Life on a Farm in Fanny Bay

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-10-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, I hope that everyone had a great holiday. I have not updated the blog in so long, the truth is Life on a Farm in Fanny Bay has been hectic. As things wind down and fall starts to settle in on us, I am finding more time and I look forward to sharing all the up and downs of the farm life. It is "farm frustrations" combined with Thanksgiving being my favorite holiday, that has brought me back to post. It is really easy to thank another person. It takes practice to feel that same gratitude for the littlest things in life like; a hot cup of tea when you need it most, birthday cake for breakfast on your 11 year old daughter's birthday, and being sent the right answer at the right time. I took the time to be thankful for some of the little things in life. Here are some of the things that make me thankful for Life on a Farm in Fanny Bay: (Click link to go to the begining.)

Clean, fresh air

Wide, open spaces (not that I need the room to make a big mistake)

Raising our own meat and eggs

Cherry blossoms

Being more in tune with the passage of the seasons

Owning a big outdoor dog and farm cat

Heating our home with the wood stove

Gathering floral bouquets from the garden

In July, the night air cools down to make sleeping comfortable, unlike the concrete jungle

Blaring your favorite music as loud as you want (I am listening to Fanny Bay's own Robert Steele, click to listen )

The vacant "Farmer" position will soon be filled

A safer place for kids, ours are free range

It's easy to eat local, because everyone grows something

Impromptu music jam sessions

Old fashioned, candlelit family time whenever the power goes out...and it does

How quickly the land awakens in the spring

Slower pace adds years to your life

Building your own chicken coop

Bonfires

Driving on a summer night with the windows rolled down

No shortage of natural beauty to photograph

Community dances

Volunteer firemen, God bless 'em

Impressing your city friends with all your knowledge of obscure chicken breeds (OK really some just laugh and other are confused as to what took place in the last year )

Knowing when the seed catalogs comes out (who knew?)

Outside looks like a picture post card no matter what the weather

Witnessing baby chicks hatch

There is nothing like a crackling fire and a glass of homemade wine to help you relax

Discerning the pecking order of our flocks

Eating sweet crisp fresh picked apples

Stacking wood for the winter(OK watching the boys do it)

Recognizing people entered in the fall fairs animals, craft and logging competitions

Just picked today vegetables

Long driveways, shaded by trees

The smell of fall...and spring,winter and summer too

Sitting outside under a starry sky

Learning to identify constellations. Start with the Big Dipper

A well deserved afternoon nap

Waking up to the crow of a rooster (it doesn't wake me up any more)

Self reliance, making do and learning new skills

No need to go to the gym, every day is a work out

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dropping a package off at a friends doorstep and knowing she will get it safely

Waving hello to complete stranger

Rhubarb

2010-05-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is the first fruit of the season to work with, also a delight to begin the canning and wine making for the summer.

Fresh Rhubarb

Rhubarb Wine

5 pounds rhubarb
1 1/2 gallons boiling water
1 cup raisins
3 pounds brown sugar
3 oranges sliced
3 lemons sliced
1 tblsp. active yeast

Chop all rhubarb and put into a crockpot. Add the boiling water and let it sit for 3 days covered.
Filter the liquid, and to that add chopped raisins, fruits and sugar. Add the yeast and stir well. Cover the pot again and leave in a warm area for 30 days to ferment. Give the mix a stir daily.
Filter the mixture again and pour into well sterilized bottles and keep in a cool area.
The wine will taste the best the longer it is allowed to age.

This will now stand fermenting for 30days....

Rhubarb Jam
2 1/2 lb Rhubarb
1 1/2 lb Sugar
1/2 c Water
2 ea Orange, rind & juice of

Wash and skin the rhubarb and cut into small pieces; add sugar and 1/2 cup of cold water. Grate the rind of the oranges and add to the rhubarb. Add the orange juice and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Smoked Salmon

2010-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Smoked and Candied Salmon

The farmer made a batch of smoked salmon and candied salmon. The candied salmon was gone before I could take a picture...you could say they ate it up like candy :)

Dry Brine
4 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Rock or Kosher Salt
Mix and multipy relative to the amount of salmon

Place serving size pieces of salmon, skin side down on the bottom of a plastic bucket and spinkle enough of the dry brine mix to just cover the flesh of the salmon.

Continue to layer salmon in the bucket, again, skin side down, and apply the brine mix to each layer until all of the salmon is in the bucket.

This is candied is for Candied Salmon

Store in cool area (40-60 degrees) for 10 hours.

