From our facebook page a post

We are having a relaxing day and discussing the "Living Victorian" fair we are planning for next July. Suggestions welcome .
We are also planning our Cider making weekend for next fall. Have some interested participants already. If you want to make your own apple cider please let us know. We have our beautiful presses and you are more than welcome to come and use them. We will have other projects to work on that weekend too. Perhaps sausage making???

Storage for almost anything

Greetings again: I've started on the storage area we need on the side of the shop. 5' X 22' in total and 8' tall. We accumulated some sliding doors last summer, 6 in all, and I'll be using 4 of them on the storage shed. Pretty swank huh!?? Not really, they'll be doing service as windows, not doors. This will eliminate the need for electric lighting, portable lamps or flash lights will be sufficient additional lighting at night should we have the need to hunt something down after dark.

I'll have some pictures later and post them as a group. Look for them on our Facebook page "Victorian Year 1865". The storage shed will be the second last major project for this year. My last project will be the cold room for the garden vegetables and preserves. (strangely almost completed before the shed ... hmmm!!)
Lots of shelves for squash, potatoes, carrots and whatnot. Yummy veggies to enjoy all winter!

Till next time,
Margaret and Ken

Hunting for hay

Greeting all: A few weeks ago I spent about an hour on Kijiji hunting for hay at reasonable prices. I am out of touch with hay costs apparently because I was very surprised at the cost per small square bale, anywhere from $3.50 to $8.50 a bale plus delivery. Wow! i say again ... Wow! Definitely need to be on the ball next summer for sure. We are looking for about 100 small square bales and I don't want to pay $1000 for them! I guess I'll need to get a scythe handle, put my blade on it, sharpen it up and start cutting by hand.

We'll need straw for bedding as well, again, about 100 small square bales. I see straw runs about $3.50 to $5.50 a bale. Not as much as hay, but still an expense.

Lesson learned, pay attention to prices for forage and try to get a much a possible for the labour it takes to harvest it. The same goes for straw. Can you say "hot and sweaty?" I can, it's been a long time since I did any serious hay or straw, it should prove interesting to say the least.

Till next time
Margaret & Ken

To be thankful for

A Happy Thanksgiving to all of you .
We had a wonderfully full day this past Thanksgiving weekend. Had our Grandsons Aidan and Jude stay the weekend.Jude learned the art of making pumpkin pie from the pumpkin out and apple jelly from the apple peels and cores. We enjoyed 4 types of squash for our Thanksgiving dinner this year and Jude has become an avid seed saver .Labelling the containers he scraped the seeds into. Most of our dinner was vegetable in manner with the exception of a lovely turkey with sausage stuffing .Oh and cranberry sauce made with help from Jude .We ate our fill and then went for a  2 hour walk in the fields , the bush, through a corn field and finally home. It is hard for this grandma to climb fences with skirts on . But it made everyone laugh.
A good day had by all
Until next time
M

Recipes and menus

I have had a comment asking if I would be willing to share recipes . Absolutely.If there is recipe or a food item any of you would like to know how to cook in period style please ask. Cooking has remained very much the same in the past couple of centuries. The variety of food has decreased unfortunately as we have become accustomed to wasting a good majority of the beasts that give their lives to sustain us . But preparation is similar. Methods of cooking has changed , by that I mean the appliance we use. You will be pleasantly surprised...macaroni and cheese anyone?
So if there is a food item you would like the recipes for please feel free to ask. I have done much research in this area in particular. Not that any of you who actually know me would be surprised.
Until next time
M

A most enjoyable luncheon

Last Saturday we had a most enjoyable luncheon with our friends Mr and Mrs B. This was a prearranged luncheon  in full Victorian fashion and garb.Mr and Mrs B arrived at the appointed hour and were beautifully garbed. we knew then this was indeed going to be a day to remember.
After a short visit in the parlour Mr Cook took Mrs B's arm and we entered the dining room . We dined Al a Russe with a meal of 10 courses.Every item was triple researched to ensure authenticity.
The Menu
Soup of finely chopped vegetables
Salmon cakes with a mayonnaise dill sauce
Beef Pie
Chicken ragout in a puff pastry
Creamed celery
Steamed cucumbers in a cream sauce
sweet potatoes
glazed carrots
buns
apple tartlets
steamed carrot and apple pudding with a brandy sauce.
The meal was enjoyed by all .
After wards we took a turn around the grounds and discussed our plans for a apple cider bee for next fall.
A most enjoyable visit which we hope to enjoy again soon
Mrs B presented me with a lovely gift of home made preserves and other beautiful items.
How wonderful it is to have such beautiful friends
Until next time
Margaret & Ken

Fall weather has arrived and Henry is leaving us

Our Grandson happily took home cabbage,egg plant, squash,tomatoes, zucchini, and an ever prized first pumpkin. He was indeed a happy little boy. When he arrived home he presented his Mother with a lovely savoy cabbage in its entire beautiful leafy brilliance.
The nights are cool and the woodstove now feels welcoming instead of smotheringly hot. Our trees are turning wonderful colours and I look forward to my favorite time of the year. A time to put down everything we can to enjoy for the winter months. A time to relish the smell of the wood stove as we stand outside in the cool weather.Smells wonderful to me .
I look forward to hand sewing and long stewed meals. As we prepare to hunker down for the winter. We have decided to add on to the chicken coops and runs this fall . In order to ensure lots of excercise space for our ever growning flock. Speaking of chickens , sadly we are losing our origional Henry. Our Beautiful Bard Rock rooster is old and dying . he follows me around like an old man and has lost his shine.I am sad that he will be leaving soon , but he has  had a wonderful long life . He is 4, has had his own personal harum and has lived an entirely free range healthy life. For a mistake he has done very well indeed. I say "mistake" because I had ordered this lot of chickens from the hardware store in town. I asked for a dozen chickens. When they arrived they were all a few day old chicks, I soon discovered that one of the "chickens" was indeed a rooster. jokingly my next trip into the hardware I said to the clerk. " I seem to have a problem with one of my chickens" He said "oh what is the problem?" I said "t has a penis"
He asked me if I wanted to return the bird and I declined. Henry has been a fantastic member of our chicken family and has been a wonderful protecter of his many ladies. I will miss him indeed.
Our runner ducks are turning beautiful colours, there heads are turning greens and purples. And they are developing lovely wing feathers of assorted colours ..we will have to take photos.
Well I will go for now , we are working on the cold cellar this week so wish us luck .
Until next time
Margaret