Farmgal’s Christmas Journal 2018

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Dec 21st.

Its raining.. they say that we are going to have record breaking rain today and into tomorrow, its melting the snow on top and just sitting floating on the sheet of ice below it, there is some movement but right now, things are mainly just sitting in puddles over ice.

I am interested to see how it will go, the collection system for the rain garden worked very well in the fall but that was while water was also releasing into the ground below.. this will be a good first test run on what we will be getting in the spring melt/new water movement in the yard.

The last of the xmas gifts arrive in the mail today and I can’t wait to share them with you after they get opened, I know what they are but I will wait.. they are from the critters, do you do that.. maybe that is just my family but just like the critters get food presents/photo sessions, the critters also gift things back.. as adults Santa does not visit the farm.  What would have been santa gifts are now gifted with the farm or the critters names LOL

I keep waiting for the Blue Jays that come though the yard each day and always make a stop at the hawthorn bushes to find the red roofed suit hanger.. soon I hope!

Hubby got home a bit later then normal but that is because he was kind enough to stop for a few things at the LCBO store, I asked for a smaller bottle of Baileys (so I can have fancy coffee and loaded hot chocolate) and a some Crown Royal in my tea over the holidays. Hubby does not drink at all, so they will last me a good while.

Dec 22nd

It was frozen and snowing this morning, so much for the heavy rain and freezing rain they said was coming for Saturday.. the rain ended mid afternoon on Friday and total the area is white with a fine dusting of new snow.  We did the normal farm stuff and then we decided that it would be a perfect way to bring in winter with some time together in the local forest.  I took my camera, I was on the hunt for birds.. while we heard them and we caught glimpse of this and that..  Only this pretty dove (who was sure it was hidden in plain sight) stayed still long enough for me to get a really nice photo of it.

Hubby said good eye, he missed it totally. I was like freeze. I spotted a lovely wild turkey high up in a tree on the edge of a open area and I thought for sure if we were careful that I could get up to get a nice photo of it.. but it flushed out, you have no idea how I wished I had been able to get a good photo of it come flying down out of the trees to the ground below..  It was lovely to watch!

I need to make the nuts and bolts mix yet but otherwise we are ready for Christmas!  I am happy that we can relax and just enjoy the coming days. Hubby got another chapter done on his new novel. good for him!

Dec 23rd

The sunrise this morning was stunning and I am sorry to say that I do not have photos of it for you.. I will see if I can get some soon. The day is cold and crisp but sunny.. the winter windows for the big barn went up and in place, allowing sun to still come in but stopping all “draft/fresh air” from coming in.  That is the last big push in the big barn to get it ready for lambing. I will need to check over the lambing kits and see if they need any touch ups.

The house smells awesome, I have Cedar/Orange/Cloves on 🙂

Well as tomorrow is Christmas eve, I figured I had better get our version of a tree up an the box’s of presents that have arrived out from family and friends. I did not want presents on the floor, nor did I want to have lots of hanging or shiny things to get LeeLoo kitten really excited about

I like it very much.. Hubby and I are not wrapping our gifts, we do sometimes use the same gift bags for years now but this year we are only doing stockings and one bigger gift each. I am looking forward to seeing what the critters and farm got me LOL

We don’t have santa visit but we get gifts from the critters/farm.. of course our critters get food gifts on Christmas!

It was a quiet lovely evening of reading/writing

Dec 24th

Hubby was up at the normal time as he had to go to work, it was more like a half day of work as they are always given the nudge to go home around lunch but that means that the bus’s are crazy so he heads out about 1pm. It also means he need to drive in much further for a different park and ride so that the can come home early.

He was cleaning his office and doing some shedding because its not like there is much pressing on Christmas eve.. He came across his Whale Cove CD photos from 2003 I will share just a few there as I want to do a full post on it soon.

This is a overview shot of Whale Cove, Nunavut, Canada. taken by Dear Hubby in  Late July 2003.

