Pullet Eggs!!! Months too soon!

If there's a time to every purpose under Heaven, then WHOA! The time has come to make nest boxes for the little ladies, the Speckled Sussex hens. This is months earlier than we expected!

Pictured is a basket of duck eggs. Beside the basket, you'll see two tiny brown eggs, gifts from a precocious Lady Sussex. 

Chris opened the brooder door on her recently and she looked shocked and dismayed that he would just blatantly walk in on her while she was doing her business. There she sat feeling indignant, in a tuft of bedding she had pulled together for a nest. Chris is pretty sure she shouted, "Uh, WHAT?! SHUT THE DOOR! I'M BUSY IN HERE!" (heavy sigh)

In her disgust, she may have laid her small brown chicken egg somewhere else that day. If so, we never found it. 

With winter fast approaching, this presents us with two immediate problems: 

(1) The hens don't yet see the chicken condo as home, just as a place to hang out during the day. They sleep in the tiny brooder house. 
(2)The chicken condo needs nest boxes that are yet to be built and some more winterization. 

Soon the little hens will make the permanent migration to the chicken condo with its greener pastures. It's right next door and they're used to it. They go to it through a wire tunnel every day, range around outside for awhile, then spend the rest of the day inside. Later, toward sundown, the pullets go back through a wire tunnel to their brooder house to sleep. They've become creatures of habit. You could set a clock by them. But now, with one laying eggs already, we are so unprepared!


Another first: Roosti-Roo, our one beautiful little Sussex rooster, has learned to crow!!! He's egg-cited , I think, so he's gearing up to serve the needs of 48 hens. Poor Roosti! 

Our  4 duck hens are already giving us three eggs a day, two in their nesting box and one in their pool. The ducks are also creatures of habit, we're discovering, but they provide enough eggs that I've been able to make noodles, chocolate mousse, Hollandaise sauce, have eggs for breakfast, and still share some with friends and family!

The fact that the ducks supply our egg needs brings up another problem, not so immediate, but one that needs a solution: What to do with all the chicken eggs once the hens are laying regularly? I had looked at designing a "Farm Fresh Eggs" sign for in front of the house or barn. Now I'm thinking more and more about joining the local Farmer's Market. The people who go with eggs sell out so early! But if I do, what else should I provide? I thought about making aprons but Chris says they're not a farm product. Really? So then what? I thought about little pies: Pauley's Petite Pastries. Maybe. What do you think?

Thanksgiving Home and Hearth

A time for fun, reflection, prayer and feasting with family and friends!

This year's gathering was larger than ever at our home, and the more, the merrier!

As we reflect on the wonderful addition to the family, we realize how very precious each person is, and how the personal differences add to the richness of the family tapestry, the same way that each rock in the fireplace makes its contribution to the whole. Without each rock you see, what could the fireplace be?

We celebrate our successes this year (heirloom bean seeds, garden produce) and lament our failures (tree loss, poor grape and strawberry harvests). And we look forward to a new year to make improvements.

For awhile this year, my health seemed to be plummeting and Chris ended up carrying the load. For him, his work, for our friends and family to share our food with, and for the wonderful harvest we've laid by, I am so incredibly thankful! (There's a lot more that I'm thankful for, but there just isn't time or space to mention all the blessings right now and it's not like you need to hear it.)

Razzle Dazzle with Real Noodles!

Like my mother would say, the secret to making good homemade noodles is having a rich broth to cook them in. That said, almost any attempt at homemade noodles will be tastier than prepackaged noodles. Don't be afraid to try. It's easier than you think! Your total preparation time will be about an hour and a half if you speed up the process by drying the noodles in an oven on low heat.

NOTE to the GF: I have made noodles with gluten-free all-purpose flour. I add another egg yolk to make up for the lack of gluten and I just add more GF flour as needed. The flavor and texture are right on target and the extra egg yolk makes a great color!   Gluten free recipes!!!

For a basic 4-serving batch, you need just the following:

     1 cup flour, plus extra for kneading

     2 eggs

     pinch of salt

     4 cups of a good, rich full-flavored broth, more if using meat

Place the flour into a small mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the pinch of salt. Add the fresh eggs and begin stirring briskly with a fork. Turn out onto a floured surface when the dough becomes stiff. Begin kneading a little more flour into the dough until you have a smooth ball, not too dry, not sticky wet. Put the dough back into the same bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm spot for about a half hour. This will help the dough to even out and be pliable for rolling smoothly without tearing.

