Another Rainy Day

We are over l0 inches and  counting.  It is raining very steadily now and is supposed to all day long.  We aren't  in a flood zone but so many in the southern Ozarks are.   My heart goes out to them.

I am still feeding kittens  and teaching them to use the litter pan.....I never knew what I was getting into with these little beasties.  They are doing well and still sleeping most of the time.  They will be traveling with us to KC this weekend.  What fun!  We are going to our granddaughter's high school graduation. Fortunately they are a 'cat' family and welcome them.

I am having a good time  baking and cooking for the pre-grad party.  I have missed baking.....yesterday I did our normal honey, oatmeal bread.  This time I made 4 loaves instead of 3 that the recipe calls for.

This is just for family use.  I am taking a double batch of my standard refrigerator rolls, two batches of cookies (maybe more), and a large batch of barbecued meatball (small size  for hors d'oeuvres).  It is good weather for cooking inside.

Yesterday was a lovely, sunny day. We took the opportunity to mow and didn't bury the wheels in the soft grass. I have seen more butterflies in the last sunny days than I saw most of last year and a better variety.
So  far,  We are hoping that is a good sign for the rest of the year.

 I hope I am right on these, if not, please tell  me.  A Red Admiral

  A Giant Swallowtail

The rains have not improved my poor blooming things.

The Native tradescantia has held up well.  It is a ditch plant here so I guess it has to be tough.

We spotted a Rose Breasted Grosbeak a few days ago.  We haven't seen one here in years.  Also the hummers  are back for a week now.  So far, just counted 3, but hoping for more as the weather warms.  I have a honeysuckle in bloom so they can supplement their liquid diet.

More in bloom:

The first is a red peony in  the Well House Bed.  It is gorgeous, but no fragrance at all.

This is iris Swingtown near the almost bloomed clematis Hagley Hybrid

This is my lost red iris among the weeds in the cellar bed....I need to rescue it!

I need to  go start cooking.

New Bread Technique and Daily Routine

We  are in a slight warm-up period but are getting a  mix of rain and sleet.  That means roads will be treachorous.  We had planned a WM run but will probably cancel.

 I did chores again yesterday morning and it was more uncomfortable at a windy 24° than it was the day before at no wind 10°.  I just did the puppies who are little wild things.  I stayed in the pen with them and petted them until they finally got over the thrill and settled down to eat.  Tito, the large male has very unusual colored eyes.  I tried to get a picture but wasn't very successful.  The are amber colored.  I hope they stay that color as he ages.

From puppies January 8 2015

As  you can see, Daisy decided to eat while Bella (black)  is attacking my glove.

DH decided he would do the grain feeding.....I let him.

Cooking

My new bread making technique was using a biga as a preferment or starter and reducing the yeast. May I say after one experiment that I am not impressed and once I use the other half of the biga, will probably not do it again. The biga is supposed to be improve keeping quality, taste and texture. Well, DH and I couldn't ascertain an improvement in the taste or the texture. It also seemed I did not get the volume I usually get. It may be that I am not really a bread connoisseur just like I am not a wine connoisseur. I strive for a light, tender bread more like store bread but better tasting. When I started making bread it was during the Artisan, no-knead craze and I had tried that but it wasn't what we wanted. This bread was similar in my opinion.   My Sis got me started again (she is going through my early  experimental- bread- making phase now). I will stand firm...no more ventures into bread that takes between two and 5 days to make while waiting for a perferment to ripen.........so you true bread making bakers can just shake your heads.  I am hopeless.

2/19/15

It wasn't quite as cold last night, 17°. I love it when it isn't 'leave the water dripping' cold which for us is l0°. We are in line for some freezing rain later today and tomorrow.

I fixed something different for breakfast. I made scones with our scrambled eggs. I have just made them once before. They are simply a sweetened biscuit with eggs and cream. I like using the leftovers for shortbread. I will do that for lunch using our frozen peaches.

Farm

Our farm hand (doesn't that sound inflated) he is just a 16-year old neighbor. Came and Max showed him how to use our tractor for feeding the round bales. If the weather is too severe he can use his truck that is equipped with a bale spike on the back. He turned his ankle getting off the tractor. I hope it isn't too bad. I will call and check on him this morning.

