First of I must apologize for not getting to this sooner. My computer can sometimes be very slow. So to catch up on the last three weeks of my life. .... Or maybe just the last two because I can't really remember 3 weeks ago.
On Tuesday of last week we got a cow! She is a large beautiful brown and white Irish or Scottish breed. We may not actually keep her because Monte is not happy about Laura getting a cow. Plus she isn't giving quite as much milk as we expected because she got sick.... (she somehow got into the chickens grain and ate too much.) She is doing better now. She was given to Laura on an experiment type of agreement. If Laura decided that the extra hay and work was worth it we could keep the cow... if not... the original owner will take her back into his herd. All the cow's milk will be turned into cheese and butter and our own cream.
That same Tuesday we also pulled out all the rest of the remaining tomato bushes. Which was kind of sad because they were just starting to get some green tomatoes growing.... and then we got an early frost.
Katie Jickling is no longer one of the interns here. :( She has gone off to have more adventures.
We canned some green beans sometime during this last week. Our green beans plants are pretty much gone because of the frost as well.
Laura's brother Steve is staying here for a little while. He is an AMAZING guitarist. He will play Bach on the guitar all day. It is wonderful to listen to.
Last Friday we put up a hoop house over the peppers in hopes that they will again begin to flourish. For those who might be confused at "What is a Hoop House?" the best way I can describe it... it is like a greenhouse that you can move. You take curved poles all along the row... secure them into the ground and pull a plastic sheet over them. Once the sheet is in place you anchor that to the ground as well. We used large boards, bars, and sandbags.
Monday of this week we processed all of our turkeys (15) all of our geese (3) (:D) and all but 3 of our roosters (18) plus an accidental hen. ( the interns who were catching the roosters ... me and Matt didn't know at first to look for spurs. We just looked at the large comb and grabbed it. However after it was dead we discovered an egg inside that was ready to lay, and some undeveloped eggs.) Opps.
We had at least 4 turkeys that weighed 30 lbs.... after all the feathers had been plucked, and it's inside had been hollowed out. The farm is very quite now. It is kind of strange.
There is also a new wwoofer! Her name is Nella, she is 29 and from France!!!!! She seems like an Awesome person. She will only be here for 3 weeks.
When I first got here I heard all about the joys of washing lettuce in the winter. I am now experiencing it. Romaine Mix, Spinach, and Arugula, are the ones I have now helped with for the last few weeks. Your hands get so cold dealing with wet greens and there is usually a cold wind now to add to the numb fingers. I think it would be funny if there was a tractor that honked the word Arugula like the old cars that sound like "Alugggggga... Alugggggggggggaaaaa". I am thinking of making a picture book with this idea. First of all tractors don't honk. I still think it would be fun!
I have read some very good books while being here. The ones Laura has assigned me are.... Real Food by Nina Planck Animal, Vegetable, Miricle by Barbara Kingsolver, Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. All of these books are really good and you should read them. Then there are the books I have just pulled off of Laura's shelves.... Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and I have just started reading John Halifax, Gentleman by Miss Mulock
I believe this is all I have to say for the time being. I hope to do another blog this week dedicated to how thanksgiving was on the farm. ttfn
Since today is Thanksgiving.... Have a happy and thankful one!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
"If I be Waspish best beware my Sting."
The title of this post is from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Today I was harvesting our pomegranates with Jordan..... at one bush I cut off the pomegranate and heard buzzing. The buzzing came from some wasps. I have now been stung for the first time in my life. My arm is now feeling slightly numb. Hence .... "If I be waspish best beware my sting."
Now to go back two weeks.
Tuesday the 19th we were planting cabbages and we borrowed some planting devices from the High School Agriculture Farm . They are a pretty fun tool to use. They look sort of like a pogo stick. This is a tool that makes transplanting very easy. You stick it in the ground, put a plant in the opening on top and it slides down then you shut the handles and it puts it in a perfect sized hole. We had two of these planter things so it became a race with us interns. It became a Farm Olympics Event.
Thursday 21st after market and karate we had two people from the singles ward come over and we were divided into teams and played Pictionary . I have discovered that I get really into games. It was a lot of fun! At one point us girls had to draw Moscow, the cow I drew ended up looking more like a pig.