The noodles are cut into thin even strips.

After a half hour, sprinkle flour onto a cutting board and roll out the noodles to about 1/8" thickness. Cut into strips that are about 2" to 2 1/'2" wide. Then stack the strips on top of each other with one of the longest center strips on the bottom and the next longest on top. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4" strips. When all the noodles have been cut, lay out in a single to dry. This can take a couple of hours or you can place in a warm oven for a half hour to speed the drying process.

Spreading out to dry, very important!

 Decide how  you like your noodles. The moister the noodle, the chewier it will be. Let this help determine how much to dry them. I like to dry them until they sound like little sticks.

Bring the broth to a boil. Check the seasoning, not too salty because the broth will reduce as the noodles cook. Stir noodles carefully into the boiling broth a few at a time. A little flour on the noodles will help thicken the broth, so no roux is needed. Turn the heat down, stirring frequently, to cook on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes. It's that easy!!! Enjoy!

 The Mist and All

        by Dixie Willson

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(To be read slowly and quietly. It's not mine, but it is a perenial favorite, like a dear friend you see only once a year but think of often.)

 I like the fall
The mist and all
I like the night owl’s lonely call
And wailing sound
Of wind around

I like the gray
November day
And dead, bare boughs that coldly sway
Against my pane
I like the rain

I like to sit
And laugh at it
And tend my cozy fire a bit
I like the fall
The mist and all

The Latest Bridge

You can see this bridge from Blain Hwy. in Ross County, Ohio.

With floods and heavy trucks in mind, Chris spent the fall of  '11 designing and building this residential bridge over Crooked Creek.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a 10"X15" jelly roll pan. Grease pan and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. In a small bowl, combine the following ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1    tsp. cinnamon, ground

1/2 tsp. cloves, ground

1/4 tsp. salt

In a large mixing bowl, add the following and beat until thick and smooth:

     3 large eggs

     1 cup granulated sugar

Then add:

     2 tsp. butter

     3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Stir in the flour mixture from the small bowl. Then spread batter evenly into the jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with:

    3/4 cup finely chopped pecans.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 12 to 15 minutes, checking for doneness in the center. Be careful not to overbake.

Prepare a clean thin kitchen towel by laying it on a flat surface and sprinkling evenly with:

    1/2 cup powdered sugar

Turn the cake, still warm, out onto the prepared towel. Then, starting with a narrow end, roll up the cake, towel and all.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

    1 pkg. cream cheese, 8 oz., at room temperature

    1 cup powdered sugar

    5 T. butter

    1 T. lard

    1 tsp. vanilla

Unroll the cooled cake. Frost the entire surface. Roll the cake back up (without the towel). Surround in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar at serving time.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

The best things in life are messy. Making your own pumpkin puree is no exception. What makes it so worth it is the fresh full flavor you'll get when you bake with it!

Start with a perfectly good pumpkin. It doesn't have to be large. Even this small one to the right had 2 cups of pulp. Cut your pumpkin in half. Get ready to get messy if you do this or just use a large spoon. Either way, remove the seeds. Then, place your pumpkin cut-side-down in a large pan. Fill halfway up the pumpkin with water and bake at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool before scooping the pulp into a blender. Simply puree the pulp until smooth. Then you're ready to use the puree in your favorite pumpkin recipes!

Pauley's Pampered Poultry: Speckled Sussex

Our young Speckled Sussex hens are coming out of their Chicken Condo that isn't finished yet but will be comfortable when winter winds come. We rushed their moving day because the hens needed more fresh range than their brooder pen allowed.  Also, one day they'll be ready to lay eggs. When that time comes, they will need access to nesting boxes and the  bigger roost that their condo will provide.

Roosti-Roo, our Speckled Sussex rooster. I haven't heard him crow yet but I know it's just a matter of time. He watches over the hens as if he's under contract.  Very protective, he inspects any food scraps before stepping back to let the hens enjoy them.

