April 2012 Chickens in the Road Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

*Alert: Weekenders at the Farm

*Kitchen Extra: The Studio Kitchen Cometh

*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Baby Girl

*Recent Highlights: Ramps, Rednecks, Apple Lilac Jelly, and More

*Sneak Peek: Exciting Farm Activity

*Farm Bell Recipes: Family Dinners and Treasures

*Blast from the Past: Ever Seen a Baby Goat Born?

*Newsletter Sponsors:

Hobby Hill Farm: Whether your chickens are in the yard, pen or "in the road” we have you covered--purses, mugs, garden flags, and more. Affordable prices. Download our catalog or call 804-598-6095. "Like" us on Facebook!

Still Meadows: Check our unique online primitive shop/greenhouses for plant specials and watch for the monthly "Treasures and Tips"! Succulent wreaths available now--make one at the shop, or order online.

*Newsletter Stats: 8734 subscribers as of this mailing.

*Alert: Weekenders at the Farm

CITR Retreat 2012 is SOLD OUT. You can sign up for the Waiting List here.

Or--sign up for a Studio at Sassafras Farm event! Weekenders are themed workshop weekends geared to smaller groups in the intimate atmosphere of the studio and the farm. Unlike the big retreat, Weekenders are open to teens 13 and up accompanied by a parent.

Check out the 2012 Weekenders series here!

*Kitchen Extra: The Studio Kitchen Cometh

It's nearly there!

The kitchen at the new Studio at Sassafras Farm is nearly finished. The latest thing to go in were the shelves. Ross and Morgan put them together over the weekend. Electrical is being completed today and the cabinets and countertops will be next. Keep an eye on the House & Garden page and the Daily Farm page for updates. By the end of May, I should have my health department permit in hand. For those of you who are Kickstarter backers, rewards are still going out, one at a time. If you haven't received your photo yet, please bear with me. It's coming! Thank you so much for your support!

*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Baby Girl

It's a girl and I'm sure!

My goat farmer friends Pete and Missy stopped by yesterday to see our new baby (born Friday--see here) and confirmed that she is a girl. I always feel more sure if someone else takes a look! Baby and Mama Fanta are doing well, though they were a little high maintenance for a few days. The baby had trouble figuring out where to nurse and sucked on every part of Fanta except her teats. I had to hold Fanta down and show the baby the teats for awhile. After finally "discovering" the teats on her own, the baby drank so much she gave herself the runs. (I hope you aren't reading this with a snack. Put your Little Debbie down for a minute here.) This resulted in a case of "pasty butt"--which means she got a little "plug" on her bottom. This can kill a baby fast. I had to pull it off. By this time, Fanta had a huge case of lopsideness in her udder and I had to milk her out on th e side the baby was neglecting. Whew. It was a busy baby weekend! Everyone has sorted themselves out now and all is well. Baby and mama are healthy, and in fine nursing order. I don't know if I'm keeping this baby or not, though she's quite special as the first baby born at Sassafras Farm. I'm calling her Sassy, short for Sassafras, in honor of her first new farm baby status. Since sassafras is an ingredient in root beer, that fits in my Fainter-soda pop name theme, too!

*Recent Highlights: Ramps, Rednecks, Apple Lilac Jelly, and More

Barn: I got a big birthday present--Coco is home! That wasn't the end of my animal troubles, though--see Patriot's escape in my Not So Relaxing Evening. (He's home, whew.) I'm not just the queen of animal escapees, though. I'm also an Extra Small Producer--read the process of becoming certified to legally sell eggs. Find all my farm animal stories here.

Cooking: I've been pretty busy this month cooking family favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Ross while he's home on leave before reporting to his submarine, but I also tried out one of Julia Child's recipes in Queen of Sheba Cake, and created one of my own in Apple Lilac Jelly. Don't miss a thing in my kitchen! Get all my recipes.

Country Living: Watch me get in touch with My Inner Redneck when Ross brings me his old pickup truck, but even so, will I ever be country enough? Read There's Always Something. See all my country living stories.

House & Garden: I went to get one thing, but ended up with another--see the studio floor in Wooed Away in the Flooring Aisle. I've been busy planting here--I've gotten nearly nearly 20 trees in the ground and I've started my new ramps patch, too. Browse all my posts in house & garden.

*Sneak Peak: Exciting Farm Activity

They're coming back.

BP and Glory went away on a little trip nearly two months ago. In May, they'll be coming home. I hope they each bring back a memento--a baby! Moving cows is always what I like to refer to as an Exciting Farm Activity. Exciting because you know something is going to go wrong. Farm because, well, it involves cows. Activity because no doubt at some point I will be chasing somebody in a circle. That somebody's name will probably be Glory Bee. Stay tuned!

*Farm Bell Recipes: Family Dinners and Treasures

While nobody loves a great recipe more than I do, I especially savor the sentimental posts that are often so beautifully written by our community members. Don't miss there sweet posts from the past month: Family Dinners by grouchymama, and A Discovery of Forgotten Treasure by tsmith.

To submit a blog post and enter to win the latest contributor giveaway, go here. The prize for the May contributor giveaway will be a Non-Slip Pastry Mat.

The April contributor giveaway winner of a Sunbeam Donut Maker was katpecosa1.

April 2012 Farm Bell Recipes blog contributors:

THANK YOU! Please give them a visit!

*Blast from the Past: Ever Seen a Baby Goat Born?

Fanta had already popped out baby Sassy before I got down to the goat house, but I've watched several babies come into the world and it's always an amazing thing.

You can see a baby goat born, too, even if you don't have any goats. Flashback to Nutmeg Has a Baby and watch the birth video.

Know a friend who would enjoy receiving the Chickens in the Road newsletter? Send them over to Chickens in the Road and tell them to sign up with the newsletter link in the sidebar or send them this handy link.

And, always, feel free to forward this newsletter!

Thank you for your comments, your support, and just for being there. Here's hoping to see you on the Chickens in the Road Forum (make friends, have fun, come join us!) and every day on the farmhouse blog!

Love,
Suzanne

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What are you fixing for supper tonight? Browse the goodness at Farm Bell Recipes -- your cooking community!

*I'm giving away books on preserving so don't forget to watch the blog for The Ball Blue Book Project days.

Go to Chickens in the Road now.

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