I am going out around 9 to do chores near the house. It was 24° but with wind.

 It was more uncomfortable than the day before at l0°.  My hands got numb before I was finished. 

DH did the grain feeding.  

Dragging through the frozen snow requires a rest period when I come in.......

Cooking 2

I decided to make our old-fashioned white bread  (no preferment or  starter!).  I did have to use Hogsdon  Mills flour since our local store wanted $6 a bag for King Arthur and I refused to pay that.  I may be slightly  prejudiced but I don't think I get as much  lift with other flours.  I added two eggs instead of the called  for one.  Just did it without thinking because I had two eggs sitting on the counter top from collecting that morning.  I like the color and texture and may keep adding two eggs.  You know now we don't have to worry about cholesterol in our food ! (did you hear the latest nutritional recommendations?)  My Sis and I got a good laugh.....she and I didn't believe that link between foods a cholesterol when they began pushing it.

I had thawed a surprise package from the freezer when it turned out to be strawberries that were past their prime, I decided to make jam.  I added l cup of the aforementioned  peaches to make the 5  cups.  It turned  out nicely.  The fruit was frozen with l cup of sugar so I reduce the jam recipe by that cup and proceed as usual.  I used pectin with this batch.

Note: no lids...yet.  In a cleaning frenzy I carried all canning supplies out to the milk parlor (jack of all trades work room).  I will retrieve them this morning.

Catch Up Again

It is very cold here this morning; 11°. We have decided to postpone miking until tomorrow when it will be a whopping 30°.

I haven't posted in a while. Winter seems pretty unexciting here.

I will list what I can remember in no particular order:

First Sugar and Mama beagle left and were gone for two days and nights. We had finally adjusted ourselves to that when Sugar showed back up alone. We still have no idea where or what happened to the Beagle. The stingy side of me is happy I hadn't just paid for a spay surgery on her.

Chores are plugging along in their normal winter dreariness. DH told me he has only recently tapped into last summer's hay. That surprised me. We had a good carryover from the previous year which is a good thing.

The puppies are thriving. I made a large batch of liver treats for them and they love them. I can see the hound in them when a treat is dropped and they 'trail' it nose to the ground until they find it. Sugar doesn't do that nearly so well.

Liver Treats (a good way to use the beef  liver we never eat)

 

Our granddaughter was down for a weekend last Friday. She had a formal dance to attend as date to one of her local 'just friend' boys. He is also a best friend of her BF. Seems kind of strange to us old folks but no one asked our opinion. She is such a joy and just received all A's from last semester. She is already a junior in college even though this is just her second year. Bragging finished!

Cooking

The only thing I have baked lately is bread (twice since I got the mixer repaired) and two batches of cookies. I am thinking longingly of cheesecake..........that may be next.

The mixer worked great making my usual 3  loaf recipe.  I added l  cup of  white whole wheat flour and 1  cup of wheat germ  and the texture was still very fine  and  soft.

 

From cooking

Yesterday I used the KA mixer and made Pecan Sandies from my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

From cooking

I am now using the guide to the mixer and the correct  speed for all things!  I may have caused its recent gear failure.....

Today is DH's birthday so he got his request of gravy and biscuits (and eggs and bacon) this morning.

We were laughing about his favorite food: gravy, and mashed potatoes, especially mashed potatoes with a dollop of buttered peas in a well on top. I will work that into lunch today.

 Gardening

I have sorted through all my seeds and listed them on a spreadsheet. After I test some very old tomato seeds, I will toss the expired ones and will finally be down to just newer seeds.

 

June 12, 2013, Wednesday

We trimmed a couple of trees and Max loaded the trailer with limbs. He also cleaned all the debris and old dog house out of Sugar's pen.

I mulched the tomatoes.

We had a very unsatisfactory frozen Microwave Healthy Choice lunch! No more of that for us.

In the afternoon, I made bagels. When they were in the oven for a while, I checked and noticed the oven was just warm.......they were not cooking. I tried the counter top oven but it was too late. The are now soaking in water for the chickens.

I scheduled a service call...can't come until Monday. We can limp along but it is bread making time so we will have to revert to 'store bought'.