The Speckled Sussex are an heirloom chicken. Known for being gentle, hardy and consistent egg-layers, they appear to make excellent pets. They run and fly to me in a friendly way, not like they're trying to peck or flog me. Instead, they seem to greet me when I visit, much like a puppy would. They enjoy attention. And they just love vegetable scraps!

About 48 hens will be our egg-layers. Eventually we will put up a  

FRESH EGG  

sign at home. I'm so excited!

QUESTIONS: 

Should I plan to take eggs to the Farmers' Market next year? 
Or should I do an egg delivery route to local customers?

Pauley's Pampered Poultry: Pekin Ducks

Here are the ducks in their wading pool. Once they get into the water, the ducks seem to swim in unison, clockwise, for a couple of minutes before they start splashing.

The ducks entertain us. Likewise, we try to give them things to entertain them. For one thing, the ducks love the wading pool! They're happy, so happy they started laying their eggs early, and that is where the trouble begins.

Their favorite way to play in the water is to splash it out. Then, they waddle out of the water and drill down into the surrounding wet grass to get to the roots. Then back into the water. SPLASH! SPLASH! Eventually the water gets dirty.

Our ducks don't seem aware that they lay eggs. They just go SPLAT! and there's an egg. They give their eggs no more attention than they give their excrement and, like excrement, it can fall out anywhere--in the tall grass, by the feeder, and even in the murky water. Then,

 SPLISH, SPLASH, SPLAT!

Chris tried his best to accommodate their egg-laying needs by building a nesting box for the ducks. At first, they were afraid of it. So then he put golf balls in it, but since they wouldn't come near the box and they didn't associate golf balls with eggs, that was futile. Finally, he took an egg from their murky pool and put it in the nesting box. Although their brains are small, one of them must have caught on! Now, about 1 egg in 6 can be found in the nesting box! 

That's learning, one little duck waddle at a time, 

maybe smaller than a baby step, but that's progress!

The ducks are beginning to take notice and are getting over their fear.  See the nesting box in the corner?

R & R on a Lazy Sunday

Chris is taking some time out to fish at a friend's pond.

Sometimes you get to thinking that life goes by so quickly and you realize the need to settle back, slow down and be profoundly grateful for the moment. 

On this particular Sunday, we took off at the invitation of a neighbor to do some fishing. The day was gorgeous with a high in the 50's and plenty of sunshine. This outing was especially fun for me, since one of the ponds we visited had been developed and stocked by my father when he owned that farm. I grew up fishing there and knew how good the fishing used to be so I was eager to make my first attempt at fishing this one particular pond a few decades later. 

And YES! I caught a fish!!! A bluegill! 

 (Surprising, given the rat-a-tat SOS of a nearby woodpecker who gave fair warning to the fish!)

"Nice bluegill," Chris said. "Big enough to make a fish sandwich." 

Luckily we were able to get two more pan fish to go with the first one. Then we stopped fishing for the day. Enough is as good as a feast. Besides, other forms of recreation called us and the time change had occurred, so darkness would fall earlier.

For Chris, the perfect way to cap off the day meant doing some hunting. So, with bow in hand, and after the fish were cleaned, he left for another adventure. For me, not a hunter, I had some wine to rack into a secondary fermenter, some potato salad to make to go with our fish sandwiches, and then dogs to run. 

By now, darkness has fallen. Soon, the great bow-hunter will come back and, over our fish sandwiches, he'll tell me all about the deer that was perfectly posed but too far away for an arrow to reach. Or maybe not! Either way, I'll let you know. 

In the meantime, are any of you hunting or fishing enthusiasts?

Rest and Relaxation after the Harvest

Our vintage Airstream makes a comfortable retreat. In this photo, we're just pulling in, ready to set up camp.

One of the perennial pleasures that comes from growing and harvesting your own foods is the satisfaction that comes at the end of the growing season. Going to bed exhausted from the final canning and processing, knowing that a food supply is laid by for months to come, means a moment of respite. Those moments to refuel, relax and recharge are that much more pleasurable after hard work.  For me, recurring dreams often turn to camping.