Atop a hill overlooking the community is a whimsical whale’s tail monument built in 1967. The monument celebrates the close association of Whale Cove residents with the resources of the sea. At one time the local co-op operated a cannery in Whale Cove, and shipped canned muktuk or whale blubber to the south. From the hill or the monument, visitors can easily see the whole community.

He was leading a exploration trip for collecting rock samples on behalf of the Canadian government. He is wearing his Nasa Cap from when he went to the mar’s Base camp the year before!  Our Sweet boy is at his side on this trip..  Most of you know him as the old man, he lives to be 17 and half years old.. so close to 18 years my sweet Vaskur.. Here he was still so young! They were thrilled to have found a snow bank on the off-side of the rocks to cool off in on their hiking that day.

Dec 25th

The hounds let us sleep in which was lovely, we enjoyed hot chocolate and opened our presents.. I got some very nice gifts from my family and Books! from hubby and critters


We took a lovely winter hike, it was a touch brisk at -15 but filled with bright warm sun! You are going to be seeing a lot of hiking photos, we are planning a trip this spring and we (by that read me) are going to be starting our walking/hiking to get in shape for the trip. I have my eye on a couple pretty tougher moderate/longer hikes. I know that I need to be in better cardio shape to make that happen.


It was a truly sweet day with my man, it was quiet  but it was so peaceful.. I could not have asked for a better “us” day..  Thankful for the phone to touch base with family on both sides of the family.

Dec 26th

The morning saw us up at a much earlier time, it was just time to get up and moving, So many eggs coming in the house, I feel like its spring in that way.. eggs for breakfast, finding ways to add eggs to this or that.. feeding scrambled eggs to the hounds, feeding hard boiled eggs by the dozen to the pig..

The girls are laying between 7 to 8 dozen a week pretty much and there is NO way for us to eat that many and sales are slow right now.. so they get turned into critter food, something that is very good for them but sad to be using good farm fresh eggs for in a way.

Its Boxing day! The flyers are full of sales, full of deals trying to get folks to spend just a little bit more, put just a little bit more on credit for many..  we are staying home, there is only one thing left on our to buy list and we checked online.. its not on sale and even if it was, I would order it online and still avoid the stores, the crowds and the craziness!

No, I expect that the truth is we will not spend a dime today.. its a grey overcast day, so glad we basked in the sun as much as possible yesterday, it was such amazing blue sky’s!

We are back to overcast today.. so much grey these days!

How is your boxing day? Are you staying home? or are you braving the crowds? Shopping online? Relaxing or heading out for a event deal? I have seen a number of my friends talking about getting out to different events today..

I looked at them and went.. nah.. I think I will spend time with hubby/hounds/horse’s. I wish I could go for a ride but its way to icy out there to ask that of the horse’s, I can barely walk around, its like bambi on ice out there.. would never do that to my boys.

 

Posted in farm journel | 4 Comments

Merry Christmas! 2018

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Merry Christmas 2018 to you and your lovely families! May you have been blessed with a white Christmas if where you live its possible, maybe the day bring you lightness and lift your hearts with the sounds of song and laughter!

Dear Hubby and the farm critters out did themselves this year on my Christmas books! So many interesting things to read, try and do. It will be a grand time reading and working my way though them.

Everyone have a great day!

 

 

Posted in At the kitchen table | 3 Comments

Christmas Eve is upon us

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Mr Bojangles has been with us now for two years this Christmas.

Its been a growth year in many ways, this also means its been a difficult year and there has been loss. Sometimes you seem to be able to move forward and there is so much room for the new and other times as much as it hurts, there is loss that happens to open up that space for new growth.

Miss Brandy is still missed so much, but without her passing, Bojangles would not have come into our life! Bo will never replace Brandy, they are so different but Brandy reminded me of just how much room in my heart and life I had to hear a snicker greeting me.

