On Vacation to Washington

Ok Readers, I have packed up my car and Tomorrow, Monday Morning 3/22/09. I will be on the road until March 31st. I will not have computer access until I return. Celebrating my Mom's 80th Birthday with Family in Washington. I hope you will come back to read my blog April 1st.. (not a joke) I will be back! With pictures & stories for sure..... Clay & the doggies will be home taking care of the chickens!

I wish you all Happy Spring, Happy Planting, Happy Thrifting, Happy Week. Enjoy and Relax when you can. Be safe......

Cozy in completed Studio

We finished the Hen Studio Finally!

The girls have lived here a few months while we slowly finished the exterior .
It is ready and occupied by three happy hens. Later we will bring the 7 new girls to join them when they are ready.

Lucille is laying there in the nest (if you look closely.)

We found extra cedar siding behind the backyard fence and there was just enough to put on the studio. It matches our house perfectly. My husband did a fabulous job. (I helped and gave many Unsolisited suggestions , which did not go un-noticed through out the project. ) Today he is still on the helping end of the honeydo list, He transplanted a forcythia bush in the front yard. I have a few other things for him to do, but will be happy to assist him in his timeframe..... The list includes tilling the garden, getting aload of compost dirt so we can plant and I want some more shrubs planted, including the marion berries, and a fig tree.. I know he will be happy that I will be gone a few days so he can relax & do his own projects.. He has built 3 nesting boxes and put those around the property, We are hoping the Mallards that arrived last week on the pond, will settle in and raise a few ducklings. That will be cool.. I will be leaving to visit my Mom & sisters & my kids Sunday morning in Washington. We are having a surprise 80th Birthday party for Mom. We expect a large turnout of family & friends. My Husband will stay home this trip to tend to the chickens, ducks, & dogs, but to show my appreciation I did baked him some oatmeal cookies today. It was the least I could do don't ya think?

A great Gift from Gail

I went to Gail's house to see my baby chicks. They are doing very well. I loved the visit with Gail. We shared many ideas, thoughts and true friendship in the making. I have found it more than once when I meet certain people, you know when you just click and you have a lot in common. I feel this way when I am with her. What a great testiment to farmgirl sisterhood. I had admired an idea she has displayed on one of her walls, A rake head , she has hung her wine glasses on the tines. What a great idea. Well, Gail gave me one today. She said she knew I liked hers so now I have my own. I decided to use mine differently, I am hanging my aprons on mine. I think it is a cute repurposed item. Perfect in the entry to my kitchen. Thank You so much Gail! I think she will be a good companion to thriftshop with for sure.

A little visitor is coming!

Yes, Charlie is coming to visit his Great Grandma. My mom will celebrate her 80th birthday on March 28th. This little guy is her 11 Great Grandchild. She does not know that my son & his wife are coming from Denver with Charlie. I have 3 sisters and we are planning this Surprise Birthday Party for Mom. I will be driving to Washington State Next Monday. Topping off the surprise, I am bringing along with me Mom's sister! another of her sisters is already in Washington visitng her daughter..It has been a big job gathering people *30 in the count so far to attend. To make it more special.. for me...All 3 of my kids will be there too. But back to this little guy.. he is going to be 5 months old Thursday, and look at those cheeks! My son is a magician (by trade) and his wife is a muralist. They are fortunate that their work schedules allow one of them to be with him so he does not have to go to daycare. Charles was born, if some of you remember on my birthday,October 19th , so I have not held this little dumplin since I left Denver two weeks after his birth. Yeah, this Gramma is very excited. Now th biggest problem I foresee is that his "2 aunties" my daughters.. have not even met him yet & they will be fighting over who gets to hold him. I think I should get priority don't you? After all He was my birthday pressie..

St Pat's Day ( Are you wearing Green?)

