Monday, November 30, 2015

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Friday, November 27, 2015

farewell Roosty Jr.



My friends Jack & Joelle have 6 hens, and had a very mean/aggressive rooster, who they got rid of.  I offered to relocate one of my two gentlemen Roosty Junior's  to them.  I hear he has acclimated very well, and is happy in his new home with his new ladies.  Three roosters was too many at my farm, so it worked out well all around.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

this Winter's tenant



There are many seasonal occupants taking shelter from the weather out in my big barn, the cutest being my friend Amy's UK-made 1967 Sunbeam Minx - classiest little classic ever.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

chicken scratch


'

When I feed the chickens, sometimes the rabbits camp out underneath the feed table, because they LOVE chicken scratch, a mix of corn and other coarsely chopped grains. Here's my bun Blackie, happily parked underneath the chicken table at feeding time (the chickens don't mind her at all), eating her fill, with chicken feed all over her head.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Thanksgiving bartering: a series



serious trading happening at the Saturday farmers market this week: above, carrots and more carrots, frisee lettuce, brussel sprout staff, hot & spicy Smelt City Pickles from Boyne City


Spinach, spinach, spinach, and chard


Beets, beets, and purple kale


a nice squash, fingerling potatoes, and fancy dried mushrooms (honeys and hedgehogs)


Sunday, November 22, 2015

sky study #138



No filter at all on this fully purple sunrise Monday, November 16th, 2015

Saturday, November 21, 2015

for the weird egg file



Thick, wrinkled shell on an egg collected this week - sometimes they have a few pleats, but I've never seen one like this


Friday, November 20, 2015

inspector Buffy



Cheese room renovation update: concrete footings approved, plumbing approved, insulating foam board down - next up: concrete floor being poured.  Buffy the hen approves!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

sky study #137



another beautiful sky from my favorite intersection M113 and Summit City Roads in Kingsley

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

mouse guard



an image from the comic book series Mouse Guard


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Monday, November 16, 2015

the red coat



Great vintage red coat with big gold snowflake buttons and hand-embroidered "AR" at the neck.  Salvation Army on Airport road, Traverse City.   Perhaps it belonged to Ayn Rand? Al Roker?  It cost $6.50 and it's mine now

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Frank forever



best denim jacket back patch - at the first indoor Farmer's Market last Saturday

Saturday, November 14, 2015

eating greens



The garden got tilled over for the winter and I fed what was left of the collard green plants to the buns


Trevor goes in for the brussel sprout attack


Willow with brussels

Friday, November 13, 2015

sky study #136



Sunset over the big barn Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

Thursday, November 12, 2015

preppy forever



Church thrift shop score November 11th: original Bass red canvas boat shoe, suede laces, clean $2.50 

and of course, customized the laces, as demonstrated here:



cute slouchy beanie as modeled by Cozy $2.00

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

curly napper




who is a cuter cat napper than Mabel?  This is every night on my lap

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

saving the berries



When I moved to the farm 5½ years ago, my good friend Raquel sent me tiny root stock starts of raspberry and blackberry bushes.  They grew and prospered and have supplied me with fresh berries every Summer for years.  With the construction of the cheese barn underway, we will be plowing down the area where the berries are now, so I took advantage of the warm Indian Summer temperatures this week and cut them all down for the Winter, and next Spring will dig them up and move them somewhere new to grow once again.  Here is the pile of trimmings 


and here the bases of the bushes, ready to be under a winter blanket of snow for the next several months

Monday, November 9, 2015

the original



Laurel's Kitchen is one of the original old school vegetarian cookbooks to come out in the 1970s when people really began to follow the diet - my copy is from 1976


older vegetarian cookbooks have a lot of recipes that try to mimic traditional "meat and potatoes" types of meals - I made both of these recipes


and they were pretty good - a delicious, mushy meatless-loaf and little brown rice and potato croquettes that I ate with A1 sauce!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

fall funghi



Blossoms of some type of mushroom sprouting up in the grass all over the farm


Saturday, November 7, 2015

girlscouty good



Tried these the other day and love them - they're very much like a thin mint Girlscout cookie

Friday, November 6, 2015

Thursday, November 5, 2015

garage full of dirt



Construction has begun on the cheese barn renovation - so far, they've dug out the old concrete floor of the barn in preparation for pouring the new one.  It's a huge mess, and so exciting!


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

the best



Nobody I know does better Halloween costumes every year than my bestie David

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

salty sweet



I got some cream from Moomers this week, so made a little batch of salted caramel sauce

Monday, November 2, 2015

death of a supermodel



I found my hen Brahma dead in one of the troughs in the coop yesterday - she just laid down and died.  She was one of the most beautiful chickens I have ever had and seemed robust and healthy.  Sometimes they drop dead, just like people.  I placed her body out in the West pasture, and by this morning she was gone, back into the circle of nature.  I miss her.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

crispy



Been making the BEST gluten & sugar free apple crisp this Fall - here is the easy recipe:

Oven to 375 degrees

FILLING - mix together 4 cups chopped apples
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pile the filling in

CRUMBLE TOPPING

½ cup almond flour
⅓ date or coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
½ cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ Tablespoons maple syrup
⅓ cup melted coconut oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Bake 20-40 minutes - perfect!