Monthly Archives: October 2013

The Goat’s Costumes

Asking you what the goats should dress up as for Halloween was the most fun contest I’ve ever run! Selecting a winner wasn’t easy.

The goats would make very good musicians. They’ve got the Blues Brothers attitude, and the beards of ZZ Top. Many of you suggested having them go as a superhero and his sidekick. But which one would be Batman and which Robin? Which Watson to the Holmes? I wouldn’t want to incite any more sibling rivalry than what already exists.

Some ideas were so clever. Dress them up as chickens so that they blend in with the flock! I can imagine any number of characters from Star Wars. And how cute would they be as Clydesdales?

I thought that they’d look fetching as hula dancers, although an edible costume that includes flower garlands and grass skirts wouldn’t last long enough for even a five-minute photo shoot.

Finally, I decided that since the idea of wearing a costume is to transform into something that you aren’t, I will be using Rebecca’s idea of making them devils in disguise. I will dress the boys as angels.

Stay tuned.

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Chicken Keeping Podcast

This past August I was invited to visit the Ban Righ Center at Queen’s College in Kingston, Ontario. This was a chance to talk with college women about the history of women on farms and chicken keeping. Kingston is very far from home, but the drive included a ferry crossing on a small boat across dramatic Lake Ontario. I love ferries;  I said yes to the trip.

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It was a long drive, well north of Toronto, where I learned that that city has the worst traffic in North America (and very dramatic lightening storms!) But, the women of the Ban Righ Center were worth the miles. We had an extended conversation about matters of life and death in the chicken yard, and how a backyard chicken keeper deals with decisions about illness and euthanasia.

After the talk I was interviewed by Catherine Isaacs for her local radio show. We talked for a half-hour all about chicken keeping. You can listen to the podcast here.

*Just a reminder about upcoming events – I’ll be on a writers’ panel in Concord, MA on October 19, and there’s still room in the PIe Baking Class here in my home kitchen on October 26. More information is on my events page. Also, if you would like me to come and speak to your group, please email me.

GO Red Sox GOats!

Here at LIttle Pond Farm we are all members of the Red Sox Nation. Of course, we were very excited about the win last night.

The goats have a special affinity for this year’s team. How could they not when the Red Sox look like this?

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The players even pull each other’s beard in jest, just like the goat brothers do.

So, this morning, Pip and Caper showed their Red Sox loyalty by donning baseball caps. Pip stuck out his tongue at the competing teams.

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Caper looks jaunty and sporty, doesn’t he? He has everything that he needs to be a Red Sox superfan. Hat. Beard. Attitude.

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Go Sox!

(Of course, being goats, they needed a little help (and bribery) getting dressed this morning. Gizi, in France, happened to be watching and took this screen shot. It’s always fun to see behind the scenes action of the famous, isn’t it?)

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Blueberry Clafoutis

 

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The classic French dessert, clafoutis, is not as popular as it should be here in the USA. It’s truly easy to make and absolutely delicious. It’s rather like a Dutch Baby Pancake, but thicker and dotted with fruit.

Blueberry Clafoutis

1 teaspoon sugar
3 large eggs (I used 4 pullet eggs)
1/3 cup organic turbinado raw cane sugar*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (real, not imitation!)
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen— don’t defrost)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish with non-stick spray (or butter the dish.) Dust the bottom with the 1 teaspoon of sugar.
2. In a blender, puree the eggs, raw cane sugar, vanilla and milk. Note: I’ve used whole milk, lowfat milk, and skim milk combined with 1/3 cup cream. All variations set nicely.
*I specify the turbinado sugar for the subtle flavor. Regular sugar is sweeter and not as nuanced. Also, regular granulated sugar is finer which means you use more of it when measuring in dry cup measurers. You can use regular sugar, but reduce the amount by 2 tablespoons so that the clafoutis doesn’t turn out too sweet.)
3. Add the flour and puree until combined.
4. Put the blueberries into the baking dish and shake the pan to distribute evenly in one layer.
5. Pour the batter into the pie plate.
6. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the clafoutis puffs up and is set in the center. As it cools it collapses, but that doesn’t affect how good the leftovers are!

Makes 8 servings.

Clafoutis lend themselves to so many delicious variations. A classic is cherry. I make a apple version, in which the apples are sauteed in butter and brandy first. That recipe will be in my upcoming The Farmstead Egg Guide & Cookbook, coming in March of 2014.

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Costumes for the Goats?

I love Halloween. Not the bloody, gorey, scary Halloween. I love the funny, charming, clever, sweet Halloween. The pumpkins, the cornstalks, the cheerful ghosts and the little children in oh-so-adorable costumes. I can no longer dress up my sons, but I still have boys around. Last year I bedecked the goats in Halloween ribbons. It was simple and silly (and they stood still long enough in their collars for me to take a photo!)

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I’m looking for ideas for this year’s goat costumes, and want to hear from you. As an incentive for you to put on your thinking caps I will send a surprise gift (a little of this and a little of that and in the spirit of the sort of Halloween that I like) for the suggestion that I deem the best. Selecting the winner will be totally arbitrary on my part.  I’m not much of a seamstress, and I probably won’t actually make the costumes, so don’t be limited by practicality. Send me your craziest, funnest, most over-the-top ideas in the  comment section below. I can’t wait to read them!

I’ll select a winner by the end of the week.