A tiny tart treat for Tuesday

It's rhubarb time! I grew up eating rhubarb dipped in sugar. That is no longer an option for me. Last week on TV I saw someone talking about a rhubarb ice cream. That got me thinking and this is what I came up with ...

Rhubarb cream cheese dreams

The ingredients are 

8 ounces of cream cheese 

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Half to three-quarters cup rhubarb cooked down in a tablespoon of honey

Rhubarb and honey

I started by chopping the rhubarb into small bits and cooking it down with the honey on a very low heat stirring it frequently. Test it periodically because you only need to cook it until the rhubarb is soft.

Softening rhubarb

Then I put the 8 ounces of cream cheese, heavy whipping cream and cinnamon in my food processor. I carefully spoon the rhubarb mixture onto the cream cheese. I did not want to do anything to curdle the heavy whipping cream. I ran the food processor until everything was smooth.

Ready to blend

My measurements are not exact. This is one of those treats that must be done to taste. Rhubarb hits our special tart spot but some people like things more tart than others. Don't be afraid to play with the flavor until you get what you want. This is a little more cream cheese than ice cream but it hits the spot.

Garden fresh

Saturday evening Troy cooked up some of our asparagus on the grill.  With the rain last week, the asparagus was growing like crazy. We should have been picking it every day.  We aren't used to a patch this big. There are a lot of seedlings so the patch will be growing next year.

Garden Fresh and small farm raised foods

Throughout the weekend the guys were eating garden fresh radishes.  By next year at this time,  the meal below will be totally produced here on the farm. (Well maybe not the top the tator.)

Feels good to go from garden to table

I spent most of the day in the garden. Weeding and picking radishes.  I know this is the beginning of summer. But my mind is playing tricks on me and it feels like summer is almost over. I made it through about 3/4 of the garden. Garden fresh takes a lot of work!

2016 Garden

Dale had a busy day

After mowing the lawn, Dale put nose to the grindstone and started tackling a couple of the farm projects.

The new gate is up!

Together Dale, Troy and I hung the new gate to the West pasture. 

But the grass is greener and longer (for a while).

After Dale and Troy got the electric fence running, they moved the animals over to the East pasture.  There are so many projects on the farm.

Summertime?

Memorial day weekend marks the beginning of summer. Strange but it has been a warm spring and I feel like summer is half over.

Grilling Fun

My brother, Troy, came up for the weekend.  He has always been an excellent cook.  He agreed to make the barbecue ribs. Dale didn't need to twist his arm when he saw garden fresh asparagus he willingly agreed to cook that too.

BBQ ribs and garden fresh asparagus

This morning I chose to make some Garden Fresh rhubarb strawberry crunch as a whole was very good.

Strawberry rhubarb crunch topped with ice cream

I couldn't resist

Part of it was because I went into the grocery store hungry.  The other reason was because of the memories that were invoked.  After all, it is memorial day weekend. (It still says that there is a prize in the box.)

Always one in the group

It doesn't matter if it's people or pets, there's always one that's fidgeting. I was working in the gardens outside this evening and the dogs were laying in the shade not far away.

Puppy pouting?

 But as soon as I started to take pictures, one at a time they started goofing off. For the most part it was puppy Skyler that was being rambunctious.

Skyler, lay down please

When the others would not play with him, he laid down flat on his side. He tried to nudge mama into playing. But she was tired from running around the yard.

You told me to lay down.  Mama, give me a kiss!

Then the pouting started. Just like a little toddler. He lay down flat on the ground and wouldn't move no matter what I said. Well maybe next time I'll get a good family picture.

Family photo with a pouting puppy

Garden update

I think these yellow flowers are wild geraniums.

Wild Geraniums

The individual flowers remind me of miniature chrysanthemums. 

Reminds me of a miniature chrysanthemums :^)

The Japanese peony tree is finally starting to bloom. I'm going to have to research this plant and see how tall it will get. So far it seems like a very pretty and hardy plant.

Japanese Peony Tree

Last spring we purchased these beautiful purple flowers. Other things kept coming up and we never got them planted. That worked out well because then we could plant them out here.

Russian Sage

Most of the lilac trees around the farm are very robust but this poor white tree. There are many small sucker plants at the bottom of the tree. I am going to try to nurture them and hopefully bring this tree back to life.

White Lilac bush

The ducklings and Duckie

Now that the ducklings are getting larger, Duckie has decided that maybe that aren't so bad.  He goes over to the edge of their pen and lays on the ground outside the pen.

