Rain in the Spring = Freezer Filling Day!

Spring is busy around the farm.  There are fences to repair and new fences to build.  There are pens to build, and pigs to purchase.  There are baby chickens to order, receive and take care of.  Don't forget about firewood.  That's essential!

With so much on the to do list, when it rains, it kind of puts a damper in the outdoor plans.  What's a gal to do?

Enjoy a day inside with the kids and get ahead in the kitchen.  Yesterday, we baked three batches of cookies, and froze two dozen of each kind. 

I've been stuck in a cookie rut lately and only making oatmeal and chocolate chip.  While we do really like those kinds, branching out is nice.  We tackled molasses, snickerdoodles and peanut butter.  And we used whole wheat flour in them all to make them a bit healthier.  

It's so nice to know that there are cookies waiting to be baked.  When life gets even busier, having the freezer stocked is helpful. 

Molasses cookies!

Jeffrey and Ellie rolling our snickerdoodles in a cinnamon sugar mixture and putting them in freezer bags. 

 Of course cookies weren't the only thing we did to stock our freezer.  Since the oven was going, I threw in several large potatoes.  When they were cooked, I grated them and put them on a freezer paper lined cookie sheet.  A quick trip to the freezer had them flash frozen.  Then we filled quart sized freezer bags.

Frozen hashbrowns ready to go! Great for breakfast casseroles, burritos and just plain ol' hashbrowns. 

Our hashbrowns getting frozen.

 We also made three loaves of oatmeal bread.  It's one of my favorite breads. I first learned about it in the Janette Oke books about Virginia.  Her best friend Jenny really likes oatmeal bread.  I used Google and found a really easy recipe on a survival forum of all places, and we've been enjoying it for a few years now. 

Mutti's Oatmeal Bread...delicious with jam!

By slicing one loaf up hot with butter and jam to accompany lunch, we were able to stick two loaves in the freezer. 

We also made a gallon each of yogurt and cottage cheese. Those won't go in the freezer though--just the fridge for eating the rest of the week.

Wow--it was a really productive day!  And when we were done, we had to clean the kitchen, so it looks really good now. 

And throughout all our work, we enjoyed the pitter-patter sound of the rain on the metal roof.  And the beautiful smell that comes here when it rains. Rain and a pine forest are a wonderful mix for the nose.

When it was time for quiet time in the afternoon, I noticed something wonderful.  The rain had stopped.  And so I went outside and built a new fence.  And got the cows moved to a new section of pasture. 

What a blessing--a productively fun kitchen day with the kids, and an accomplishment on the farming front.  Yeah!

It's raining again today.  But today is a play day instead of freezer filling day.  There's a time for work, and a time for play.

 We have big plans to play super hero and house.  We'll actually probably combine them.  And play super hero house.  Either way, it'll be fun!