Prik-E-gnu

Say it. Say it loud, say it fast, say it slow, say it soft. That was fun, I know I enjoyed it.

Prik-E-gnu isn't a common talked about pepper, go ahead, you can go search for it, you won't get too many hits back.

It's a small pepper, the pods growing upside down, they are bright red and only grow 1-3 inches in length. But these little suckers give you quite the punch. They are a Thia blistering pepper, and earn that title easily. Early this summer, while this peppers were still green, Good neighbor tried one out. He loves the hot, yet his ears teared up with the spice the was generated by these unripened tidbits.

So what is the point in growing this blistering pepper, for starters it's great fun watching your macho friends cry when they bite into them, that'll teach 'em. Another is that this is all the pepper you'll need for anything that requires some spice. Harvesting this compact plant at different times of ripening will give you your mild, to medium, to hot! all off one plant that produces hundreds of small peppers. I dry mine and grind into a powder to add to my thai foods, Mexican, Creole or just 'cuz.

This Honky Fell to Her Knees

I have incredible news, someone informed me that I was a honky and involved in an incestuous relationship with my sister. Can you believe it!?! I have a sister! I never knew.

Yesterday, with my favorite coffee cup in one hand my new lap top in the other, I stepped off the last step of my deck only to discover that my right ankle had mysteriously disappeared. Bam! down on my knees onto the concrete sidewalk. I suddenly had a split second to make a decision, would I loose all my precious coffee and my favorite coffee cup by breaking it to break my fall, or do I sacrifice the laptop that I still have to pay my boss back for. All I wanted was to work outside on such a beautiful fall day. My decision was quickly made, I would sacrifice neither. It was a balancing act, but a managed not to fall forward as my body was so determined to do, instead I bloody kneed it off the concrete in quickly small baby steps until I reached the mud. As a sank into the cold watery ground, I had no choice to sacrifice my coffee. The mud saved my mug however, and the coffee had become too cool for sufficient enjoyment by that time anyway. Of course the cattle were no help, couldn't even offer me a hand up.

Thank you for your walnut suggestions yesterday. The decorating a couple of them might just turn out to be a wonderful idea come winter and the boys and I are trapped in the house. Some of the walnuts still need to be dried out, as all of them still have their fleshy green outer layer. I so do love a good walnut. These are black walnuts, I like baking with them, and eating the English ones raw. There are so many delicious things to make with walnuts, I could share the recipes with you if you like. It gives me something not to complain about, ha! But I bet you anything I could make it sound like one big gritch. oh, that might be fun now that I think about it, a spiteful gritching recipe about walnuts. oh oh in incestuous honky format! I love trying out new genres.

Winston's horns are rather interesting, it is as though his left one was broken. It is shorter than the right side and not rounded. It isn't infected and shouldn't cause any discomfort, but I wonder if he will be walking the fields in a perpetual right turn. Now that would cause the neighborhood to talk. ""what on Earth is wrong with that bull?" "Think he was touched in the head?" oh ho, hurts my side just thinking about it. ~shaking head~ The things I find humor in lately. Can't you just picture the good ole boys, chewing tobacco lumping their bottom lip, knee turned out and leaning over the field fencing have deep conversations about my bull? Wait, insert my husband and you would have the scene the other day. I was giggling, it was just too cute.

Good neighbor calls what Hooter's birds had, "the greens." For some reason I thought coccidia was bacterial, but no, it is a parasite. I knew it was bad and what to look for if anyone was infected, but had not done all the research. I informed all the neighbors that have birds as it can be carried by other animals, and since we have a fox, several possums, raccoons and skunks that share our fields, I thought it would be awfully nice of me to give people the heads up. Not to mention responsible.The remaining birds are all doing very well., fingers crossed that this batch will not suddenly disappear, get eaten or find another parasite. My luck with chickens hasn't been the greatest lately. It was getting to the point where I thought someone was telling me I really shouldn't be messing with chickens. But we have moved the coop to where the dogs can guard it. Everything has been severely disinfected, and they are so far thriving.

