Beans.

From the country...

coming to market next week!

Give me a March break!!

From the country...

So we are 2 days into March break around here. Lots of wet/muddy clothing and rubbers full of puddle water. To top it all off my laundry line broke today! I freaked out! First of all, it was a dream laundry day (sun shining, breeze blowing) and secondly, my kids are a muddy mess. I hastily raced to the hardware store, bought the fixings, raced home and grunted/cursed while putting the laundry line back up.

I have 5 more days of this you know...

Sunday on the Farm

 From the Country...

 A trip to the FP salon (Front Porch).  Getting a buzz cut.  Picture day on Wednesday. 

Watching the vintage JC Penny Air Popping machine work its magic.  $3 well spent. 

Fall on the farm

Cylindrical Beets

Carrot piles

Green onion crop in the greenhouse- getting some water

Rogue sweet pea flowers from the compost- before we ate them...

From the country...

The frost came a little earlier this year then expected. And with that we said goodbye to the basil and the beans. Sweaters are coming out of the closet and the rubbers with the liners are being worn. Chores are done in the dark and meals are getting a little hardier around here. Welcome Autumn, I have been waiting for you. I love the seasons, don't get me wrong but I love the somewhat slower pace fall brings us here on the farm. Where the dark brings you into the house at night and the warmth of a pot of soup brings your tired soul comfort.

It is a time to reflect on the season and to list the work that still needs to be done to close the farm down(collecting wood, planting garlic,closing down gardens/field). It is a time when I begin to look at the inside of the house and think up a mental list of chores to be done (how long have those cobwebs been dangling from the living room ceiling?) for the winter months.

That is not to say that we have packed it in, no we are still on our toes tending to the fall crops to harvest before the snow flies. The turkeys are still keeping us busy with their daily shenanigans, breaking through the fencing daily and flying up to the barn roof where I swat them down with a broken kayak paddle and then we proceed to chase them around the farm. It is a job that Nate and I do everyday and he has sure grown into a fine turkey wrangler and he is proud to say that he can catch them faster then anyone here- kind of a farm boy hobby I guess.

1st day of school

This guy incredibly excited to ride the "big boy" bus for the first time...

It's old hat for this guy but he is eager to show his brother the ropes

matching backpacks

now you see them,

now you don't.

From the country....

It is that bittersweet time of year again. Part of me is ecstatic to have 2 less children, the other part misses the lil' guys and their summer farm adventures.

p.s. I would have taken some better shots had I not had something in my eye...

p.p.s. They clean up good, right?

Dirt Pile

From the country...

Boys will be boys.

Just add a big ol' pile of dirt and some sticks.

Happy 4th, To My April Fool.

From the country...

The day started off with breakfast fit for a lil' King, complete with a cup of tea...

and banana cake with chocolate ganache for the dinosaur lover,

...and to top it all off, kite flying with this new gem.

All in a day's work (for a newly turned 4 year old).

"The Best Scrambled Eggs" The Egg Series.

From the country...

On the search for alternative egg recipes for my second edition to the egg series, I came across this recipe for "The Best Scrambled Eggs". I decided to try to prepare something we cook up all the time, but in a slightly different way. Around here we whisk the eggs with milk, fire up the pan with butter and add the scramble eggs to an already heated pan. This method usually produces a nice fluffy, voluminous scrambled egg.

This recipe does things a little backwards. You basically add the eggs, butter, salt and pepper into the skillet and scrambled them together while the pan is coming to temperature. As the butter melts into the eggs a creamy texture happens.

Rating 7.5 outta 10

Comments: Super creamy and a completely different texture then what we are used to. Really velvety, dense and buttery. Different mouth feel for sure! Not your typical fluffy scrambies. I did not have the caviar or smoked salmon that the recipe suggested as a garnish. Drats! (not too many jars of caviar around here...) Because of the texture, the yield was less then what we would normally get from 5 scrambled eggs. Will make again from time to time.

Next up: Eggs Benedict

Birthday Planning

From the country....

Nate my oldest gremlin, is turning 6 this year. He surprised us(mostly me) and was born on December 31st a few measly hours before the new year. The stakes are high this year, we are having a bona fide birthday party with other little people his own age, games, and the best cake ever. I need to step up my game...


The robot cake was for the fourth, the ice fishing was for the fifth but what does the sixth look like? It has to be good, real good...

I like this shot!

From the country...

I found this photo taken of Mark and I the summer of 2007. It seems like forever ago! That is little Lucas in the baby pouch.. just to think, we have another wee one on the way...yeesh!

Parenting 101

From the country…

On Saturday, the fam made an impromptu trip to the Peterborough Zoo, via Merryland Organics mill where we buy our assortment of flour. We were pleased to get away from the farm grind for the day. In my experience a planned day somewhere special often turns out awful but a spur of the moment trip usually is pretty fun.