OH, I am not of total Irish Heritage, but do have a wee bit o' Irish blood running through my veins, along with the English, Scotch and the Dutch. Mostly I am American and when I think 0f St. Patricks Day of course I think, of my childhood days when upon waking for school I recalled, "I must put on something GREEN as not to get pinched." I also think of Shamrocks & Leprechauns like most people. But I also think Spring and with Spring come new growth, new farm babies and a promise of good things happening. (I suppose because I am an optimist I would think that.) I also like many others think about Corned Beef & Cabbage for dinner.

Well, Guess what? It seems that corned beef and cabbage is more of an American St Patrick’s Day tradition. According to *Bridgett Haggerty of the website Irish Cultres and Customs their research shows that most likely a "bacon joint" or a piece of salted pork boiled with cabbage and potatoes would more likely have shown up for an Easter Sunday feast in the rural parts of Ireland. Since the invention of refrigeration, people eat fresh meats. Today corned beef and cabbage is considered a peasant dish and is more popular in the United States than in Ireland. People eat it on St. Patrick's Day as a nostalgic reminder of the Irish heritage

Over the years, I have learned to love this simple dish . This year again I am among the millions of meat eaters who will enjoy a traditional feast today as I prepare a simple and delicious meal.

Beer or Wine?

Well, since, the Irish are not known for their wine and to try to pair it with one would be a stretch.. I think perhaps if you prefer wine over beer a Chianti Classic may do the trick...but I would be very happy with a nice micro-brew of an ale for sure.

Easy Corned Beef & Cabbage
* serves 5

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet (most grocery stores carry these in the meat department)
10 small red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
DIRECTIONS
Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.

Cheers!

Pucker up!... Suck on a lemon

Last week, I experienced a swelling in my jaw and down my neck below my right ear. You know, like when you have the mumps? Although not really painful my face was just swollen and a bit tender. Reluctently I went to the Dr to have it checked. He examined my jaw and ears ruled out all the horrible case senarios and diseases that I had suspected as the problem.
He said, he thought that I had a salivary gland plugged. Apparently sometimes small crystalized stones develope & they plug the gland.
Now I had never heard of this happening and felt a bit silly to have made an appointment for this...but his suggestion was to suck on Lemon drops and that would activate the salivary gland to disolve the stone. Gee, just thinking about sucking on a lemon, my tongue and mouth starts to pucker but I tried it and sure enough, It worked. Within a single day and probably after 30 juicy lemon drops melting in my mouth the swelling totally disappeared. Now that was the first time my Dr. prescribed candy for medicine. I'm sure eating chocolate really is good for me , and ice cream & cake & cookies. These are "good things!"



I have been blogging a lot about food lately, so for today I am focusing on the uses of Lemons. I was reading an article in this months Martha Stewart Living Magazine about a twist on lemons.



These are a few of the suggested tips I thought interesting, to share.

• Simmer 1/2 dozen lemon slices and a handfulof cloves to make a very pleasant air freshener.
• If you squeeze lemon over and apple or avacado it will help maintain their color.
• Dip a 1/2 lemon in a small dish of salt and rub it on tarnished copper it will remove the tarnish.
• It makes a great Household cleanser. Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with liquid dish soap to make a paste. Spread it on a 1/2 lemon and use it to scrub basins, bathtubs,and stainless steel sinks.
• Here is a very useful hint: Biting into a lemon may cure hiccups; the tartness is said to interupt the nerve impulse that causes diaphram spasms.

Hazelnuts From The Great Northwest

One of my favorite nuts grows right here in Oregon. I love hazelnut flavorings in coffee, and chocolates and cookies.

From the cool Willamette Valley of northwest Oregon comes the grand hazelnut that has been cultivated for over a hundred years.
Many agree that our fertile Willamette Valley produces the world's best hazelnuts. In fact, more than 99 percent of the U.S. production comes from Oregon.

Here is one easy recipe you may want to try, but beware they are addictive.

