Latest Happenings

Well we traded some eggs to our pal Ben yesterday for a waffle maker. I have decided to give the maker a value of 20$. That is probably a bit high but it will allow me to offset almost 3 bags of chicken feed. I would need to turn the house into a small appliance shop to totally meet my goal of showing a profit on the farming activities. Just the same every little bit helps.
In other news I am getting increasingly interested in energy use in the house and farm. I have been looking into solar for heating and electric. I have also been looking into wind power as well. I love the idea of getting the farm off the grid but right now it isn't really all that possible. In the mean time I have been tightening the ductwork and insulating everything I can get access to in order to make the most of what we are already using.

Also made dried cherry scones for breakfast.

Rick

Carb lovers weekend

Well with the low low temps this weekend we have been staying in and doing some cooking. Yesterday we made some pasta. It was my first attempt at making pasta and I think it turned out quite well. We finished it with a sauce made of canned tomato sauce and herbs and onions from the pantry. We used some of the oregano that I had dried last year. I love when we make a meal out of mostly home produced stock. We used the pasta recipie from Lidia Bastianich's cookbook. It was great because a single batch used up a bunch of egg yolks. I will have to try and dry some pasta at some point. I am just a little concerned about leaving egg product out that long after they have been mixed with something. It is probably nothing to worry about considering we are using eggs from the hen house, but I still needed to take this step first.
We also made 2 loaves of bread. The first was my first modification of the No-Kneed bread recipe. I added a hand full of fresh rosemary and some chopped up dried tomato from our garden last year. It turned out good but I think I will be adding even more tomato and rosemary next time. The other loaf was just the standard recipe.

Stay warm folks
Rick

New Post.

Well a lot has happened since my last post. I turned 35. I think I am starting to notice more the passing of the years. I don't feel old just that I think I am more aware that I will be old. I don't mind the idea, but I would rather it took it's time with me.
In related news my mom was struck by a car while coming to the party. I can't talk about the details of the event right now. But mom is OK. It has taken up a lot of time lately but at least winter is the less busy season around here.

They are predicting temps to the low -20F this weekend!

Stay warm!!

Dinner and The Good Life

Hey all,
Well Jess and I have been spending a lot of time in lately. We have been watching a lot of DVD's. Jess got me the complete series of Good Neighbors. I believe it was known as the good life in the UK. I think I got started on the whole self sufficiency thing from that show. I was most impressed by the relationship of the main characters especially Tom and Barbara. I think a number of the current crop of self sufficiency devotes got there initial interest from that show. The Selfsufficientish forums even use the main characters to denote number of posts.
In other news we made dinner the other night of egg bake with garlic sauteed kale. I have to tell you after working in the chow hall in boot camp in the Navy I thought I hated kale. I never had to eat it there, just use it to cover everything. Rotten smelling slimy kale. Well it turns out that like a lot of things kale is better in the real world. I decided to buy some and see if I could handle it. It turns out that not only can I handle it, I loved it. The things you learn I guess. I am planning on planting some this spring.

Obligatory new years post

Well it seems a bit late but here is my obligatory new years post. I have been trying to develop a list goals for the farm in 2008. I decided that goals are more concrete than resolutions. My big goal is to keep detailed records of expenditures on the farm and use them to try and show a profit of at least 100 $. I am pretty sure it will be difficult if not impossible to accomplish. My hope is that at least by trying and by keeping close records I will at least get an idea of how much this crazy plan is costing us.
I have a few other goals. I am hoping to spend more time with family and friends in the new year as well. I also plan to finish some projects around the farm this season.

Well take care,
Rick

Welcome Back

I figured We needed another update. I actually have alot to add to day but I plan to save some for tomorrow. I made the famous "No Knead Bread" this morning. I do have to say that it produces a heck of a nice loaf of bread. I was really impressed with the crust though I slightly over cooked it. I made a modified version from an article in Mother Earth News. The bread was really great with some of the jam we made this summer. I discovered some mixed fruit in the freezer this evening so I may need to root around and see if I have any rhubarb and make some more.
Other than that I spent a little time in the basement treating the dandelion wine with a clarifying agent. I plan to bottle it this weekend sometime. More on that soon.

Rick

Happy holiday

I Just wanted to wish you all a happy holiday. I say holiday because I can't even begin to anticipate the various and sundry religions my multitude of readers may hold. I only hope that whatever you hold true brings you joy .

Rick

Blog update

I got tired of looking at all that green so I have modified the blog to be more in tune with the season. I will have to update the header pic soon as well.
Otherwise not much has changed around here as of late. The chickens keep a laying them eggs. I have been thinking about giving the excess to the Cannon Falls food shelf. I will have to look into that.

Rick

Newsweek article

I was looking around on the internet this afternoon and I came across this article from Newsweek.
The article is about how many rural Americans are not eating well these days. The article is drawing heavily on one study conducted in South Carolina that found many rural Americans are eating a diet of mostly poor quality preprepared foods. I feel like we as a culture have been loosing our ability to prepare foods from fresh produce. We as a people have become too dependent on pre-made foods. We should be teaching children where food comes from and how to prepare it before we teach them anything else.

Another update

Just another quick update. Things are not moving much here on the farm. The last couple weeks have been spent battling machines that refuse to work. we seem to be winning, but the battle is long.
We have also been insulating a bunch of openings and sealing the house where we can. I have also gotten some more of the duct work sealed up and insulated as well.
The chickens are handling the cold OK as well. We have been trying to give them treats and toys to keep them entertained.
In other news I seem to have misplaced the camera so it may be a while before you all get more pictures of the chickens.

stay warm
Rick