I have two things to mention before I head out the door with Linnea and Noah for the Woodlands market.
1) Our backup washer is broken! Laundry is backing up at an alarming rate, we are stuck without our main washer while the new part comes in and I think I might scream if we go one more day without washing laundry! (Just in case you missed it this pas week my mom was talking about our new jobs and mine was laundry)
2) What is up with the weather?!? Here it is two days left until June and it's feeling like March. Not like I am complaining, I love it!! But I am wondering what's gong on. :D Oh, well I'll enjoy it while I can and stop complaining.
Have an enjoyable Saturday and Sunday!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Laundry Woes
This post could also be called "I Hate Top Loaders!!"
Having a large family we do our fair share of laundry in a day. I have had people tell me that we do more laundry in a day then they do in a week. So, you can imagine the amount of work that our washer and dryer have to do. :D
Normally we don't have any problems with our dryers. As long as we keep them clean they are steady machines and work almost nonstop with no problems at all.
Now our washers are a totally different story, or used to be. It used to be that we would have the one main working washer and then two backups (yes, two!). Whenever the main washer went down, we would pull it out, put in a replacement and wait for Sears to come out and repair the main washer. When the backup would break it would be off on its way to scrap land, due to the fact that we were normally the third owner of it and it had seen better days. :D
Over two years ago we got a new washer, because our old one had died and with our warranty Sears had to replace it. We got the top of the line as good as it gets and as large as it gets front loader. It seemed at the time that we were always calling out sears to fix something on our old front loader and we thought that the same thing would happen with this, but at least we would get on top of laundry while it was working.
Well, not with this one! With over two years of owning it, this Friday will be the first time Sears has had to come out and work on it. Now, we have had minor problems with it, but nothing that Linnea or any one of us other girls could not fix. We are counting our blessings that way at least. :D
But as we wait for Friday to come around I sit here trying my best to stay on top of laundry with a top loader that holds less than half the load of my front loader and wounding what we ever did before we got the top loader! I can't wait until it's fixed and hopefully I will be able to stay caught up!
But, just to let you know---I HATE top loading washing machines and I CAN'T wait until our front loader is fixed!! lol
Having a large family we do our fair share of laundry in a day. I have had people tell me that we do more laundry in a day then they do in a week. So, you can imagine the amount of work that our washer and dryer have to do. :D
Normally we don't have any problems with our dryers. As long as we keep them clean they are steady machines and work almost nonstop with no problems at all.
Now our washers are a totally different story, or used to be. It used to be that we would have the one main working washer and then two backups (yes, two!). Whenever the main washer went down, we would pull it out, put in a replacement and wait for Sears to come out and repair the main washer. When the backup would break it would be off on its way to scrap land, due to the fact that we were normally the third owner of it and it had seen better days. :D
Over two years ago we got a new washer, because our old one had died and with our warranty Sears had to replace it. We got the top of the line as good as it gets and as large as it gets front loader. It seemed at the time that we were always calling out sears to fix something on our old front loader and we thought that the same thing would happen with this, but at least we would get on top of laundry while it was working.
Well, not with this one! With over two years of owning it, this Friday will be the first time Sears has had to come out and work on it. Now, we have had minor problems with it, but nothing that Linnea or any one of us other girls could not fix. We are counting our blessings that way at least. :D
But as we wait for Friday to come around I sit here trying my best to stay on top of laundry with a top loader that holds less than half the load of my front loader and wounding what we ever did before we got the top loader! I can't wait until it's fixed and hopefully I will be able to stay caught up!
But, just to let you know---I HATE top loading washing machines and I CAN'T wait until our front loader is fixed!! lol
Monday, May 25, 2009
Last Saturday
Much as I would love to cheat today and just send you over to my mom's blog to hear how last Saturday went, I know that that wouldn't be right, so I will do my best and pray that you can understand it, as I am still trying to catch up on my sleep and think I might have caught "the show bug".
Well, we got up real early; I think we beat the rosters this time. lol At the early hour of 3 some of us got up, while the others crawled out at 3:30. We had to milk, morning chores, load up two vans for market, the rest of the stuff for our show, a trailer with 7 goats, the blue van and the white geo for those going to the goat show, all before 5! And we came pretty close; with me pulling out after dad at 5:15 and the only thing that someone had to go back for was Dad's cell phone. :D
Well, dad dropped all 11 children and 7 goats off at the fairgrounds in Hempstead and left with an old friend for the Austin market. With the help of the older girls we got all the goats and children settled, Christin working on the food for the concession stand with Emma, Sara watching the toddlers, Grace and Linnea working on finishing up the goats for the show, while I headed out with Liberty to pick up doughnuts for the exhibiters.