Hazelnut Butter Crescents

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups toasted hazelnuts, ground
Beat together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour and all but 1/3 cup hazelnuts. Divide dough into quarters. Roll out each portion on working surface to 30 inch rope, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch lengths. Roll pieces in remaining ground hazelnuts to coat lightly. Curve into crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are golden on bottom. Cool on racks.

I often dust them with powdered sugar before serving them. They melt in your mouth!

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Northwest Hazelnut Company

I think, "a chicken is a chicken is a chicken" when cooked

For some reason my thoughts are geared to chickens as of late.. I love live chickens, eggs and even roasted, fried, crockpot cooked chicken, Bar -B- Q chicken, Chicken soup and Chicken Satays . But these are Rock Cornish Game hens, Not one of my Blue Sky Farm chickens! I do not think I could ever eat them, They are strictly my egg source.

Rock Cornish game hens look just like miniature chickens, and the flavor is the same. They weigh in from one to two pounds, but the standard is about 1-1/4 pounds. The meat to bone ratio is small, making one game hen the perfect serving size for most people. If you are serving a lot of courses or side dishes, you will most likely only need to plan one-half hen per person. They are easy to split in half before cooking, since the bones are not strong. Roasting is the best preparation method for Cornish hens, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you prepare the stuffing or seasoned rub. We filled the cavity with apples, garlic and lemon pepper, paprika and rosemary. You can make your own creation with rice, bread crumbs or veggies of your choice. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and place in a covered baking pan, in oven for about one hour. During the last 15 minutes remove the cover and turn up oven to 375 to increase browning. You will want to make sure the bird is completely done by the famous toothpick test or an internal temperature of 180 degrees F on a meat /poultry thermometer.
The juices should be clear when the bird is pierced.. A tasty treat when cooked to perfection! A perfect dinner for two and very in expensive. About $2.00

Finished nice & dark golden brown. Yummy
Serve with rice, potatoes, or pasta. Also good sliced on a salad or in a sandwich. You choose!

Our New Baby Chicks are here!

Aren't they just too sweet? We picked them up this morning. 2 Australorps, 1 Rhode Island Red and 7 Buff Orphingtons. They are in my extra bathtub right now and Gail will take hers (4 orphs) home tonight with mine to keep in her spare space in her hen coop until they are bigger to introduce to my older girls in the studio. They appear to be fine chirping away, Buster and Auggie don't seem to mind them.

We are almost finished placing the cedar siding on the Studio and it is going to really look nice when it is completed. One more project completed, only three more on the honey do list! ( for now)

Spring Shoots...Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a cool season, perennial plant that is very winter hardy and resistant to drought. Its crop is produced from crowns consisting of fleshy rhizomes and buds. Following a season of growth the rhubarb crown becomes dormant and temperatures below 40­ F are required to stimulate bud break and subsequent growth. The first shoots to appear in the spring are edible petioles and leaves. These emerge sequentially as long as temperatures remain cool (below 90­ F). As temperatures increase, top growth is suppressed, even appearing dormant in periods of extreme heat. With declining temperatures in later summer, foliage growth resumes. One pound of rhubarb equals about 3 cups chopped. Rhubarb is an excellent source of vitamin C, calcium and potassium. You can substitute chopped rhubarb for about half of the fruit in any dessert recipe.
I have not developed a great taste for rhubarb. I think the plant is beautiful. I have eaten it in a sauce, and in a pie with strawberries, which really wasn’t bad. This recipe I found looks like one I might try:

“A light and fluffy marshmallow layer tops the rhubarb filling in this delicious make-ahead recipe shared by Dumont, Minnesota field editor Renee Schwebach."
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 (3 ounce) package raspberry or strawberry gelatin mix
1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups cold milk
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350°. for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and rhubarb. Bing to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened and rhubarb is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until partially set.
Spoon rhubarb mixture over crust. Combine whipped topping and marshmallows; spread over rhubarb mixture. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Carefully spread over marshmallow topping (the dish will be full). Sprinkle with remaining cracker crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

Great! Now I have a baby brother!

