Sunny Sandbox Picnic

We are SO lucking out here in northern California with our January weather.  It was in the low 70's here today and that alone motivated me to do some much needed yard work.

Paige wasn't in preschool today, due to a preschool teacher in service day so we got busy in the yard and garden at around 10 a.m.  We began to dig the weeds out of our summer garden barrels and look what we found!  Baby carrots! 

Since my summer garden doesn't do very well, maybe a winter garden is the ticket for me.  I'll have to look into what will work during the winter months.  I did find a package of carrot seeds and planted some more....we'll see how they work out.

We also cleaned the sandbox of dried Curly Willow leaves.  It had been covered up since last summer and Paige had a blast playing in it......she and now Bryce are out in it as I write this {4pm}. 

I love to listen to what kids come up with while playing.  Paige created a "dinner party" and set the table with flowers. 

So we decided to have a picnic lunch outside in the nice, warm sunshine.

Lemonade was very refreshing after all the outdoor work, as were the baby carrots we had picked.

Chloe also enjoyed herself in the sandbox as well.  She dug a hole in the shady spot and plopped herself down.

I'm sure there's more rain to come, but I plan on taking full advantage of our spring like weather while we're getting it.  Very grateful!

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Brittney the Rock Star

Brittney is a rock star!  She is doing SO well on the halter training progress.  It really feels like she wants to please.....Emma....not so much.  But at 3 1/2 weeks old, Emma is young, so it's to be expected.

Paige was getting some leading time in too.  I can totally see her leading a calf or heifer at the fair when she's a little older.

The jury is still out on Bryce though.  If there was some sort of computer generated cow competition at the fair.......he'd be ALL over it.

The number one tip for Paige to remember; don't wrap the rope around your hand and if Brittney runs, let go of the rope.

I am becoming SO attached to Brittney.  What a Sweetheart.  I wonder if Dominic will mind if I keep Brittney in the back yard?

 

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What Farm Kids Do For Play

Gosh, we have really lucked out with the weather we've been having here in northern California.  Spending time outside is a definite must.  Today we headed down to the calf barn to see what we could find.

The thing about kids is, they can easily find things to entertain themselves that don't involve toys.  Actually, I think they may prefer it that way.

After checking in on Emma & Brittney, I wanted to sit in the warm sun for a little bit to warm my bones.  So I found the nice stack of alfalfa near the calf barn and planted my behind down while the kids took turns riding the gate.

No toys required. 

They could have easily played this game for an hour, or maybe two.

Later, when I asked both Bryce and Paige what they were thinking about as they were going for a ride on the gate, they answered:

Bryce: "I was thinking about how much fun I was having!"

Paige: "I was thinking, I needed to trim my toenails." 

Well, with this gorgeous, sunny weather, I can't say that a thought similar to Paige's hadn't crossed my mind as well, but mine was in the form of painting toenails.

How was your Saturday?  Did you do anything fun?

Getting ready for the big games tomorrow?!

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Scaredy Cow

I learned something new in regards to cows today.  But first let me give you a little background info.  This cow you see in the photos below is pregnant and overweight.  Just like any animal, it's easier to give birth when a body is in shape.  It's better for the animal, it's better for the baby. 

So, this cow is out in Joey's pasture eating green grass, no alfalfa or silage, in an attempt to get her in tip top shape before she delivers.  Don't worry, there's plenty of green grass out there to keep her and Joey happy, she just can't have the alfalfa or sileage for now.

This is what I learned....a  cow who is contact with humans on a daily basis (as all of our cows are); our milkers, Dominic, my father-in-law, is not at all afraid of them, but will do anything to high-tail it as fast as she can to get away from someone she's never met before - me.  Now, I wasn't very close to her but I absolutely terrified the poor bovine.  Maybe she's just shy when she doesn't have 'her girlfriends' around to back her up?

She ran to the opposite end of the pasture at a full trot, making sure to keep her eyes on me at all times.  So to give her back her serene pasture and let her graze in peace, I said my goodbye to Joey and headed out of the pasture to leave the poor terrified creature alone.

Back to the calf barn for me.

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Virtual Dairy Farm Tour

Well, I finally got it together enough to put together a slide show for the virtual dairy farm tour I've been meaning  to add to the blog.  It only took me 20 minutes to put the photos and captions together and ALL day to upload music to it!  I am SO not tech savvy.  This is one of the reasons I haven't used my Flip video that I won, but I am planning on tackling that project in the near future as well.

The virtual tour is added to the main page of the blog and will be here on every post and will also have its own tab at the top of each page.  Just scroll down to just below the comment section and you'll see the YouTube viewing box.  I will periodically change and rotate photos to keep things lively.  I hope you enjoy it:)

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Halter Progress for Little Emma & Miss Brittney

Some halter training progress is happening for little Emma and Miss Brittney.  Being only two weeks old, Emma is learning to be handled by humans.  All calves are super friendly when they're small and will follow you just about anywhere if they think they may get some milk or food out of you.  When you first put a halter on any of them, all they want to do is pull back.  Just like any animal; horse, puppy, learning what is wanted from them while on a halter or leash takes practice and training. 

