 Posted by Elvira Bates on October 1, 2009 at 11:32 PM |  comments (0) |
Puttin' up the harvest!! We had LOTS of food to put up from Daniel's Garden this year! We ladies canned, cold packed and froze, so our men folk were good to us in not making us do too much outside work...really...we didn't have time because the produce just kept coming!! We may have to go to a farmers market next year! LOL!
Zucchini Wars!! LOL!
This is my special Fried Zucchini Recipe...you can freeze it up,then take it out later and pop it into the oven, bake it at 350 and it will come out as if you just cooked it fresh. Now, if you want it really crispy again, just fry it up real quick in olive oil, but do watch out for splatter!
And the squash just keeps on comin'!!!
Daniel's Pumpkins
Pumpkin Pie Filling, just mash up and freeze it! Ready for home made pies, breads and cookies!!
Zucchini Wars!! LOL!
This is my special Fried Zucchini Recipe...you can freeze it up,then take it out later and pop it into the oven, bake it at 350 and it will come out as if you just cooked it fresh. Now, if you want it really crispy again, just fry it up real quick in olive oil, but do watch out for splatter!
And the squash just keeps on comin'!!!
Daniel's Pumpkins
Pumpkin Pie Filling, just mash up and freeze it! Ready for home made pies, breads and cookies!!
Summertime Fun!
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 21, 2009 at 3:51 PM | comments (0) |
We've had a busy summer! Went to TONS of rodeos, even volunteered at the Elizabeth Stampede! We saw lots of country concerts, too! Got right up front and spoke with some of the folks as well! We saw Randy Houser...he is an amazing good ole boy! We also saw LeAnne Womack and Sara Evans. The last one was at the Colorado State Fair where we saw Rodney Atkins.
We spent 3 wknds down in the S.E. Colorado area. Billy helped to re-break a horse (our horse Babe's daughter) and we bucked 80 bales down there (we had bucked 107 up near Brighton area a few wks before).
We went to the Happy Apple Farm, picking apples which I put up 5 gallon bags for pie filling.
I put up 3 bushels of Pueblo/Anaheim green chili's. Out of Daniel's garden, I put up about 10 gallons of zucchini (some pre-fried, some for soups and some shredded for zucchini bread), I also put up 8 Gallons of summer squash and 4 gallons of green beans and 2 of sweet peas. We had Kelly's Mama up for a wk and we put up Watermelon Preserves...an old tymie recipe from Kelly's Grandmother. We baked peanut butter cookies and swapped recipes! I bought fresh pork side slab and chichiron from Frank's Meat Market and will be rendering my own lard for those winter biscuits that will be sooo good!
Right now, I'm in the process of looking for a milk cow or at least a calf. We are starting to work on the house, finally! We figured we waited for the economy long enough and now it's just time to git'er done!
We decided this time since we waited so long, instead of doing all the work ourselves, we're gonna get a little help to get the bigger projects finished up right away. So, we have been acting as our own contractors and subcontracting out the work we want done by taking bids. We have a roofer who is going to take care of that job and a heating company who is going to take care of putting in all natural gas heat through out the house (mainly because if the carbon tax gets going, our electric company said our bill will triple). In an all electric house, that's not a good thing! We paid $300 a month last yr, so I don't want another house payment if ykwim!! I've gotta call an electrician and we'll be getting a new mainbox installed with a few extra doodads we want added on...including an outlet for my hen house...gotta keep the gals happy ya know!
Kelly and the boys put in a nice solid walkway infront of the house, it's not finished, but we're almost done. Soon, I've gotta go pick out the tile for the kitchen/dining rm/hallway. We've still gotta finish that bathroom out...just gotta make the doors and do a few touch ups. But, whew...it's been a busy one!
We spent 3 wknds down in the S.E. Colorado area. Billy helped to re-break a horse (our horse Babe's daughter) and we bucked 80 bales down there (we had bucked 107 up near Brighton area a few wks before).
We went to the Happy Apple Farm, picking apples which I put up 5 gallon bags for pie filling.
