This hearty soup was a favorite at my restaurant Cheffie’s Market and More.  Serve it on its own…or garnish this tasty chili with your favorite tex-mex toppings.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 4.5-ounce can diced green chilies
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
4 15-ounce cans cannelloni beans
1 tablespoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken stock
Sour cream, sliced jalapenos and fresh cilantro, optional garnishes

In a large stockpot over medium–high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle in the pot.  Add the onion and poblano and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the green chilies and sauté for 1 minute more.

Stir in the chicken and the beans.  Season with the thyme, cumin, salt and pepper.

Cover the mixture with the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.  (Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, diced jalapenos and fresh cilantro if desired.

Cooking Tip: For a little extra kick, add your favorite hot sauce.

Time-Saving Tip: Short on time?  Pick up a rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store for this recipe.

Many casseroles, chicken salads, and pasta dishes call for cooked, shredded chicken.  I used to simply boil my B/S chicken breasts until they were cooked through, but they turned out like white rubber blobs posing as chicken.  What’s worse, 9 out of 10 times they were overcooked.  Thankfully I have since discovered a better way.  May I share two great ways to precook your chicken to save you moisture, and flavor?

Method #1: Roasting (my personal favorite)

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees F.  Place 4 to 6 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on) skin side up on a sheet pan.  Rub chicken with olive oil.  Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Set aside until cool enough to shred, chop, or whatever your heart’s desire.

Method #2: Boiling

In the case you only have boneless, skinless breasts on hand, boiling is the way to go.  In the past I never seemed to take them out before they overcooked, but this method helps ensure they’re nice and juicy.

Bring 1 part chicken broth and 2 parts water to a simmer in a pot.  Add chicken and simmer for 6 minutes, uncovered.  Remove from heat and cover pot.  Let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes.

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Note: You can freeze your precooked, shredded chicken for about 3 to 4 weeks, which is a huge timesaver.  A few mintues in the microwave on the defrost setting, and you’re good to go.

With the Goose getting fat and Christmas orders flying in at the market, its time to get the store cupboard up to stock. Goose has become very popular over the past years but its been around since 2500 BC and that where we get the delicious fat from. Years ago the fat was never given to you when you bought the bird from your butcher because it was exported to France and other culinary country’s. But times are changing and people are becoming more aware of its delights. But it was the great Elizabeth David, who is responsible for bringing French food into the British home, was responsible for saving goose fat. In an article in House & Garden (1958), she describes how to cook a Goose and writes, “The fat from the bird should be separated from the juices and poured off into a bowl, for it is very valuable for frying.” So the revival of the goose fat began. It’s great melted and spread over roast potatoes, its gives them the crunch and the full meaty flavour. It’s easy to store, just keep the jar refrigerated as it’s a solid fat, and fairly liquid at room temperature. It solidifies between 16°C and 22°C and has a melting point between 25°C and 37°C. Goose Fat has a high burning (or smoke) point which means foods can be cooked at a high temperature without the fat burning or breaking down. Giving it ideal use for roast spuds. It’s also great for confits, chips, frying onions, and even melted and on toast mmmm……..It’s available from deli’s, butchers shops and other decent food shops priced around £3-£5 per jar, treat yourself and enjoy.

Charlie the Butcher.

When my hubby and I have a chance to eat out sans kids, we almost always choose an Indian restaurant.  I hadn’t really attempted cooking Indian fare in my own kitchen until my Sept. 2007 issue of Cooks Illustrated arrived in the mail.  Their recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious and takes the intimidation out of cooking ethnic food.   The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve it over basmati rice and accompanied by naan and a mango lassi.  You won’t be disappointed.

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

*Note: If you don’t have garam masala on hand, you can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

This has been my go-to lasagna recipe for a few years now.  I’ve made it both with and without the turkey sausage, and I must say I prefer it without, which makes it a great vegetarian dish for company.  It definitely takes some added effort to make the homemade tomato sauce, but it’s well worth it.  In a pinch, I doctor up about 8 cups of prepared pasta sauce* and call it a day.  Don’t worry, it will still get rave reviews.  As an added bonus, you don’t have to precook the lasagna noodles.

Turkey Sausage-Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
• Spicy Tomato Sauce, see recipe below
  
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 3 cups shredded provolone cheese (about 12 ounces)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté until brown, using fork to break up meat into coarse pieces, about 7 minutes. Add Spicy Tomato Sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, cream, basil, oregano and pepper in large bowl. Set aside. Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce in single layer. Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles. Spoon 1 cup ricotta mixture over sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1 cup ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone. Arrange remaining 3 noodles over cheese. Spoon 1 cup sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over lasagna. Dollop remaining ricotta mixture atop lasagna. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce around ricotta dollops. Tightly cover baking dish with foil.

