Thursday, May 30, 2013
Chaos in the barn this morning!
During the thunderstorm the goats had found themselves on the wrong side of the fence between the large and small pasture. With no access to the barn on that side, they must have rushed into the silo room at the back of the barn for shelter. An inch of rain caused the ground outside the silo to flood so they couldn't get back out again....wet feet cause goats to melt! All but Randy were small enough to get into the back of the barn, also locked up as we store feed there. The babies were small enough to worm their way into their creep pen and were quite happy to stay there!
When I walked in Randy was backing up and persistently butting the gate that refused him entry to the back of the barn; the babies were fast asleep in their creep pen, Hyacinth was screaming for he Morning Glory to get back to her and Daisy was yelling at everyone to get their act together and listen to her. No sooner had I opened the gate to let the babies out and the mothers into the east side of the barn, they all ran back into the chicken pen where we raise baby chicks.......chaos!
Finally, I got Daisy on a lead rope and led her out and she yelled and made everyone but Randy follow her. Randy will have to find his own way through the mud after being shown the way back to the big pasture by Jake. It seems wet feet are better than facing down a great sheepdog.
Anyone familiar with goats will have no difficulty imaging the scene.
The corral was so flooded I had to re-arrange the planks kept specifically out there to make a boardwalk for the goats. Splattered in mud, sweating and thirsty, I got back to the house and remembered why I had gone to the barn..... to collect some tools I needed at the house for a project. At least I was able to try out the boardwalk as I returned to the barn for the tools.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Arguably the most wonderful scent in the world!
Nothing can quite compete with the basic gut reaction to the scent of freshly-baked bread! Even the yeasty perfume of dough as it rises can trigger physiological reactions that cannot be denied. That same fragrance can bring back memories of childhood, of gatherings with friends, of long-ago places visited. There are vast numbers of types of bread. Every people the world round have some version of bread in their diets. Bread can be so basic that it doesn't even contain a leavening agent of any sort to make it raise up, or the texture of the bread can be so full of bubbles that melting butter has an infinite number of places to nestle.
I did grow up with homemade bread baking at least once a week. My mom had working farmers to feed and nothing quite "fills the gap" like a slice of fresh bread with butter and, probably, jam, jelly or peanut butter. I still recall carrying a lunch bucket to my dad, knowing that it held sandwiches of brown bread, butter and jelly...never peanut butter on Dad's sandwiches. It also may have held cookies, but often there were also caramel rolls, as well.
Everyone who takes on the task/challenge of baking homemade bread has a vision of what he or she wants his final product to be. The flavors may vary to complement the main dish of a meal or to simply be the basic material for toast and jelly in the morning. I usually make a whole wheat/flax bread for our daily use, but I have also made a sturdy, moist potato bread that is almost a meal in itself. I have an old friend whose hobby is actually making artisanal breads and who also hopes to build his own brick oven to further the authenticity of his breads. More power to him! I suspect he has made his family members and many others very happy with his efforts.
One of the steps of bread making that immediately comes to mind for most is that of kneading the bread dough before it is allowed to rise. There are all sorts of suggestions, admonitions and old-wives'-tales regarding kneading bread, but it usually can come down to a bit of work if one is planning on stocking up on bread at all.
Hallelujah! The advent of the bread making machine is relatively recent when compared to the history of bread, of course, but they have been around for about two decades now and are dearly beloved by many, even if most of those users don't feel overly proud of admitting to their use of them. I, however, am here to stand before you with no apologies (well, hardly any) and testify to owning and using not just one bread machine, but usually three of them at once. My mom gave me one for Christmas one year and I really felt like Super Woman when I was sending my hubby to work with sandwiches made of fresh homemade bread. How thrilling to actually be able to load and time that device so that the bread was ready to serve when we awoke in the morning! Other machines have joined or rejoined my kitchen equipment as time has passed. One had even been a gift to my son...from ME!
I had somewhat given up using my first bread machine as the bread wasn't baking well and, after about three hours, that thing was presenting me with a nasty glutenous glob, fit only to harden for use as a doorstop. I had never really been a fan of that odd square-shaped loaf, anyway. Then, it hit me! Why not simply use that machine on the 'Dough' setting, knead it down slightly, and let it raise again in a normal loaf pan! Lovely! Except for the fact that one only gets a single loaf at a time, it is very nice to be able to control how long the loaf raises and exactly when it should proceed to the oven. It actually takes a similar amount of time whichever route one chooses to go...about three hours. One other plus with using the 'dough' setting is that another loaf can be started as soon as the dough of the first is removed. When I found opportunities for increasing my herd of machines, I immediately and happily took advantage of them. Using those machines means that not only am I putting bread away in the freezer all day, but I can go on with other projects, as well.
