Second Season hunting part 2

Well we went back to camp this last week-end. It was so cold it froze stuff in the cooking tent we have never had that happen before. We saddled up Saturday about mid morning and started out had been riding couple hours when we came up on someone who had got an elk earlier he and managed to get his pickup to it and was cutting it up to try and load so we stopped and helped him get it loaded we saved him a good 4 or 5 hours by helping him so he was gracious enough to give us a hind quarter. After we helped him load it we rode for several more hours never did see anything. Went back to camp needed to get a little more wood in, then we went down to the mans camp to get the quarter we helped him cut up a little more of it. As you can see it was a nice five by five Bull.

The next morning Andy and the girls left before daylight and did a lot of walking, while they were gone I started packing and getting things ready to break down, they came back empty handed but a least we have a quarter.

All loaded up and ready to go. We got part way down and the jeep that Joleen was driving stared messing up so we left it on the side of the road and went home and hurried up to unload the trailers so we could take the flatbed back up to bring back the jeep. We finally got everything home. Now the fun starts I have to unpack everything.

2nd Season Elk Hunt

The girls have Elk tags for the 2^nd season so they came up for the week end. We had 5 of us in the tent as you can see it was close quarters. It is nice using cots then we can shove all our stuff under the cots before we had cots it was pretty crowded

This stove is small but it can sure put out the heat.

They walked all morning with no luck guess it wore them out they had to come back and take a nap.

Travis, Joleen and me took the horses that afternoon we rode all over the place with no luck. Andy and Katie walked the other side also with no luck. We stopped for a break Joleen took her another nap it’s hard work hunting haha

We stopped for a break Joleen took her another nap it’s hard work hunting haha

The next day Andy Travis Joleen and Katie took the horses. We didn’t have enough horses up there so I stayed in camp and got things ready to go home

They stopped for a break and the camp robbers came to visit first on the gun then they got brave and perched on Travis shoe.

No wonder these girls can’t get an elk all they want to do is sleep. haha

Well nothing this weekend hopefully next weekend we have until the 28^th Bad thing is where we are not very many people are getting anything. I think it is so hot and dry the Elk are still scattered hopefully we will get a little weather so they will bunch up a little by this weekend.

Beef stroganoff using canned meat

Some one asked me for a recipe for Beef stroganoff using canned meat so here goes I do not measure this when I cook it so I will try to do approximately what I use. If you have any questions just let me know. This is very easy and my family loves it.

Beef stroganoff

4 Cups Noodles

1 pound Ground beef browned or cooked stew meat

Or a jar of meat (ground beef or stew meat drained)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup.

11/2 cups Sour cream

Salt

Pepper

Garlic salt

Cook and drain the noodles then add your meat and cream of mushroom soup salt pepper and garlic salt. Right before you are ready to serve add the sour cream

Canning Zucchini

My Garden did awful this year I think we got blight in it and that with the drought and hot weather I didn’t get hardly anything from it. A friend was nice enough to share some zucchini with me so I was able to dry and can some.

I do have to show you this one it is the biggest one I have ever seen it was 26 inches long I didn’t weigh it wish I would have.

 Any way here is how I can zucchini.

As with a lot of things I do the usda does not recommend canning zucchini that being said here is how I do it.

First I cut them into 7 to 10 inch pieces and then slice down the middle crossways.

Scoop the seeds out of each quarter.

Then I slice the peel off with the larger zucchini they are a little tougher to peel so I set them on a towel like this to keep it from sliding then I run a knife down the sides to peel.

Then grate them, I use my food processor. You can also cube or slice them.

Pack tightly into your sterilized jars, Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt and fill with hot water run a knife a long the sides to get out the air bubbles then put on hot lids and rings

Process in a pressure canner at the recommended pressure for your altitude (consult your owners manual) at 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.

Canning the zucchini sure helps save on freezer space and since I am trying to get away from being so dependant on freezers this sure helps.


If you have any questions or comments please feel free, I would love to hear from you.