Bake lasagna 50 minutes; uncover and continue baking until noodles are tender and lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F. oven about 45 minutes.)

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Spicy Tomato Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 2 28-ounce cans Italian-style tomatoes
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added purée
• 1/2 cup dry red wine

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, basil, marjoram and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce thickens and measures 8 cups total, breaking up tomatoes with spoon and stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.)

*Note: if you plan to subsitute prepared tomato sauce, I recommend you jazz it up a bit before using.  Simply heat a few Tbsp. of olive oil in a Dutch oven over med-low heat.  Saute an onion (minced) and 3 cloves of garlic (minced) until translucent.  Then add approximately 8 cups of prepared sauce and simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Voila!

Makes: 8 adult servings

Source: Bon Appetit, March 1999

I discovered this recipe in one of those free healthy living brochures while in line at the grocery store.  I’m usually leery to try recipes that have not been rated, or at least recommended by someone, as I hate to waste good resources on a bad recipe.  However, this one turned out fabulously.  It’s one of our new favorites and a great way to use bone-in chicken.  If you like Indian food, you’ll love this.  If you’ve never tried a curried stew, prepare to be delighted.

Spicy Coconut-Chicken Curry

6 to 7 chicken thighs, drumsticks, or a combination of both (bone-in, skin-on)
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
a one-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 Tbsp curry powder, preferably Madras
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I omit this if feeding kiddos or adults who shy away from spicy foods.)
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained
About 1 can (15 oz) light coconut milk, divided
1 cup frozen, thawed green peas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle both sides with salt.

2. Coat bottom of 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with thin film of oil and set over med-high heat.  When oil shimmers, add chicken, skin sides down, without crowding; brown in batches if necessary.  Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken releases easily from pot, about 5-8 minutes.  Turn pieces over and cook until they brown.  Transfer browned chicken to plate.

3. When last batch of chicken has been removed, add onion, garlic, and ginger to pot.  Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook for 30 seconds until spices are fragrant.  Stir in tomatoes and 1 cup of the coconut milk.  Stir well and let come to boil.

4. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot.  Chicken should be surrounded by sauce, but not submerged in it, so that topmost skin is exposed.  (If there is not enough liquid in pot, add remaining coconut milk.)

5. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is opaque at bone, about 45 minutes.  Stir in peas and cilantro and cook until peas are hot, about 5 minutes more.  Serve over fragrant rice (basmati or jasmine).

Serves: 4 adults (plus a few kiddos)

Source: Braises and Stews by Tori Ritchie

This version of Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan) is baked/broiled, rather than fried for great calorie/fat savings without losing any flavor.  No one believes it is baked when I serve it!!

Ingredients:

• 2 TB  Garlic (fresh, chopped fine)
• 1/4 cup Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 bottle Lucini Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce (Artichoke, Spicy, Marinara & Olive/Caper work as well)
• 1/2 C Basil + 4 large leaves (fresh)
• 1 tsp     Lucini 10-Year Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp  Sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp  Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 2 TB     Mustard (dijon is best)
• 1 TB      Lucini White Wine Vinegar
• 2 TB     Butter (unsalted, melted)
• 4          Chicken Thighs (skinless, boneless)
• 1/2 C    Bread Crumbs
• 1 C       Lucini Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano
• 4 slices  Mozzarella (fresh, 1/4 inch thick)

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat the garlic and oil together over medium high heat until the garlic just turns light gold, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on low until sauce thickens – 15-20 minutes.  Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.  Cover and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 450°F.  Whisk together mustard, vinegar, 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper, and 1 TB melted butter in a large bowl, add the chicken pieces, and toss to coat well.  In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, grated cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and add in 1 TB melted butter.  Then dredge each chicken piece in the crumb mixture until well coated.  Place each thigh on a non-stick baking pan (or Silpat) and press the crumbs in gently.  Bake in the middle of the oven until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn heat up to broil.  Place a basil leaf, then a slice of mozzarella on each thigh.  Return to oven and broil for 2 minutes.  Ready to serve – I usually serve with pasta.

A First Class Manager (FCM) is going thru’ a forest one evening when his car breaks down. He looks around and finds a lone house. He knocks the door which is opened by a stunning woman.

FCM: Can I spend the night at your place?

Woman: Well. I live alone.