A favorite hang-out of ours is Zaleski National Forest in southeastern Ohio. If you plan to go there, be advised of the hairpin curves of the Appalachian foothills and overlooks that show off breathtaking scenery. The silence of a latenight campfire can be punctuated by the sounds of coyote and screech owls. The sparks from the campfire go up and mingle with a myriad of stars so that it's difficult to tell the difference between an ember and a shooting star. Either way, I make a wish before the flame dies out, wanting these moments to return "again and again and more gains", as our daughter would say.

Camping is different for us now. Missing is the laughter of our now-grown children. Missing are their questions about what we're doing next, since they were always ready for the next adventure or discovery. Now there is more time to relax and enjoy the magic of each moment. Although we used to rough it more, we camp comfortably these days and enjoy a warm bed and breakfast in our circa-1974 Airstream. 

Zaleski in the fall also attracts the rugged outdoor enthusiasts who have managed to stretch their camping comfort zones.  It is not uncommon to find encampments of deer hunters who sleep on the ground and disturb a heavy frost when they get up for their morning hunt. Brrr!

Within a few days of starting out, we've chatted with all the locals, awed over the hunters' conquests, and explored the area for its wild boar and good fishing spots. Our thoughts turn to cold weather and we are ready to head back home knowing that there are preparations to be made for winter, things like splitting and stacking firewood, getting our birds settled into their cold-weather housing, and mulching the roses and perennial herbs in anticipation of coming snows.

There is always work to be done if you're growing and harvesting your own foods but, when we have a moment for the simple pleasures, the feeling is that much more elegant. Enjoying a cup of tea while I sit near the fireplace and contemplate next year's garden feels ever so indulgent!

Wanted: A Newly Designed American Dream

Oregano

Tarragon

Sage

As I brought in my herbs in time to beat the first frost of fall, I was reminded of an earlier post about getting started on the road to being more self-reliant. I still believe growing tomatoes and herbs is a good place to start building toward a better future and defining a new American Dream.


   Our country is at a turning point. Each time we hit a turning point, the American Dream changes. My simple gardening approach is much more practical for most Americans than following books from the early 40's or mid-70's that touted having five acres and independence or becoming independent on an acre. In today's reality, buying and working an acre of tillable ground is out of reach for many and simply not practical. By contrast, herbs and tomatoes can be raised in pots on a patio and don't require much money. 

    The American Dream that sprang up in the 50's, in between the " back to the land" movements, resulted in the Smallvilles, Pleasantvilles, and even the literary Stepford. The public perception was manipulated so that "living off the land" was thought to be for poor but proud people, those who were willing to work hard just to keep food on the table. The boom times of the 50's in the U. S. had many people feeling rich, living rich, in comfortable little housing subdivisions. "Living off the land", in fact gardening itself, was no longer the thing to do. Ad execs did a fine job of painting the landscape. They showed land ownership as costly, inconvenient and undesirable for the American family. People were persuaded that, with their new leisure time, what the newly-planted American family needed was a 40-hour work week followed with activities such as ball games, bowling and family vacation spots to fill time and serve as diversions from agrarian life and crime. People were happy, and for a while crime was on the decline. Farming and food production, done largely by big corporations, was believed to be a more efficient way to feed the masses.

    

    At some point and for many Americans, the last train to the American Dream left the station unexpectedly, passing by many young people before they could even buy a ticket into Pleasantville or out of Fear or Hopelessness. For many, the only place left is Poverty, where people have little control. The ticket to Poverty is practically free, costing only a little self-respect. That's an extreme price to pay for both the individual and the country. That lack of control, that anger, leads to higher crime rates and drug use as means of getting by or coping with problems that poverty brings. The "lost generation" is those people in their 20's, the ones who are hurting the most, especially those who are un- or under- employed and have a college loan and/or health costs to pay off. No one should live in hunger or despair, and if this generation is allowed to slide under the train of dreams as it pulls out, our entire nation will suffer for it. 

    Number one in my attempt to make this a better world is to get people "back to the land", no matter how small their piece of the rock, whether rented, bought or shared with others. We gain balance as we work the soil, plant and nurture. And with that balance comes a sense of purpose.

