NOODLE INSPIRATION!!!

For weeks I hounded the Farmer to keep the second Saturday of September project free, so that we could take a mini-vacation( we go after chores are finished in the morning, return before choretime in the evening) to Clarita Oklahoma, to attend the Amish School Auction. I have a deep fascination for the people that choose to live a simple, productive life, free from the clutter of modern technology, high tech communication, and the quagmire of  junk that infiltrates our lives in the form of offending language, immodest clothing, uncontrollable children, religious indifference. The Farmer often comments on how interesting it would be to try to live one day as the Amish do, to see if we could "cut the mustard". I ponder wistfully about saying farewell to all of my kitchen gadgets. We found ourselves smack dab in the middle of  an Amish farm with thousands of other people, coming to support the efforts of the community to raise money for their school. As I understand it, the children go through grade 8, then begin working  to prepare themselves  for marriage and family. The boys, learning a trade, farming, woodworking, ironworks, etc. The girls, learning family and household responsibilities. I would bet the farm that there isn't an Amish girl to be found that doesn't know how to make a decent biscuit. As we wandered the pastures and watched  as the modern world invaded the peace and tranquility of this Amish farm, with automobiles, mobile phones, bare legs and heads,  I could not help but notice the people that moved with quiet dignity, dressed in simple, nondescript clothing, the children well behaved, the adults politely tolerating the curiosity of the"outsiders" like myself. Whether their beliefs are wrong or right, their dedication to them is noteworthy.  Just being in their presence made me want to be a better person.....and cover my knees.  In my guestimation the day was an overwhelming success for the school, as we guaged by the endless lines for food and the generous bids on the gorgeous quilts that were auctioned, and the fact that it took us an hour to find our car in the vast pasture/ parking lot. My treasure for the day was several packages of homemade noodles. Our supper for the evening was homemade chicken noodle soup. The Farmers first comment after eating was, "Am I going to have to get you a noodle maker?"  Sometimes that man is so astute, it amazes me! Back home on the farm we are preparing for fall. The tomatoes are setting small fruit, the fields are getting plowed ready for Spring planting. The strawberry fields will be prepared in the next two weeks for October planting.  It is almost time to start the courting season of the does. They will be reunited with their one and only in a couple of weeks. The goat milk supply is remaining steady, the cow milk supply is going to dwindle for a while, as we are preparing for winter calves. MARKET HOURS:  Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Special appointments can be made throughout the week for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

HONEYS HARVESTING HONEY!!!

The honey is flowing, time to harvest the summers hive bounty! The Farmer and Son are carefully assessing the amount of honey in each hive, determining what the winter supply will be for the bees. If there appears to be more than sufficient, honey filled frames will be exchanged for empty ones, we will have honey. Autumn is just around the corner, the slightly cooler weather and rain have given us a nudge toward more fall planting. The strawberries were ordered this week, set to arrive in October for planting. As they come from Nova Scotia, it is necessary for the weather to cool a bit so they all don't expire in the Texas heat. The pumpkins are blooming, as are the fall tomatoes and peppers. The asparagus patch is lush with folage, the fig trees we planted seem to have taken hold. The animals seem to be a bit more lively, due in part I am sure to the cooler weather. Poppy is waiting patiently for her calf to be born, she watches wistfully from the far pasture every morning as the Farmers son brings the cows up to be milked. I know she is anticipating her turn on the milk line, and the all of the special sweet feed she can gobble down. The cow milk is limited, as the girls are on the downside of their milking cycle, soon to be turned dry ready for their new calves. The newest chickens are coming of age. The egg production should increase soon. We lost a few in the intense heat and to a very crafty coyote that would invade the chicken yard. He met his demise a couple of nights ago, sneaking away from the scene of the chicknapping, outsmarted by the Farmer, he went out with a BANG!! amid a flurry of fur and feathers. The goat milk production is holding steady, the girls did not seem phased by the hot weather. The market is still bustling on Saturdays,  plenty of dairy, honey, preserves, baked goods,(sourdough is back), ground beef, some frozen fruits and veggies from the summer harvest. MARKET HOURS: Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Special appointments can be made throughout the week for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

CAT ON COW!!!

Every night Bitty Kit finds a snuggly place to sleep, atop Phantoms back. I catch them giving each other a licken' bath early in the morning, before they start the day. What a wondrous thing!

THE GADGET QUEEN!!!