Pour in a container of apple juice

Allow the salmon to air dry for at least overnight. The longer the fish sits on the smoker rack, drying, the deeper the "glaze" or colour of the final product.

Glaze the salmon with a mixture of apple juice and brown sugar.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2010-05-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

This one is for Mikey... a recent collection of pictures of the animals on the farm. Enjoy!

These Ducklings are only hours old.

Ridic and his dinner.

Wellsummers are getting along good with the other hens.

Speckled Bantam Rooster "Peanutbutter".

Kumi having an afternoon nap.

Black Bob and The Drake, these two male ducks are forced to hang out together because all of the girls are on nests.

A Duck Nest Tanya's Brood 4 weeks old.

Turkey Hen "Phylis aka Mama" on a nest of eggs. Millie is also on a nest...it is hidden from us.

Thomas, our tom turkey.

Ridic, the hunter

Bantam chicks enjoying some squash.

Kumi thought she might be missing out on a treat...or she thinks she is a chicken?

Red Rock Rooster "DRock"

Red Rock Hen "Ethel" she has a twisted toe and is missing some feathers. She only looks mean...she is a sweet heart.

More of Tanya's Brood

Chanteclere Rooster "Foghorn" crowingChickens enjoying papaya....a treat.

Cocoa on her nest...

Well you made it to the end of the collection of animal pictures and brief descriptions. Now is your turn. Have a look at the last two pictures. What kind of bird is that and what do you think it is running with? Tell the story of the two pictures.

What God Must Be Thinking...

2010-05-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to one of my followers, GiGi, I was able to finally feel OK we my attitude toward lawn care. I viewed cutting the lawn as a chore and I only did it because we had neighbours and for the sake of our family name I cut the lawn. I understand God's plan and love it. We have a much more balanced system here on the farm. We have a yard, but not a lawn. We are using natural methods in our yard and garden maintenance. Look for the garden update and see what the farmer did with the seaweed. In the meantime enjoy and feel free to copy.

I will be posting a few requests from my followers this week. Tomorrow's request comes from Mr. Mikey, our nephew in Ontario.

What must God be thinking...
Imagine the conversation The Creator might have with
St. Francis about this:
" Frank you know all about gardens and nature. What in the
world is going on down there in North-America? What hap-
pened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started
eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those
plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply
with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms
attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds.
I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see
are these green rectangles.
– It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites.
They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great
extent to kill them and replace them with grass.
– Grass? But it’s so boring. It’s not colourful. It doesn’t attract
butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It’s tem-
peramental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really
want all that grass growing there?
– Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and
keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and
poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
– The spring rains and cool weather probably make grass grow
really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
– Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it
sometimes twice a week.
– They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
– Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
– They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
– No, sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
– Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will
grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw
it away?
– Yes, sir.
– These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when
we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows
the growth and saves them a lot of work.
– You aren’t going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops
growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to
water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
– What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That
was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees
grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the
summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a nat-
ural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees
and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to
enhance the soil. It’s a natural circle of life.
– You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a
new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great
piles and have them hauled away.
– No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in
the winter and keep the soil moist and loose?
– After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy some-
thing they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around
in place of the leaves.
– And where do they get this mulch?
– They cut down trees and grind them up.
– Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. Saint
Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you
scheduled for us tonight?
– Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It’s a real funny movie about...
– Never mind I think I just heard the whole story. "
anonymous
Feel free to copy

Lemonade 5 cents

2010-05-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

Summer is not quite here but the signs are here and the anticipation of the summer delights have begun. One of the delights of summer is cooling off with a refreshing drink. I was asked to post some of our favorite summer refreshments. I can remember the joy of having a lemonade stand as a little girl. It was a fun way to pass the day. As a mom; a jug of lemonade and a few cups were a great way to occupy the little ones. I recently heard of sun tea and immediately thought of waiting for a batch of sun tea to brew while the children play in the pool. Blooming tea would be awesome for sun tea. A glass of Sangria sitting outside on a starry summer night can't be beat. We have lots of mint and just so happen to love a Mojito. Here are some of our old favorites and few new to choose from.

Lemonade

6 lemons

1 cup white sugar

6 cups cold water

Directions

Juice the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. To make your labor easier, FIRMLY roll the lemons between your hand and counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, and 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

Lemon Mint Iced Tea

Mix 3 tea bags, fresh mint leaves, sugar or honey and let this mixture steep for 20 minutes. (It needs time to transform and believe me, it is worth the wait.)

