Sunday Dose of Cute: I'm on Twitter! (Sort of)

Sheep Don't Tweet—We Bleat

I know, I know. I'm the only person who isn't on Twitter—well, besides my hunky farmguy Joe (and don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen). Even now I'm not really on it. Since I'm already constantly behind replying to e-mail and blog comments—not to mention posting all those backlogged recipes!—I don't think starting to tweet would be such a good idea.

But some of you have asked me to announce each new blog post on Twitter, and I'm happy to oblige. You'll find Farmgirl Fare on Twitter here, and In My Kitchen Garden here. I'm also hoping to post much more often on In My Kitchen Garden this year, but of course I said that last year, too (and probably the year before).

In other exciting organizing news (it doesn't take much to get us excited around here), the 'Visit My Kitchen Garden' link in the upper right sidebar on Farmgirl Fare, which currently is a close-up lettuce photo, now goes directly to the In My Kitchen Garden homepage, for those of you who wanted to be able to easily pop over there. And the 'Visit My Food/Farm Blog' link in the upper left sidebar (with the lamb sitting in his 'boat' photo) on In My Kitchen Garden still goes to this homepage.

As for those of you wondering about this photo, that is indeed my baby Cary, who will be (gasp) turning four years old in May. She's happy and healthy and still enjoys haughtily ignoring me most of the time, though she's well aware that she still holds special priviliges and will break away from the flock and storm the treat room door any chance she gets.

I decided not to breed Cary again this year because of the traumatic experience with her first pregnancy. As much as I'd love to have a Cary baby, I just don't want to take the chance of losing her—and since there's no reason I have to breed her, I'm not going to, at least for now.

© Copyright 2010 FarmgirlFare.com, the way beyond nippy foodie farm blog where it's no suprise that the incoming water pipes are frozen and there's a mound of ice sprouting up from the shower drain in the bathroom—the thermometer outside read minus six degrees this morning. Brrrrrr! But as long as we don't have to do this again (and I use 'we' in the most general of terms here), things should be fine.

Tuesday Dose of Cute: Follow the Flying Ears

And It's Cary in the Lead (That's My Girl!)

Don't know who Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail for Mother's Day, and then see what she's been up to during the last three years here and here.

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the racing out to the best breakfast spot foodie farm blog where baby lambs grow up, but in some ways they stay exactly the same—for Cary, that would be the flying ears.

Wednesday Dose of Cute:Baby Cary is Three Years Old Today!

The Lamb and the Laundry Line (taken 5/18/06, when Cary was 12 days old)

Wondering who Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day. Then see what she's been up to during the last three years here and here.

I've mentioned before that while things are constantly changing on the farm, in some ways they stay exactly the same. I looked back to see what I'd written last year on Cary's second birthday and realized it could have been written today.

It's hard to believe that my little girl is already two three years old, but that's what the calendar tells me, so I suppose it must be true. Cary had a quiet and uneventful birthday today, as the ewes and lambs spent the day stuck in the barnyard like they have every day for the past few months. We're just about out of our carefully hoarded homegrown hay, though, so tomorrow in a few days she'll get to gorge herself on some of those greener pastures. Happy birthday, baby.

Many thanks to all of you who have so kindly been asking after Cary. She is fat and happy and doing just fine. After much deliberation, I decided not to breed her last fall because of the terrible time she had last year, but she's been living with the pregnant (and now nursing) ewes for the past month, enjoying the extra treats and special attention. I hope that you'll enjoy this little look back at some of my favorite yet never posted photos from her babyhood, along with a couple of more recent shots.



Looking for a Snake We'd Just Seen Slither Under the Steps (6/7/06)




Meeting Molly Doodlebug on 6/7/06




Riding in the Truck on 6/8/06




Visiting the Library on 6/8/06 (Yes, Cary has been to town—twice!)




In the Snow on 1/31/09

Scratching an Itch on 2/1/09

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the proud mama foodie farm blog where it's amazing how quickly the time goes by!