More often than not, the truth is both.  This is the first Christmas in a long! time that Hubby and I are having the holiday’s as a couple only.  Its been an adjustment and then some to get a grip on the fact that we will not be sharing time over the holiday’s with family or friends this year.

Samwell was truly a family horse, first living with us here before moving to alberta to be loved on by both my mom and dad and then heading up to northern alberta where he carried my brother and his girls on many an adventure. Despite his advancing age, it was still a surprise when he went down and the vet helped him over.

It’s just us, the critters, the farm and forest that will be sharing the holidays together and closing out 2018 and bringing in 2019.

When Samwell moved on, there was room in the pasture and our hearts for Caleb to come to the farm.

I have been doing a lot reflecting lately and part of that is been looking at photos, I love my Christmas Photos of my horse’s. It got me thinking though, sometimes people or animals you care about move on. It’s not easy but that is what is going to happen.

Sometimes you are going to just lose them totally! You are going to grieve!

However if you can when the time is right for you, open your heart and embrace the future, bring in the new! You will have to build those new relationships, learn each other and create those bonds.

The new will never be the old

but you have to keep moving into the future and embrace what you discover there.

It’s Christmas eve and Dear Hubby and I will be doing some traditional family things, we will open our one present before bed, we will be snacking on things that connect us to our families and childhood. We will be making new memories, new photos for me to look at in the years to come.

One part of me is grieving!

One part of me is in the here and now!

One part of me is filled with sadness at what was!

One part of me is filled with Joy for what is!

One part of me is filled with hope for what the future can be!

Today.. Well today..

I will honor the past, live in the day and allow myself to see the future for all its many truths both positive and negative..

Blessing to you all!

Posted in At the kitchen table, Life moves on daily | 15 Comments

Natural way to add Christmas Scents to your home.

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Like many of us, I adore my house being filled with “Scents” of Christmas time! The scent of the spruce or pine, the scents we think of for baking, cloves, cinnamon..

We have Christmas oranges so all peels are saved to be used in this. A stick or two of cinnamon curls.

Add your choice of the greens, cedar trimmings, or spruce or pine..

Farmgals frugal tip!

Use your pickling spices, there is no need to pay the higher costs of the blends I have seen at the store.  Its perfect way to do it on the cheaper costs, I buy my pickling spices in bulk at a large discount. You will have bay leaf, black pepper corns, and of course cloves in your blend.

Put your fixings in a pot, fill with water and put it on simmer and other then checking it now and again to make sure its still got water, you are good to go.. if you want you can use a crock pot.

If you are going to be out of the house, turn it off, do not leave a working pot on the stove while you are out, please!

The perk.. everything in here is safe to be added to your compost pile at the end of the day!

 

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Do you want your Lambs or Kids to be birthed in daytime hours?

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Would you like to know how a simple change can help increase your flock or herd’s day time lambing rates? Do you dislike cold winter all night baby watch, checks and 1 to 4 am birthing times.

How you ask? Its simple really.

Change your main feeding time for your hay.

Make your feeding time after 6 pm in the evening and your ewe’s or doe’s or cows will spend the night working on their dinners and will have their babies during the daylight hours between 6am to 6 pm.

I had noticed that I had a lot of morning and daylight lambing and I love that.. I also found that those girls that hang back on the morning feed out are ready to go.. and It give me a nice heads up for getting them into the lambing jugs.

This works if you want it moved the other way if you work a full-time job off the farm, you can adjust your feeding times to give you the best results for when you ARE home.

The reason I can say this is because they have studied this to the point that they have the present’s that give birth in what timings.

Researchers at the Kansas State Experiment Station followed up with a five-year study to give us all a better idea of what we could expect from a change to evening feeding.

Their results are similar to other studies. Dusk feeding meant that 34% of calves came between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Another 21.2% came between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and then another 30% arrived between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. That left only 15% of the calves being delivered between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Of course your results may vary.