Speaking of stealing, I was informed that there is some illegal horse racing going on in the area.

In 1 1/2 weeks our homestead anniversary of 8 years will be happening. Wow! That long. We should celebrate. How 'bout it, up for a party?

It's not the flu!

I have all three of my boys home sick. I too have the same wicked COLD. Not the flu, it's just a nasty cold. It happens. Sometimes you can get sick with something else other than the current fad disease. I have always been dancing against the norm, it's just how I roll.

But today I get to play the roll of Typhoid Mary. Oh I can feel the love now. Make sure you have your Lysol ready so you can clean the screen that you are ready. I think I might just want to dress up as Typhoid Mary for Halloween. Large is going as Bruce Cambell. He is so my child. We just need to find a small toy chainsaw to complete the outfit. I don't know if too many people will get what he is without this little part. Not sure yet what the other 2 will be going as. We will work that out.

Some of you know that I really don't do the whole forum thing. But if you ever want to, you can find me at this forum over on The Modern Homestead.

For some reason yesterday's post about peanuts didn't show up as an update. And many of you read because a 3rd party told you to, so if you want to know a little sumpem sumpem about the peanuts, look closely at yesterdays post.

Currently in a small farm outside of Wichita Kansas it is 61F, breezy and sleepy. A woman sits watching her cattle graze and eying the storm that seems to be brewing on the horizon. And contemplating that she must indeed suffer from adult ADD, and it gives her the excuse to do this; Monday's Customer showed up on Monday, HA! Can you believe that. And brought walnuts with him. Small was instantly on hammer duty as soon as his father (that would bem y husband) told him what it was about. Oh the carnage. I felt bad however. I have no apples this year. In case some of you were wondering why my 2 months, non stop apple posts, ramblings and trivia were lacking. The people that I had the hook up with, up and moved. so no apple stuff this year. But no worries my little pretties, I have more than enough apple stories stored away from the previous years to keep you entertained.

Here is your mission if you so choose to accept it. What would you do if a large trash bag of walnuts showed up on your doorstep. (extra credit for uniqueness and wit) this message will self destruct in 5 seconds, this is for your COLD safety.

I'm going nuts!

I am not really going nuts, more legume.


Peanuts are an important plant in my garden. Why? You ask. Because my boys love them. The enjoy planting them, harvesting them {WOOHOO We get to play in the dirt} and eating them. The process of turning them into peanut butter {the peanuts, not the boys} is fascinating to my two little ones. {We have an elephant that helps turn the peanuts into paste that the little ones use} My father even gets into the whole peanut experience.



I have had several of you ask me if you too can grow peanuts. Of course you can {ok I am being silly} Peanuts can be grown as far north as New England. The two types of peanuts you should look into are the Valencia peanut and the Spanish Red. The Valencia is a smaller peanut that will produce hardily, it is very small and are typically the ones that you roast and salt. The Spanish red are the ones you buy roasted in jacket, they do not produce as well as the Valencia variety but their flavor is superior.

Growing peanuts are rather easy. Work the soil well and deep, except for those of you in the north, plant them no deeper than 1 ½ inches. This shallow planting will encourage quicker growth and prevent damp rot in the wet spring.

If this is a new area you are cultivating, make sure to add compost or aged manure to your soil turning.

Plant 4 kernels per mound. your mounds should be 18 inches apart in rows that are 2 feet apart.

If it isn't real warm outside, it will take a little time for your peanuts to shoot up sprouts. In warm climates you should see sprouting in 7 days, cooler weather will take up to two weeks. When your plant has reached 6 inches tall, begin cultivating. When the plants reach 1 inches, hill the rows. This is important because you plant will send out roots to the side of the mounds. Leaves will begin to drop off and start a new plant. After hilling, mulch between your plants with at least 8 inches of straw or grass clippings. This will help feed your hungry plants. After that, your job with them is done until harvest.