Tuesday Farm Photo: Cary Scratches an Itch

Or maybe she's just posting - it is Cary, after all.

Wondering who Cary is?
You'll find links to her story and more photos of her here.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where this copyright notice will no longer contain the phrase 'award-winning' because apparently it's annoying some people — or at least the one person who left a comment complaining about it recently ("can we drop the same opening sentence for every graph — I think its abdundently [sic] clear you have an awrd [sic] winning blog").

So here's the deal. Because unscrupulous people are constantly stealing and republishing the contents of my blog on other websites and claiming it as their own (usually to make money from advertising without having to actually write anything themselves), last year I began adding a copyright notice at the bottom of each blog post to help stop them, and to prove the content is indeed mine. Using the same wording every time makes it easier for me to track things using google alerts.

But after a while I got bored typing the same notice over and over, so for kicks I started changing it. Some of you realized this right away and let me know you enjoyed the little bits of farm news I'd share — kind of like my own personal Twitter. I simply kept the first line the same, and it never crossed my mind that this meant I was bombarding you with the fact that Farmgirl Fare has won some awards — probably because I was too busy coming up with something new and amusing to say.

Or, as my ever-so-subtle best pal and staunch supporter Beth put it, "It's a *bleeping* copyright notice that is original every day! Shut the *bleep* up if you don't like the lede - or start reading on the second line."

But just in case it's been bothering you, too (after that comment I started wondering if it had been getting on everybody's nerves), I'm going to stop saying 'award-winning.' It's no big deal to me, but I did want to explain it all to you. And this just might be the longest copyright notice ever written.

Friday Farm Photo: Let Me Out Already

Cary Still Likes to Be First Through the Gate Each Morning

Wondering who Cary is?
Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day

Want to catch up with Cary?
Big Day For a Little Lamb
Cary Is Two Months Old Today!
Cary Is Three Months Old Today!
Cary Is Four Months Old Today! (And still allowed in the house)
Cary Is Five Months Old Today!
Cary Is Six Months Old Today!
Cary Is Seven Months Old Today!
Carybunga! Nine Months Old & Coming At You!
Cary Is One Year Old Today!
12/7/06: Cary Goes Grunge
1/7/07: What I Learned From Cary Last Year (Plus lots of links to photos of Cary laying waste to in the kitchen garden)
2/11/07: Cary's First Woolcut
12/6/07: Finally, A Cary Update
3/12/08: Cary Babies?
3/13/08: Cary, No Baby
4/18/08: A Cary Update
Friday Daily Dose of Cute: A Little Look Back at Cary

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where, for various reasons, we currently have the sheep divided into five rather time-consuming mini flocks (which partly explains where I've been all week) and even though she doesn't have twins or need any extra TLC, Cary (who is doing great) is in the one that's right up by The Shack, where every morning she races ahead of the lambs to the hayfield gate (if she isn't already standing there impatiently waiting for me to open it). It's nice having her nearby again even though, unlike most of the other ewes, she rarely has time for pets or kisses.

Tuesday Daily Dose Of Cute: Back To Baby Cary

Two Week Old Cary Checks Out The Chickens (taken 5/20/06)

Cary turned two years old today!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where there's always something new going on around the farm but there's one thing that never changes - everybody wants to hang out with the chickens.

Tuesday Farm Photo: Happy 2nd Birthday Cary!

Dreaming of something greener than hay for lunch.

Wondering who Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day.

It's hard to believe that my little girl is already two years old, but that's what the calendar tells me so I suppose it must be true. Cary had a quiet and uneventful birthday today, as the ewes and lambs spent the day stuck in the barnyard like they have every day for the past few months.

We're just about out of our carefully hoarded homegrown hay, though, so tomorrow she'll probably get to gorge herself on some of those greener pastures. Happy birthday, baby.

