Please watch this video about farmers solving the BP Oil Spill Disaster! They even have an idea of what to do with the used up hay. Whoo Hooo. You guys need to be on O'Reilly!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Agland Fiber Day
Agland in Canfield,Ohio hosted a fiber day. They welcome some critters,spinners and weavers to show the fiber process from animal to yarn! Enjoy the photos below.
Sheep
Alpacas
Llamas
The ladies from the local spinning guild.
The shearer...shearing the sheep.
Sheep
Alpacas
Llamas
The ladies from the local spinning guild.
The shearer...shearing the sheep.
Allison leaves for Myrtle Beach
Allison left this past Thursday with the band for a competition and trip to Myrtle Beach. Good luck Allison and return to us safe.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Ginger Ale - Part Two
Wikipedia has this to say about ginger ale. So I learned that there are two types of ginger ale: golden and dry. Hmmm... I never thought about it like that before.
Making Ginger Ale at home. Didn't know it needed to ferment!
This Ginger ale recipe looks more my speed.
OOO... I like this recipe, it includes step by step photos!
Making Ginger Ale at home. Didn't know it needed to ferment!
This Ginger ale recipe looks more my speed.
OOO... I like this recipe, it includes step by step photos!
Where is the Ginger?
No, not Ginger Grant from Gilligan's Island, but the Ginger in Ginger Ale. For upset tummies my husband and I like to keep ginger ale in the house. So I went up to my local store this morning to get some. For giggles, I read the ingredient labels. Know what I found? NO GINGER in the ginger ale!
I had Canada Dry and Vernors to choose from. Reputable and National brands. Hmmm... lets see. Canada Dry is claiming it is made with REAL Ginger. However, the label does NOT list ginger as an ingredient. In the US the FDA or some government agency requires manufacturers to list ingredients on labels in order that they appear...so to speak. So water, that makes sense. High Fructose Corn Syrup, again the sweetener needs to be there. Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate as preservatives and finally natural flavors. Oh... by the way they claim that the natural flavors includes real ginger! However (me thinks)a significant amount of ginger must not be in the product because it didn't make the label. Vernors is the same way. I'm confused, baffled and befuddled! I don't want a generic post of natural flavors, whatever that is. Just GINGER!
I have tried the ginger candy from the health food stores, but have found it to be extremely strong. Our household prefers ginger ale. I guess, I need to look into some home made alternatives using REAL GINGER... and not some natural flavors.
If you know of a home made option, please post in the comments. Thank you.
I had Canada Dry and Vernors to choose from. Reputable and National brands. Hmmm... lets see. Canada Dry is claiming it is made with REAL Ginger. However, the label does NOT list ginger as an ingredient. In the US the FDA or some government agency requires manufacturers to list ingredients on labels in order that they appear...so to speak. So water, that makes sense. High Fructose Corn Syrup, again the sweetener needs to be there. Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate as preservatives and finally natural flavors. Oh... by the way they claim that the natural flavors includes real ginger! However (me thinks)a significant amount of ginger must not be in the product because it didn't make the label. Vernors is the same way. I'm confused, baffled and befuddled! I don't want a generic post of natural flavors, whatever that is. Just GINGER!
I have tried the ginger candy from the health food stores, but have found it to be extremely strong. Our household prefers ginger ale. I guess, I need to look into some home made alternatives using REAL GINGER... and not some natural flavors.
If you know of a home made option, please post in the comments. Thank you.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Some new books to ponder
The Town the Saved Food by Ben Hewitt.
Over the past 3 years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of 3,000 residents, has jump-started its economy and redefined its self-image through a local, self-sustaining food system unlike anything else in America. Even as the recent financial downturn threatens to cripple small businesses and privately owned farms, a stunning number of food-based businesses have grown in the region—Vermont Soy, Jasper Hill Farm, Pete's Greens, Patchwork Farm & Bakery, Apple Cheek Farm, Claire's Restaurant and Bar, and Bonnieview Farm, to name only a few. The mostly young entrepreneurs have created a network of community support; they meet regularly to share advice, equipment, and business plans, and to loan each other capital. Hardwick is fast becoming a model for other communities to replicate its success. The captivating story of a small town coming back to life, The Town That Food Saved is narrative nonfiction at its best: full of colorful characters and grounded in an idea that will revolutionize the way we eat.
