Summer's End

Well, two more days of summer and I say make the most of it! It was in the 40's here in the valley this morning. Crisp. Bracing. Makes me think of bread fresh from the oven (ok, bread machine), steaming stew and hot chocolate.

Grilling time may be short for some of you (we grill all winter long, yes even in Missouri) so here's a delicious herbal marinade that's delicious on meat or vegetables.

THYME TO GRILL: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar or red wine, 1 small onion, 1 clove garlic, sea salt & fresh ground black pepper and 8 to 10 sprigs of thyme. (Throw caution to the wind and substitute different herbs). Place all ingredients in flat dish, add meat (ribeye's are great), cover and chill about 3 hours. Remove meat from marinade (discard marinade), salt & pepper and pop on hot grill (400-450 degrees). Be sure grill is on HIGH HEAT and close the grill lid when cooking. For ribeye about 4 minutes each side. Or, you can broil them about 5 inches from heat. Ummmm, I can smell it now.

Jumpin' Jack Flash put up a valiant fight living several weeks after his dog and coyote attacks but he finally gave it up. I buried him with his Mables.

I LOVE IT when Rocky Creek classes start in the Fall. We've already had such a good turn out. This year we have added KIDS classes for homeschoolers and CRAFT classes for, well anyone to our regular line up of HERB classes. Next up is Herbal Antibiotics October 18. And, as soon as it frosts FIRST FROST herb class will be scheduled so be on the look out! The next KIDS class is October 11: Life Science-Pumpkin carving and painting--WHAT FUN. CRAFT class is bead weaving October 4. You will be making a beautiful bracelet in what I call 3-D! Check our website or facebook page for a full schedule. Don't be disappointed: register today. I encourage participants to bring a sack lunch and eat at the farm after class.

I will be putting the garden to bed very soon. It has been QUITE an experience in the garden this summer...good and bad. I will share all of it with you on a future blog.

Button Box

One day you're sitting snug in the house with snow and sleet flying past the window dreaming/slash/planning gardens and new chicken facilities and the next day warm breezes bring good weather and green shooting up through last years dead foliage. It's like Mother Nature is saying "GO!!"

One of the best ways she says go is with CHICK DAYS. OMGSH, I love chick days. We ordered some New Hampshire Reds (brown eggs), Armericanas (Easter eggs!), and Jersey Giants (LARGE brown eggs). They will arrive 3/17th thru 3/23rd and round out our flock of Mables. So, we are busy getting the chicken houses moved, cleaned and repaired. Stay tuned for chicken happenings! And, Mable has given us enough eggs to sell, so stop by and treat yourself to free-range eggs...there's nothing quite like them. (See 2/15 blog for nutrition)

Have also started cleaning up the yard and gardens...tulips are peeking out just to make sure it's warm enough. The wind helps keep the muddy-mucky-mess in the barnyard at bay but I still find myself walking with big convict boots caked with mud.

The burn on my finger from the melting plastic is healing nicely. It is about 1/8th inch deep and still painful to the touch. I'm still putting lavender essential oil on it and also applying my Herbal Aid Salve and keeping it band-aided during the day.

Be sure to check out our recipe of the month on our website: www.RCVfarm.com
Chef Gary hasn't quite decided which one he's going to post, but if it's as good as last month's asparagus, it will taste great.

I am making cup cakes for my grandsons birthday today...now if I can figure out how to get some herbs in them....hmmm

If you are wondering (or even if you've totally forgotten the title of today's blog) how Button Box applies to anything I've said so far: My grandma's button box was extraordinary. At least to an eight year old. It held so much more than buttons: lace snippets, grandpa's overall snaps, a horseshoe nail, a Texas sea shell. Then, my mom's box was somewhat different representing her hoarding proclivities: fish hooks, newspaper clippings, jewelry. Of course, I carry on this informal tradition with my own button box, except mine has grown to several boxes! And, since I write, I apply everything to writing. So, THIS button box is a compendium of farm miscellanea. Love it. Life Is Good.
PS Chef Gary just decided: Grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Don't let the benign name fool you; this recipe is KICKIN'! It should be on-line by noon.