Time to Turn the Clocks

I hate when we change the clocks! Front , back I do not care, it messes me up for weeks.
 Being in retail it is difficult  enough to try and form a healthy eat, rest pattern ( we are mandatory "full flex").
 Changing the clocks and loosing 5 hours of day light is hell on earth. Morning chores and evening chores are done in the dark.
DO NOT try and tell me I gain sleep that is BS my boys want to eat same time every day year round 6:1 am and 6:15 pm!

This is very often my view. Thank God for white socks  and blazes.

This week on the menu:

Thursday night: Home made grilled Pizza's and the Pat's game!

One has red sauce and one has white.

Friday: Our own farm ,Grilled burger, Fresh and local bacon and organic red onion slices.

Saturday : Local Flounder and fries

Sunday : Lasagna roll ups , from my freezer made meals.

Monday: Cobb Salads after a full day of meetings

Tuesday: Pork Meatballs in Butter Lettuce Cups

Wednesday: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Thursday: Salmon Pastrami on Rye

Friday:  Grilled Pizza

Sunset on the Farm , End Of October

Sunset on the farm. Back pasture.

Tom Boy 

The leaves are almost done.

Mike and Mack

Mike comes to the gate as soon as I approach , Mack is more reserved. ( and happy eating)

Thomas and Mini

Freezer Cooking

I am a crazy busy foodie... I love everything food, cooking shows, cook books writing menus planning meals.
I have the farm and a job in town  with an impossible schedule.
 Like most people I have two days off a week.
So for this reason one of my favorite vacation activities is bulk cooking and that's what I spent two days of my vacation week doing. I shop early in the day and then I go home and get organized, separate ingredients gather up my containers then I cook.
Sometimes I cook for four to six hours straight, chopping roasting stirring stock pots.
But when I am finished I have meals for as many as eight or ten nights. When I return to work and days are exhausting I find relief knowing whats for dinner. I grab a dish from the freezer pop it in the oven and head outside to do night chores , when I return inside dinners done and clean up is easy.

This is one of my very favorite starting points for bulk cooking. A couple roasters are perfect. I season with salt and pepper some garden herbs and stuff with onion and garlic.

I roast, cool and pick separating into parts, every piece is transformed.

a chicken pot pie 

or two

Waldorf salad

chicken stock for use in soups and rices

two pounds of beef browned and lasagna roll ups and sauce created.

Freezer Cooking

Decide what to make

Gather the recipes

Make your shopping list

Shop early or the night before

Cook day , make time to do just that

 Choose the correct containers and label

I use Amazon Reditainers and Sharpie markers.

Special Delivery

Fall days...cool mornings, changing leaves, hot cider and pork chops, so many things on Sunday.

On Sunday we received a very special delivery , from a very special Aunt and Uncle !

(thank you Marcia and Frank)

This is Bobs "new"  McCormick Deering # 9 Hay Mower.
My Uncle discovered this gem up north of us , and when Bob learned about it he had to have it for the team.
The #9 was built from 1939-1951.

Fall in Maine

On Sunday we visited Abenaki Draft Horse Club October fest.

The "Team" did not work this event, instead they were put of the petting zoo..

It was a pleasure to take part it gives the community a chance to learn a little about draft horses and it gives the boys a chance to socialize.

It was very cold Sunday, unseasonably cold.

On Sunday I made Smoked Ham Glazed with Maple Syrup

Butternut Squash and Mashed Local Potatoes a comforting meal after a cool day outdoors.

Today I am going to make home made mac and cheese with ham, mustard  and pretzel topping .

 This will use up the left over ham.

My cooking is always very seasonal , and now the focus is fall.

I am enjoying a newly released cook book

Jacques P'epin

Heart & Soul In The Kitchen

On Saturday I plan to make his Spinach-Stuffed Pork Loin Chops

and

Sunday: Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna will be served after a day of plowing with draft horses.

https://vimeo.com/105297515

The Menu this Week

Sunday; Glazed Ham

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday: Mac and Cheese

Wednesday Southern Burger

Thursday : Seared Chicken and Fall Veggies

Friday: Kale and Montery Jack Quesadilla

Saturday: Stuffed Chop

Sunday: Lasagna

and apple pie dumplings

www.spendwithpennies.com-apple-pie-dumplings-2-ingredients

I tested this last Sunday , it had just come out of the oven when Bob and his friend Dick came in for coffee, that should explain why there is no photo of the final product.

This week I will make a double batch!

Football Sunday

Parking

This is stage one of the trailer parking area.

We have had the trees cut down,

rocks and stumps moved the area graded

and lots of fill trucked in.

It is nice to have an easy accessible place to park the trailers, we will one day add enclosed storage and a manure pit.

Starting To Look Like Fall

It is starting to look (and feel) like fall.

This week is "fair week" in Maine, time for Fryeburg Fair.

I just learned that a dear friend had a terrible fall, and broke her back so I plan to spend all day Tuesday cooking up freezer meals, for our family and hers. We will spend Wednesday at the fair.

www.freyburgfair.org

I will post on Tuesday when I freezer cook it is a production, one I have some great tips for.