I can't wait to read it... I'm on hold for this title with my library.
Warm Bread and Honey Cake by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra.
Containing a mix of familiar family favorites and unusual, exotic delicacies, this comprehensive collection of recipes for breads, cakes, biscuits and pastries is also a well-researched exploration of home-baking techniques and global ethnic history. Inspired by her multicultural background the author has drawn inspiration from all over the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Nice book. I've had a chance to peruse her recipes. Yum, Yum. I am concerned however, that if I have difficulties with the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, that this book is a bit out of my league.
And for the children and children at heart. Feeding the Sheep by Leda Schubert. Narrated in a chatty, question-and-answer rhyming text, this warm story describes work throughout the seasons on a farm. A little girl repeatedly asks her mother, “What are you doing?” and Mom’s step-by-step answers describe how she feeds the sheep; shears, washes, dries, and cards the wool; spins and dyes the yarn; and, finally, knits a sweater (“Knit and purl, needles whirl”). A closing scene, “Sweater hug, woolly hug,” shows perfect bliss between mother and daughter, and in a final reversal, the mother asks the questions, while the little girl dives into work. The physicality of the words (“Soft and deep, sheepy heap”), the fascinating facts, and the action-filled, brightly colored illustrations will capture kids’ attention, as will the cozy family bond between parent and child, working together and caring for their free-range animals. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman .
I think all my fiber friends need this book. You can read it when you display your spinning/weaving/knitting etc. at shows or simply to any child in your life. This is one of the best books out there to describe how fiber is processed from critter to sweater. LOVE IT!
Over the past 3 years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of 3,000 residents, has jump-started its economy and redefined its self-image through a local, self-sustaining food system unlike anything else in America. Even as the recent financial downturn threatens to cripple small businesses and privately owned farms, a stunning number of food-based businesses have grown in the region—Vermont Soy, Jasper Hill Farm, Pete's Greens, Patchwork Farm & Bakery, Apple Cheek Farm, Claire's Restaurant and Bar, and Bonnieview Farm, to name only a few. The mostly young entrepreneurs have created a network of community support; they meet regularly to share advice, equipment, and business plans, and to loan each other capital. Hardwick is fast becoming a model for other communities to replicate its success. The captivating story of a small town coming back to life, The Town That Food Saved is narrative nonfiction at its best: full of colorful characters and grounded in an idea that will revolutionize the way we eat.
I can't wait to read it... I'm on hold for this title with my library.
Warm Bread and Honey Cake by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra.
Containing a mix of familiar family favorites and unusual, exotic delicacies, this comprehensive collection of recipes for breads, cakes, biscuits and pastries is also a well-researched exploration of home-baking techniques and global ethnic history. Inspired by her multicultural background the author has drawn inspiration from all over the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Nice book. I've had a chance to peruse her recipes. Yum, Yum. I am concerned however, that if I have difficulties with the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, that this book is a bit out of my league.
And for the children and children at heart. Feeding the Sheep by Leda Schubert. Narrated in a chatty, question-and-answer rhyming text, this warm story describes work throughout the seasons on a farm. A little girl repeatedly asks her mother, “What are you doing?” and Mom’s step-by-step answers describe how she feeds the sheep; shears, washes, dries, and cards the wool; spins and dyes the yarn; and, finally, knits a sweater (“Knit and purl, needles whirl”). A closing scene, “Sweater hug, woolly hug,” shows perfect bliss between mother and daughter, and in a final reversal, the mother asks the questions, while the little girl dives into work. The physicality of the words (“Soft and deep, sheepy heap”), the fascinating facts, and the action-filled, brightly colored illustrations will capture kids’ attention, as will the cozy family bond between parent and child, working together and caring for their free-range animals. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman .
I think all my fiber friends need this book. You can read it when you display your spinning/weaving/knitting etc. at shows or simply to any child in your life. This is one of the best books out there to describe how fiber is processed from critter to sweater. LOVE IT!
Friday, April 23, 2010
I spy...
Our Rooster
Sammy, Aunt Janet's horse
Two bee hives
Alot of bees!!!
Some Violets
Our nesting ducks
The ducks again
A bunny!
Sammy, Aunt Janet's horse
Two bee hives
Alot of bees!!!
Some Violets
Our nesting ducks
The ducks again
A bunny!
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