Duckie guarding the ducklings

Every day the ducklings get larger are loosing their cute yellow and looking more like Duckie.  They are a strange crew though.  They run circles like a bunch of baby chics instead of acting like ducks.  We still need to figure out how to determine the sexes of ducks. The ducklings are almost all grown up.  I guess that means that they are teenagers?

Teenage Ducklings

Cabbage pancakes

Cabbage Pancakes

When I lived in Japan, a friend of mine took me out for a meal. We had what I can best describe as a cabbage pancake. I've seen similar pictures on the Internet lately.  I'm not a Paleo expert but I think this qualifies as a Paleo.  

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped cabbage

8 eggs

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup coconut flour

Chopped cabbage

Chop the cabbage into strips.  The second or third time that you make this you can decide if you want the cabbage chopped finer or coarser to your taste.

Add 8 eggs

Working with coconut flour, you need to make sure that you have enough liquid.  The base recipe that I was working with was designed with the nice mixture of liquids for the coconut flour.

1/2 cup melted butter

Did you know that a 1/2 cup of frozen butter melts in 90 seconds in 30 second intervals?  It doesn't matter how you melt it but you need the butter in liquid form. I didn't add the butter until after I had added the seasonings.

Add seasoning

My seasonings were salt, pepper, cinnamon and vanilla.  It sounds like an odd combination but they go well together.  Mix the spices in well and this is a good time to add your butter and mix well.

Mix well

Coconut flour is a good way to make your recipes gluten free.  It took only a half cup of coconut flour for this recipe.  When you first mix it in, it may seem a bit thin.  Just let it set for a few minutes and you may feel like adding more liquid.

Coconut flour

Evening views

Monday evening I walked by the lilac bush. Most of the lilacs on the farm are the light lavender color.  There is one white tree. As much as I enjoy the flowers, they really bother my allergies.

Lilac Blooms

I can't believe that I started this post on Monday and it is already Friday (oops Saturday  time flies). We had an awesome sunset on Monday! 

Sunset

I loved the way the horizon was clear as the sun dropped over the horizon.  There must have been just enough smoke from wild fires to add depth to the color.

Closeup of Sunset

Looking at the close up of the clouds,  the brightness of the sun melded quickly to the darker hues.  If you want to learn color theory, just study the beauty of nature around you.

Pinks and greys of the setting sun

Wait 5 minutes and the hues will change. Then turn around, and see how the colors reflect differently on the distant clouds. I think I'm going to make an outfit with pastel golden-yellow,  pink and blue-gray. They look fabulous in the sky ♡.

Sunset, Northern View

Fun on the farm

The donkey pets the cat

We were out working on the fence today when we saw the donkeys nuzzling the cats. The cats did not seem to mind the donkey's attention.I guess the cats are just Ultra friendly. 

Pregnant Cat nuzzles Duckie

Because I saw them later cuddling up with the duck. The duck wasn't too sure what to think about this, but he did not run away.Then there is my model again this time out in the bright sunlight. I hope some of the baby chicks have some of his coloring.

My handsome model

He is one handsome rooster, and he knows it. It could be so peaceful out on the farm. There are times that I wish the farm was paid for. It gets harder to go into town.

Strutting his stuff...

What's that you're doing now?

Crocheting homemade cotton yarn

I spun 4 ounces of cotton.  Then I made it into 3 ply cotton yarn. Now I am crocheting a commemorative wall hanging "FIELD". It was important for me to make something with my very first hand spun yarn. Something that I could keep.

Bucket list

Rosemaling is one form of art that has been on my bucket list for years.  I stayed at a hotel in Fergus Falls last Thursday evening for work.  

They had several walls with beautiful examples of rosemaling. In the middle of one of the designs was a placard that described rosemaling.

I have always admired the beauty of rosemaling.

The combination of flowers and flamboyant leaves.

Oh my, how I want to learn more about rosemaling.  I desperately need more hours in the day!

My handsome model

Handsome Model

I am allergic to feathers /down. So I  avoid the chickens as much as possible.  But the other evening while I was feeding the donkeys, sheep, and calves these chickens started throwing a fit.

I  missed his big show.  He was fluffing his feathers and strutting to attract the nearby chickens. 

Strutting his stuff

I love the coloring of these two.  I only wish that I would have had my good camera out in the barn with me.

Great coloring

More purple Martin pictures

But personally, I  think these are the best so far this summer.

I can't say that I've ever watched birds like this before.  

According to the former owners, the bird below is Harold and he has been coming her for many years. 

Sorry but I thought that I posted this last night.