“Wrap it like a baby.  This is the most important part of yogurt making,”  the cooking instructor told the class, “and put it someplace warm.”  That was over twenty years ago at a cooking class taken from a local restaurant.

Making homemade yogurt from fresh milk is satisfying, yet specific.  Every time this PFO makes a batch, the kitchen is transformed back to that cooking class, as every step of the process is mimicked by that excellent teacher.

Measure four cups of fresh whole milk into a very clean stainless steel pot that has been rinsed out with water but not wiped dry.  Set on medium/high heat.

Measure 4 cups fresh cold milk.

Use very clean stainless steel pot that has been rinsed out with cold water (do not dry it).

Now the careful watching begins.  This is the most time consuming part of the process.  Watch and stir, watch and stir.  The milk must get just under the point of boiling.  On a medium-high heat, this may take 20-30 minutes.  Be patient and watch.  At the moment it very nearly begins to boil, remove from heat.  This starts the cooling step.  Every 10 minutes stir the milk.  Let sit, stir again, repeat. This step takes about 30 minutes.

Test the temperature of the milk by dipping little finger into milk.  It should feel very warm.

When the milk has cooled to very warm, it  will be ready to have a spoonful of yogurt (from a previous batch) gently blended in.  After stirring gently into milk, transfer to a plastic container with a tight lid.  The next step—Wrap it like a Baby!

When milk has cooled to a nice warm temperature, gently blend in a spoonful of yogurt from a previous batch.

Wrap it like a Baby!!  Place in warm spot for 6 hours.  Do not Disturb!!

Your batch of delicious homemade yogurt will need to grow for 6 hours in a warm spot.  Do not disturb!  After six hours of growing, your milk will have magically transformed into a beautiful tub of homemade yogurt.  There is hardly anything any better on it than a dollop of local honey!  Enjoy!!

After 6 hours of growing you will have a beautiful tub of yogurt, made by you!

Fresh homemade yogurt with local honey poured over top.  Delicious!!

Homemade is best.

Know the farmer know the farm.

Ride, Sally, ride.  That is the song that inspired her name.  She is a traveling cow to be sure.  An inquiry came over the internet about having a cow stay the night here at the farm.  A strange inquiry for sure, one to which this PFO (Primary Farm Operator) immediately replied an excited affirmative;  quite sure the meaning of an overnight dairy cow would be explained upon arrival to the farm.

The rig pulled in around 12:30 Thursday afternoon.  It was a beautifully, clean, colorful rig driven by a young, Southern lady whose name was, Amanda, who wore pearl earrings.  She parked the rig near the barn, jumped out of the truck with a big grin, and extra-firm handshake (comes from hand-milking the cow!).  Immediately she unloaded Sally, who was more than happy to be out of that tin can and onto eating green grass.

Amanda immediately unloaded Sally, the beautiful Jersey milk cow.

Sally was happy to get off the trailer and onto some green grass.

Amanda was charming and friendly, and very willing to answer all the dozen questions thrown at her:  Where are y’all from?  What is a Mobile Dairy Classroom?  Do all Auburn graduates wear pearl earrings?  Will Sally be okay in the field with our animals?  Where are y’all going tomorrow?

She patiently answered all our inquiries while Sally happily grazed in the yard, and the horses watched intently from the barn yard.  Amanda is an Instructor with the Mobile Dairy Classroom.  An outreach of SouthLand Dairy Farmers to teach school children and other interested groups about the dairy cow, milking, caring for them, and any questions they may have.  She actually milks Sally with modern equipment while she stands eating her feed in a ‘milking stall’ on the trailer. They were en-route to another class and needed a Mootel for Sally for the night!

High Hope was not exactly hospitable at first.  Though she tried to be intimidating, it did not work on Sally.  Sally was happy to be in the field, and was busy inspecting her accommodations for night.

High Hope did not extend the warmest of welcomes!  Notice how HH is touching Sally with her nose and not her teeth? 