The bread recipe that has become our staple includes whole wheat flour because we like the heartiness of it, but, since whole wheat flour can be heavy enough to keep the dough from rising nicely, I also use some all-purpose white flour. When we found that friends of my mother raise and sell golden flax and then read the information explaining the benefits of having flax in one's diet, we added that to the mix, as well. One can exchange one-half cup of flax for flour in any recipe and we have also used it in breakfast muffins. I have also developed a means of making the measuring as easy as possible, too, and set up a sort of assembly line, measuring the ingredients into containers which can then be emptied into the tubs of the bread machines as the first loaves are finished. I also have a set of measuring spoons that includes 1 1/2 teaspoons (aka 1/2 Tablespoon). You are probably aware that a typical coffee measure is equal to 2 tablespoons. I use these regularly to speed up the measuring process even more.
Here is the recipe I use:
1 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground golden flax
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. powdered milk
I measure all these things into a container in no particular order, since they won't be sitting all night before the process begins.
Into the tub of the bread machine, I measure 1 cup of lukewarm water (85-90F.) and 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, olive oil or butter.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, place the tub into the machine, set the machine to 'dough', and push the button!
When the dough is ready, remove it from the tub and knead it slightly on a floured surface to get out air bubbles, shape the loaf by 'tucking' the edges of the dough underneath the loaf. Place the loaf in a greased pan and set it in a warm place to rise. This rise will probably take about an hour.
Place the loaf in a preheated 375F oven and bake 35 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess. If you plan to freeze any of the loaves, you will want to completely cool them before you place them in plastic bags for the freezer.
There are a number of bread machine cookbooks available and many recipes are also available online. We have also tried rye bread, egg bread, and pumpernickel. I have also tried using liquid milk rather than powdered and found no real advantage in doing that. You could also let your loaf raise in a round shape on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle it with sesame seeds if you wanted to have a rustic appearance. I even made a long loaf and clipped it on the sides to form a stalk of wheat. It was well received at supper! Spraying water into the oven periodically during baking
![]()
will encourage a nice crispy crust.
The variations are limited solely to your tastes and creativity, so go make some memories!
I did grow up with homemade bread baking at least once a week. My mom had working farmers to feed and nothing quite "fills the gap" like a slice of fresh bread with butter and, probably, jam, jelly or peanut butter. I still recall carrying a lunch bucket to my dad, knowing that it held sandwiches of brown bread, butter and jelly...never peanut butter on Dad's sandwiches. It also may have held cookies, but often there were also caramel rolls, as well.
Everyone who takes on the task/challenge of baking homemade bread has a vision of what he or she wants his final product to be. The flavors may vary to complement the main dish of a meal or to simply be the basic material for toast and jelly in the morning. I usually make a whole wheat/flax bread for our daily use, but I have also made a sturdy, moist potato bread that is almost a meal in itself. I have an old friend whose hobby is actually making artisanal breads and who also hopes to build his own brick oven to further the authenticity of his breads. More power to him! I suspect he has made his family members and many others very happy with his efforts.
One of the steps of bread making that immediately comes to mind for most is that of kneading the bread dough before it is allowed to rise. There are all sorts of suggestions, admonitions and old-wives'-tales regarding kneading bread, but it usually can come down to a bit of work if one is planning on stocking up on bread at all.
Hallelujah! The advent of the bread making machine is relatively recent when compared to the history of bread, of course, but they have been around for about two decades now and are dearly beloved by many, even if most of those users don't feel overly proud of admitting to their use of them. I, however, am here to stand before you with no apologies (well, hardly any) and testify to owning and using not just one bread machine, but usually three of them at once. My mom gave me one for Christmas one year and I really felt like Super Woman when I was sending my hubby to work with sandwiches made of fresh homemade bread. How thrilling to actually be able to load and time that device so that the bread was ready to serve when we awoke in the morning! Other machines have joined or rejoined my kitchen equipment as time has passed. One had even been a gift to my son...from ME!
I had somewhat given up using my first bread machine as the bread wasn't baking well and, after about three hours, that thing was presenting me with a nasty glutenous glob, fit only to harden for use as a doorstop. I had never really been a fan of that odd square-shaped loaf, anyway. Then, it hit me! Why not simply use that machine on the 'Dough' setting, knead it down slightly, and let it raise again in a normal loaf pan! Lovely! Except for the fact that one only gets a single loaf at a time, it is very nice to be able to control how long the loaf raises and exactly when it should proceed to the oven. It actually takes a similar amount of time whichever route one chooses to go...about three hours. One other plus with using the 'dough' setting is that another loaf can be started as soon as the dough of the first is removed. When I found opportunities for increasing my herd of machines, I immediately and happily took advantage of them. Using those machines means that not only am I putting bread away in the freezer all day, but I can go on with other projects, as well.
