Finding Keba's Country

Some days no one can find
anything.

     Here today, gone tomorrow? Where have we been?  Lost in cyberspace, locked inside a computer.  Aren't there just some days that one would want to just open up the computer and find what you're looking for?
     Keba's country still exists with farm adventures.  Blogger moved to Google Chrome and left this farm stuck in cyberspace and trying crazy attempts to figure out how to get back on and post.
     Computer changes seem to just be another bump in the road for twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings.  When you are not even close to those ages, it can be an exercise in developing patience.  
     Hoping to find the right button, answer a question the right way to get what is wanted can be just frustrating. But, now we're here to blog and hopefully here again.
    In case it is days before Keba's country can find its way back again to post, this chocolate cookie recipe adapted from BakeWise by Shirley O. Corriher satisfies any chocolate craving.  The book is well worth buying especially if you like to read about recipes as well as bake them.              

                         Chocolate Crinkle Cookies   

1 ¾ cup  plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 ¾ cups sugar, divided

1/3 cup canola oil

2  Tbs light corn syrup

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup  confectioners' sugar

 oven  325°F

   1. Beat together well flour, baking powder, and salt.  

   2. Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50% for 1 minute, stir, and microwave

for 15 seconds more and stir.

   3. In the mixer, beat 2 1/2 cups sugar, oil, and corn syrup together to blend. Beat in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, and on low, then beat in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and

beat in on low.

   4. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Take out about 1/4 of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into

1-1/2 to 2-inch balls. Pour 1/4 cup granular sugar into one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball very lightly in plain sugar first and then very heavily in confectioners' sugar.  

   5. Use parchment paper and arrange cookies 2 inches apart. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes

 (Rolling cookies in sugar first keeps the confectioners’ sugar on surface of cookie.)

Whispers from Mother Nature



Dreary day, but brightened by signs of
spring



     Where did March go?  Now it's almost gone and the usual March just didn't happen.  For two weeks, it was so very warm and beautiful.  No one is complaining about that.

     The warmth hastened the arrival of the colors of spring this year.  Unlike the almost sudden, dramatic burst of colors in fall, one could miss the quiet arrival of spring.  But, the colors in the trees and also on the ground are equally as beautiful, just more subtle.  While the mornings are still freezing, it begins some time in March with a haze of red buds on the maples more easily seen in the wood line against the backdrop of barren trees.  Gradually it becomes stronger and is joined by a faint green filling in the spaces. 

     The crocuses pop up in spite of the cold or warmth for that matter.  They must have some inner clock.  Then the green fronds of the daffodils appear, followed by wave after wave of colors.  Each develops at its own pace. Each provides a unique color from yellow to orange to pink in a variety of shapes.  

    

       Day after day, there is a new whisper of color from mother nature.   Spots of purply-blue vinca pop up among  the daffs.  Forsythia join in with their unmanaged branches shooting this way and that.  


      Then one day it seems that mother nature has whispered all the greens from her palette for lawns and shoots of new plants. The colors are coming - stop and watch the display.
   Spring is arriving at our farm.  Thank you March, and adios. 

A fun recipe adapted from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast

                    Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 (4 1/2-inch) portobello mushroom caps

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

¾ cup minced onion

1 ½ tsp chopped fresh oregano

½ cup bagged baby spinach leaves (used more)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (used more on top, broiled to melt cheese)

1/3 cup Italian-seasoned panko (Japanes breadcrumbs) (used plain panko, added Italian   seasoning)

1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp black pepper

1.(Prepare grill) Heat a nonstick skillet.   

2. Remove brown gills from undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard

gills.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil  over medium-high heat.  Add mushroom caps saute gill side, flip   flip and add garlic, and onion; saute 2 minutes.  Remove caps and add oregano and

spinach; saute 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

4. Place spinach mixture in bowl and stir in remaining 1 tsp oil, cheese,

panko, vinegar, and pepper.  Divide filling among mushrooms. Sprinkle tops with additional cheese if desired.

5. (Grill 7 minutes.)  Heat in pan, melt cheese under broil.

Not Just For Breakfast

Fresh and comfortingly warm!

     The warm days are a delight and a tease this time of year.  Could mother nature just forget that it is still not yet officially spring?  Hopefully.  But the nights are cold and frequently below freezing.  The warm reminders of the previous day create the hope for a new day dawning with warmth, but frankly, it's not going to happen. 
     So now, look forward to what?  Surely, not lugging a 5 gallon water jug (1 gallon water = 7 lb Who really needs to think about this?) and a bucket of grain down to the chicken house with ungloved, by now, incredibly cold hands. No gloves this morning - yesterday afternoon was wonderfully warm, remember?  If ever there was a remote possiblility to think today would be different, it is quickly erased by freezing fingers which help to remind that it is not warm, not spring, and not likely to be warm any time real soon.
      However, if lucky though, there will be a freshly laid egg or eggs all delightfully warm to carry back to the barn.  Comfort and warmth straight from mother nature - how neat is that?