That cow in High Hope’s stall?  Why that is too much for any decent mare to have to put up with!!

When the steers and she met, they followed her everywhere like little black shadows.  It was easy to see she was very used to being in different places.  She made herself right at home inspecting the entire field and barn.

The steers followed her all afternoon.

She sure is LOTS bigger than our miniatures!

Amanda and Sally loaded up and left early the following morning.  Sally gave us a lovely thank-you gift before leaving, a little milk!  Time to make home-made yogurt!  The topic of our next blog.  Stay tuned.

HOMEMADE IS BEST.

KNOW THE FARMER, KNOW THE FARM.

Be prepared to hand out this recipe wherever it is served.  Posh Squash is surely simple and yummy.  Do not count often on having left-overs of this dish.  It is a quiche, a crustless quiche.  It has become a summer staple out here on the farm.  Only those folks who just cannot stand the thought of eating squash of any sort will turn this dish down.  More for the fans!

Two pounds of squash is needed.

Posh Squash

2 lbs. yellow squash sliced.  Cook with one small onion, chopped, until just done.  Drain & mash (not too fine).

Combine:  1/2 c mayonnaise; 1/2 c Parmesan cheese;  2 beaten eggs                                              Fold squash into above mix.  Put in 1&1/2 qt casserole.  Salt & pepper to taste.                          Bake 1/2 hour at 350^

This PFO adds thin sliced fresh tomatoes on the top and paprika for garnish before baking.

Cook squash and onion together.

Add mayonnaise mixture to .mashed squash with onion.

For pretty color and appeal, add fresh tomatoes, and sprinkle with paprika.

This dish makes up very easy.  The fresher the squash, the faster it cooks.  It goes well with beef, fish, or chicken.  Once it has been served at a meal, be prepared to requests for the recipe.  So keep it near-by!  FH (Father Harry) says it is one of his most favorite summer dishes.  Give it a whirl! Give a shout-out on how it turned out!

Voila!  Eat with a delicate, pretty fork!

Fresh eggs in quiche are cheerfully laid by the happy Chuckles!

           Homemade is always best!!

                                                 Know the farmer, know the farm.

“They taste like doughnuts,” is the usual response heard for these old fashioned homemade rolls this PFO (Primary Farm Operator) makes so often.  Another one;  “They taste like the ones my grandmother used to make”, or even “Ohhhh, they remind me of the ones I used to eat in school!”  Must have been when real food was cooked in school cafeterias.

These rolls go far back into family time on Father Harry’s side.  BTW, ‘Father Harry’ is the loving title given by one of the sassy offspring that share the same last name.     Anyway, these golden bits of yumminess come from Father Harry’s grandmother’s kitchen now only cobwebs of memories in one’s mind.  Thank goodness for handwritten recipes, and mothers teaching their little girls homemade magic in their busy country kitchens.

The happy dough rises just as it should–quickly.  Scales are used to insure every roll will be the same weight.  This avoids fighting over the bigger ones, and helps keep Father Harry’s waist neat and trim!

Rising time is 25 minutes after forming rolls.  Baking time is 22-25 minutes.  From start to finish, this old fashioned, simple recipe takes about 1&1/2 hours to 2 hours.  There is time during the risings to do other things as well, like shooing the chuckles out of the flower gardens, fresh water for dogs and cats, opening gates for the cattle, snipping fresh flowers for the table or just sitting on the cool porch with a cup of hot coffee.

Fresh from the oven.

May have to hide them to make it to supper time!

The recipe is not included.  Please make a request for it, if desired, via this blog!  FH (Father Harry) has given permission to share!

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS BETTER!!! 

Know the farmer know the farm.

Homemade pie crust can be challenging to make, but not impossible.  It is fun to try, try and try again over time to improve pie crust making skills and ‘wow’ the crowd with a beautiful pie.  “Yummy!”, “Can we eat it NOW!”, “That pie looks beautiful!”, are responses sure to put a smile on any pie makers face.