Yes, Its me Buster....

I just wanted to let you see what My mom & dad brought home. They told me it was my job to teach him all my good tricks! Then I will get some treats from Mom.

His name is Auggie and he is just a baby, 4 months old. He is going to be bigger dog than me, but dad said I was still the number 1 dog. Auggie is a lab/border collie. I don't know what that means, cuz I am a cockapoo. I am going to be 3 in August so I will always be the big brother.

It will be a big job training Auggie not to chase the chickens, where to poop and that means Outside! Our Mom will get upset if she has to clean up puppy poo.. *I think dad will be in the doghouse then too.

Auggie doesnt know how to play my games yet, but I will teach him if he doesn't cheat and hide my toys. Little brothers I understand can be pests!

So here is his picture: He is laying in the sunshine. (he better not try to get in my chair!)

I already have to share my water bowl with him... but thats ok. I guess cuz having a brother to play with here on The Blue Sky Farm just might be more fun. I will for sure let you know how this new kid is working out...(.I wonder where he will sleep tonight?)

The winner of My March Madness Giveaway is......"CALICO K " aka
Kristine Fillmore!

Thank you all for visiting my blogsite. Having over 5500 visitors is amazing. I am so happy to be keeping you all up to date on what is happening here. I love you all and will continue to bring recipes, stories and ideas, thoughts and even a few surprise remarks from Buster.

I was given an Award!
I received a nice award from a fellow farm girl Cathy jean "Okiequilter" WOW, what a great surprise!
Thank you so very much. This award is meant to be passed on which I will be doing this week.

Now Buster & I have an Announcement : We have an addition to our family. We will post a picture tomorrow! Don't forget to come meet him...

My March Madness Giveaway

I had noticed that I have had over 5500 visitors to my blogsite! It will soon be Spring so I think its Celebration time don't you? So I am hosting a March Madness Celebration Give Away
Just leave me a comment telling me what you about Spring . I will pick a winner at 6:00 AM on Tuesday, March 1oth. The winner will receive a Nice Surprise Spring Package.
So skip on down to the comment section...& leave me yours. Don't forget to turn your clocks forward...Sunday night...That's is another "Madness" Daylight savings time...

A new bargain

Our new end table .. Found at "Keepers Corner" a local antique store in town. The perfect place to put it was in the sunroom next to Clay's chair. It is oak and both sides of the table fold up to make a bigger table. The two drawers are actually one and it folds down to store books, or magazines. When the sides are both up the table measures 34 inches long and 24 inches tall. A great bargain at $30 don't you think? I am continually looking for those perfect pieces of furniture that do not tug too hard on the purse strings...

My daughters challenge

My Joy list of 100 the things that make me happy and it serves as a great reference when I occassionally have had a really bad day. I am taking on my daughters Challenge from her blog http://myhomecook-n.blogspot.com/
I am taking the challenge so here I go:

