You KNOW you're a Farmgirl When...

LOL...Post a comment if you can relate!!!

FARMGIRL-STYLE CANNING!

You Know You're a Farmgirl When...

• your alarm clock is the rooster crowing at 5 a.m.

• the family vacation is planned around the garden schedule and when you plan to butcher the next batch of chickens.

• your husband asks what you want for your birthday and you get a dreamy look in your eyes as you tell him, "An addition to the chicken coop would be divine!"

• your definition of "laying out in the sun" is a reference to solar dehydrating.

• the conversations with your girlfriends center around the latest fashions in aprons, the newest composting article in Mother Earth News, and what's going on with your kids (the four legged variety)!

• it's 9 o'clock in the morning and you're still in your pajamas weeding in the garden.

• your recipe box includes feed mixes for your animals.

• the family regularly opens the refrigerator to find leftover seed packets next to the homemade goat cheese.

• finding good canning jars at a garage sale is a huge score!

• "discretionary spending" means you had a little extra money at the end of the month for additional fencing material.

• somethings always fermenting in the kitchen.

• the children pray for one of the animals at every meal.

• the energy saving dryer in your home is a clothesline.

• you plan your wardrobe to match your muck boots.

• at least 5 pair of work gloves can be found stuffed in various locations around the homestead

• your other vehicle is a pick up truck (or it's used like one!).

• staying up late is anything after 9 o'clock.

• a hot date in town is dinner at 5 and then heading over to the hardware store to walk the isles together.

• your idea of a romantic evening is sitting on the front porch, looking out over your homestead, staring up at the stars, while holding your sweetheart's hand.

• evening prayers are always filled grateful thanks because you know for certain the Lord provided it all.

• at night, you dream of tractors, baby goats, and bumper crops!


***So, how did YOU know when you were a farm girl?***


-from: http://yesterdaysfarm.weebly.com/yesterdays-farm-blog.html

SHE has beautiful homemade goat milk soaps, too...

http://yesterdaysfarm.weebly.com/goat-milk-soap.html

Recipe Wednesday! I "MINT" to post these GREEK recipes...

Hello blog friends!
Please forgive my lapse in posting, and consider it my vacation! (Which it was, if crazy-busy counts as vacation!) My favorite herb this week...MINT!!!! Mint grows around streams like crazy here, just look for it near a wet area. These recipes use mint in a different way...try it and see!

Full of Mediterranean flavor, this open-face sandwich is great for lunch or dinner, with hearty meatballs made of ground beef, veggies and spices, and served with a cool and tangy mint yogurt sauce.

MEATBALL SOUVLAKI

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp each ground cumin, garlic powder and salt
Meatballs
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, salt and pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-in. rounds
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-in.-thick wedges
2 tsp olive oil
3 plum tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges
Warmed pocketless pitas, lettuce (optional)

Directions:

1. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 500ºF. You’ll need 2 rimmed baking pans lined with nonstick foil.

2. Yogurt Sauce: Mix all sauce ingredients in medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with meatballs.

3. Meatballs: Stir bread crumbs, egg, water, minced onion, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper until blended. Add beef; stir with fork until thoroughly blended. Roll rounded Tbsps into balls; place on a lined baking pan.

4. Put zucchini and red onion on other lined baking pan ; toss with oil. Place vegetables on top rack, meatballs on bottom. Roast 20 minutes.

5. Remove pans from oven, turn browned vegetables over, then push to one side and add tomatoes; turn meatballs. Roast meatballs and vegetables 5 minutes more or until zucchini is tender; toss together.