Got a new Kindle Paperwhite today; Max wants my old one....he gets a used Kindle for Father's

Day....poor thing.

After charging it fully I managed to get it working.....I am still getting used to the 'touch' thing but have ordered some books from the library and Amazon and all went well. There is a bit of a learning curve with it.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Up at 3:45AM.

It is cooler this morning.

Went out early and finished mulching the rest of the tomato row and hoed out the west onion rows.

Tilled the middle where the hills of squash are and will be ready to mulch it all once I water it well.

I should take pictures; it is the first and probably last time my garden will be this tidy!

Forgot to mention that I tested the oven this morning and, voila!, it seems to be working. I even made hamburger buns and Max's two loaves of white bread this afternoon and it went very well.

The service people called to reschedule me for tomorrow and I told her my story of the oven.....I have canceled the service call and will still keep my fingers crossed and be nervous for some time.

The stove is only 3 years old but I have terrible luck with appliances..........I do have the small counter top oven that we could get by with for a few days.

By 2 PM, bread is done and so am I!

June 14-15

For those who want to know:  My only secret to  bread making is:  King Arthur Flour and SAF yeast!

I watered the garden even though they predicted rain (it came but has just been ¼ inch so far). I vowed to take a picture of the garden while it was almost weed free; so I did.

 

This is taken from the west end looking east (the other was the reverse).

This little white tags are hills of squash.  If the borers don't get them, I will be overrun for the first time in a few years.  I do have a hill of Butternut for keeping over winter for pies.

This is the east end where I have replanted corn amid  the spotty patch.  

 

I hope now to cover all with straw mulch.  We are still getting a light shower.  Some places in the area are flooded but not us.

Yesterday morning I finished planting some rudbeckia and vinca so all flats are now empty.  I know it is getting late but I intend to sow some  more annual seeds and hope  for late bloom.

The poppies have been outstanding this year and the seed pods are huge on some.  I got a full tablespoon of seeds from one pod yesterday.

I noticed that the bees are enjoying them too.  There were 4 in this one bloom,

 

From poppies 2013

Lilies are now blooming:

 

This clump is the only trumpets I have left.  

Happy Father's Day!  Hope you all have a wonderful day. 

It's Raining!

Not heavy mind you, but it is rain wonderful rain! and it is a cold rain.  Poor DH has to go out in this but I don't this morning.  Thank you very much.  I did build a nice fire in the living room stove so he can get warm very quickly when he comes in.

I am making bread this morning, some 7-grain and maybe more white bread.

I see more daffodils have opened.  I have several more clumps scattered around now and one tiny little white crocus. 

Yesterday was doctor day for DH, his annual cardiologist checkup, and all was good.  We stopped by his Mom's  so that delayed us getting home.

She wanted to know if I wanted my birthday present early (September!)  DH said she wanted him to bring  it to me the last time he visited and he said if he did I would have to wait to open it. I told them if I had to wait, she could keep it at her house......I ended up opening there it on the condition she wouldn't buy me another present in September!  Here is what I got.....to go with the 13 inch skillet she gave me because it was too big for her.  Now the question is:  Where do I put them.   I am starting to think a pot rack somewhere...

From Blog March 2012

Anyway, we were late getting home and I had to fix lunch.  We had a mystery lunch because I laid out two containers (unlabeled) of cooked food before we left.  It turned out to be white beans and chicken and noodles.  I heated all plus some left over creamed peas and we had a very tasty lunch with a toasted hot dog bun (I told you I was out of bread!), half each.  Made me glad we hadn't grabbed a chicken sandwich at McDonald's on the way home.  The point of this story is I was tired but I knew I had soaked the pea seeds that should go in the ground  and I wanted the rains to help germination of spinach so I made myself go out around 3 pm.

I planted the cattle panel on both sides with the Sugar Snap and Oregon sugar pod peas so this gives me a 30 foot row (15 foot panel) of peas.  I just pulled the mulch back and dug a small trench with the hoe and planted.  Then I planted the rest of the garlic row east, maybe 15 feet, with Bloomsdale spinach.  The whole thing just took an hour. 

I am being rewarded with the rain. 

16 eggs  yesterday. I am getting some strange colors on the dark brown ones.


