Melted Snowmen

Mine we're nearly as pretty as the originals: http://www.crazydomestic.com/2010/12/melted-snowman-cookies.html

But the good thing about cookies is that it doesn't really matter what they look like, they're still very yummy!

Recipe was really easy to make, even the decorating was not difficult at all. I would actually try melting the snowmen heads on top of the cookies next time and cut out that step. As long as you watched them carefully I think I can do it.

I also want to add a touch of orange or lemon to the cookie base I used next time. They're really yummy but very plain.

Mixer-made pasta

I tried before to make pasta in my stand mixer and it went horribly badly. This recipe did work better though, it produced quite a nice strong pasta (especially because I added an extra egg) which still tasted good.

http://allrecipes.com/video/74/homemade-egg-pasta/detail.aspx

Overall I still like hand-made the very best, but it is a lot of work. Second I would say is doing it in the food processor, but since mine is toast, I'll be going with this method for a bit.

Cook: Margaritas

This one is from chef Michael Smith (a.k.a. Chef at Home)
http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/2457/margaritas

He must have a stronger blender then I do.

When I went shopping for lemon & lime juice, it was actually less expensive for me to purchase Mott's Margarita mix (which is basically lemon & lime juice anyway) then just pure lemon and pure lime juices. The margaritas were good but came out really chunky with the bits of lime in them!

They were also really strong, but not complaining about that (although if you'd asked me the day after I probably was complaining...).

I rimmed the glasses in just plain course sea-salt.

So I'm tossing this recipe in the trash. If you had a really strong industrial blender it would probably work. Mine is no light-weight (I made all our baby food in it!) but it wasn't able to deal with chopping a whole lime enough to make it drinkable.

For our next fiesta:

1 cup mott's margarita mix
1 cup white tequila
1 cup orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
4 cups ice

Edwardian Farm

I really loved the BBC series Victorian Farm, and they've created a new one for just a few years later.

You can check it out here: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/edwardian-farm/
(I hope that's a legal link, I don't honestly know, but they all seem to be on you tube!)

I've just started watching, so far it's just as interesting as Victorian Farm.

No I don't have any diabolical plans of cleaning my chimneys with one of the roosters... as long as they all behave themselves :).

Horse Power

Okay, this thing is incredibly neat.





The first video I saw of this thing I'm kinda himing & hawing about how safe that would actually be, but when you see it from a few different angles, it's pretty safe. The horse is pushing the treadmill so it's only moving at a walk, there is a but-bar behind him to prevent him from sliding off & there is a huge hand-break which you can see in this video.

Wonder if I make one that a herd of goats could push? :)

EVH-1 & SW Ontario

In case you haven't seen it yet:

The Horse
OMAFRA pdf

EVH-1 is an air-born virus and is highly contagious. It can cause respirator and neurological problems as well as abortion. If you live in Ontario, or anywhere else EVH-1 has been reported please read up & vaccinate.

Green Porno

Green Porno shows on the Sun Dance Channel, and I always look forward to the free preview month, just for this little treat. I love it! Makes you giggle, makes you think.

NSFW or children. 

Farming is SO easy

Someone posted this on twitter again yesterday, and it's so funny I was laughing all over again.

Warning: NFSW - fowl language.

TED Talks Farming & Food

TED Talks are one of my vary favourite things to listen to. A really good TED talk can inspire, enrage, and motivate. Check out amazing scientific innovations about possible cures for malaria or cancer, about the robotics information making personal robots and paraplegics walk again, the heroism of the family of doctors working in the Somalia. 

Here is another great talk about our food system by Mark Bittman.

On Monsanto

Permaculture.org

For my fellow Canadians

Check this out! QUICK!!
http://www.farmstart.ca/

FarmStart has posted some information about how to get your opinions into the federal government in time to help shape agricultural policies. You've only got 4 days to get involved (closes 30 September) and fill out the online form.

If nothing else the GF2 file is an interesting read.

Having something to say about the Small Flock Grower laws?
Quotas on milk production?
The sustainability of our food system?

Speak out.
And if you live on Ontario remember voting is the 6th of October.
Don't vote, you can't complain later!

Ask McDonald's® Canada to take WSPA's Million Egg Challenge

"Crammed together with five or six others in tiny cages, hens aren't able to stand up, stretch their wings or even lay their eggs in a nest. They live their entire lives in a space no bigger than a sheet of notebook paper."