1. My Husband
2. My 3 children
3. My 7 grandchildren
4. My home
5. Blogging
6. Shopping thrift stores
7. Country music
8. My Dog Buster
9. Living here on our mini-farm
10. Watching my chickens & collecting eggs
11. Big Family gatherings
12. Day car trips with my husband
13. Christmas Holidays
14. Decorating my home
15. Gourmet Cooking
16. Time spent with My sisters & mom
17. Summer Evenings sitting on the porch
18. Picking wildflowers
19. Bubble baths
20. Wine tasting
21. Playing board games
22. Bird watching
23. Camping with my husband
24. Walking on the beach (any beach)
25. Traveling to places I have not been
26. Gift shops
27. BellaTremato Italian Restaraunt
28. Egg salad sandwiches
29. Chocolate cake
30. Setting a pretty table
31. Sewing ( making my prim dolls)
32. Watching a sunset
33. Waking early to the smell of fresh coffee brewing
34. Micro Brewery Beer
35. Traveling by airplane
36. Reading stories about pioneer women
37. Roast Beef dinner
38. Laying on the lawn watching for falling stars on a summer night
39. Swimming in warm water
40. Feeling snowflakes falling on my face
41. Being retired
42. Baseball games
43. Hotdogs with everything (except raw onion)
44. Lunch out with my friends
45. Face book Farm
46. Vegetable gardening
47. Making homemade Bread
48. Warm homemade cookies & milk
49. Peanutbutter & Jelly sandwiches
50. Picnics
51. Vanilla candles burning
52. Lavender scent
53. Fluffy pillows
54. Fabric & craft stores
55. Reading Country type Magazines
56. Packing for a trip
57. Getting my hair done
58. Getting Massages
59. The smell Clean sheets right off the clothes line
60. Hanging clothes out on my clothes line to dry
61. BBQ Steak
62. Magic shows ( especially My son's)
63. picking Fresh fruit right off the tree
64. Eating Avacados & Persimmons
65. Canning
66. Making Jam
67. Picking Berries
68. Having more than three aprons
69. Wearing My Big Black Rubber boots
70. Playing golf on a nice day
71. Writing letters
72. Journaling
73. The smell of fresh basil & rosemary
74. Spaghetti
75. Visiting my husbands family
76. Eating Breakfast out
77. Collecting chickens stuff
78. Silver Earrings
79. Going to Yard sales
80. Pedicures & having my nails done
81. Warm fuzzy socks
82. Tea parties
83. Visiting a zoo
84. Listening to children laughing
85. Driving in the country
86. Smelling Fresh cut hay
87. The feel of Silk
88. Quilts
89. Ebay Browsing
90. Watching Movies at the cinema with my Husband
91. Popcorn with Lots of butter
92. Drinking Ice Tea w/ Raspberries
93. Going to the cemetary to take flowers to My Dad's grave
94. Watching the orca whales
95. Cruising in the Bahamas
96. Watching the deer around the property
97. Sitting around our firepit roasting marshmellows
98. Holding sweet smelling babies
99. Baby animals
100. Laughing with friends

That took some thinking but feels good to reflect on what makes me happy. Anyone else up to the challenge?

Is Spring here yet?

Rosemary is looking at more signs of Spring, at least inside the kitchen window. I planted more paperwhites & they are growing tall. Buds are developing. It is so nice to be able to force some Spring inside as the winter weather remains rainy and too cold to grow outside.

Rosemary is still waiting for somebody to adopt her. She can be seen with her sheep & piglet friends on the back door creations site. Have a nice Saturday.

It doesn't get any better than this..

I was really hungry for Beef...and if asked what is my favorite comfort food? I wouldn't hesitate to claim "a pot roast dinner." That's what we had for dinner last night. We have leftover roast beef for cold sandwiches and you can't beat that either!.
While preparing my dinner, I took a few pictures.

I prefer nice small carrots and potatoes & fresh green beans cooked along side the roast. The oven hot, with aromas filling the air throughout the house on a cold snow day. I can smell onion, garlic and bay leaf as I enter the kitchen. Yes, I love a pot roast dinner. Honestly, It doesn't get much better than this.

My Hearty Pot Roast with Vegetables
3 1/2 to 4 pound chuck pot roast (bone in)

Slowly heat a dutch oven. add olive oil: heat it. brown the roast well on all sides. turning with tongs

Add black pepper, bayleaf, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, and a sliced onion. Pour in 1 cup of water and simmer, covered 1 -1/1/2 hours.( add more waterif necessary to keep 1/2 - 1 inch of liquid in the bottom of the dutch oven.)

Turn the roast over, add vegetables, carrots, potaotes, & green beans. Cover and simmer in oven another 45 minutes. or until roast and vegetables are tender.

