January Food Thoughts

What a wet day January 2nd was.  I was working, all be it from home thankfully.  Steven and the kids were still off and enjoyed doing their thing all day.  The rain didn't stop and even by the night time when Jill came to do her share of the horse jobs, it was still raining so we had to put the rain coats on the horses to turn them out and looking at how wet their rugs were when they came in, I'm glad we did!

When I stopped for something to eat around midday, I popped out to the garden as leeks have been on my mind!  With the snow, then the rain, I was worried the leeks would have suffered but they look really good.  By my standards anyway.

I decided to pick one for tea, to go with the casserole I was making.  A good old one pot that makes the kids roll their eyes.

I'm really pleased with these leeks.  I also have carrots, parsnips, sprouts plus a few beetroot left in the garden which will form a bit part of our diet as we move through Jan and Feb.  

My plan is, once I've used the last of the fresh veg in the pantry that desperately needed using, to start with the pantry challenge - my own version.  I say my own version as there's the Three Rivers one which people do that they never go shopping on etc etc but with kids, packed lunches and buying raw milk for example, I don't want to say I won't shop.

I will be selectively buying only what we need and the products I buy will be good quality.  I'm happy to spend a bit more for a quality product we need and not buy a whole load of more of a rubbish product for what we want (though yes, the kids will get some of what they want opposed to need).

The important part of the challenge is the products we buy will compliment what I have in the garden and pantry as that's my main focus and the shop bought things will not be the star of the show.

More to come on this soon.

Happy New Year & Duck Eggs

A very happy new year to anyone that may read this. 

Today is New Year's Day and what better way to kick the year off than adding 32 Aylesbury duck eggs to the incubator.  Duck eggs take around 28 days to hatch, so I'll report back towards the end of January.  Fingers crossed for them.

Steven and I also found some time to film a video where we talk about our plans for 2024 whilst wandering round the smallholding.  

Side Note:  I hope to be able to see and reply to comments properly in 2024 - I've been having an issue with it which I hope is now resolved.  Additionally I will be continuing with the "memories" as and when I can as it does take quite a while to complete - a task I enjoy though need to manage my time appropriately.

Left Overs Recipe - Mince and stuffing cottage pie with swede and sweet potato top

Mince and stuffing cottage pie with swede and sweet potato top

This recipe came about when I was on night 2 of left overs. I had stuffing and cooked diced swede in the fridge.  Adding some freshly cooked mince and sweet potatoes in and this was a delicious meal.

I cooked off 500g of beef mince and added in chopped, stuffed stuffing with a little left over gravy to loosen it up.  I transferred it to a glass dish.

At the same time cooking the sweet potatoes and mashing them in with the reheated swede.  That was added to the top of the meat mix with a dab of butter and baked until piping hot.

I'm adding it to the blog as it was delicious and I will definitely be making it again.

 

Scotch Broth Soup Recipe - Slow Cooker

Scotch Broth at the Farmhouse

Ingredients

500g diced lamb
2 carrots
2 leeks
1 onion
2oz pearly barley
1 litre stock
Bay leaf
Handful parsley

What to do

Brown off the lamb and the veggies.

Rinse and add the pearly barley.

Add stock and herbs.

Cook in bottom of the aga (slow cooker) for 6 hours or so.  Overnight works well.  Don't get hung up on times, you won't burn it.

October 14th - Harvesting red cabbage, corn and baked potato squash

Saturday, October 14th 2023

On a Saturday I am spending the whole day gardening at the moment.  Grace is working weekends, Steven every other Saturday so it's just Jack and I at home.  He helps me for a while then gets to do his own thing.   The evenings are drawing in and once tea is done, it's almost dark so the weekends are very welcome for gardening.

 

In order to be able to sow (plant!?) the garlic, I needed to clear the bed it was going in.  The sweetcorn and red cabbages were in this bed, along with a few squash.  I'm very impressed with these baked potato squash.  I'll be growing these again next year.

 

It took a long time, always longer than anticipated, but worth it once done.  I'm very pleased to have this bed full of garlic.  The varieties in here will be listed in the main planting page.  This bed are all softneck varieties.  I still have the same amount to plant again.

In previous years:

2022 - Friday

Ironically, Jack has broken his foot during the same month this year!

