tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:24:15 +0000KitzbuhelAustriaBelgian BlueBlack Isle ShowBlenheim OrangeBonne MamanChanelClootie dumpling; charms; Guy FawkesCosmopolitansDallasDaniel CraigDanni MinogueDingwall Auction MartEclipseEdinburghEssex pigFerris BuellerFraser BrothersGlenfiddichGloucestershire Old SpotHahnenkammHempel HotelHolstein FriesianHugh Fearnley-WhittingstallInkheartJimmy's FarmJoanna BlythmanJohnstons of ElginJulie and JuliaLK BennettLily AllenNational ExpressNew MoonNew York TimesNigel SlaterNigella's ChristmasPRPrince WilliamQueenR and BStephanie MeyerStrictly Come DancingThe Balmoral SpaThe Dairy at DaviotThe TimesThe White CompanyTwighlightTyrolVendettaWRIWe Will Rock YouX Factoragricultural showapplesbakingbanana cakebantamblogbonfirebullbutcherscalvescashmerechefchilli jamchutneycitycountry livingcrumbledamsondauphinoiseeco architectfarmfarmerfarmer's wifefireworksfish and chipsfoodheiferhen weekendhikinghip hopjamjellyjournalismmarshmallowsmarzipan applesplum porkpork shoulderpumpkinrare breed porkraspberryroast beeftwitterweddingSeven years ago, I met and fell in love with a farmer. Moving back to my native Highlands after 8 years in Edinburgh, 18 months in Manchester and 8 weeks in London, I knew I’d never leave again. We live on the farm with our black labs, Millie and Molly, surrounded by fields. Sound idyllic? It is. But there’s one problem. I’m a pretty bad farmer’s wife. From city slicking to country living, food journalism to dairy farming, I’m finding ‘the good life’ doesn’t always equal ‘the good wife’...http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)Blogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-1585596476817782358Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:47:00 +00002011-02-23T17:47:09.136+00:00Not unlike our home – at one time a reasonably orderly place of grown-up farmhouse chic, I rather fancy – the Bad Farmer’s Wife blog is quickly becoming usurped by the arrival of Baby Daisy. I also rather fancied that I was blossoming into a considerably better Farmer’s Daughter’s Mum than Farmer’s Wife until, that is, I started preparing for round two of Daisy’s immunisations last week. The http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2011/02/podcast-7.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-8235277982614102014Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:28:00 +00002011-02-02T14:39:18.251+00:00When I was pregnant, friends and relatives would often relay the usual new parent platitudes: having a baby is life-changing, nothing can prepare you for parenthood, get ready for the sleepless nights etc. But before it actually happens, it’s literally impossible to comprehend the reality of these hackneyed sayings. Even if you’re a relatively seasoned Auntie and Godmother, or have spent years inhttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2011/02/pregnant-pause.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-9176308561913748952Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:01:00 +00002010-10-19T12:01:13.031+01:00As D-day (that’s due day) looms ever closer, like all expectant parents the Farmer and I are faced with one of the biggest and arguably most important decisions of our lives – what to call our daughter. Indeed, one of the reasons we chose to find out the sex of our baby was to eliminate 50 per cent of the inevitable disagreements that arise over this highly subjective issue. Long before I had http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2010/10/whats-in-name.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6580237816069890382Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:27:00 +00002010-09-27T15:27:10.651+01:00After an extended leave of absence, I’m back by popular demand...well, by a handful of kind requests anyway. Where have I been? Right here on the farm, as ever, and since losing my biggest copywriting client (long story) and finally falling pregnant (even longer story) – both coincidentally back in March – I seem to be turning into a fairly good farmer’s wife as it happens. A lack of work http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2010/09/battle-of-bumps.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6191460912911959395Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:16:00 +00002010-03-10T12:20:43.269+00:00KitzbuhelDespite the fact that I write marketing copy for a living, I would have to say I am fairly susceptible to the odd advertising campaign or two. Okay, as the Farmer is fond of telling me, I’m an ‘ad man’s dream’. Always have been. A new mascara that increases lash volume by 10, it’s mine; a moisturiser that turns back time, I’ll take it; an email from Citalia about city breaks to Venice, I’m there.http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2010/03/power-of-pen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-7362075653732502490Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:37:00 +00002010-01-29T12:34:28.471+00:00After a rather extended Christmas break and a bout of blogger’s block, I’m back, albeit a bit reluctantly. The problem is that my cunning plan to alert the publishing world to my writing prowess via my blog doesn’t seem to be working. According to my tracking statistics, I have garnered a total following of just over 100 visitors since starting the Bad Farmer’s Wife in September (2009), which –http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2010/01/working-girl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-4206389927793764231Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:52:00 +00002009-12-22T09:50:08.460+00:00EclipseInkheartNew MoonStephanie MeyerTwighlightToday, we have nearly two feet of snow here on the farm and it’s still falling. Normally I adore the snow and although it’s chocolate-box-pretty outside, I’m not loving it quite as much as usual because some of my family are trying to get home for Christmas and travelling conditions are treacherous. As the snow tumbled down yesterday, I couldn’t help but feel guilty that the farmer and I were