Now, it's not necessary for our calves, heifers and cows to be halter trained at all but I wanted to begin this halter training program with the kids so they can feel more a part of the dairy and learn to handle the calves and when they're older, the heifers and cows. 

To show a heifer or large animal at the county fair, a child must be 8 or 9 years old.  Bryce and Paige have a few more years to go before they get to that point and if they choose to go that route,  giving them some experience with the calves they've picked out themselves, will give them a sense of accomplishment and some good hands on experience.....I hope.

Along with practicing to lead on a halter, comes lots of  'hand's on' pet time.  Just today, we found Brittney LOVES to be scratched behind the ears.

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Healthy Quinoa & Winter Squash

To get ready for Healthy Cooking Group tonight, I needed to find a healthy recipe to go with the theme of this month's gathering of Soups and Stews.  I didn't come up with a soup or stew recipe to try out but when I received an email newsletter from my past Boot Camp instructor, Carlos, with this winter squash and quinoa recipe, I just had to try it.  I did modify it just a bit from the original recipe.  Here's how it all went.......

Here's what you need, along with parsley and pure maple syrup {not pictured}.

Dice the carrots, onions, celery and squash.  To save time I used pre-cut butternut squash that I bought at the grocery store earlier in the day.  Once everything is diced, mix all together in a bowl along with the olive oil and maple syrup.  Spread in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle lemon zest and salt and cover with foil and bake {recipe below}.

 When it's done, it looks like this and your house smells amazing!

While the squash is baking, boil your quinoa {recipe below}.

Mix all together and add in the lemon juice and parsley.  This can be eaten hot or cold as a salad.  This dish is so tasty, you will not be disappointed if you try it and it's healthy for you too!

Quinoa and Winter Squash Salad


This recipe is another great way to enjoy protein-filled quinoa. Winter squash combined with celery, onion and parsley makes a healthy and comforting side dish. Servings: 10

Here's what you need:

2 yellow onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 cups diced squash, butternut or any other fall or winter squash
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup {I used pure maple syrup}
dash of freshly ground sea salt
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 cups filtered water
1 cup quinoa
4 sprigs of parsley, finely minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the onions, celery, carrots and squash in a large bowl. Mix in the oil and syrup, then sprinkle the salt and lemon zest. Mix until well combined and then place on a shallow baking dish. Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes remove cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

While the vegetables are in the oven, put the quinoa and water in a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 25 minutes over low heat, until the water is absorbed.

Combine the vegetables and cooked quinoa together with the lemon juice and parsley. Serve warm or chilled.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 95 calories, 1g fat, 19g carbohydrate, 2.5g fiber, and 4g protein.

Feel free to share this healthy, tasty recipe!


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Spring is in the Air on the Dairy Farm

Is it still January?  Doesn't quite feel like it here in northern California, especially on the farm.  We've hit the 68 degree mark already and the green grass responding by growing like crazy. There's a certain smell that comes along with spring that I can't quite put my finger on as far as describing it, but I think it has a lot to do with all the fresh new green grass. 

I've always loved the vibrancy in color and contrast of green grass up against an old rustic barn, or maybe planted in some galvanized containers, possibly even in a window box planter, 

or,

on a working farm truck.  Hey, I'll take what I can get.

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Meet Dairy Calves Emma and Brittney

Nothing like a nice warm afternoon at the calf barn.  Is it really January?!  Because it was 68 degrees here yesterday.  I'll take it.

Yesterday was the day we chose two calves to begin halter training and because with two kids, you can't just pick one calf.  So, meet the two week old calf that Paige named Emma.  She's a little young to halter train but for her first lesson she did great!

We only had one calf halter on hand here on the farm, but I remembered my blogging and Twitter friend, Ryan Goodman posted a link on Twitter to a site that gave instructions on how to make your own rope halter. So we did. 

You've already met this calf the other day on my visit to the calf barn.  Bryce named this calf Brittney {after Brittney of The Chipmunk's, if you have kids, you know who Brittney is}.  Brittney is about three months old and very friendly but didn't like the halter too much. 

I'll keep you posted on Emma's and Brittney's progress!

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Stretch Your Dollar & Freeze Your Milk & Other Dairy Products

photo by google images

If you shop at big box stores such as Costco like I do, you're buying in bulk most of the time.  What does one do with all that extra butter, milk and cheese that comes in large sizes?  Why not freeze it?  Here's a little guide that I find very useful:

Butter:  can be frozen for up to 6-9 months in it's original packaging.

Milk:  can be frozen for up to 1 month...leave room for expansion and shake it after it's thawed.

Hard Cheeses:  like swiss, chedder, gouda, jack & colby can be cut into 1lb pieces, wrapped and frozen for up to 3-4 months.

Grated Cheeses:  store in plastic freezer storage bags for up to 4 months.

Blue Cheese:  can be frozen up to 3 months but will become crumbly after thawing out.

Light & heavy cream, evaporated milk  half and half:   for up to 2 months.  The heavy cream may not whip up after thawing though.

