What is "Orangette?"

Getting a book for Christmas is a gift that keeps on giving.  I received the book, A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, from Keith.  It immediately spoke to me!  Look at the cover..the colors...the title and the statement just under the authors name: The creator of Orangette.  Well....what does that mean?  Guess what I found ?  A blog! Molly is one of us! 

Do check her out!!  http://orangette.blogspot.com/

A Homemade Life is not the usual cookbook.  Each recipe is spoken of from Molly's life and the kitchen  at the center of the family.  It is the kind of book that can be picked up for a few minutes of reading, or read slowly for hours while curled up in the warmth of home. Whether you are a great cook or not...you will enjoy the stories that come from Molly Wizenberg.  You will also want to do some cooking after reading about the recipes.  I'm particularly interested in the Fennel salad with Asian pear and Parmesan on pages 238-239! 

Barbara Fairchild, Editor in Chief, Bon Appetit Magazine says this, 

"Molly Wizenberg writes with wit, style and heart.  Her delicious recipes are a special gift to every reader and home cook."

If you enjoy good food and want further inspiration, please go to my nephews blog Feast.  When we have a large family meal..... Keith brings the most interesting of all the dishes.  We are lucky to have a cook like this to FEAST with!   

Thanks, Keith!

Wild Coral plums....real food!

When we moved onto our land nineteen years ago it had not been farmed for decades, and we had no idea of the things that would be discovered over time. Years went by until one early summer day we noticed two plum trees with these beautiful coral colored fruit growing. In the spring the tree had put forth white blossoms and for all we knew it was a wild cherry tree. All the conditions must have been just right because we found ourselves with these little tiny plum gems. I've written about this before and you can read it again, if you like, right here. The same plum tree is blooming its heart out..right now! The tree is far bigger than when I posted about it in 2008, and we will be watching as the fruit forms. Because the tree is near the chicken shed it has not been damaged by our recent snow and freeze. Yeah....!!! If you look closely you can see the little white flowers.

What is to come?

Our plums fall in the category of "real food" and it is things like this that keep us enjoying our lifestyle and loving the farm. It is simple, yet extravagant..naturally speaking!

Chicks + Time = Eggs

We really know it's Spring around the farm when the local farm store gets the newborn chicks in. Our usual order is for ten but this year we are adding to the brood. As of today we have fourteen chicks in the nursery. We will introduce the chicks to their adult chicken family in about sixteen weeks, when they are old enough to hold their own against the older jealous chickens. There are some characteristics that chickens possess that make them behave like mammals.

Aren't they cute! I couldn't resist playing with them in the house.

Peeps! Real Peeps!

In time our littlest chicks will begin laying eggs.

The adult chickens have been hard at work producing a fine mass of eggs!

When the sun shines...the chickens lay!
We love the array of egg colors from white, to brown and even blue green!

More and more people are choosing to raise a few chickens. In most cities, there is a limit to how many chickens a family can have. Our town allows three but no Roosters!

Three chickens can keep a family in eggs, one each a day, for quite some time.

Free garden fertilizer is another side advantage to keeping chickens!

Last years' post about our chicks is right here!

Wreath making day...

Wreath making day is traditionally done the day after Thanksgiving at our farm. This year was no exception! My walking buddy and I met in the flower cottage, out by the barn, and began to weave fresh greenery into wreaths. Making a wreath takes a bit of time, energy and it pretty much ruins a manicure! We begin by snipping short lengths of fir, cedar, eucalyptus, holly, boxwood, bamboo and whatever else we can find. Then we make small bundles of assorted greenery, wire the bundles, and lay them on a wreath form, one overlaying the other. Soon we have completed the sphere. Then we add embellishments, like cones, bows, birds, nests, and berries. The wreaths above have been hung on home doors, and the wreath below is hanging over a window at our place of business. Wreaths are fun to make and we always make sure to have the Christmas music playing, a cup of something hot to drink, and a turkey sandwich to eat! Here I am with last years wreath. It was a large one and lasted well into January!

Banana Bread

Holiday baking is starting at our house today. I was given the recipe below from my friend, Jennifer Brands, and it was given to her by her grandmother. Compare it to your recipe and see what difference there is. I like the texture of this banana bread better than other recipes I've tried. (The loaf below has a few blueberries added which are not included in the written recipe). Our house smells of baking, and we have a beautiful moist loaf of bread to enjoy through the next week! Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

3 ripe bananas

nuts if desired

Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add eggs milk and melted butter. Add mashed bananas. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or longer. Yum!!