We have done this for years and we have most of our lambs/kids and calf’s born between 7 am and 11 am.  If you tend to have most of your babies born at night and would prefer them to be born during the daylight hours.. do give this Canadian method a try!

This post is part of Self Reliance Challenge Jan 2019.. I am just early! It will be included in the round up posts!

Self-Reliance-Challenge-2019

Posted in Critters, Real Life | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

Friday Rambles around the table “Soil Regenerative”

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Quick, Quick its pouring rain.. glad you made it, its raining so hard that there are road closures, and the kiddo’s buses are canceled as well.  Shake yourself off and come on in..

I have got a lovely pot of spicy Chia tea on today or perhaps a hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick?

How are you doing today? Its getting so close to Christmas? Are you ready for it? Got your plans made? Still need a stocking stuffer? How about a little package of seeds? I know how excited I get when I get seeds and I expect that others feel the same 🙂

I am waiting for a convention to open up, I am on the email list to get in on the early bird cost fee, I would like to save as much as possible.  Its a three day event and I have a feeling its going to be filled with hot topic/cutting edge knowledge in regards to living soils.

The new year is coming and might I make at least one of my own little New Year Predictions!?

I predict that you will be hearing “Regenerative” and “Soil Carbon Capture” along with “Year of the Soil” and a new one even to me..

Climate Victory Gardens!

Now this little video is very tailored for the states but it gets the point across that this is a movement that is up and coming..

(now please don’t think that the five tips are going to be new to us homesteaders or old gardeners, its old hat for most of us.. other then those that are still tilling every year and keeping bare soil gardens)

I have been hearing that word, just slipped in on the main news, seeing it pop up in BBC news and more.. then one of the grass roots groups I follow and work with, posted that one of their main ladies was going to be a speaker at the coming soil event for 2019.

This is the video from their first one in 2017!

You are most likely thinking hmmm.. but I think that we are going to find that this is going to be a HUGE push in the coming while.. it’s of course NOT this simple.. there are many other factors at play but none the less! I will stay on topic..

This is a much longer video but it explains the basic’s of how/why when it comes to carbon capture in the soil

If you have the time to watch this, its worth it! I know that its dry but I really want you to remember that this was done in 2017.. so many of the things he is talking about is our “right here and now”

I had already planned a number of compost posts and one really longer video on compost and soil in the coming year, I knew that I would be sharing a good amount of posts on my yard work. I have a feeling this convention will provide the spring board to a lot more information sharing with my readership 🙂

As we get closer and the outline come together, I will come back and see if there is any questions you guys have that you want to see if I can get answers for on a global scale.

So do you think that climate victory gardens will catch on?

 

Posted in At the kitchen table | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Farmgal’s Christmas Journel December 2018

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Dec 12th to Dec 20th..

I lost my post, I do not understand how I lost my post, but all my little daily notes are gone..  that will teach me to do it in a different format instead of working the post here in wordpress daily and then saving it as a draft.

I broke my tooth and called and got in to have my filling fixed on weds, the tooth didn’t have any major damage, it just needed a filing and the missing bit of filling redone.  It helps when you have a working relationship with your clinic, I called in that morning and they had me in that evening and fixed right up.

However the freezing on my face did a number on me.. I mean it was crazy, my whole side of the face that had the freezing hurt for days with very close to migraine headache for the first 48 hours and even a push of air on my face on day three could put me in tears.

The simple truth is I did not do much, I was so glad I had posts already done for the blog to share and just have very quiet/no light/careful days.

My Christmas present from hubby arrived this week, my new camera

Then Saturday came and what a day it was..  it warmed up, the sun shined down, we were off the farm for a touch, needed to do this and that.. including dropping off our senior packages. 

We had work to do outside while the weather warmed up..  the warm up melted out little patches of green that sent the chickens into hunt mode 🙂

Sunday hubby slept in and I took to the outside to get extreme close-ups in a hoarfrost delightful photo session.

