Posted Oct-02-07 19:43:10 PDT
May you all have a lovely, peaceful October! It is later in the evening as I write this, and I am hearing a flock of Canadian Geese journying southward just now! I cannot help but guess where the time goes... goodness! The weather has been beautiful! Cool enough last night to sit in front of the fireplace again. Seems our four kitties come out of the woodwork to curl up with Greta in the livingroom when it is going! Not much to tell lately; seems like more of the same. Mom & I headed up to Northern Vermont yesterday morning... there is a wonderful food co-op in Middlebury we like to stop at on the way to get organic grain for the biddies. It's a pretty drive any time of year, and especially so in the Autumn. But I forgot my camera, as usual! We came upon a farm that was selling enormous greyish-green Hubbard Squash for a dollar each! They will be the perfect fall decoration... just the right color for a witch face, I believe. I also picked up a few pumpkins for three dollars and three-fifty each. We also stopped at a farm stand where they sell the BEST XXX-sharp cheese! But I forgot to get apple cider. (Grrrr! I see a pattern here...) On the way up, we saw a huge flock of crows... easily two hundred... stretched all across the horizon & headed south. We had a fun day for sure! Mom gave me two large wooden boxes that my dad had made. I took them home and filled them with kindling for the stove at the Shop.
I planted another hundred bulbs (chiondoxa) around the barn-shop to naturalize in the grass. Unfortunately, I still have about 200 to 300 left to plant... some Puschkinia & Siberian Squill, I believe. Sigh! Mom came up this morning to help with fall-cleanup chores. I am famous for leaving LOTS of gardening tools OUTside for the season's duration. We got those picked up, installed a barrier tarp between the poultry house & the storage/feed area of the barn, put up two new roosts & re-arranged the storage area itself, as I like to store a few months worth of feed for the winter in case the weather is very poor. When ma got home, she called to let me know a distant neighbor had bright orange Hubbard Squash free for the taking. So Mandy & I scooted down and picked up four beauties! They look lovely with the pumpkins.
Later in the afternoon, I went to the garden and harvested about 40 bunches of Sweet Annie. Three chickens kept me company. They were scratching for worms as I was pulling out the Sweet Annie roots! I bundled the Sweet Annie with twine & hung it all to dry in the attic rafters of the barn-shop. These will be handy for the winter's supply of crafting, as well as selling in the Shop!
I still have not found a chance to pick the Concord Grapes which are riping away! I like to wait til a frost hits them, though this is not necessary. I think it makes the jelly taste better! I did help myself to several bunches as I was collecting feathers this evening! I LOVE Concord Grapes and couldn't resist the temptation. (I also found a couple of handfuls of late Raspberries for the picking!)
My mother celebrated her birthday on September 29th. I made her this Coffee-Chocolate Cake in honor of this occasion. I have been making this cake since I was twelve years old... and that was 34 years ago! I do not even remember where I found the recipe!
~Coffee-Chocolate Cake~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 10" round cake pans; flour if desired. Sift together in a large bowl...
~2 cups Flour ~2 cups Sugar ~1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
~2 teaspoons Baking Soda ~1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Add the following...
~1 cup Milk ~1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
~1 Tablespoon Vanilla (or Coffee Liqueor)
~1 cup strong, hot black Coffee ~3 well-beaten Eggs
Beat well with a mixer, scraping bowl down in between. Pour into two round cake pans, bake for about 30 minutes. Cool & frost with
~Mocha Buttercream Frosting~
Cream together the following ingredients with a mixer & frost cake when cooled...
~1/2 cup Butter ~1 tablespoon Vanilla
~3 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
~4 tablespoons cold strong black Coffee
~3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted... more to thicken
Enjoy!!! Thank you all for reading my ramblings! It's nice to hear from you folks! Til next time...
hugs from Laura of Wildenblue Farm!
May you all have a lovely, peaceful October! It is later in the evening as I write this, and I am hearing a flock of Canadian Geese journying southward just now! I cannot help but guess where the time goes... goodness! The weather has been beautiful! Cool enough last night to sit in front of the fireplace again. Seems our four kitties come out of the woodwork to curl up with Greta in the livingroom when it is going! Not much to tell lately; seems like more of the same. Mom & I headed up to Northern Vermont yesterday morning... there is a wonderful food co-op in Middlebury we like to stop at on the way to get organic grain for the biddies. It's a pretty drive any time of year, and especially so in the Autumn. But I forgot my camera, as usual! We came upon a farm that was selling enormous greyish-green Hubbard Squash for a dollar each! They will be the perfect fall decoration... just the right color for a witch face, I believe. I also picked up a few pumpkins for three dollars and three-fifty each. We also stopped at a farm stand where they sell the BEST XXX-sharp cheese! But I forgot to get apple cider. (Grrrr! I see a pattern here...) On the way up, we saw a huge flock of crows... easily two hundred... stretched all across the horizon & headed south. We had a fun day for sure! Mom gave me two large wooden boxes that my dad had made. I took them home and filled them with kindling for the stove at the Shop.
I planted another hundred bulbs (chiondoxa) around the barn-shop to naturalize in the grass. Unfortunately, I still have about 200 to 300 left to plant... some Puschkinia & Siberian Squill, I believe. Sigh! Mom came up this morning to help with fall-cleanup chores. I am famous for leaving LOTS of gardening tools OUTside for the season's duration. We got those picked up, installed a barrier tarp between the poultry house & the storage/feed area of the barn, put up two new roosts & re-arranged the storage area itself, as I like to store a few months worth of feed for the winter in case the weather is very poor. When ma got home, she called to let me know a distant neighbor had bright orange Hubbard Squash free for the taking. So Mandy & I scooted down and picked up four beauties! They look lovely with the pumpkins.
Later in the afternoon, I went to the garden and harvested about 40 bunches of Sweet Annie. Three chickens kept me company. They were scratching for worms as I was pulling out the Sweet Annie roots! I bundled the Sweet Annie with twine & hung it all to dry in the attic rafters of the barn-shop. These will be handy for the winter's supply of crafting, as well as selling in the Shop!
I still have not found a chance to pick the Concord Grapes which are riping away! I like to wait til a frost hits them, though this is not necessary. I think it makes the jelly taste better! I did help myself to several bunches as I was collecting feathers this evening! I LOVE Concord Grapes and couldn't resist the temptation. (I also found a couple of handfuls of late Raspberries for the picking!)
My mother celebrated her birthday on September 29th. I made her this Coffee-Chocolate Cake in honor of this occasion. I have been making this cake since I was twelve years old... and that was 34 years ago! I do not even remember where I found the recipe!
~Coffee-Chocolate Cake~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 10" round cake pans; flour if desired. Sift together in a large bowl...
~2 cups Flour ~2 cups Sugar ~1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
~2 teaspoons Baking Soda ~1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Add the following...
~1 cup Milk ~1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
~1 Tablespoon Vanilla (or Coffee Liqueor)
~1 cup strong, hot black Coffee ~3 well-beaten Eggs
Beat well with a mixer, scraping bowl down in between. Pour into two round cake pans, bake for about 30 minutes. Cool & frost with
~Mocha Buttercream Frosting~
Cream together the following ingredients with a mixer & frost cake when cooled...
~1/2 cup Butter ~1 tablespoon Vanilla
~3 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
~4 tablespoons cold strong black Coffee
~3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted... more to thicken
Enjoy!!! Thank you all for reading my ramblings! It's nice to hear from you folks! Til next time...
hugs from Laura of Wildenblue Farm!
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