Comfort Food

The hens are really treating us to some brightly colored eggs now that the days are getting a little longer. These are simply creamy scrambled eggs cooked with a dab of butter, a splash of half and half, and chives. Cooked soft and left to finish cooking in the cast iron skillet off of the heat keeps them at their creamy best! We had three days of 60-70 degree days with 23-25 degree nights. Now the cold winds are blowing in again with rain and snow. March is presenting herself as both a lamb and a lion!

Here are some buttery orange-raisin scones. There are a few golden raisins left. These scones have a little orange oil added to them and cook up quickly when they are just free form dropped onto the cooking stone. Both the eggs and the scones are great comfort foods to end the wildly approaching change of seasons from winter to spring. How does the end of winter look in your neck of the woods?

Black and White and Red

This hen is so pretty and such a good layer. We are excited that the days are getting long enough, warm enough, and dry enough that all of the hens are starting to renew their interest in the nesting boxes. Well, that is stretching it a little bit. The hens are actually renewing their interest in nesting, but not necessarily in the boxes provided no matter how much or how little we fluff the bedding.
These girls work so hard in the garden, spreading compost, eating walnuts, finding grubs, and sanitizing all of the property. This hen is a Barred Rock and sometimes called a Plymouth Rock chicken. They were first bred in this country in the early 1800's in the New England states. These chickens are not easily discouraged by cold weather and very dependably lay a richly colored brown egg. Of course all of the egg laying is done after the chores in the garden! Actually, the hens each have a specific time of day that they prefer to lay their eggs. This one happens to be a morning girl, but not too early!

Do you think she can tell she is being watched? She is looking in the coop from the outside. The hens get free range on the farm and the eggs are delicious. So here is to the girls and black and white and red all over the farm!

Caramel Apple Dutch Baby Pancakes

I called this yummy weekend treat a caramel apple Dutch Baby pancake because it was caramelized on the bottom and so creamy and yummy! I could eat them every morning I think! Now go preheat the oven to 425 degrees for at least 15 minutes.

Here is how to make them:
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
a pinch of two of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 C. milk
Blend these ingredients together.


This batter mixture needs to sit for 30 minutes. It helps activate the gluten, the eggs become magical, and the anticipation is unmatched! Just cover the batter with a clean dish towel and begin the rest of the breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner preparations.

I made a Pumpkin Spice coffee from Trader Joe's. I made a regular pot of coffee and add 1-2 spoonfuls of this delicious coffee on top. That makes the special flavored coffee last much longer and it is the right strength for our tastes.

Slice up a whole apple into thin wedges. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over them on a saucer and set aside.
Now combine 1/2 cup sugar (minus the tsp of sugar above), 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and stir.
Melt 6 Tablespoons of butter in a cast iron or other oven proof skillet. Tip the pan so the butter coats the edges too.

Once butter is completely melted add the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Do not stir. This makes the caramel apple effect! Now add the apple slices. Over medium heat let the mixture get bubbly then add the batter mixture.

Again, it is not necessary to stir this delicious smelling egg mixture on the stove top. Simply slip the pan into preheated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees for another 10 minutes. Then go set the table, pour coffee, some folks like syrup on their Dutch Babies and others like lemon and powdered sugar on top. I will serve it with some apple syrup next time for Tim that we made, but I liked the pancake just the way it came out of the oven.

They taste like a cross between French toast, pancakes, and of course caramel apples. The creaminess of the egg mixture creates a true comfort food too!

This was our prelude to the working weekend and a winter garden plot that we managed to plant just before Halloween. It is best not to work too hard on a full stomach, so after this meal you may need to sip some more coffee by the fire or woodstove! Enjoy ~

Nesting Boxes

The hens are busy laying eggs and we are busy hunting for eggs! While there are beautifully built, easily accessible, fresh filled boxes, the hens insist on laying their eggs in obscure and random places. One or two eggs are actually laid in this box right now. It used to be the favorite. Now, an empty water trough, under the tractor, on a back shelf of the barn, and in an old manger have replaced the nesting boxes. We still find this box handy though!

Winter Blues

This is one of my favorite pieces from my mom's kitchen that I remember as a young girl. It hangs in my kitchen now in just the right spot to get the end of the evening sun low in the sky.


The blue deviled egg dish is an old piece found in one of our local antique stores. It is not really an antique, but charming and ready to hold some delicious eggs.


Finally! The hens are starting to lay some beautiful blue eggs. The daylight is lengthening just enough to encourage a few more treasured eggs today. I wonder what kind of winter blues you find around your home.~

Got Eggs?

The hens have decided to lay their eggs anywhere but in the nesting boxes lately. So we are looking in every little nook and cranny to find these delicious treats! A couple of hens decided they would nest near the tractor. I sure am glad we were persistent in finding these beauties. Once they were collected, the hens quit laying in this spot.


Then one of the feeders was getting heavily used, so we put some straw in it to make a more desirable nest. The girls were lining up for this location, location, location!


The rabbit cage has been the latest hot spot for nesters. It is the funniest idea that the rabbit cage once used for bunnies, then became part of the chick mobile, has now become a nest cage! The door is latched open so the hens can't get trapped inside. The only challenge is reaching with a long enough wooden spoon!


The amazing egg hunt is well worth it when the reward is so tasty! Anybody want to help gather the eggs?~

Raspberry Ripple

It is definitely summer time when the berries are ripe and we have soaring temperatures over 100 degrees! It is also the perfect time to make a little farm fresh ice cream.

This Raspberry Ripple uses fresh berries, fresh eggs, and other luscious goodness! First, start with the cream base. Use one cup of Half and Half and heat to scalding. In a separate bowl mix together four eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla and shake of salt. Beat the egg mixture together and add a little bit of scalded half and half to it. Then add a little more! Now put the egg mixture into the scalded milk pan and stir well on medium low heat. Add one pint of heavy cream or whipping cream. Stir well and let this mixture cook to the scalding point again. Remove from heat and let cool.

Next, make the raspberry puree. This uses 3 Cups of fresh berries, 1/2-2/3 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the juice from a whole lemon. Combine all ingredients into a small sauce pan and let it cook. Be sure to stir so it doesn't burn on the bottom. Mmm, smell the fresh berries cooking! Bring this mixture to a rolling boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.


Now it is time to freeze the ice cream. Put the cream mixture into your ice cream maker and let it do its thing. Once the ice cream is frozen, remove from the maker and put the frozen ice cream into a freezer proof bowl or pan. Quickly pour the raspberry puree into the ice cream and gently swirl it around. Try not to over-stir or it will become a pretty pink raspberry ice cream! Put pan in freezer to set.


Our favorite part is eating the Raspberry Ripple with toasted waffles for breakfast, lunch, or dessert! Enjoy the long days of summer!

The Day After Easter Eggs

We had a peaceful and quiet Easter Sunday. We visited with family long distance, visited the animals in the barn nearby, and even collected a few more eggs! The hens out did themselves in March with the final count at 258 eggs for the month. That is a huge gain compared to the 100 eggs that were laid in February. There are only 13 girls that are laying right now, so we are pleased with the numbers. Here is one thought for the enjoying the delicious eggs!

A Dozen a Day!

The hens are happy now with the longer day light and they are laying a dozen eggs a day! The eggs are beautiful in color: blue, green, creamy white and rustic brown. They follow us around and hope for a tender treat. Then we follow them around as it is their favorite time of year to for Easter Egg Hunts!