After steeping for 20 minutes, strain out the tea bags and mint leaves.

Squeeze the lemon wedges into the tea mixture and add the squeezed slices to the mixture. Stir well.

Chill, serve over ice, garnish with a lemon wedge, (optional) and enjoy!

Serves Four to Five

Sun Tea

Fun to make with kids. It would seem like a fun thing to brew while splashing around the pool. Use the fruit teas or the blooming teas would be fun.

Wash a clear container thoroughly with hot water and antibacterial soap.

Sun tea steeps at an ideal temperature for bacterial growth, so it's important to sanitize the container before you start.

Fill the container with cups of cold water. Use the most purified water you can get your hands on

Add 5 teabags or 5 teaspoons of tea leaves and cover the container securely.

Place the container in direct sunlight for at least two hours. Taste the tea periodically to see if it's ready.

Remove the tea bags or strain out the tea leaves.

Pour into glasses, mix with sugar or honey (optional) and serve iced.

Drink all the tea within a few hours

Sangria

The beauty of the basic Sangria recipe is that it is as delicious as it is easy, and it only gets better as you spice it up with your own additions! Really, it is hard to add the "wrong" ingredient here, think favorite fruits, spice and liquors. Chill and enjoy!

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Shot brandy

2 Cups ginger ale or club soda

Preparation:

Slice the fruit, then mash at the bottom with the sugar(muddle*). Add the wine, orange juice, triple sec, and brandy, and chill. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced strawberries, peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, a cup of ginger ale, citrus soda pop or lime juice.

Mojito

1.25 oz Captain Morgan Original spiced rum

12 mint leaves

1 tbsp sugar

0.5 oz lime juice

2 oz soda

Place mint leaves in bottom of glass. Add crushed ice, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, sugar, and lime juice, and muddle*. Add soda water and garnish with mint leaves.

*When mixing cocktails, herbs and/or fruit are often mashed or ground -- muddled -- with sugar in the bottom of a glass before adding the liquid ingredients to intensify their flavors. You can muddle with a spoon or a pestle-like tool called a muddler.

Wacky Woods

2010-05-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Wacky Woods? You won’t find the Wacky Woods on any tourist maps...It’s here in Fanny Bay though. How to describe it. Well, it’s a woods and it’s wacky – a series of winding trails dotted with fascinating sculptures, most of which literally blend in with the trees. It is a wonderful display in the woods by local artist George Sawchuk. The sculptures use all kinds of common household, industrial, and farm objects and range in size from the miniature to the gigantic. Among my favourites are the numerous wooden books that are tucked into holes in trees. Most of the pieces have strong messages and get you thinking. Here are some pictures my walk in the the Wacky Woods with the girls.

Drapery in the Forest...?

Book in a tree

I'd better be quick ... The girls are on the move.

ABC s OF LIFE

2010-05-03T14:46:00.001-07:00

GiGi Says...

2010-04-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

GiGi is short for Gardening Guru(every one should have one). GiGi helps us make organically responsible choices for our gardens. So you see when GiGi said "seaweed" we listened. We met GiGi at oceanside in Deep Bay at low tide to collect seaweed to put on our garden beds as an organic fertilizer. I love looking for that perfect smooth rock and interesting driftwood and was easily distracted. Fun afternoon and I got to bring home some treasures of inspiration.

Rocks

Seaweed...
The Farmer's Wife...collecting seaweed
GiGi didn't have to collect her own seaweed...I think she had important Gardening Guru Research out there.
The Farmer... collecting seaweed
Driftwood that I wasn't able to bring home.

Dinner For Two

2010-04-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

The farmer loves to cook for special occasions and sometimes just for his sweetie. He likes the cooking style of Jamie Oliver and goes to the Naked Chef for his inspirations. I came home to two wonderful dinners this past week. I soaked in a hot bubble bath and dressed for dinner while the farmer cooked for us. Now these two recipes were keepers! I love kid free late dinners with my farmer. Thanks :)

linguine with pancetta, olive oil, chilli, clams and white wine

1 pound dried good quality linguine pasta

olive oil

4 rashers pancetta, sliced, thinly

or dry-curled smoked bacon

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 dried red chili, crumbled

1 1/2 pounds clam

2x5 ounce white wine

handful chopped parsley, leaves

salt, and, freshly ground black pepper

Cook your linguine in salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, get a pan hot and add a couple of good lugs (tablespoons) of olive oil and the pancetta.

Fry until golden, then add the garlic and chilies.

Soften them slightly and add the clams.

