The Latest Additions To The Farm

Welcome to the farm little babies!

Yesterday afternoon, we noticed our VERY pregnant momma cat was suddenly quite skinny. So this morning, I went out and started looking in some of her favorite places to have her kittens. Surprisingly, she had had them in the first place I looked; under an old mower (a very old mower; it doesn't run anymore so there is no chance of them getting hurt.) 

We gently took both Haggles (the momma) and her babes into the garage. They're now happily lying in their corner with a rug! 

As you can see in the pictures (or maybe all you can see is a mass of little fur balls!), Haggles had eight babies. She's always had big litters, but I think this might be her biggest so far!

Ashleigh

Cattle & A Bucket Calf

I spent Friday afternoon with some friends hauling hay, feeding cattle, and playing with a bucket calf. We had fun and I learned a few things! 

We had just started the feed truck and were on our way to get loaded, when the cattle all headed up to the feed bunks already waiting for us. 

The truck was loaded with straw, wet corn distillers (leftover ground corn from when beer is made (it makes the feed taste better!), chopped prairie hay, and some silage. I'm sure the cattle enjoy it! One of my favorite parts of feeding was the smell. I can't say I've ever smelled anything quite like it… I was told it was the silage and distillers; if it smells this good, I wonder what it tastes like?? (No, I'm not wanting a taste. Just curious!)

 These boys sure love their food! 

 After feeding a bit, I went and watched the little bucket calf, Buddy, be fed. Can you believe he was just born on Tuesday?? I fed him a bit, and of course, I came away from the pen looking like I had just drooled all over myself. (No, it wasn't me. The wet, white stuff was thanks to the calf!) 

Right before I left the pen, Buddy decided to make friends with Bella. She wasn't too interested!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Ashleigh

For The Love Of A Spice Cabinet

I love spices for their colors, flavors, and smells. They're all different and each have something unique to offer. For this, I just grabbed a few of my favorites items out of the spice cabinet and started playing around. Instead of just tossing together a few pictures, I figured I'd add a little info about each so that your time spent reading this post was put to good use….

First let's start with cocoa; now technically, some people say cocoa is a spice and others say it isn't. I'm siding with those that say it isn't, but it really doesn't matter! Cocoa is really ground up cocoa beans from the cacao tree. 

When the pods are harvested, they are laid out in piles or on grates and allowed to "sweat", this means that the thick pulp vanishes and leaves behind the beans. Then the wet beans are taken to a place where they are dried and then they ferment. After that, they are shipped to places to make the cocoa powder, chocolate, etc. The beans are roasted, then cracked and their shells are removed. After all of this, the pieces of cocoa beans are called "nibs". The nibs can then separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder, using a hydraulic press. Now you've got the cocoa we get in our little brown Hershey's boxes!

Next comes a wonderful smelling spice… Cinnamon! The name "cinnamon" came from the Greeks and not only has the spice been considered a gift for kings and gods, it's referred to in the Hebrew Bible in Proverbs and Song of Solomon.
Cinnamon comes from either the Ceylon Cinnamon tree or the Cassia tree. The tree is grown for two to three years and then coppiced (the tree is cut back to ground level, covered with soil, and then the shoots are allowed to grow out of it). Once the shoots have grown out of the stump, they are cut off and then stripped of their bark, which is laid out in the sun to dry. When the bark dries, it curls into "quills" (or what we call sticks) and then is packaged and shipped. For the ground cinnamon, the sticks are ground up gently and you're done!

My favorite thing about paprika is the color. I love the bright red! 

Paprika is a spice made from dried and then ground, sweet bell or chili peppers. Hot, sweet, smoked, plain, Spanish, Hungarian - There are many different variations of paprika and it's the fourth most used spice in the world. One use for paprika is coloring. Whenever a dish is bland and colorless, paprika is generally heated and added; because when heated, paprika releases its color and flavor.

Ground mustard (also known as dry mustard) is made from ground mustard seeds. Not only are the seeds of the mustard plant used, but the leaves and stalk can be used as well. There are three different kinds of mustard seeds; white (or yellow), brown (Asian), and black. Black mustard seeds have mostly been replaced by brown seeds as they can be grown and harvested more economically. In terms of how pungent the seeds are, black is much more pungent than the mild white seeds, while the brown seeds are in between them. 

Typically, to make English mustard, the white and brown seeds are blended together; for Chinese and European mustards, the brown seeds are the main ingredient.

Ok, so yes. Parsley is an herb, not a spice. But it was one of those things I grabbed and it's in the picture. So I think I'll tell you a bit about it anyway! 

Basically, dried parsley is just that. Dried parsley! While there are more than 30 different varieties of parsley, the most common of them are the curly-leaf parsley and then the more flavorful flat-leaf parsley. Since parsley doesn't hold up very well during cooking, it's generally added at the end of making the dish. Dried parsley adds mostly color and curly parsley is used for garnish, while Italian parsley is used for flavor.

