Ofelia!!!

(Pictures taken [by me] at her previous owner's place.)

I got a cow!!!!

This one is not a beef cow. She's a MILK COW!!

Because she's not destined for the freezer, her name is "Ofelia" (named by previous owners).

We took her to the vet before buying her, and he gave her a clean bill of health.

She's due to calve in just two months.

We'd thought the guy had said she was due in October, but come to find out she was bred in October.

So we don't have all summer to learn more about milk cows and get everything ready.

We're going to learn to milk right during cherry harvest. We don't even have a milk bucket. Or milk jars. Or a barn. Or a milking stool. Or a kerchief. If I'm going to be a milkmaid, I need a kerchief (and wooden shoes?).

But I'm sure this sweet little Jersey will be very nice to us during the learning curve. And maybe she won't mind if I'm not wearing a kerchief.

Trick to Keeping House Clean

1. Kept my house nearly spotless for a whole week! Know the trick? Never be at home. If you only come home to go to sleep and take a shower, it's amazing at how things stay clean.

2. Planted another garden bed! Actually it was compulsory planting. I left the seed packet out overnight when it rained and they all sprouted. After planting a full packet each of tangy mesculun, buttercrunch and salad bowl variety, we should have enough lettuce to feed.... half the county?

3. Saved $20 in cell phone overage charges (bleh) by buying an extra 100 minutes for $5.

Check out others' small successes and share your own at Faith & Family Live.

Garden Progress

Here are my 4x4 foot raised garden beds!

This is a 4x2 foot bed filled with rootstock strawberry plants.

They sat in a box for 10 days before I had the soil to plant them in... so they're looking kind of wonky. I'll post another picture at the end of the summer if they make it.

Meanwhile, last year's strawberry plants are thriving and flowering.

Most of my tomato plants bit the dust, but the peppers are looking promising!

And here's the new overseer of the garden project. Mush mush! Meow.

Grilled Spareribs

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Photo from: Rumpke Family Cookbook

My roots in the south prohibit me from calling this BBQ. BBQ is low indirect grill or smoker heat and slow cooking times, preferably a smoke ring, and melt-in-your-mouth slap-ya-mama amazingness. Throwing some BBQ sauce on meat, even if it's cooked on a grill, does not make it BBQ!

With that said, these are very good, too. On my husband's unspoken scale of 1-5:

• 1 "Thank you for dinner!" (and no further comments, I interpret, "epic fail.")
• 2 "That was good." (I interpret: "but let's not add it to the regular menu plans.")
• 3 "Yum, that was really tasty!" (I interpret: "I'd like to have this again sometime.")
• 4 "Holy cow! How did you make this??" (I interpret: "Let's have this every week.")
• 5 2 head nods, eyes open wide, look down to the right (I interpret: "Perfection.") 

Judging by that scale, I'd rate them a 3 1/2.

For the middle of the week, 3 1/2 is a great rating!

Grilled Pork Spareribs
This is a method, not a recipe.

1. Place ribs in a deep heavy-bottomed pot (I use my enamel covered dutch oven). Cover with 1 beer, water, some salt, garlic powder and other desired seasonings. Simmer on medium/low heat for 2 hours. At this point you could refrigerate overnight for make-ahead preparation.

2. 20 minutes before dinner, preheat the grill (or have the coals ready 20 minutes before dinner). Dab some BBQ sauce on one side, grill for about 6-8 minutes and repeat on the other side (they're thoroughly cooked, obviously... you're just heating them, adding grill flavor, and caramelizing the sauce).

Totally tender, and somewhere between "yum" and "holy cow!" 

What tasty recipe will you share this week?

Change of Plans

I had a lovely post planned for today with pictures of my raised garden beds (last weekend's project), but my data card reader bit the dust and the pictures are trapped on my camera. Alas.

But I'm pleased to participate in "Monday Morning Musings" (in the afternoon) from one of my favorite blogs, Patch O' Dirt Farm.

 

Right now... 3:15pm. It's beautiful outside but I'm inside cleaning and making my shopping list.

This past weekend... we planted beans, late Spring lettuce, strawberries and finished building the square foot raised garden beds! We also (well, I watched, but it was moral support so I can say "we!") got one of the balers ready for hay season. And... we had a glorious date involving the LA Times Crossword, Netflix and take-out Chinese food.

Some plans for this week: Sadly I have to work every single evening this week (including Saturday). I can't really make too many plans for a week like this.

If I can find some time for myself, I want to... bake bread. It's a lofty goal, but my husband really does enjoy it.

