4.30.2014

Midweek Mixtape!! WARNING - It's ALL Tom Waits!

It's terribly windy out - a real WINDSDAY of sorts! Be careful out there! At the bottom of the page is an interview that I just love.... I was lucky enough to be able to see Tom Waits live at the Fox Theater in 2008 - a totally random surprise from someone that I didn't and still don't know very well.... isn't it funny how things just 'happen' sometimes?? That was one of the best nights of my life and it was just an extra ticket in the hands of a very generous person. Thank you soooooo much, Sam!!! 





4.27.2014

Sweet Stuff Sundaaaaaay! Cake!


I was in the mood for an old school yellow cake with fluffy chocolate frosting today....... Christian said this when he taste tested it: "It's like eating a hug." Ha! It really was!!
What you will need:

 - for the cake -
2 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 egg
7 egg yolks
3/4 Cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 C  "Cup 4 Cup" GF flour
4 Tb cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter three 8" cake pans.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, with a handheld mixer, mix together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.

Then add the egg. Then one by one, add the egg yolks until all mixed.
Add about a third of the flour mixture to the yellow butter, yolk, and sugar mix....
 ...then add about half the milk, then half of what is left of the flour mixture, then the rest of the milk, and then the last of the flour - basically alternating between four and milk....mix until smooth...
 Divide up evenly into the three pans. Bake for 17-20 minutes. I had my timer set for 17 minutes, but didn't hear it go off, so not sure exactly how long, but test with a toothpick to be sure!
While your cakes are baking, make the frosting......
What you will need:
1 stick softened butter
2 Tbs sugar
2 C confectioners sugar
6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix butter and sugar until smooth, add vanilla extract, mix in cocoa.

Slowly add confectioners sugar until all mixed and fluffy!
 Frost cake and viola! Eat and enjoy!!



4.26.2014

Saturday Farmday!! Update on critter-life at the farm....

 Today was a leisurely sunny day out at the farm..... Baby got to have a play-date with Dale and since we will be moving to our very own little slice of heaven in the next month, Baby wants to squeeze in some good quality playtime with her bud since she wont get the opportunity to see him quite as much after the move. She does love a good run with silly Dale.... He is gonna have to come visit at her new place!
For two pitbulls that were not raised together and were both rescues, they play so good together. The result of what a good, stable home can do for any living creature is heartwarming to observe in this way... Two dogs - underdogs and discriminated because of their breed, from two different places, and different times (Baby is 10 and Dale is 5) prove that environment has so much to do with the temperament of any living creature....

Now on to the goats.... Ellen is in milk ..... AGAIN. Third year in a row without being bred... Miracle girl... and Because I had never intended on milking her, I never got her ready to be handled as a baby... She is wild as they come and she won't let me near her udders!! Maybe at the new place, I will be able to get her to come around with some extra snacks or lure her in with some back massages ;)
 Eli was having a blast in the field on this warm and sunny day.... I love it when this big brute completely lets go of his usual bullying ways and reverts to this kid-like behavior .... whether he is sideways jumping and running or rolling around in the grass, this is the side of this goober that I love seeing.... He seems like a scary creature with those big horns and strong build, but he is really just a kid at heart!






Next on to Miss Milly-poo. She is having skin allergies or something...again.... so she is back in a shirt. I am hoping that the new distraction of such lush green new pasture might keep her so interested in other things that she might just leave herself alone... I will be taking extra precautions with all of the goats against that nasty meningeal worm with the new field....
No matter what bumps may be in the road ahead, this little one reminds me that we all have a little fight in us to push through..... I still can't believe that as young as she was when she got sick, she never gave in.
 Now let's see about Miss Misty.... She will tell ya that she is starved for attention, but let me just tell you now - that is NOT the case at all!! After the move, if all goes well, I may just consider breeding her this Fall.... She came into milk last year without being bred (yes, just like Ellen!!) and I actually milked her a bit last year and she loved being milked!
 Gonna miss these sheep when we move to the new place, but they are gonna love not having Eli the bully trying to be the boss of them!
 I have to say out of all the girls here, Ellie is the sweetest and most willing when it comes to taking care of hooves, milking, etc. She absolutely LOVED being milked. It was the sweetest, but with her and Eli being inseparable, I wouldn't feel right letting her kid and have to be away from Eli.. they truly are partners in crime and would be lost without the other....When you are able to witness friendships in animals, it warms the heart in such a special way.....
Well, in chicken news, Pancha has taken over the role that Aeon used to have...."lone last chicken to get into the coop".  She also runs up to me at night and likes to be picked up and loved on a few minutes before being put up. That girl... Eggs are back in regular rotation, the customers are happy, and shortly after the move I am going to build a second coop and get a new young flock for laying while the ones I have now will live out their days in the "geriatric non-egg-producing coop" - I have several who haven't layed in quite some time.... Hope you all have a great Sunday!!!! I'm planning a classic yellow cake from scratch with homemade chocolate frosting for the sweet treat tomorrow!

4.25.2014

Weekly roundup of #100happydays!! It's FRIDAAAAAAAY!!!

day 80:
....an early morning burst of color...

day 81:
...best buds....

day 82:
...morning cuddles....

day 83:
....pretty perfect placement...

day 84:
...my Babycakes...

day 85:
...Elle & Eli - always together in the field...

day 86:


4.24.2014

want/ need/ hear/ read

want:
"Do you prefer "local" to the express? Do you like nature like it's going out of style? Then you just may be a Hickster. Where name brand is someone you know. Being a Hickster doesn't mean you crave compost. It does mean cutting edge urban living leaves you wanting something more. That's where we come in."

 Get your 'Hickster' hat HERE.

I actually just ordered mine yesterday.... It shall be making an appearance on the blog soon.... ;)
need:
new fencing for my new farm !!! Eeeeek! At least this will be a permanent fence for my babies! When I did this three years ago, I wasn't nearly as excited since it wasn't MY land.... 

hear:

read:

I ordered this book,  NOMA, Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine,  last year, but was completely intimidated by the thing! It has beautiful and amazing photographs, and what this chef does is pure magic and passion.... and even landed his place the title of Number One restaurant in the world. Last week I caught Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" and it was all about NOMA. I watched the episode and am gonna pick up this work of art once again... Rene Redzepi is so fun to watch and listen to - the things he creates are out there and I by no means will ever attempt to recreate, but do plan on being a bit more adventurous in making my own foods!



Check out this preview of the episode and if you can catch it on tv, it will blow your mind - in the meantime, just buy the book! 

4.23.2014

Farmbaby Fotos....

 Just a few pictures from the farm today.....

Ellen....
 Misty...
 Eli's snout....
 Pretty Ellie....

 Pancha girl!





 Eli hug..

 Eli + Ellie = true love 4Ever :)
 My Milly-poo....
 Babycakes....