My kids do not get out that much. I am a homebody through and through and my children love their farm, with so much to do at every turn. Although a trip like this just shows me how much they enjoy a different change of scenery too.

On route we passed a tractor dealer ship that gave the kids a stir and I could hear them talk about the tractors like they were about to change into transformers (think machinery that turns into robots). M and I just laughed and rolled our eyes. What would two little girls be talking about in the back seat?

After the mill, and Stickling’s Bakery (where I purchased an assortment of pastries) we hit the Zoo, to enjoy my er.. really- put- together- in- a- hurry- picnic. We had one peanut butter and honey sandwich (limited bread supply), some cut up pork chop, a brick of emmental cheese, crackers, and one canteen of water, apples and pretty yummy pastries. The picnic left something to be desired. It was early when I packed it and M is the meal whiz around here, in my defence.

After the snacks, we hit the park. Where the kids went wild. N climbed the equipment to his hearts content and L ran from one thing to another. The park was pretty impressive, there was so much fun to be had. M and I sat there like aliens as our children played. Being in an urban area is always an eye opener for us and the farm is such a vortex, sucking you in, before you know it, two weeks have passed and you haven’t been anywhere or brushed your hair.

We saw the captive animals and came across a little water park with sprinklers and such.
I didn’t even think to pack bathing suits or towels. Both boys just stood there mesmerized by the water. Dilemma. Do we stripped the kids down to their gitches and let them get wet? (For the record, every other child was appropriately clothed in a swim suit) or do we walk on dragging our kids behind us.

Scenario A won.

So there you have it, two farm boys, in their tighty undies, having the time of their lives, not a care in the world, splashing in the water. What threw us into a deep belly laugh was L in his best squat pose, punching his tiny fists in the air; his wild blonde locks plastered everywhere, in his little bright blue gitch, hollering to himself.

Note to self: take the boys out more….

Two friends sharing a nip (catnip that is...)

From the country...

My April Fool's Baby

From the country...

I spent time today in the sunshine playing in the dirt with my boy. I was pulling weeds and preparing a bed for seeding and he was right by my side, waiting. Finally I pulled the first worm from the soft soil as he squealed for joy. Then came another and another, until he had a little pile of worms squiggling around. I looked over at him as he played, his wild honey blond hair, his hazel eyes, a light dusting of freckles on his nose brought out by the sun. Perfect. Happy 3rd Birthday Lucas.

Boys and their Super Capes

From the country...

Here is a brief rundown of a typical day with 2 lil' farm boys.

#1 super capes give boys xtra climbing abilities- I have been pulling boys out of trees all day (and just recently my youngest Lucas, off the top of his play house only wearing a shirt!)

#2 when doing chores with two boys, one must constantly remember to follow through with the task untill the end. Today in particular, we collected eggs and moments later all of todays eggs were smashed on the ground much to the dog's delight.

#3 You must tell them something and wait until they listen because once your back is turned, they continue to do what they were doing before you told them to stop. Hence the chickens all over the yard and me running to get my coldframes and greenhouse closed up so they don't end up all over my newly germinated greens beds.

#4 They constantly need something. I have had 2 requests for food and drink since sitting down to the computer....ah wait....make that 3.

#5 Laundry and spring thaw. Mud + lil' boys + puddles = a ridiculous amount of laundry and dirty finger nails.

Now that my voice is hoarse and my afternoon project debunked, I will settle in to dinner, bath and hopefully early bedtime. I could be mad but what's the point. You are only a kid once and running around naked with the chickens sounds like fun right? Maybe I should just join the party, rip the couch cushions off and bounce up and down for half of an hour.

This is what you wake up to at the farm...

From the City: in the country

So I went to the farm for a couple of days to get out of the bustle and noise of the city and spent my days cooking, eating and taking pictures. My three favorite things combined.

Mark made these incredible Blueberry Bran muffins for breakfast one morning and I couldn't not take pictures and blog the recipe. So here it is, make 'em and enjoy 'em.

Extra-Easy, Extra Moist Bran Muffins

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 4 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 1 tsp baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup blueberries (raisins, cranberries etc etc)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins thoroughly and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, adding the blueberries if desired.

In a cup or small bowl, combine the yogurt and milk.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt/milk to the first ingredients, stirring JUST to combine, don't overmix! (Overmixing kills good muffins and they don't deserve that)

Pour into prepared muffin pans.

Bake 15-20 min until done.

Enjoy with butter, jam, jelly, honey or just on their own .

Farm Boy Couture

From the country...

I think the greatest thing about being a farm boy is you get to wear plaid, a lot. Since I am outnumbered 3 to 1 in my house I often envy the lives of boys. They look good all the time, have the greatest eyelashes, and when they don a plaid shirt with jeans my face turns a little green.I love plaid but I just can’t wear it with the same gusto as farm boys.