I put up 3 bushels of Pueblo/Anaheim green chili's. Out of Daniel's garden, I put up about 10 gallons of zucchini (some pre-fried, some for soups and some shredded for zucchini bread), I also put up 8 Gallons of summer squash and 4 gallons of green beans and 2 of sweet peas. We had Kelly's Mama up for a wk and we put up Watermelon Preserves...an old tymie recipe from Kelly's Grandmother. We baked peanut butter cookies and swapped recipes! I bought fresh pork side slab and chichiron from Frank's Meat Market and will be rendering my own lard for those winter biscuits that will be sooo good!Right now, I'm in the process of looking for a milk cow or at least a calf. We are starting to work on the house, finally! We figured we waited for the economy long enough and now it's just time to git'er done!
We decided this time since we waited so long, instead of doing all the work ourselves, we're gonna get a little help to get the bigger projects finished up right away. So, we have been acting as our own contractors and subcontracting out the work we want done by taking bids. We have a roofer who is going to take care of that job and a heating company who is going to take care of putting in all natural gas heat through out the house (mainly because if the carbon tax gets going, our electric company said our bill will triple). In an all electric house, that's not a good thing! We paid $300 a month last yr, so I don't want another house payment if ykwim!! I've gotta call an electrician and we'll be getting a new mainbox installed with a few extra doodads we want added on...including an outlet for my hen house...gotta keep the gals happy ya know!
Kelly and the boys put in a nice solid walkway infront of the house, it's not finished, but we're almost done. Soon, I've gotta go pick out the tile for the kitchen/dining rm/hallway. We've still gotta finish that bathroom out...just gotta make the doors and do a few touch ups. But, whew...it's been a busy one!
Out on the Range
 Posted by Elvira Bates on July 22, 2009 at 2:48 PM | comments (0) |
Daniel bought his Grandpa Bates tiller from his Grandma and began to work the ground.
His Grandpa Bates was a good farmer, so he learned a lot from him and his Daddy! The engine was tired, so he replaced it with a new one.
Kelly on his tractor brings back memories from when he was on his Daddy's tractor down in Oklahoma.
We had a pumpkin patch, zucchini and yellow squash...these grow great up here. But we live above 6,500 ft. so our growing season is short.
Some of our Green Beans. We also had okra, sweet peas, cucumbers, peanuts and watermelon. Can't wait for the next growing season!!
His Grandpa Bates was a good farmer, so he learned a lot from him and his Daddy! The engine was tired, so he replaced it with a new one.
Kelly on his tractor brings back memories from when he was on his Daddy's tractor down in Oklahoma.
We had a pumpkin patch, zucchini and yellow squash...these grow great up here. But we live above 6,500 ft. so our growing season is short.
Some of our Green Beans. We also had okra, sweet peas, cucumbers, peanuts and watermelon. Can't wait for the next growing season!!
Out on the Range
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 25, 2008 at 11:12 AM | comments (0) |
The beginnings of our Hen House. There was a portable hen house that was not built well and could be seen from the Sunroom windows...took that out! It will make fertile ground when we move Daniel's garden next year. This looked like an original shed that someone had taken some of the boards off. It's to the side of the house and is larger and sturdier than the other one. We used the old one temporarily, while we got this one secured enough and we'll build on later.
Here is another picture of the Back Meadow Pasture. You can see some of the gorgeous view we have. South of us we can see all the way to Pikes Peak, with the whole Front Range out our back door. On the top of our property, we can even see the Denver skyline. At night, the stars above are bright and the sky is clear, looking off towards Denver, we can see the city lights.
Here is another picture of the Back Meadow Pasture. You can see some of the gorgeous view we have. South of us we can see all the way to Pikes Peak, with the whole Front Range out our back door. On the top of our property, we can even see the Denver skyline. At night, the stars above are bright and the sky is clear, looking off towards Denver, we can see the city lights.
Out on the Range
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 23, 2008 at 10:47 AM | comments (0) |
It's been a beautiful summer, our first year, here! We have had to do much work around the Range and around the House and are now settling in for winter. We have managed to hold several parties and held a few sessions with homeschooling families on grooming and riding horses. I love the area as much as the challenge of this great ranch house.
