Sunrise

Easy, Breezy Freezing

Dedicated to Jean-Marc.

First, cut the stem end off each bean if it hasn't broken off.  If there is a string, you can usually pull it off as you pull off the tip of the bean.  I just leave the other (pointy) end on.

Put the steamer in the large pot with an inch of water in the bottom.  Cover pot and bring water to a boil.

While the water is boiling, weigh the beans you are about to freeze (in a plastic bag or using the metal bowl on the scale).  Label a plastic bag with a Sharpie, for example, "Beans 9-11, 8 oz.").

Check blanching time in the Stocking Up cookbook on the counter.

Set the timer on the microwave for 4 minutes, but do not start it yet.

To blanch the beans, place them in the steamer and cover the pot.  Start the timer.

(Note:  The beans in these photos are over-sized beans that I cut small for soup.  Normally I freeze the beans whole.)

When the timer goes off, lift the beans from the steamer.

Let the beans drain for a few seconds over a towel on the counter.

Dump the beans onto the towel.

Blot the beans with the towel to remove excess water that would form crystals in the freezer.

 Place beans (or in this photo, raw green peppers) in the plastic bag and sip 3/4 shut.

Using the unsealed 1/4 of the bag, suck out the air.

The bag should look like this with the air removed.  This helps the frozen food keep its quality better.

 Finish sealing the bag.

Spread the vegetables out flat in the bag and place it in the freezer.

(Normally, you would need to ice the blanched beans to cool them and prevent further cooking, but when freezing a small amount, you can get the beans into the freezer and in contact with frozen surfaces so quickly that you can skip the messy ice water stage.)

Your beans are frozen and you're almost done.  There's just one more thing to do.  Remove the steamer from the pot of boiling water.  Dump in any overly-mature beans, pepper cores, or other vegetable trimmings.  Cook for 5 minutes, then cool and save for the pigs.  They prefer their vegetables cooked!

Limoncello

After reading a recent post on The Greening of Gavin, I was inspired to use some lemons that were beginning to age in my refrigerator and try my hand at making Limoncello, too.

My version is lazier and perhaps not so green as Gavin's, and I can't taste his all the way from Australia, but here it is:

7 medium-sized lemons, zested and juiced

My trusty zester removed the zest without the pith.

I put the zest into a large, clean jar with 3 c. of vodka.  I added the fresh lemon juice, about 2/3 c.  I sealed the jar and put it on a dark countertop to age.

After 5 days, Kara and I tasted the lemony vodka and found it plenty lemony.  I strained it through cheesecloth into a large clean bottle and added 1 c. Trader Joe's simple syrup. Then I put some in an attractive serving bottle, and voila!

Delicious, homemade, easy limoncello.

Charis & Kol Visit the Barnyard

About a week ago, Jim & Monique brought Charis and Kol over for lunch and the afternoon.  Kara joined us for a farm tour.  First stop was the pigs, who entertained us with piggy noises over the snack we brought.  They gave us a very vivid impression of what it means to "eat like a pig" and to "be into your food!"

Mercy was one of our first batch of meat chickens, the personable Naked Necks.  Her sister Grace was elected for salvation beforehand.  :)  Mercy escaped from Herb as he was carrying her to the Killing Cones, thus earning mercy and her name.  Since Jim and Monique split that batch of chickens with us, the second chicken to be saved was theirs, and I save her eggs (a unique lavender-brown) for them.  Jim and Kol got to meet Mercy for the first time.

"Can I really touch it?  It won't hurt me?"

Yes, Kol, you really can touch her.  She's a nice chicken!

One of Charis' favorite things about a visit to the farm is the bowl of Jolly Ranchers!

After visiting the barnyard we took everyone on a tour of the new pasture, and Kol got to ride down on Monique's shoulders.

Back at the house, Charis discovered Dada's old Brio train. Has anyone ever seen a cuter engineer?

Before they left, it was time to get a picture of Charis and Kol with Mimi and Didi.

"Hey, Charis, look this way!"

Climbing Mt. Didi.

Gotcha!

Remodeling the Chicken Coop

 Gypsy and Esmerelda, our two older pullets, ducked into Brandy's stall for a spot of hunt-and-peck, only to find it swept clean.

Their coop had been swept clean, too, and treated for mites (just in case) in preparation for a major remodel.

Part way through the job, Alger Hiss came to inspect our work.  I could swear I heard him say, "Yessssss!"

