Serenity Farms Critters

I haven't posted many sheep photos this year, have I? Here are a few:






That third photo is of our new registered CVM/Romeldale ram lamb, Graham (the moorit with the blazed face) and his buddy, this years special bottle lamb Gordon (the white Corriedale) They are quite the pair! (Gordon would like to say hello to his special friend, Eva and her grandma)

And how about some other critters from around the farm? We have new chickens (Golden Lace Wyandottes, two hens and a rooster) These were the ugliest chicks but are beautiful as adults...



and we have ducks (Indian Runners). These ducks are constant entertainment, very smart (smarter than chickens, I think) plus are already giving us lovely bluish green eggs that are wonderful for cooking!:



Finally, our ever faithful mouse patrol, Christy the calico cat! She certainly has that fall color thing going, doesn't she?



We also have some new Light Brahma chickens and they are gorgeous and very, very personable. I need to get some pictures of them, too. Maybe when grandson Dylan comes for a visit. They are his chickens ;) I would definately recommend the breed to anyone thinking of trying chickens...at least I say so now. We will see how they are at laying time, how they do through the winter. We have been so pleased with the Wyandottes in the past.

Food For Thought...

And for the table!

November seems to be about two major things for me...a return to hearty fall and winter cooking and the tie-in that has to Thanksgiving. (Okay, it is also about some special birthdays in the month - but even those seem connected to food thoughts - LOL!)

I have been meaning to write about one of my favorite foods all summer. One of my favorite foods that also happens to be home grown right here on our farm, another part of the diversity of our life as farmers and shepherds. I'm talking about good ol' delicious, nutritious American (Michigan, Serenity Farms) lamb for the table!

Growing up with sheep, we never ate lamb or mutton. My mom refused to cook it, isn't that funny? Though now I know lots of shepherds who don't eat it, so maybe it isn't so unusual. My folks and brother at home still raise sheep and still don't eat the meat. I love it. I really, truly love it. Lamb is my favorite meat - well, a good slice of bacon or ham is right up there at the top of the list, too! But then again, a slice of Serenity Farms Lamb Ham (one of our special cuts, smoked and everything, is pictured below) holds its own against the pork any day!


Over the years I have had good lamb and bad. Some of it really, really bad. Often the worst I have tasted I have eaten at sheep producing events or really expensive restaurants, if you can believe it! Watery, thin, grey, unappetising fare or else so highly seasoned and dressed up that you couldn't taste the meat - ugh! Would you like to know my "secret" for good, edible lamb for the table? I treat it just like any other meat - I use it in my favorite recipes, substituting it for beef or pork in the list of ingredients. I am not a fan of the "lamb is best prepared rare or medium rare" way of thinking. One of the things I am not overly fond of with lamb is both its texture (kind of like veal or venison or liver) and its color ;) I like to put a good "brown" on the meat with a quick sear or fry in the pan or on the grill. And I like it cooked all the way through, falling away from the bone. Lamb that has been well raised and properly processed - doesn't come out dry, in my opinion.

Did you know that (according to The American Lamb Board, "lamb is a good source of protein, niacin, zinc, iron and Vitamin B-12? And that compared to other meats, lamb has very little fat marbling throughout. Most of the fat is limited to the outside edges of the meat, so it is easily trimmed away." And while some might add additional fat to their ground lamb, we do not. I like it lean and dry and full of nothing but what we raised here on our property.

That brings us to another part of the equation - the part where what goes into raising lamb for the table and how it is processed contribute to the quality of the flavor. How about if I write more about that tomorrow, and maybe share a few of my families favorite recipes with lamb? By the way, if you have ever eaten at my house and been served meat with the meal...it may very well have been lamb ((grin))

Our favorite way with lamb...chops over a charcoal grill! And of course, the first photo in this post shows a juicy lamb burger, cooked over charcoal with homemade rolls, a good honey mustard and lettuce and onions fresh from the garden. All things to be thankful for!

Picture of an October Past...