Warm comfort food dessert - low in calories, too! YUM
White Chocolate-Cherry Rice Pudding

3 ½ cup 1% low-fat milk, divided

1/3 cup dried cherries (or craisins)

2  Tbs light brown sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbs butter

1/8 tsp salt

1cup instant rice

1 (1-ounce) pkg. sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix

   Cinnamon sticks (optional)

1. Bring 1 ½ c milk, cherries, and next 4 ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice; cover, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While rice mixture cooks, prepare pudding mix according to package directions using remaining 2 cups milk.  Stir prepared pudding into rice mixture.  Serve. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

  Adapted from the book Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast - my new favorite book of recipes to cook.

And Then There Were Seven

     For almost two years the count was always the same - one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.  A very nice number.

     Then about one and a half weeks ago the geese were not found safely locked in their house in the early morning.  How could this be?   Closer inspection revealed that the people door was not locked. Memory of checking for eggs quickly came to mind - the door was not secured when it was closed. Now sometimes the interaction of human and nature leads to something beneficial.  Not so this time.  Mother Nature did her part.  The brisk wind blew open the people door that allowed the geese to get out.

     A different night would have been a different outcome.  The wind would not have blown through the screened window and opening the door, or the door would have been secured tightly as it had always been before. A bad luck intersection of events. 

     Evidently, this was very advantageous to a local fox and bad luck for one of my geese.  It is hard to accept to the loss of one them even after all this time.  Getting used to the loss of the animals on the farm is just something that needs to be accepted, but not without deep regret.

     On the upnote, the weather was in the high 50s today.  The sound of the Canada geese brought eyes upward searching for the "v" shape line of travel on their way north.  Some were flying in the traditional shape, others had a single diagonal line, one was only four traveling in the familiar flight pattern.  Hopefully, they are correct and it's OK to give a serious look at spring activities.   Beautiful sign of the weather change to come - just don't stop here!

The Frozen Side of Farm Life

Rhododendron leaves- curled up tightly-
bundle up.

     One look at the rhododendron leaves says it all without any words.  A true sign to be ready for cold - very, very, very cold - no thermometer or weather.com needed. 

     Buckets will be frozen, metal will sting, splashed water will freeze immediately on clothes.  The horse buckets will have progressively lower rings of ice as the horses had to break through the ice to drink.



So cold the buckets in the barn freeze.

 On with the chores.

First, a check on the kitties.  They have fallen in a partially frozen pond before and were rescued.  Hopefully, they don't have to make the same mistake over before they learn.

The magic of frozen water!

But, what could possibly be good about 6 AM on a dark, cold, 22 degree morning?  It makes 32 degrees feel downright balmy.






Today's recipe - company worthy, weeknight easy!

                                       Roasted Shrimp with Feta 5*
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups  medium-diced fennel
1 Tbs minced garlic ( 3 cloves)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2 oz ) can diced tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbs Pernod
1  tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 lb(16 to 20 per pound) peeled shrimp with tails on
5 oz feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbs minced fresh parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 lemons
 400 Oven
1. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in 10- or12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over
medium-low heat.  Add the fennel and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the
fennel is tender.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the wine and
bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
until the liquid is reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernot, salt, and pepper to the skillet.  Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato mixture in the skillet.  Sprinkle feta over shrimp. Combine bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle over shrimp.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and bread crumbs are golden brown.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.
4. Serve with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.
 Adapted from (the always reliable) Ina Garten

It's Monday and Maggie Day

      Maggie has continued to show small signs of adjusting to home and farm life. Maggie had been staying away from the kitchen counters so she was gaining trust in this area.      

       But let's digress a little here. Dogs like eggs. Dogs like eggs in a shell as well. Eggs in a shell make a nice crunch. This was known from previous dog encounters.   So why were goose eggs left on the kitchen counter of a known counter-surfing dog?

     Goose eggs, about 20, were on the counter waiting to be blown out.  Now these eggs were old, quite possibly turning rotten, but there was a chance to save hopefully at least ten. 