Stir, then add the white wine.

Put a lid on the pan and cook for a further couple of minutes until all the clams have opened–discard any that remain closed.

Remove from the heat and add the drained linguine.

Stir in the parsley, correct the seasoning and serve with all the cooking juices.

tagliatelle with saffron, seafood and cream

A good pinch saffron

1 glass white wine

Olive oil

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 pound dried tagliatelle ( fettuccine works too)

1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) mixed seafood (prawns and mussels)

1/2 pint double cream (heavy cream)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A bunch flat parsley, chopped

Soak the saffron in the white wine. Add a little oil and the garlic to a frying pan, and cook until softened. Add the clams and mussels, shake the pan around, and add the white wine and saffron mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until the shellfish opens, discard any shellfish that remain closed.

Then, lay the rest of the seafood, parsley, and the cream on top. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes and season to taste. Cook the tagliatelle in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and add to the fish, serve scattered with some of the leftover parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Pass the Butter Please!!

2010-04-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it

killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the

research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure

out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the

yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.

How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new

flavourings....

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared

to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over

eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard

Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in

other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and

only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the

flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around

for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol)

and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS

VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares

27 ingredients withPAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life

and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is

added, changing the molecular structure of the substance)..

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or

shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of

things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that

should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has

nonutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny

microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is

nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on

your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to butter them up')!

Chinese Proverb:

When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from

it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

Pass the BUTTER PLEASE

2010-04-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is from one of the blogs I follow Memoirs of a Farm Wife

A Farm Wife Original Meme

A Housework Meme Just for You.

Do you have a daily cleaning routine?

Routine...I would love to have a cleaning routine...I do have a morning routine. At dawn, run outside and let Millie, my turkey back into the pen. Get back in the house and spend a few minutes to put my self together, Let the little dogs out, 6:40 wake up kids for school. Go to the kitchen and find the the kitchen fairies have not done their job again...put on coffee, start breakfast, put together lunch for Miss J and wake up the kids for school second time comes with a warning...finish up breakfast and call kids to eat 7:20 leave to drive to the bus stop. 7:30 I return to start my day...look for the future cleaning routine.

Do you cook on a regular basis?

We live in a small town on a farm, we have no take out or delivery. We cook everyday and every meal. When the farmer and I lived in the city we would fall prey to take out on occasion but temptation is gone. We love fresh food and it is a pleasure to cook.I just wish the kitchen faires would do their job and clean up after the meals.

Do you wear aprons?

Only on special occassions. Although I adore apons and have made serveral. Check out this one from a men's shirt, apron, Tomorrow I will start wearing an apron.

Do you make beds on a regular basis?

Yes I need need to make my bed everyday or before I get in if it was a real out of the ordinary day.

What do you call the three meals you eat a day?

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

How many loads of laundry do you wash in a week?

3 per day...does that mean 15???

What is your least favorite chore?

Dishes Dishes Dishes....I just don't do dishes. Growing up I never had to wash dishes and the farmer alway made sure I had a dish washer...we do not have a dishwasher on the farm. For almost a year I have had to wash dishes. I am never on top of them and there always seems to be a dishes in the sink. The kitchen fairies never do their job!

Do you keep a company ready house (or attempt to) or go for that comfortably lived in look or could you be on your own Hoaring: Buried Alive episode on TLC?

I attempt to and this really is connected to the next question. I grew up with the notion that there is a certain section of the house that is ALWAYS company ready. The farmer could never get me into a house where the kitchen is the first thing or even visible from the front door, that is where all the work goes on and could never be company ready all the time.

I once heard on the radio that 90% of women clean house like their mothers. Do you?

I clean like my mother in everyway but in the way of dishes. My mother loves to wash dishes and uses the hottest water possible. Glass is first, plates and serving platters next, cutlery and on to pots. You must alway wipe down the tray and wipe dry the sink and neatly lie the dish cloth on the side of the sink. I hate dishes and the kitchen fairies never do their job.

Do you expect your children to help out around the house? To what extent?

Miss J and Mr. D(10 and 14) are very helpful...although no one has chores. Another thing we are thinking about ... I could use a couple kitchen fairies!!

So? How about you?