Want to see more of Cary?
The Cary Chronicles: Big Day For A Little Lamb
Cary Is Two Months Old Today!
Cary Is Three Months Old Today!
Cary Is Four Months Old Today! (And still allowed in the house)
Cary Is Five Months Old Today!
Cary Is Six Months Old Today!
Cary Is Seven Months Old Today!
Carybunga! Nine Months Old and Coming at You!
3/7/07: Cary Turned 10 Months Old Yesterday
Cary Is One Year Old Today!

11/18/06: Cary's Last Dish of Treats in the House
12/7/06: Cary Goes Grunge
12/19/06: Cary Can Find a Snack Anywhere
12/31/06: Farm Life Is Exhausting
1/7/07: What I Learned From Cary Last Year (Plus lots of links to photos of Cary laying waste to the kitchen garden)
1/7/07: Yeah, So?
2/11/07: Cary's First Woolcut
2/18/07: With the Nanny Bear on Sheep Shearing Day
4/13/07: Harvesting Beets with Cary
5/5/07: Pushover
12/6/07: Finally, A Cary Update
3/12/08: Cary Babies?
3/13/08: Cary, No Baby
4/18/08: A Little Look Back at Cary
4/18/08: Cary Update: Too Hungry To Say Hi
4/28/08: Meet and Greet with Cary
5/6/08: Back to Baby Cary
7/25/08: Let Me Out Already
8/19/08: Cary Scratches an Itch

© FarmgirlFare.com, the woolly foodie farm blog where there are currently 104 critters on the farm (no wonder it takes so long to feed everybody!), but only one sheep who spent her babyhood curled up at my feet while I sat at the computer and snuffling up treats in the living.

Monday Daily Dose Of Cute

Meet And Greet With Cary

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where the new puppies are growing faster than I can answer all your fun questions about them, but hopefully I'll have some answers posted soon. Thanks for your patience, and in the meantime, enjoy the cute before they get to be 125 pounds apiece!

Friday Daily Dose Of Cute: A Little Look Back

Cary (age 2-1/2 weeks) & The Nanny Bear In The Greenhouse, 5/06

Don't know who this little lamb named Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day. And find out how she's doing now in yesterday's Farm Photo 4/18/08: Cary Update.

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where we can't help but wonder if it bothers Bear that the sheep all start out much smaller than he is but quickly grow up to be three or four times his size.

Friday Farm Photo: Cary Update

Too Hungry To Say Hi

Wondering who Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day.

Many of you who have kindly asked how Cary's been doing since she lost her baby last month. Thanks to that late night visit from the vet, she made a full recovery and seems to be just fine. She's back to her pre-pregnancy bouncy self, and no longer looks as if she swallowed two bowling balls - though her appetite hasn't diminished any.

Cary still doesn't care to be cuddled or even pet much, but she does come over and give me dirty looks when I'm snuggling an adorable baby lamb. She doesn't seem to miss having a lamb of her own, and still acts very kid-like herself. The other day I saw a lost lamb run straight through her legs while searching for its mommy and she just stood there looking confused.

The lambs love to pack up and play Race Around The Barnyard this time of year, and more than once last lambing season I busted full-grown Cary racing right along with them like she was still a little member of the gang, kicking her legs in the air and shaking her head around like she does when she's really happy. It was hysterical. These were some of my favorite Cary moments, but of course she never let me capture any of them with my camera. Maybe I'll catch her at it again this year.

Want to see more Cary?
Cary Is Two Months Old Today!
Cary Is Three Months Old Today!
Cary Is Four Months Old Today! (And still allowed in the house)
Cary Is Five Months Old Today!
Cary Is Six Months Old Today!
Cary Is Seven Months Old Today!
Carybunga! Nine Months Old & Coming At You!
Cary Is One Year Old Today!
12/7/06: Cary Goes Grunge
1/7/07: What I Learned From Cary Last Year (Plus lots of links to photos of Cary laying waste to in the kitchen garden)
2/11/07: Cary's First Woolcut
12/6/07: Finally, A Cary Update

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where lambs will be lambs - and sometimes grownup sheep will, too.

