart pressure canner. We had it heaping full, but moved some over into a bowl on the side. We mixed a 5 lb bag of sugar into all those peaches. Just mix it good and let it set a few minutes. Maybe 5-10 minutes. Once all those juices are mixing with the sugar it will look something like this.

Get yourself some freezer bags, some sort of dipper, and a funnel. We use quart size bags. Turn the top edge of your bag over so it sort of forms a lip. This will keep your bag from getting super sticky on the outside as you fill them up. Use the lip to hold the bag up and put a funnel into the bag. Fill. 

Flip the edge back up, zip the bag, write your contents and the date, and freeze! 

Easy Peasy! Enjoy! 

I'm sharing this post at Farmgirl Friday!

Food: Easy Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler has always been one of my favorite desserts. I recently had Mom show me how she makes it. I thought I'd really be getting into something hard, but in reality, it was easy! 

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups - 2 cups flour (self-rising)

1 cup sugar (I like brown sugar better than white)

3 cans of peaches in heavy syrup

Maybe 1/2 cup or so milk 

First you want to get yourself a baking dish or pan. I use one that is about  9x13 or a little bigger.  Melt your butter and pour it into the bottom of the pan. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and moisten with milk. You want it about the consistency of pancake mix. Once mixed, pour into the pan on top of the butter. Now, open your cans of peaches (home canned peaches are even better) and pour on to of all that. That's it. 

Put it in the oven on about 325 degrees and bake about 35 minutes or so. I just make sure it is brown on top. 

Get yourself some vanilla ice cream and enjoy! 

Family: Thank You, God! Rain!

It has been hot and humid this week. It was so hot today, I know it had to be close to 100 degrees out there. As a result, I haven't felt up to going outside and doing anything. It seems as if you can't even take a breath. Muggy, I guess would describe it.

 My sinuses and allergies are in full swing and the heat just isn't helping, at all. My head has felt like it is gonna blow off my shoulders all day. 

After I picked Bai up from camp, we went by to check on Dad. I am so thankful that he his home and doing well. He said he is weak and a little dizzy, but not in any pain, which is fantastic. He left his glasses and a few dollars at the hospital on accident. I'd say he will never see the money again, thankfully it wasn't much. My sister was able to finally get someone to agree to mail him his glasses. It is just too long of a drive to go back over there after them.

When the boys and I came home from Mom and Dad's house, our lab Peaches jumped in the Jeeps floor-board and would not come out. I had to drag her out. I figured it was going to storm. She hates them, but it wasn't cloudy or anything like that. When I unlocked the door and we came in, she came running into the house. She knows she isn't allowed in here. She sheds way too much. I could not get her back out. She is around 75 lbs of pure muscle. She was spot on though, about ten minutes into her home invasion, it started pouring the rain. It was coming down in sheets, but the sun was still shining. I looked around for a rainbow, but didn't see one. I'd say it was out there somewhere though. The mountains block my view in every direction.

Michael made it home from work about an hour after the lab home invasion. He was able to pick her up and pack her out. Stubborn girl. The rain has slacked off, but the air is much cooler. Thank you, God! 

Perfect weather for a nap!

I shared this post at Wordless Wednesday but with Words.

Cheap Way to Raise Chickens: Building the Run Part Two

Michael and I worked outside on the run all day long. We both have a nice sunburn to show for it. I totally forgot about sunblock until it was too late. Man it was a scorcher out there today. Well over 90 degrees and no shade to be found.

I figured out quickly that Michael and are not carpenters. We had a horrible time with the chicken wire. I mean horrible. It was so lumpy. No matter how hard we tried we could not get that stuff straight. Oh well. The sides and top of the run are now ready for the chickens, but we need to work some more on the bottom. We may have to use some boards, blocks, or even some logs around the bottom. The wire touches the ground, but the chickens could scratch out or something could dig in the way we have it now.

Any suggestions?

Oh and this pic really doesn't do the lumps justice. It seems to disguise them. As long as the chickens are safe, I guess I am OK with ugly.

Next we cut a hole in the side of the building and put a board going out into the run so the chickens will have easy access during the day. We plan to fix a door of some sort to close at night.  See Sophie sniffing around the outside? She couldn't figure out why she couldn't get in.

As the sun started to go down, Michael and I were covered in blood, sweat and tears. Look at the back of his shirt when he was getting the chickens fresh water.

My fingers tips were blood red from attaching the top of the fence to the sides with fencing wire.

The boys got caught trying to make a "booby trap" out of the extra wood.

Dalton decided that it was hard work making a "booby trap" and he needed a drink.

After I tell him that he really shouldn't drink straight out of the jug, this is the face I got. He proceeded to whine and say "You never let me make booby traps or drink from jugs. I never get to do anything."  Shame on me. I am such a mean Mommy.

He didn't have to whine long. Peaches came to the rescue.

Overall, it was a productive day. Even if the run is ugly, Michael and I have sunburns, and my youngest son thinks I am a mean Mom.

Michael purchased the poles at Lowes for $4.09 each. We bought 6 but only used 5. We will return the unused one the next time we are down that way. The chicken wire was $29.99 for a 48in x 50ft roll at Tractor Supply. We based the size of the run on the amount of extra money we had to spend on building supplies. It ended up being 4 ft by 13 ft. We also purchased a bag of chicken feed for $13 something, but quickly found out that you can get  it for $8 a local vendor. Michael used wire and nails we already had, and borrowed my Dad's saw for to cut the board and hole in the coop.

Cheap Way to Raise Chickens: Installing the Nesting Boxes

My wonderful hubby Michael was able to get two more buckets at work today to use as nesting boxes. Once we cut the lids, he went to work installing them in the coop.

The first one up.  

Screws on the inside.

All four of them up. Now we just need to put something up in front of them for the chickens to stand on. We will go with something low cost. Probably a tree limb because it is FREE.

I don't know what I would do without Michael. He is such a wonderful husband. Even if he doesn't want chickens, he is still so willing to help me get ready for them. *swoon*

Our lab Peaches was laying in the drive way watching as we worked.

Doesn't she look ferocious?

Sorry about the dark pictures. It was getting very late.