Friday, November 16, 2012

Recipe for Italian Sausage



Recipe for Italian Sausage
  • 2lb ground pork
  • 1Tablespoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon ground fennel seed. (Use whole fennel seed, measure amount, grind and add to pork)
  • 11/2 Tablespoon paprika
  • 1Tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic
  • 1Tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)
  • 1Tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • Mix all the ingredients together.  Best if you let the pork and seasonings set in the refrigerator for 12 hours before cooking, but can be used immediately.  Can be used to stuff casings or used as is. 

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Honey Roasted Peanuts

A simple, nutritious sweet snack that is particularly yummy we enjoy around our house are honey roasted peanuts.  I am not sure how others do it, but the way I make them is so easy and we have found that the nuts last a year or more when kept in a dry, glass jar with a tight lid. 

Simply place your raw, shelled nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  I put a piece of parchment paper under them just to make clean up a little easier.  Place the nuts in the oven on a setting of 300 degrees or less and let them cook.  You may want to stir them from time to time and you definitely will want to pay close attention to the process.  The nuts will quickly change from "roasted" to "burned" if you are not careful. 

Once you have removed the roasted nuts from the oven you can sprinkle them with a bit of sea salt or leave them unsalted, whatever your preference.  Then, drizzle honey lightly over the nuts and stir with a spoon to make sure they are all coated.  Leave the nuts to cool.  Once they have cooled, put them in a glass jar with a secure lid. 

The nuts will stick together and be a little messy to eat, but they are absolutely delicious and are a healthy alternative to peanut brittle. 

Please be careful with the peanuts when they are taken out of the oven as they are very hot and will easily burn the unsuspecting individual. 

According to Livestrong, peanuts contain the following nutritents:

Macronutrients

A single 1 oz. serving of raw peanuts has 7.31g of protein and 4.57g of carbohydrates, of which 2.4g are fiber. There are 13.96g of fat in a single serving, although most of this is made up of monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, with only 1.9g of saturated fat included in the total. One particularly healthful monounsaturated fat found in peanuts is oleic acid, the same fatty acid found in olive oil, which may contribute to cardiovascular health.

Micronutrients

Peanuts are high in vitamin E, with 2.6mg per serving, and folate, with 68mcg per serving. Other vitamins in peanuts include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, choline and betaine. Minerals in peanuts include manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium and zinc. Raw peanuts only contain 5mg of sodium, but this level can be significantly higher in peanuts cooked in salt.

Phytochemicals

In addition to the vitamins and minerals present in peanuts, they are also a source of some food components called phytochemicals that are not routinely measured in all foods but may hold health benefits for individuals who consume them. According to World's Healthiest Foods, peanuts are a source of resveratrol, an antioxidant phytochemical linked to heart health and the reduction of cardiovascular disease. Another powerful antioxidant phytochemical in peanuts is the compound p-coumaric acid, which is found at higher levels in roasted peanuts than in raw or boiled peanuts.


http://www.livestrong.com/article/261059-what-is-the-nutritional-value-of-peanuts/#ixzz2BfEhSCiz

Friday, October 26, 2012

Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck (aka Neck Pumpkins)





Crookneck Squash
The neck is solid and provides a lot of "meat".
I love the gorgeous color of this squash!  Beautiful when baked!
Traditional pumpkin color to the batter

Moist and delicious muffins made with Pennsylvannia Crook Necked Squash


We were given some heirloom Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash seeds this year.  At first, I was a little apprehensive about them thinking that the last thing I needed was another prolific winter squash to try to utilize.  After harvesting and cooking with what is also called the "neck pumpkin", I am a fan of this crazy edible gourd!  When cooked, the pulp is thick and the color is absolutely amazing.  When used to make pumpkin bread or muffins, the squash yields a rich pumpkin taste and a bread that is delightfully moist. 

For directions on how to cook the Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash click this link

If you would like my pumpkin bread recipe, you can find it here



Thursday, October 04, 2012

Korean Cow & Baby Sister

What do you do when you see a cow in Korea?  You take a photo for your cow loving sister back in the states! 

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

After Apple Picking by Robert Frost

 

After Apple-Picking

by Robert Frost

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Thirty Minute Mozzarella Workshop



















Photos (in random order) from our most recent "Making Mozzarella" workshop.  We will be offering more workshops starting late February 2013.

Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Reflections from Elizabeth on Buying Local in Korea

Illustration courtesy of Truth In Still Life



Some of you may remember that my "baby" sister Elizabeth wrote a blog post for us when we were having our "Meet The Farmer" guest blog  series several years ago. She was in Australia and New Zealand at that time.  She is currently in Korea teaching English and recently wrote to me telling of her experience at the local farmer's market.  When I read her words, they brought tears to my eyes because I realized: (a) my baby sister sees with her heart, not just her eyes (b) there is something about being a "small" farmer that evokes sentiments connecting us to other small farmers, even a world away (c) the feelings of connectivity are intensified (for me personally) when I get a glimpse into the life of another farm woman whose life, hopes, dreams as well as livelihood are presented in the product she is selling.

Here is Elizabeth's experience in her own words:

"Since I've been back to Jeju, I've made a point to buy all my produce at the 5 day market. It's so much cheaper, fresher, and I feel good knowing that I'm supporting the local farmers (all the produce in the supermarket comes from the mainland, not the island). I had a moment last Saturday when I was walking through an area of withered old women, schlepping their vegetables. There was one particular old woman, stacking tiny white onions perfectly into a bowl with such precision and care that it broke my heart. It just hit me that so many of these women have put their heart, soul, sweat into their produce. Those onions were that woman's lifeline. It was just so tragically beautiful, and I have a hard time expressing just how I felt or the magnitude of the moment...but I just wanted to share...and wish you could have been there to experience it with me."


Did this short account of Elizabeth's experience in the Korean Farmer's market evoke any feelings for you?  I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Friday, May 25, 2012

Baby Turkeys!

Six Calico Turkey poults were hatched out by a broody, buff Orpington hen between last night and this afternoon:

A very willing surrogate mother.

Two poults peeking out with a third one under momma.

This little one decided it was getting too crowded under there when there were four!

Look carefully and you will see six!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

No Kidding!

No Kidding!  The 2012 kidding season is over and we have seven beautiful baby goats!  Five of these babies have been sold (upon weaning), one will be retained and I have one buckling still available for sale as a buck or a wether.  It was an uneventful kidding season, thank God.  All the kids were born while I was away in Georgia. 

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Kids!

We have babies!  While I was away in Georgia with my grandfather, two of my goats had their kids.  My husband was here to check on them and all went well with both births.  Moonbeam, my fourth generation Miniature Nubian had triplets again this year.  (This is her second freshening.)  She is doing great with them and allowing all three to nurse.  Nutmeg is my unregistered Nubian x (possibly) Alpine that was bred to a Miniature Nubian buck and she had twins again this year.  The buckling got all the color of course! 

I will be posting more details in the "Animals for Sale" section of my blog soon!  (In the mean time, feel free to email me if you have specific questions and are interested in purchasing any of the goats.)

Things are just a bit hectic around here right now.  I just returned from my trip to Georgia where my grandfather remains hospitalized but will be sent home tomorrow morning under the care of hospice.  His days are short now and I will be returning to Georgia probably by the first of the week.

I have one more doe that is due to kid any day now and she looks as big as a barn!  Last year she had triplets, so we shall see what this year holds for us with her kids.  (She also rejected one kid last year.)

The goat kids were wonderful therapy for me when I returned from Georgia and brought smiles to my face with their total cuteness and playful antics.   

Fourth Generation Miniature Nubian Buckling can be sold as a buck or a wether. 
Fourth Generation Miniature Nubian Doelings for sale when weaned (Roan). One with blue eyes. 
Nubian x Mini Nubian unregistered buckling for sale when weaned.  (Possibly a small amount of Alpine in the genetics as well) Dam is my best milker. 
Nubian x Mini Nubian Doeling and Buckling unregistered.  At this time I believe I will retain the doeling for my herd as her dam is my best milker. 

Blue Eyed Doeling has been sold, pending deposit.

Colorful, spotted buckling has been sold, pending deposit.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Patrick and Friends

Yes, that's right.  Poor little Patrick who had no friends is beginning to be accepted with the rest of the herd.  Today was a good day for Patrick.

He was hanging out with a couple of the Jersey girls when they discovered something new in their shelter.

"Hey girls, what's this?"



Faith was the most curious one of the group.


"Watcha doin?"


"Come on, Patrick.  She doesn't bite."

 

Then the second best part to the day was when Patrick was able to nurse from Shar while she was distracted tasting the minerals. 



"Who cares if I am almost as tall as she is!  It's milk!"

But THE BEST part of the day was hanging out with friends.



"I love my new friends."

"I especially love Faith.  She is really nice."