Lets can some Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork.

Ok, here's something for my friends interested in learning about canning.  Your going to need canning jars, pints for this one.  A pressure cooker.  A pot to heat the lids. Tools of the trade.  And last but not least, something to can!  This time I'm making Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork, using a recipe from Allrecipe.com.   This makes 5-6 pints.  Here's the link. 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Texas-Pulled-Pork/Detail.aspx

Roxy on guard duty in case any pieces of pork try and make a run for it.

The juices ready to get soaked up.

The cooked pork cooling so I can pull it!

Looks good shreaded

Back into the pot it goes to soak up all that delicious juice!

Loading up the jars.

Place on the hot lids, and ready to load!

Cook at 10 pounds of pressure for 75 minuets

Loaded and read

After the pot cools, remove the lid and place on a table to cool.

Once cool, check to make sure the jar is sealed by pushing down on the tops.  If they click when pushed down, the jar didn't seal.  If not sealed, open it up and fix some sandwiches.

The Garden is in!

Howdy,

Well the garden is finally finished!  Those beds are here to stay!  The plastic wood is very heavy and a full inch thick.  I have 6 total 12 footers and 3 total 16 footers.  That's 9 beds and 10 cubic yards of garden soil I had to haul.  I'll add another 6 inches of Mel's mix come the fall as finances improve. 

Here's what my beds used to look like.

Three 6 foot beds to the right

Four 6 foot beds and Four 3 foot beds to the left.

  All the beds were made of salvaged fencing when my fence was blown down by hurricane Ike.  After four years it was time to replace them and space them better.  Ive also increased my garden square footage from 234 square feet to 360 square feet.  

After I moved and straightened the fence this is how it turned out!

My 12 footers to the left!

My 16 footers to the right.

Broccoli, Napa cabbage, and some root crops.

Blackberries and strawberries under them!

Green Peppers with marigolds to help repeal bugs.

Egg Plant on the close end.  Basil at the other end of the front half.  In the other half Jalapeno's, Serrano peppers, and Hungarian hot wax peppers.

In the back bed Tomatillo's in the front half.  Slicing and cherry tomato's in the back half.  The two closer beds both have Roma tomato's.  My other two beds will have corn in them.

More updates.

 Howdy all,
 

Work on the garden continues, but I have five new additions now.  Gretel, my New Zealand gave birth last week to a small bunch of bunnies.  Five in all.  That's a small litter for rabbits, but its her first litter and she's only about eight months old. 

Mom bribed with a little greens so i could take pictures of her babies.

Here's how they look after two days,

Here they are a week old.

 They grow quick and are so soft with their new fur.  They will have some grey markings as dad is a Californian.  Their eyes should start opening in a couple of days.




Life goes on at the suburban mini ranch!

Update on the new garden

Howdy all!

It's been a couple of months since I posted so here's an update on my backyard garden. Due to rot it has become necessary to rebuild all my main beds. At the same time I've decided to expand. I'm going from 3' by 6' beds to three beds 3' by 16' and and six beds 3' by 12'. Overall that will increase my garden from 234 square feet to 360 square feet. That's a one third increase. I'm also using plastic decking as my wood. It will a very long time.


Here's how they used to look. They were made out of cedar fencing material salvaged from my fence blown down by hurricane Ike.


First I had to move the fence that keeps the dawgs out. I also have room to move my rabbit hutches into the protected fenced area.

Then I built the new beds, which are built in place as they are quite heavy. These are the 16' beds decided in half for strength. Each one holds two yards of garden soil, so that's a few wheel barrow loads to and from the truck.

I'm also enclosing my chicken run. Both to protect them and keep the little birdies out. I've been feeding them more than my chickens. My young apprentice, Marcus helped my assemble it out of bamboo. We then covered it with bird netting. I'll do the same for my garden once I have it in place.

Got Bunnies!

Ive got rabbits now for meat.  Three Californian does and one buck plus two New Zealand does. 

First I had to build a hutch.  Here's the plan that I used, http://www.rabbitchow.com/NUTRITIONMANAGEMENT/ECMD2-0024687.aspx

Let the construction begin!

bottom frames made

All parts cut and lap joints made

back frame laid out ready to assemble

All together and ready for wire. One inch wire on bottoms

Half inch wire for front, sides, and backs.

All done and ready for rabbits!

2' by 4' for each rabbit.

Winter sides and backs added.

Need some rabbits now!

Buckwheat

Fluffy

 

Mincy

BB

Out with the quail and in with Chickens!

Well I'm done with the Quail.  I've decided that the problem with them is food!  Chickens can free range eating bugs and veggies.  Quail don't, and in a grid down situation that's a problem.  So back to the chickens, with them in a large enclosure for them to live and save my yard for the dawgs.

What?  I'm being good!

 First they need a house!  I went with an A-frame house.  Its open at the bottom with slats for them to roost on. 

All together now!  Add some paint, doors, and a few holes up high for ventilation and its ready for chickens!

Here's Penny, one of my two Rock Barred's  

and here's Henny, or is it the other way around?  i'll have to ask my wife as she named them.
















Here's the ladies in front of their home.

 

And here's the babies, 6 Buff Orpingtons.  They are about three months old here.  I'll be keeping two hens and the rest are dinner.  They are really cute and fast!