     Picture a peaceful evening, a fire glowing, faithful dog guarding the home,  a foul order wafting through the room. A slight crunch sound heard.  No, it couldn't be.  Well, yes it could.  Maggie had found the eggs.  Could she have chosen one that was not rotten?  That would have been a 50 percent chance.  Apparently not.  

     Now there are many things with a farm and animals that can just creep you out, but a new limit was reached.  Maggie had an egg, slightly cracked in her mouth.  What is known about a really rotten egg?  There is not just the smell.  This is everything a really rotten egg is not. It is no longer a soft, yellow sphere floating in clear liquid. Nor is it any bit partially solid.  Picture thick, yet fluid, slimy, yellow and gray black swirls.  How do I know this? Maggie did not want to give up her prize possession and she had to be stopped.  Not stopping her would have the rotten egg all over.  No time to do anything but snatch the foul fowl prize bare handed from her mouth. Do rotten eggs make a dog sick? Oh, the potential for an even worse mess. (Luckily they do not.)

 Lesson learned - don't leave anything within her reach. 

It is a lesson that should have been learned from a previous Maggie

adventure, but now it has really been learned.  

Luckily, Maggie is a good companion and fun to play ball with -
she still has a home.

    

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms  5*

1 Tbs olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise

         (about 3 cups), fronds chopped

1 lb spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, coarsely crumbled

1 8-ounce package sliced fresh crimini baby bella) mushrooms

4 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 Tbs fennel seeds, coarsely crushed

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup or more) low-salt chicken broth

1 16-ounce package dried tortellini with pesto filling or fresh tortellini

        with 3-cheese filling

1   5-ounce package fresh baby spinach leaves

 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

1. Crush the fennel seeds in a plastic bag and pound with meat mallet (or heavy skillet)

2. Heat oil in  skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced

fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked

through and fennel is almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel

seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is

reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until

just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini;

return to same pot.

4. Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until

blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup

cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt

and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing

additional cheese.

Adapted from Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Farm Life - Seeking the Flip Side

     There is no question about it.  Getting up and out early to be enveloped in the cold, darkness of  winter months can be downright discouraging.  However, the animals need care and the longer that they are inside the more work there will be.  But, it is dark.  It is cold.  The water frequently is frozen and metal locks are stinging cold to the touch on bare hands.  If water spills on clothing aside from the awful feeling it creates, there is an immediate freeze and dread. Wet, freezing clothes end the chores until after a trip inside to change.  Freezing temps mean that water has to be carried rather than using a hose.  Animals need to be released to the outside and they don't seem to care if it is cold.  Stalls need to be cleaned. Everybody is hungry.

     Is there any joy to all of this? Well, no, if one faces the mundane chores in a state of semiconsciousness.  But here is where the flip side comes in.   For every seemingly routine day is filled with wonder if you simply look for the flip side; just be aware of your surroundings  .

     The flip of the dark early morning hours is the singing of birds that are silenced by the sunrise. The moon is still floating in the sky and even the dark cold can't diminish the awe of an orb that circles the earth.  

     A cloudy, dark sky can't stop the sun from carving out its

arc on the treeline revealing that the sun is on the way. Once the sun is up, the magic is gone as all the trees have sunlight on them.

     And of course, at the sound of the gates, the animals respond with their own sounds.  Not to be missed is the unmistakable screechlike crowing sound from the smallest, but loudest of all the animals - the bantam rooster that lives with the turkeys.

     Even cleaning stalls which is not exactly fun, except for young girls who are known to do anything just to be near a horse, has a flip side. Aside from the exercise and a sense of job accomplishment, the reward is that nothing hinders a mind from planning the rest of the day, dreaming of ideas, or enjoying the peaceful silence and swish of a pitchfork. The flip side is the escape, the understanding, the introspective thoughts that help make it easier to accept what is and facing whatever comes our way.

Recipe to enjoy - Ham Casserole - easy comfort food.

                        Wild Rice and Ham Casserole

 1 pkg. (6 1/4 oz) quick-cooking long grain and wild rice mix ( does not

              need to be quick cooking)

 1 pkg (10 oz. frozen cut broccoli thawed and drained ( used fresh broccoli

             partially cooked in microwave)

  2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

  1 can (10 3/4 oz. ) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

  1 cup mayonnaise

  2 tsp prepared mustard

  1 cup( 4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese (used more)

1. oven 350

2. Prepare the rice according to package directions.  Spoon into an

ungreased 2 1/2 qu. baking dish.  Top with broccoli and ham.  Combine soup,

mayonnaise and mustard.  Spread over rice mixture and mix gently.  Cover and

bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Let stand 5

minutes before serving.