This blog though is not about how to make wonderfully delicious pie crusts, it is about what to do with the left-over pie crust not used for the pie.  For years this PFO had the temerity to throw-out the left over dough!  How silly and wasteful.  A generous friend shared how her grandmother used to use the left-over dough for a most delicious little pastry.  Wow!  The left-overs have not ever found themselves in the garbage again!

Spread jam over top of rolled out dough. Of course this PFO’s jam is home-made.

Roll out left-over dough on lightly floured counter as thin as can be done.  Spread jam over the entire top of dough.  For a different taste, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top of rolled out dough.  Dollop bits of butter over the jam (or cinnamon/sugar).  Roll into a long “jelly roll”.

Place bits of butter all over spread out jam.

The rolled out ‘pastry’ looks similar to photo below.  Place it on a folded in-half piece of aluminum foil, turn up edges so jam does not drip in oven.  Bake in oven beside pie.  It may need to come out before pie is finished, keep an eye on it.

The fun of this left-over pastry is not to fuss over it.  It will be long gone before any critique be made.

This PFO has made it a lifelong practice to be careful in making promises.  However, this left-over pastry is surely an exception.  There will never be any left-overs of this ‘do not throw out pastry!’ pastry, and that is a promise!

Remember:  this pastry is not for ‘looks’, it is for ‘not being wasteful’.

This old-timey, waste not recipe is not for ‘looks’.  That is what the pie is for.  This pastry is for those that do not like to waste food, and love to watch folks enjoy the products of smart thinking!  Have fun and enjoy!

The home-made pie is for ‘looks’!

The farm lives on chuckle time.  Get out to the barn early because the Chuckles want to get out of their coop.  Go out to the barn for the very last time at sundown because the Chuckles have finally taken themselves to their coop!  Fill up the bird feeder to overflowing.  Hurry!  They are watching from across the lawn—waiting for some sunflower seeds to spill out onto the ground.

Be very sure there is straw in the horse feed buckets mounted in the corners of the stalls.  It cannot be said this PFO does not have proper bedding prepared for them to lay their eggs.   Oh, yes, the horse troughs must always be filled to the rim.  These chuckles like to take their sips of cool water from the horse troughs.  These are small troughs, so the girls are able to stretch over the tops to quench their thirst.

No feed in these horse feeding buckets—is full of fresh straw for the chuckles!

These busy, happy girls makes everyone chuckle!

They roam all around the farm, yard, fields and roads, come into the garage, and one time found their way in a neighbors fenced (with box-wire!) yard.  They even stop traffic!  It has been suggested a “Chicken Crossing” sign be posted on the driveway.  Despite all this “trouble”, these gentle, sweet birds give this family gifts everyday.  Their sweet voices, funny antics, and of course the most delicious eggs ever tasted!

Oh dear!  Twilight is falling, the farm has drifted into a peaceful, dreamy evening, and this PFO has not put those Chuckles in!  Gotta go……

Heading to their coop for the night.

Time off in springtime is a rare thing here at Blue Rock Horses & Farm.  Everything in the yard, garden and field is growing in earnest.  As soon as it is trimmed, cut or removed, more has grown in its place!  It is wonderful, though overwhelming at times.

We have spent the last month or more in reclaiming our fields overgrown with unwanted weeds, and vines—too many, and they are moving slowly and steadily out into the fields.  This job calls for brute strength, and excellent knowledge in running the tractor and bush hog.  So this PFO hired out help.  She knows when the job is bigger than her.  So she hired one of her sons.  He lives the nearest and was willing to work this tough job.

He knows how to run the equipment.  He puts the “hurtin’s” on all that over-growth!

‘It can be done and he can do it!’

We are not finished, but have put a good dent in this job.  And by the time it is completed, we will have measurable field re-opened for the livestock.  Grateful, and thankful are incompetent words for the work being done by this ‘hired hand!’ It is amazing what he can do both with machinery and in day’s work!