 We installed two 2x4's horizontally as a platform to hold the nest boxes.  In front, we placed a recycled fence board as a lip to hold nesting materials in the boxes; it lifts out so we can easily remove the nest boxes for cleaning.  The upper 2x4 is a brace for the "roof" that goes over the nest boxes.

Here's the final picture with the nest boxes in place.  Each one is unique: three different plastic crates and one plastic bucket.  Each is padded on the bottom with a piece of plastic "grass" carpet.  A bit of hay makes a cozy nest, held in place by the white board even if the girls scratch around making their nests comfy.

The cut-down folding closet door rests against the 2x4 brace and the back wall, holding itself in place by its own weight.  It's pretty easy to fold it in half and remove it for cleaning.

The 2x3 perches (running at right angles to each other) are the only new lumber we had to buy; everything else was laying around the hay barn.  The blue tarp on the floor is held in place by strategic nails through the grommets.  This makes it easy to haul all the dirty litter out to be carried to the compost heap when it's time to clean the coop.

We moved the girls one night after they had roosted, then closed up the old coop.  They took right to the new one.  I wonder if they remember it from back in June when they used to live in it, B.F.  (Before the Fox)  At any rate, they chortle contentedly and they're laying a bit more.  Of course, that could be because Herb nailed a board up around the bottom of the tack room since we suspected they were laying under there.  I just hope that if they did, one of Templeton's descendants will successfully carry off any eggs!

Alger Hiss Teaches Misty a Lesson

"Familiarity breeds contempt."  I'm afraid that's what happened with Misty's good LGD manners when we spent two days in a row working in the barnyard.  She started out just fine, lying quietly near the ducks . . .

. . . but then she decided to play with Alger.  She tried to touch noses with him.

Alger hissed and stared Misty down.  She dropped her head for a moment, but then got friendly again.

Alger was too quick for both of us.  I missed the photo op, and Misty got pecked on the face.  Alger stood hissing at her with his crest raised even after she jumped up and backed away.

Being a friendly puppy who just knows that everyone finds her adorable, Misty came back playfully, wagging her tail, although keeping a little more distance.  She's young--not dumb!

Alger decided that a few more pecks were in order.  Unfortunately, once again neither of us saw them coming.  But this time Misty learned her lesson. She moved away and lay down.  Alger was not convinced.

Even when Misty turned her head away, Alger kept an eye on her.  He's a very good teacher, I think, making sure his student comprehends the lesson material!

In fact, Alger is all over everything in his little barnyard domain.  He heard me cleaning nest boxes and came to check me out.  Why?  Because my spray bottle made a soft hissing sound, and Alger thought maybe there was a new Muscovy girl in town!  Sorry Alger, you can't really be friends with a bottle of bleach water!

Fall Cleaning at the Barn: We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends

The Thompsons helped us move the chicken coop to the safety of the barnyard back in July.  Herb was going to level it himself, but summer heat put a stop to most of our outdoor projects.  With fall upon us and winter approaching, it seemed time to finally put the coop to rights.  One of the Muscovy drakes realized that ground being dug up meant a bug smorgasbord was being unearthed.

 Robin showed off her sylph-like figure while checking to see if bugs had been living under the coop.  She also reminded Herb to be sure and nail a 2" x 6" around the bottom of the coop once he finished raising it on concrete blocks.  If Robin can get under there, so can rats.

Zephyr supervised Herb digging out a place to put the jack.

Misty practiced good LGD manners, that is, lying peacefully near her charges. One of the drakes kept a watchful eye, all the while letting sleeping dogs lie.  Herb calls this drake Alger Hiss because he is the boss duck and hisses at everything and everyone.  Muscovies don't quack, not even when frightened.  They just hiss louder!

When Misty showed signs of life, Alger kept a very close watch on her in case she needed an etiquette lesson. She didn't, and I was proud of her.

When I refilled the clean wading pool, Jemima Puddleduck played with the stream of water, trying to bite it.  She was very quick and got it many times; I  just wasn't quite as quick one-handed with the camera.

While Herb was busy with the "coop raising" and patching holes at the bottom of the barn, I cleaned stalls.  I hauled out loose litter to fill a low spot in the barnyard, swept cobwebs down, washed the buckets, and cleaned the feeders.  Now the stalls are ready for rainy winter days and for feeding the horses separately from the cows when everyone is in the barnyard together.

What a good feeling at the end of the day leaving a nice, clean barn and having enjoyed the company of our animals while we worked.