    Since the unattainable American Dream of the past makes a lot of people very angry, and rightly so, the old paradigm needs to shift. What will the new dream look like? It's anyone's guess, but a new version, an adjusted and attainable American Dream that pairs Pleasantville with Farmville, should  be within reach. If we can just find and plant the magic bean, one that will bring jobs and needed productivity, then people can again work an honest, good-paying job to afford decent housing and good food. We need that magic bean as a way to help people get up on the platform for the next train, one that leads to a newly-designed American Dream.

HI HO, HI HO, It's home from work we go!

Look closely and you'll see the chimney smoke wafting up into the sky while the rain makes a faint mist.

    Fantastic fall days reluctantly gave way to the wind and the raindrops that had been teasing at us, threatening us with a cold front. Even as I plan to work with Second Harvest food banks about the drastic effects Ohio's Issue 3 would have, Chris and I were pushed to get the last of our harvest in while I could still get into a dry garden and Chris could process our chickens in good weather. 

   

    The lawn isn't mowed. Flowerbeds aren't tended. Those things have had to wait while I gathered and processed the last of the garden veggies and Chris worked in a mad frenzy processing the last of our meat chickens. We both finished the same day, just after the rain began pouring down and the wind lifted the tarp that covered the chicken plucker.

    I didn't take time or have the inclination to get photos of the chicken processing out of my respect and reverence for the animals that are making such a huge contribution to our food supply. Processing chickens for food is not an easy thing to do, no matter how well designed the set-up is.

    Next year, I'm looking forward to eggs from our little Speckled Sussex hens. I also hope our fruits do better and with a little more attention, they should. And I would love to fish more!

    Chris and I work at it. Chris, all the time. Me, not so much anymore. Although this year was not good for our strawberries, apples or grapes, we've processed maple syrup, venison, chicken, corn, green beans, salsa, tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, pickles, and pumpkin. And we've laid by potatoes, zucchini, butternut, and acorn squash in winter storage. Admittedly, it's hard work, but it's not all for us. Almost every day we give someone some food. Not everyone can do this. We've been blessed. So now as I write, it's raining outside but it's cozy here with the warmth of the fireplace. Chris just came in from chopping wood and making sure it stays cozy.   

    My letter to the editor of our local paper regarding the unfair treatment and consequent shrinking of the middle class as it slides into poverty has just been published. I have spoken. I feel that, for now, for just this moment in time, with the canning and freezing equipment all cleaned and put away, supper in the oven, and the food laid by for winter, my work is done. Just for now.

    Tomorrow, I will speak again.

Pumpkin Puree, No Can Can

 

For preserving pumpkin, consider freezing, consider drying, but don't can.

    For days I calculated the number of pint jars I would need to put up pumpkin. Never had I seen our pumpkin patch produce like this!  Even after we had our fill of pumpkin blossoms (I love those things! Great little appetizers!), we still had dozens of pumpkins. Even after I gave away pumpkins to friends and relatives and then made pies, still I had a lot of pumpkins! So, with jars all gathered and lids enough to do them,  pumpkins gathered, I just happened to read a blog I like to follow, and  learned unexpectedly that the USDA does not recommend the canning of pumpkin puree, not even with a pressure canner. So, before I proceeded, I checked the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving. They have guidelines for drying and freezing, not canning.

    Then I looked up the USDA guidelines for preserving pumpkin.

 The USDA Extension Service in 1989 revised its canning recommendation for pumpkin, saying pumpkin puree is NOT a good candidate for canning since pumpkins have too much variation in thickness, acidity and water content to recommend a single process. 

I decided to puree and freeze my pumpkin pulp in 16 oz. vacuum packs, just right for a pie or pumpkin roll. If you are interested in cooking cubed pumpkin, 

the USDA says you can can that

but, cautiously, the current Ball Blue Book is not showing that method for home canning.

Blue Ridge Rendezvous

The scenic background of the Blue Ridge Mountains on this clear day made this lookout point a lovely place for a picnic. I'm perched on an outcropping of rocks that had a high enough elevation that the air was thinning, feeling refreshingly cool and clean.  Scraggly trees show evidence of rough winds and harsh weather but, on this particular day, the weather was perfect!

      Chris is ready to share the "pic-a-nic basket" which he offered in his best Yogi Bear voice.

