It is the MAY thread!!!!!

[MommyRose]

Hahaha Wendy!!! To whip it you put it in the fridge for a day to two then whip it as you would sour cream. After whipping you can stiffin it more in the fridge if you like...I don't always need to do this step. After whipping for a few minutes I often add cacao and honey and vanilla then whip some more. And don't be mad at me! It's Nikki's fault!!! I sometimes think about the cream all day long until the kids go to bed and then I make it!

Welcome Steph!! I use to have a very negative opinion of goat milk until I got some good stuff! We raise dairy goats for our own use and use the boys for meat...leastwise, that is the plan...we've been at this for a year. We have had one goat and sheep butchered that we bought then raised for a half year. The pretty little things in the pictures I posted are half Boar goat...there names are Stew and Dumplin'.

[TalyQ]

Thank you for the warm welcome. Well, I don't have a goat, but my father in law has a few in the next village. He just had new kids (is that the right English word?) and so is starting to milk one of them. I honestly can't stand the goat milk from them and especially the cheese. My children though don't mind, so when they are milking them, we get lots of goat milk and cheese. They don't have the greatest hygiene, especially with storage and cheese making, so I am not too thrilled (my MIL just says I am "too fine" LOL). But it saves us a lot of money, so I try my best to use the milk.

[MommyRose]

Hahahahaha! I'm so laughing at myself!!!

Back story: So several months ago we ordered a pig from a local farmer and he has finished it on alfalfa for us so its gluten and grain free. For the last month we keep getting vague answers of when it'll be ready and "I'll contact you on Monday" and never get contacted! We have been reading very negative reviews on the internet (that of course popped up after we paid for the hog) concerning his service and the run around people get! Talked to him today and he said he's been having butcher issues cause his lost its USDA status. Said our hog is going to the butcher on the 8th. I AM DONE WITH THIS!!! I'm scared we won't get our meat and if we do I don't want to play again! SO what does this mean??

I'm picking a 2 month old pig up this afternoon to toss into the pasture with our goaties. I'm insane! I'm sure of it!!!

[BlessedMama]

ROFLOLOL!

Rose, you ARE insane! HaHa!

Natalija, cleanliness is a LOT of the issue with good tasting goat milk, as is getting it cold quickly. And keeping the goat from stepping in the pail!

[MommyRose]

OK....false alarm. My sister talked me out of it before we have hotwire set up. The seller is telling me they raise their pigs in pastures without hotwire and my sister is telling me I'll regret it! My husband just doesn't have the brain space for this right now nor the time to help catch an escaped pig...so...later maybe??? AHHHHH....I really want to have control of all our meat! Guess I'll be insane later.

There. Your comic relief for the day....

[MamaSteph]

Rose, the only other animal I swore I never wanted besides goats was pigs! I don't mind goat milk at all and I LOVE bacon, though I could take or leave pork otherwise. It's the fencing issue that fuels my strong feelings. I've heard too many stories about pigs and goats destroying fencing and breaking loose!

[BlessedMama]

I'd vote for goats over pigs! Goats lean on fences, but they haven't really ruined any of ours, except the old stuff that has been here longer than we have!

Rose--LOL! Actually we have considered raising our own, too! I can't get dh 100% on board with total pasture, but at least we'd know what is NOT in the piggy!

I have a dd who LOVES pigs and might have issues with it becoming bacon, but she will have to get over that! Maybe when she sees it huge and not cute little piggy, it would cure her?

[MommyRose]

Yeeeeeahhhh Trisch, our husbands would understand each other on the pig issue. It's the fence thing with the pigs we are a bit timid about. I don't think my boys would have a hard time eating the pig but the 10 yo is getting emotional over the goats again. Probably we're going to be forcing him into a life of vegetarianism... But, its an excellent meat and one we can grow on the size property we have. He'll adjust...besides, he changed his mind about butchering the 10 mo. old weathers we have once he realized how much he liked eating goat meat!! Ha!

Steph, we haven't had much trouble with the goats and fencing. We had a La Mancha for a bit that showed us all of our weak areas (very kind of her, don't ya think? And those are fixed now. We were blessed with mostly chainlink 6 ft fences when we bought this property. We've had to reinforce some of it but t-posts and 4 or 5 ft goat fencing is doing it. My Nubians are not quite the jumper that rascally la mancha was! Both La Manchas!

I look at pigs as a fairly quick way to grow meat! I will get one eventually...I'm sure of it!

[just7]

I should tell you all some of the stories my sister has about their pigs!!!! Random FB statuses about seeing a HUGE pig going by the window. One of her dd's who they call the "pig whisperer". Fun stuff!! LOL

Misty--so glad to hear that they were able to stop labor for your DF.

Well---DRAMA is taking place...must go! Have a great day!

[just7]

So are you all wondering??? heee heee Trisch and her children arrived at 12:30am this morning. We were in the driveway waiting anxiously as texts were flying back forth furiously. We all headed to bed about 2am. It's 9:13 and most everyone is up, talking, laughing, making breakfast.

Let's see---son #2 slightly hit the glass front on our oven with a frying pan and it smashed to smithereens the other day. DH told me this morning that he has a new stove in his car! Then said Son dropped my laptop (because--even though I had specific direction that it was to be on the table or on a desk--it was on his lap and fell off. Screen is damaged and I can't use it). This morning I stepped into the upstairs bath and I'm hearing drip, drip, drip. MUCH louder than the little drip in the tub. I realize that the floor is almost covered in water. Pinholes in hoses/pipes from toilet to wall.

SOOO glad that I can share all this with Trisch!!!! LOL