Backyard Farmgals

My Harry Potter I love this time of year.  I have the greatest memories of Halloween, as a kid, my mom always took Halloween to the next level.  We had carving parties through the night, the most incredible painted faces, homemade costumes (one year I was a mailbox - you can make ANYTHING out of cardboard), donuts and chili on Halloween night for us and all of the neighbors.  It really was a blast for me growing up, and now it is my chance to be a kid again, without any reservations, for one night of the year. Our friend Noni had quite the fortune... Zombie Jason...watch out!!! Confession: I have a serious addiction to Halloween.  Every year, for the last 11 years, my husband and I have thrown a monster carving party with oodles of food, crazy Halloween music, a giant bonfire, and some of our very best friends.  I hope that they have had as much fun as I have over the years, even with the wind and snow trying to freeze us out, it manages to be fun!  Now, with mos

This is one amazingly healthy little salad.  Great for parties, we served it with Chicken Salad Sliders at a baby shower recently, and it was a hit.  This is a great fall salad and a wonderful example of how healthy food is great food - you don't need to add a bunch of junk to make something taste extraordinary.  This would make an amazing Thanksgiving side dish... This is an Ina Garten recipe that is simple, easy and fast.  I love her cooking, in the kitchen, she is one of my idols.  The other great thing about this salad is the colors.  I am in love with the contrasting colors that this salad shows off.  The dark purple-brown of the rice and the vibrant orange wedges...art in a bowl.  I really think that food tastes better when it is colorful...call me crazy! WILD RICE SALAD Ina Garten  "Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?" 1 cup long grain wild rice (I used Japonica Rice) Kosher Salt 2 navel oranges 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange

We had a baby shower yesterday for my cousin and her baby girl Ava, it was so much fun!  I love it when all of the girls in our family are together, it doesn't happen often enough, so yesterday, I was in heaven.  I hung back from the crowd for a minute and watched the buzz happening around me.  It really was like a bunch a bees buzzing away, everyone was talking and laughing and really enjoying each other...this is family and I love it!!! So the big question is what does a farmgal serve to a big group of gorgeous girls having a great time?  It's easy...farmgal food...no man food here!!!  Everything was light and pretty and darn delicious!  We served fruit skewers, wild rice salad, chicken salad sliders, and gigantic ultimate chocolate brownies (yeah...I ate a whole brownie...).  Mmmm...I could go back in time and eat it all again... It was all really easy to make, I think that the timing for cooking and preparation for a party is the most difficult thing.  Sta

Sometime in my journey to becoming a farmgal, I had an illusion that this kind of life was "sugar and spice and everything nice".  I had these ideal visions of me and my animals running through fields, throwing clover,  and living in bliss (kind of...maybe not throwing clover...).  I think that every farmer, rancher, or grower deals with these crazy ideas that life is all going to work out and "the neighboring ranch has problems but not mine" kind of attitude. Will at 10 months with his first flock Along with a heavy work load and lots of sore muscles and complete exhaustion comes the less than ideal reality.  Sometimes karma scoops up a big handful of poop and tosses it your way!  I have watched this build over the last few months and knew that today was coming.  Our chicken flock is comprised of chickens that we have kept over the last ten years.  We actually have chickens that are eight years old.  Hard to believe, seeing as not many chickens live past six

Lorz Italian ready for planting It's time to plant garlic, and today I did, over 300 little bulbs of garlic placed in a soft bed with compost and blood meal.  All I see when I close my eyes is garlic, all I can think about is garlic, my hands smell like earth and garlic all mixed up together.  It's been a day, and I am tuckered out! I always thought that garlic was one of those throw it in the ground, get lots of goodness without a lot of work crops, but I was wrong...WAY WRONG!!!  I have been reading a book called "Growing Great Garlic" written by Ron Engeland.  He started a garlic farm in Okanogan, Washington called Filaree Farm.  He is what you would call a garlic expert, he lives eats and breathes the stuff; I am sure he smells marvelous!?!  The process that he describes is horribly complicated.  I am working up to his level, but I am no where near it now, I need time and money, and a lot more knowledge (and money...did I say that already?). I did a fe

My two little farm kids had a lot of fun this weekend.  It was full of adventures and laughter and I have the pictures to prove it!!! I think that the sticker says it all...look at that face...he is totally WILD!!! Downtown Farmer's Market on Saturday morning.  Our favorite thing to do on the weekend, we were lucky enough to have Dad come with us this week! This is Paisley, our new farm dog.  She is an 8-week old wire hair terrier.  I think getting a puppy qualifies this as a GREAT weekend!!! The kids and I took her on a bike ride to Antelope Island this afternoon.  Will insisted that she sit on a saddle at the Garr Ranch...she's a farm dog...she should know how to sit on a saddle...right??? The old silo at the ranch...it has a story to tell...can you hear it? My two best farm hands exploring the Garr Ranch.  They loved the old tractors.   Peek-a-BOO!!! I see you!!! There is nothing better in this world than a brot

This week has been farm tear down week and I am utterly exhausted.  I now know why we have winter, the people that work so hard from Spring to Fall need a serious break!  I am looking forward to hot chocolate and playing in the snow, but we are not there yet! With tearing everything out, my emotions run high, especially among the tomatoes.  I can't throw them away.  They have been so good to me all summer, I tear up when I start ripping them out of the ground.  This is the cycle of the seasons and life, so they have to go, their time is up.  But before loading them on the trailer, I pick through the vines for the last precious jewels that they have been hiding.  What I end up keeping is astonishing!  Three bushels of tomatoes have followed me home this week.  As exhausted as I am, I can't let them go to waste, so tomato sauce once again comes to mind.  This time bottled, to last through next spring.  Making a very simple sauce can lead to a lot of versatility in the kitchen t

Here at the farm we have been worked to the bone...literally... Tearing out the farm is a lot of really hard work.  After a day of digging and pulling, I really do feel like Miss Bones.  Except she is more stylish...and isn't smelly or covered with dirt...and really manages to look sassy on her old Schwinn bike... This week is farm tear down week.  It is seriously kicking my behind!  Between rainstorms, we manage to get a lot done in a kind of frantic sort of way.  Between all of the craziness, we get a little giddy.  While tearing out the melons, we got down right crazy.  Here is farmgal Julie really giving the camera all she's got!!! And then some... What can I say...she's got melons!?! GO GIRL!!! In all seriousness, we grew some monsters...she would have shown off the big ones in the same manner...but we had to draw the line somewhere!!!   While Jules and I were tearing out melons and laughing like schoolgirls, My pirate Ian was ra