    Chris and I had both been feeling the fatigue of the harvest. He had been processing poultry every chance he got while I had been processing vegetables. When we got the chance (our anniversary seemed a good excuse), we took off for the Blue Ridge Parkway to a northern section we had not yet seen. Trees were at their peak of beauty, weather stayed gorgeous, and we did a whirlwind two-day loop. 

    Near the end of our old Caddy's cruise on that segment of parkway, we headed up Narrow Passage Road off VA state route 43. That drive took us out to where some of the real people live. For all you bikers, I made a mental note that it looked like a great road trip for two wheels, offering plenty of twists, turns, and switchbacks through the mountains on surprisingly smooth pavement.

    We followed that winding route for several miles to Shiloh Drive and the Blue Ridge Winery where homegrown grapes had been turned into wine which evidently flows freely at their frequent parties. We had the opportunity to join the vineyard staff at one of their parties and taste their wines.

    The only bears I saw on this trip:

     Not only did they offer tastes of their wine but they also had a band that played songs of the 80's. The band helped set the tone of their barn party and benches, tables, and occasional haybales allowed plenty of seating for the crowd to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells all around. Smoke drifted into the open barn from a nearby BBQ stand. The food on site came right out of that smoking trailer and tasted so good. Pulled pork sandwiches topped with a sweet BBQ sauce and cole slaw~YUM!!!

 

Eugene, the purveyor of Smokehouse BBQ, had quite an operation going with plenty of hardwood smoke and a hopping business that gave people huge servings of delicious pulled pork or chicken for a most reasonable price.

Short-term Exercise Program, Long-term Benefits

Gardening is a short-term exercise program that offers the promise of long-term edible benefits!

Admittedly, I got out of the hard work of gardening this year because of my broken leg. Chris really came through and tended the garden to keep the weeds out. The weather cooperated and voila!

Chris has recently been busy gathering the veggies. He brings them in and I wish I could say I take it from there, as usual, but Chris has also helped with food preservation. That is really quality time! Many of the beans and corn are already processed for later enjoyment. And others have been given away. Our potatoes, squashes and pumpkins soon need to be gathered and put in storage.

Now that I'm about to lose my walking cast, the work for me will get intensive. I'm gearing up for it with a daily workout program of Pilates and Yoga but I miss the aerobics of gardening and hiking!

Our family meals are largely Mediterranean-based and require plain tomato sauce, plain so that the sauce can be adapted for different purposes. Although we planted a wide variety of tomatoes, I'm especially pleased with the Romas this year. They're hanging in thick, heavy clusters that remind me of bananas. I'll start by first processing tomato sauce, then salsa and whole tomatoes. By the end of the season, close to frost,  the mix of stragglers will go into a blended tomato juice that can be added to other veggies for a little nutrition boost. Maybe making tomato juice will keep me from drinking the salsa!

I encourage all my readers at some point in your life to try making your own sauce and salsa. The fresh taste is amazing! And the health benefits are long-lasting! You don't need to pay money to join a health club!

Duckling

Chris really enjoyed this meal. Duckling! 

When I plated this for dinner, Chris said I had to get the picture. Here it is: duckling with brown and wild rice with orange-flavored cranberries, green beans fresh from the garden, served with a glass of cranberry-grape juice. A salad plate of cranberry sauce with orange slices
was already on the table.

Serving a meal of duckling seemed appropriate for Labor Day since the ducklings had been a labor of love from the very first moment of picking up the tiny yellow peeping fluffs at the post office to all their daily care, the heat lamps, the coddling. Then, when the Pekin ducks were beginning to get their white feathers, we moved them outside to the Hoop Coop, complete with its swimming pool and shaded area. By then, they were big enough and had their natural oils, necessary so that they wouldn't drown in the pool. The ducks have been a joy to watch, and we gave them the best life we possibly could. Chris worked really hard.

In a similar manner, my dad raised pigs on his hog farm. When I was a teenager, questioning the eating of meat, I asked how he could justify eating one. 

He simply said, "I give them the best life possible. The good Lord provides us meat, necessary for our bodies. When we eat meat, the animal becomes part of us, nourishing us, an ultimate 'thank you' for the nurturing care we give them." 