First Season Elk Hunt

First season  Elk Hunt

We went up to Taylor Mesa to hunt Elk as you can see the first morning it snowed just a little we were hoping for a little more makes hunting a little better.

Guess we will let the horses stay in camp the first morning and we will walk.

Taking a

much needed break

Well nothing the first day. Came back to camp and Andy is cooking

Hamburgers for

supper.

It didn’t snow the next night but it sure was cold and frosty the next morning.

Travis got his Bull the second day, he and Andy are getting ready to go get it.

Here they come back with it.

The

The third and fourth day Andy and I rode all day and when you don’t ride as often as you should it kind of hurts the next day.

There are several of these around where they run cows, they measure how much the grass grows without the cows eating the grass down.

Kind of hard to see in this small pic. but there is a large snow shoe hare in the back.

He stood there for a long time I was able to get my camera out of my saddle bag and take a couple pictures it didn't leave till my horse stated moving around

This must be one of the reasons they call this the Rocky mountains.

Taking a water break.

Well there is a cow and a calf just the wrong

species. This calf is fairly young, we were hoping to run into the guy that runs cows up here to tell him where they were he was riding around the other day looking for stragglers’ plus that calf shouldn’t be that young this late in the season.

Great view of the valley.

We rode for a few more hours before going back camp. Then rode again the next day never did see anything.So we went home empty handed. Joleen and Katie have tags for the 2nd season so hopefully they will have better luck then I did. 

Candles out of Crisco

Candles out of Crisco

I read the other day that you could make a candle out of Crisco so I thought I would try. Crisco was originally made as a candle extender and a lubricant but this was about the time electricity came along so there wasn’t much use for candle anymore so they turned it into a food.

So first I melted the Crisco then poured into a jar with a wick let it cool and solidify. The next day I burned it, it burned for about 4 hours as you can see in the pic. not a real bight flame. I had to leave so I blew it out, the next day I relit it and it burned for about 3 to 4 hours a very dim light after a while it did go out. I think I will experiment with this a little more maybe try to add a little beeswax to see if I get a more solid candle and one that will burn a little longer and brighter I will let you know how it turns out.

Frugal Tips

What I do to be frugal

On one of the blogs that I read regularly Rural-revolution you can see it here Patrica posted a list of frugal tips that her and her family use, then
She challenged other blog writers to post their own list of frugal tips and ideas!
So here is my list and a little latter on I will elaborate on some of these a little more.

Food
I grow as much as we can then can or dry it.
Things I have to buy from the store I buy on sale and buy a very large quantity when it is on sale ( about a years worth).
I barter for Beans and honey from a couple local people that I know.
We raise our own meat and chickens for the eggs.
Cook most everything from scratch and grind my own wheat for flour .
We have a milk cow but haven’t stated milking her yet when we do that I will make my own butter, cheese sour cream and have fresh milk these are about the only things I have to go to the store for on a regular basis.
In the winter I cook a lot on our wood stove.
We use leftovers for Andy’s and my lunches.
When we go on trips we take some food with us then we are not having to eat out as much.
I render my own lard and tallow to cook with and to make soap with. ( I have a friend who works at a meat processing place so I can get all the fat that I need).

Disposables
We use dish towels and rags instead of paper towels
I do use a few Baggies especially for freezer things but I get the cheap bags that do not seal then line the freezer bags with these to prolong the life of the freezer bags that I wash and reuse and if I do have to use a plastic bag I use the bags with the twist ties
For feminine hygiene, I have a pattern to make or own pads I am waiting for winter when things slow down a bit.
This may gross out a few of you but it is a real money saver I go to the thrift store and buy a bag of rags come home and wash them ( they are mostly old Tee Shirts) then I cut them into 8x8 squares and use them instead of TP for # 1 do still use tp for # 2 not only does it save on buying TP but I don’t have all that paper going in to the septic. I also cut out 6x6 squares for Kleenex.
We use cloth napkins instead of paper.