http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/12/twighlight-zone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-3796728917555670640Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +00002009-12-19T15:57:53.378+00:00AustriaHahnenkammhikingKitzbuhelTyrolFor anyone who noticed I was away, I’m back! Last week, I was in Austria, visiting the beguiling Tyrolean City of Kitzbuhel. I was sent there for work – it’s a hard life – to experience the enchanting medieval old town with its spectacular architecture, hearty mountain cuisine and most of all, its stunning natural landscape and invigorating alpine activities. Yes, you read that correctly, I washttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/12/crazy-about-kitzbuhel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-2159248284136900354Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:29:00 +00002009-12-04T16:24:46.157+00:00chilli jamNigella's ChristmasIn between my many trips to Elgin over the past seven days (Cashmere Queen), I have actually managed to get ahead with my Christmas cooking. And by this I mean stocking up the deep freeze and making a few edible gifts, not, as you might expect, that I’m preparing for Christmas Dinner – so far I have successfully avoided hosting Christmas for my enormous family, although if Mum’s not-so-subtle http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/12/chilli-up-north.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-4718250228880945522Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +00002009-11-30T13:51:14.728+00:00cashmereJohnstons of ElginThe end of November holds a special place in the hearts of me and my Highland girlfriends and no, this isn’t some sort of patriotic salute to St Andrew’s Day or the culmination of the costly Homecoming Scotland celebrations. The sole reason for our unstinting affection for this time of year is down to one thing and one thing only: the annual warehouse sale of world famous cashmere house Johnstonshttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/cashmere-queen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-5036783109168964500Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:00 +00002009-11-27T08:25:15.037+00:00Needless to say, the running (Fitness Drive) has fallen by the wayside, particularly with the recent atrocious weather. Being particularly exposed here at the farm, we have been hit hard by gale force winds and torrents of icy rain. Of course when I say ‘we’, I am actually watching the squally weather from inside with the fire on. It’s the poor farmer who’s out there working in it. I still takehttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/sheepish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6443410039684046435Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:38:00 +00002009-11-25T09:40:57.003+00:00CosmopolitansDanni MinoguedauphinoiseLily AllenStrictly Come DancingX FactorAfter another weekend snuggled up watching the lithe, oddly fatless bodies of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals followed by The X Factor’s enviably polished and toned Danni Minogue, I decided I could no longer sit on the sofa and moan about my expanding waistline while doing nothing about it. Apart from the lack of exercise, my main problem is that I love my food. Gone are my single http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/fitness-drive.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6220855041223048597Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +00002009-11-24T17:48:40.519+00:00marzipan applesweddingThis weekend, my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law were up doing wedding things in preparation for their Big Day next Spring. They had appointments with the minister, florists and stationers. They were also sampling wines to accompany their wedding meal, which the farmer and I were invited to assist with. And naturally, being dutiful family members we were more than happy to help out.http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/wedding-cow-bells.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-3614690837121523040Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:34:00 +00002009-11-20T16:19:51.231+00:00Black Isle ShowbutcherschefFraser Brothersplum porkToday is what I call a ‘pig day’. This entails collecting a whole pig from our lovely local butchers, Fraser Brothers in Dingwall, trimming a vast quantity of vacuum packs containing various cuts of pork, before weighing and hand labelling each and every one, packing it into our ‘pork-a-cabin’ deep freeze, or distributing it to customers. The weighing and labelling part is not my favourite http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/pig-lady.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-5141623459224835185Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:02:00 +00002009-11-18T21:21:29.112+00:00Belgian BluebullcalvesDingwall Auction MartheiferHolstein FriesianQueenWe Will Rock YouPart of the Hen Weekend celebrations included a matinee of We Will Rock You and during the showstopping finale as die-hard Queen fans moshed then swayed to Bohemian Rhapsody, I couldn’t help but think of the impending sale of Voltage, the farmer’s bull. Geddes Voltage, to give him his full pedigree name, is a delightful 6 year-old Belgian Blue bull who has been with the dairy herd for the past http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/thunderbolt-of-lightning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6063964970162594394Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:11:00 +00002009-11-16T18:16:10.883+00:00Bonne MamanLK BennettNational ExpressThe Balmoral SpaThe TimesThe White CompanyEver since I was little, I have suffered from terrible travel sickness. Most people seem to grow out of this, but not me. I’m the kind of fragile person who becomes ill on twisty roads even when I drive. This tiresome travel sickness is how I managed to convince myself that if I was taking the train to Edinburgh for the Hen Weekend, I would need to go first class. Having managed to get a goodhttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/farmer-in-shining-armour.