To kill and prepare what you've raised is humbling, like nothing else. My father had a reverence for all life, an attitude that is lost as we distance ourselves from the animal, the source of our meat, and go instead to the plastic-wrapped environment of a grocery store.

When Chris and I ate this meal, we knew that humble feeling, but we also experienced an adventure in both cooking and eating, and we soon realized this is a process we'll go through again. For Chris, it convinced him that we don't need to pasture steers for beef. He actually prefers the flavor and texture of duckling to beef! I enjoyed it too, very much! The meat is mild and tasty, like the dark meat of turkey that is properly prepared.

I have friends who wouldn't come see Pauley's Pampered Poultry because they knew we planned to eat the ducks eventually. Come on! Are we so far removed from the reality of our food that we can't accept that fact?!

Frankly, I don't want to take anything's life! I take a house spider out to the flower bed! But, in reality, my body dictates that I eat well and that means including meat, moderately, in the diet.

Garden Give-aways and Possible Trades

In our record-breaking harvest this year, my gimpy leg has been a mixed blessing. Breaking a leg really slows down the ability to get into the gardens to gather the vegetables but it speeds up the willingness to share! Right now, as I write, I'm gathering up the energy to take this gimpy leg out to gather more green beans. As the garden grows over the next week, I'll probably find more green beans and sweetcorn than we can eat. For my viewers who are willing and able to pick, please give me a call or shoot me a comment. When possible, I love working out trades. It's such fun!

This year's harvest for us is not only abundant, it has been pretty much blemish-free. Chris and the little ladybugs have been out there doing their work while I leave them alone. (What can I say? He likes the little ladies and I'm reminded of the chicks.)

Remember my tomatoes that got out really late? Thank goodness! Even though we are now out of last year's canned salsa and tomato sauce, trying to hop up on the cabinet to hold down the tomato press while I crank away (yes, really!) would be quite a chore if I also had to watch my leg to keep it out of the way and painfree. The tomatoes will come, but by then I'll have full use of this gimpy leg! And then, again, I'll be back in business, making my salsa. Even canned, it tastes so fresh and yummy! Sometimes I just drink it!

Keep watching my post. The Roma tomatoes are coming on slow but plentiful, maybe more than I can crank out, and they are a very meaty tomato, great for sauce.

Squash Blossoms filled with Cheese

Pick fresh blossoms in the morning while the blossom is still open. Use pumpkin or large squash blossoms for stuffing. They're equally delicious. Today I used string cheese that I cut into chunks. Sometimes, instead, I use grated cheddar mixed with chopped jalapena and it's like a jalapena popper inside!

Stuff the blossom with cheese after making sure there is no insect busy working inside.Twist the open end so that it stays shut.  Dip in a simple batter made with 1 large egg, 2 tsp. cornmeal and a dash of salt.

Saute on each side just until golden in olive oil and butter, or your favorite oil.

Stuffed squash blossoms make a great appetizer or healthy after-school treat. Serve warm. The first thing you notice is the tasty crunch and then your tongue finds the cheesy deliciousness inside the delicate blossom. It's so good! 100% pure YUM!!!

"Plant a zucchini and feed the world!" my husband used to proclaim. Not anymore. Now he realizes the potential in the beautiful blossoms as a summertime treat.

If You're Gonna Raise Pole Beans, You've Gotta be Real Tall

From front to back: Early Girl Tomatoes, Blue Lake Pole Beans, and Gotta Have It Bi-color Sweetcorn.

For the first time, we tried growing pole beans. Pictured are Blue Lake pole beans but we also have Kentucky Wonders. Up until now, my favorite beans were Blue Lake bush beans, a little different critter than the ones that shinny up a pole. Even with the boost of my walking cast, I cannot begin to touch the top of the poles. How will I ever pick these beans?!

Well, I have an idea.  A couple of weeks ago, I broke my leg, the lower fibula. After that, I tried walking with crutches but Chris soon witnessed a first-rate pole-vaulting event when I flew over the front walk and into the bushes. So I'm thinking maybe I can try that same technique, make a fast hobble for it, get a little more height next time, and reach the beans to pick them on my way down the other side.