Special prayer intentions: For all the teenagers of our parish who will be Confirmed this Saturday. And for the kick-off of the Marian devotion in the youth group this Wednesday!

Something that makes me smile: Knowing my husband left the Chinese leftovers for my lunch today. What a dear man he is!

Family Classics

Each family, I think, has its own defining movie. The movie that just "clicks." The watch again and again kind of movie. The movie that's quoted ad nauseum and never fails to bring a laugh.

For my family, it was The Caddy. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, 1953. Normally I'm not a big fan of Martin and Lewis, but this comedy has it all... wit, plot, drama, romance, music, charm, and great one-liners.

I watched it last night with my husband, and instantly I was transported back to my happy youth. All of the lines came back to me and I was quoting it again with fervor and feeling.

It's not widely available at local rentals or libraries, but you can get it on Netflix.

What are your family's favorite films?

Small... but Not

1. Looked at a dairy cow! Oh, how the dreams of homemade butter, yogurt, ice cream, cheese and fresh raw milk are now floating through my idealistic brain. I spent a fair part of yesterday daydreaming about smoked cheese. But this is a success because I've dreamed about dairy cows for a few years now and have finally searched in earnest for (and... found?) a local Jersey.

2. Took Sunday off of teaching Religious Ed. Sometimes success comes in the way of saying, "no." As such, I had a glorious full day with my husband!

3. Returned a library book. Don't judge me; this is big.

Check out others' successes and share your own this week at Faith & Family Live!

Long Days Begin

The long days are starting and my husband is away at the farm longer. Up by sunlight, home after dark.

I've been able to go with him to the farm these last few days, four-wheelering through the orchard and fields, fixing sprinklers, installing new irrigation, servicing balers, planting trees, getting my own farmer's tan. It's been glorious.

But today I must stay here and get some work done. 

John William Godward, (1861-1922, Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder)

And think about my husband... and make him delicious food, and clean his house and wash his laundry and try to make his homecoming tonight absolutely wonderful.

I love wifery.

Deja Vu

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Don't worry, it's not deja vu. You may have seen this before, but don't leave. Just trust me.

Last week I posted a picture and recipe from Annie's Eats called "Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake." I hadn't made it yet, I just intended to.

Many of you drooled over the picture (which was provided by Annie's Eats) and perhaps thought, "oh, that looks pretty good... maybe someday I'll try it."

You know you'll never actually make it.

But I did. And the results? Well...

It's not as pretty as Annie's.

But I had a lot of ganache and a lot of chocolate covered espresso beans... so I wanted to use them.

When my husband really likes a food he opens his eyes really wide, nods twice, and then looks down to the right.

He doesn't know he's doing it; I've just watched and observed him very closely and noticed this reaction when he's really pleased with something.

He did it for the basil pesto pizza topped with feta, artichokes, kalamata olives and grilled chicken.

He did it for the 2-day marinated grilled beef tenderloin.

And yes... he did it for this cheesecake.

Please make it. It takes some time, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

And neither was this masterpiece.

Again:

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake 
Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the crust:
32 Oreos (white stuff and all), finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Small pinch of salt

For the ganache:
1½ cups heavy cream
20 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup Kahlua or Bailey's

For the filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
1½ tbsp. dark rum (I used rum extract)
2 tbsp. instant espresso powder (I used instant coffee)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 large eggs

For the topping:
1½ cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the crust, butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.  Combine the Oreos, melted butter and salt in a small bowl.  Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs.  Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).
Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.  Add the coffee flavored liqueur and whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed (it takes about a minute).  Pour 2 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust.  Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes.  Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.  Beat in the flour.  In a small bowl, combine the rum, espresso powder, vanilla and molasses, stirring until the espresso powder dissolves.  Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.
Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust.  Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Cool 15 minutes while preparing the topping (maintaining the oven temperature.)
To make the topping, whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.  Pour the topping over the hot cheesecake, spreading to cover the filling completely.  Bake until the topping is set, about 10-15 minutes.  Return to the cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.
To finish, wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides.  Carefully remove the springform.  Transfer the cake to a serving platter.  Place the reserved ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and use to garnish the top of the cake as desired.  Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans as desired.  Chill until the ganache is completely firm, at least 6 hours.

Farm Scenes

Because we live in the desert, our un-irrigated pastures cannot support cattle over the summer (unless they wanted to eat dust). Last Summer we were able to rent some irrigated pasture, but it fell through this year so we had to sell our herd of beef.

But there's one cow-calf pair left.

Meet: "Calfy."

Out of all the calves born this year, he's undoubtedly my favorite.