On Friday the 22nd we canned pears. I also helped volunteer at the Ragnar Race. The Ragna r Race from what I understand is a long race that goes over two days, twelve runners in each team. It is kind of like a relay race in someways. Monte was running in the race and Laura was one of the driver's for the team.
When me and Jordan arrived at our shift (which was to be from 1:30pm to 8:30pm) they were almost done so we loaded up the trailer and were done in an hour and a half.
Because Laura and Monte wouldn't be back that night I was put in charge of making sure the milking got done. Mat left the bucket filled with eggs on the seat of the ranger, (It is just easier to carry the milk and the eggs up in the ranger.) As I was going up the hill back to the house, the ranger stalled and began to roll back down the hill. The bucket with eggs fell out, and several eggs broke. Mat says there were only about 32 eggs to start with. Well I broke all but 8. To top things off the ranger wouldn't start. Katie called down is everything okay? After I had told her of my trauma she told me to come up and we will sort things out. I walked up the rest of the way and entered the house in tears. Mat went back down and carried the milk can up, (it had about 3 gallons of milk in it, and Mat carried it up a slightly steep hill.) Mat and Katie told me there was no use crying over cracked eggs.
On Saturday the 23rd Katie and I ran down to do chores in the morning and were pleasantly surprised to see Jordan in the okra already harvesting and all of our chores done.
I told Jordan that doing this had earned him a good many brownie points. He asked if it was enough for a batch of brownies? I made some Cookie Dough Brownies the following Tuesday evening. They turned out very well and yummy! The Recipe follows.....
(back to Saturday) After we finished the daily harvest Katie and I went to Bite of Las Vegas. My first time attending a live concert. I got to see Ryan Star, Plain White T's, K'NAAN, Sara Bareilles, and Switchfoot. My favorite performer was K'NAAN. I actually missed most of Ryan Star. Sara Bareilles lost many points in my opinion because she swore in between each song. The first time she swore she was like "Oh there are children here so I shouldn't swear." Then she used even fouler words the rest of the time. The only song I really liked of Plain White T's was their song Rhythm of Love. Switchfoot is definitely not my style of music. I could feel the ground shaking beneath my feet because it was so loud. However I did have a lot of fun with Katie the whole time. And I am glad to have had the experience.
Sunday 24th Katie came to church with us. Katie is a Christian, and it was her first time ever attending an L.D.S. church.
I can't think of anything of importance of this last week except the things that happened on Friday.
Friday 29th was the big Shareholder Potluck. All day we were cleaning up the farm. The Patterson's came and decorated the farm and made it look AWESOME! All the food was delicious!!!! Laura made the yummiest pumpkin bread I have ever tasted. As soon as I get the recipe I will post it on here. We has a fire going....(on the website it said bonfire, what it really was.... was only about 3 logs.) the evening was chilly. In fact every morning and evening now is chilly enough to want a jacket and gloves. I had never imagined that Nevada got slightly cold.
Every day we have to harvest green beans. Two picture books always come in my head as I am harvesting.... the first being Cowboy and Octopus with the line... " I cooked all my favorites for you. Here's beans and bacon, bacon and beans, and here's beans with just a little bit of bacon." the second being Skippyjon Jones with several of the lines that the Los Chimichangos say.
As we are scooting along the walkway path harvesting we usually get bean leaves or beans sticking to our shirts or shorts. So one of the common phrases between us now is "sitting on beans". Mat jokes that he is going to make an album with that title. The next album would be called "Better than Beans" because after harvesting the never ending row of beans anything is better than beans.
Lots of good moments over various vegetables.
ttfn
Now to go back two weeks.
Tuesday the 19th we were planting cabbages and we borrowed some planting devices from the High School Agriculture Farm . They are a pretty fun tool to use. They look sort of like a pogo stick. This is a tool that makes transplanting very easy. You stick it in the ground, put a plant in the opening on top and it slides down then you shut the handles and it puts it in a perfect sized hole. We had two of these planter things so it became a race with us interns. It became a Farm Olympics Event.
Thursday 21st after market and karate we had two people from the singles ward come over and we were divided into teams and played Pictionary . I have discovered that I get really into games. It was a lot of fun! At one point us girls had to draw Moscow, the cow I drew ended up looking more like a pig.