Remove the roast and vegetables to a hot serving plate & keep warm while you make the gravy.

Gravy:

Skim off any extra fat fom the pan liquid. Add more water to make 2 cups to the dutch oven: reheat. Combine 2 T of flour and 1/2 cup cold water stirring until smooth. Slowly stir into hot liquid bring to boil. stirring.

Reduce the heat,and simmer 5 minutes add salt & pepper to taste.

Slice the roast and its ready to serve with the vegetables

(I also spoon a bit of horseradish for dipping)

Enjoy

Tea for three

This was our Mary Jane Farmgirls "Charming Chicks Chapter" meetings.. Marty, (gail's sister in law), Me & Gail . Jeannette was unable to attend, we missed her. We have 4 members right now and are trying to recruit others. We enjoyed each others company eating lunch and chatting. Sharing stories. Good farmgirl fun. We will be meeting every two weeks or so. It was great to have girl friend time...

Shortly after the girls left I received an email from "Katie". She found us through the MJ chapter search and an ad I placed on Craigs list She and her family are moving from Washington in April/May and wants to join our chapter. We will welcome her with "farmgirl arms" when she gets moved to our city. The Farmgirl spirit is alive here. Yet, another sign of the times..for women wanting to live and provide a simple green sustainable life for themselves and their families.

New on my book shelf

My recent reading material. I found these books by Jane Kirkpatrick. Great novels about courageous pioneer women discovering the meaning of Independence, Forgiveness, and Love. Their lives are touched by adversity, They face challenges and loss. They become a community of extraordianry fights to overcome the pain of their past and embrace their futures. I highly recommend these if you like to read stories about sisterhood, friendship and faith.

It's a Man's castle but run by a Woman !

Moving into a house can mean decorating woes, When we got married, almost 3 years ago I really didn't think about what my husband would like or not like in our home decor, I never even thought about it... Our home was a mixture of our things from previous lives...and I am not an interior decorator. I found I was faced with a situation: I knew what I liked but now I have a husband to work around. We do like some of the same things and others I don't dare to even mention... His biggest fear is overloading and clutter... and I know I could cutesy the house to my farm girl liking only to have an unhappy husband. I think this is too bad, Some guys just don't get it, "A home is a mans castle but.. A woman runs that castle."
I have an eye for color and coordination, but I wouldn't begin to tell him how to decorate the garage... It is "our" home and we both need to like whats up or down.. After moving to this home from our home in Arizona, we realized that it has much bigger walls. I bought these pictures for our Dining room -Family room entrance. The best part was he also likes them.
I think they are perfect pictures to put on these adjoining rooms wall. Vegetables & fruits. Quite nice size for the wall space. The fruit ones face the family room & the vegetables face the dining room. Just another decorating project I have been working on. I want to find the perfect piece for the main family room wall.. and have not begun looking for it. I am sure when I do, it will be something We both like and ( I can always change it if he ever decides to move out into the garage ...but there still better be room for my car.. )

Flank Steak at its Best

The flank steak is a beef steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow. Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil — Actually the dish did not originate in London. The popularity of London Broil has driven up the price of flank steak over the past few decades. It is significantly tougher than the loin and rib steaks, therefore many flank recipes use marinades or moist cooking methods such as braising.

Flank steak is best when it has a bright, red color. Because it comes from a strong, well-exercised part of the cow, it is best prepared when cut across the grain. Additional tenderness can be added by marinating the meat in a tenderizing liquid, including acids like tomato-based products, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, pineapple or ginger.

Make your favorite marinade recipe:

Place Flank steak in an Oblong dish a bit larger than the size of flank steak pour over the steak your marinade and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Leave it on the counter for 8-10 hours. Pierce evenly and turn every hour or so. Flipping the steak between rest periods.
Place on Hot BBQ grilling each side about 6-7 minutes. Cut the flank steak on the bias andd serve hot.