He has got spunk!

And he's stinkin' adorable.

He actually frolics.

He's also the first calf I haven't named after a variety of beef jerky. I mean, he still doesn't have a name like Norman, or Wilbur, or George... but "Calfy" is better than "Teriyaki," right?

He's not the only baby around the farm these days, though.

Meet: "Creepy."

About five owlets were born in our last ton of hay. I'm sorry, but I think this is a face only a mother could love. (And they hiss!! Who knew?)

And apparently even the mother has left them.

Don't worry. We're calling a local bird sanctuary to come save them.

I wonder if there's any such thing as owl jerky.

The Art of Balance

Lord Frederick Leighton (1830-1896, Eucharis - A Girl with a Basket of Fruit)

It's Friday. Please enjoy this lovely piece of art. And let's meditate upon how our lives can be more balanced.

Thank you.
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Free Friday for kids: Read (not buy, just read) 8 books and get one free from Barnes and Noble.

Garden Headway

1. Battle of the Ants, Round CCLVIII: Us: 1. Them: 0. Thanks to Terro. They're not gone completely, but they're concentrated around the bait. They gorge themselves on it, but I'm  happy to do 2-hour feedings to keep them out of my pantry. And yes, I have gotten up in the middle of the night to give them more food. If you aren't blessed with children yet you may as well have ants, right?

2. I exercised! I felt so good the rest of the day... but I'm really feelin' it now. Ouch. Aaaaand, despite Easter sweets remaining in the house, I haven't gained any weight this week. (Haven't lost, but haven't gained... this is a small success, remember?).

3. My husband and I finally built the boxes for my square foot gardens! And I got the components for "Mel's Mix" (equal parts Sphagnum moss, vermiculite and 5 different kinds of compost). Maybe my 10 year long dream of having a garden will actually come true this year.

Check out others' small successes and share your own at Faith & Family Live.

Near Occasion of Budget Suicide

For women on a budget, stores can be hotbeds of temptation.

Some women blow the electricity budget in shoe stores. I'm not one of those women. I have about four pairs of shoes... and three of 'em were given to me.

Some women blow the grocery budget in jewelry stores. Besides my husband's wedding ring, I've never bought jewelry.

Some women burn the rent money on perfume and makeup. Sorry... just not my thing.

But the one place I'm liable to squander my milk money...

"Feedstore" by George Wier.

... the feedstore.

I guess it's beans and rice for the rest of the month.

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

Grab the button here and come join us, or just link to another site with a recipe you're going to try... or post a recipe in the comments!

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake
Recipe and image from Annie's Eats.

I've got the chocolate covered espresso beans. I've been guarding them since the third week of Lent in my secret hiding place. Call it my witness protection program if you like, but un-hidden candy doesn't stand a chance in this house. I've wanted to make this cheesecake for a long time and the time is finally right.

This is dessert for tonight and tomorrow... if there's any left.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

For the ganache:
1½ cups heavy cream
20 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup coffee flavored liqueur

For the filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
1½ tbsp. dark rum (I'll use rum extract)
2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. mild-flavored (light) molasses (I'll probably use honey)
3 large eggs

For the topping:
1½ cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.  Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl.  Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs.  Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).
Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.  Add the coffee flavored liqueur and whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed.  Pour 2 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust.  Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes.  Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.  Beat in the flour.  In a small bowl, combine the rum, espresso powder, vanilla and molasses, stirring until the espresso powder dissolves.  Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.
Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust.  Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Cool 15 minutes while preparing the topping (maintaining the oven temperature.)
To make the topping, whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.  Pour the topping over the hot cheesecake, spreading to cover the filling completely.  Bake until the topping is set, about 10-15 minutes.  Return to the cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.
To finish, wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides.  Carefully remove the springform.  Transfer the cake to a serving platter.  Place the reserved ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and use to garnish the top of the cake as desired.  Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans as desired.  Chill until the ganache is completely firm, at least 6 hours.

What are you making? Share the link, or share in the comments!

Priorities in the Right Place

Older Niece: "I can't wait!! In just three more months, I'm going to have a dentist appointment!"

They get gum, a new toothbrush and stickers... it's a joyous occasion.

Younger Niece: "Me too! And I'm also going to receive my First Holy Communion next week!"

After a thoughtful pause:

"I think I'm even more excited about that than the dentist appointment."

Determination

I am going to plant my garden this weekend.

I am going to rescue my tomato plants... the ones which have way overgrown their peat pots.

I am determined.

If I don't... then... well... failure is not an option. I just will.


