Thursday, April 28, 2011

Candy Apples for The Birthday Boy


Today is Nickels Birthday,  I am making candy apples.

Candy Apples , For Horses
this photo is from the ad I answerd,my first look


Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
•8 apples
•2-4 wooden skewers
•2 cups granulated sugar
•1 cup light corn syrup
•1/2 cup hot water
•1/2 cup red cinnamon candies, like Red Hots
Fresh Old Fashion Oats and broken candy cane/ peppermints
Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with Parchment paper and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Wash and dry the apples carefully. Remove the stems, and stick the skewers firmly in the stem ends of 2-4
3. Combine the water, corn syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 degrees. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to prevent crystallization.
4. Once the candy reaches 250, add the cinnamon candies and stir briefly to incorporate. Continue to cook, washing down the sides, until it reaches 285 degrees.
5. Remove from the heat and stir the candy so that it is smooth and even. Hold an apple by the skewer and dip it in the candy, tilting the pan at an angle and rotating the apple to cover it completely with a smooth, even layer. Bring it out of the candy and twirl it to remove excess, then dip it into the oats set it on the prepared baking sheet. Remove the stick and repeat with remaining apples.
6. Allow apples to cool at room temperature. Candy apples are best enjoyed within 24 hours.

This Week ends Menu




Looks like better weather ahead (no rain)
This is good news for Menu planning , because I am getting tired of" cold weather food"


Fri Apr 29 Partly Cloudy 69°/44° 20 %

Sat Apr 30 Partly Cloudy 62°/43° 10 %
Sun May 01 Partly Cloudy 67°/49° 10 %

Mon May 02 Partly Cloudy 64°/47° 10 %

Friday :
Grilled Pizza  and salads
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/grilled-pizza-recipe.html
Saturday
Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak,
 http://grillingtips.com/grilling-recipe/t--3212/grilled-stuffed-flank-steak.asp
Bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno
 http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-wrapped-stuffed-jalapeno-peppers-152465
Corn Bread and Potato salad
Sunday Fish and Chips http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/fish-and-chips-recipe/index.html

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Trimming Draft Horse Hooves

No rain , yay

 green grass


Tonight our Farrier Matt, came out to the farm.
Both of the draft horses received a trim.
This trim was not one of the regularly scheduled but needed .
Our two draft horses have very different hooves one from the other. Jake has shoes on his front feet, with clips,Nick has bare feet.
In a perfect world I would keep all of my horses barefoot, for ease of maintenance and cost. Jake's brittle chipping hooves called for shoes.
If you want to learn more about barefoot drafts,here is a good link. http://www.hoofrehab.com/draft.htm
Nickel has always had a consistent diet , and consistent care. Jake on the other hand I suspect has had consistency seance he landed on our farm.
The rate at which a hoof grows and wears depends on several things, including climate, terrain, genetics, nutrition, and daily use, to name a few. In the recent weeks both horses have been effected by climate and terrain, we have seen thawing from winter, wash out from mud season and a lot of rain. As a rule we have the Farrier out for maintenance every 6-8 weeks, with Bob trimming in between.

Bob has learned to rasp off the edges. Rasping takes a bit of strength and finesse,with draft horses due to their size.

Monday, April 25, 2011

April Showers

If April showers truly bring May flowers, then I am anticipating one heck of a bouquet.
It is raining again today, thankfully not down pours, but a steady cold drizzle.
Again today I collected three very large brown fresh eggs and one freakish, small one.
 The five day forecast shows rain every day. Around the farm I am just starting to see  daffodils open .

Sunday, April 24, 2011

AARON LEWIS - "Country Boy" (Official Video)

If I play this on a 24/7 loop, on my out door speakers, think the neighbors will enjoy...hmm. I Love It!

Blessings On Your Easter Day

One of my 4 grand dogs Jake

 Brunch
Baked Apple Pancake

FaRm FaShIoN????

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Comfort Food

His

and Hers


Changed the menu a bit, to accommodate the weather. Yesterday after our trail ride we had  Bruschetta with fresh home grown basil. Today we had beef tips and rice ,comfort food . Mr.Spring please come back, I Love and Miss You!

Spring ,SNOW

Yup, it is the day before Easter and it is snowing. A good day to do some baking, I guess. Yesterday  it was the nicest day in a week.  Bob and I went for a trail ride in the afternoon, today it is snowing. I have made the final changes to the Easter Menu, the shopping's done. I have begun cooking cake is cooling waiting to frost, cookies done, dip chilling in fridge.


What I will serve for brunch:
Roasted Garlic Spinach Dip

http://www.frontiersoups.com/blog/roasted-garlic-spinach-dip/
Fruit Kebabs and Honey Yogurt Dip
http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/03/fruit-kebabs-and-honey-yogurt-dip.html
Maple Sugar Bacon
Apple Puffed Pancake
http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2009/04/apple-puff-pancake.html
Banana Bread
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/05/19/the-ultimate-banana-bread-recipe-collection-banana-bread-bake-off-round-up/
Roasted Asparagus
http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2010/05/roasted-asparagus-with-green-garlic.html
Spiral Honey Ham
Home Fries
Spaghetti Squash
Carrot Cake

Thursday, April 21, 2011

This week ends menu, and eggs

So all I can figure is the weather has my hens confused. See mid last week I started getting 4 eggs per day,nice big fresh brown eggs. Then yesterday and today temps. were 34-40 and I got two egg's and this mini mystery. Well I think even with the confusion, I will have enough farm fresh eggs for Easter brunch. So here is Fridays menu, and Saturdays, Sundays Brunch I will post separately tomorrow.
Friday Roasted Red Pepper and Pasta
http://localfoods.about.com/od/summer/r/redpepperpasta.htm
Saturday Tomato, Red Onion and Fresh Basil Bruschetta
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tomato-Red-Onion-and-Basil-Bruschetta-242473
to test out my new Pamperd Chef Stone





Sunday easter Brunch
Tomorrow I plan  to post the Easter Menuu

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Unseasonably Cold

OK I know no one wants to hear me fuss about the weather ,but it is unseasonably cold.
Today ,it never got above 40:( The barn will be very full tonight!)