Many years ago, when Willow and I were in high school, we use to eat banana bread and butter sandwiches for lunch. We thought our lunches were a bit better than what others had to eat!

I always think of that tidbit when baking banana bread! :)

Concorde Grape Pie!!

First of all...I did not make this pie...but I have been eating it for the past two days! My walking buddy made it. She has given us a grape pie every year, during this week of October, for the past three years! It has become something we talk about as the grapes ripen, and a gift that makes my mouth water just in mentioning it. If you have any inclination toward the flavor of Concorde Grape you would enjoy this amazing pie for it's deep grape flavor and it's purely sensational texture. I've included the recipe below but you will see that it's not a quick recipe to throw together. It takes time and effort! I like that I don't have to make it!

CONCORD GRAPE PIE
3 1/2 c. Concord grapes1 c. granulated sugar4 tbsp. flour1 1/2 tbsp. butter1 tbsp. lemon juice9 inch pie shell, (recipe follows)Streusel topping (recipe follows)
Wash, drain and stem grapes. Remove skins and simmer pump for 5 minutes. DO NOT add any water to pulp. While hot, press pump through a sieve (or food mill) to remove seeds. Combine strained pulp with skins. Combine sugar and flour; add to grapes. Blend in lemon juice and melted butter. Pour into pie shell and cover with streusel topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
PIE SHELL:
2 c. flour1 tsp. salt3/4 c. shortening5 tbsp. cold water
Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pea - sized chunks form. Sprinkle in water and mix until it will form a ball, DO NOT OVER MIX. Divide dough into 2 parts. Roll out thin onto floured surface or between wax paper. Press into pie plate.
Makes 2 crusts.
STREUSEL TOPPING:
3/4 c. flour1/2 c. granulate sugar1/3 c. melted butter

Part two: A coyote was spotted carrying off one of our chickens yesterday. I saw him again this morning circling around the hen house. Any tiny hole there was has been fixed and reinforced. My biggest concern right now are our two cats, Bart and Simon. I have prayed for their protection and kept them in the garage as much as they will allow me. Many times today I have gone outside, to do my own circling, and have once again set out the radio with the loudest man on radio, blaring his opinions towards the woods!! Yikes...what is happening....I can come up with the most obnoxious solutions!! This solution has worked so far! :)

Bart has just one small gesture for the coyote!

Simon is our passive boy!

That's all!! Have a good week!

When good friends gather.....

As the temperature rose in the Willamette Valley this last weekend, the Oregon Coast cooled down and provided an escape. The weather at the beach was inverted and the coastline became fogged in. It was so fogged in at times that we felt like we were walking through something unearthly. There were children playing on the beach, in spite of the fog, and people built fires to warm themselves. Everyone knew what the valley held, and appreciated the coolness.

We (seven friends from church) busied ourselves at making altered books to use as journals. There was a scurry of cutting and gluing, until each person had their own idea of what their journal should look like. The books didn't quite get finished, but can be easily finished at home.
One of the ladies brought hand quilting and this is the result of her time. It will be made into a mug rug. It was interesting to watch as she pieced and sewed!
Food was fast and plenty!! These pizzas were delicious and served us as one dinner meal. When seven good friends gather, there is an air of celebration and fun!! We have gathered together for years by taking a few days away from the busyness of home, with the gift of time, to value the friendship we share.
Now...back to home and getting some things done around the garden!

A busy week....full of fun, gardening, harvest, work and a remedy to keep the bucks away!

Early last week my sweet granddaughter came to play for the day. We are building our outdoor toy supply and a big pink ball, covered with Disney Princesses, was waiting for LA. She immediately sat down, carefully looked at the ball and each princess as if it were a book! Next, LA walked over to the where the goats were and was greeted by Professor. LA is just 2 and 1/2 years old, still quite small, but it doesn't keep her from climbing and she looks at me to see if she is "OK" to go ahead. I start to get a little dubious when she keeps going up the rungs.

