Sunday 25 December 2016

Week #52 - End with Gratitude

This week ends a full year of weekly blogs of my random thoughts, pictures and musings from the farm. The year has flown by once again and I find it hard to believe that we are once again heading into a new year.  

Last year I shared a picture a day from the farm, a challenging yet rewarding practice that I enjoyed immensely except on the days I didn't. I enjoy sharing our successes and stories of folly and fun from the farm. I love hearing from the few of you who follow along and hope that every once in a while you get a chuckle or learn something new! 

Today is Christmas Day and as we get set to eat a meal fully grown here on the farm, I feel immense gratitude that we have carved out a life that allows us to enjoy good food, fresh air and simple pleasures.

I hope that all of you are safe and warm with someone you love, awaiting the impending blizzard that is reportedly going to arrive shortly. Regardless of what traditions you celebrate this time of year, I hope they bring you peace, joy and grace as you move forward to a new year.

Cheers!

Sunday 18 December 2016

Week #51 - Worth the effort...

Many people have a favourite recipes that we make at this time of year. We haul out Grandma's shortbread or nanaimo recipes, prepare to make that special stuffing we only make once a year or enjoy some warm cider or eggnog that bring a rush of memories. 

This year, I've discovered a new favorite that will likely be a regular feature in my repertoire! Sundried tomato and basil pesto cheese torte is festive, yummy and impressive! 

Using a springform pan lined with plastic wrap, you layer a cream cheese/ricotta mixture with alternating layers of sundried tomato and then green basil pesto, freezing after each layer. It takes a day to make while you wait for it to freeze in between but it is well worth it! 

Once complete you cut in wedges with a hot knife and wrap individually. I keep them in the freezer, ready to grab and go. An impressive appetizer for any potluck! They kept well for months. 

If you don't have the ingredients or the patience to make your own pestos, you can always purchase them pre-made from your local farmers or small business shop. 

Interested in giving it a try? I found a number of different recipes on line by googling 'cream cheese sundried tomato basil pesto torte'. They were all fairly similar. Don't be scared off by various steps.... it is well worth it! 




Sunday 11 December 2016

Week #50 - Failing to plan, is planning to fail

Last Christmas, my oldest son gave me a simple gift that I use everyday! A reclaimed frame around a board that he painted over with chalkboard paint, I've used it to post a weekly menu ever since. 

Each Sunday night, I take a look at our schedule for the week, collect requests from the family and take stock of what we have on hand. 

When you raise the majority of your own food, you learn to cook what you have in abundance when you have it. For instance right now I have a pantry full of winter squash and potatoes that I need to find creative and yummy uses for! 

After almost a year of creating weekly menus, I would highly recommend the practice to anyone and everyone! Taking time when you are neither hungry nor tired to plan out healthy meals for the week has helped us eat better, reduce food waste, decreased what we spend in the grocery store, and reduced the overall stress of figuring out what to put on the table everyday. 

Now that both Farmer Phil and I are working full time off farm and the kids are all in school or university in the city during the day, there is no "supper fairy" preparing our meals in time for our arrival home. Our evenings are full with barn chores, 4H, ferrying children around and house work... anything to cut down on work is most welcome!

I find the menu makes planning ahead much easier. We can look at what is planned for tomorrow or the next day and quickly assess what needs to come out the freezer... what can be prepped ahead of time or popped in the slow cooker. At the end of the day, when you are tired and hungry, its much easier to stick with the plan than come up with something new (and usually less healthy), especially when the rest of the family is looking forward to the advertised meal. 

And best of all... we don't have to face the daily question from everyone in the house..... "what's for supper?"... we simply point to the sign on the wall! 

Sunday 4 December 2016

Week #49 - Hello & Goodbye..

This weekend we said goodbye to Ariane. After spending three months with us she returned home to Quebec and her family. She was here on an exchange program that focused on giving youth an opportunity to learn English (or French) and experience life in another province! Our daughter will head to Quebec in February to live with Ariane's family for three months. 

This exchange program is one in a series of experiences that we as a family have engaged in over the past 20 years. We have hosted well over thirty people (mostly youth) and our children have had several opportunities to travel and experience other cultures that they otherwise would not likely have experienced. 

As I've written about previously, we have hosted so many folks from around the world in the interest of learning, growing and expanding our world without necessarily leaving the farm. And while I agree wholeheartedly with this and will continue to host... the goodbyes that are inevitable with any exchange program are challenging.....