6. Serve on pitas with lettuce if desired. Top with yogurt sauce.

Note: To cut down on prep time, buy prepared turkey meatballs. Just roast for the last 10 minutes.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Ingredients:

1½ tsp. dried Greek or Turkish oregano
1½ tsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. red-wine vinegar
~ Juice of 1 lemon
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken breasts or 6 to 8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped finely
~ Salt to taste
1 green bell pepper, veins and seeds removed, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
4 slices pita bread

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the oregano, thyme, black pepper, minced garlic, 1 tsp. vinegar, and lemon juice, then whisk in olive oil until the vinaigrette comes together. Take half and toss with the chicken in another dish; set aside the remaining vinaigrette. Grill the chicken on both sides until it is cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt with the remaining vinegar, diced cucumber, and chopped mint. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and olives, then toss with the remaining vinaigrette.
Heat the pita bread either by wrapping it in foil and keeping it warm in a 200-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or by toasting it on the grill to warm it through.
To serve: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. On each pita bread, distribute evenly the chicken, yogurt-cucumber salad, and the bell pepper-tomato salad.

WATERMELON FETA SALAD WITH FRESH MINT

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 cups seedless watermelon chunks
⅓ cup chopped Kalamata or Greek black olives
½ cup Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese
2 - 3 Tbsp. fresh mint, shredded
4 cups arugula, rinsed (if desired)

Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
~ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss the watermelon, olives, cheese, and mint together in a medium mixing bowl. Divide and arrange on beds of arugula, if desired, or directly on plates.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl or a lidded jar; whisk or shake. Drizzle salads with the balsamic vinaigrette and serve. Serves four!

"As for the garden of mint, the very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes our spirits, as the taste stirs up our appetite for meat."
~Pliny

Recipe Wednesday! Corny ideas for you...

This wonderfully EASY recipe is from a tearoom, where it was a customer FAVORITE! Try it at home with some FRESH corn off the cob!

SUPER-QUICK CORN CHOWDER
(Made in the Microwave!!!)

Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn
1 cup cooked fresh-off-the-cob corn

Directions:

Place water in a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish; cover and heat until boiling. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, on high for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; set aside (do not drain).
Meanwhile, in a 3-qt. dish, microwave butter on high for 50-60 seconds or until melted. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Cook, uncovered, on high for 6-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 2 minutes. Add the cheese. Heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Stir in the corn and reserved vegetables. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

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TIP: Make these for breakfast with the corn from those leftover ears you boiled from last night's dinner!

CORN FRITTERS

Ingredients:

3 cups oil for frying
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablepoons sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon shortening, melted
1 1/2 cups cooked corn off-the-cob (OR: 1 - 12. oz. can kernel corn, drained)

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat together egg, milk, and melted shortening; stir into flour mixture. Mix in the corn kernels.
Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."
~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Recipe Wednesday! Ingredients for FUN this week, not FOOD!

So, these aren't EXACTLY food recipes, but I'm sure you'll use them nonetheless!
As an art teacher, I collected LOTS of inexpensive recipes for art supplies. One of these is for BUBBLES and one is for PLAY CLAY, so grab the ingredients, round up your curtainclimbers, and have a blast. Three cheers for CHEAP summer fun!

THE BEST BUBBLES EVER!

Ingredients:

6 cups water
2 cups Dawn dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup light corn syrup

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a LARGE container of sorts...an empty water bottle, milk jug, etc. Shake everything up and let sit for a few hours. Pour into empty bubbles containers or dishes and go wild with your bubble wands!!

(Many thanks and credit goes to www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com for the recipe! Check out her cool site, too!)

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Make-Your-Own PLAY CLAY!

(This makes a soft and squishy clay that can be used over and over again and will remain pliant for weeks, but dries eventually.)

Materials:

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring, optional

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture holds together. (Keep mixing or it will stick to the bottom of the pan!)
When the clay is cool enough to touch, your child can knead it on a floured board. This recipe's long drying time makes it most satisfying as a play dough (it's easy to roll into ropes and balls), but sculptures will dry eventually. If stored in an airtight container, this dough will last, refrigerated or unrefrigerated, for 2 to 4 weeks.

"Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do."
~Mark Twain

BONUS Recipe: Great-Grandma's Black Rasberry "Pudding" (Cobbler)

An added BONUS recipe for your black rasberries! This is a VERY old family recipe, that was passed down to my great-grandma, Florence Lucy Kyler. Serve it hot in a bowl, with fresh milk poured over the top. Not overly sweet, just perfect comfort food! Bon appetit!