In a tiny little cage is no way of a chicken to live. Chickens love to bask in the sun, roll in the dirt, and hunt for bugs. Free-range may be stretching it a bit for commercial productions; these birds live and die to feed us, so let's at least afford them the chance to move around.

Helmans has already switched to free-run eggs. You can help by emailing McDonalds to make the switch (link above) and purchasing products from companies who make positive changes towards supporting animal welfare.

Belle, Cancer & Friendship

In the Field

Horse-lovers, you've got to listen to the first article in part two. About the man with brain cancer, his seizures, and his beloved horse Belle.

Have room in your heart/home?

Photos by the Toronto Star

 
I'm not in anyway personally affiliated with this story, just that I heard it on the news, and it is relatively close to us. I want to pass on this information so that we can all help these dogs.


PawsRUs Kennel near Shawville Quebec has had over 500 dogs & puppies seized.

People have know about this kennel for years.
Canadian Goldens.com forum has a posting back from 2004 by a woman named Lorie Gordon. The Ottawa Citizen carried this information about what happened. Basically Lorie purchased a Labrador from PawsRUs in 2002(?) who developed a heart murmur and hip dysplasia and had to be put to sleep. PawsRUs gave Lorie a golden retriever as a "replacement" dog, and that dog either came with or developed sever mange, and also has problems with epilepsy.

Both hip dysplasia and epilepsy are well known genetic problems with these breeds of dog, and responsible breeders preform genetic screening to prevent breeding animals who might pass on these problems.

PawsRUs sued Lorrie Gordon for liable in 2006 for calling the "commercial dog breeder" a puppy mill online.  PawsRUs won a judgment for $14 000. It seems Lorrie Gordon has appealed, I'm not sure what the trial date is (conflicting unreliable information online) or what is happening.

I want a pound dog seems to be right on top of the story.

Montreal Dog Blog is actually involved in the rescue.


On Friday PawsRUs had over 500 dogs and puppies removed from their property. A lot of the dogs reportedly have skin and respiratory problems. http://www.hsi.org/ conducted the raid, and would be the best place to start if you want to help.


This story is still developing, but if the animals are won in court, eventually over 500 dogs are going to need new loving homes.

Listen: Podcasts

The Bottom Line

Was a great podcast done by Dr. David Suzuki (a very well known Canadian ecologist) very smart, and I really learned a lot from the one on soil bacteria. I really hope they are coming back to do another season!


The Self-Sufficient Gardener/Hunt Gather Grow Eat

Done by the same person, they are wonderfully researched and very thoughtful. Lots of information on gardening, raising livestock and living sustainably. If you've got one area of interest it's pretty easy to search through the records, you won't be disappointed.

Growing your Grub

Great organic gardening information, lots of expert guests. Market gardens and small farm information too.


Ontario Today - with Ed Lawrence.

Every Monday for 30 minutes, Ontario Today has Master Gardener Ed on to talk gardening and take listener question. There is a reason they have many international listeners, and just celebrated Ed's 30th year on the show. I really miss when they had him on for a full hour!

If you've got any more you'd like to suggest, I would love to hear them! I've always got podcasts on while I'm cleaning/organizing/cooking around the house - just makes the work go faster.

Radio Listening for your Monday

While crawling around in the very dirty, dusty and hot loft Sunday afternoon (which I'll get into soon) I, as usual, had CBC on while I worked. Tapestry is not something I normally enjoy listening too. I'm not going to bring religion into a blog about our hobby farm, but Tapestry is a program examining religion and culture.

This episode not only fit into what I happened to be doing at that very moment, but was absolutely enthralling.

cbc.ca/tapestry

The episode is called "Dominion" and it exams the relationship between animals, religion, and our human responsibilities. It starts off talking about a Ministry of Animals, then a Presbyterian minister about whether or not animals have souls. Then they went to a Halal Slaughterhouse, not all that far from us, the men who run the abattoir have an inspiring respect for the animals that pass through their doors. Hearing them has furthered my desire to learn to process our chickens myself, and see them come to the most humane ending possible. The episodes ends with an amazing whale story, which absolutely must be heard.

My favourite quote from the episode was definitely:

"What do you feed a cat?

Cat food.

What do you feed  a dog? 

Dog food.

Who do you feed junk food?"

Highly recommended listening!

Duck, Duck, Goose

Moose Manor Farms

Filled with great descriptions and helpful facts about a few different water-fowl, including Muscovy.

Definitely check out the waterfowl keeper's guide! 

Monday Giggle

The Idea of Order

Very funny horse cartoons!

Could have been written FOR Meg