Just a quick note to let my friends know that I am still around, here on the farm ;)

This picture is from a few Octobers-ago, the last fall that Bill was still able to drive horses. Fall is a more difficult time for him, emotionally. His favorite time of year and the time he spent so many, many hours on the lines behind a team. I am seldom at the kitchen sink, doing dishes, that I don't think of him driving up into the yard looking for a cup of coffee and calling me out to take a ride with him and share the progress of whoever he happened to be training at the time. He is an amazing man to me, who copes so well! Still, I catch a look on his face when he sits on the porch looking towards the brightly colored woods. We take walks and rides in the car, but it isn't the same you know...just a few days ago he was outside in his motorized wheelchair and I was working in the garden. He didn't know I was so close, and I heard him down at the fence, talking outloud to "Sam" - his horse equivalent of a partner, the grey mare who helped him start and train numerous young horses. I couldn't stop the tears in my eyes or the lump in my throat.

I'll be back soon with more regular posts...till then, enjoy every moment you can of our glorious Autumn days....

Serene Sunday, Football, Kittens

The light continues to change as we progress into fall. This morning while I was doing the chores, this shaft of morning sun against the old barn wall filled me with such peace - I'm not sure why, but it is the Sunday photo I wanted to share with you all.


I didn't get any good photos of our usual woods and pasture scene this week, but I did take this one of an empty hay wagon over by the Burnham woods. It struck me in the same way the first photo did...a quietness and stillness; waiting for winter to come. I hope you like it ~ and it does have some fall foliage!

I almost missed our question of the week for Falling For Ewe over at Ravelry. The question was "Do you like football? Who is your favorite team?" I do like football, but mostly my favorite to watch is our high school teams.

Finally, kittens. Any of you who live on a farm, especially if you are on a fairly remote road, know what it means to be a drop off post to those irresponsible and delusional people who think it is a good idea and perfectly acceptable to "drop off" unwanted cats, kittens, dogs and pups. Most often it is a pregnant female, but often it is a batch of kittens. I'm sure none of those folks read my blog, so I won't rant to much here - except to ask what exactly do they think happens to these poor animals? If they don't get hit by a car in their confusion of looking for a home, they are likely to get mangled by a resident dog or the farm cat who already lives here. It is usually not a pretty ending and it makes me both sad and angry. We can't keep them all, we have our cats to care for (spayed females, thank you very much) And for those of who raise sheep, having kittens dropped off can be dangerous, as kittens can carry and spread a disease called "toxoplasmosis" that can cause abortion and birth defects.

Well, this week we were the recipients of three half grown kittens. Beautiful, lovely kittens who have obviously been raised in a home and with children, because we are spending our days tripping over them and trying to keep them out of the house. They love the grandkids and are so sweet and loving. I have been trying to keep Christy Cat, our resident adult female, from beating the living tar out of them, but that is difficult. I'm hoping Beth, who is interested, might fall in love with the beautiful little silver female of the group ~ she is just a doll and so cuddly and soft, with a lovely silver belly and a huge purr.

This is not a great photo of her...it was difficult to get one because she was either in my lap, on my shoulders or winding around my legs ;) I only got this one (and she looks a little tense here) because Christy was at the end of the ramp glaring at her, so she didn't dare move.

They all appear healthy, except for ear mites which we have treated them for. And they are just adorable...I am spending a lot of time "kitten cuddling" ;)

That's our Sunday at Serenity Farms!

Serene Sunday, a different view

I snapped a few other pictures on Sunday while I was over at the other place, from the east side of our woods. How about a trip with me down the lane to the Burnham Farm woods?

The colors here are brilliant and the sky was so blue as you can see in this next photo!

Here is some fall color of a different sort ~ many of my annuals are going crazy with the fall rains and warm weather we have been having. The intense blue of the salvia is amazing!

The picture is a bit fuzzy, but you get the idea.

Finally, I got to end my Sunday building our headless scarecrow with a special helper!


We're thinking he needs a bandana neckerchief and a pumpkin head....what do you think?

Serene Sunday October 12....

Oops, its actually Monday that I am posting this and I hope no one will mind.

The color in our woods, at least here on the west side (where I usually take my photos) is waning a bit. Yesterday morning (Sunday) was still a pretty sunrise with the mists spreading over the fields and the sun hitting the tops of the trees. In the picture above, I don't know if you can even tell that there are horses and sheep far back in the field! The picture below is taken just across the ditch and is actually our neighbors woods, behind our pastures and plowed ground. He has more maple trees in his woods!



