(Some) Lessons Learned

     The warm air, open window of opportunity came shortly after Thanksgiving.  It always does. Noncritical farm chores need to be put aside. So, to the top of the priority list went bulb planting and Christmas lights and garland. 

     The bags, arriving in October and carefully saved in the garage, revealed a mere 105 bulbs to plant plus the 8 graciously given as a complimentary gift. Thank you. Wasn't there a note to self from this time last year?  Ah, now I remember. Still fresh from the memories of beautiful daffodil arrays, the fall bulb catalogs arrive in late spring tempting with great offers and the promise of increasing the beautiful display from the harbingers of spring.  And heck, then fall was so far off why surely there would be plenty of free time on a warm day to get everything planted. 



Armed and not dangerous

     So here, armed with a new gadget, visions swirled through my head about how fast these bulbs could be planted on this day. Maybe it was December, but it was warm, and I was not going to be planting these darn bulbs on a freezing cold day in partially frozen ground.  My mind envisioned this giant drill digging perfectly round holes in rows where the quick and efficient process would be drop in bulbs, cover, and move on.  Not so fast. It didn't work the way a drill works in wood.  The drill went in, but had to be pulled up with the dirt, drilled again and repeated until the hole was deep enough.  No matter, it beats trying to dig a small hole or a big hole in rocky earth with a big shovel. 

     Ah, to be near the end 2 1/2 hours later, with only ten bulbs to go, (not including the free ones) who should appear, but Maggie, my faithful companion, with a bulb proudly in her mouth and just out of reach. She had her treasure, and I had my vision of my work being undone. For sure, at least 104 bulbs are in the ground, but maybe less.  Didn't check; didn't want to know.
     Lesson Two Learned.  Get the Christmas lights and garland put up on the very next warm day.  Shouldn't one check the two-year-old light sets to make sure they worked before putting them up? Note to self next year all three will work instead of just one.

Dessert - crust is tender, filling is perfect - only whip cream and a sliver of a slice needed
                           Caramel-Pecan Tart 5*

 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

 2 cups flour

 2/3 cup powdered sugar

 3/4 cup butter, cubed

 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

 1/2 cup honey

 2/3 cup butter

 3 Tbs whipping cream

Oven 350

1.  Bake pecans for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

2. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to

6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture evenly on bottom

and up sides of a lightly greased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a

wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

4. Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool on a

wire rack 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Adapted from Southern Living NOVEMBER 2007

Maggie on Monday

      Sweet Maggie.  What a great companion she has become! In a mere two weeks she has made so many improvements.  We're almost to the point that she sees cats as tolerable, chickens and turkeys bearable, the horses scary, and the sheep - they still look like a lot of fun to chase.  What progress! What a neat dog! What a glowing tale could be told this week!

     Well, that was two days ago.  With sunrise today, Maggie fell off the wagon so to speak.  Sleeping just a little later than normal, I awoke to a phone call and Maggie ripping into her super strong bed for super strong chewers.  The zipper was off and she was starting to unstuff it.

     A dog whisperer would say that when something is wrong in Maggie's world she just starts to rip and chew.  She must need to go out. So with coffee cup in hand and Maggie's empty stomach, we went out.  Everything was going well, she more or less left the cats alone.  With all animals out it was time to clean stalls. 

     Now a farm and animals have their own routine and the sounds that go along with them.  The continuous pitch of the gobbling turkeys sounded an alarm. Sure enough, there was Maggie with a rooster pinned to the ground.  Where were the other chickens to help their com padre? Not a single peep out of them. They hightailed it out of there; after all, they are chicken.  Scolding Maggie and rescuing the rooster was my immediate mission. Fearing the worst, I watched to see what, if anything the chicken could do next.  Up and running, the rooster joined the others while proudly crowing. The winner of the battle! Who would have thought?

     Maybe next time I'll feed Maggie before I go out. 

     The rest of the day was shaky at best as everything, to include a scrub brush, seemed to taste better than her bone.  Apparently cleaning for Thanksgiving was just not giving her enough attention. However, her eyes tell me there is still hope.  I don't always have to clean that much. : ) She is still staying.

An OMG recipe - Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart
             FOR THE CRUST

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)

1/3 cup sugar

14 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ lb unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

½ cup half-and-half

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3 extra-large egg yolks

1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin

1 ripe banana, finely mashed

1/2 tsp grated orange zest

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

 2  Tbs sugar

 FOR THE DECORATION  

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Orange zest (optional)

1. Oven 350

2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in

a bowl and mix well.

3. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly

into the sides and bottom.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, cool to room temperature.

Filling

5.  Heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt,

cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water

until hot, about 5 minutes.

6. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into

the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the

double boiler and stir well.

7. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes,

until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat.

8. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin,

banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to

cool.

9. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to beat until

firm peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin

mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Decoration

10. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar

and vanilla and continue to beat until firm peaks form. Pipe or spoon

the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with

orange zest. Serve chilled.

