Cooking Away

I've been using my new stove allot this long, long, long winter.   I love it.  It doesn't look quite as shiny and new anymore, but oh, how she cooks!

Bread, pizzas, desserts, casseroles....oh my......

Country White Bread

Chicken Noodle Casserole with a bit of sour cream added....ooooolala....

Bacon-Chicken-Ranch Pizza!

More Bacon-Chicken-Ranch Pizza--Personal Pan Size

Yum

I've been using my bread machine to make dough for two loaves of bread a week and then baking it in the oven.   Rotating half wheat/half white and 'Country White' to keep it interesting.  The pizzas were made in my cast iron skillets--two personal pan size and one eight inch.  Getting re-acquainted with cast iron cooking--it's a bit of a learning curve but so far so good.    I share the eats with my folks, since it's pretty hard to cook for just one.

Come summer there won't be as much cookin' going on I'm sure but it's fun while it lasts!   

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Sheep-Scape

Serious Minty

Tempe & Carly--Can they get any closer to the stove??

Birdseed Line--Cardinals & Purple Finch

Purple Finch

Spinach Lasagna -- Hot out of the oven--can you see the steam in the upper right corner?

Gabe doing some hard snoozing

Following the snow plow to work this morning...

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Sheep enjoying their first green grass since June! 

Only a small batch from my green bean's this year, but they were very good.

Not donuts!  Baked apples.  My apple tree was loaded this year despite the drought.

Sheep again.  They are enjoying their taste of green.  That is Gracie (11 years old) in front.  

That time of the year when fights often erupt.--Callum, Tabitha & Chickie

Beautiful, but never still Carly

Minty, the poser.

Ashley--it's work keeping up with her girls!

Gabe & Sage--Fr-enemies?? 

Weekend Musings

Tibby looks down on her little catdom

The hot, miserably humid, sweat pouring in your eyes weather continues. I am handling it gracefully. Okay I'm not. Chores, are, well a chore. The animals are stupid and obstinate, as the heat continues to suck out their brain cells. The shepherd is not in any better shape and has no patience. There has been some yelling and name calling (from both sides). Frankly I don't know how the 'Old Squad' of chickens are hanging in there. Not only hanging in there but still giving me a couple of eggs every few days. Thank you ladies.


Along with these lovely yellow Cherry tomatoes it looks like I'll be having a good fifty percent produced on the farm breakfast (the other fifty will be a tortilla and Swiss cheese)!


Blue is rotated over to green grass again, but it's not going to last long. He didn't do well on hay over the winter, so I'm not sure what will happen when the grass is gone. Hopefully I can experiment and find some hay he will be happy with. He doesn't like being alone and I don't like it either, but it works best this way, as I can give him the special feeds he needs. He still shares a fence line with the sheep during the evening hours. One of his front legs continue to bother him and I wish I knew of some natural arthritis supplement to add to his feed, that wouldn't kill his stomach. Anyone have any ideas or experience in that area?


Most work that I accomplish outside is done in the early morning. I can squeeze in a few garden chores before work. Weekends I put out mineral and soda for the sheep and do any repairs needed. There is always tons to catch up on, especially with this hot weather slowing me down. It's always so hot when I get home from work, that I wait until nearly dark to finish out the chores.

I have gotten quite a bit done in the house this week, during the evenings. I've been taking a section at a time and moving everything and cleaning under things. Also spraying for spiders and fleas--mostly using an IGR spray that is suppose to be safe for the animals. Sometimes I have to use a regular bug spray if I see signs of spiders, but I try and limit it to that specific area. Throwing away alot of stuff too. Amazing the junk I can accumulate. The kittens have been having a blast. Just almost too much excitement for them to bear: Seeing all their long lost toys when I pull out the furniture; getting to go into normally forbidden closet areas; a new set of sheet covers on the couch and chairs; and etc. Yes it would be easier to do it without their 'help', but not nearly so entertaining. The only part they have to vacate for is during the spraying and drying of the bug stuff.

So, while the outside continues to deteriorate (garden, yards), the inside is looking better!

Friday after work I headed over to the Mennonite community (this is one of the communities that still use horse power to get around with ---real horse power) to pick up some veggies. Going on Saturday is a pain because every other person in the country also goes on Saturday! So I outfoxed 'em by going Friday afternoon. There were still people out and about, but only a few. Usually I go to the vegetable stand, the bakery and the bulk store. Yesterday I just went to the veggie stand and another store that sells lots of old fashioned things (Like cast iron cook wear, canning supplies etc), also run by a Mennonite. I consider it a 'dry goods' store.