New Chicks On The Block(Farm)

2010-04-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I would do a bunch of updates on the farm animals today. Here are a few pictures of the new chicks. We have a Blue Bantam, Bonnie, newest mama on the farm. A Bantam is a miniature chicken so these little puff balls are adorable. One of our turkeys, Phyllis is setting on a nest of 9 eggs. We have three ducks; Cocoa, Mable, and Buffy all setting on nests. I have another bantam, collecting her eggs this week. All the hatchings are exciting. The chickens and the duck mother on their own without much interference from us. The farmer is building me a brooding area so I can mother some day old hatchings I am getting to add to our flock. Right now I have 3 week old Welsummer chicks a gift to the farm from Gramma B in Ontario. They are in the temporary brooding area. I will add the hens to my laying flock. The Welsummer chicken lays a deep chocolate brown egg. The Monster Meat Birds look like chickens now... fat lazy chickens. We have orders for 35 of the 48, the rest will go into the freezer. We were not happy with the commercial meat bird so we have decided to try another type of meat bird called a "Red Bro". This is a 12 week chicken and will range, unlike the Monster Meat Birds. We are learning with every experience here on the farm. Life is Sweet!

Here is a Meat Bird 4 weeks old

The Farmer is fencing in my laying hens and ducks. No more visiting us on the front porch.

Mama Tanya out with the babies
Miss S and a Bantam Chick
Miss J and a Bantam Chick(making a wish?)
Welsummer Chicks
Bonnie on the nest
Turkey Nest

Ducklings

2010-04-11T17:34:00.001-07:00

We are a farm so we practiced selling the cute ducklings. We took them to the poultry swap with us this past weekend. Although it was just practice...we brought them back. I think we will keep this first hatch here on the farm with us.

The art work we used for the sign was an original post card made by our great niece, Miss M, she so wants to visit the farm. The farmer and I just adored the post card when we got it!

Practice makes perfect?

We brought the ducklings home...
Mama was glad too :)

Strange But True ...Our Turkey Is Home!

2010-04-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Miss J and her friend Miss S were walking home from the dock on a sunny afternoon and there ahead of them was our turkey that at that point been missing for five days days and all hope was gone. As the girls told us, they just knew they had to catch that turkey...and the chase was on. It took twenty minutes and two girls maneuvering with the skill of farm girls and they marched down the driveway so proud with our missing turkey in tow! It was an exciting day here on the farm. The Farmer and his wife are so happy and proud of the farm girls rescue! We have not named the rescued hen yet...any suggestions?

"Thomas" loves to pose for a picture :)

Miss J and Thomas
Miss S and Thomas
Miss J and Miss S with the turkey they rescued.

Throw The Dog A Bone

2010-04-08T19:34:00.001-07:00

Miss J has started her own little market business with the help of Moth Hair. Together they turned out 2 batches of Gourmet Dog Treats; Peanut Butter Poppers and Cheddar Bites. The most fun was had making the treats. We are blessed to have Moth Hair to do all the fun stuff with!

Peanut Butter Poppers

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. --- This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.

Cheddar Bites

The Cheese Dog

1 cup Rolled Oats

1/3 cup Margarine

1 cup Boiling Water

3/4 cup Cornmeal

1 tablespoon Sugar

2 teaspoons Beef Bouillon

1/2 cup Milk

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Egg

2 - 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

In large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine and boiling water; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg; mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form dough.

Knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky (about 3 to 4 minutes). Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut with square shaped cookie cutter. Place treats 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven at 325°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving.

Miss J and Moth Hair working hard in the kitchen!
Yummy Gourmet Dog Treats
Miss J at the Poultry Swap!

The Cat Came Back!

2010-04-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Weekend. Filled with food, fun and friends. We were all missing one friend here on the farm, Ridic our beloved farm cat was missing for the entire weekend. Monday had marked day 5 and my hope was gone. Eagles can swoop down and pick up a cat quick. Ridic, was safely returned to us last night. It turns out he got stuck 40 ft up in a tree and was rescued by a neighbour. We are so grateful for his return.

Miss J and Ridic!

Don't Let The Turkeys Get You Down

2010-04-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Turkeys are just one of the many updates for this week...the farm has been busy growing. We got a breeding trio of heritage turkeys on Wed. One Tom and two Hens, they are a mixed Broad Breasted Bronze and Miriam. I just love the Tom and he just might be sweet on me too. We were hoping that both hens would hatch out 8 -10 eggs and from there we would build our breeding stock. Well we got the three turkeys settled and had to run another errand. When we came home...we found that we only had one hen. We have a theory that our Maremma Sheep dog, Kumi may have chased her off. The next morning, Kumi was barking at the back of the property. When the farmer saw her bolt off after something. He was on her tail and right there was the hen. She had survived the night and found her way back to her new home...Kumi chased her off again. We spent the next hour up and down the area she ran off to with no luck. As we made our way back to the house...I remembered "Don't Let The Turkeys Get You Down." Losing that turkey was getting us down. I don't have much hope of her return...but stranger things have happened...