11. This tart can be made a day or two ahead and kept refrigerated. Decorate

it with whipped cream an hour or two before serving.

Cooking Tip: Use a defrosted banana from freezer - it mashes more easily.

Cooking Tip: Grate zest early and allow to dry - it sprinkles on cream more

easily.  Used fine and medium microplane.

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mondays with Maggie

Maggie made it through her first week with us, or we made it through our first week with Maggie.

Of course, because Maggie is an older puppy, we could escape all the trials and tribulations that a younger puppy brings to a new home. Well, throw that thought out. : )

We are now less one cell phone charger cord, one less riding boot, one less dog toy made with super strong fire hose material, two less leash leads, one plus hole in a people blanket, various pillows with dog slobber, but no holes, a super strong bacon flavored plastic type bone that she lost interest in and lost, a Kong chew toy that she lost interest in, a Kong bone toy that she lost interest in, a Kong tennis ball that she loved - so much that she has lost it in the house somewhere, and finally one hole and two ripped corners in a Kong bed made of super strong material for super strong chewers. 

"What have I done?"  I chose a puppy that needed a home and humans who believed in trying to make her positive qualities prevail.  She doesn't jump up on people, doesn't bite when you need to take things away from her (cords, boots, toys, blankets, papers, and many other etc.) doesn't growl when you put your hand near her food or near and in her mouth to remove forbidden objects, loves to be scratched, doesn't jump on little kids or lick them, puts her head on a little girl's lap to be petted and be called my dog, walks quietly on a leash, sits and lies down when told, and watches out the glass window door to warn of predators - real or imagined.  Maggie has the sweetest face and eyes - irresistible.  That's why she is staying.

These cookies - so good, so easy. 

Special Roll-Out Sugar Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp   baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

1 large egg

1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream (used sour cream)

3 Tbs cornstarch

3 cups all-purpose flour

 1. Beat the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat well.  Add half the cream, all of the cornstarch, and half the flour; beat well.  Add the remaining cream and flour, mixing just until all of the

ingredients are well incorporated.

2. Divide the dough in half, flatten into rounds, and wrap well.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or more, to facilitate rolling.

3. Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two

baking sheets.

4. Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured(use confectioners’ sugar) work surface and place a piece of plastic wrap over it while you roll it our to keep it from sticking

to the rolling pin.  Roll the dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut it into

the shapes.  

5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they're set but not browned.

Remove them from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet

before transferring to a rack.   

Cooking Tips: Roll out on a surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

 The dough is also sturdy enough to be cut into fanciful shapes and decorated.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Maggie, Day Three

     Our animal farm story continues with the arrival of Maggie. Her picture was posted on the internet site for St. Hubert's.  Something about her look kept me going back.  It could have been the color, or the eyes, or the expression on her face, or the desire to find another Shiloh.
     Off to St. Hubert's to take a closer look at Maggie.  There she lay on her bed as I walked through the kennel area.  It reminded me of Shiloh 4 years ago, lying patiently while all the other dogs jumped and barked.  She did get up on my return trip down the aisle.  I asked to see her.
     In the outside enclosure she was moderately interested in me, but more interested in the smells of the cage.   Hooked pretty much at first sight, paperwork was processed, fee paid, and Maggie left St. Hubert's. Should I have cared more that the previous two matches did not work out? After listening carefully to the details of her history, I thought that I had the situation figured out, and it would be a successful match.

Is that a smile?

     She was wonderful in the car. She was wonderful in the house (cross this off, that was only the first three hours of the first night).  She didn't jump up on people and liked to be petted. She was wonderful until poor Gizmo kitty, who did not know to let sleeping dogs lie, decided to go close and sniff Maggie's nose while she was sleeping by me.   Too late to stop the interaction,  Maggie opened her eyes, saw the cat, growled and took off.  Now there is a reason for the expression scaredy cat.  That is Giz even on her best day.  She took off and couldn't be found for hours - the next day actually.  She wanted no part of this dog.  This home invasion by a new creature was not a Shiloh.
     Now what?  I couldn't fall back asleep and I knew I wasn't dozing because I was beginning to see the entire nightly rerun of an evening's worth of Fox programs.
     What was I going to do if Maggie considered cats a food group?  There were three more in the barn outside. The mixed breeds in this dog need to be outside and able to run.  This might be trouble.        
     Not having kids to keep me awake at night, now it was a dog.  The Carrie Underwood song kept playing over and over in my mind, "It started out hey, cutie, where'd you come from, then it turned into oh, no, what have I done?"  Sixty plus pounds of dog and still a puppy? What had I done?
      Luckily with the morning light and some sleep more rational thought prevailed. So, the facts as known -she likes to chew - anything, likes to run - everywhere, forget about trying to catch her on a tear around, likes to counter surf - note to self, keep food back from the edge, but she has the sweetest face and she still has a puppy brain. A puppy brain, cope with it, outsmart it, after all you are a human, the superior species higher up on the brain chain.