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-6641614378420403257Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:11:00 +00002009-11-12T23:47:16.185+00:00bantamEdinburghhen weekendWith a heading like ‘hen weekend’ in a farming blog, you might reasonably expect that this weekend will be spent busily preparing for the arrival of some softly clucking bantams - a lovely wooden chicken coop with spacious grassy run in the garden near the vegetable patch, perhaps (we don't have a vegetable patch). In fact, I’m actually going on a hen weekend. But as I discovered earlier http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/hen-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-4340614415015193271Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:39:00 +00002009-11-11T17:00:22.789+00:00Joanna BlythmanJulie and Julia The latest movies are often a little late in showing this far North, which is why I only got round to seeing foodie film Julie & Julia yesterday. It seemed somewhat indulgent to go to the cinema in the middle of the day, but I managed to convince myself that it was a work-related outing. It was, after all, the inspiration for this blog. After reading some of my food memoir-type stories, http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/julie-julia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-4418102472606903077Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:08:00 +00002009-11-09T13:07:32.901+00:00Clootie dumpling; charms; Guy FawkesOn my side of the family and for as long as I can remember, my Gran has always made a cake or a ‘Clootie’ dumpling for birthdays and special celebration dinners. And although I prefer to eat her Victoria sponge sandwiched together with whipped cream and homemade strawberry jam, I am far more excited by her darkly fruited dumpling because along with the sultanas and currants, the dense spicedhttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/dumpling-charms.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-7964744696066214602Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:22:00 +00002009-11-06T11:17:26.022+00:00bonfireeco architectfireworksmarshmallowsThe farmer and I seem to be in demand tonight. We have been invited to not one, but two bonfire and firework displays: one in the fishing village of nearby Cromarty by my Mum, the other by one of our neighbours here on the farm... exactly! Who in their right mind has fireworks on a farm populated by calves, pregnant cows and piggies? Not to mention our own little ones, Millie and Molly. As http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/bonfire-of-vanities.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-46328506352382778Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:48:00 +00002009-11-04T15:04:46.908+00:00applesBlenheim OrangechutneyjellypumpkinConfession: for the past two days I have been embracing my inner domestic goddess, I cannot tell a lie. It may have been the crisp autumnal air, the glorious shades of copper, russet and gold all around, the euphoria of two new comments on my blog, one accompanied by a recipe for damson gin (recipes warmly welcomed, keep them coming!), or perhaps that my copy writing has been a bit slow of latehttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/windfall-apples.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-4088350071766456572Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:42:00 +00002009-11-02T13:52:03.963+00:00Essex pigGloucestershire Old SpotHugh Fearnley-WhittingstallJimmy's FarmHallowe’en always reminds me of when the farmer first decided to rear rare breed pigs. It all began one perfectly ordinary evening in front of the telly four years ago, watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall wax lyrical about the two plump porkers he was rearing for his kitchen table. ‘Gloucestershire Old Spots were traditionally kept on dairy farms and orchards, eating the http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-little-piggy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-11184526697796723Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +00002009-10-30T10:45:48.735+00:00Nigel SlaterNow that we’re coming to the end of the second week of the BFW blog, I feel I should come clean about where the original idea for the ‘Bad Farmer’s Wife’ came from. Farms are dangerous places, especially if you’re a teensy bit accident prone, like the farmer. For the past 3 years, almost to the day, the farmer has had a series of accidents. The first, and most serious, was when http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/10/bfw-blog-how-it-all-began.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-3494358105910745793Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:19:00 +00002009-10-28T14:57:48.255+00:00ChanelVendettaFollowing last week’s disastrous damson jam-making fiasco (‘What kind of farmer’s wife can’t make jam?’), I was determined not to let those damn damsons get the better of me. Last night after supper, the farmer decided to clean the chimney (when did he get chimney sweeping kit?) and not to be outdone by his industriousness, I retrieved the remaining damsons from the fridge and began again the http://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/10/damson-jam-vendetta.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497626830720823783.post-8331702411047275416Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:10:00 +00002009-10-27T01:34:39.985+00:00Daniel CraigFerris BuellerPrince WilliamThe Dairy at DaviotHere we are again: another Monday, after a lovely weekend with our lovely friends Euan, Rach and adorable baby Murray. As always, my hosting anxiety was unfounded and the weekend went well, chock full of food, fun, farm animals and freaky feet! A girlfriend once told me that the farmer looks like a cross between Daniel Craig and Prince William, but despite this pleasing and not implausiblehttp://badfarmerswife.blogspot.com/2009/10/freaky-feet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bad Farmer's Wife)1