The last thing I grabbed was peppercorns. Whenever I'm cooking, I like to grind peppercorns instead of using the pre-ground pepper as I feel it adds more flavor if it's just been ground. Peppercorns are the fruit from a flowering vine called the Pepper plant. The fruits (peppercorns) are dried and then sold whole or ground. Black pepper is the world's most traded spice. There are actually six different varieties of peppercorns; Pink, Green, Malabar Black, Sarawak White, Tellicherry Black, and Muntok White.

Well, I think I'm feeling rather hungry after typing all of this!

Ashleigh

Blog Love

If there's one thing that I've learned during this crazy process called blogging, it's that you meet so many more bloggers and make a lot of new friends! It's crazy the amount of blogs out there. I've seen so many that I have come to love looking at. So in light of that fact, let me share a few of my favorites with you! (I'm posting links with the names so you can visit them, and please do!) These aren't in any particular order, just however they come to my mind.

1. The Country Chick 

Besides posting several yummy looking recipes, the Country Chick also shares pictures and tales from life on a farm, in Alabama, with all of her animals. Just when you think her life must be busy enough, you see the little tabs that allow you to a) order their soaps and b) buy eggs and chicks from them! If you haven't gotten my drift already, it's an amazing site and one I look forward to receiving every post update from!

2. Cookin' Cowgirl

Oh my… Now I have to think of something to say about this wonderful blog when there seems to be only one word running through my head at the moment - YUMMY!!! From the Carne Asada Skillet Nachos to the Apple Pie Granola - It's all wonderful looking! I've really enjoyed looking at all of the pictures on here and just moseying around the site in general.

3. The Country Cook

As their description says, it's home cookin' for today's busy cook. And I must say that Brandie does a wonderful job at keeping her readers looking forward to the next post. The recipes look tasty and there are several I'm looking forward to trying very soon!

4. River Mud

I'm still questioning what it was that brought me to this site… But whatever it was, I'm thankful it did! You might have noticed that this site is a bit different from most of the blogs I follow - That's because it has nothing to do with food. Kirk posts everything from Duck and Goose hunting to fishing with his son. It's be fun to keep up with his posts along with the other 800+ readers!

5. Chickens in the Road

Reading Chickens in the Road may very well be one of my favorite past-times. Between the old-fashioned recipes, tales of life on a farm in the foothills of the Appalachian foothills, crafts, and photographs, this site is well worth a visit! 

Hope you're having a great day!
Ashleigh

A Few Pictures

 It was so funny to watch our dog in the wheat field the other day. He would see something and then hold perfectly still….

 After a few seconds, he'd pounce and then walk around with his nose to the ground. All you'd see was a dog body without a head wandering around the field! Needless to say, we got a laugh out of it!

Ashleigh

Strawberry Sparkle Cake

This cake turned out to be delish! It does take a little while to make, but with a little planning it can be a snap and would make a great addition to an Easter table. I found it originally on The Pioneer Woman, but once I started making it, I also started tweaking a bunch of little things here and there. Enjoy!

WARNING: When serving this cake, please, for your safety be careful!!! People seem to get a little crazed when eating it and will shower you with hugs, laughter, tears, and demands for the recipe!

You'll need:

Cake:

15 egg whites, room temperature

1 t. cream of tarter

1 1/2 cup sugar, sifted four times

1 cup flour

2 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

Filling:

1 (3 oz.) package strawberry jello

2 cups water, boiling

1-pound frozen sliced strawberries

Topping:

1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip

Start by sifting the flour, cornstarch, and salt together four or five times. Set aside.

In a large bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks.

Be sure to not throw away the yolks! You can use an ice cube tray to freeze them separately or use them in French Toast.

In a large mixer, beat the egg whites until they're foamy or frothy, they should still be mostly liquid with a lot of bubbles on top.

Once the whites are foamy, add the cream of tarter.

And beat them on high until they're stiff… 

Like this! 

With the mixer on low, gently sprinkle in the sifted sugar.

Once the sugar has been added, you can gently fold in the sifted flour mixture.

Add the vanilla.

Pour the batter into a very clean (and not-greased!) bundt pan. Bake at 350* for 35 - 45 minutes. Be sure to leave the oven door closed while baking!

Meanwhile, you can whip up the filling. Start by mixing the jello powder and boiling water together in a bowl.

Once jello powder is dissolved, stir in the strawberries gently. Set this in the fridge to thicken.

By now, the cake should be done, let it cool upside down on a wine, vinegar, or olive oil bottle. Place it gently onto a wire rack when cooled.

Now here's my favorite part! Cut the top 1-inch of the cake off and set aside.