We spent the afternoon setting up a new bird feeding station that is done so that I can hopefully take some delightful bird photos this winter, so far it’s not worked at all but I will give it time 🙂

Hubby had slipped and was a touch sore so we were taking it careful, he got to the physiotherapy and we got some answers and he is already well on the mend, we were already doing great on our own in getting it better, a follow-up is booked after the new year!

Picked up my old glass frames that have my new prescription so now I have two glasses and can switch them on and off for farm vs town. I liked my older ones very much and wanted to have the freedom to choose.

We did an extra feed run on Tuesday and I have plans coming..  The Christmas box’s have been arriving, one from Hubbies mom, one from my mom and one came in earlier from Big Brother and family. hubby and I are only doing stockings, our big gifts have already arrived but we will pretend and get our photos with them 🙂

I was at the store and I did do some stocking up on some basic’s that tend to be on sale on this time of year, baking supplies typically. I was utterly shocked at the prices of so many things in the store.  Even on sale they are crazy high.

Having said that, I am also watching our pantry slowly but surely getting used up, I counted empty jars and we went though x amount out of freezers and 26 pints worth in the past tend days plus cellar goods. I know that is what its there for and its a good thing to be eating it.. it just drives home that point harder to me that I must! have a good garden year in 2019 as I no longer have two year plus on a number of my homegrown staples.

I have not decided what I want to do about that.. do I buy from the store to restock, or do I wait it out and see what 2019 brings does in regards to fresh eating, putting up 12 to 24 months worth of the basic’s depending on what is needed. We will see.. I think it makes more sense to see what my growing year is..

Its been a nicely quiet week but the freezing rain is coming today and we will see how it goes. I will be going out on the ice that is already out there and getting a few extra things done before we lose the light.

 

 

 

Posted in farm journel | Tagged | 14 Comments

Ordering Seeds in these changing times.

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Just another day on the farm


This post is tailored more towards those that have land, bigger gardens and for homesteaders that are growing to fill their jars, cellars, pantry’s and keep their families bellies full for up to a year or two.

Its not going to be quite as applicable to smaller scale gardens that can be covered more easily, still have drip lines or are watered well as a square foot garden would be.

With the rising costs of fruit/veggies in the store and the increase in recalls, you might also find that extra veggies produced will have very good re-sale or barter value in the coming years!

As will proven quality saved seed!

Want to know what I will be spending more money on this year..

Seeds, so many more seeds. I am going crazy on the seeds, I know it, hubby just blinks hard at me, catalog come in, friends connect and community seed savers and I are chatting.

I am ordering in short season seeds and I hope they are going to help me get two season’s in the gardens. I used to plan for a three season garden, but I am officially saying NOPE.. in the past five years, I have not gotten a single three season garden and with the coming flip of the el Nino, there is no end in sight.

I say two season now because either the first season starts so soon in the spring that come regular garden season, its high drought or it’s flipped and is a flood spring and the back-end is changing as well.. we have more fall rains making it harder to save seed, harder get harvests done and then throw in early hard frosts. Sorry folks, other than in greenhouse or double hoop house growing..

I am calling it.. my farms ability in the first ten years we were here to grow three season cropping is DONE.. so be it.. two season it is..

Adapt people.. It’s the name of the game!

The reason I am pouring of the seed catalog is because I am looking for seeds that

  • Start in cold wet soil
  • Seeds that will start well in pots
  • Continue to produce well in hot dry conditions
  • Set seed in cool temps
  • Set seed in hot temps
  • Produce after light frosts
  • Shorter crops heights
  • Higher crops that produce dense cover

See where I am going with this? If you are garden already you know why that list but for those new at gardening.. lets break that list down a bit of you.

Starting in cold wet soil.. welcome to spring floods or the cold spring evening temps.. both of them can be worked on with seeds that can still be gotten in cold damp soil. both of which are hard as heck on new little seedlings.. they tend to get cranky about both of these!

