Wednesday, August 3, 2011

bessy

Since we are having to keep our chickens enclosed
(so much for free-range),
I had the brilliant idea of creating some more shade for them.

I woke up early yesterday morning thinking that I would
put a tarp up to give a nice little corner of refuge
from the blazing hot sun.

You know,
sort of a a cabana...for my chickens
(I looked and looked but couldn't find my inflatable palm trees, dang it)...



Though in theory my idea was brilliant.
Reality proved otherwise...



Isaiah was the only one who ventured into the 2.2 square feet of refuge.
And look at his face.
He doesn't seem all that relieved that he found
a safe place from the 110 degrees.

Well anyway, I tried.



Moving on with life...

One might think that I would throw the towel in
on this home-on-the-range line of thinking.

But no.

I talked to my mother-in-law the other day and she
suggested (sort of jokingly...sort of not) that I should
get a dairy cow.

Oh, no.
I could possibly.
No, ma'am.
Not me.

Or could I?

Would I dare?

I googled it.
Oh, yes I did.

My thoughts on this are reeling at this moment.
I'll keep you posted.

And that brought me to thinking about making my own
fresh mozzarella cheese.

Doesn't that excite you?

Gasp, I know, right?!

And my desire to have my own grain mill has been re-kindled.
Again.
I sat and looked at them online for...minutes (multiple).
I even kept the tab open and kept going back to it.
And looking...lustfully.

Here's the line-up in my brain:

Fresh eggs.
Fresh milk.
Fresh mozzarella.
Fresh flour.

When and where does it end?


Now I just need to figure out how to fund all this.


But for now,
I've decided to haul all willing kids to our little township fair next week.
Perhaps I can get a deal on Bessy from a savvy 10 year-old 4-H'r
who wants to be rid of his dairy project.


The world is my oyster.

19 comments:

Jennifer said...

Fresh mozzarella? Oh yessss please! :) That sounds divine! :) Hope you find a reasonably priced Bessy! :)

Unknown said...

Oh girl...You're on to something. I'll take on your on-line side of the business when things really pick up. I've honestly wanted one of those grain mills myself. Ali works at a bakery where could get the wheat berries for a great price. Hmmm...As far as livestock, I think our neighborhood HOA would frown on my dabbling in that idea.

Janet and Kevin said...

You are too funny! :)

Looking forward to seeing what you come home with from the fair!

Sorry about your chickens. That was sad. :(

janet and gang

Angie H. said...

Go For It.....

Natalie said...

I don't have a cow, but I do have a NutriMill grain mill that I love. I'm pretty sure the mill is lower maintenance than a cow if that helps you decide where to spend your egg money first. ;-)

Karin said...

I am wracking my brain to find out how you would get flour from a cow. Please enlighten me!! :) A cow would be fun, right? Fresh milk...yum. How about a goat? They give better milk--lots more vitamins than cows. My sister has them and if you drink the milk fresh it tastes just like cow milk. Just sayin.... :) Her goats are a little bit naughty though. :)

Desiree' said...

mmm, yummy!! You can actually try craigslist, they really have cows!! (not that I have researched this or anything LOL)

Matilda Joyce said...

Perhaps you should set your sight on buffalo mozzarella....

Kristi said...

oh wow - we farm (corn & soybeans..no livestock). My FIL grew up with hogs & cattle - when he took over the farm from his parents, he sold all the livestock. The barns were still up though at our place - my dear sweet (now 12 yrs) 4 year old would cry to her grandpa "we have da barns...we need a cow".

Melissa said...

You can do it !! You go girl !!!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone mentioned some reality here.
Two boys (at college or close to it),
Macy and Lucy left,little boy too little yet...WHO is going to milk this
animal twice a day, every day!..plus,
as soon as you want to do something as a family, you are having to plan to get back to milk the cow or try to
round up someone to do it...I want to
see a family vote on this... O:)
mm vancouver,wa. (oh, mozarellas on sale at the local grocery)

Laurie said...

Thank you for the laugh! I so needed it today! I think you could do all of this and more and live off the grid! That sounds like heaven to me!

Adrian Roberta said...

fresh Bacon.....*yum*

Angie H. said...

Hey... how about a goat... you can milk those too and they are smaller than a cow so you don't get trampled... :) and you could start your on line of beauty products with the goats milk.

Chris said...

I'd guess hawk, and it's probably illegal to shoot it.
Let me know how the cheese making goes. Try getting a goat..not so much to feed (they supposedly eat anything) and the milk is the up and coming fad

Mark & Kris said...

Our friends just bought a dairy cow and are loving the fresh milk and butter! Oh, homemade ice cream, too! They bought their cow from an Amish family, when it was a calf. More reasonable that way.

kippi said...

Oh Lori, you continue to crack me up. thanks for the smiles.
As far as the cow thing goes - we have seventy and I have yet to make anything other than butter and yogurt. Reality is girl - who is going to milk the thing? But when your family votes on that... you go girl.:)

Faye Verquer said...

THANK YOU for the always much needed laughs! I LOVE reading your blog. SO when you have all this figured out pass along your great secrets.... I could use some for my crew!

Hey you need to update your pictures at top...you've added some kiddos!!!

Faye

Debby said...

Lori! I am envisioning a very small country Italian Eatery....Mozarella...flour for pasta...tomatos from the garden....Oh Yeah!!

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