The bread is doing an autolyse so I better get back to it.
I started another fresh quart of buttermilk yesterday and bottled it up in a clean jar this morning.

Windy Day - Bread - To do List

Well, the storms missed us this time.  I slept through the entire thing but DH stayed up until the storms passed us.  Buffalo, Mo is pretty close to us north and east.  I dread the storm season.

Good news:  We got the machinery up and running (mower and tiller) and I pruned the fruit trees.  There may be hope for accomplishing that list  yet.  To be honest my helpmeet did the machinery thing.

Bad news:  The plums and peaches have tons of buds not showing color yet but getting very close and that can't be a good thing.

I see little green shoots on the late-planted garlic...about 2 inches tall.

I held off on the dormant oil spray because of the predicted rains but will need to get it done soon.

Chickens are doing well.  We got 16 one day (20 hens) and about 6 getting pretty old.  I am still giving them henbit and kitchen scraps.  I never feed potato peels...but I see others do without problems.  I just add mine  to the compost pile.

I have been  indisposed for two days now...I hope it is gone  by tomorrow.  We have company coming and I need to  do some baking which was planned for today.....best laid plans and all that..........

I did make bread a few days ago and it turned out great but I am still having problems with the loaf bursting on one side.  I roll it up jelly-roll fashion, seal bottom and ends and place  the seam down side in the pan and yet....  It doesn't hurt the texture or the taste.  I cheated this time and made white bread.  My BIL likes it better than whole wheat. That's  our company, Sis and BIL. This bread had an extra rising before forming.


and this is the bad side:


At least it rose nicely and the texture is super.

Bread - Gardening Cleanup

It was 73° here this morning and it bodes to be another very hot day.

Yesterday was milking day. It takes her a very long time to let down her milk for just me, but I persevered!

Flowerlady has inspired me to stay with my yard clean-up project. She has made remarkable inroads in her lush tropical growth in Florida and she has all that humidity to deal with.

Gardening

I began the Hummingbird Bed outside the kitchen after I milked. I watered part of it while I worked. I cut down and pulled morning glory vines in the side next to the drive, cut off most of the phlox and cut a few seedling trees. I think for now I will leave the Golden Rain tree. It is too near the sassafras seedling tree but I am not ready to make a decision about it.

This morning, I plan to finish the bed. I stay plan because living on the farm, things have a way of changing quickly.

I also spot mowed part of the west yard.

I am still finding the odd Japanese Beetle on the roses.

We made another library run so I am good for another week. I tried to watch some television, but gave up. Nothing on it interest me.

Cooking

We were very low on bread. I wanted to test the machine again and go for 4 loaves.
I basically doubled KA's white bread recipe from the book that came with the mixer.
I was worried about doubling the yeast from 2 to 4 packages but did anyway. I rose like gangbusters! I think I should have cut back on the yeast considerably and just let it raise longer. It worked up beautifully, pulled off the bowl and dough hook, was smooth and satiny and very springy! I made three loaves of bread and one of hot dog buns. This bread is the closest to being store bread in texture and taste. This is not a goal! but this is what it turned out to be. I don't know why I am so enamored of white bread these days. I will make some good old hearty whole wheat soon.


This is slices from a small test bun. We always have to test it first out of the oven.....that is required!

Another Catch up Post - Honey Wheat Bread - Random Farm Picture

We have entered another warm few days and I started watering a few things again.

I haven't done anything in the garden since I tilled it, not even to check tomatoes.

It was been a busy few days.

We decided to sell some calves again so that took up one morning. Prices are still very good, thankfully.

Then we dropped the trailer off to have the lights fixed before we get a ticket for not having them.

I can't be in town without stopping at a store or two, bought milk filters, and a few grocery items. Back home and put things away. After shopping, I am through for the day.

Except, I did make bread very late yesterday afternoon. This time I made another family favorite, Honey and Wheat. It makes three loaves; I made one up into burger buns. Our KC family called and are coming down tomorrow to spend a couple of days before school starts. Our daughter really likes this bread toasted.....so she will have bread!

Finally this dough came together like I thought it should.