Seeds that start well in pots (look to the plants that are being set up as “container gardening” It may seem silly if you are planting out half an acre or a full acre in garden to want to have certain plants that grow well in containers.. I am after them two-fold.. One because if they are in pots out in the garden area, they can be pulled if needed into shelter for seed saving even if the rest of the crop fails and second if they are meant to be started in pots, then they will be good to start in the greenhouse in pots and transfer out if required.

A lot of the plants I have grown for many years do good in a normal summer but are struggling hard in these hot summers.. I have had crops that are normally heavy producers just sit there in holding waiting for the cooler fall temps and rains to come and then they explode and for a few years, it worked, the falls were long enough that I was still getting crops in.. but then in the past two years.. hard short sharp frosts with early winters have really messed with that!

Seed saving is a huge part of my gardening and I have had way to many losses in the past couple years.. seed heads that didn’t fill (see the above, nothing like getting the crop and going YES! WHOOT< only to realize that you have these then 5% of your seeds set out of dozens and dozens of winter squash)  Or growing an amazing crop of beans but watching it rain daily for weeks, and finally bringing them in to hang and running heaters to still lose your most of your “seed crop”

So in keeping with that, seed saving times are getting much more tight and I am hunting down types that will set in cool temps and types that will set in high/dry temps. Yes I know that the dry/high will have a lot less yield but that’s fine..

Its happening more and more often that we get lighter frosts earlier in the season, I had friends that took frosts in aug, our normal frost dates are in oct.. so its important to make sure a lot of our heavier calorie crops can take some light frosts without falling over like a wilted lady who needs smelling salts!

Shorter Crops Heights.  I am sure you all know that I am going to say wind, o those crazy high winds and working with swells and planting in created micro climates. Can’t get certain crops to produce in a standard garden. Look to your food forest and get those annuals intermixed, get some wind protection, while still getting edge sun on them.

Crops that will grow tall, have dense cover.. What can I say, no point in just slapping shade over your greens or others that need less sun, does a shade cover produce food or medical use.. nope..  but if you do your research, you have plants that can grow to give you wind cover, shade cover and if luck is good.. they will produce food for you.. if no luck and they get beat up, if they do their job, your calorie dense root veggies that needed some help from the high heat will grow well and be worth the extra work.

I am not bringing in a years worth of these seeds either, I am buying at least three seasons worth at a time, I will give each plant I pick a true test, If they do well, great I will intermix the seeds and plant again, if they do poor, I can start with the pure new seed for another two years.

Learning your garden plants is a dance and it takes longer then one year to know if they are a go. These guys will get 3 years to prove their worth or they will be removed.  I have types and seeds from what I have been growing that are NOT making the grade!

If you have limited space or limited time or limited water and lists go on.. consider forage for your greens needs, consider your area for forage for your wild fruit harvest and focus on calorie dense crops in your garden space combined with your favorite herbs in pots and make sure your “flowers” are medical/pollination plants that will keep and grow your native bee populations.

While its still worth it to have some “hard stone”  fruit trees, give more space to your canes and to rhubarb.. they are going to be your work horses on bad years..  they are as tough as they come..

Best of luck on your own seed hunting.. be brave.. step outside your comfort zone, step outside your local feed store or home hardware center that sells the same 50 types of seeds across the whole country..

Get Small Farm Canada’s Seed Guide to all the seed houses across Canada and happy reading!

This post was selected as a featured post on homestead blog hop! Thanks Ladies!

This post is part of the coming Series for the Self Reliance Challenge 2019

Self-Reliance-Challenge-2019

 

 

Posted in 31 Day Self Reliance Challange, farm, food | Tagged , | 35 Comments

Giving back to our Elders at Chirstmas Time

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

Our local Home Hardware Store was working with a community program and three senior centers to make sure that all the senior got a “extra” Christmas gift.