      Here she'll have her forever home, but she'll never know that if it weren't for Shiloh being such a great companion, she might have ended up in someone else's home.

You Are Who/What You Think You Are

Can you see Chicken Little?  A bit of confusion here, maybe?  Watching animal behavior can unlock some thoughts about human behavior.  Chicken Little is a temporary guest on our farm.  The four young chickens, slightly larger than he, would have no part of him sharing anything - not food and least of all, their space.  They pecked and chased him until he flew out of their reach.  But, he landed in the turkey pen with an empty stomach.  Promptly hopping into the dish of turkey grain he pecked at any turkey beak that wanted food.  They pretty much left the little squirt to have his way. 
     Climbing in with the turkeys to catch the little guy each night to put him safely away was added to the routine.  Each new day brought the pecking at him from the chickens and then back into the turkey pen he flew.  This went on for days until one day, when locking the turkeys up in the dark there was no Chicken Little to be found.  Could the turkeys have finally decided to push their weight around? Was it his demise?  But no -  the next morning he came hopping out the door with the turkeys.  Now at night he is usually the first in and  can be found right in there with the turkeys, roosting after dark. The moral of the story, according to Chicken Little, is that if you eat like a turkey with turkeys, act like a turkey, and roost like a turkey, well then, no argument, you are a turkey.

     So it is that Chicken Little found a place with the big guys.  And if only people would realize that sometimes those who are just a little bigger just try to boss others around.  Just get with the real big guys and there's no threat.  Those with big hearts, big minds, and/or big bodies just don't have to go after others to prove a point.

Tis the season for an easy great fall cider drink.

                         Mulled Apple Cider with Orange and Ginger 5*
8 cups unpasteurized apple cider

          A 3-inch cinnamon stick

10       whole cloves

 1        navel orange, peeled and        

          sliced crosswise

         A 2-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger,-- cut into 6 slices

      Combine the cider, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange and the ginger and simmer   for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a heat-proof pitcher and serve warm.

Adapted from  Gourmet | October 1991

Saying Goodbye

Shiloh

     Part of having a farm full of animals is that the inevitable happens and there comes a time to say goodbye to a beloved pet.  Shiloh, a golden collie mix - my golden wolf - could not fight off a mysterious illness that could not be cured with antibiotics nor discovered by x-rays. Adopted from a shelter when he was 1 1/2 years old, it seemed as though he would be a pal for many years. As with the random unexpected happenings of life, this wasn't to be so. 

     Shiloh was a great farm dog and great around visitors and children, but brave enough to bark at strangers. He managed to fill a space in my heart that I really didn't know was available. He had me climbing over fences, running through the woods, crossing a stream, and down a highway ramp in a wild pursuit to stop him from chasing a fox or the sheer joy of following the scent of something.

     Clearly the love of a pet is not and cannot be the same as the love for a family member.  But, a pet creeps its way into your heart with habits and expressions that sometimes only the owner will detect. A special pet seems to rejoice in your joy and understand your sadness. It will take time to remember that it's not necessary to step around that spot where the dog usually lay, there's no dog on your heels that will escape when the door is open, there's no dog to herd the sheep, or to call when it's time to go inside. The loss is new so seeing the empty water dish sends a message that it needs to be filled, or thinking I should call him to join me for a quick errand in the car. And then, I remember.

     The first impulse is to take all the reminders of the dog and put them and the sad feelings away. But then, why not fight the urge? Choose to keep those reminders, and choose to remember the times that brought smiles, fun, and a soft face resting on your lap, brown eyes looking upward.

     To remember the good times is probably the best way to deal with a loss. Helen Keller said it best.


  "What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” 

Thank You, Chickens

If you are lucky enough to find free-range chicken eggs you can make the best yellow cake without food coloring. What a difference an egg makes!                                            Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake

2 ½ cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting pans

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 ¾ cups sugar; divided

10 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

3 Tbs vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks plus 3 large egg whites, room temperature (I used 7 medium yolks, 4 medium whites)

           Foolproof Chocolate Frosting

20 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 cup  confectioners' sugar

¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

 pinch of table salt

 3/4 cup light corn syrup

 1 tsp vanilla extract

 8 oz milk chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

350 oven.

1. Grease  two 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.

Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour.

2. Whisk flour, baking power, baking soda, salt, and l 1/2 cups sugar

together.  Whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and

yolks.

3. Beat egg whites at until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running,

gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks

form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear

moist).  Transfer to bowl and set aside.

4. Add flour mixture to bowl with whisk attachment.  With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds.  Scrape whisk and sides of bowl.  Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully combined, 10 to 15 seconds.

5. Stir 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Lightly tap pans against counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any large air bubbles.

6. Bake until cake layers begin to pull away from sides of pans and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small knife, loosen cakes from sides of pan, and then invert onto greased wire rack and peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Chocolate Frosting

1. In food processor, process butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth,

about 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  

Add corn syrup and

vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.  Scrape sides of

bowl, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15

seconds.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated - a great reliable magazine for recipes.