The packing up, the airport drive, the hugs and tears, do not get easier with repetition. The commitment to return, to visit, to write are always there. Some do, some don't.... but all become part of our families collective heart, our history, our memories. Each one has taught us something.... 

Yuka taught us our first Japanese words....
Carwyn showed us how to judge sheep...
Haruka reminded us not to take ourselves to seriously....
Ricardo taught us to listen to the purr of every car engine differently...
..... and Ariane showed us the joy of a competitive spirit and the importance of seizing every opportunity! When Ariane was around it was impossible to be grumpy... it was also impossible to keep any candy in the house that she didn't eventually find! You will be missed, dear heart!

So while I am certain that we are all richer for the open door and the welcome we hold for those from afar, today my heart is a wee bit tender and needs some rest... 

...until we say Hello again.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Week #48 - Raising supper

There is no end of debate both online and off about the ethics of raising animals for food. Our approach has been to listen to all sides and decide based on what seems right for our family and business with a view to a sustainable approach for our earth.

We are blessed with space and time to raise animals in a manner that provides them with a good life, an ethical death and a modest impact on the world.  I appreciate that not all will agree but it is a choice that we feel good about. As we choose to include meat in our diets, it feels right that we should take responsibility to nurture the animal kindly with affection, sunshine and natural food sources. In return, we are blessed with food that is free of chemicals and has a superior taste and nutrition.

If we were not able to raise our food in such a way and we had to rely on commercially raised animals produced in factory like settings, I may make different choices about how we eat. 

Of course we all have a choice to seek out and purchase food from local producers who take the same type of care and concern with their animals. I encourage everyone to get to know where and how your food is raised whether its animal or vegetable. Get to know your farmer, producer, baker, butcher and small business owner and ask questions and visit farms. What you put in your mouth is important! Be aware, informed and engaged! 





Sunday 20 November 2016

Week #46 - Tis the Season

In our family, Christmas is a big deal.... 

We plan and conspire all year round to create, search for and find just the right thing for each other. 

Most of our gifts must be made, upcycled or re-used but this year we are also 'allowed' to buy from local stores. 

It always amazes me what we come up. For us Christmas is not a religious ceremony but one built on family memories and traditions.

The season begins on November 12th and lasts to Jan. 2nd. (our poor tree usually has only about two needles left by New Years' Day! 

My No. #2 son showed us all up by making and wrapping the first gift before the tree was even up! 

This weekend saw most of us ramping up the list making and planning and holiday tunes were at full blast! 

Next weekend the tree goes up and the eggnog season begins! What are your holiday traditions? 

Sunday 13 November 2016

Week #46 - Recipe for a heavy heart


This week was long, dark and scary! 


The time change and approaching winter solstice set the stage for a week of doing chores in the dark and feeling like you weren't completely sure what time it was. I've never been able to explain why gaining an hour creates such havoc in our sleep patterns! 

Like many folks, I found myself swept up in the American trainwreck on Tuesday. I cycled through a series of emotions from horror, to anger to sadness. I do not yet feel like I've fully processed what has happened and what it means for so many. The symbolism of Trump's victory casts long shadows on the progressive lifestyle that I so often feel so grateful for in North America. While I hope that all our fears are misguided and unfounded, I do not hold out much hope on that front. 



Tuesday's events in the US, seemed to make Friday's somber ceremonies of remembrance for the fallen, whose shoulders we all stand on, seem fragile and bittersweet. Add the loss of a much loved and talented Canadian icon and the week seemed too much to bear.  

All that being said, I find myself on Sunday night feeling more optimistic and content and ready to continue to celebrate and honour the values that are important to me. Looking back, I find a simple recipe has soothed my heavy heart. 

  • Surround yourself with those you love
  • Add in some cuddles and laughter with young souls (babies and puppies work best)
  • Work until you hurt at something worthwhile
  • Blend in plenty of fresh local food
  • Marinate heavily in sunshine and gentle breezes
  • Repeat...

Next week is going to be better! Be good to each other!


Sunday 6 November 2016

Week #45 - Got your Goat!





Many people ask us why we raise goats? 