The bread recipe that has become our staple includes whole wheat flour because we like the heartiness of it, but, since whole wheat flour can be heavy enough to keep the dough from rising nicely, I also use some all-purpose white flour. When we found that friends of my mother raise and sell golden flax and then read the information explaining the benefits of having flax in one's diet, we added that to the mix, as well. One can exchange one-half cup of flax for flour in any recipe and we have also used it in breakfast muffins. I have also developed a means of making the measuring as easy as possible, too, and set up a sort of assembly line, measuring the ingredients into containers which can then be emptied into the tubs of the bread machines as the first loaves are finished. I also have a set of measuring spoons that includes 1 1/2 teaspoons (aka 1/2 Tablespoon). You are probably aware that a typical coffee measure is equal to 2 tablespoons. I use these regularly to speed up the measuring process even more.
Here is the recipe I use:
1 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground golden flax
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. powdered milk
I measure all these things into a container in no particular order, since they won't be sitting all night before the process begins.
Into the tub of the bread machine, I measure 1 cup of lukewarm water (85-90F.) and 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, olive oil or butter.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, place the tub into the machine, set the machine to 'dough', and push the button!
When the dough is ready, remove it from the tub and knead it slightly on a floured surface to get out air bubbles, shape the loaf by 'tucking' the edges of the dough underneath the loaf. Place the loaf in a greased pan and set it in a warm place to rise. This rise will probably take about an hour.
Place the loaf in a preheated 375F oven and bake 35 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess. If you plan to freeze any of the loaves, you will want to completely cool them before you place them in plastic bags for the freezer.
There are a number of bread machine cookbooks available and many recipes are also available online. We have also tried rye bread, egg bread, and pumpernickel. I have also tried using liquid milk rather than powdered and found no real advantage in doing that. You could also let your loaf raise in a round shape on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle it with sesame seeds if you wanted to have a rustic appearance. I even made a long loaf and clipped it on the sides to form a stalk of wheat. It was well received at supper! Spraying water into the oven periodically during baking
The variations are limited solely to your tastes and creativity, so go make some memories!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Yorkshire pudding!
To most Brits, roast beef is incomplete without Yorkshire pudding and there are plenty of recipes out there, yet there are still plenty of examples of soggy, pasty, unappetizing Yorkshire puds. A few years ago I found a fail-proof recipe and there are two key steps that are so easy but that will guarantee a fine pudding each and every time. You need to let the batter rest, and the pan needs to be hot before you add the batter. I like to bake mine in a large muffin pan, traditionally it was made in a square roasting pan.
Take 4 large, farm fresh eggs and measure them in a jug because you will need equal quantities of both flour and buttermilk ( you can use regular milk if you don't have buttermilk).
Ingredients:
Take 4 large, farm fresh eggs and measure them in a jug because you will need equal quantities of both flour and buttermilk ( you can use regular milk if you don't have buttermilk).
Ingredients:
- 4 large farm fresh eggs, measured in a jug
- Equal quantity of buttermilk (or milk) to the eggs
- Equal quantity of all purpose flour to eggs
- pinch of salt
- lard (you can use vegetable oil but it won't be as good!)
- Pour the eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk thoroughly, then leave the mixture to stand for about 10 minutes
- Sieve the flour into the mixture slowly as you whisk away making sure you don't get any lumps. (If you have lumps sieve them out) Your mixture should look like thick cream.
- Leave the batter to rest in the kitchen for a few hours.
- Heat the oven to 450F / 230C
- Put a small pea-sized piece of lard in each part of your muffin pan and put it in the oven until the fat is smoking hot. Meanwhile give your batter a good whisk and add 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Remove the muffin pan from the oven and add batter to one third full in each section, then quickly return it to the oven.
- Bake for about 20 minutes till the Yorkshire puddings are golden brown
It's that easy!
Traditionally the gravy was poured into the Yorkshire pudding and it was eaten as a starter.... designed to fill up those strapping farm boys before they helped themselves to the more expensive meat and vegetables. Individual small puddings make them easier to serve along with the roast but you can still make large ones and fill them with beef stew.
I remember my Dad used to put raisins in them, use your imagination but eat wisely as there are a few calories attached to them.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Ready, set.....GO!