The good news is I have just enjoyed 24 hours family time, with my Mom.
My Mom lives in Massachusetts,and I had been missing her and invited a visit.
My Mom excepted and came by train via. The Down Easter.
My Mom excepted my invite with conditions, she said she would come and visit if I promised not to do too much, she did want me to "fuss and bother".  This was tough for me fuss and bother is my thing, I enjoy fussing over guests. I had a challenge what to do and serve without a "fuss".Originally the plan was to dig in the dirt, build my garden beds and enjoy the farm, but it is cold, and we are getting a very slow start to spring here in Maine.




I shopped the fridge and freezer and came up with a fish chowder

sausage and pepper quiche

hot fresh white bread(from freezer dough)It was a nice treat to have my Mom visit while I did chores, then fill up on a toasty dinner together in from the cold.

Today we left the farm at noon and went antiquing, Mom purchased herself a nice crock, and she treated me to this milk crate.I was happy to have this, I like farm memorabilia and thinking about the farmer that handled this. The crate I chose is from Cole Farm, the location that we now purchase our grain from. I am lucky to have a Mom I like, and love I know many people who are not so lucky!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

This Week ends Menu

yesterday, blah

All of the recipies from this week end come from Foodnetwork, although this was not intentional.
 As I was planning the menu what I was focused on was the weather, looks like rain Saturday night into Sunday.

Friday : Nacho's pico-de-gallo
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nachos-with-pico-de-gallo-recipe/index.html

Saturday: Cobb Salad with grilled chicken
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/grilled-chicken-cobb-salad-recipe/index.html
Bob is not a blue cheese fan, so I will substitute Parmesian and peppercorn.
Chocolate Trifle dessert

Sunday :Roasted Tenderloin of Beef
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/roasted-tenderloin-of-beef-with-spicy-crab-salad-recipe/index.html

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Splish Splash



What child does not want to play in the water, on the first nice days. Today I dumped out the water bucket, scrubbed and refilled and Nick took this as an invite...go figure kids!

Monday, April 11, 2011

catnip

crazy kitty

Spring Peepers







As the snow melts and spring thaw takes place the water in the creeks around the farm come alive.
Yesterday Lager thought it would be a good idea to make these his personal watering hole.
As soon as I spotted Lager lapping from the creek I put a stop to it, clearly not soon enough.
I was up all night with a two year old with a sick belly, at one thirty I gave up the fight and moved Lager to a stall in the barn.

This morning when the alarm clock sounded, I was questioning my sanity and this thing called a "simpler life".
When I stepped outside, with my morning coffee and started chores all I could hear was the spring peepers.
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=AR0014
Before Bob and I moved here to our farm, on Monday mornings we would wake to the sound of the dumpster at the local CVS being swapped out.

I love the chorus of these frogs , I stopped for a moment and listened and was reminded how much I love it on my farm, even when I'm sleep deprived.
Sometimes you just have to slow down and listen to your surroundings.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Puttering

My big scary watch dog

and my work horses

and do not forget the ferrel barn cat

I spent the day doing what my Dad would refer to as "puttering" surrounded by friends.
Puttering is a little of this and a little of that.
I did chores inside, made the bed vacuumed a rug, boiled a stock.
Then outside, cleaned the tack room, and the glass doors (including Kittie blanket), hung out a load of wash... The majority of the day was spent outside with Lager, we removed two tractor loads of stones from the back paddock and a tree root. Cleaned the chicken coop and rabbit hutch. The hardest work I've ever loved is on this farm.
If your wondering about the menu I made the Lobster  yesterday, it was loaded with flavor and allot of work. The chicken was roasted, and stock made the chicken salad is ready for Monday's lunch.
If you can stay awake until 9:30 watch extreme couponers on TLC amaising, we will probebly be sleeping.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Inside out / out side in






Still not the kind of weather to dig outside in the dirt, our garden beds are still frozen . I have been thinning out the snow piles,tosing them into the sun.
This morning started with temps. in the twenties. The past two afternoons have offered more pleasant temps. but as night falls so does the temperatures.
I have done some house keeping and started some lettuce in the hoop house.
Lettuce grows most easily in cool weather, making it the perfect first crop for the hoop house.
The easiest time to grow lettuce is in the spring. Even little lettuce seedlings can handle light frost.No frost will lay directly on my hoop house lettuce.
 If you do not have a hoop house (you can hire Bob to build one) or plant lettuce seed right out in the garden as soon as the ground is no longer frozen.
Seeds will germinate when the soil temperature is as low as 45° F. Seedlings purchased from the garden center or grown indoors can go in the ground a week or so before the last expected spring frost in your area.
In Maine we can see frost right till mid May.
In the house Sprouts are growing, I like these on salad and sandwiches but I also put them in Lagers kibble.
 I have re potted some Rosemary that will eventually end up out side , and some Aloe that will be kept inside for sun burn relief.
The side paddock has begun to dry , the back pasture if very wet.
If weather permits the drive way and paddock will be dragged this week end .
It will be so nice when  it is time for a fresh salad.
Wedge Salad


Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Ingredients


1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters

Blue cheese dressing

1 tomato, minced

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

On each salad plate, place 1 wedge of lettuce turned on its side. Pour blue cheese dressing on wedge. Sprinkle with tomatoes, green onions, crumbled blue cheese, and crumbled bacon
(Bob like's his with Peppercorn ranch)