Tour of fifty states: Wyoming's meal

Last week's state meal was from Wyoming.  We knew it had to be something with beef -- and what better "Western" style meal than Country Fried Steak? 

For dessert, I found a recipe that uses sugar beets, which is an important crop in the Wyoming/Colorado area.  Last year they were able to harvest 30 TONS per acre of beets, a record-setting high.  

So sorry about the quality of the pictures...I had left my good camera ON last time I used it and the battery was dead so these are cell phone pictures! 

Menu:  Country Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes with Pepper Gravy, Chocolate Beet Cake
Outcome: I haven't had homemade country fried steak in years, and it sure was good with the pan gravy.  Cube steak is quite inexpensive, and I do believe we'll be having this again soon!  The cake was really rich and chocolatey, and didn't taste at all of beets!  We served it with homemade Peanut Butter/Chocolate goat's milk ice cream on the side.  Delicious! 
Next up:  Ben's turn!  He chose New Mexico!

Wyoming's meal

Life on the Farm ...

Well, we have been busy during the month of August!  We had Ben one weekend, Brandi the next and all 3 on the 3rd weekend -- with taking care of the animals before the afternoon thunderstorms kick in and working, we've been keeping busy doing odd jobs and repairs to various things around the house in the evenings.  I can't even believe that the month is almost over and I haven't put any updates in a long time...I'll work on not falling behind any more. 

We had noticed that Henny Penny was broody -- she wouldn't leave the nest box to allow the others to lay, and she was fiercely guarding the eggs that had already been laid.  She was bound and determined to hatch them.  So with some calculations of dates, figuring that eggs take 21 days to incubate, and that a couple of weeks away for the kids to be here, on July 30 I put 8 marked eggs under her:  2 of Beulah's, 2 of Thelma's, 2 of Opal's, and 2 of Betty's.  (Since she was broody, she hadn't laid eggs in about a week.)  To keep the other girls from trying to lay new eggs in the nest box and disturbing her, I moved her to what I called the "nursery", an elevated locked cage in the coop with her own water and food supply.  I candled the eggs at 7 and 10 days, then again at Day 17.  The last day, we could see the chick moving in the shell!  That was cool -- and all 8 of them were alive.  It was super great that Sally, Grady, Maggie, and Brandi could see the chicks pre-hatching, too! 

I had "scheduled" for the eggs to hatch at the 21 day mark -- but on Day 19, when I went to check on Henny Penny and her food/water, I saw little heads pop up from her wings!  She had her babies early.  :) 

Miss Henny Penny, mama to be

 

Here she is, 19 days later!  I don't know if it was the excessive summer heat or what, but they all hatched out early!  Yay!

surprise!

 

Here are a few pictures of the new chicks and the ones still emerging from their shells:

Bill holding the new born!

We have eight happy and healthy chicks!  100% hatch rate!  They are a little over a week old now, and here are some updated pictures with the beginning feathers starting to come in.  Henny Penny is still very protective of them! 

In just a few weeks, they will be joining the "teenagers" as I have been calling them, (the pre-layers.)  The hens that are laying I call the "big girls."  The teenagers that are the oldest at 18 weeks are Rhoda, Ruby, Ruth, and Myrtle. 

How'd you get up there?

Poor Myrtle.  She's the black one in the above picture.  The 3 Rhode Island Reds tend to stick together, and won't let her play or roost with them.  The big girls are meanies and won't let her play or roost with them either.  We're learning the term "pecking order" is true!

That's okay, she'll find her OWN roost:

In the rafters

Who needs them anyway?

Yes that is my van...

Silly girl, vans aren't roosts!

In the late evening, I call out to the girls, "Time for bed!" and they usually all start heading for the coop, if they aren't already inside.  But not Myrtle.  She is on whatever improvised roost she can find, and will evade me for a good ten minutes running around and around the vehicles, changing direction, running towards and then away from the coop, trying to tire me out and hoping I'll give up.  At some point, she lets me "catch" her and carry her into the coop. 

But I'm on to her!  Last night when I picked her up, she curled right up in my arms and nestled her neck up against mine, like a little hug.  Aww, how sweet.  Then I realized she was the one training ME!  Time to change my tactics!

Here are the younger teenagers, who are 15 and 12 weeks old, Wynonna, Wilma, and Elsa:

Wilma chilling on the sawhorse

Elsa showing off her fancy 'do

Wynonna rushing to make sure she doesn't miss out on anything

On patrol, making sure the kittens stay in line

That's it for now!  Stay tuned for an update to our state meals project! 

Who's got your goat, Gertie?

Every evening when we get home from work, we change clothes and then go outside to take care of the animals.  Yes, even when the thermometer is showing 100 degrees. If we're not quick enough, Gertie stands outside the kitchen window and bleats loudly so we'll get on out there!

Lord'a'mercy it's hot out here!

Oh, Gertie...she's so pitiful.  

Hey Mama!  Get out here and milk me!!

Tour of Fifty States: Mississippi's meal

This week’s meal was from Mississippi! Farm Raised catfish here we come!