Here is how it looked in the mixer after kneading for 6 minutes. I still am not happy with the size of the buns, I weigh them and that is correct but I want the bigger around....may have to resort to a cutter. Suggestions will be appreciated.


and right out of the oven,


Honey Oat and Wheat Bread

from Hodgson Mill Bread Book

2 pkgs yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105°)

2-1/2 cups warm water
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups Oat Bran Hot Cereal
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup margarine (I use butter)
6 cups Hodgson Mill 50/50 flour
1 egg
2 cups Hodgson Mill best for bread flour
shortening to coat bowl and 3 bread pans.

My Change:
1 cup hot oat bran cereal
1/2 cup cracked wheat
Soaked in the 2-1/2 cups of hot water
Increase salt to 2 teaspoons

This replaced the 1-1/2 cups Oat Bran Cereal

Add yeast to half cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine lukewarm water, oat bran cereal, honey, melted margarine. Here is where I bring water to a boil to soak my 7-grain and cracked wheat. Let stand until cool.

Add 2 cups 50/50 flour and mix well (you may use mixer). To this mixture add the egg and softened yeast, mix well. Add remaining flours to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes or use dough hook on mixer for 4 minutes . Put in greased bowl turning once to coat top. cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm draft-free lace until doubled about l hour.

Knead down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Diving into three equal portions and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and place in greased loaf pans, let raise for about 1 hour until dough reaches tops of pans.

Preheat over during this time to 375°. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove bread from pans immediately and let cool on wire racks.

Random Farm Picture

We have had Willow long enough that she now has a grandcalf, actually two, since Annabelle, had calved earlier. We bought Annabelle along with Willow when she was ready to wean. This is the first one from her first baby born on the farm. The mother is Ginger (out of our Black Angus bull) and her first baby, a bull calf from our new bull.

A Little Rain - Self Seeded Trees - Real Workout with the Queen

It is truly a good morning. It is 68° and we got .33 inches of rain around 2 AM. It was barely more than a shower but we are very happy to get it! The top soil was still moist from the previous rain. Maybe the long, hot, dry spell is truly broken.

Ilene has been talking about planting trees at her new home on her blog, The Rock Whisperer. I wanted her to see the self seeded Golden Rain Trees I have thanks to the black seeds inside the cute little lanterns. It is a good small tree. I used to have a very large one, but either an ice storm or the tornado took it down. What I do have each year are little seedlings still coming up! It is amazing.

These came up in a planter out front where there used to be a huge spruce tree (downed by strong straight line winds). I have let this clump grow together.


They have never been watered or sprayed. The Japanese Beetles do eat them but they are not the top choice for them!

This is the sassafras tree right outside the kitchen window. I have wanted one for years and the birds gifted this to me a couple of years ago. I hope it isn't too close to the house.



This next one was a mystery tree, but I think I have identified it this year by the tiny bell shaped little blooms hanging from the underside of outer branches. I believe it is our native persimmon tree. There are several growing on the farm and a grove of them west of the house where the big pond it. As it grew I thought it was a pretty, healthy tree with interesting bark so I let it be. It is just behind the double pink rose of sharon next to the lawnmower shed. They are small trees so I think it will be fine left here.

Once again, no watering during this drought.



There is an 18" one growing right by the back steps that I think is another persimmon.....I am keeping my eye on it.

Another very hardy tree for drought is our native redbud. I planted three seedlings dug from the yard a few years ago and they have done really well. I also have some growing out of my lily patch....not a good thing. That is the only things about self-seeders. They don't always sprout in good places. I am trying to kill one out of my 20 year old Parson's Pink China rose but am not having much luck.

The St. Louis grands are coming down this weekend so I had a good excuse to put the mixer through the paces. I made my French Bread recipe that calls for almost 11 cups of flour. The mixer was barely warm. The bread seemed awfully soft like my potato bread but I added no extra flour. I am curious about that. It turned out great.
I made up one loaf in my bread pan.



I sliced one loaf and the texture was nice but more holey than usual.



They all love the cookie recipe I got from Flower Lady's Blog. It's called Creaet-a-Cookie. We love it. This time I added 1/2 cup of wheat germ and used the chocolate chips. DH doesn't like them , but the grands do so guess who won out?



