Monday January 31, 2011
Thursday January 27, 2011
Heirloom Breeds & Seeds:
Bale Slicer
Well we managed to get through the cold and the snow and more snow. This is
a hard winter. I am looking forward to spring...but not the mud...countdown
to lambs has begun. Jenn said she "smelled" lambs last night once we were
finished cleaning the barn and had the girls back inside. She can usually
detect that scent up to a week or so away from the first lamb being born. My
nose isn't that good. I have to have a newborn right up to my face in order
to catch that scent.
The new bale slicer works great! George came and fixed it, we hooked it up
and whoosh....it cut the "mostly" frozen wrapped bale right in half! It was
so easy to pick up a section. Think of a wrapped bale as an onion. Stand it
on end (stalk up, root down) and cut in half. You can see the concentric
layers of the onion as the two sides are separated. The bale slicer works
the same way as the knife in this situation, except this is a 1500lb.
onion...made feeding the sheep their evening meal so much easier and faster!
The BCAE class with Chef Michael was a smash hit! All of the attendees were
thrilled to be able to work with such a talented guy and loved my lamb and
the Pretty Things Beer it was paired with. Here is a link to the photos
Many thanks to Leise Jones for sharing the photos!
Tuesday January 25, 2011
Tabletop Tuesdays:
Flow Blue Collecting
I became obsessed with flow blue dishes 15 years ago when Mom and I frequented tag sales and antique fairs. I just personally respond the blue and white and in particular the flow blue. And have a small collection.
The term flow blue is used to describe a type of fine china that was made from around 1800-1920 whereby the blue paint when fired, flowed and became blurry – thus “flow” blue. The older intact pieces are extremely collectable and very valuable.
I am lucky that my grandmother actually had the last made flow blue pattern as her fine china. My grandmother’s plates are the iris pattern. And I treasure them - a true heirloom!!
Monday January 24, 2011
Ms Murky Mondays:
Winter Haiku
The icicles grow.
Proof of winter’s frigid grip.
Will they ever melt.
Inspired by my friend Dr. Cynthia Green.
Sunday January 23, 2011
Life at Boulderwood:
Frigid Photos of the Animals
Every morning we brave the elements. Today minus 5. Tomorrow - who knows.....Here's a look at the animals with the morning frost still on them! I keep telling them it's better than 90 degrees and flies!!
Saturday January 22, 2011
Saturday Swirl:
Saturday Evening Toast - Ode to Scotch for a Cold Winter’s Drink
BRRRRRRR!!!!! It is frigid outside!!!! What to drink on this freezing eve….red? hot toddie? Eau de vie? Cognac? Scotch!!! I think Scotch would be the perfect beverage for this frost bite warning day! As my Granny Stella used to say, : it warms the cockles of your heart”! So, Scotch it is!
There are so many different types of Scotch on the market today. There are blends, single malts and everything in between and below. Do you like it smooth, peaty, smokey or “neat”? I want to touch on the latter first. I recently had a little education on what exactly “neat” means. No self respecting Scotsman would ever have Scotch on the rocks only “neat” will do! So, what does this mean? We know that it means Scotch, alone pure and simple not diluted by dirty water in a low ball to put hair on your chest or, preferably, warm the cockles of your heart! According to the ambassador of a well known brand of Scotch, it may actually be a bastardation of NAKED! It seems that somewhere along the line someone did not quite understand a native Scotsman's wonderful accent and naked became neat! Just one explanation but I like that one so I am sticking with it!
I happen to have become a bit of a Scoch drinker of late. I have been present at a number of professional Scotch tastings and I have begun to be able to distinguish between the flavors. There are days that I enjoy a “peaty” Scotch, depending on my mood and the company, of course! Not too long ago, I had developed a taste for a particularly peaty Scotch, that I can never pronounce. I was out with a very good friend of mine who also enjoys the libation. I expressed my delight in my new found Scotch and we decided to have a shot or three. The shots arrive and we sniff and sip. I anxiously awaited his thoughts. He put the shot glass down and promptly extolled” it tastes like old band aids”! Needless to say, I have not been able to drink that particular single malt again!!!
I, of late, have begun to delight in the well blended, creamy smooth Macallen’s 18 year old Scotch. It is better than the 12 year old and easier than the 24 year old. Of course, this is only my opinion and taste, right now
. 
Scotch derives it’s particular flavors from a number of sources. The one that has always stood out for me is the flavor that comes from the barrels. Barrels for aging Scotch come from a number of sources. The one thing that they all have in common is that they are well used! The barrels are sourced from: wineries, Bourbon distillers, Sherry producers, Port producers to name a few. One can definitely taste the flavors from these different sources in the specific Scotch they choose to drink. There is nothing better than to have a sip of a wonderfully warm Scotch and taste a hint of Sherry or Port or great wine. I, personally, find it extremely interesting to snatch a hint of Booker’s Bourbon, somewhere in the heat of a sip of single malt, peaty Scotch!
So on this Saturday before Robert Burn’s birthday, January 25, may I suggest that you sit in front of a roaring fire with a low ball glass filled with Scotch, neat of course, and toast to that randy poet of centuries past! Skip the hagass and have a tasty piece of lamb sausage and some Cock-a-leeky soup instead. This should help your own “ode to Scotch” to flow freely!