Sunday, March 29, 2009

A Good day To Make Whoopie







...Pies






Today has been a raw ,wet day . It has been raining from the time we awoke. Bob and I completed our chores early , and then took a ride to The Home Depot , at the Depot we purchased supplies to make a rain bucket.



A rain bucket seemed like a perfect plan for a rainy day.



When completed the rain bucket will collect rain of the roof for reuse in the raised beds that will host my vegitables this year.



The rain bucket project is on hold.



I thougt I had a source for a collection bucket, George.



However all the buckets George had, have no top they make awsome watering buckets for Belgians , but they do not work for collecting rain.



I now have to find some one who will trade a bucket with no top for one with a top. With out a rainy day project I had to come up with somethin else to do.



Plan B: cook



I made a huge breakfast of home frys and steak n eggs.



We had steak/ chicken and potatoes and roasted veggies for dinner last night when Liz and George visited.



The eggs were farm fresh from a customer of mine, so this was a very economical breakfast.



Then I boiled the balance of the dinner left overs , roasted veggies and chickedn to make a broth for tonights soup.



After the broth was done and the kitchen was clean I putterd around the yard ( as Vue would say), and barn in the rain. I came in with a chill and decided to make whoopie pies.



Bob hates to run the heat so running the oven was a chance to take the chill off.



Bob loves whoopie pies so this is a win win.






Whoopie Pies



2 1/4 c flour



1 1/4 c sugar



1 c cocoa



1 1/2 tsp baking powder



1/4 tsp salt



2/3 c shortening



1 c milk



2 eggs



1/4 tsp cream of tarter



2 tsp vanilla



For the filling



1 c crisco



1 c Fluff



1 tsp vanilla



1 c confectionary sugar



Sift flour sugar cocoa powder salt together in bowl .1



In bowl 2 blend shortening , milk eggs cream of tarter and vanilla mix together for cake batter> spoon onto cookie sheet bake 350 8-12 min while cakes are cooking and cooling make filling.Fill cakes.









It is odd to me that Bob loves these so. When we started dating he visited one day after school and my Mom was baking them and he loved them instantly, however when we first married we were so broke I packed him peanut butter and fluff every day for lunch and he now hates fluff at least in the sandwich form.

"Hay Dad We Want To Help"






We purchased so more hay from Mr. Gray, up the street.
It is a lot of work to get it down from his tall pile , onto the truck and then into the trailer.
However the boys were very happy to see Daddy bring home more hay. Both Nickel and Jake stood by the fence looking very willing to help with the unloading process.
Bob has gotten quite good at stacking the truck. I remember the first time we picked up hay for Nickel in RI. Bob fell off the side of the truck , that was two years ago and we are starting to learn this farm thing.


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Verdict still out




This morning at 5:45 am I was cleaning the barn , and wondering why the hounds were howling non stop. When I went to investigate, I found a large red tail fox 7' from the kennels . I went up stairs to get the camera and when I came down the fox was eating Minni's hay. Kittie was out and did not seem at all threatened, so I do not think the fox is what treed Pieces. Bob and i think it was a fisher cat or a coyote. When it comes to fisher cats "attacks on domestic cats may be documented, but zoologists suggest a bobcat, coyote, or dog is more likely to kill domestic cats and chickens."


During pursuit, a coyote may reach speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h),and can jump a distance of over 4 meters (13⅛ feet).
On Monday the coyotes were out back and making lots of noise.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

sprouting











The sprouts I started last week have finished their cycle they have sprouted. Bunny was very happy to eat the fruits of my labor. As bunny was enjoying his treats trouble was sprouting ( I wish I had pictures).Last night Pieces did not come in . I called him this morning and at lunch and no luck. When I got home I did some outside chores while searching , with still no sighting. Then Bob came home,and he searched. Kitty was at least 30 feet in the air in a tree at the very back end of the club. Bob had to climb 1/2 way up the tree and carry him down. Now every one is home and I can go take a cat nap before we do this again.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Practice Practice Practice
















One of the club members/Dick had an old 4 cart in his yard. So Bob picked it up in the back of the truck, hauled it home and lifted it out with the tractor. All it needed was some air in the tires and the Team was off to practice. They did very well considering the neighbor was grating the street at the same time.

If you want to be happy for an hour take a nap
















If you want to be happy for life buy a team of Belgians.

The boys thought today was a good day for a nap. Pig agreed.