The vegetable stand is 'open air', but has a roof, and three sides. There was a good breeze blowing through and as usual they had a wonderful selection of fruits and vegetables. However the biggest draw (to me) is this lady's home-made bread. She says her mom actually makes it, but it is the absolute best whole wheat bread I have ever tasted. There were three loaves left and I snatched up two and put them on the counter. I also got a loaf of zucchini bread--all made in Das Brot Haus (The Bread House)--'all made in a kitchen not subject to inspection by the dept. of health'. I've made lots of bread, and have tasted allot of homemade bread and while the bakery down there has some pretty wonderful stuff, this lady wins hands down in the bread making. I really wish I had her recipe.

So anyway I also went to get veggies, really I did! I got baking potatoes--lovely Yukon Golds minus the tough skin you find in the ones from the supermarket. Twelve ears of sweet corn (for 2.50), two small heads of cabbage, some squash, a few tomatoes, peppers, and a small yellow watermelon and a huge cantaloupe (for 1.75). I shared most of it with my folks (including the baked goods because they are addicted to it also). If the stand was closer I would go every week, uh, for the vegetables, right.

At the dry goods store, I roamed around and enjoyed looking at things. It's quite a nice store and even air conditioned. It's lighting is from solar panels in the ceiling. There is a wide and eclectic selection of goods---cast iron cookware, canning supplies, material, hats and boots (Most of this geared towards the Mennonite customers), lots of kitchen tools, and non-electric items. There is also a small selection of bulk spices and foods, including jams and jellies. (I bought some blackberry and apple butter). Very large sections filled with lots of 'how to books' on farming, gardening, putting up foods, livestock care etc. I ended up buying one of those three tiered wire baskets to hang up and put produce in that doesn't need to be refrigerated. This one is much nicer and sturdier than the ones that typically sell in the Mart stores.

Echo has found a cool place on the roof of Boone's old house

All in all a fun little side trip before heading home to hibernate. Hope you all have a good week, hopefully not too hot!

Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to enter to win a Cat Calendar featuring the kitten six-pack! Only a few more days left before the drawing!

Saturday Musings

Burn, Baby, Burn

The weather continues to be more than decent for this time of the year. The temperature is now at 72 degrees. The humidity is at 78% so that does make it seem warmer, but still, very, very nice for August! At night it feels down right chilly at times.

There was a minimal breeze this morning, and it seemed like a good time to burn what was left of Blue and Lanny's hay pile. Of course the minute I set it afire a good stiff breeze did come up! Truthfully I'm not sure how much of it will burn, because some of is pretty wet underneath. Not long after I set it ablaze it started sprinkling pretty heavily. It didn't last though.

While I was up there in that paddock, I picked up limbs from where I'd fed the boys some tree trimmings and added those to the burning stack. I also chopped thistles--a few of those were almost blooming--yikes, and gathered up kindling. You can never start too early accumulating kindling!

My 'Thistle Kill" & A Start On Kindling for Winter (My new handy dandy thistle killing tool, also pictured)

It was a pleasant morning, as I worked about, with a nice breeze and a gentle drizzle. I'm happy to mark that chore off my list. If it doesn't burn all the way down, at least it is stacked and ready for another go around later in the season. The stack is still smoldering, and I expect it to for most of the day. Thankfully the wind is blowing in a direction that moves the smoke away from the neighbors and my houses. I'll periodically go up and rake it around to encourage it to burn.

Sometime this week, I plan on getting another big bale out there and moving Blue and Lanny back over. Basically the pasture is bare, except for little patches of grass and weeds here and there. This time of the year this particular paddock won't spring back when I rotate them off it. I'm hoping the paddock they are in now, will have some regrowth in time for fall breeding season, as that is where I'll put the ewes and ram.