Menu: Oven “Fried” Catfish, Creamy Coleslaw, Mississippi Mud Pie
Outcome: This was a really GOOD meal and I know I want to make fish like this again. It was crispy and I’m glad that it wasn’t fried – it’s a good change from our regular broiled fish fillets. Everyone liked the coleslaw too, but I think that if I make this again, I’ll add more vinegar to it. Or maybe sprinkle a little malt vinegar over the top. I used bagged shredded coleslaw mix, which was just the right amount for the dressing recipe.
I changed the Mississippi Mud Pie a little from the recipe – it says to top with whipped cream and then sprinkle with pecans; instead, I sprinkled pecans over the top of the pie as soon as I poured the warm pudding in the crust, then chilled it. It was served with a dollop of whipped cream!  And just maybe I used a pre-made chocolate crust as a time saver!  Ssh don't tell.  :-)
Next up: Paula’s turn! She chose Wyoming!

Mississippi's meal

Tour of Fifty States: Washington's meal

This week’s meal was from Washington (state). Since we recently had salmon (for Oregon’s state meal,) I decided to go for a different seafood found in the Pacific Northwest – this time, Dungeness Crab. Growing up in South Carolina, I’m used to the lovely blue crabs found here. Petite and plentiful, they cook up quickly and are pretty good – although I don’t mind eating crab at all, I’ve never really cared for cleaning (or “picking”) it myself.  

 

A couple of weeks ago at Costco, they were having a “Seafood Event” at which we were able to find cooked Dungeness Crabs at a decent price, so I purchased 3 for our upcoming Crab Bisque. When we got home, we froze them and last week I defrosted them in the fridge in preparation for picking to make our soup. Little did I know, as they defrosted, the bag they were in leaked smelly crab juice out of the fridge, onto the floor, and under/behind our chest freezer! Sorry, Bill – and a big thank you for spotting the leak and cleaning everything up!!

 

Menu: Dungeness Crab Bisque, salad, warm bread, Aplets

Outcome: The kids were due to us on Friday evening, so on Thursday before chores (since it was 100+ degrees outside), I started right in on cleaning the crabs. Squeamish as I am about cleaning dead critters, this was not a fun task. Now with blue crabs, you don’t usually bother with the legs much other than the largest two pincers for the “claw” meat and you get the bulk of the meat from the body. Oh, no – not Dungeness crabs. Each leg is divided up into segments, kind of like our knuckles, and you crack open each segment for a bit of meat. Every joint of every leg has to be opened and picked – then the really ewww part – rip the back shell off of the front shell, discard the icky bits, and then pick out the rest of the tasty meat. Very surprising how much meat there was, compared to the amount you get from blue crabs. After we made the soup and tasted it, it was so, sooooo good. Totally worth the ick factor of dismantling the little guys. The soup was a hit and not one drop was left!  

As for the Aplets, I don’t know what happened; I followed the recipe to the letter, but when I rolled each square in powdered sugar, the Aplets absorbed it all and were just sticky. I was quite skeptical of serving them and wanted to redo the recipe next week. Well, I was talked into serving the Aplets for breakfast with apple turnovers (another nod to Washington’s apple crop.) To my surprise, the kids LOVED them. Ben described it as “solid applesauce” since they were kind of like gummies. The apple taste really came out, and after trying them myself, the only thing I would change would be to chop the walnuts a little smaller. We consider it a successful meal. :D

Next up: Ben’s turn! He chose Mississippi!

Tour of Fifty States: West Virginia's meal

This week’s meal was from West Virginia.  When I think of the state, I think of mountains and coal mines.  In fact, our lunch is Pepperoni Rolls -- they originated as a lunch option for the coal miners of north-central West Virginia in the first half of the 20th century.  Pepperoni rolls do not need to be refrigerated for storage and could readily be packed for lunch by miners. Pepperoni and other Italian foods became popular in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century, when the booming mines and railroads attracted many immigrants from Italy. 

Our dinner is one of my favorite meals that I’ve had many, many times over the years.  It’s inexpensive, goes far, and fills you up.  YUM I love me some beans ‘n’ cornbread! 

The origin of our dessert, Chess Pie, may have come from the term "pie chest", another name for a pie safe.  Another theory is that when asked what was for dessert, the wife would say “just pie” and the name shifted over the years to “Chess Pie.”

“Take me home, country roads, to the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain Mama, take me home, down country roads…” – John Denver

Menu:  Pinto Beans and Cornbread, Pepperoni Rolls, Chess Pie

Outcome:   We had the Pepperoni Rolls for lunch and these were just the right size for a hot, quick bite.  We had some leftover red sauce that we spooned over our little mini calzones and we got to talking about other things we could stuff inside of biscuits – ham and cheese, chicken and rice, mushrooms and onions, etc.  (I think the last one would be wonderful smothered in brown gravy!)  