It makes a large stiff batter. Once again the mixer did great.

I was worried about all the talk about needing to order a special paddle with plastic extenders on the side because the original paddle doesn't scrape the bowl well. That hasn't been a problem for me. I resent having to buy something extra to make this expensive a mixer work! So I didn't do it.

I think both recipes are listed on my side bar or they were. I will check later.

Phlox Time on the Farm

It is another hot and dry day here.

I just worked out about 2 hours this morning.

I cleaned the strawberry rows and hand watered them and one row of tomatoes.

I don't want to use the sprinkler because I don't want to make the mistake I did before harvesting the garlic. The potatoes and onions are almost ready to harvest and are next to where I wanted to water.

I see the beetles are heavy on the rose of sharon shrubs. I will spray them later this evening.

We were out of bread so I made three loaves of oatmeal bread, it is a little coarser than my regular whole wheat recipe but we love the flavor the oats give. I used quick oats not hot oat bran cereal that is called for. That seems very like a push of their Hodgson Mill products ala King Arthur Flour recipes.

It is garden phlox (phlox paniculata)time here.

Gardening - Harvest - Bread Day

We are still needing a good soaking rain which seems to pass us by.

Two days ago, worked seriously in the Kitchen Garden doing some weeding. I finally exposed the potato row where I can actually find the potatoes to dig them They are getting very close to that stage. This was an interesting potato year. They barely bloomed and they got very tall. I do find potatoes under the vines. The onions are looking quite good.

This is the row of Yukon Golds, the vines are laying over but now quite ready for digging yet.



When I finished the weeding, I pulled all of the Early Wonder beets that were sizable, I pulled several onions to thin and because I needed onions in the
kitchen, I cut the first head of cabbage. It was a very nice first harvest.

I dug a few more volunteer potatoes out of the onion rows and that is the last of the broccoli. I will be pulling and adding it to the compost or more probably tossing it to the chickens.

I think the garlic is going to be nice this year. It is not quite ready to pull. I use the term pull loosely; it will need to be dug. The bulbs seemed to have grown more down in the soil than I planted them.

The next day I processed 5 pints of beets. I need help canning!!! I lost some liquid out of the jars.....Ilene what did I do wrong? I am very new to pressure canning.


I also made two loaves of white and 2 of whole wheat bread. I made up one loaf of the whole wheat into burger buns.



Late in the day we drove over to pick up the cured meat from the hog we bought. We haven't tried any bacon or ham yet.

Sweet Potato Bread - gardening- Setting hens

The last two days have been very nice days with the weather being perfect, sunny, breezy and warmer.

Yesterday was bread making day. I was all set to make whole wheat sandwich bread but saw a recipe for Sweet Potato Bread that caught my eye. I knew I had some mashed sweet potato left over in the refrigerator and thought this would be a good use for it. It was. We both like the bread very much. I apologize for the quality of the picture....don't know what happened but it does show accurately the color and texture of the bread. It was a two-loaf recipe. I need to make hamburger buns soon.



Late in the afternoon, I finished up the early garden planting. I planted two kinds of beets, Early Wonder, and Lutz which is a winter keeper type that I have never grown before; a very short row of Dwarf Blue Kale and I tilled the new strawberry rows.

Still only two snap peas up????that doesn't look promising.

Plants under the lights are looking good.

Setting Hens

Well, this has become a mini fiasco! You would think something so simple and natural would just be easy....nooooooo! At least not here. I had an arrangement that I thought was working well. But then my helpmeet got involved....he left the little door between the setting hens and the others open for a couple of days! So, other chickens had been laying in the nests too....caused one setting hen to change nests...long story/short: I have now put fresh eggs under one and left the other on some very dirty eggs that I don't think will hatch. I have them locked in and told said helpmeet to not touch the doors! I have no idea when hatch will happen or if it will. I think the hen that moved is laying again to accumulate more eggs in her nest. I started with 7, she had 8 last evening. I will just leave her be.
Only time will tell.

The eggs are fertile.....I gave the old eggs to the dog and observed. They had been chilled when she moved to a new nest.

Random Picture

This is a seedling lilac that I noticed a couple of years ago. It is now blooming. I like the location and will just leave it here.