Potato Planting Time!

Palm Sunday Snow

The Kids Meet the Children!

What a fun day it was at T. Cupp Miniatures!  Some of our share members were able to bring their children to the farm to meet Buttons and Bows, our Mini Nubian goat kids!  The children were so careful with the goat babies and things went very well!  Beautiful children and beautiful kids!  It doesn't get any better than that!  We had six children in attendance.  Thank you to the parents who took time out of their busy lives to share this experience with their children.  I believe it is so important for children to learn where their food orginates as well as to plant in them the desire to seek out humanely raised animal products. 

We had a snack of Chevre and Feta as well as the opporunity to drink goat's milk.  Each child went home with a bar of goat's milk soap. 

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Note:  Permission was received from the parents to post photos of the children and anyone who did not grant permission, their child's photo was not included. I was unable to get photos of everyone as it was difficult to monitor activities and photograph at the same time. In the future, we need a designated photographer for such events

Babies, Babies, Babies!!!!!

For those who may not know, Mike and I (the farmers) are welcoming three (human) grandbabies into our lives in the very near future!  Our daughter Kristin and her husband, Nate, are expecting twins in May!  Then, our other daughter, Alissa and her boyfriend, Gab, are expecting a baby in August!  Lots of joy in our home at this time as we anticipate the arrival of these little blessings!  Grandma T Cupp is very happy to have been chosen as babysitter for all three little blessings and that means that T Cupp Miniatures MUST downsize before that time!  (The Cupp Family Farm portion of our joint farming venture as a husband and wife team WILL NOT BE DOWNSIZING because SOMEONE has to make some money around here so we can buy things for the grandbabies!) 

With that said, please take a look at our "Animals for Sale" page (here) and see if we have anything there that might interest you!

And to brighten your day, here are a few of my favorite photos of the animal babies that were born on our farm last week.  We had a total of two goat kids and four calves born in a week's time.

Making Hand Pies

Hand Pies

I shared this photo on my Facebook Page and had several folks request the recipe.  Problem is, like with many things, I don't really have a recipe.  I should have taken photos while I was preparing the hand pies, but I didn't.  So, I will try to explain how I made them and hope that those wanting to replicate can make sense of it!

First of all, I used my recipe for pie crust made with leaf lard.  The leaf lard is seriously the secret ingredient that makes the crust so delicious and these little pies so scrumptious!  We raise our own hogs, fatten them up on Jersey milk and render our own lard. 

After making and rolling out the pie crust, I used a large cookie cutter to make the hearts and an extra large drinking glass to cut out the round pies. 

I had some cherry pie filling that I had made from cherries Mike picked several years ago and I used that to make my hand pies.  Basically, the way I make my fruit pie filling is to cook the fruit with sugar until it is soft and then add a bit of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken it up.  (You can also use flour and water to thicken it up if you are opposed to using cornstarch.  The cornstarch is less likely than flour  to leave lumps in the filling, in my opinion.)  Another good choice would be this apple pie filling that I have canned or make a peach version of the hand pie! 

In the center of the bottom crust of each little pie, put a small amount of your pie filling.  Then, cover the pie with the top crust.  Take a fork dipped in flour (and continue to dip it in flour as you go) to crimp the edges of your hand pies.  Then, place your little pies on a clear, glass, ungreased, Pyrex dish.  (I used a 9 x 13.)  Place your pies in the oven that has been preheated to 350 - 375 degrees and let them cook. 

Watch them carefully as you don't want them to burn and it doesn't take long to cook the little pies.  (I estimate maybe 10 minutes?) 

Remove them from the oven and you can then brush them with butter while they are hot (if you wish) and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Or, you can let them cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  You can also make a powdered sugar glaze by making a paste from powdered sugar mixed with a small bit of milk.  Or, you can just leave them plain, as they are really good without any additional sweeteners!

Allow the pies to cool on a wire rack is best, but you can improvise by allowing them to cool on a paper towel or kitchen cloth.  You just don't want them to sweat on the bottom when they are cooling. 

My intention was to freeze some of these little pies for snacks later but it doesn't look like I am going to have any left to freeze! 

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!

~ T Cupp

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. 

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