Our New Bad Boy, New Holland! & Fennel Chicken Flatbread

In the Dairy Farming business, or in our dairy farming business, we don't usually acquire or buy equipment that is brand new. After returning home from my errands on Friday, Dominic tells me that our brand new tractor has arrived.

This is BIG news!

This is exciting!

Did I mention that this tractor is brand new?

Fortunately for us, this tractor was bought with the help of a grant through the Carl Moyer Program in California. This program, combined with Bay Area Air Quality Management District, is an incentive program to provide grants in order to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter (PM 10) and reactive organic compounds in the State from sources of air pollution.......such as old tractors.

After filling out the application a few months ago, and having the old tractor inspected to make sure it was still in running condition, our grant was approved. The grant paid for 65%of the cost of the new tractor. They hauled away the old tractor when they delivered the new one.

Our new Bad Boy! It was raining this day...





It's so quite, I don't even hear George, my father in law, start it up at 6 in the morning when he begins to feed.....our house is pretty close to the commodity barn - you can see the roof top to our house in the photo....



Air conditioning!


Isn't it pretty?

It's an automatic, maybe I can use it to do some landscaping around the house, stay tuned.




Fennel & Chicken Flatbread

Here's an easy, new take on pizza & perfect for a easy Sunday lunch or dinner ~ pita rounds that hold a fennel and chicken saute and that are then baked until the cheesy topping melts. Although great warm, they're just like pizza: a fabulous lunch out of the fridge the next day.

Photo from Eating Well

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon chopped feathery tops for garnish
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, very thinly sliced crosswise
4 6-1/2-inch whole-wheat pitas, or eight 4-inch whole-wheat pitas
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
Freshly ground pepper, to taste


Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 500°F.

2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

3.Place pitas on a baking sheet and top each with an equal portion of the chicken and vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fennel tops and serve warm.

Nutrition
Per serving (6 1/2-inch pita): 447 calories; 13 g fat (6 g sat, 4 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein; 10 g fiber; 660 mg sodium; 416 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (160% daily value), Vitamin A (35% dv), Calcium (25% dv).