He got so far back in the overgrowth, it is hard to see him or the tractor!

Reclaimed land from awful over-growth.

By the end of the day, a whole pile of brush was pushed on a pile, burned and—GONE!

It did not take long for this brush to burn down.

By the end of the day, it was gone!

Next day, the cattle were rolling in the ashes!  Guess the ashes were not hot!

Some decisions this PFO makes out here at Blue Rock Horses & Farm are easier and more fun to make than others.  The cheerful sunshine, and huge cotton ball clouds suspended in the azure sky could not be refused today.  The outside office called,  there was Deere work to be done.  The rains were over and gone.

The Deere had a job to do.

Choosing to be outside on the tractor or inside cleaning bathrooms on this made-to-order day was easy!  Compost needed turning, both piles.  There are two piles out in the corner of the field.  One is ready to use, the other is still ‘cooking’.  Several wild turkeys have been seen excitedly  running over the piles gobbling up (pun intended!) chunky grubs, and wriggling earthworms. The chuckles have yet to make their way out to those compost piles.  They have enough near the barn.

The composting piles are in far corner of upper field.

The manure, straw, hay, and lime have been worked into rich, dark compost.

It has been said that dirt is what gets under the fingernails, and soil is what one plants in.  The Deere had aplenty of dirt in it’s “fingernails”, aka the tire treads, which required a cleaning.  This meant the next job was spraying off the tractor.  Taking good care of equipment is a must.  And besides that, there is no way that filthy Deere would be allowed to stand in this PFO’s barn!  Happy spring gardening!

Every woman needs one.  A tool purse that is.  What exactly is a tool purse?  It is a tool pouch that belongs exclusively to a gal, thus the word “purse” instead of  “pouch”, which, of course, indicates it belongs to a man.  Why, you are thinking, do you need your own tool purse?  At the risk of this PFO sounding slightly impudent, “Seriously?”  How long has a search been in looking for a hammer just to hang one little picture?   That could be very nearly a whole days work out here on the farm!

These wonderful little needle-nose pliers were easy to find—they were in the tool purse!

When replacing the blown nightlight in this salt crystal lamp, one could hear singing floating out the windows this morning.  Knowing where the necessary tools and equipment were makes repair work worth singing over!

Your tool purse is an important part of who you are.  Be sure to pick the one right for you!

There are basic tools that are a must for this special purse.  Here is a grand idea!  Mothers’s Day is coming up.  Ask for something fun, functional, purposeful, and the men in your life will be super happy to shop for it!  Ask for a tool purse.  Be sure to ask for: a flat screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, needle-nose pliers, measuring tape (retractable),  adjustable wrench, pliers, flashlight, wire cutters, pocket knife.  There may even be some fun, extra tool stuff they think you need to have!

Various sizes of the same tool will serve various needs.

Here is another fun idea to make your tool purse extra special.  Ask for some ‘hand-me-down’ tools from your dad, granddad, uncle, or an old friend.  One risks life and limb to dare touch the beautiful old wooden hammer in this PFO’s purse that once belonged to her dear Father-in-Law.

Grandad’s hammer is pictured here on the right.  The adjustable pliers, and wooden-handle flat head screwdriver were his as well.

Allen wrenches, tape measure, a level, and screwdrivers of all sizes are essential.

Many times small tools are given away for promotional purposes.  Keep them, they are fun, useful, and often have interesting memories to go with them.

These were promotional tools.

One thing to remember to do—HIDE YOUR TOOL PURSE!!  Once it is known where the tool stash is, it will never be the same.  When all the men in your family cannot find theirs, they will ‘borrow’ yours—for your sanity, and getting your jobs done— hide it!  🙂

A special Thank You goes out to Kay Acker.  She coined the fun name ‘Tool Purse’ from our working days at our Tag-Along Farm in Clifton Forge, Virginia.