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Free Friday: On tax day, from 6-8pm, get free Cinnabon Bites from Cinnabon.

Successes Return

1. Lost three pounds this week (despite the pies, cookies, candy and other leftover Easter treats!). Praise the Lord!

2. Did our taxes. (a whole week before they're due, no less)

3. Thanks to my sister-in-law (I hate shopping... but I really hate shopping alone), I bought several new outfits. I tend to find something that works and get it in multiple colors, but each outfit has been noticed and praised by my dear husband. Happiness!

Check out others' small successes and share your own this week at Faith & Family Live!

Tax Hopes

 I simultaneously get a thrill and a terror-filled chill when I do our taxes.

I love how the programs for online filing will keep the running tab of payment/refund in the top right corner.

"$488" in the black. Woohoo!! Enter another W-2.

"$92" in the red. Ick. Enter a 1098-E

"$247" in the black. Yay! Enter another W-2

"$193" in the red. No!!

I have a few more forms to enter. And I'll wait with baited breath to see who wins the number ping-pong... red or black.

Kumquat Pie

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We hosted Easter for my husband's family at our house this year. It was my first time hosting the whole crowd and I was a little nervous.

As a general rule I don't try out new recipes on guests. Kumquat Pie is a new one for me, but it was a risk I was willing to make.

What is a kumquat? As you can see, it's a really tiny orangey citrus fruit, consumed peel and all (though sometimes there are seeds). It's very tart, so the effect is kind of key lime pie-ish.

Where do you get a kumquat? Well... if you're my Aunt Penny you can go in your backyard and get 'em off the tree. But if you're not so lucky as to have a kumquat tree (bush), then they may or may not be in your grocery store (they certainly won't have a large display for them). Maybe you've never seen them before, but maybe you've never looked. If the grocery store has organic parsley, it probably has kumquats.

I made three pies (and asparagus, grilled beef tenderloin, grilled spareribs +family potluck for side dishes). Coconut cream pie, sweet potato pie, and kumquat pie.

The coconut cream pie was rich, decadent, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth amazing.

My piping skillz are mad.

The sweet potato pie was piled high with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon -- just the way I like it.

But the one still being talked about is the kumquat pie. So without further ado:

Kumquat Refrigerator Pie
Source: Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 sleeves graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp. butter

For the pie:

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 8 ounces, Package Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• ⅓ cups Pureed Kumquats (seeded)
• 14 ounces, weight Can Condensed Milk
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Orange, Juiced

For the topping:

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar

1. Blend, pound, pulverize or otherwise crumb-up 1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press evenly into a deep dish 9" pie plate. Bake in a 350 oven for 7-12 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool. (Or buy a ready-made one, but really... why bother? It's so easy to make).
2. Beat the cream and sugar with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy, and holds its shape well. In a separate bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, kumquat rinds, milk, and juices until well combined. Now add the fluffy whipped cream and beat until it is well incorporated. Scoop the filling into the cooled pie shell. Refrigerate overnight before decorating with the additional whipped cream and then serving.
3. Prepare to hear your sister-in-law say, "I think they serve that kumquat pie in heaven."

Confident Requests

Happy Easter!! He is Risen, Alleluia!

When your marriage has God as the foundation, the center and the goal, it does so truly image the love of Christ for His Church. I'm so often amazed by this -- learning more about God through my relationship with my husband.

There are a million diverse instances of this. It's so so beautiful I want to cry for joy sometimes. I'll take just one "for instance."

It was Holy Thursday. My husband was working hard on the farm and I was busily throwing last-second things together for the family-wide Seder (graciously hosted by my sister-in-law).

Call #1: "Sweetness, could you bring some extra chairs?" "Sure thing."
Call #2: "Dearest, can you pick up some wine for tonight?" "Absolutely."
Call #3: "Darling, we don't have any matzoh... can you pick some up?" "You bet."

It was then discovered that one of the family friends (who can't drive) had not been picked up. Everybody was coming from different parts of town and nobody particularly wanted to drive to get her.

With absolute confidence I picked up the phone:

Call #4: "My love, are you still at the store? Would you mind picking her up?" "Not a problem."

I never doubted for a second that he would say "yes" to every request. He has a true servant's heart. He truly loves me. He wants every good thing for me. He loves doing acts of service for me.

No griping, no complaining, no hesitation, no "do it yourself." Just a loving cheerful, "yes."

Just so does Christ love His Church. He died for her, He rose for her, He serves her, He loves her. We should pray to our loving Savior, confident in his generosity; that he hears and loves us, and that if it be His gracious will, He will say "Yes."