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

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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)

04/08 weekend menu

Friday : Crepes with Ham n Cheese
http://cooking-from-scratch.blogspot.com/

Saturday : Lobster Fettuccine
 http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Main/Pasta/recipe.html?dishid=11383

Sunday Morning Fried Eggs on top Bacon Burgers BBQ

Sunday: Roasted Chicken
Monday ;Home Made Chicken Salad Sandwiches sweet potato fries

Making stock as well
CHICKEN SALAD WITH GRAPES
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,146177-238194,00.html


1/2 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 c. cut-up cooked chicken
2 med. stalks celery, chopped
1 c. seedless green grapes
Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with chicken and celery. Cover and refrigerate. Stir in grapes and serve on lettuce
For variety use bacon, eggs, walnuts or tomatoes

Playing in the dirt

Summer Countdown

76 days, (2 hours, 48 minutes until first day of summer)
Today on the Farm
Sunrise
6:15 A.M.
Sunset
7:14 P.M

Cold *29 morning , sun shining bright day,with a cold air and increasing wind, 6:00 snow showers.
The chickens are not laying,at all but they are venturing out onto the lawn.
Most of the snow has melted, I see some buds on the trees and the flower beds.
Today I played in the dirt, in my hoop house, it felt very very good.


Chicken Wings Recipe
2 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of Dijon mustard

4 Tbsps of soy sauce

5 lbs of chicken wings; tips removed & cut into 3 parts

1 cup of butter

Place a large nonstick skillet with butter. When the butter melts, fry the chicken wings ’til golden. Transfer to a crock pot.Combine the sugar, soy sauce and mustard in a small bowl. Stir ’til smooth. Heat it using same skillet used for frying chicken.Simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Pour this over the chicken. Mix well. Cover with lid. Set heat to low. Cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Maine outdoors in April...muck, mess and misery.

It's not called Mud season for nothing! Just like Maine produces prize winning strawberries and lobsters, it also provides an abundance of that gooey Springtime mess. MUD
In my Maine garden, the only way to get from winter to spring is to pass through the least delightful of seasons – mud season.

Mud season is created when moisture from snow melt (often accompanied by spring rains,like yesterday and today) cannot drain away because the ground is still frozen. At first, all this moisture forms large puddles. Then, as the ground begins to thaw, it absorbs moisture, softens and turns to mud. As my neighbors and I drive in and out on our dirt lane, the soft ground forms muddy ruts.
At the front of the house by our farms sign, a forsythia is covered with buds.Today I cut some to force indoors.
MUD PIE
8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 lb. butter

1/2 to 1 c. confectioners' sugar

2 pkgs. instant pudding

2 1/2 c. milk

12 oz. Cool Whip

20 oz. pkg. Oreo cookies



Cream together the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar. Mix the instant pudding and milk together, then add to the creamed mixture. Fold in Cool Whip. Crush Oreos in blender. Layer Oreo crumbs and pudding. Refrigerate until time to serve.

My New Favorite Chef

Meet my newest favorit chef Chuck Hughes

The American Food Network ran an episode of Iron Chef America that pitted Chuck Hughes against Bobby Flay, Chuck won.
I already love Bobby Flay , and the two cooks are very similar.
It was only the second time a Canadian chef has won an Iron Chef battle, the other being Vancouver’s Rob Feenie. Hughes is also the youngest Canadian to compete so far.
Bob and I have watched Chucks Day Off a couple of times, and really liked his cooking style.
This week end we watched an episode I can not get my mind off, with Lobster Fettuccinie, I see this in our future. I have made Lobster Fettuccinie in the past, but this stock looked amazing.
Now to decide what will be on the menu this week end
1. Portugues chicken
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chuck-hughes/portuguese-chicken-with-chorizo-and-clams-recipe/index.html
or 2. Lobster Fettuccinie
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chuck-hughes/lobster-fettuccine-recipe/index.html
check out the Fried Mars Bar
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Dessert/Chocolate/recipe.html?dishid=9983
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishid=11592

I still also love Jamie Oliver but seasonal cooking is tuff when the weather is a fine mix of April showers, sun and snow.

Where is my friend

Bob took each of the boys out with the drag, to exercise. When Nick went without Jake , Jake voiced his opinion. This is Nick when Jake went with Daddy ,for his turn.

Plan B

So I had the week end menu written , and the shopping list done when I started looking at a grilling book.
I turned the page and spotted a picture of Flank steak with roasted pepper and feta stuffing. One look and I was sold, this looked like something Bob would love.So this morning I made a pulled pork for sandwiches over the week end , a lasagna for Sundays dinner and prepped a flank steak, we just had for dinner.
You lay the flank steak on a cutting board, and trim of silver skin and fat.

Hold your knife parallel to the board, and butterfly the steak.

Roast and peal a red pepper. Stuff steak with feta , pepper and bread crumbs. Roll, tie and grill 15 min each side

rest, slice and plate

 We had with spinach and rice. Have a yummy Saturday.

April Fools Day Snow , not funny

Wednesday /yes Jake's chin is resting on Nick's neck

Wednesday, by the fire

Today April 1st

Wednesday I was raking the yard, while Lager rolled on the lawn. Today we woke to 4 " of fresh snow , blahh. We now have 8-10 inches.
To take my mind of the snow I am thinking about Easter ( 23 days away), I am looking at invitation idea's, table settings, menu, and favors.

We will be celebrating Easter with a Spring  Brunch menu.

Of course a holiday calls for a King Arthur's Flour Order
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/landing.jsp?go=home&ref=ti&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=kaf&utm_campaign=brand&utm_term=king+arthurs+flour&gclid=CIefnvXT-6cCFQU6gwodnhLLqg

I think I will make the favors with supplies from Garnish
http://www.thinkgarnish.com/store/scripts/default.asp

I have found some wonderful menu idea's on  the Internet
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
Mustard – Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon
Apple Puffed Pancake
http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2009/04/apple-puff-pancake.html
http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2010/04/mustard-brown-sugar-glazed-bacon/
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
Ham n Cheese Quiche
http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/10/easy-ham-and-cheese-quiche.html
A Birthday Cake for my "new" son in law : Carrot Cake
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/classic-carrot-cake-mix
Grilled Lamb Chopps
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/grilled-lamb-chops-recipe/index.html