As I watch them sleep I think how far Big Jake has come. There was no way these two boys would of let their guard down enough to nap like this , together 4 months ago.

Friday, March 20, 2009

even the water is moving



it is a very good sign to see water moving away from the yard

First Day of Spring











"Recall that whatever lofty things you might accomplish today, you will do them only because you ate first something that grew out of dirt."--Barbara Kingsolver








Today is the first day of spring, that is to say we have officially made it through our first winter in Maine at Hooves and Hounds Farm.








Today was a beautiful first day, 41. Bob is working on his spring cleaning and the garage is done. New shelves are up, the ones that came with the house fell under the weight of the barn cats.




The renovations include a over the window post for the cats, I will keep you up to date as to when they find it. Although it is spring Bob had a barrel fire burning when I got home (You might be a red neck if...)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

A good day for a nap
















Nickel apparently can not wait one more day (for spring) or for a nap in the sun.





Now that Nickel has Jake to stand guard while he naps he decided to do just that. Here he is hunkered in against his run in (under his favorite brushes) for an afternoon nap.





PS. The big one with the long tail is still Nickel , Jake has gained weight but not that much YET.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2 More Days


Spring is Friday and I am trying to be patient. The mornings still have a chill. This morning the wind shield had a coating of frost. Bob drove me to work yesterday and today, as my winter truck has no heat, and although I got through the winter in Maine with no heat in my vehicle , we are nearing the seasons end and given the choice I choose a ride with heat.Bob finds pleasure each morning in announcing how much additional sunlight the day will hold. I have seen a large quantity of birds and different types. As I travel about town I see more and more maple syrup taps. Sunday is the official Maple Sunday with a number of local sugar shacks open and farms welcoming folks to wonder. I hope to visit a couple of farms (and eat one breakfast). I hear that on Tuesday another baby lamb was born down the street, I have decided I like lambing season more than mud season. I started a new batch of sprouts on the window . Growing more sprouts is a bit silly. I grew a healthy batch a couple weeks ago and decided I do not quite like them. Sprouts are not even all that beneficial to my diet, however they grow easy they are a sign of life and my bunny loves them, and after all it is about the comfort of the critters.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

No corn beef







or cabbage.



Tonight we had left overs.We Never have left overs, however change is good. I am not adapting well to the cooking for two.On the week ends I tend to cook more than we can eat. Saturday I made 2 huge turkey breast with stuffing and potatoes. Sunday we went to Maple Sunday so I put an 8lb ham in the oven (yes 8.8 lb actually) We ate when we came home from the club event.I could not throw out the left overs. I have come to the realization that I spend 88% of my pay at Shaw's.So tonight we had home made turkey soup and ham w/ cheese.We have added 3.25 hrs of day light , the boys were happy to be out,Lance was happy to be in.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

If you did not count your blessings today




you might need to rethink the day. Today was an awesome day. A day full of blessings. Bob and I were on a week day schedule,that's to say we got up at 4am. That in its self is no thrill. However pitching in and getting our chores done by 6:30 am was the first of many blessings. We went to the club to join Maple Sunday ( visit Abenakiclubmaine.blogspot.com) worked hard and helped to raise some funds, while meeting some folks. We then came home and made cookies before taking Nickel for a drive.


Oatmeal Chocolate chip\heat oven to 350


Beat together 1/2 lb (2 sticks) Butter and 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar.


Add 2 eggs and 1tsp.vanilla and beat well blend in 1 1/2 c flour1 tsp baking soda and Cinnamon add and beat well add 3 c Oat meal mix well and a cup of chocolate chips or raisin's bake 10=12 min.


Saturday, March 14, 2009

still more







OK maybe we try to squeeze more then necessary into a day. I am going to blame it on Spring feever.

One week till spring











The first week of March brought a howling storm that raged for two days and piled drifts of snow against the Barn. Today the snow is melting we did chores and went to Andys for grain. People are starting to bring Andy sap for maple syrup. Daddy took the big boys for a walk, when they returned they sunned themselves and acted like they had been worked hard, they are big fakes.

As the saying goes
















March roared in like a lion, and this gives new meaning for me to out like a lamb. Our neighbor's the Michaud family have a farm full of activity with beautiful baby lambs being born. One of the little cuties was rejected by her Mommy so she is inside being cared for.The other 6 new Born's are in the barn.