I can't believe it's August! My push mower has given up for the summer, so mowing the yard has been a challenge. I hope I can find a good/reasonable repair man to fix it, but in the meantime the grass groweth. I finally brought the big guns in and used my rider mower. What a joke. It would have taken far less time with the push mower, by the time I maneuvered around all the flower beds, fences and other obstacles in my yard. First off, I mowed over an old carpet square I had laying on the concrete (I was crossing the concrete to get to some particularly high weeds, and obviously had eyes only for the weeds). I didn't think I would ever get that carpet square off the mower blades! Then I kept high centering every root, running over the edges of landscaping timbers, catching on the edge of garden fencing. I was exhausted by the time I was done. I kept humming the tune to the song "Give Me Forty Acres, And I'll Turn This Rig Around"! It's done though, and I doubt some of it will grow back this season. :-) My mower deck is cock-eyed and some places it mows high and others it scrapes the ground.

My tomatoes are really starting to produce. So far, just green ones, but they are growing ever larger. I've had one mess of green fried tomatoes that were wonderful. Once they start ripening I should have scads of tomatoes. Ripening later is probably good though, because everyone else that I know, their tomatoes are starting to peak, so I should be able to keep us all supplied later in the season. I think my peppers are going to do something too. They sure are short squatty plants but full of blossoms and tiny peppers. My corn is also putting on little ears. It's been several years since I even planted corn. This time, I planted four little sections, and each section is in a circle. Supposedly this helps them in high winds.

Late Breakfast!

After putting in a good morning's work, I came back inside for 'brunch' (I usually wait to eat until I get back inside from my early round of chores/projects on Saturday). I had scrambled eggs w/cheese rolled up in a flour tortilla, blueberries and a few cherry tomatoes. The eggs and tomatoes were 'home grown' here. Very good stuff! My plans for the afternoon are spreading more hay mulch on the garden, and working on putting together a wet-felted wool/silk scarf.

A Tiny Secret World Under the Old Maple.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

I Had To Stand In Line...

....at the Mennonite bakery! I still can't get over it. What is wrong with people? Can't they do their own baking? Can't they stay at home? Or at least have the decency to get out and about later in the morning? Not only did I have to stand in line, but it was outside, snaking down the driveway, for Pete's sake. And I had to stand there for at least 15 minutes. I felt like I was at a Mart store.

Being traumatized from coming upon a thriving store line in the middle of no-where, I just stood in line and zoned out. Conversation swirled around me, and seemed to mostly revolve around allergies and other sicknesses the individuals were experiencing.

Really, all I wanted were two of their glazed donuts.

Once in the store, strict (made-up-by-those-in-line) policy was to turn to the left, and make a half circle around the room. The room which is only about 10 x 10 foot. Only about eight people could fit in comfortably. The honor code forbade jumping out of line and snatching that last package of cookies, or bread. It sure did smell good in there and was surprisingly cool. One lady cut in line before we even got in. However, she apologized profusely and explained she wasn't buying anything, and she sweared (swore?) she wouldn't mess up the line dynamics, but just wanted to see what it was like since her friends were in there. I get the idea she wasn't a local, and perhaps feared we would lynch her? I mean we might be hillbillies, but not Deliverance material even on our worst days. (Maybe this is where I should have said "sure go right ahead" and then started humming Dueling Banjos?)

While standing in line our entertainment was watching from across three fields, the distant figures of Mennonite girls 'picking something up'. Speculation was high--maybe picking up storm debris someone suggested. Hmm...or maybe they were weeding a garden? Again I got the distinct impression these folks were not locals.

So anyway, I may have boughten more than two donuts. Maybe a gooseberry pie (for my folks), maybe a loaf of bread, maybe a couple packages of cookies and stuff. Maybe.

Once I got away from there, my next stop was the veggie stand just down the road. I figured I'd really have to fight my way into that mess. Funnily enough there was only two other cars and they were leaving when I got there. Well, what does that say about us? Don't answer that, I think we all know what the response to that is. At the veggie stand I bought some tomatoes, squash, onions, lettuce and another loaf of wheat bread.

Gosh, it was getting hot. Onward to the little city, to pick up a few things. First though, I wanted to swing by the bulk food store over on the highway. Much to my deep, deep regret, the little bulk food store, once located near the bakery and veggie stands in the heart of the Mennonite settlement, has closed down. There is another bulk food store, ran by Mennonite's but it's closer to town, and these are 'transplanted' more modern Mennonite's from out of the area. It's a nice store, but very modern (without overhead gas lamps and a dark shadowy interior), and it's just not very thrilling to shop there. I did stock up on a few things...and...I bought me a chair! I'll feature my new chair later. I've been saving awhile for it.