After I got back I had to look at a goat that was limping and unlike all the other shows where mom gets to make the decisions on whether we keep in animal in the show or scratch her, it was my decision and left me a little uncomfortable since this was mom's pride and joy I was thinking about! So, I got a second opinion and they said it would be best since she would be knocked down in the line for limping. So, that is what I did, much as I hated doing it!
After I finished telling mom and Grace about what I had decided I then checked on Christin and Emma, helped a little with the food and then headed out for the breeders meeting, as soon as that was done I helped with some paper work, checked on all the kids to make sure that Christin and Emma knew what to do with the food. Grace, Sara, and Linnea knew what goats to show, when, were, and all that. And that Timothy, Liberty, Noah, and Judah where behaving themselves for Nathan. After all the children were checked on and everything was as in place as it could be, I headed over to my ring to learn about my new job, ring secretary.
It took a little bit of learning but I got it down, (yes, right at the end of the show) and I am still trying to decide if I want to do it again next year. lol We will have to see.
As for what our goats did, I am still trying to figure that all out. The only one that I really saw placed was my goat. I had a break in my ring for a few minutes due to waiting for another breeder to come out of another ring, so I went to see how my sisters were doing. I got there just in time to see that my goat, the daughter of my first goat and one of the first to have our heard name was being placed FIRST!!! She even topped goats, that had her beat last year and breeders that have been in goats longer then I have been in this world!! There are no words to tell how happy and excited I am. Especially because I came within hours of emailing someone and telling them I was going to sell her! She's a keeper and was so even before she stepped into the ring, but having a judge tell me that I am going in the right direction is just amazing, considering five years ago at this same show I didn't know how to better a goat or even one breed form another!! :D
Emma went second in showmanship, Linnea went second. Libby did REALLY well with an animal that was almost as tall as she is. Sara didn't do as well, but she is still working on it and not quitting! Timothy didn't do too well, but then he never really wants to do it until right before they go into the ring.
Christin did very well in the concession stand, considering there were times when she had to do it by herself. But, we were able to raise some of the money needed to pay the vet bill for Grace's horse and still feed the kids at the show and that night after we got home. :D
We were all dead dog tired when we got home and almost all crashed not to be waken until 7 the next morning. I think we have mostly gotten over it, but we will have to wait and see. :D
Well, we got up real early; I think we beat the rosters this time. lol At the early hour of 3 some of us got up, while the others crawled out at 3:30. We had to milk, morning chores, load up two vans for market, the rest of the stuff for our show, a trailer with 7 goats, the blue van and the white geo for those going to the goat show, all before 5! And we came pretty close; with me pulling out after dad at 5:15 and the only thing that someone had to go back for was Dad's cell phone. :D
Well, dad dropped all 11 children and 7 goats off at the fairgrounds in Hempstead and left with an old friend for the Austin market. With the help of the older girls we got all the goats and children settled, Christin working on the food for the concession stand with Emma, Sara watching the toddlers, Grace and Linnea working on finishing up the goats for the show, while I headed out with Liberty to pick up doughnuts for the exhibiters.
After I got back I had to look at a goat that was limping and unlike all the other shows where mom gets to make the decisions on whether we keep in animal in the show or scratch her, it was my decision and left me a little uncomfortable since this was mom's pride and joy I was thinking about! So, I got a second opinion and they said it would be best since she would be knocked down in the line for limping. So, that is what I did, much as I hated doing it!
After I finished telling mom and Grace about what I had decided I then checked on Christin and Emma, helped a little with the food and then headed out for the breeders meeting, as soon as that was done I helped with some paper work, checked on all the kids to make sure that Christin and Emma knew what to do with the food. Grace, Sara, and Linnea knew what goats to show, when, were, and all that. And that Timothy, Liberty, Noah, and Judah where behaving themselves for Nathan. After all the children were checked on and everything was as in place as it could be, I headed over to my ring to learn about my new job, ring secretary.
It took a little bit of learning but I got it down, (yes, right at the end of the show) and I am still trying to decide if I want to do it again next year. lol We will have to see.
