Mommy canned cannellini beans, 18 1/2 pints today.  Ellie counted out 50 beans for seed for next year. This left us with 4Lbs of dry beans. Mommy pressure canned them. Enough for soup for several months.
Author: Ryan Kraeger
"I only remember the very first part of the book where he described the man of steel and velvet and I remember the deep chord that phrase struck. I remember the image I had of a hand of living steel wearing a velvet glove, a hand that could crush or caress, strike a killing blow or wipe away tears, lift mountains or cradle an infant. The rest of the book was an afterthought."
From an essay about Aubrey Andelin's "Man of Steel and Velvet".
I hate shoddy work
We had a bit of an issue last winter during a particularly cold and windy rain-storm, with water seeping through the roof of the shop. We could see it soaking down the rafters on the walls (the underside of the roof is insulated and sealed with plastic) about every 3 feet or so. Going outside… Continue reading I hate shoddy work
Cannellinis.
You never can tell with Western Washington. Last year it was hot and dry through late September, this year we had a cold, rainy week in mid-August. This has played havoc with some of our delicate dry crops, particularly Adam's runner beans and our cannellini beans. We love cannelini beans, and Mommy cooks them into… Continue reading Cannellinis.
Sunday Fun
Our friend, Mr. Nicholas came to visit from Florida last weekend, and was able to come by the farm for coffee hour after Mass. the kids, especially Seppi, showed him all over the farm and all the things that have changed since the last time he was here. He’s done a bit of helping on… Continue reading Sunday Fun
A very saucy post
Last fall when the tomatoes were coming in like it was their job, we didn’t have time to sauce them, so we put them all in the freezer. Purists will no doubt shudder to their very marrows at the thought, but hey, we do what we can. The problem is that it is another example… Continue reading A very saucy post
What the farm is for
The acoustics on the farm are kind of funny. Sometimes you can be on the other side of the yard and yell at the top of your lungs and the kids won't hear you at all. Othertimes you can be halfway down the field and you can hear the baby laughing or crying from the… Continue reading What the farm is for
Beets in the Freezer
We have harvested the beets, pretty tiny haul compared to last year, but we have a backup plan. Buckwheat is taking over. It is tall and falling over into the pathways. I think this winter we are going to add t-posts every 10 feet or so along the rows so we can run twine when… Continue reading Beets in the Freezer
Un-Ditching the Ditch
I hate it when projects have to get shoved to the back burner. God, in His merciful love, has therefore seen fit to decree that the farm shall always be filled with projects that are continuously being shuffled around the stove, to continue the metaphor, that I may learn patience, trust and detachment. One of… Continue reading Un-Ditching the Ditch
Chicken Dinner
Thursday, the Feast of the Assumption, was a very busy day. We slaughtered two ganders, two roosters (for stew meat), five older hens (also for stew meat) and 27 Cornish cross meat birds. The work started the night before with setting up the kill station. We learned from last year it is good to have… Continue reading Chicken Dinner
Butter Beets (only not really).
One of our favorite summer dishes (and hopefully winter dishes, if our winter beets do well this year) is "Butter Beets." We call it this because we usually made it with butter, but this week we were too pressed for time and made it differently, which we will describe for your consideration. Harvesting supper! Typically… Continue reading Butter Beets (only not really).
Little Farm in the Big City 