FCM: I’m an honourable man, a FCM.

Woman: I got only one bed.

FCM: No problem. I’m an honourable man, a FCM.

Woman: I go to bed naked.

FCM: No problem. I’m an honourable man, a FCM.

Woman: Be my guest, FCM. Next morning while leaving, FCM finds the woman busy with her poultry.

FCM: Good birds you got there.

Woman: Yeah.

FCM: How many cocks and how many hens?

Woman: Two hundred hens, one cock..

FCM: But I can see over a dozen cocks around.

Woman: Only one cock over there. The others are first class managers.

As winter creeps up here in the Pacific Northwest, the only thing that sounds appetizing are hot foods. They are comforting, hearty and warms up the soul. For the last batch of Thanksgiving leftovers, I brought together onions, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, chili flakes, homemade turkey stalk, orzo pasta, and turkey to make Turkey Orzo Soup. It is a tasteful alternative to your original Chicken Noodle Soup.

This roasted chicken has a history. The first time I did something like this was here as an inspiration from Retorte.

Today I do the full chicken with sweet potatoes.

Before cooking:

It’s very much like the first time as far as how it’s dressed.

• 4 tbls Pesto — if you don’t have pesto, you can use fresh basil and garlic and make a paste of that.
• zest of two lemons
• juice of half a lemon
• extra salt and lots of black pepper
• olive oil to make the paste a bit easier to slather over the chicken

Mix these ingredients up and coat the chicken with the resulting paste.

I added sweet potatoes to cook with the chicken which are, of course, optional. You can put another kind of potato or none at all.

Roast according to your preferences when roasting a chicken. I did this one on 375 degrees for a little over an hour. It turned out wonderfully succulent. I don’t really know the first thing about roasting chickens when it comes to the finer points in terms of how to heat the oven, etc. This one took much less time than I thought it would.

Fresh out of the oven:

Method 

According to research from GIRA, meat consumption will increase by 21.3% during the period 2005-2015. Two third of the increase will take place in China only!

Poultry and pork show the strongest increase.
Poultry will increase with 24 million tonnes to 105 million tonnes (+29.6%).
Pork will increase with 21 million tonnes to 125 million tonnes (+20.2%).
Beef will increase with 8 million tonnes to 70 million tonnes (+12.9).

• 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast pieces, halved across the breasts with sharp knife
• 4 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Optional garnishes: giardiniera or balsamic drizzle

Pre-heat the oven to 450˚F.

Place the potatoes, cauliflower and garlic in a pot with tight-fitting lid. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and bring to boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer, cooking for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add the EVOO to the skillet, two turns of the pan. When the EVOO smokes, add chicken skin-side down and cook 10 minutes or so, turning once.

Remove the chicken to a plate and add the wine to the pan, scraping up the drippings. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and garlic to the pan and top with the browned chicken. Transfer to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes more, until the vegetables are very tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the chicken, potatoes and cauliflower with giardiniera alongside or topped with a little balsamic drizzle, if desired.

Japchae is a Korean noodle dish, with several kinds of thinly sliced vegetables and a strong flavor of toasted sesame oil. It used to be made only for special occasions like Chuseok, but now you can find it in a lot of restaurants and families also make it for weeknight meals as a side. For some reason, this picture turned out really light, but yours should be a darker color from the toasted sesame oil.

Chicken/beef marinade
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds
white pepper

4 oz chicken, sliced into thin strips
4 oz beef, sliced into thin strips
shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips
1/3 lb spinach
1 carrot, cut into long strips
1/2 white onion, cut into strips
1 head of napa cabbage, white part only
2 serrano peppers

1 package of dangmyeon (당면/glass noodles)
2 eggs

Mix marinade ingredients well. Add half of the marinade to chicken and mix well. add the other half to the beef and mix well. Sauté chicken in oil and transfer to a large bowl. Sauté the beef in the same pan & add shiitakes, onion and carrot. Transfer to the same bowl.

Blanch spinach and cabbage in boiling water.
Mix together 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp soy sauce, green onions, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and pepper. Toss with cabbage. make the same seasoning and toss with spinach. transfer to the bowl.
Coat a pan with 2 beaten eggs to make a “pancake.” Roll the pancake up and slice into long pieces. Place in bowl.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles for 5 minutes. Place in colander and then transfer to a bowl, immediately adding 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil to coat the noodles. when room temperature, add the noodles to everything else and toss. Add 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil. toss. top with red pepper threads (silgochu/실고추) and toasted sesame seeds.

