Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Eight Weeks Till Spring



I am a list maker, and the one I am working on currently is "Cabin Fever List".
It includes inside projects to complete on short dark days.
 Last week I was able to check off Cleaning the Pantry.

The list for "spring is under construction

1. Move Chicken Coop
moving from back yard to side yard, closer to house
2. Extend Pig Pen
Currently the pen is divided half chickens and half pigs, but come spring their will be two piglets.
3.Garden Beds
Need to cut in two more beds and till all except the one full of garlic
4. Till the area that was once sunflower bed
It will again be the home of sunflowers.
5. Transfor old chicken coop from eye sore to lawn art
....

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Week 4 2013 Menu

Friday :Fried Clam Rolls
Saturday: Ham and Sweet Potatoes
Sunday: Turkey and the fixings
Monday: Baked Mac and Cheese with Ham
Tuesday: Turkey Pot Pies
Wednesday: Steak and Cheese Open Face sandwiches
Thursday: Chicken with Capers Rice

Minus Eleven


(photo's from Pintrest)
I need snow!
It would be an understatement to say it is cold outside. The temperature on the thermometer this morning read SIX, it feels like minus eleven. The ground and the water's were very frozen, there is very little snow cover left, I need snow. The big boys are getting stir crazy, they need to run and play and pull a sleigh and exercise.We have kept all three boys stalled the last few nights.This morning Tom was rubbing his butt on the wall at 3am and begging for attention,I suspect this is the most stall time he has ever had and the longest he has been kept from other horse play.(Bob acted as a substatute, but it's not the same).We still have not put Tom and Nickel out to get acquainted, the icy ground is just to dangerous.When you put two Big Belgians together for the first time, it is a spectacle.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Belgian Shuffle

the young man driving him in this photo is eleven

We purchased a new team mate for Nickel, his name is Tom.
Tom is nine and we bought him from a family who had him for two years, and had pulled with him a few times. (they took these photo's). We were told he was on an Amish Farm prior to that. We hope they will team well together. He is a nice color and size match.
We have not yet put Tom out side with Nickel, we want to do it on a day neither of us have to leave the farm, so we can be sure they are safe.
We are doing what I refer to as "the Belgian Shuffle". We have a new horse in the barn, named Tom. That added to the extremely cold temperatures has us rotating horses, in and out of stalls and pastures. Last night everyone slept in , and this morning the thermometer reads zero,and the wind chill for a minus ten.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Week Three Menu and Football Sunday

Friday: New England Style Fish and Chips
Saturday: &Layer Salad and Chicken Bombs
Sunday: Football Cowboy Steak and Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Monday: Turkey Sliders and potato Pancakes
Tuesday: Pork Ribs and Slaw
Wednesday: Beef Stew Home Baked Bread
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Missing My Charm Boy



Today I am sending a portion of Charm Boys tail away to be preserved. The artist is at Tails With A Twist in California. Can not wait to have it back, I'll post pictures. (if I can)


(see his beutiful tail)
(Charm on the right)
(and sexty dreads, like no other)
(Charm on the Left of photo)

Going On The To Do List


Seven Layer Salad



Shredded lettuce

1/2 C chopped celery

1/2 C chopped green bell pepper

1/2 C chopped green onions

1 can water chestnuts, drained

1 10 oz package frozen peas

About 1 C light mayonnaise

4-6 oz shredded cheese, your choice

8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped {I used thick cut, pepper bacon}





In a large, clear glass bowl, layer in this order:

Layer the lettuce half way up the side of the bowl. Layer on the celery, then the green peppers, then the onions, then the water chestnuts. For the peas, you can just run a little water over them in a strainer or colander to knock the chill off of them. Add the peas to the salad, then the layer of mayonnaise. I just used enough mayo to cove up the peas. Next add the cheese layer, then the bacon. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 8 hours.

A Time To All Seasons

One thing about farmers, they are always thinking about the next season.
Our plans for this winter included looking for a horse trailer and a hay wagon, two tools that would allow us more options to work our team.
With the untimely passing of Charm boy we have some decisions to make.
We have been doing lots of talking and praying.
What to do.......
Buy another team mate for Nickel , or work with what we have.
Jake is fully retied now and spends his time out in the pasture, with Mini and Cow, Nickel is alone in his pasture.
Having a team allows you allot more opportunities to work ,and an added expense... ugh what to do.
We are experiencing unseasonably warm weather, here in Maine.


On the surface this probably sounds like a good thing, however it is an added challenge.

We wake up to temperatures hovering around freezing 30- 32 the paddocks are coated with a sheet of ice.

 Then the sun rises and everything turns to mud, we are unable to drive the tractor into the paddock's without creating, huge rut's. The rut's freeze at night making it dangerous.

The Big boys walk in the snow and their feathers are nice and white, then they get shuffled from paddock to barn . Their heavy hooves splash mud up and down both them and I.

Most of the sledding snow has melted.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Menu Week Two 2013


Monday:  Old Fashion Yankee Pot Roast
Tuesday: Omelet Casserole of Smoked Ham
Wednesday: Chicken Fricassee
Thursday: Veggie n Beef Stir fry Over Rice
Friday: French Dip n Onion Soup
Saturday: Tips n Wedge Salad
Sunday: Boiled Dinner

Thursday, January 3, 2013

On The Menu Week One 2013

Friday:
 PAN SEARED SCALLOPS IN WINE REDUCTION
RICE PILAF
GREEN BEANS
Saturday:
COBB SALADS
CORN BREAD
Sunday:
SLOW COOKER BRAISED SHORT RIBS
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/recipe/for/braised-short-ribs-with-horseradish-creme/11894
Monday :
PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN BREAST
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-chicken-breasts-recipe/index.html
Tuesday:

HERB CRUSTED PORK CHOPS
MASHED POTATO'S
SLOW COOKER APPLE SAICE
Wednesday:
SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS
POTATO PANCAKES
Thursday:
FLAT BREAD PIZZA'S AND SALADS





Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Baby it's Cold Outside

Baby it's cold outside.
Here at the farm we are doing the barnyard shuffle.
The horses are spending days out side and evenings in their stalls. Chores are a real challenge, paddocks are a mess. Things freeze before you can clean correctly on these short days.

This morning we did chores in temps below zero.Water buckets are constantly in need of ice breaking. The heater on the hydrant struggles to keep up.
 Little hen fallows Jake out side in the morning then turns and runs back in his stall as quick as her little feet can go.
Kitty has not ventured out of the tack room for days. Bunny welcomed his bedding of tight packed hay last night and breakfast of hot oatmeal. 
All this and I am seriously considering bringing home a piglet this week end. Iam sooo tired of wasting groceries. I am making large meals of worm comfort food, and Bob and I just can not keep up.
Wondering if I should start freezing "pig scraps" for a spring pig, or do more winter chores.


The Farmers Almanac
January 2013:


1st-3rd. Showery, then clearing and cold.
4th-7th. Storm sweeps across Pennsylvania and New York with gusty winds and heavy precipitation.

8th-11th. Blustery and colder; snow showers.

12th-15th. Mostly fair.

16th-19th. Wet, then fair and cold.

20th-23rd. Heavy snow (half foot or more) for New England; lighter amounts farther south.

24th-27th. Scattered flurries.

28th-31st. Sharp cold front brings rain and snow showers, then clearing and cold