In town I headed out to the vet's before they closed at noon, to pick up some Prevacoix for Ariel. It was a mad house there too. I had to wait for awhile, but I didn't mind. It's always entertaining to wait in a vet's office. The most amusing thing was when 'Rambo's' turn came up. Both vet's assistants came into the waiting room (one of which is seven days away from having her baby), and told Rambo he needed to be 'muzzled' up. They quickly fastened a blue muzzle over his snout and marched him off to exam room before he even knew what hit him. Oh, and Rambo was all of a twenty pound rat terrier! Sounds like he has a big reputation though. There was also a 'girl Boone' there, on the verge of whelping pups, it looked like. Gosh, she was ugly. (sorry Boone) She was much shorter than Boone, kinda squatty and her head didn't have much definition or expression. She was also a very pale tan color. She's probably everything a Dogue de Bordeaux should be, but Boone wins in my book any day! Of course I'm not biased or anything.

After that quick stop, it was off to the local 'mart store. Madhouse doesn't even cover it. What about this recession? What about people cutting back on their spending? Not having any money? Staying home 'cause gas is so high? Good grief. Doesn't anyone stay home anymore?

As you can probably tell, shopping and being around other shoppers is the highlight of my day. Not. At least I didn't run over anybody with my cart. Although I came this close, let me tell you. It's like, hello, do you have to squat there in the aisle with your butt covering both lanes and stare at that T-Shirt for twenty minutes? Do you? I only barely brushed against her with the cart, I swear. She never even flinched. Obviously she was a more advanced shopper than I.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also went by the Library book store and dumped off a nice big sack of books, and only came home with four books and magazine. I think that might be some kind of record for me. I definitely need a pat on the back for that.

Back on the home front it's 84 degrees, 'feels like' 91 and the humidity is at a whopping 70 percent. I wimped out. The air conditioner is on, and I've got the back curtained off. The temp has dropped to about 80 here in the back and with the fans and air conditioning on it's very comfortable. I brought the dogs in and they are very happy to be stretched out on the cool floor. The sheep and chickens aren't so lucky, and are laying low in any shady spot they can find.

At some point I'll have to pry myself out of my little ice house, but not until this evening.

Have a great week.

And I Also Stocked Up.....

.....on cheese. Sheep Cheese that is! I had been looking forward to getting some more sheep cheese at the Fiber Fest, and wasn't disappointed. I got three varieties of cheese, and some 'Smudge' which is fudge made with sheep milk. It's very, very good. In fact the first package got almost eaten when I passed it around, so I had to go back and get another pack later! ;-) Stoney Acres Sheep Dairy is located just a hop, skip and a jump down the road. I've been interested in going there to watch for several years, but have never gotten around to it. (Read, when they lamb and start milk production, it's usually lambing time around here, and I 'don't get out much' during that time..)

If you've never had sheep cheese (or fudge), it's great stuff and I find it doesn't have any lingering aftertaste either.

Pizza, Pizza!

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hankering to make homemade pizza. I've tried it before, but the results were pretty dismal. This time I decided to make it completely from scratch (before I had bought a crust). I always love the pictures and recipes over on Farmgirl Fare , so that is where I went to get the basic crust recipe (she also has some wonderful pizza recipes). I already had in mind the toppings and had decided to play around with the sauce to find something that I considered tasty.

The crust turned out a little tougher than it should have, but I think I may have over-kneaded it a bit. It was very tasty though. For toppings I went with Mushrooms, Black Olives, Onions (only a smidgen) and Peppers. I sauteed them in olive oil in a skillet first then added them on just before baking the pizza. I also added mozzarella cheese as well as a variety of bits and pieces of other shredded cheeses (left over from various other cooking projects). I bought a baking stone a few years back, and it really does make a better finished product, in my opinion. Once everything was assembled, I baked the crust for about 10 minutes on the preheated stone, then added all the toppings. Another 10-12 minutes and it was ready to eat! I think when I make my next one, I'll make it smaller and try for several pizzas to freeze for later consumption. It's a bit of mess and time involved for only one meal. I took some of the pizza to my folks, and they said they really liked it too. I am trying not to add as much salt and other 'bad' ingredients to recipes, instead opting for other spices to add flavor.

If you've been thinking about trying the homemade pizza route, go for it! There are an endless variety of toppings to try. I chose veggies, as I'm not crazy about allot of meat on my pizza, and I also had most of the ingredients on hand. (I did have to buy the mushrooms, and mozzarella). There is something very satisfying about pulling the finished pizza out of the oven, and the smell is almost heaven.