As for what our goats did, I am still trying to figure that all out. The only one that I really saw placed was my goat. I had a break in my ring for a few minutes due to waiting for another breeder to come out of another ring, so I went to see how my sisters were doing. I got there just in time to see that my goat, the daughter of my first goat and one of the first to have our heard name was being placed FIRST!!! She even topped goats, that had her beat last year and breeders that have been in goats longer then I have been in this world!! There are no words to tell how happy and excited I am. Especially because I came within hours of emailing someone and telling them I was going to sell her! She's a keeper and was so even before she stepped into the ring, but having a judge tell me that I am going in the right direction is just amazing, considering five years ago at this same show I didn't know how to better a goat or even one breed form another!! :D
Emma went second in showmanship, Linnea went second. Libby did REALLY well with an animal that was almost as tall as she is. Sara didn't do as well, but she is still working on it and not quitting! Timothy didn't do too well, but then he never really wants to do it until right before they go into the ring.
Christin did very well in the concession stand, considering there were times when she had to do it by herself. But, we were able to raise some of the money needed to pay the vet bill for Grace's horse and still feed the kids at the show and that night after we got home. :D
We were all dead dog tired when we got home and almost all crashed not to be waken until 7 the next morning. I think we have mostly gotten over it, but we will have to wait and see. :D
Friday, May 22, 2009
Capra-Cino
This article is by the same lady who wrote yesterday's article. I am posting this as I run out the door with two sisters to go help get fair grounds cleaned up for our local show, but more on that later. :D
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Look out Starbucks, here comes Swede Farm Dairy Capri-Cino
A few weeks ago at the Bayou City Farmers Market, my family picked up a new, but delightfully healthy vice in the form of chocolate goat's milk from Swede Farm Dairy. The dark chocolate, not too sweet blend of goat's milk has become the drink of choice and new dessert around our house. So, while picking up my family's weekly supply of chocolate goat's milk, I was delighted to try a sample of the Swede Farm Dairy's newest creation, goat's milk "Capri-Cino."
LeeAnne Carlson, owner of Swede Farm Dairy, compares the Capri-Cino to the taste of the bottled Starbucks cappuccino drink. She's right in that it tastes similar, but her goat's milk version is so much better. Like in the formulation of their chocolate goat's milk, the Dairy has managed to create a flavored drink that is rich in flavor without being too sweet. The Capri-Cino has a pervasive coffee flavor, similar to the flavor of coffee ice cream but without the heaviness that ice cream and commercial cappuccino drinks carry. An added bonus to the goat's milk version is the very simple ingredient list of goat's milk, coffee extract and agave nectar. Stop by the table of Swede Farm Dairy to sample a taste of their new drink along with the other varieties of goat's milk, yogurt and kefir they produce.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Markets
All right then so, I haven't had the time to do what I wanted this week to talk about our markets, due to the fact that I am trying to keep up with all our products and get ready for our goat show this coming weekend. So, I am just going to copy and paste a couple articles that talk about us and hopefully in the sometime near future I will be able to do what I had planned to do.
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Baby goats from Swede Farm Dairy at Bayou City Farmers Market
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Meet the Swede Farm Dairy goats and taste their delicious varieties of goat's milk
Baby goats from Swede Farm Dairy at Bayou City Farmers Market
This past Saturday at Bayou City Farmers Market, Swede Farm Dairy brought a pair of t
win
kids from their goat farm. It's "kidding" season at Swede Farm Dairy owned by Tim and 
LeeAnne Carlson. The Carlsons, along with their eleven children, raise goats and produce delicious goat's milk, yogurt and kefir that is brought to the Saturday morning Bayou City Farmers Market and the Tuesday evening Houston Farmers Market at Rice University. Check out their blog to keep tabs on the new babies being born, and for all the adventures at Swede Farm Dairy. Their website explains how they care for their goats, and how the milk is minimally processed. Their passion and love for what they do is clear when you read about their commitment to their dairy and their family.
In addition to their addictive blog, the Swede Farm Dairy website is a fantastic resource to learn more about the benefits of goat's milk. Goat's milk is often used as an alternative for people who cannot tolerate cow's milk. In addition to several varieties of milk, Swede Farm Dairy also offers yogurt and kefir. Their website also has a link to their hand-made goat's milk products including soaps, candles, lip balms and products for mothers and babies.
This past weekend I picked up a quart of the chocolate goat's milk, and a quart of the vanilla bean yogurt fresh from Swede Farm Dairy. After the initial tasting, the chocolate milk didn't last long. It was a huge hit with my family, especially with my husband who has trouble digesting cow's milk. The goat's milk "chocolate milk" has the flavor of rich dark chocolate without being overly sweet. My family has already requested more when I visit the Bayou City Farmers Market this weekend.
