Our Family "Pet"- Part II

Well, it's day four and the sour dough bread starter seems to be improving.  Maybe it's working?  I started it a few days ago with high hopes.  My hopes were even higher this morning when I discovered tiny little bubbles in it.  Is it supposed to look like this?

I sure would like some yummy bread by Monday...

Canning Apple Pie Filling

So, we bought a ton of apples and I needed to do something with them.  I decided to can apple pie filling.
Here's what you do.  Start by rinsing your apples...

Then make them magically turn into this:

Now, make the syrup:
10c water
2 tsp guar gum
3c sucanat
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 Tb vinegar
cook until it looks syrupy.
Like this:

That's before I stirred in the guar gum...

 Then add, 35c apples and 3 Tb vinegar. Cook 10-15 minutes.

 Fill your jars to just below the rings.

 Put the lids and rings on.

Put all the jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.

And viola!  You've got canned apple pie filling!  I had some leftover syrup so I went ahead and canned that too.  I didn't want to waste it!  (I didn't start off with exactly 35c apples.)

Now, we can have some yummy apple pies during the winter.  That makes Mr. Right happy. :)

The Great Chicken Light Debate

As the winter months set in, laying hens usually don't lay as much.  I knew that but seeing it in your own backyard is devastating because, well, I reaaallly like eggs.  What to do?  Grandpa keeps a light on in his hen house 24/7.  Many people do that so the hens will keep laying.  Supposedly, laying hens need about 14 hours of sunlight or their bodies kind of go into winter mode.  Obviously, this is natural.  What isn't natural is that there are six laying hens living in my backyard that I am feeding and caring for so I want eggs!

So, here's the debate....should we put a light in their coop so they might keep laying or let them have their down time?  Decisions, decisions....

Oh, how I miss you all.