BLACK RASBERRY PUDDING

Ingredients:

1 quart sweetened black rasberries
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Put rasberries into a 9 x 13" greased baking dish. Mix the rest of ingredients gently, and pour over berries. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake @ 350 degrees F until lightly browned on top. Serve hot in bowls, with 1/2 cup milk poured over the top. Or be decadent and use whipped cream or ice cream!

"We would load up the yellow Cutlass Supreme station wagon and pick blackberries during blackberry season or spring onions during spring onion season. For us, food was part of the fabric of our day."
~Mario Batali

Recipe Wednesday! Wahoo! Black Rasberries, my absolute FAVORITE!

I think this is quite possibly - Yes, most definitely - my favorite fruit of ALL!
Those perfect little black clusters of juicy goodness are ripe and ready to pick! Black rasberry bushes are currently loaded down, so grab 'em before the birds do! Get yourself out there and scope for bushes. Old fencelines are perfect places, as are streambeds, runoff ditches, and spaces underneath where wild birds perch - that's how those bushes got planted in the first place! I know, I know - TMI, right? Don't forget to stash some away in your freezer - nothing tastes better in the middle of winter!

BLACKBERRY SYRUP (for pancakes!)

Ingredients:

4 cups blackberry juice
4 cups white sugar
1/3 (2 ounce) package powdered pectin (optional)

Directions:

Mix the blackberry juice and sugar, bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes. Skim off foam. Pour into HOT sterile jars or bottles.
This makes a thin syrup (like true maple syrup). If you want it slightly thicker, you can add a small amount of powdered pectin (less than half a 2 ounce box) to the cold syrup and sugar mixture.
You can store the syrup in the refrigerator if you intend to use it quickly. To preserve for a longer time, sterilize the jars, pour into the canning jars to within 1/4 inch of lid, adjust lids and process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

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AND>>> to serve with your yummy syrup, try these!
Make your own mix and save mucho money!!

HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda

Additional ingredients for pancakes:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
To prepare pancakes: In a bowl, combine egg and milk. Whisk in 1 cup pancake mix. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve warm with butter and syrup!

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"Thanks. Rasberry. Great."
~Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

Recipe Wednesday! Konnichi Wa! Chicken, Japanese-style!

Zooming around the world today, here are some JAPANESE chicken recipes for you! My son loves all things Japanese, and he is a sushi freak - he even wants to move there to study! So, in honor of Kyler, here are some easy, yummy takes on "niwatori"!

CHICKEN AND EGG WITH RICE (Oyako-don)

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion
4 eggs
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp mirin (you can substitute sake, with a pinch of sugar added, or use sweet white wine)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
4 bowls of steamed rice

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and thinly slice the onion.
2. Place the stock, soy sauce and mirin into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Add the chicken and onion slices and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then pour the eggs over the mixture in the pan.
6. Reduce the heat and put on a lid.
7. After one minute, turn off the heat.
8. Divide the mixture into four parts equally, and serve on top of the steamed rice bowls.

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TERIYAKI CHICKEN

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, whole
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sake
4 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp. grated ginger
toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Poke the chicken all over with a fork.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Marinate the chicken in the mixtur for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan.
5. Grill the skin side of the chicken first, on medium, then turn and grill the other side.
6. Pour the marinating sauce into the pan, then cover and steam cook the chicken for five minutes.
7. Remove from heat, and slice the chicken. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and serve over rice - serves four.

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FRIED CHICKEN (Kara-age)

Ingredients:

8 boneless chicken thighs
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. sake
2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 cup cornflour

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix the ginger, soy sauce and sake.
3. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil to 340 degrees.
5. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and coat generously with cornflour.
6. Deep fry the chicken for about 5 minutes, until crisp and golden.

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"As long as the food is well prepared and not overdone, I think it tastes good. It doesn't matter if it's Chinese, Japanese, anything."
~Martin Yan