People comment all the time on this beautiful view we have and I have to explain that this image that I take so often is the one I see from my back porch and on my way to the barn. When I find a few stolen moments to sit out here and spin or knit, this is what I can look at. It is the view that prompted the name, "Serenity Farms"

Serene Sunday October 5...

There is something dazzling in our landscape photo this week ~ something that outshines the loveliness of the changing of the leaves and the green of the grass. Don't believe me? Well, take a look then:



Isn't she pretty? And do you know what is even bigger than her beauty? It is her personality! She is smart and kind and sweet and considerate. This is Bill's granddaughter Amanda. And though I did not contribute one bit to her genetic makeup (grin) I still love her very much and am so proud to be a part of her family. And Grandpa Bill? Well, what do you think? Here is a picture of them together and you can see the beam on his face is not just from the sun shining in his eyes!



This girl knows how to handle a sheep in the show ring, too! Another great accomplishment (grin)

She sure is special, and we are blessed. Hmmm, now I need to get some pictures of her little brother and her Colorado cousins here for equal billing, LOL!

(Note - the Homecoming dress pictures were actually taken on Saturday, not Sunday)

Serene Sunday Scene

Or, my invitation to have you join me here at the blog to watch the changing view of our pasture and woods as the autumn season progresses!

Last week, I showed you a photo taken from this same general vantage point of the beginning color in the woods, looking northeast from the back porch or here in the back yard. I have watched with amazement this week as the color changes and expands almost before our eyes! While Mason and I were outside watching the sheep and the visiting wild turkeys and I was snapping pictures, I thought I might keep track of the change and share it with my blog.

So, here are the next in the "series" and the last of the Sundays in September:

(Including the old grey mares!)

(Sun setting on sheep in the far pasture)

And speaking of fall colors, I saw some gorgeous examples on my trip north yesterday to the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival in West Branch. What a GREAT time I had, shopping and visiting with friends and traveling with more friends...Hilda and Mary! If you ever have the chance to take this one in....you should ;)

Favorite foods and a recipe or two

Over at the Falling For Ewe Swap on Ravelry, its time for our weekly question. One of the participants asked this:

What meals or foods mean ‘Fall’ to you?

Oh, so many of them! Just the fact that things are cooling off so I can actually use the oven means great roasts (pork, beef or lamb) with lots of great fresh vegetables. Or yummy, filling casseroles. And baked goods, like pies and cobblers and doughnuts. But I think what says it most for me, especially since I am just finishing up the last of it, is this:


"Putting up" tomato soup in preparation for the long fall and winter months. (Notice that the barn shows up again, in a guest appearance with the soup!)

Although fresh tomatoes are, of course, the reigning queen of summer food around here, my focus is always on getting huge batches of tomato soup put up. I no longer make tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, etc....its all about the soup for us these days ;) And it is sooooo easy (at least I think so) We use it every way...straight up (and usually along with toasted cheese sandwiches) or as an addition to casseroles and pot roasts. Husband and I have been known to savor it for breakfast ((grin))

Would you like me to share my recipe? Like so many, it is my own version, compiled and combined from several others. But it works and we like it and so do many of my family and friends who shamelessly barter for jars of this goodness ((more grins))

TOMATO SOUP AT SERENITY FARMS
This recipe is easily halved, if you want to just do a few tomatoes at a time throughout the season.
8 quarts fresh tomatoes (I throw in everything, including all my favorite varieties of cherry tomatoes - Super Sweet 100 and Yellow Pear being two of those)
Onions (usually 2 - 4 large, depending on what is on hand)
Peppers (a mixture of bell peppers, banana peppers and even hot peppers...whatever is ripe and usually in equal amounts to the onion)
Celery (a couple of stalks, chopped up and including the leaves)
Parsley (I go easy on this...just chopping up a few stalks of the flat leaf Italian type)
Garlic (as much as your family likes...I usually use four or five big cloves, minced)
1/4 to 1/2 cup salt (I use kosher salt and it seems to take less. Adjust to your own personal taste)