You will want to allow a heavy frost to completely destroy the plants tops. Lift the plants out with a garden fork and shake loose the dirt. Pluck the pods from the roots and set into a shallow pan to allow to air dry. It will take 2 months of drying before you should roast them.

I hope this was helpful to those of that have been asking. Enjoy your peanuts! And if you have any questions {not just about peanuts} feel free to ask.

This is a repost, My father died 2 years ago, not long after this picture was taken.

Rainy Days and Mondays

It has finally stopped raining here, and I can tend to the peanuts.

Turns out that those birds that Hooter brought us had a Coccidia infestation. They looked fine when he arrived with them, but when I found two of my adult birds dead, and then say the diarrhea of one of the surviving Hooter's, I knew what it was. Great! It is being taken care of with my one remaining bird. And the 6 adult birds that where given to us Saturday night by my B-I-L should be ok.

My three boys are indeed still in the public school system. I was going to homeschool, but it just didn't happen, for various reasons, as fast as I wanted it to. Small has a problem. He has had most of his vaccinations. I had waited until he was older to get them, rather getting them in those early early days. I don't have a problem with vaccines. I think they are handy, and I have indeed done all my research, and know all the pro's and cons. This was a personal decision for my family. I had thought he had received all the shots required for the Stat of Kansas for attending school, I was wrong. He is missing 3 shots. Ok, no problem I will get them. I headed over to the Health departments website to see how much they cost. 2 of the shots needed are $20 a piece (a little less actually). That's do-able. However the Chicken Pox vaccine which is now required, and 2 of them to boot, is almost $100. That I can't afford. So as of tomorrow, Small will be suspended from school because of his lack of one (and IMO, ridiculous) shot. I could spout religious reasons for not getting the vaccines, but that would be untrue, not to mention suspicious as he has all his other shots. I don't know yet if he will be allowed to go back to school this term after he gets the shot past the State's deadline. So I will be homeschooling just him. It is only Kindergarten after all. My mother called me and informed me that she found homeschooling books in my price range, a whole bunch cheaper than this one shot. Edit; I just spoke with the school nurse. I so LOVE small towns. She said that if I can't get the Health department to reduce the price, that she would find a way to come up with the money. I know this problem seems like nothing to many f you, but it is a big deal for me and mine.

Speaking of my mother, her husband (my stepfather) has just been diagnosed with something called Drift. (I think that's what she called it) It is super rare. You know those shin splints some people get? My stepfather is getting them, but on his spine. It is degenerative, and he will be in a wheel chair in the future. Don't know yet how soon, and there is nothing they can do about it.

Our propane dealer showed up the other day, and even though we have yet to pay off our bill from the beginning of the year, he went a head and gave us 250 gallons of the stuff. I thanked him and almost cried. We chatted a bit as the tank was filling. I told him that we are bringing in over $1,000 less per month than we were a year ago, and that's why we were having so many problems. For us, this amount of money loss is a huge deal. We have tried to make it up in different ways, but there has been some issues. It's been stressful. We spent our retirement money on the cattle, banking in them to replace some of the money, if not more or all. Now my husband has actually began talking about selling them. This is super hard on him. He has been yelling at me. He has never done that before. The stress of losing everything we have worked so hard for is catching up to him. And I am scared that our relationship won't make it through this. But I am trying. I realize that he is just venting at me, but it still hurts. And without me having an outside job, he finds it easier to jump on me. It isn't like I haven't tried to get an outside job. But they are not out there. Aircraft engineers are taking the fast food jobs, what chance have I with all the requirements a job must have for me to accept it. The biggest one is third shift. Blah! What am I doing? This wasn't what I was going to talk about. Apologise all around.

What I was going to say is, talk to me. Got something you ant to ask, need a recipe? Ask away.

Well I'll be!

This is a picture of a Patagonian Cavy, native to Argentina, and has now taken up residence at a lake not too far from the farm.

9news.com has an article about our new little beast.