My weekend

The weather was very nice over the weekend. I spent two days in a dressed that I dyed with onion skins. I loved the way muddy boots look with a frilly dress. Just thought I'd share.

I planted two hanging baskets of strawberries over the weekend and they're doing very well. They are sending out a whole handful of runners and I'm hoping to have a nice patch for next year. I also got the rest of the potatoes and the broccoli planted as well as half the green house. I know we are a bit late but I figure better that then never.

I tried a new bread recipe this week. Its No knead whole wheat bread and I have to say that I was sceptical. I love to knead bread and I thought it would not be the same but I really liked it. It makes a really nice bread with large bubbles and an almost gummy textured that dose not crumb easily. I think it would be really toasted on a grill pan with brochette or in an onion soup. I'm going to make it again next week with roasted sausages.

Oat bread

I have started making a new kind of bread that has been a big hit around here. Its called Country white bread and it is from Whole grain breads by machine or hand, by Beatrice Ojakangas. I have been using a local, organic unbleached hard white flour (wow what a mouth full) and organic brown sugar. I also like to brush the top of the loaves with water and press on some flaked oats for a nice finish.

Makes 1 loaf

1 c warm water

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 c oat flour

2 2/3 c bread flour

1 1/2 tsp yeast

Put water and yeast in a bowl and let sit for 15min. Add salt, sugar, oat flour and half the bread flour. Beat and then let sit another 15min. Slowly add the remaining flour until you're happy with the consistence. Knead about 5 min. Put dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise about an hour. Punch down, shape into loaves and put into a greased pan. Slice top of dough and put oats on top. Proof bread then bake in a preheated oven at 375* for 30-35 min.

-Enjoy

Minty meringues

I had a go at making meringue yesterday and it went really well. I made Martha Stewart's Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Filling, but with my own spin. It was wonderful to go out to the chicken coop and collect eggs not more then 15 minutes before whipping them into a stiff white foam. I piped the cookies onto a backing sheet, baked, and then dipped the bottoms into melted semisweet baking chocolate! YUM YUM YUM

Beautiful birthday

Yasterday was my 22nd birthday. It was wonderful. My mother came to stay for a few days and got to spend some time with Liam, Mathew and I. It was a wonderful gift in itself; i missed her very much and it was great to have her puttering around the house. We made a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing and on Monday night Matthew brought use all out for dinner. At the moment i'm waiting for my present from myself to be ready for pick up: Four day old Toulouse geese!

Apple cake

Oh no, my apples are going soft.......Quick, cook'em!
I found a nice little recipe here. Its a nice German apple cake, i served it with whipped cream. It was yummy.

My first Dinner party....er.....

Well almost, we had are two good friends over for dinner and it was wonderfully(so much fun). I planed the menu about 5 hours before they came over and everything worked out pretty well!
We started off by playing Scrabble and eating my Rye bread with Chev and my nummy homemade peach salsa. For dinner: maple glazed pork chops, a kind of potato and cheese pie with bacon as the crust and mashed lemony peas. I topped it all off with molten cakes (which were just a little overcooked, so not as molten we i would have liked) and mint whipped cream.
I was going to take some pictures but it was all eaten up fast that i had no chance.

Cooking day

We just bought a hind quarter of organic, grass feed beef and its wonderful! The bad news: we had to make room in the freezer for it, which meant cooking whatever we can to make room.
Yesterday i made Beef stock (with the bones from the quarter), an apple tart and wheat and honey bread (not from the freezer, but we were out).
Today list includes: chicken soup. meat balls, egg noodles and maybe another batch of beef stock (I still have half the bones left).

Rye bread and eggs

I think I have It: Beautiful, soft rye bread!
I've been working on this bread for a while now and finally have a loaf i like. It's crunchy crust and moist insides makes it a treat with butter and homemade Red pepper jelly or some of our fried eggs, like Matt likes it.

Makes 1 Loaf

1 cup warm water
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil or melted butter
1 cup rye flour
2 cup bread flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Mix water, caraway, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and set aside for 10 min. or until there's a nice little foam on top. Add to the bowl the oil, salt, rye flour and half the bread flour. Let sit for 15 min so the flour can soak up the flour. Add the rest of the flour and knead for about 10 min. Put dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour. Turn out dough onto a floured counter and knead again, adding more flour as you go until you dough is quite stiff. Shape loaf and place on oiled pan. Let rise again for about 45 min. Bake for 10 min. at 450* then turn the oven down to 350* and bake another 40-45 min. EAT!!!

Holidays

We went to see my parents on their little farm for a few days before Christmas. It was great to see them and be in the country. It was also nice for Liam to spend some time with his grandparents and great grandparents. My mom roasted a Turkey breast with beacon and veggies, and for dessert: maple shortbread. It was so amazing! I could not believe how big her birds are, her last turkey was over 35 lbs. We came back Christmas eve and enjoyed waking up together for Liam's first Christmas. He seems to really like his Waldorf-like doll i made him, he was hugging it for some time.


Reading right now:
Farm City:The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter