Family Vacation Fishing

Vacation Fishing
Doesn't get any better than this!
My Smitty had a few days of last week and we choose to stay home and fish my daddys catfish pond, with soo many animals to feed we needed to stay close by this vacation . Our first time ever having to stay home from a big vacation beach trip or something of the such but we enjoyed being home . Hubby being a truckdriver didn't mind at all not getting in the truck to go on another trip and me with the back problems was glad also.

We do cheat alittle bit fishing we throw a couple hands of dogfood out to feed the catfish and they come a running lol, NAH ..swimming!

Every once in awhile a cow comes too
see the cow birds

They filled these trees UP !

So me and my Girl Power Pink Fishing Rod
caught several of these nice size catfish
Course I gotta sport my Georgia Boots:)

 YOU Catchum' you clean um'

I don't mind cleaning just don't like taking them off my pole catfish will fin ya if not careful



See Smitty is so sweet to take them off for ME !
This trip took us fishing to the WEE HOURS of the Morning

Now this was a SUPRISE CATCH of the Night

Dusty caught a huge turtle
hubby had got him on the line twice but the turtle bit the hook off and he lost him but Dusty hooked him and shot him.
It was exciting I have never had so much excitement, I have never seen a turtle shooting and CLEANING!

Dusty showing him off
More on this Young Man to come,hint hint !!

Chase was thrilled to hold the turtle ,um
me being mom was not so sure on that

Dusty gave us a lesson on how to clean it and while he was cleaning he was telling me how to cook it !

OKAY ,I must admit the feet were really cool looking
the web foot was just like a ducks

Smitty washed it and battered it ,then I fried it up.
He and the boys ate it ,I did give a small taste and I usually do eat all kinds of game but turtle will not be on my menu sorry Gang !

Poppop gave Sophia a ride while we did take one afternoon and work on a small garden patch for fall

We dug up the old sunflower roots and re-rooted the tomato plants ,poor things had got lost in all the weeds in this patch.
Now hoping they take. and planted 3 rows of potatoes.
Yup and thats why I didn't get to join them on tonights fishing trip I can barely walk but I insisted on crawling and doing the planting of the potatoes while hubby dug the rows.

A True Mr. Potatoe Head (lol)
Can't ya just see those 2 beady tiny eyes behind that
big ole NOSE !!

May You and your family have a wonderful weekend,
hugs from the SmithGang

Potatoes-n-onions-n-garlic oh my !

                                    POTATOES- N- ONIONS-N- GARLIC OH MY!!

this was Our First time growing Potatoes

This Harvest was AWESOME
OH My Goodness at the Wonderful Ways we have been using up this Harvest
Mashed Potatoes (My Most requested ,teaching the Smith Boys to make them ,All the Smith Men in the Family have always enjoyed joining his wife in the kitchen to make the mashed Potatoes)

 Potatoe Salad ,French Fries and their Favorite Way Potatoe Candy!

My Smitty washes them as we go

Marti (sophia)lol identity crisis for our family
 Loves to be outside

Home Grown Potatoes TASTE way better than store Bought!

Our Youngest loves to Scratch Potatoes, WHO KNEW LOL
he said Moma I'll do the Final Harvesting of the Potatoe Patch
For ONE THING Please will YOU make more
Potatoe Candy:)
its a Smith Family Recipe

He worked all afternoon

He called me over to show Me one ,in the Shape of a HEART

They did well cept the Whites turned  a little Green, I was scared to use them for fear of Poisoning everyone,
I've been told by several just peel them hope its true!

This Beauty was boiled and made into Candy

Add Powdered Sugar and the Potatoe Melts

Add a slathering of Peanut Butter

Roll it up

Cut into Candy Bites
They disappear sooo Fast !
Smitty has missed out on 3 Batches
I hid the last Batch just for him lol
Chad had a friend stay a couple of days and they ate soo many but he kept saying "where is the Potatoe in this Candy it's so good !"

Red Potatoes and Onion Salad for Supper is YUMMY!!

Next Came the Harvest of Onions
we grow these under Black Plastic
we planted 200 hundred onions we
stored 40 pounds for cooking with squash,
potatoe salad,hamburgers,slaw for hotdogs 
and in the oven hobo style
10 -lbs.jumbo  at Harveys is $8.99
so we saved $35.90 by growing our own

These we set in back Bathroom to dry
(seems our bathroom gets closed off for use to many Farm Projects lol)

So Shiny, Sweet and Good
We took this batch down to my mom and Dads for them to help us chop them up for freezer

Mom worked on the chopping

Daddy ran them through his mini slicer
this is a neat gadget

see how nice n tiny they are great for stir fries and soups 

My Daddy is such a hard worker and always a story to tell

these bags will go into several gallon freezer bags
to be used when needed

just the right size

Both Marty and Marti needed Playtime lol

Great Grandaddy Marty check my foot please lol

we weighed and recorded our little Onion harvest

Chase worked on his Math skills

we put 14 pounds in freezer
at walmart a 1 pound bag of frozen onions cost $1.89
so we put up $ 26.46 worth
planted 200 onions at $3.00 a set of 100 ,($6.00)
so we saved $20.46 with this harvest for our freezer
Grand Onion total:
of all onions grown  is 26.46 +35.96=62.42-6.00=$56.42
plus excersise for my back and kids being outside with me
PRICELESS!

Time for Our Garlic
Now this has been a learning Curve for me
next year way more will be planted
and NOTE TO SELF "after harvesting when drying
do not let them get
 RAIN SOAKED :/"
they will go mushy and bad!

for several days when I would hang out clothes I would let them dry out on back porch to harden off

we planted from tiny varieties to the Elephant Garlic
been wonderful cooking smells AMAZING !

after the potatoes,onions and Garlic where harvested
the 2 and 1/2 men in the Smith Gang tilled up the garden spot ,added new plastic to the right in the pic to get ready for our next harvest of peas,corn and beans:) 

And to finish it all
Marti got to play in the water Sprinkler:)

May You have a Blessed Rest of the Week ,
Love from Our Smith Gang