The vanilla bean yogurt was saved for a special dessert Saturday night. We sliced up some fresh market strawberries and poured the yogurt over them. The vanilla bean yogurt lives up to its name, very creamy and full of tiny black specks of vanilla beans. The yogurt lasted a little longer than the chocolate milk, only because I rationed it for the berries. We tried it over blackberries with mango chunks, which made a great dessert, but would also make a great breakfast topped with granola. Vanilla bean yogurt will also be on my list as I visit the Carlson family, and their baby goats this Saturday at the Bayou City Farmers Market.
Monday, May 18, 2009
I've Decided......
That this week I am going to talk about the Farmers Markets we go to each week. When, what, where, how, etc. All of it! By the end of the week y'all will know a LOT of what goes on in the dairy!! :D
This post was just to let y'all know that, but I will say that I an a friend (that I met a market no less!) made it safely to and from the market last Saturday. It was my first time going to a market all by myself, the first time I had ever driven the stick shift without a parent in the car, AND the first time I had ever driven the standard father then five miles from our house!!
Yes, I did stall (more then once), yes I was slightly late, and yes we did have fun! I am also learning that I LOVE to drive it! If only I don't get whip lash while trying to perfect starting! lol
This post was just to let y'all know that, but I will say that I an a friend (that I met a market no less!) made it safely to and from the market last Saturday. It was my first time going to a market all by myself, the first time I had ever driven the stick shift without a parent in the car, AND the first time I had ever driven the standard father then five miles from our house!!
Yes, I did stall (more then once), yes I was slightly late, and yes we did have fun! I am also learning that I LOVE to drive it! If only I don't get whip lash while trying to perfect starting! lol
Friday, May 15, 2009
Goodness!!
Back in November I thought getting ready for one market was enough stress and work for one day. I mean getting up no latter then 5 every Saturday to pack how ever many ice chest we would need with mil and product to be out the door by 6 is a lot of work, right?
Well, back in early April I learned I was wrong! :D Getting ready for one market it's near as stressful as getting ready for TWO markets in one day. That is where you pack no less then six ice chest with ice and product and the last car to pull out of the drive way can pull out no latter then 6:30! Double work, double product and same amount of time. lol
Well, now I am learning that yet again I was wrong! Right now the only thing more stressful then the past two months will be tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the day when I will have to get up at sometime, that has yet to be decided to pack at least 9 ice chest to be ready for the first car to pull out at 5! Why?
Well, we are adding another market to our list of markets. :D We have been trying to add this market to our list for about a month now, but to no avail. Now, we are able to do it. Dad will be going to Austin with Christin, Mom will be going to Houston with Emma and Seth, and I will be going to the Woodlands with a friend. :D
Dad will be leaving at 5, Mom will be leaving at 6, and I will be leaving at 6:45. In following weeks mom and dad will switch out markets and children going with them, where as I will be switching out siblings going with me, until this market takes it's break at the end of June.
Now, that I have updated the world on what has been going on this week to keep me from posting on here, I am off to make sure everything that I have to do for tomorrow is completed, so that I can get into bed early, because it promises to be a slightly stressful day for me! (Not only am I going to be getting ready for three markets, but I will be driving the standard for the a distance for the first time!)
Pray for us!!
Well, back in early April I learned I was wrong! :D Getting ready for one market it's near as stressful as getting ready for TWO markets in one day. That is where you pack no less then six ice chest with ice and product and the last car to pull out of the drive way can pull out no latter then 6:30! Double work, double product and same amount of time. lol
Well, now I am learning that yet again I was wrong! Right now the only thing more stressful then the past two months will be tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the day when I will have to get up at sometime, that has yet to be decided to pack at least 9 ice chest to be ready for the first car to pull out at 5! Why?
Well, we are adding another market to our list of markets. :D We have been trying to add this market to our list for about a month now, but to no avail. Now, we are able to do it. Dad will be going to Austin with Christin, Mom will be going to Houston with Emma and Seth, and I will be going to the Woodlands with a friend. :D
Dad will be leaving at 5, Mom will be leaving at 6, and I will be leaving at 6:45. In following weeks mom and dad will switch out markets and children going with them, where as I will be switching out siblings going with me, until this market takes it's break at the end of June.
Now, that I have updated the world on what has been going on this week to keep me from posting on here, I am off to make sure everything that I have to do for tomorrow is completed, so that I can get into bed early, because it promises to be a slightly stressful day for me! (Not only am I going to be getting ready for three markets, but I will be driving the standard for the a distance for the first time!)
Pray for us!!
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