Once the warm weather becomes reliable we seem to take off at a sprint, and things do get done. Our first priority was to replace the electric fence around the smaller pasture with a permanent goat- proof fence, extending the pasture out to the boundary line rather than avoiding the trees as we had with the electric fence. As we fenced we discovered several things: the wood ticks are out in abundance this year; as always a winter spent mostly indoors has sapped our stamina; we have a new but mature wild asparagus bed; the birds have endowed us with a patch of fruit canes that we are unable to identify but the fruit will tell us if we can get to it before the birds; and last but not least, we rediscovered how much we love our life. It was hot, tiring work as we raced against the incoming rainy weather and the neighbour planting his corn, both of which would make it impossible to drive out into his field to stretch the wire, but we still took the time to watch the lambs enjoy the fresh grass and the kids discover their new found independence and their ability to climb trees. When we looked back we were proud of what we had done and blessed it with our usual expression: "Not bad for two old broads!"
We have tilled gardens, our own and others, planted potatoes and leeks in quantities we have never attempted before, planned what we will be growing and watched the miracle of snow turn to bare dirt which in turn has sprouted seed. Last year's drought was, according to the meteorologists, as bad as any in the 1930's that, combined with farming practices, produced the Dust bowl. We had watched our pastures dry, watched as there was nothing for grazing, tried to keep our fear at bay as we worried about both the price and availability of hay, so the miracle of lush green grass in the pasture as the snow disappears was probably one of the most welcome sights to both of us.
Still sprinting we finally took a breath yesterday and decided to drive the few miles to the couple where we buy all our seedlings. Dolores Bloomquist and her husband produce the best seedlings of the area with a friendly smile, good, sound advice and a wealth of experience. We have never regretted buying from them as they have the facilities to produce better plants and in greater quantities than anything we could do for ourselves.
As we drove I was mesmerized by the ditches. After the rain on Friday night they were green; a gawdy, luscious, in-your-face green, a colour so bright my brain had problems translating the almost vulgar colour my eyes were seeing. It made me smile as I looked at the trees about to leaf and add yet another layer of green. It brought home the monochromatic world we endure during the winter, sure that also has it's own harsh beauty, but the sheer richness of green was a more joyful beauty. Then I realised we have not seen this much colour for almost a year. The shades of black and white in winter had been preceeded by a world shaded in sepias as a result of the unforgiving heat and drought last year. The greenness speaks of hope and promise, of living proof that, here in the Dakotas we have once again survived the circle and have come back even stronger.
I love spring!
We have tilled gardens, our own and others, planted potatoes and leeks in quantities we have never attempted before, planned what we will be growing and watched the miracle of snow turn to bare dirt which in turn has sprouted seed. Last year's drought was, according to the meteorologists, as bad as any in the 1930's that, combined with farming practices, produced the Dust bowl. We had watched our pastures dry, watched as there was nothing for grazing, tried to keep our fear at bay as we worried about both the price and availability of hay, so the miracle of lush green grass in the pasture as the snow disappears was probably one of the most welcome sights to both of us.
Still sprinting we finally took a breath yesterday and decided to drive the few miles to the couple where we buy all our seedlings. Dolores Bloomquist and her husband produce the best seedlings of the area with a friendly smile, good, sound advice and a wealth of experience. We have never regretted buying from them as they have the facilities to produce better plants and in greater quantities than anything we could do for ourselves.
As we drove I was mesmerized by the ditches. After the rain on Friday night they were green; a gawdy, luscious, in-your-face green, a colour so bright my brain had problems translating the almost vulgar colour my eyes were seeing. It made me smile as I looked at the trees about to leaf and add yet another layer of green. It brought home the monochromatic world we endure during the winter, sure that also has it's own harsh beauty, but the sheer richness of green was a more joyful beauty. Then I realised we have not seen this much colour for almost a year. The shades of black and white in winter had been preceeded by a world shaded in sepias as a result of the unforgiving heat and drought last year. The greenness speaks of hope and promise, of living proof that, here in the Dakotas we have once again survived the circle and have come back even stronger.
I love spring!
Friday, May 3, 2013
It is spring, even in the frozen north!
We try to lamb and kid in April or May because we have an 80ft pole barn, steel buildings are not known for retaining heat and we like the lambs to have some milder weather as they arrive in the world. We have pasture ground but no crop ground so it is also to our advantage to have lambs feeding on grass as they grow rather than having to buy extra feed, again April lambs work well with this in mind. This year, or should I say last autumn, all went according to plan and the bucks were introduced to the ewes on November 1st. They did a fabulous job because 5 months later in a 4 week period all our ewes had lambed with the live lamb percentage being a little higher than 100%.