A Thanksgiving Day Song

Over the driveway, and down the road, to Mother's (and Father's) house I go.

The Ranger knows the way, to carry me and the food and, hey,
there's no white and drifting snow! Oh! (Yeah!)

The Waldorf Crown Salad Awaits....

....as does the Corn Bread Salad

The Crescent rolls are on their second rise, and I'll soon pop them in the oven.

Then I'll load up the truck and make the two minute drive to my folks house, and enjoy a day of good food and visiting with family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Especially to my brother Ronnie and family. Miss you guys and hope you have a great day.

Fruits of My Labors

I've been eying these wild grapes for months now. It wasn't hard to do either, since they are just out my back door! I am amazed at how abundant they are this year. Wild grapes, sometimes called 'possum grapes around here, grow in abundance, in trees, fence lines and even buildings. However a year of such bountiful fruit isn't as common. I finally decided to pick what I could before we got our big "Ike" rain over the weekend (close to 5 inches). Because everything always ends up last minute around here, I actually did some picking in the rain.


The first batch I picked and stemmed early in the day. But there didn't seem to be enough to my greedy eyes, and I remembered another patch down near the road. The biggest problem with these grapes are that they grow way up in the trees. I'm working on how to get some more of them down....


So I picked and stemmed the second batch while batch number one was simmering and draining. I haven't canned any jelly for years, so I decided to wait and do the canning another day, when my mind was fresh. In the meantime I located and washed jars, cooked down the second batch and had everything ready for the big can fest.

Well, it happened last night. It was exciting and tense, and I tried to do everything just right. When it was all said and done.... I had six pint jars. hmmm... I have some juice left over, so I'm pretty sure that it just became imperative that I figure out how to get more grapes down from those trees!


If you've never had wild grape jelly, it is a real treat, I think. I opened a jar tonite to see if it set (yes!) and to sample it. Uhhmmmmm. The jelly isn't overly sweet and is a bit on the tart side. The grapes themselves are very tart and sour and not something you'd want to just sit around and snack on. Very much worth the effort I think, even if the bounty was small. My folks are onto my jelly making attempt though, so I guess I'll have to share. Especially since I used some of my Mom's jars..... ;-)

On another note, does anyone know what these, er, mushrooms (fungus?) are? I looked them up and it seems they could be Chantrelles (which are edible) OR they could be false Chantrelles (which are poisonous), but I was wondering if anyone has ever eaten the edible kind? I'm pretty sure we won't be snacking on these, but they are pretty neat. These popped up in large quantities in my parent's front yard. They are quite dramatic looking.

Jackson Cheese

Last week five of my ewes went off to new homes. Along with them also went "Jerry" a lovely shaela ram, owned by Allena and Beau who were very kind to bring him over to the farm a couple days before he was to be picked up.

We had a nice visit, with lots to talk about and lambs to look at. Allena tried another go at the spinning wheel, and we came up with some more ideas to try with it. It definitely needs some repair work, which I think I can figure out.

But that isn't what this post is about. This post is about the cheese! Goat cheese to be exact. Allena brought me a container of cheese she had just made that day. I was skeptical. I haven't had good luck with goat cheese in the past (mostly very strong, store bought stuff). But I wanted to try it, and it looked very good. It's great. I'm not sure what the proper name for it is, but it has dill, and parsley and onion and a bit of mint in it. Tastes wonderful on crackers. Allena said she also has other cheeses curing as well. This whole goat milking business is pretty new to them, but they've jumped in with both feet and it is sounds like it is working out great. I know I'm impressed!

Allena should be back in the world of internet soon. She is getting her laptop repaired (after a child versus laptop incident ;-), so I hope she'll detail some of her cheese making adventures. Until then, drool all you want, cause it was mighty fine eatin'!

Apple Pickin'

The other evening I went down to Mom and Dad's and picked some apples. Mom isn't quite up to apple pickin' yet, but didn't want this abundance of apples to go to waste. I rarely do much preserving or freezing, because of lack of time and freezer space. However, I was pretty sure I could give the surplus away at work.

Apples are pretty easy picking, compared to some fruits. It doesn't take long to fill a bucket or two.These will make some good pies.

Supervising Apple Pickin' is hard work--just ask Boone