Hygiene Products
I make our toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, shampoo , soap hair spray and mousse.
　
Cleaning supplies
I make all our cleaning supplies,
And my dishwasher soap ( I know I should not be using the dishwasher but it is the one luxury I allow myself, when things get real bad I will start to wash by hand)
Clothes and Laundry
I make our own laundry soap and stain remover.
Hang the clothes on the line in the winter when cold outside
I have a drying rack I set up bu the wood stove.
I mend all our clothes ( some of my husbands pants are more patch then pant lol).
I do a lot of sewing.

Utilities
We heat with a wood stove
I keep a large covered pot on the stove for hot water in the winter we just dip out of that for hot water to wash up with, wash dishes, and anytime we need hot water ( expect showers)
We live like we haul waster I have small buckets in each bathroom to collect cold water that we are waiting on to warm up ( we do this before we det in the shower then you are not wasting water waiting for it to warm up)
Then I have a larger bucket we put that water into then use it to flush with and water plants.
Then as the old motto goes if it is yellow let it mellow if brown flush down.
We use the gray water from the washer in the summer to water trees and some plants.

Medical
I use a lot of herbs and make a lot of our own meds we don’t hardly ever go to the doctor.
So here are some of the things that I do.
If you have any good ideas please feel free to post them

So what do you do to be frugal? I would love to hear your ideas.

Setting up Elk Hunting camp

We went to the mountains to set up hunting camp last weekend. I love this time of year when the leaves are all changing. Although not to crazy about the cold that comes with it.

We found a spot now to set up the tents.

Got the sheepherders tent part way up. This is the part that I hate doing always afraid the poles are going to fall down before we get it all set up.

Got them  both set up and ready to go.

We use the sheepherders tent to sleep in and the other one for a kitchen we use to just have the sheepherders tent to sleep and cook in was a little crowded some times especially when we would have four of the kids

Soon to be our home away from home.

On the way down the mountin some cows were also headed down guess they are ready to go home. 

Hope we do good hunting  Travis, and I have tags for the first season. Andy didn't draw so he will get an over the counter tag for maybe 2nd season when Katie has her tag. Joleen didn't draw so she will also have to get an over the counter tag  probably for the 3rd season. We sure could use the meat and I like elk better then any other meat even better then beef.

Canning Bacon bits

Canning Bacon Bits

I like to buy several of the 3 pound bags of bacon ends and pieces and can bacon bits out of them to use in green beans , salads , baked potatoes, potato soup, or any where you would want bacon bits. This way I save our good homemade Bacon for bacon strips.

First I chop them  in to smaller pieces, then fry on low until all the way done .

Cut into smaller pieces then shown here I thought I got  pictures of the smaller pieces, and of frying them but didn’t.

Then drain the grease and  save the it to can also.

Then put into your jars I use small jelly jars and half pint jars. Do not add any liquid can them dry. Put your hot lids and rings on then process in a pressure canner for 75 minutes for half pints at the pressure recommended for your altitude.

And with the cost of bacon going to go up and also the shortages we are going to have, it will be nice to have a little bacon put back.

Homecoming 2012

Homecoming was this last weekend so last week was a very busy week at our house.

Our football Team did great, we did have a couple players out due to injures.

Our cheerleaders, Joleen didn’t get to cheer she is still out due to a back inure from practice a couple weeks ago and a sprained wrist from loading a horse she was really bummed that she didn’t get to cheer. Katie did cheer though.

The cheerleaders had a pee wee camp for the little kids. So sad It wasn’t that long ago the girls were the little ones now they are teaching it they grow so fast.The little ones did so good and were so cute.

We Won 13 to 12 and  it wasn’t even snowing like last year.

Bringing out part of the royalty (yes we use trucks).

FFA  (Future Farmers of America )Sweethearts.

 

And the king and Queen

 

The Dance was the next night.

How much stuff does it take for three girls to get ready for a dance?

And this was onl half of it.

They looked so pretty though.

This is Katie and her date

And Joleen

 So glad that is over for another year.

Did good on the dresses though found Joleen's for 15 dollars and Katie's was a little more it was 29 but she is so hard to buy for she is so tall and skinny, we have a hard time finding things to fit.