The idea was simple, you picked a tag off the tree, looked at the list, picked a name which had a present including sizes and so forth next to it.  There were few rules, try and stay at 25 dollars or below (total fail on our part, but I will get to that later) Must be brand new and still in orgainal  packaging, in a gift bag with easily removed tissue only and no personal information given.

I noticed that a lot of the ladies had been picked up but as many of the elder gentleman, so I asked to confirm if what I was seeing was right and they said yes.. So we picked a Elder Gentleman who asked for a new quilt in Twin size for his bed.

Now I had the thought the day we did this, that I would just pop over to the Giant Tiger store, buy the blanket and gift bag and take it right back.. hah, first off while you could get all kinds of double, queen and a huge selection of king, there was only two twins and both were as pretty flower girly as they come.

So we ended up looking in the city and ended up paying 40 for the twin set with pillow cases, I could not find anything cheaper. Then I had hoped to be able to use on of my church basement gift bags but alas.. none of them were big enough..

I have to admit that I had time finding one big enough but we finally got it done, and got it to the store on time, the ladies asked if we had shopped online or in a store. We said in a store but I got to thinking, that online would have been the way to get the quilt for the price quote given, then I got thinking more.. maybe they were trying to keep track of how much local town sales had happened vs how many folks ordered online.

Part of me wishes that I could have gotten really good quality blankets from the church basement and washed them up and wrapped them nicely, I certainly could have done more people for the same costs..

However today, there are no gently used toys or cloths allowed in drives anymore. everything must be new with many asking for tags still on them.  Same with wrapping, no longer allowed, they must be able to check the present to make sure it all good.

I hope he likes his new dark blue/light blue/cream squared quilt set and I wish him the best this season. Are you working with any community drive this Christmas? Are you doing anything for the elders?

 

Posted in At the kitchen table | 10 Comments

How to make Vanilla Eggnog for Christmas!

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Just another day on the farm

I adore good Eggnog, a rich thick one with spices.. yum!

However I really love my lighter version I call Vanilla Eggnog, its lighter in calories because its made with whole milk, instead of pretty much half milk-half heavy cream as is done with really good traditional eggnog.  It also a touch thinner in texture with a this amazing hint of vanilla undertones.

(Now I always recommend that you use real vanilla flavouring in this recipe but I am well aware that the cost of the real this year is sky-high due to issue with “weather” events) so if you have the real, please use it.. if not and willing go for the fake flavour.

 

Vanilla Eggnog Recipe

  • 8 cups of milk or 2 liters
  • 6 egg yolks ( save the whites for other uses)
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract

If you want it a touch sweeter, you can add half a cup of sugar or a touch of honey, I like it just as it is.

In a double boiler ideally or in a heavy bottomed pan on a slow heat of no more than four, add your milk and slowly start it to heat, stirring often with a whisk, you do NOT want this to boil.. gentle heat is your friend on this one.

Crack your eggs and split the yoke from the white, there are tools for this now if you do not want to pass it back and forth in its own shell. Please no yolk in the whites or they will not whip up right. Do each egg over its own little bowl, adding to the white bowl and yolk bowl.

Beat the egg yolks till well blended, then add around a cup of just slightly warmed milk to it and mix it in the bowl, then carefully add the mixed milk/yolk back into the main body of the milk.

If you want at this point, you could scrap the filling of a real vanilla bean off and into this to cook with it. It will take about five to six minutes to cook though, you are just cooking the eggs for safety sake and gently thicken the “nog”

Remember slow gentle heat, slow gentle whisking, if you start getting a lot of foam, slow down and go a little slower, let it take the time it will..  it will turn a beautiful soft golden color and will just heat enough that it will just start to steam as it all come together.

Add your 2 tsp of Vanilla extract and mix though.. Can be drank warm if you like or more traditionally served cold. Pour into a clean glass jar to chill in the fridge till you want to use it. It also makes a outstanding smoothie base.

If you want to dress this up fancy and add a pop of red, put a tiny scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top of the glass with a long-stemmed cherry on top!

 

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