Some women have a penchant for shoes, some for flashy jewels, I have a thing for kitchen gadgets. If you were to stroll through my kitchen and pantry, you would see contraptions old and new that  would cause you to pause and wonder, what in the world is that for? If it can make a kitchen chore a little easier, I am going to find it and try it. Look at my jam and jelly maker. Just toss in the fruit, sugar, pectin, push a couple of buttons, and wait 20 minutes or so and voila! JAM. I have a gismo that stirs itself, while cooking, great for making caramel and candy. My ice cream maker mixes and freezes ice cream without pre freezing the canister or using salt and ice. If you visit and want donuts, cake pops, homemade ice cream sandwiches,caramel apples, chocolate covered anything, fresh squeezed juice, quesadillas, you name it . I even explored and found an only used a few times, Otis Spunkmeyer cookie oven on E-bay and now bake my cookies and muffins at an even temperature in a compact, air and heat controlled oven. I must admit I have fallen for a few humdingers advertised, and have made it a rule written in stone, to check reviews before purchase. There is something out of kilter when you look at a hard boiled egg with the top part missing! I do like my GREEN non stick frying pan. I rationalize that all of this paraphanalia makes my kitchen chores much easier, faster, funner, so as I am peeling and coring apples with my whirly ma jig apple thingy, or popping the pits out of cherries with my cherry pitter, I keep my eyes open for the next great discovery to add to my kitchen repetoire. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

AND THE HEAT GOES ON!!!

The Farmer's son found this watermelon in the patch, weighing in at a whopping 28 lbs.! The summer is taking it's toll. Although we have had some rain and cooler than normal temperatures, 90 plus degrees is a bit much for tender plants. It is time to plant pumpkins and some of the fall crops. As the heat, and the hordes of grasshoppers have given us a challenge, we are looking forward to the fall, when everything will have a new start. The CSA program is on sabatical until the fall, as we were not prepared for the disease and insect problem, due to the warmer than average Winter/Spring. It can certainly be said that not one iota of farming is routine. A sinister culpret has been preying on our baby goats. Three nights in a row, during the dead of night, a baby has been taken from the paddock, no sign of struggle, no drag or dig marks under the tall fence, just a distraught momma goat, pacing the fenceline looking for her little one. We have heard rumors of mountain lions, bobcats, mexican cougars in the lake bottom, now we are inclined to believe they exhist. Something scaled our fence, snatched a young kid, and jumped back over, without a trace. We have brought the wee ones up to the barn at night, for their protection and have set up a game camera in an effort to solve the mystery. Speaking of mysteries, the solution came to light, after the fiasco of trying to put the new chickens up at night in their new to them chicken house. I would catch a couple, put them on the roost, go catch another couple, and when I came back the first two had flown the coop! After about thirty minutes of chasing chickens, the light bulb over my head flashed on. There must be something in the house that is unsettling the chicks. Got my flashlight, scoured the inside, a 6 foot snake reared its ugly head, as it slithered along the roost. It was up to me to save the day, as the Farmer was on duty. After a little tangle with the snake, problem solved. I still get the willies thinking how frightened the chicks were every time I forced them in there. Due to the intense heat, we are suspending the outside, serve yourself produce. Scorched peaches, and tomatoes are not very appetizing. MARKET HOURS: Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Special appointments can be made throughout the week for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

SIMMERING THROUGH SUMMER !!!

Working outside in 90 degree heat every day has an added bonus. Being a little on the mizerly side when it comes to paying utility bills, I have convinced the Farmer and Son that 79 degrees in the house, is really quite " Chilly". So far there has not been much argument, as they both know that if they squawked about it, it wouldn't do much good. If the temperature throughout the days stays near the triple digits, all will be well. The only glitch is when the Farmer dons his uniform on and spends his Fireman time in a 65 degree Fire Station. He comes home to unthaw! We are winding down for summer, harvesting the summer crops. Watermelons, cantaloupe, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, peppers, etc. are still in abundance. The grasshoppers have swooped in and hopefully there will be enough to satisfy their voracious appetites and leave some for us. It is about time to plant pumpkins. The fall tomatoes will be started this week, as well as preparing the soil for the fall/winter crops. The market has been busy on Saturdays, as nothing says summer like fresh picked produce and home canned preserves. As some may have noticed, the baked goods have been a little light. Baking all day in a hot oven would certainly debunk my ruse of a chilly house. Muffins and cookies will just have to wait. MARKET HOURS: Saturday from 10:00 AM unil 4:00 PM,  call ahead throughout the week for a special appointment for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!