Did any of you get the chance to watch Puppy Bowl last Sunday, on Animal Planet? In case you missed it, check out the behind-the-scenes video below. All of the puppies playing are looking for good homes through PetFinder. Check ’em out if you’re in the market for a pet.
First, before you click on “continue reading,” you must need prepare yourself for cuteness overload. That’s right, I said “must need” because the situation is more than just a must, or a need, it’s … a must need.
How this phrase made its way into the authorized language of the academic world has always perplexed me. But I digress …
I know Super Bowl ads have been making the rounds, but these two are a farmgirl must see. Let me preface this first one by sharing a a portion of an e-mail I received yesterday from Shery, our Ranch Farmgirl blogger.
“Six farmgirls and I planned to go on an antique hunting trip last weekend … an overnighter … 2 antique malls, 3 shops, and a BARN full of antiques that opens by appointment in the winter. Icy, snow-packed roads nixxed the plan. Arrrrgh. Coverage of our fab outing was to be my blog THIS week. Drat. Soooo, instead I’m making a recycle type of bird-feeder from an old blue-swirl enamelware pan and matching lid … and offering up instructions.”
Shery continued: “Also, I said goodbye to a dear friend in my horse-life. 24-year-old Bluebelle laid down and left this life last week. She & Dolly & I became ranchers together. We grew gray hair together. She was ‘the easiest horse on earth’ … and when it was her time to depart, she laid down and quietly left. She was never sick a day in her life and if she had anything to say about it, she would have spared us the anguish of putting her down when the time came. It appears that is exactly what happened. She always made the ride easier. She lifted each hoof on cue for the farrier before he asked for it. She dipped her head in her halter and bridle. When we moved bulls, she made certain that I never had to get off. She would reach deeply into a thicket of trees and like a land shark, she’d peel the hair of a bull’s rump until he bellered and fled. She *always”* made things easier for me. She took great care in being the ‘dude’ horse and read each rider according to their ability … or lack thereof. She even died by the gate so that it would be easy to move her for burial. How I loved her and her easy peaceful nature. I will miss Bluebelle wrapping her neck and head around me in a ‘horse hug’. She was buried in the manner in which all great horses are laid to rest: standing, facing the rising sun.”
As evidenced in the following ad, the way we feed our country is on the cusp of change. As we start to see that healthier harvests are born of nurtured land, we are seeing a new breed of farmer step up to the plow, and SHE is breathing new life into agriculture. Tip your hats to Dodge for recognizing that women are farmers too, especially since a woman now manages 1 out of every 7 farms in the U.S.
Every year about this time (mid-January’ish), I receive a newsy update from my first business bookkeeper, who lives in Australia now.
This is gonna date me. Am I ready for this kind of full disclosure?
Okay, it’s 1993, and I’ve just printed one of my first catalogs (really more of a magalog, printed at my local newspaper, Moscow’s Daily News). My bookkeeper, Mare Rosenthal, was also a neighbor. She and husband, Greg Brown, had moved here from Iowa, purchased an 80-acre farm, and then proceeded to plant hundreds and hundreds of pine trees in order to restore their farm land back to its native state and turn it into a wildlife preserve.
Now, this is really gonna date me.
Bookkeeping back then involved ledger paper (kept in a cloth-covered binder), and a pencil that sharpened.
In this grainy “vintage” photo (before digital cameras), hubby and I
With flu season in full swing, here’s a yummy sorbet you should try with ingredients like:
Cayenne?
Sure—this fiery spice spurs the sinuses and warms the body. It gives the nasties a kick without overwhelming the taste buds.
Bourbon?
It’s a classic remedy for colds.
Pectin?
Pectin helps coat and lubricate the throat.
So, there you have it—a new twist on the old remedy of whiskey, honey, and lemon juice.
When I want to get really serious about flu remedies, I rely on my trusted friends at Mountain Rose Herbs for natural cold and flu prevention recipes.
I call my remedy:
Flu-Away Sorbet
2 cups fresh orange juice (I added some of the rind, finely chopped)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 t powdered ginger
One 3-oz packet liquid fruit pectin
1/8 t cayenne
2 to 4 T bourbon (or substitute organic butter rum flavor concentrate; start with 1/2 t and add more to taste)
Bring citrus juices, honey, and ginger to a quick boil. Remove from heat the minute the mixture begins to boil and add the cayenne until it dissolves. Then add the bourbon (or rum flavor) and pectin. Cool mixture, cover, and refrigerate until cold. Process mixture in an ice cream maker until it is the consistency of soft whipped cream. Pour into a storage container, press parchment paper against the surface of the sorbet to prevent ice crystals, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, then dig in whether you’re sick or not!
The brothers who made the parody video, I’m Farming and I Grow it, are back for yet another clean-humored video. Gangnam style.
Color me silly! Karina reached up, on our tip-toppiest of shelves, to grab a new box of printer ink, and almost grabbed our multi-colored calico cat.
That Rascal, she’s at it again …
I’m sure you know that old trick about freezing bananas that have seen better days. You hold onto them until the banana-bread bug bites you bad, and then you embark on a marathon baking session. Well, I’m a devotee of this method—it’s as if the freezer performs some magic to transform fruit that looks too ripe to even touch into an exotic delicacy.
But you know, bread isn’t all those bananas are good for—why not try a smoothie? A frozen banana makes an excellent any-smoothie base because it produces a rich, creamy texture that’s just like ice cream.
LIKE ice cream, but better.
That’s because smoothies are a great way to boost your nutritional intake and still feel like you’re getting away with something. Liquids make more nutrients available than solid food, and are absorbed faster, too. They’re also easier to digest and frequently more appetizing than solid food when you’re rushed, sick, pregnant, or just plain bored.
So grab your blender.
Drop in that banana, add some frozen fruit: flavor-wise, it’s hard to go wrong. Berries, stone fruits, grapes, citrus, and tropical fruit all contribute a tart, punchy kick that’s as intense and colorful as candy.
Now for the veggies.
Yup, that’s right—I said VEGGIES. Smoothies are a great way to use the fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. It may sound scary, but don’t run screaming from the blender just yet. Greens may have a big impact on the color of your drink, but they usually contribute a fairly delicate flavor, especially alongside all that sweet fruit. So toss in frozen vegetables like peas, broccoli pieces, or spinach by the handful. Their natural sweetness will make the vitamin boost completely painless.
You can also boost your smoothies by blending in your vitamin supplement, a scoop of wheat germ, a handful of nuts, a smear of nut butter, a chunk of fresh ginger, drizzles of honey or maple syrup, or spoonfuls of milled flaxseed, wheat germ, or ground cinnamon.
Now pour in a little juice, water, or yogurt to help it all liquefy and let ’er rip. Blend everything until smooth, and then taste a bit to see if you need to tweak the flavors or consistency. There are no hard and fast ratios or recipes. Just experiment with what you have and what you know you like.
Still feeling less than confident? Allow me to share a few of my favorite non-recipes:
Ruby Dream: Leftover cooked beets (go easy), frozen strawberries, apple juice, and fresh carrots (Just a note on beets: they, hmmm, walk out the same color as they walked in. So no smoothie-inspired 911 calls, k?)
Dear Mary Jane Farmer,
(LOVE how Anne Marie addressed her letter to me.)
“Please find the enclosed Paper Petal ornament that was made and designed from the pages of your magazine especially for you. I hand make each one designed specifically for someone from their old cards, books, magazines, etc. They have made great personal gifts over the years and I thought you might enjoy one of your own! I am including another one so you can see how much they vary, making each one special in it own way. I really enjoy your magazine and wish you all the best this holiday season.”
Anne Marie, NC
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