Whipped Cream:  you can freeze whipped cream in dollops or mounds.  Freeze on  a cookie sheet then place in a freezer container separated by wax paper.  Use to top desserts...just take them out 10 minutes before serving dessert.

Yogurt:  can be frozen for up to 4 months.



I freeze my butter and have frozen cheese.
What types of dairy products do you freeze?


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Big Bad Holstein Bulls

Yes.......another bull post.  I know what you're thinking but I just can't help myself.  Maybe it's because I'm absolutely fascinated by them.  And terrified of them.  Two Holstein bull prospects for the bovine ladies here on the dairy farm that we've raised from birth.  They're about 18 months old and the one on the left is a bit ornery.  Not sure if he'll remain here or be sold to another farmer that can use him?  An ornery bull is a dangerous bull.  And no bull should ever be trusted completely.

All I know, you couldn't pay me a million dollars to get into this bull pen. 

Just how dangereous can a bull be you may wonder. 

Eleven years ago, here on the ranch, Dominic's Grandpa, 79 at the time, who has been a dairyman his entire life, was standing in the dairy cow corral watching Dominic and my father-in-law work on something.  He didn't realize the bull was in the same corral as he, otherwise he wouldn't have had his back turned towards him and before anyone knew it the bull came over and began to head butt Grandpa.  He was shoved against pipe fencing and ended up with a broken pelvis and a long recovery time.

These furry faces are not to be trusted.......no matter how cute.

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Calf Tongues

Today while the kids were in school I took a leisurely walk down to the calf barn.  Sometimes it's nice to experience all the calf and cow sounds on my own, without two loud kids at my heels.  Don't get me wrong, I love when the kids come down with me, which is most of the time. 

While the bulls tend to gravitate towards me when I'm around, I tend to gravitate towards the calf barn.  How can anyone resist these cute little things?!

This little gal came right up to me.  She's around 4 months old and very friendly.  All she wanted to do was suck my fingers so of course I allowed her to.  Their tongues feel like rough sandpaper on one's fingers. 

I remembered to follow my own tips for visiting the calf barn.....don't let them suck my ring finger. 

While all the calves are friendly, none are halter broke.  My next project is to halter train a calf so we can have one as a pet here on the dairy farm.  This is something I have never done before.  Dominic used to when he was younger and showed dairy cows in the county fairs, but hasn't done it for a long time.  Not sure which one we'll pick yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted.

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How to Use Every Last Bit of Chocolate Peanut Butter

When I was growing up, my mom used every last bit of food we had in the house.  Nothing went to waste.  All food should be eaten.  I guess that's why we grew up eating cow liver, cow tongue, and cow tail soup from the beef we raised.  I'm proud now to say some of that way of thinking has rubbed off on me.  Oats in a jar is something that's all over the internet in the blogging world, but I had yet to try it myself, until today. 

I've been saving this empty jar of chocolate peanut butter.....yes it's chocolate peanut butter, just for the purpose of trying oats in a jar for breakfast. 

All I did was add a package of instant oatmeal to the empty jar of peanut butter, add my hot water and stir.

Definitely going to be added to my routine from now on. 

Mom will be proud.

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How do Dairy Cows Fare in Cold Weather?

We've been getting our fair share of frosty weather here in northern California.  I've been really feeling it on the mornings when I get up at 5 a.m. to make it to my bootcamp class at the gym {which is both indoors and outdoors}.  On one of these frosty mornings, a gym classmate asked how the dairy cows fare in such weather.  Dairy cows actually prefer the cooler weather and can become heat stressed if the temperature rises above 80F degrees.  We don't experience severe weather where we live and it's actually rare for temperatures to drop below 29F degrees overnight....we're fortunate. 

The frosty weather does make for some cool photos though.........

Flat leaf parsley I hope you survive.

Our lawn looks almost snow covered.

One pet that does NOT enjoy the cold weather is Miss Chloe.  She barely wanted to touch her paws down on the lawn to do her business.

Luckily Calendula are like weeds and will most definitely survive.

I guess it would be a good idea to protect some of my more delicate plants from frost with covering.

What's on your winter to-do list??

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Sun > Lush Green Grass = Happy Heifers

If you've been reading some of my posts the last few days {or if you live nearby}, you know that we've been experiencing some very foggy, cold, damp weather here in northern California.  Well, Sunday I walked out of the house and felt completely like a mole who had just crawled out of her hole, wondering what that bright, yellow thing was in the sky.

It was too tempting not to take a stroll in the green grass up behind our home on this rare sunny day.  So with rubber boots on, out I went. 

Look who else I found enjoying the green grass and the sunshine...........these were some Happy Heifers out on grass.  They couldn't eat fast enough!

I tried to get a little closer, but I spooked one of them and once one begins to run, they ALL do......in the other direction. 

It actually felt warm standing here taking in the view with the sun on my face.

A dose of vitamin D is just what I needed.  After I got my fill, I walked back down the hill, avoiding the muddy cow trail and made myself a nice lunch of leftover venison loin and brussels sprouts. What more can one possibly need?

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