I core the larger tomatoes, but don't bother to peel them and the cherry tomatoes I just toss in to a large kettle for cooking down. Peel and chunk up the onions; remove the seeds from the peppers and chunk them up. Chop the parsley and celery; peel and mince the garlic. Sprinkle the salt over all and bring slowly to a boil over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer about an hour stirring occasionally. Your house will smell so good! Remove from heat and let cool down a bit before you run the vegetables either through the blended or food processor and then a sieve to remove the seeds and small bits of skin. Put your tomato puree back into a kettle to reheat. At this point, combine and add:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour (I use regular flour, but have heard others have used rice or potato flour)
1 heaping teaspoon each of allspice, cinnamon and cloves (I buy my spices in bulk and freshly grind all of these. If you are using canned, you may want to use a bit less)

I use a whisk to slowly add this mixture to the soup as it is heating. Then add 1/2 cup of butter and continue stirring as it all heats slowly, until the butter is melted. Pour into hot jars, put the lids on and process in a water bath canner at 20 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts. **NOTE: I am assuming that if you are making this, you already know something about canning foods and will follow all recommended safety precautions. I accept no responsibility for mistakes on your part...this is just a general recipe

When you are ready to eat the soup, if you want it as a stand alone, you can dilute it with a cup of milk or water. It is really great with some fresh home made croutons on top and a grating of cheese.

How about one more recipe, one of our family favorites, as a way to use your delicious tomato soup (of course, you can also use store bought if you must). Cabbage is another of my fall favorite meals. As a kid, I always loved my grandma or my mom's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and I learned to make it...often burning my fingers on the steaming hot cabbage leaves as I rolled the hamburger filling up in them. Then one day I discovered a faster, easier and still tasty substitute LAZY DAY CABBAGE ROLL CASSEROLE. Here it is:

3 cups chopped cabbage
1 pound hamburger (ground lamb works in this, too)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons rice, uncooked
1 can tomato soup
Soup can (or jar) of water

Place cabbage in a greased baking pan (I use a 9 x 13) Brown the burger, onion and pepper seasoned with salt and pepper. Add the rice, soup and water and mix together. Heat through, about 10 minutes, and pour over the cabbage. Cover and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or till cabbage is tender at 325 degrees.

All we add to this to make a meal is a nice hearty slice of bread slathered with butter. Hmmm...that just might be tonight's supper ;)

Enjoy!

A Beautiful Swan

I have shown you pictures over the past few months of fiber I have received for my participation in the Fiber Swap Club over at Ravelry (by the way, I think they are currently taking sign-ups for the next go-around of this fun swap ~ go check it out!) This past week, I received my final package, this one from Cyndi at Mullers Lane Farm in Illinois.

Cyndi and I are kindred souls and have enjoyed some nice online visits about things in life that are important and sacred to us. When this fiber arrived and I opened it up...it was of those "ohhhhhh" moments, when fiber or yarn is so lovely that it just takes your breath away. This is so perfectly "me"! Cyndi calls it "Ugly Duckling" and she wrote that "the Ugly Duckling batts always spin into Swans for me". Well, let me tell you I can hardly wait to begin spinning these!!! On the other hand, the are nice just to look at the way they are ;) Oh...I haven't shared any pictures yet, have I? Well, here we go:

Isn't she lovely sitting amongst some of my potted plants in the shade garden? My camera skills aren't sufficient enough to capture the real richness of it all, but I will try with another closer look and include some of the soap

The fiber blend includes Merino, CVM, Camel Down and glitz. It is warm and rich and earthy and perfect for fall. I keep thinking mittens for my fiber projects right now - LOL - but it will depend on the yardage I get when spun. The soap is Cotton Blossom and there was also one called Pepper Zest that we are already using. I don't know if Cyndi is selling this fiber or not, but if she is you might want to hurry to her website and try to buy some before I claim more! She does offer soap for sale at her site.

Thank you my new friend! I will think of you all the while I am spinning. Over at the Falling For Ewe Autumn Yarn Swap at Ravelry, Amy asked us our favorite things about fall. Well, right now, this fiber is it! Okay, I just have to leave you with one last look, from a different perspective and then I will be quiet ~ Enjoy!