Three Turkeys arrive on the farm.
Hen foraging for treats.
Tom checking things out
The farmer and Tom

Traditions~ Old & New

2010-04-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

This year is a journey for the Thibaudeau family. We find ourselves reflecting on our past holiday traditions; some traditions like Easter Morning Egg Hunt have with out questioned been carried on. Before moving to Vancouver Island it had been a tradition to spend the long weekend here with family we were not able to see often enough. Living here now this year we opted for spending the weekend at home. We are celebrating Easter in many ways. I am taking the time to appreciate the signs of spring and the wonders of nature. Also making memories with dear friends and family. It is a tradition for my friend Mothhair to make Easter Basket Cupcakes for the kids at her Sunday School. We doubled the recipe and the fun by making them together. We Had a great time baking and decorating them. Good Friday has always been a meatless day. So held fast to our tradition of Fish n Chips for dinner on Good Friday, only this year we made them. The beautiful halibut fillets and secret batter recipe was courtesy of Captain Al of Wild Pacific Charters . The Farmer made the homemade mayonnaise for the tartar sauce. The seasoned wedge fries and fresh squeezed lemon topped off the meal. We are so blessed with the abundance of fish here on the West Coast.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

36 cupcakes

Frosting

Coconut

Food Colouring

Jelly Beans

Shoe String Licorice

Make your favorite cupcake and frosting recipes

We made chocolate and Vanilla

We were spoiled because Moth Hair's Husband made us a big batch of his great frosting.

Tint the long coconut with green food Colouring.

Divide Frosting and tint different colours.

We used pink lilac and yellow.

Pipe the frosting on the cupcake, top with some green grass. Nest three jelly beans. Top off with a licorice handle. They are the cutest little easter baskets cupcakes.

Deep Fried Battered Fish

Cut fillets into serving-size pieces. Dredge fish in flour; shake off excess. Dip fish into batter and fry in oil, turning once, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towel-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Wedge Fries

4 large Russet potatoes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons Baby Bam

Make sure the oven rack is in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 450

Scrub the potatoes under running water with a vegetable brush. Pat dry, cut into wedges.

Toss potatoes with oil and seasonings

Arrange the potatoes in one layer on the baking sheets.

bake for 15 minutes, turn fries and return to oven for another 15 mins until nicely browned

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Baby Bam

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Stir well to combine, using a wooden spoon.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Yield: About 3/4 cup

The Little Black Dress

2010-03-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Canadian Talent. Canadian Fashion. Canadian Made.

“Design A Dress” Contest for Aspiring Designers

In celebration of Canadian fashion, the Velvet Room Boutique design team would like to show off the talents of a new generation of designers. The “Design a Dress” contest has been created to inspire designs that combine classic looks with current trends.

Designers are asked to keep the philosophy of the Velvet Room Boutique in mind while creating styles that will appeal to both mothers and daughters of all ages.

Eligibility

The Velvet Room Boutique “Design A Dress” contest is open to aspiring designers who have less than two years trade or professional experience and are 18 years or older.

Design Specifications

Choose one of the below events and submit a design for a dress that fits the criteria described. Participants may include sketches, pictures, flats and fabric selections in their submissions. Participants may submit designs for one or more of the categories for a maximum of three submitted designs.

Gala: Design a floor length dress for a black tie gala or awards night

(size 6)

Wedding: Design a dress that can be worn to a daytime wedding and evening reception (size 8) *a dress for a quest not the bride

Birthday: Design an age appropriate dress that the Birthday Gal can wear to her 40th or 50th Birthday Bash. (Curvy size 8)

I am not sure that I am that "aspiring designer", but I did acquire a beautiful piece of fabric that inspired me to design a I dinner dress, and when I came across this contest I knew my dress design need to be entered. Not only would be perfect for the Birthday category it makes making the dress all the more fun.

The design is my interpretation of "The Little Black Dress" My design is a rich chocolate brown lined bias halter dress with a gathered neckline and tie back closure. I think the halter dress is one of the sexiest formal looks around. The halter dress calls extra attention to the upper half of the body, including the face, and shoulders . This makes it great to help draw unwanted attention away from hips or legs.

I will do some beading at the neckline, allowing to skip the necklace. Long matching earings will complete the look.