So this week, I decided to run through the top five reasons we enjoy raising dairy goats:  
  1. Goats can clear brush and grass from an area very efficiently and effectively. We rotate them around our farm using electric mesh fence and they clear weeds and long grass from any area we put them in. Goats are browser as oppose to grazers so they will eat woody growth such as bushes and small trees as well. Because they are effective browsers their input costs (what it costs to feed them) tends to be lower than other animals who eat only grass or require formulated feed. 
  2. Goats produce a creamy milk that tends to be easier to digest particular to those that find they have sensitivities to milk or lactose. Goat's milk is higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium and Vitamin C than cow's milk. 
  3. Goat's milk is easy to convert to other yummy things! We use our goat's milk to make yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and caramels along with less yummy but no less useful items such as soap!  
  4. Goats are smaller and need less equipment and fencing than cows (when they stay inside the fence!) Given their smaller size, they tend to be easier to handle and milk as well as moving from one area to another.
  5. Goats are entertaining! I think I could spend (have spent) hours watching a herd of goats interact with each other. They all have such unique personalities and are expressive animals. We enjoy their antics (except their escapes) and they really become part of the family. 






Sunday 30 October 2016

Week #44 - Tasty Experimentation


As the harvest eases, I'm in that sweet spot of having lots of extra food and a bit more time to create some new things! So this week, I experimented with a few new treats in the kitchen! 


A over abundance of red peppers (whoever thought I would write that phrase!) means we are searching for more ways to preserve or process them. We decided to try to dehydrate some peppers as a chewy snack as well as to keep for later in the winter. They can be re-hydrated in stews, sauces and soups. 

We also tried roasting spiced chickpeas! These were tasty and an interesting snack. You can make them as spicy or savory as you want depending on the spices you add. They didn't get as crunchy as I was hoping so I popped the leftovers into the dehydrator to see if they will crisp up. 

Next up was a new recipe designed to use up our butternut squash! The night before I roasted the butternut in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and garlic, mashed with cumin and chili powder. Next I marinated some black beans in some lime juice overnight. When I got home from work, I was toasted pita bread in the oven, spread the squash mixture over the warm pita, followed by the beans, avocado and drizzled with yogurt mixed with some lime juice. For bit of heat, you could sprinkle some cayenne over the top. Turned out pretty good! I think a little bit of cilantro on top would really add some flavour! Definitely one I would do again!  

I've included a picture of our new lunch option section in our fridge! I found that while six people should take a healthy lunch, if there wasn't something relatively easy to grab and go, often people were either not taking a lunch or taking less healthy options! So we resorted to a lunch drawer in the fridge in which we try to keep healthy options ready such as cut vegetables, cream cheese swirls, hummus and mixed nuts and dried fruit. Definitely makes lunches easier and more accessible. Means that less people are 'hangry' (angry from hunger) when they come home from school and work! 

 And finally.... tonight's supper was salmon cakes with fresh leeks from the garden! Salmon (canned or fresh), mayo, eggs, panko breadcrumbs and old bay seasoning are mixed well with your choice of veggies such as green pepper, onions or in our case leeks! Then I pan fried the patties in canola oil. We served them with a curry and mayo mixture that added some zip! They disappeared so they couldn't be that bad! 

Tonight I have a Farmer's Sausage and Potato feast in the crockpot that is smelling wonderful! (for tomorrow's supper). The weekly menu includes a few other new recipes such as Smothered Chicken and an Apple Cider glazed Roast Turkey! 

Wishing you a yummy week! What are you making?  

Sunday 23 October 2016

Week #43 - The wise ones...

We all have them in our lives... old souls that speak wisdom in the chaos of our lives. At times they are babes in arms whose eyes speak volumes, if you only pause to listen. Or indeed many are grandmothers or grandfathers whose hands are wiser than most of us. 

For me, my wise ones are often animals. Similar to young children, their eyes are so expressive and they always seem to know when you need something. While we humans pride ourselves on being sensitive and loving, I find animals something more intuitive and understanding at times. 

Who are your wise ones? 




Sunday 16 October 2016

Week #42 - Food shortcuts to extend your harvest

The fields are cleared and the majority of the harvest is canned, preserved or drying. As the last few weeks of Harvest 2016 wind down, I'm all about shortcuts to make our harvest last. 


Today I made sofrito, a mixture that you can make up when your tomatoes, peppers and onions are fresh and bountiful and fresh as a base for many recipes all winter. 