The best part about Thanksgiving is the plethora of leftovers. Seconds, thirds, fifths, etc. Thanksgiving is typically endless when it comes to leftovers. I really enjoy salads but usually during the summers. One chicken salad that comes to mind  is Chicken Sonoma, so I could not resist making Turkey Sonoma. I chopped celery and cubed leftover turkey. To this, I added dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and a poppy seed caramelized onion dressing. All of these ingredients come together to have salty, sweet and tangy flavors and paired with a soft and crunchy texture. This turkey salad can be enjoyed in a sandwich, wrap, or as is.

4 boneless skinless frozen chicken breasts
4-6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp white wine
½ tsp dried dill weed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Brown chicken on each side for 5 minutes, and then cook until done – approx 10-15 minutes more. When chicken is done (170° internal temp), remove from skillet and set aside. Melt the butter in the pan with the chicken juices. Then add the remaining ingredients to the butter in the pan. Boil on medium high heat until the sauce is reduced by about 1/3. Serve chicken on a bed of white rice with the lemon butter sauce drizzled over all. Great with broccoli or asparagus too!

Serves 4

Also great with lime juice!

I love roasted duck, just plain and simple duck, with roast potatoes (try them in the duck fat for really gorgeous tasting ones) and seasonal vegetables.  Do beware though that duck does shrink whilst cooking and the legs can look as though they have their sleeves rolled up when cooked.

 Serves 4 people NotesEvery half an hour prick the duck all over with a fork. For safety sake, drain the fat out of the roasting tin with a long handled spoon. Reserve all of the fat and use for roasting the potatoes. The duck fat can be stored covered in a fridge for about a month if the cooking debris is removed. The duck fat can be used several times, but always clean it thoroughly afterwards

6 boneless chicken breasts

Basting sauce:

1 ½ tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp lemon juice, vinegar or white wine
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp salt

Combine ingredients for sauce ion small bowl. Brush over chicken. Broil 10 minutes on each side, 2” from heat, brushing frequently with sauce.

Serves 6

1 – 2 lbs cooked chicken
4 veggie bouillon cubes
2 qts. water
1 tsp salt
2 med onions, chopped
½ tsp thyme
2 cups chopped celery
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup flour, mixed with 2 Cups milk
Biscuit Dough (see below for recipe)

Add water, veggies (except peas) and seasonings to a pot, and cook until soft. Add flour and milk mixture to boiling liquid and cook till thickened. Stir in peas and diced chicken. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Place biscuits on top, sides touching. Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.

Serves 6

Easy Stir and Roll Biscuits

Stir together:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar

Add:
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk

Kneed lightly for 30 seconds. Pat or roll out ½” thick. Cut with biscuit cutter.

Makes about 9 biscuits

1 chicken breast
½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 can asparagus soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked asparagus
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
1 cup chicken broth
1 small onion chopped
4 cups egg noodles

Boil chicken breast about 20 minutes, reserving broth. Boil noodles until done – about 7 minutes. Dice chicken. Sauté onion in butter until soft. Add soup, asparagus, broth seasonings and heat to boil. Mix all ingredients (except crumbs) and place in casserole dish. Top with crumbs.

Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes.

Serves 2-4

It’s December already and many changes have happened here on Deberosa II. 

First of all – a new tractor arrived yesterday!

Massey Fergusson 1529

This is a bit beefier than the Mahindra I had before, although it’s about the same size.  The bucket teeth and hooks were added and much stronger than we had before.  The tires are filled with fluid already.  The three point hitch is much stronger.  This tractor has a 9 by 9 syncro shuttle transmission that will take getting used to but didn’t seem too difficult.  We’ll get the tiller and brush hog in the spring.  Right now it will be moving chips and plowing snow and hauling stuff around the homestead.

In addition we added a new puppy to the farm – Sheila is a purebred English Shepard.  She is a fiesty little girl and really loves to herd just about anything – Jake, us, visitors, chickens and the cats.  

8 weeks old.

She is being trained to work with the birds at this point:

We harvested a home grown turkey for Thanksgiving.  Processing was a chore because we are not set up at nicely but the bird turned out fine in any case!  It was a triumph just to be sitting at a table with home grown food after this major relocation!

It was a lovely fall here – damp but warm.

This month we will be organizing the farm into a business.  Not sure what all it will involve, but right now we are thinking of raising Guinea Hogs and growing nursery plants, some veggies and blueberries.  Haven’t decided for sure yet – so send along ideas for cottage industries that may work here!

Debbie