Cold Day to be Born!

Exciting happening on the farm this afternoon, a calf was born! The girls have named her"Sunday" or depending on who you ask, "Chocolate Sunday". Happy Birthday Sunday! Welcome to the family.

Mama Goat...

Sad day early this month; our mama goat, Milkyway, miscarried triplets. She was due the beginning of March...No baby goats this spring.

A Must Try: Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

First of all, I take no credit for the above yumminess. This was all Ausha. She is getting quite good in the kitchen. Now if I could just get her to start preparing main dishes and not all these desserts...hum. These were made for a New Years Eve party. Yummy indeed.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars - Martha Stewart Recipes

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

FOR COCONUT TOPPING

* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

1. For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).

2. Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

4. For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).

5. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.

6. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.

As Fog Rolls In...

As the fog rolled in, I stole a moment to wander about the farm. We haven't seen much snow lately. In fact, its been a few weeks since there has been any hint of a flurry. The fog, however, has been simply fabulous. Makes this mama's heart long for the ocean and its crashing waves, bay front, and clam chowder.

Time Flies: Holiday Season 2010

This Moment...

A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Nothing beats farm fresh eggs, I can't imagine ever going back. These were still warm when I snapped the photo.

Discovery

Discovery. When you're a baby, that's what it's all about! And I feel so blessed to be a part of it. Last week, Finn discovered his fingers! You know, it is so easy to get caught up in the everyday activities of family life... but Finn always keeps me in check and in real time. He helps me to remember to breathe, and to breathe slowly. With Finn being my 4th babe and knowing all too well how fleeting this time really is, I am trying to soak every minute of it up.

Did I Tell You?

Did I tell you I celebrated a Birthday last month? Well, I did. Such an eventful past year I had! I feel so very blessed...in so very many ways. Cheers to another great year!

Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

...Sharing the best pumpkin seed recipe I have to date...

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin open from the bottom, removing seeds with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds, and reserve the flesh for another use (like Pumpkin Pie). Pumpkin should yield 1 cup seeds. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.

In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

From the Garden

This was the first year for a fall garden harvest on the farm. I can't say I was very involved in the garden process, other than taking photos. Guess I was too busy remodeling a basement and preparing for the birth of my son. Understandable I would say. Anyhow, our weather was a bit odd this year making many gardeners out there in want for more. Our peppers and acorn squash rocked it though. So did our green beans and pumpkins.

I plan on being more involved with the garden this next season. And although I am excited to watch this one grow and blossom over the years, I do miss the little garden Lance built me in town. I think there is more to that story...

Goats!

New residents on the farm arrived a few weekends ago...and they are the sweetest little ladies you'll ever meet!

Milkyway, who is about 18 months old, was bred right before making the move. Mookie, the 5 month old smaller female, is her half-sister. Right now, our girls are taking turns learning to milk a goat, as is everyone on the farm. We are hoping it is short lived however, and crossing our fingers Milkyway is pregnant, dropping her milk production. At some point, we would like to try our hand at cheese, yogurt and soap making.

Happy Halloween 2010!

I hope your Halloween was spooky fun!

Chicken Coop

With winter right around the corner, we are wrapping up some particulars on the farm. One of which is a proper chicken coop. In keeping with our desire to lesson our global footprint, we did not want to purchase all new materials for construction of the coop.

Serendipity for us, our neighbors were cleaning house and just wanted this old camp trailer off the property. It was easy to imagine how the trailer could be converted into our chicken coop.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The three RRRs. We teach our children the most important of the three is to Reduce. By giving new life to a trailer that would otherwise be sitting in a landfill, we are reducing in a big way.

The chicken coop is our big fall project and I am excited to see it transform. First however, we are welcoming two young goats to the farm and we have a bit of fence mending to do.

Oh Yes, It's Fall!