Sofrito is most commonly used a base for Latin, Puerto Rican, or Italian cooking... but in my mind, there are so many recipes that you need chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers that it is so handy to have some of this ready to go. Freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop out into freezer bags so that you can grab a tablespoon at a time or freeze flat in freezer bags (I do 2 cups per bag) so that you can grab for recipes all winter long. 

Of course, if you are short on freezer space, I imagine you could can sofrito using a water bath similar to salsa or pasta sauce. 

I use these storage tips for all kinds of garden produce. After making a batch of pesto from my basil harvest, I pop it into ice cube trays to access easier a bit at a time. 


This year we have a large number of sweet red peppers that are ripening late in the season (thanks to the late frost). One of the ways I extend our harvest of peppers, is to roast them, skin them and throw them into the vitamix (blender) along with a healthy amount of garlic. This mixture gets spooned into (you guessed it) ice cube trays and is used for pasta sauce, red pepper dip, and throwing into chili, stews and various sauces. 

What are your tips and tricks for extending your harvest and dealing with an overabundance of any one veggie at this time of year? 


Monday 10 October 2016

Week #41 - Giving thanks

So much to give thanks for this holiday weekend! After a very full week, the girls (Leanne, Taryn, Ariane & Grandma) took off for a girls weekend down to South Dakota, where Philip's sister and brother-in-law live.

We were able to give Ariane a full ranching experience... complete with driving cattle, grooming, trailering and riding horses, bottle feeding calves and various other silliness.

The males on the farm stayed home and worked hard pulling all the plants from the field and getting the barn ready for winter.... (involves a lot of shoveling...).

We came home to a beautiful turkey meal with all the fixings, completely grown here on the farm.

I give thanks for family, both near and far... for good food grown the way nature intended.... for laughter and hard work. My life is blessed to include all of these!


Spent a lot of time staring at the back of cattle,
driving them from one pasture to another....
Rode through beautiful fall forests

Did a lot of grooming... it's burr season! 


Played some serious card games! 


Shared some laughs and giggles...



Did I mention giggles...
and more giggles...










Waiting for us when we got home... 

Sunday 2 October 2016

Week #40 - So long... Sunny September

As we bid September farewell, we must pause and thank mother nature for a beautiful month! Let's hope that October treats us equally well!

The things you find when clearing the field....
We didn't grow corn this year, so?

Dried oregano flowers... so pretty and fragrant! 
The week was spent catching birds (chickens and turkeys) and then trying to squeeze them into the freezers! A big thank you to all our customers who came out to pick up their chickens and turkeys today. It was such a beautiful day!

Oakley enjoyed herself immensely as she had lots of visitors! As a rescue horse she was very thin when she arrived at the farm. Only a month later and she is filled out nicely and seems to be enjoying her new friends!




Jet the cat and Oakley are great friends!

Sunday 25 September 2016

Week #39 - Preparation and puppies

While the long range weather forecast is suggesting that the coming winter will be brutally cold and snowy on the Prairies, the fall has thus far been relatively warm and many veggies are continuing to produce and ripen. In fact some veggies do better in the fall with the cool nights than in the hot summer weathers. 

It is always a bit of a guessing game on when the first frost will occur and how long you can leave things out in the field. We need enough time to do prep for next spring but don't want to pull plants until we absolutely have to! The other factor of course, is how much processing, drying, canning and prep for storage you can do at one time!

This time of year, the kitchen is always full with canning salsa, pasta sauce, pickling and dehydrating, making soups to freeze and pesto galore! This week after our usual weekly batch of salsa and pasta sauce, we made a load of kale chips, roasted red pepper sauce, a huge batch of pesto and some late pickles out of the abundance of cucumbers we have left.

This coming week doesn't look like it will come with frost and we are hoping to gather up all the herbs for drying, dig up those that are coming in the house for the winter and mulch those that will weather the cold season outside.

Our last batch of chickens and turkeys will go in on Monday night this week, so hope for a dry night with light winds to make catching 200 birds in an open pasture a little more comfortable.

Our regular followers will know that Ozzie, a blue heeler puppy came to the farm last week and it looks like he might be a permanent resident! At 9-10 weeks old he creates chaos most of the time but compensates with a cuteness factor that is off the charts! We are hopeful that he will earn his keep working on the farm helping move livestock and keeping predators away but for now he's simply entertaining.



Hope your upcoming week has some puppies cuddles in it..... after all every week should, don't you think!