2021 - Thursday

Sausages are always a theme at this time of the year on the smallholding.  Food for Winter and beyond.

2020 - Wednesday

Now this is interesting to see -there are many more leaves fallen in 2020 than this year and the horses look like they are already in the stables and not the field (as we use this area as winter turnout once they come in).  We had hayledge which we no longer use.

2019 - Monday

I tied to sell home infused gin and fudge as a way to make extra cash on the smallholding.  Whilst working full time, it's a big ask.  The gin and fudge are delicious though!

2018 - Sunday

Steven was a dab hand at making the chopping boards by now.  The one of the left was a bit of wood our neighbour over the river gave us.  I think the hole was for a pipe as it was his kitchen counter.

Home made bread rolls were never as good as my nanas.

Fudge in the slow cooker to sell.  That's why I love looking back - it gives me so many ideas to try again.

2017 - Saturday 

 

Now this is interesting - I can't remember using this bed for squash.  It looks messy, but clearly productive.

2016 - Friday

Apples galore - another great reminder to get processing this years.

2015 - Wednesday

Happy Days

October Stories (13th)

I've been looking back at some old photos, posts and videos.  They are heart warming, smiles and tears.  In October 2015 I posted this blog post, which was before we got this house.  

October 13th, 2023

Friday the 13th, mwaa-ha-ha....What a beautiful evening it was too, blue sky and cooler.  Straight outside when the paid job had finished to work on the back of the barn.  This is the area the pygmy goats will be going in as part of the barn redesign.  

 

The day started with Annie in front of the Aga, her usual morning routine. 

and ended with her enjoying a relaxing time in the room with us at the end of the day.

Seeing the post I linked at the start of today's insert made me think....so I've been looking back at what was happening on the smallholding since then and on this exact day, October 13th it's nice to see what we were up to....

2016 (Thursday)

This was the first October on the smallholding.  The gate here divides the veg growing area and the Orchard which has proved very useful to stop chickens getting in the plot and destroying it.

2017 (Friday)

 2018 (Saturday)

 

This is the ancient apple tree that I see when I look out of the kitchen window.  It lost a branch on this day, but is still producing fruit.  Although a poor crop in 2023, 2022 was excellent.

I remember this happening, so does Grace.  The biggest carrot I've grown!

Below shows the first chopping boards Steven made - very skilled.  He made some for the farmhouse, some for gifts and others we sold or donated to the Macmillan event.

 

2019 (Sunday)

We spent time popping some hen eggs in to our first ever incubator.

I remember seeing Hugh FW make baked pumpkins on one of the River Cottages and I had looked forward to doing them.  I must grow some more in 2024 to repeat this, a beautiful meal.

Oh how wonderful - a perfect Autumn Sunday visiting my favourite place - Beamish.  Looks like it was a chilly one.

2020 - Tuesday

Rendering pig lard has been a staple since moving here and raising our own pigs.

2021 (Wednesday)

The kitchen was well underway!

 

2022 (Thursday)

A frosty start - I wonder if it was our first frost of the year.  I didn't make a note.

 

October begins with a sniffling start

October

The end of September in to October started by feeling a bit like this.  How the dogs emulate how humans feel is beautiful!

 

The barn work continues.  If I haven't already said, this is the work Ste is completing to have the animals in the barn over winter on a night and to give them ability to shelter during the day. It's a lot of work but we are getting there.  Well, Ste!

 

The goats will have a platform in their pen, something to stand on and watch the world go by.

 

The chicks have a pen that has been meshed in wire to help protect from rodents - so far so good. 

They are growing by the minute.

  

Once I felt better, I got back out in to the garden, starting with the thugs.  One of which being the apple mint.  Here is it before and after.  You can see how it is smothering the other plants.

 

A very satisfying feeling - hopefully not a short lived one.

Time to turn attentions to the Autumn sowings. Plenty to be done in at this time of the year.

 

Over Wintering peas and broad beans is on my To Do list, so I got those sown.

Also, I am hoping to grow 500 onions in 2024, from Autumn sowings now and Spring sowings in 2024.

I have yet to get the garlic in as I am waiting for it to be delivered.  Sounds like a good job for the weekend.