Hope you enjoy seeing all we are doing here on the ranch. We found a great resource here for good quality alfalfa horse hay. I know, I know, for those who are Timothy grass advocates, it's okay...we have tried the grasses over the years and our horses lost too much weight on them. So much so, we even called in a vet up here (he works with race horses so is VERY qualified). We have come to the conclusion with his help that the alfalfa/grass mix is best for our Arabians in summer and straight alfalfa is best for them in winter with some grain, especially as we are beginning to work them. The kids are looking forward to being in 4H this year in the Working Horse Ranch and Gymkhana Clubs. We are looking right now at a couple of more horses and some cattle. We had to get a good hay person first, as we only have the 5 acres, but have friends with 40 or more acres who have had to buy hay due to poor grass, drought, floodings, etc.
We live in a beautiful area of rolling hills. We have deer that come close to the house often. We discourage this because along with prey come predators. There are mountain lions, bobcats and bears in the area. There were two big cat sightings last spring.
The first picture is of the deer, it was early morning (when they like to bed in the meadow pasture) . So, there are shadows, I tried to brighten the pictures, so hope they come out okay. They did not bother Daniel's garden (in the background) all summer long. We put up wind chimes, cans and scarecrows. We also put in a statue of St. Francis and asked him to tell the deer they needed to eat elsewhere!
The second pictures are of the horses and their meadow pasture. There are plenty of pines, green grassy hillsides and other trees.
Out on the Range
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 13, 2008 at 8:56 AM | comments (0) |
Silhouettes at the Arena
Early in the morning, I have this gorgeous view from the kitchen window. Just before this time, when you can barely see light, is the time the deer come out and cross between the trees. I doubt that my picture would take at that time as it is still too dark. But, at least by looking at this picture, you can imagine the beauty of it. Here is the same scene with a little more morning light.
Early in the morning, I have this gorgeous view from the kitchen window. Just before this time, when you can barely see light, is the time the deer come out and cross between the trees. I doubt that my picture would take at that time as it is still too dark. But, at least by looking at this picture, you can imagine the beauty of it. Here is the same scene with a little more morning light.
Around the House
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 10, 2008 at 12:39 AM | comments (0) |
First things first, I always put in a Mary Garden!!
The outside of the Bunkhouse was brown with chipping paint.
Since we couldn't match it, we decided to pop it up a bit with a warmer color.
The outside of the Bunkhouse was brown with chipping paint.
Since we couldn't match it, we decided to pop it up a bit with a warmer color.
Around the House
 Posted by Elvira Bates on September 5, 2008 at 8:47 AM | comments (0) |
We got the sinks in! This has been an interesting project. Typically, we start with the kitchen or flooring in the main body of the house. But there was a water issue in the bathroom when we bought it, so it needed immediate attention. There were leaks under the sink and above around the skylight so, we tore out the walls where the sinks were and the ceiling where the sky light is. We sprayed everything down with bleach, airing it out for about a month before we went in with new materials. I wish I had a "before" picture but due to the move and all, just didn't think of getting it done. Those of you who have been over at our first party, know how bad it was! LOL
We were going to put in formica counter tops, but Kelly convinced me that for the expense ($600) I could put in tile which would be much cheaper to install myself and I could learn how to tile (Kelly taught us) which is what Jessica and I have been wanting to do for years (we envision ourselves going a little crazy with tile, including a grotto area for our Mary Garden). The tiling only cost a little over $100 total, that's tile, grout, EVERYTHING! Although, we have a wet tile cutter for the straight cuts, I did have to buy a tile cutter for the rounded or angled cuts, but I will have that now, for the next project. My hubby was right, it was well worth the wait and the work!
It took a little longer than expected as we had so many other projects that needed immediate attention, also. I hope with the next projects, I will have the time and fore thought to get the before pictures so I have a record of all we have done. Kelly still needs to make the cabinet doors, but that is something he can do in the garage, even with bad weather. He will take the router and make what ever design I want. I like working on the projects ourselves as I have time to think about what styles I want to go with. This house is wonderful because it is not a "cookie cutter" designed house. I love distinct characteristics to work with. I have had trouble finding a site that would have the old California Ranch style houses in them (they show the "typical" design of one level living not how it was designed after the ranches of the area), so I can keep it authentic, but update it, so I am having to go off memory from when I was a little girl growing up in So. Cal around all the Ranchos.
Here is the remodeled main bath...awesome!!
No comments:
Post a Comment