At dinner time, the kids were doubtful  -- “Just beans and cornbread???  And just what is a ham hock???  Oooookaaaay…”  Haha  -- then they took a bite of the creamy soft, pork-laden beans that were ladled over hot, crispy, buttery cornbread.  I think every one of them rolled their eyes at how GOOD it was!!!  They got seconds and thirds.  And yes, they said they’d love to have it again!  VICTORY.

We got busy playing Monopoly after dinner and kind of maybe forgot about dessert…but that’s okay, we had Chess Pie for breakfast!  It was super easy and fast to throw together, about as simple as you can get – but Bill said it’s the best pie he’s ever had.  Yay! 

Next up:  Bridget’s turn!  She chose Washington (state, not D.C.)!

 

Pinto beans and cornbread!

Visit to the Francis Beidler Forest

We had some nice (cooler) weather on Sunday, so we took a short drive over to the Francis Beidler Forest and walked the boardwalk.  Enjoy the pictures!

Tour of Fifty States: Oregon's meal

This week’s meal was from Oregon.  I knew we had to have salmon (I couldn’t find Pacific Salmon in our local store, so we used Atlantic instead.)  We made ice cream from our goat’s milk – unbelievably creamy and smooth!
 Menu:  Poached Salmon, Creamy Baked Asparagus with Aged Cheddar, Ice Cream (made from our own goat milk!)
 Outcome:  The salmon was very good and it cooked up very nicely in this poaching liquid.  The star of the meal was the asparagus in the cheese sauce!  Super good, and fast to make.  We’ll be making this again.
 Next up:  Paula’s turn!  She chose West Virginia!

Oregon's meal

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Adventures of Farming

Well, we have been farm owners for 3 weeks now.  It’s been a learning experience the entire time!  Bill and I have slowly been unpacking boxes and deciding where everything is going to go.  We’ve pretty much got the house squared away and are working on the finishing touches.  There is a lot to do but we are enjoying it.

 Click below to read more about our fun times.  

Tour of Fifty States: New York's meal

This week’s meal was from New York.  We were finally able to close on our new house/farm on May 27 and the kids came to see us (and our new home) on the weekend of May 29-31.  Friday evening we took it very easy and had an amended New York meal … Nathan’s hotdogs!  There are so many wonderful choices available for NY – but we talked about it and decided as a family to go ahead with the meal instead of postponing it for 3 weeks. (The kids will be with us for 2 weeks for summer vacation in June.)  Potato chips were created in NY too.  This was probably our easiest state meal ever but I completely forgot to take pictures!  Oops! 

More to come about our new home in the next post…

Menu:  Nathan’s hotdogs with chili and/or sauerkraut, potato chips

Outcome:  Yum! 

Next up:  Bill’s turn!  He chose Oregon!

No recipes to post this time.  

Memorial Day

This past Monday we observed Memorial Day by enjoying a day off from work and visiting Bill's parents.  We were able to arrive at just the right time for high tide, and they took us out on their boat for a nice ride (lots of dolphins were putting on a show for us) and later we had some burgers, dogs, and delicious sides.  What a nice break!

Remember our fallen servicemen, POWs, and MIAs! 

Tour of Fifty States: New Hampshire's meal

This week’s meal was from New Hampshire.  When I think of New Hampshire, I think of cold winters and maple syrup.  So I found a hearty, rib-sticking meal that would be great on a cold winter’s night.  And it’s May in South Carolina!  LOL!  We liked it anyway.  :)

Menu:  Corned Beef and Cabbage, Maple Orange Glazed Carrots, Apple Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Next day:  Corned Beef Hash for breakfast

Outcome:  Oh my, we just loved the corned beef.  I’m glad that I followed the pre-step of the recipe, which is to boil the meat in clean water twice to remove some of the salt.  It was still a little salty, but not too much.  The star of the show, surprisingly, was the cabbage!  The recipe I used is for sautéing the cabbage in a little oil (maybe a little bacon grease got in the pan, too, just maybe.)  We liked that the cabbage had browned bits and still a little al dente crunch to it.  In fact, Bridget went back for seconds … and at the end of the meal, she asked, “Does anyone mind if I finish the cabbage?”   OF COURSE NOT!  Hey, if kids ask for veggies, by all means, I’m not gonna stand in their way! 

The carrots were good, but the cupcakes were just “eh”.  I may have used the wrong kind of apple, but they weren’t appley or mapley tasting at all…and yes, I did get real maple syrup.  They tasted like they came from a box, really.  The icing was really good, and the little pieces of bacon on top were super.  I think I’ll use Granny Smith apples if I make these again, and dice the apples rather than grating them.  A little maple extract instead of maple syrup would kick these up a notch, too. 

Two weeks ago we had corned beef and cabbage (sauerkraut), when we had Reuben sandwiches…and when Brandi pulled the next slip from the bag, it was for Vermont.  Guess what?  Corned beef and cabbage again!  (New England Boiled Dinner.) So for the first time, we had a re-draw.  Not that we don’t like corned beef!  We just want to mix it up a little.

Also, the next morning I diced up the rest of the corned beef and added it to some fried taters...mmmm Red Flannel Hash!  

Next up:  Brandi’s turn!  She chose New York!

New Hampshire's meal