Frankly, it's the best garden we've ever grown and it just may have something to do with my staying out of it these past two weeks. Those days are over. Our daughter wanted to come home to help with the harvest and, when she visited, I soon discovered what she meant. She loaded up her car with fresh produce to take back! That's all! So I ventured out this morning, walker in tow, steadied myself, and picked some bush beans for my own table! After all that effort, they're gonna taste so good! I know, it would have made a better story to say I pole vaulted to pick them. Maybe next time. Those pole beans aren't even blooming yet!

Heirloom Chicks

These Speckled Sussex chicks love being on the grass. At night they still sleep in their brooder but by day they enjoy the fresh greens, insects and sunshine that they can only get in the great outdoors.  

In order to keep out predators, Chris has their run secured with two different sizes of wire mesh. Outside that is an electric fence so that Pauley's Pampered Poultry remains safe and secure.  

Then, before long, they'll be ready to move into the Chicken Condo where they will have even more room and a larger outside run. The free range chickens will continue to be secure from predators, the greatest threat to their health. 

Known for being an heirloom breed, the Speckled Sussex numbers are limited. That may change as people begin to recognize their ability to withstand heat and pathogens, something newer hybrids don't handle so well.

Making egg-laying pets of these little chicks should be fun. Varied markings and already distinctive, but friendly, personalities will make it easier to name them. They're fun little chicks.   Maybe we'll decide to raise a brood hen so that we can raise and perhaps sell more of these delightful little cuties!

(If our suspicions prove true, 

there's one daring little rooster in among the fifty little hen-chicks!)

Vitis Grapes!

Just as the season for planting was coming to an end, WOW! A surprising find! After searching locally, online and in catalogs, and after asking several people, Chris finally found our vitis grapes, supposedly good for our soil type and climate. This variety is the Edelweiss grape, yellow-green when ripe, a mild, sweet grape.

Vitis grapes are specially cultivated for wine. The flavor they hold depends heavily on the soil the grapes are grown in as well as climate and rainfall. Since rainfall is an uncontrolled variable, harvests will be different from year to year. Another experiment in winemaking!

In 90 degree heat, Chris prepared the new bed for planting and added a 40-foot arbor to the vineyard. Then, to beat the oncoming storm, he planted at night by truck light. Funny, he enjoys a good glass of wine about once or twice a week. Grapevines require months of growing in good conditions then harvesting at just the right time for winemaking, which adds a few more months. This is a fine example of delayed gratification. All gardening and farming is! If it all falls into place, we hope to share a bottle with friends and family--in about a year--and then I think Chris will feel that it was worth the hard work! Hmmm!

The Mystery Beans

This jar stayed in the basement for only God knows how long. Mystery Beans is what I called them. They had belonged to Chris's dad, so I knew they were his seed crop. They had to be good. We'd heard of seeds from a pyramid that still germinated and these seeds weren't THAT old so we gave them a try in our garden. Then I scouted out similar seeds at bulk seed suppliers and was able to identify them as the Kentucky Wonders, a pole bean! OOPS!  We planted them wrong. 

Just to be sure they were worth the extra work, I made venison chili using some beans from the mystery jar. YUM! They ARE worth the effort! Full of flavor, they're similar to a kidney bean and produce their own rich brown broth.

We were already experimenting this year with Bush's Blue Lake Pole Beans. Since we'd never grown pole beans before, Chris, being the resourceful person he is, supplied our garden with poles by thinning out the young maple sapplings from our maple grove. If nothing else, it brings back the nostalgia of our trips south and the way things used to be done. Especially, it brought back memories of his dad's huge garden. Sure, it's going to be more work but, without this extra work, it's hard to experience the goodness of the flavors and textures of the way it was, of times gone by.

                                                                                          

Bean Poles ready for Action

 

 

The Water Hydrant

An ancient dug well has been our water supply for the pampered poultry. After the ducks discovered their wading pools, packing water became a time-consuming chore! Now, with baby chicks in the brooder, Chris did the necessary thing. He spent a large portion of one day installing a water hydrant near the chicken condo (still in progress). 

Life is good for the Pampered Poultry

There's always something to do if you're trying to raise much of your own food.  Since Chris isn't running back and forth to the well, he has more time for gardening. He'll be glad to have the hydrant for that too!