IN THIS ISSUE:
*Feature: Bambi in the Headlights
*Kitchen Extra: Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Minnie-Maxie
*Recent Highlights: The Ball Pops, Re-Purposing Baby Food Jars, Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil, and More
*Sneak Peek: CITR Retreat 2011
*Farm Bell Recipes: Homemade Honey
*Blast from the Past: Make a Corn Husk Wreath
*Feature: Bambi in the Headlights
I was driving down a country road not far from our farm when I came across this.
Actually, there was more than this. There were three more. They looked to be adults, and they had all gotten the memo. They leaped quickly across the road, up the bank, and into the thick woods.
Except for this one. This one hadn’t gotten the memo and was untrained.
And it just stood there and stood there until I realized it was okay to get out my camera, I wasn’t going to be instantly disappointed as it darted into the woods. It was going to stand there. Looking at me, in some kind of magical, symbiotic moment in which we were the only two creatures on the planet and I was his only contact with life.
And I wanted to ask, was it very hard to be Bambi? Did the kids at school make fun, call him Dumbo? Or was it okay? Did they all have ears like that? How long did it take to grow into the ears? Then I wanted to apologize for mentioning the ears at all.
Mostly I wanted to know if he would possibly consider coming home with me as a pet. But then the magic broke, and he remembered the others.
WHERE WERE THEY?
And I said, no, to the right, to the right!
And he leaped right, up the bank, and he was gone, and I’ll never see him again.
But I saw him once, and he saw me.
*Kitchen Extra: Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
I was gifted with a bag of patty pan squash recently. Patty pan squash is an alien spaceship-shaped summer squash that you don’t hear about too often, but it is delicious and cooks up very tender. I didn’t want to just chop up this special squash as if it were just any squash, so I created this easy stuffed patty pan squash recipe from what I had in my fridge to give it its rightful glory on the dinner table. Try it! You’ll like it! If you prefer, you could substitute rice for the bread crumbs in the filling.
How to make Stuffed Patty Pan Squash:
5 to 6 patty pan squash
1/2 cup cooked ground sausage
1/2 cup diced onion and/or peppers
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon herbs of choice (basil, rosemary, parsley, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers, optional
salt and pepper to taste
Roast squash at 400 degrees in a covered pan until fork tender. Remove stem and blossom end. Scoop out a hole in the center of each squash, reserving squash pieces. Chop squash pieces. In a bowl, combine squash bits, ground sausage, diced onion/peppers, bread crumbs, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff center of each squash with the filling. You may need more or less filling, depending on the size of your squash. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until filling is heated through. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until baking time!
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes for the handy print page: Stuffed Patty Pan Squash.
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Minnie-Maxie
I named her Minnie Belle.
But she should have been Maxie Belle! Annabelle’s pup just grows and grows and GROWS! Watch the blog for the latest pics of the giant lamb-pup.
*Recent Highlights: The Ball Pops, Re-Purposing Baby Food Jars, Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil, and More
Barn: Things have been busy with the goats! I decided to streamline into The Fainting Farm. Then there was an explosion as The Ball Pops and Nutmeg gave birth to twin Fainter crosses. More babies are on the way! Cookie Doe is here and pregnant and known for her quads! Find all my farm animal stories here.
Cooking: Try some Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil (and Bread), or grill up some Texas Toast. For a romantic evening, make some beautiful and delicious Coeur a la Creme! Don’t miss a thing in my kitchen! Get all my recipes.
Country Living: Check out my review of Catherine Friend’s Hit By A Farm and go with me on my Trip to Morgantown to deposit Weston at West Virginia University. See all my country living stories.
House & Garden: Want to feel better about the state of your own garden? See How My Herb Garden Grows, and if you get hold of some of these, be sure to make do some freebie stylin’ — see Re-Purposing Baby Food Jars. Browse all my posts in house & garden.
*Sneak Peak: CITR Retreat 2011
Guess what we’re doing this weekend?
Nearly 60 CITR readers are traveling from far and wide to attend CITR Retreat 2011. We’ll be giving classes in breadbaking, cheesemaking, preserving, soapmaking, candlemaking, and homemade beauty products. We’re gonna have a blast, and I’ll have lots of photos and stories for you when we get back! Don’t miss it!
*Farm Bell Recipes: Homemade Honey
Community member angela p wrote about her very frugal take on beekeeping and how she makes her homemade honey this month. I was fascinated! It’s a fantastic and inspiring post that nearly had me racing outside to build a top bar hive.
There are bees involved, though, which is kind of holding me back, but if you’re interested in beekeeping and thought it might be too pricey, check out angela p’s post! See it here: Homemade Honey.
To submit a blog post and enter to win the latest contributor giveaway, go here. The August contributor giveaway winner was Liz Pike.
August 2011 Farm Bell Recipes blog contributors:
angela p
CindyP — Our Life Simplified
Dede ~ wvhomecanner
Faith
GrannyTrace — Granny Trace Scraps & Squares
Jayme Payne — Dreaming of Poultry
Kerrie — City Girl Chickens
Kerrie — City Girl Farming
Liz Pike — Horseshoe Gardens
Rachel — The Henway
Robin from Rurification — Rurification
Sheryl – Runningtrails — Providence Acres Farm
THANK YOU! Please give them a visit!
*Blast from the Past: Make a Corn Husk Wreath
Don’t throw those corn husks away!
Dry them and make a simple, easy wreath! Find the full tutorial with pictures here.
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
*More Handy Links:
CITR on Twitter
CITR on Facebook
CITR on Google+
CITR on YouTube
What are you fixing for supper tonight? Browse the goodness at Farm Bell Recipes — your cooking community!
*I’m giving away a Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving about once a week so don’t forget to watch the blog for The Ball Blue Book Project days.