I move in when she reaches this point but she was just fine, sure footed and proud of herself. Next we strolled over to the raspberries. LA knows what to do. She picks a ripe berry and places it on her finger, then eats it! Who taught her that?
Finally, it is snack time, and we have stocked up with fruit bars. Watching her devour this treat is a joy to this Grammy!! Actually, everything she does brings a heart full of joy!!
LA notices every little flower and bug. She picked a geranium flower head and caught this moment! Awe!
As I have been saying, we have a wedding at our farm in two weeks. This weekend was overcast and drizzly, so I decided to paint the porch furniture and picnic tables. It took sometime but they are now pristine and ready for the celebration.

Our raspberries needed picking and so it goes. Pick and eat...that's what we did!! The next harvest will go into the freezer.
In order to be prepared for unexpected company I often bake and with four rapidly ripening bananas this is what I stirred up....Banana Bread.
Banana Bread: Recipe comes from the Pine Tavern Cookbook.

Butter: 1/4 cup, Sugar: 3/4 cup, Eggs: 2, Bananas, overripe and mashed: 2, Sour milk:(add 1 t vinegar to milk) 1/4 cup, Flour: 2 1/4 cup, Baking powder: 3/4 t, Baking soda: 3/4 t, Salt: 1/4 t, Chopped walnuts: 1/2 Cup. Cream shortening and sugar together thoroughly. Add eggs, bananas and sour mild and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together into banana mixture. Stir well. Add nuts. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour or

until well done.

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What happened to the bucks? This is what they wanted to eat the other day and it's why we had to do something quick. We did see them yesterday in the back yard...just beyond the gravel in this picture. They haven't come back up to the house so far, but let me show you why! :)

I set out a chair, added an old red flannel shirt, a broom, hat and small radio. The radio was set to some very annoying talk radio and it has done the job!
Now, on to this week! I wonder what all will take place, what we will get done and what stories await! Today we weed and edge!

Shades of Green....in the garden.

The garden and it's content remind me of fine art.... only better. This is a good example of color, texture and form....all natural and can be seen at anytime just outside our door!
Moss
Marjoram
Shasta Daisies...in bud...
Oregano Wild Daisies and bug...

A trip to Bob's Red Mill......

Yesterday was an errand running day for me. I took a quick trip to the mall to get something nice for Father's Day....and then a dash over to Bob's Red Mill to pick up a few grains and legumes. I am accustom to cooking with most of these wonderful ingredients but I did throw in a couple I'm not use to cooking with. From the left is: Quinoa, Wheat Berries, Garbanzo Beans, Flaxseed Meal, Red Lentils, French Green Lentil and Light Bulgur. Quinoa and Light Bulgar are new to me. Bob's Red Mill web site offers recipes as well as all of their products for shipping all over the world. This is an up and coming company.....and one to watch as it grows worldwide!! For those of you who live elsewhere I thought you might like to do a little comparison pricing. If you want to have a shipment sent to your home, wherever you live, you'll have a good idea of the cost vs gas price for driving around looking of these things.
And finally....here is the salad I made using, light bulgur wheat, from Pink Purls "In the Kitchen" recipe...London Memories Salad. Mine doesn't look nearly as nice as hers but it is delicious and worth making. Go to her blog Pink Purl and check out all of her recipes while getting the recipe for this salad.

A Sweet Day!

Bridal showers are something all women enjoy, but especially when it's your own daughter or close friends daughter. Last weekend it was my honor to prepare a shower for a very dear friends daughter who is getting married on May 31st. My friend, passed away a year ago in January after a long fight with cancer and this would have been a huge milestone in her life to see her daughter marry. We lit two special candles to remember Donna and invited her to join us in whatever way God allows. I do believe He allows these things. :) The table was set with the china my mother gave me. The desserts I chose to serve were a banana whip cream cake, lemon butter cream cake, lemon bars, strawberries and other fruit. Everyone wanted one piece of each cake and said they were mouth watering good! The lovely ladies that attended the shower included Donna's sister and sisters-in-law, as well as several friends from Donna's Bible study.
Pink tulips, white and kermit mums were the flowers I chose to use for this special day. The little angel and candles were used in memory of Donna. You might guess, there wasn't a dry eye when the candles were lit and each lady shared a special memory of Donna and Melissa's life together.
It was a simple and extraordinary day!