One might wonder what I will need a dinner dress for here on the farm...I will be accepting dinner invitations once the dress is complete :) I will update with photos.

Monster Meat Birds

2010-03-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

We have 50 Meat Birds. Our only experience so far has been raising heritage dual purpose birds and they are much different. The meat birds are like a monster chick, they grow at an accelerated rate and just eat and eat and eat some more. We did a mad dash at trying to get them outdoors, the boys worked on a Coop today. They should be ready for the new coop in a week or so. This is the first 50 of the 200 we will raise this summer before the turkey's come in June. They are ready for slaughter at 6-8weeks, a heritage chicken takes 24-28 weeks.

Chicks in the Brooder

"The Farmer" is deciding what to do...
"Mr. D" Helps out with the coop? Notice his hands are in his pockets.

The Gardens

2010-03-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for planting on the farm. We have 6 raised beds and are going to plant lots of vegetables. One of the gardens we will grow this year is a Three Sisters' Garden.

What is a Three Sisters Garden?

It is an ancient method of gardening using an intercropping system which grows corn, beans, and squash crops simultaneously in the same growing area that is typically a rounded mound of soil, often called a hill.

Corn is the oldest sister. She stands tall in the center.

Squash is the next sister. She grows over the mound, protecting her sisters from weeds and shades the soil from the sun with her leaves, keeping it cool and moist.

Beans are the third sister. She climbs through squash and then up corn to bind all together as she reaches for the sun. Beans help keep the soil fertile by coverting the sun's energy into nitrogen filled nodules that grow on its roots. As beans grow they use the stored nitrogen as food.

This is really going to be a garden for "Miss J", my ten year old daughter. It was a legend we read about together in a children's book. I could never remember the book. The legend seems to vary quite a bit from tribe to tribe. After sifting through many legends I was able to find a Canadian Account that was close to the one we read about.

The Native American story of the Three Sisters vary from tribe to tribe. This story below is taken from an oral account by Lois Thomas of Cornwall Island, found in "Indian Legends of Eastern Canada."

The Three Sisters

A long time ago there were three sisters who lived together in a field.

These sisters were quite different from one another in their size and way of dressing. The little sister was so young that she could only crawl at first, and she was dressed in green.

The second sister wore a bright yellow dress, and she had a way of running off by herself when the sun shone and the soft wind blew in her face.

The third was the eldest sister, standing always very straight and tall above the other sisters and trying to protect them. She wore a pale green shawl, and she had long, yellow hair that tossed about her head in the breeze.

There was one way the sisters were all alike, though. They loved each other dearly, and they always stayed together. This made them very strong.

One day a stranger came to the field of the Three Sisters - a Mohawk boy. He talked to the birds and other animals - this caught the attention of the three sisters.

Late that summer, the youngest and smallest sister disappeared. Her sisters were sad.

Again the Mohawk boy came to the field to gather reeds at the water's edge. The two sisters who were left watched his moccasin trail, and that night the second sister - the one in the yellow dress - disappeared as well.

Now the Elder Sister was the only one left.

She continued to stand tall in her field. When the Mohawk boy saw that she missed her sisters, he brought them all back together and they became stronger together, again.

Here are a few pictures of flowers sprouting around the farm.

Lupins

First Rose of the year.

Farm Buddies

The Plum Trees are in bloom
The Bees are already hard at work on the farm.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2010-03-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well my lemon adventure seems to have only started with the 3 lemons, and lemon loaves. I love lemons. I went on to make many sweet and tangy desserts this week; Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Coconut Cupcakes and a few more Lemon Loaves. I had not even thought of the savory uses of lemon yet; Lemon Asparagus Rissotto, Lemon Chicken and of course we cannot forget the Lemon Drop Martini. The lemon drop was a favorite of mine when I was having an affair with the martini. I then remembered an article from Real Simple Magazine "101 New Uses for Everyday Things" Lemons were one of the everyday items. I love replacing commercial products with simple everyday things. With only one lemon left in the bowl, I am going to have to fill it again if I am ever going to keep up with the lemon frenzy. Here are a few favorite lemon recipes and ways to use lemons.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 lemons, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 Moth Hair's Pie Crust( Following)

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

"Moth Hair's" Pie Crust Recipe

Moth Hair is my friend Kathy here on the Island. She has shared many of her canning and baking secrets with me and we had so much fun in the kitchen! After 2 failed attempts at pie crust. Kathy shared her recipe and I have had only success.

In a large bowl combine:

3 Cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

2 Tbs Sugar

Cut In

1 1/4 Cup Tender Flake

Stir in

6 Tbs cold water

2 Tbs white vinegar

Once dough clings together divide into 2 balls. Wrap and refrigerate if need be.

Makes 2 crusts

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded sweetened coconut

4 tsp (18 mL) grated lemon rind

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) milk

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing:

2 tbsp (25 mL) cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, softened

1/2 tsp (2 mL) grated lemon rind

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) lemon juice

1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded sweetened coconut

Preparation:

In bowl, beat butter with sugar until light; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each. In separate bowl, whisk flour, coconut, lemon rind, baking powder and salt ; stir into butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of milk. Spoon into 12 greased and floured or paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Remove from pan to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in single layer in airtight container for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing: In bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy; beat in lemon rind and juice. Beat in icing sugar until fluffy. Spread over each cupcake; dip icing into coconut. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

"Miss J" and her friend waiting to sample :)

" Lemon Drop Martini"

Juice of 6 lemons

4 tablespoons sugar

6 fresh mint leaves

4 shots vodka

Ice in shaker

1 sugar-rimmed martini glass

Mix lemon juice, sugar and vodka in a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake well and pour into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with mint.

Use Lemon to:

1. Sanitize a chopping block. Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.

2. Eliminate the browning that occurs when food sits out too long. Sprinkle apple or pear slices with lemon juice before serving, or squeeze a bit into guacamole and give it a stir.

3. Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.

5. Decorate on the cheap. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny centerpiece. Or display a row of them along a windowsill.

6. Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture.

7. Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.

8. Shine the interior of copper cookware. Sprinkle a lemon wedge with salt, then scrub.

9. Brighten laundry whites. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the wash cycle of a normal-size load.

10. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

You Might Be A Farmer's Wife If:

2010-03-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

You Might Be a Farmer's Wife:

If you have a "mailing address"
If your driveway is longer than a stone’s throw
If you have a yard, but not a lawn
If your car’s color is two-toned and one color is gravel road brown
If the neighbor’s house is best viewed with binoculars
If you buy antiques because they match the rest of your furniture
If that pail with a hole in it is a flowerpot in the making
If your rock garden was hand-picked
If you consider "hot dish" a food group
If the "fresh ingredients" your recipe calls for reminds you to do the chores
If "wild game" reminds you of dinner and not the bedroom
If you can make a meal that can be ready in six minutes and will still be ready in two hours
If you’ve ever said, "Oh, it’s only a little mud."
If grass stains are the least of your laundry problems
If you can find a use for that old pair of jeans
If your husband says, "Can you help me for a few minutes?" and you know that might be anywhere from a few minutes to six hours
If Zaa Zaa Gabor is on your list of "Most Admired Persons"
If your husband gave you flowers, but you had to plant the seeds yourself
If family "pets" include farm animals
If your job in town is considered a farm subsidy

In less than a year; we have raised over a hundred birds here on the farm. We learned early about loss, and yet it doesn't get any easier. This past Sunday we lost 5 animals on the farm.

First thing Sunday morning Robert found Kumi, our Maremma Sheep Dog, lying beside one of our Rescued Isa Brown Hens watching the trees. We have been having a problem with raccoons and Kumi has fought and won many epic battles against raccoons.

Robert went on to take care of the "Meat Birds" and found one of the 2 week old chicks dead. It was a natural death and you expect that you might lose a couple.

Tanya, our mama duck, has lost 5 ducklings, we don't know what happened to all of them. It was sad to lose them. We have confined them and hope to prevent any further losses. Tanya is a young mother and we are inexperienced farmers so I hope that now we know better we can do better.

It was a sad day on the farm and I was thankful to be a farmer's wife, because it was the farmer who took care of all of the chore of what was called "D Day on the Farm". When life give you lemons...this farmer's wife says make a few lemon loaves.

Lemon Loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine (We prefer butter)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk, 2% is fine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, rind of

Glaze

lemon, juice of

1/4 cup sugarCombine lemon juice and sugar in saucepan. Stir and heat till sugar is dissolved.

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy.Blend in milk. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind. Pour into batter. Stir to moisten. Scrape into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake in 350f degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes.Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove to rack and while still hot, with a toothpick poke holes all over the top of the loaf, and spoon glaze evenly over.

Happy As A Duck In Water

2010-03-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Little Mama had all the ducklings out for a tour of the farm today. She even had them in water for a swim...just 1 day old. I was mesmerized by them today. Tanya has 12 little ducklings. Here are some pictures of the precious babies.