We have a system in the barn where they spend the first 3 days in individual pens, then they are allowed into a larger pen with all the other mothers and babies until there are only bucks and isolated ewes out in the rest of the barn with access to the corrals. Weather permitting the day comes when we open the gate and allow them all the freedom to roam out to the corrals and the round hay bales we use to feed out there. It is a noisy affair with ewes calling their lambs to stay with them, lambs losing sight of their mothers and screaming loudly to attract their attention. We have found it is best to open the gate and walk away or we end up as nervous wrecks too. Experience has taught us that the chaos lasts a couple of hours and for the most part the lambs get used to their new freedoms in a very short time. The older lambs usually claim their independence first and run like crazy back and forth, ignoring the calls from their mothers to come to heel, their mothers knowing they will come when they are hungry enough.
The kids are slightly older than the lambs but we couldn't let them out of their part of the barn because of all the melting snow and mud....goats neither like water nor getting dirty. Yesterday the water had drained, the mud was a little firmer and I put planks over the worst parts to act as a bridge for their dainty little feet. If we thought the lambs exit from the barn was chaotic the goats was even more extreme. Daisy, as the matriarch gathered her clan and started off over the planks, closely followed by Hyacinth and 4, oops no, 3 kids. One refused to leave the safety of the barn and peered round the gate. Daisy called out repeatedly and while the kid replied, she wasn't budging. Hyacinth ran back to encourage her causing the other 3 kids to follow and leave Daisy alone on the planks. Amidst much screaming Daisy returned to the barn to gather her clan and set off again, this time she was a little more eager to reach the fresh hay bales but a different kid refused to budge from the barn. It got to the point where Hyacinth ran to the barn, jumping up and down in front of the baby, lowering her horns and shouting what were obvious caprine profanities. We left them to it and a few hours later the kids were enjoying their new surroundings and leaping and bounding around the hay bales.
There is so much to do around the place, gardens to be tilled and prepared for planting, machinery to start and get ready for the coming season, the annual tidy-up after winter and the start of the 'to do' list of spring and summer. It can easily become overwhelming at the beginning of the season but we have a secret weapon for stress........... we go out and watch the lambs or play with the kids. It never fails to bring a smile to our lips!
We have a system in the barn where they spend the first 3 days in individual pens, then they are allowed into a larger pen with all the other mothers and babies until there are only bucks and isolated ewes out in the rest of the barn with access to the corrals. Weather permitting the day comes when we open the gate and allow them all the freedom to roam out to the corrals and the round hay bales we use to feed out there. It is a noisy affair with ewes calling their lambs to stay with them, lambs losing sight of their mothers and screaming loudly to attract their attention. We have found it is best to open the gate and walk away or we end up as nervous wrecks too. Experience has taught us that the chaos lasts a couple of hours and for the most part the lambs get used to their new freedoms in a very short time. The older lambs usually claim their independence first and run like crazy back and forth, ignoring the calls from their mothers to come to heel, their mothers knowing they will come when they are hungry enough.
The kids are slightly older than the lambs but we couldn't let them out of their part of the barn because of all the melting snow and mud....goats neither like water nor getting dirty. Yesterday the water had drained, the mud was a little firmer and I put planks over the worst parts to act as a bridge for their dainty little feet. If we thought the lambs exit from the barn was chaotic the goats was even more extreme. Daisy, as the matriarch gathered her clan and started off over the planks, closely followed by Hyacinth and 4, oops no, 3 kids. One refused to leave the safety of the barn and peered round the gate. Daisy called out repeatedly and while the kid replied, she wasn't budging. Hyacinth ran back to encourage her causing the other 3 kids to follow and leave Daisy alone on the planks. Amidst much screaming Daisy returned to the barn to gather her clan and set off again, this time she was a little more eager to reach the fresh hay bales but a different kid refused to budge from the barn. It got to the point where Hyacinth ran to the barn, jumping up and down in front of the baby, lowering her horns and shouting what were obvious caprine profanities. We left them to it and a few hours later the kids were enjoying their new surroundings and leaping and bounding around the hay bales.
There is so much to do around the place, gardens to be tilled and prepared for planting, machinery to start and get ready for the coming season, the annual tidy-up after winter and the start of the 'to do' list of spring and summer. It can easily become overwhelming at the beginning of the season but we have a secret weapon for stress........... we go out and watch the lambs or play with the kids. It never fails to bring a smile to our lips!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)