On Friday the 22nd we canned pears. I also helped volunteer at the Ragnar Race. The Ragna r Race from what I understand is a long race that goes over two days, twelve runners in each team. It is kind of like a relay race in someways. Monte was running in the race and Laura was one of the driver's for the team.
When me and Jordan arrived at our shift (which was to be from 1:30pm to 8:30pm) they were almost done so we loaded up the trailer and were done in an hour and a half.
Because Laura and Monte wouldn't be back that night I was put in charge of making sure the milking got done. Mat left the bucket filled with eggs on the seat of the ranger, (It is just easier to carry the milk and the eggs up in the ranger.) As I was going up the hill back to the house, the ranger stalled and began to roll back down the hill. The bucket with eggs fell out, and several eggs broke. Mat says there were only about 32 eggs to start with. Well I broke all but 8. To top things off the ranger wouldn't start. Katie called down is everything okay? After I had told her of my trauma she told me to come up and we will sort things out. I walked up the rest of the way and entered the house in tears. Mat went back down and carried the milk can up, (it had about 3 gallons of milk in it, and Mat carried it up a slightly steep hill.) Mat and Katie told me there was no use crying over cracked eggs.
On Saturday the 23rd Katie and I ran down to do chores in the morning and were pleasantly surprised to see Jordan in the okra already harvesting and all of our chores done.
I told Jordan that doing this had earned him a good many brownie points. He asked if it was enough for a batch of brownies? I made some Cookie Dough Brownies the following Tuesday evening. They turned out very well and yummy! The Recipe follows.....
Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Brownies: (adapted from Hershey’s Kitchens)
1 c. butter
3/4 c. Hershey’s cocoa
2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Prepare 13×9″ baking pan by laying a piece of foil in the bottom and up the sides. Spray with cooking spray or butter the foil.
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until combined. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Until toothpick comes out clean or the top bounces back when you pat it. Allow brownies to cool completely before moving on to the next step.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling: (adapted from Taste of Home)
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer on top of cooled brownies. Chill before adding chocolate glaze.
Chocolate Glaze:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening
Melt chocolate with shortening and stir until smooth. Spread over chilled cookie dough layer.
Add chopped walnuts on top.(back to Saturday) After we finished the daily harvest Katie and I went to Bite of Las Vegas. My first time attending a live concert. I got to see Ryan Star, Plain White T's, K'NAAN, Sara Bareilles, and Switchfoot. My favorite performer was K'NAAN. I actually missed most of Ryan Star. Sara Bareilles lost many points in my opinion because she swore in between each song. The first time she swore she was like "Oh there are children here so I shouldn't swear." Then she used even fouler words the rest of the time. The only song I really liked of Plain White T's was their song Rhythm of Love. Switchfoot is definitely not my style of music. I could feel the ground shaking beneath my feet because it was so loud. However I did have a lot of fun with Katie the whole time. And I am glad to have had the experience.
Sunday 24th Katie came to church with us. Katie is a Christian, and it was her first time ever attending an L.D.S. church.
I can't think of anything of importance of this last week except the things that happened on Friday.
Friday 29th was the big Shareholder Potluck. All day we were cleaning up the farm. The Patterson's came and decorated the farm and made it look AWESOME! All the food was delicious!!!! Laura made the yummiest pumpkin bread I have ever tasted. As soon as I get the recipe I will post it on here. We has a fire going....(on the website it said bonfire, what it really was.... was only about 3 logs.) the evening was chilly. In fact every morning and evening now is chilly enough to want a jacket and gloves. I had never imagined that Nevada got slightly cold.
Every day we have to harvest green beans. Two picture books always come in my head as I am harvesting.... the first being Cowboy and Octopus with the line... " I cooked all my favorites for you. Here's beans and bacon, bacon and beans, and here's beans with just a little bit of bacon." the second being Skippyjon Jones with several of the lines that the Los Chimichangos say.
As we are scooting along the walkway path harvesting we usually get bean leaves or beans sticking to our shirts or shorts. So one of the common phrases between us now is "sitting on beans". Mat jokes that he is going to make an album with that title. The next album would be called "Better than Beans" because after harvesting the never ending row of beans anything is better than beans.
Lots of good moments over various vegetables.
ttfn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)