About 1-inch from the outside edge, make a cut all the way around the cake. Don't cut through the bottom, just cut down an inch or so.

Cut another circle about 1-inch closer to the center of the cake. Follow the same instructions as before.

Use your fingers to gently pull the cake out from between your two cuts and create a "trench".

This is what it should look like at this stage.

Here's your filling that's now thick…

Gently spoon filling into the trench and fill it until it's level with the rest of the cake.

Gently place the "lid" back on the cake. Set it in the fridge for a couple of hours, or if you're in a hurry, set it in the freezer for around 45 minutes to an hour.

Once it's cooled, pull out your tub of Cool Whip and place several big ol' dollops on the cake.

Use a knife and spread the Cool Whip around until the entire cake as been liberally frosted. (You may not use all of the topping.)

Slice and serve with a couple of fresh strawberries and a smile!

Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Ashleigh

Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:

Strawberry Sparkle Cake

(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)

This cake turned out to be delish! It does take a little while to make, but with a little planning it can be a snap and would make a great addition to an Easter table.

WARNING: When serving this cake, please, for your safety be careful!!! People seem to get a little crazed when eating it and will shower you with hugs, laughter, tears, and demands for the recipe!

You'll need:

Cake:

15 egg white, room temperature

1 t. cream of tarter

1 1/2 cup sugar, sifted four times

1 cup flour

2 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

Filling:

1 (3 oz.) package strawberry jello

2 cups water, boiling

1-pound frozen sliced strawberries

Topping:

1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip

- Preheat oven to 350*

- Start by sifting the flour, cornstarch, and salt together four or five times. Set aside.

- Separate the egg whites and yolks. 

- Beat the egg whites on high until foamy and then add the cream of tarter.

- Continue to beat on high until the whites form stiff peaks.

- With the mixer on low, sprinkle in the sugar gently.

- After sugar is mixed in, gently fold in the sifted flour mixture. 

- Stir in the vanilla.

- Slowly pour the batter into a ungreased (and very clean) bundt pan and bake for 35 - 45 minutes.

- While cake is baking, make the filling by combining the boiling water and jello powder in a large bowl.

- Once powder is dissolved, stir in the sliced, frozen strawberries. Set in the fridge to thicken.

- When the cake is done baking, pull it out and immediately set it upside down on a wine, vinegar, or olive oil bottle to cool.

- Once cooled, place it gently onto a wire rack and slice the top 1-inch of the cake off. Set it aside carefully.

- Use a sharp knife to cut a circle 1-inch away from the outside edge of the cake. Cut down an inch or so.

- Cut another circle 1-inch away from the first, following the same instructions.

- Use your fingers to pull the cake out from inside the two circles to create a "trench".

- By now the filling should be thick and you can gently spoon it into the trench. Fill the trench until the cake and filling is level all the way across.

- Gently place the "lid" back on the cake and set in the fridge for a few hours or in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour. (I left mine in the fridge overnight.) 

- After the cake has cooled, place a bunch of big ol' dollops of Cool Whip on the cake and use a knife to spread it until the cake is completely covered.

- Serve with fresh strawberries and a smile!

Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I found this wonderful recipe over at Entertaining with Beth. As Beth says, the poppy seeds add a nice nutty flavor that combines with the lemon. The glaze really pulls it all together. 

You'll Need:

Muffins:

3 eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup water

3 T. lemon zest

1 t. lemon extract

1 T. poppy seeds

1 1/2 cups flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 T. heavy cream

Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs…

Sugar.

Butter.

Lemon zest.

Lemon extract.

And lastly, poppy seeds. Gently combine this all and then mix in the flour.

Line some muffins tins.

And plop in one scoop of batter. Bake at 400* for 10 - 12 minutes.

When done, pop the muffins onto a wire rack and cool.

Once cooled, make the glaze by combining the cream and powdered sugar in a bowl. You can spread a little glaze over the muffins and then top with a few poppy seeds and a little lemon zest.

Enjoy looking at the muffins for awhile…

Just look… Don't eat…

And you're saying "Ha! Yea, right!" Well that's fine, I didn't do that either..

Enjoy!

Ashleigh

Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)

I found this wonderful recipe over at Entertaining with Beth. As Beth says, the poppy seeds add a nice nutty flavor that combines with the lemon. The glaze really pulls it all together. 

You'll Need:

Muffins:

3 eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup water

3 T. lemon zest

1 t. lemon extract

1 T. poppy seeds

1 1/2 cups flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 T. heavy cream

- Preheat the oven to 400* 

- Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, water, lemon zest, lemon extract, and poppy seeds.

- Gently stir in the flour mixture; don't over-mix!

- Line muffins tins and fill a little under half full with batter. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

- When cooked, plop the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool.

- Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and heavy cream and then spoon or drizzle a little onto the muffins. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest and a few poppy seeds.

Enjoy!