Farm Photo 3/13/08: Cary, No Baby

Cary

The late night visit from the vet felt like a scene straight from a James Herriot book, only with slightly more technology - and antibiotics. Even the vet admitted he'd been thinking about James Herriot while driving out here, as he read over the directions I'd given him and realized just how far out into the country he was headed.

In the 13 years I've been raising sheep, I've never had to have a vet come to the farm. This was the third one I'd tried to get a hold of. I explained the situation and asked if he could drive over.

"You can't bring her down to the clinic?"

"No."

"It's gonna be expensive."

"I know." It's Cary.

Bear and I watched his headlights make their way down the switchbacks on the driveway and listened to the distant sound of his truck. When he got out he smiled and said, "This is the kind of place you move to when you don't want anybody to find you!" Then he looked around the darkness. "You're out here by yourself?"

"Tonight I am." And I led him into the barn.

Cary didn't have twins as I'd thought she might. That swollen belly of hers was full of one enormous baby, and it was very stuck. The normal position for a lamb about to be born is right side up, both hooves headed out, nose between the hooves. This one had one leg back, and its nose was pointed down. I've never had this happen. I talked to a friend who has more lambing experience than I do. She told me what to do. I tried and tried, but I couldn't do it. I needed help. Cary needed help.

The first priority is to save the mother. We lost the baby - a 15-pound (!!) black boy - but we saved Cary. She's expected to make a full recovery, and was up and nibbling on hay not long after the exhausting ordeal was over. I sat with her for a while in the little bonding suite after the vet had driven back out into the night, my forehead resting against her side, my hand stroking her neck. She didn't have anyone else to bond to. I didn't want to leave her.

I'm sure Cary would have been a wonderful mother, and I'm hopeful that one day she will be. But no matter what happens, she'll always be my baby. As the vet was packing up his things, I told him Cary's story. This morning when I came out of the Treat Room holding a little bucket of grain, she bumped her nose into my thigh like she used to do whenever she wanted her bottle of milk. She hasn't done that in over a year.

This is a short version of the story because I'm headed off the farm and won't be back until late tonight. But I knew many of you Cary fans would be anxiously waiting for an update. I'd been really worried that she would go into labor while I was gone today, and now I know that if she had we probably would have lost her. I'm so very grateful that we didn't.

Lambing Season 2008 has officially begun, and considering that we had seven lambs born in the first 24 hours of lambing season last year, I'm sure the next several days are going to be even chaotic than usual around here. You know I'll keep you posted.

© FarmgirlFare.com, the heart wrenching foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares the ups and downs of life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo 3/12/08: Cary Babies?

Room for two in there?

Wondering who Cary is? Meet her in A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day.

Cary is a twin, and her father is a twin, so there's a good chance that Cary could have twins. This photo was taken back on Febrary 22nd, when I realized that Cary had begun to look wider than all of the other sheep.

More below. . .

Farm Photo 12/6/07: Cary Baby

Finally, A Cary Update


That's My Girl

Don't know who Cary is? Click here to read her story.

"Are you ever going to breed Cary?" Joe asked me a few months ago.

"Of course!"

"Your baby?"

"Of course! I just didn't want her getting pregnant last fall when she was still so young and small. Besides," I said, "How else will I get a Cary baby?"

Cary, who turns 19 months old today, is doing just great. And as you can see, she still looks much the same as she always has.


Scratching An Itch

She did lose that tuft of baby wool on her head during the summer. You can see the last little bit of it in this photo from July 16th (which is one of my favorites).

What you can't see is that there is a lot more of Cary than there used to be. She's got that narrow, unwooly head, and then everything just widens out. If you look down at her from above, she's shaped like a large fluffy teardrop. When she runs, her ears and belly bounce separately from the rest of her body. It's very cute.

She hasn't quite realized that she isn't as small as she used to be, though. Cary had pretty much melded into the flock this summer, not really paying attention to me or drawing attention to herself. But then one day she saw me carrying a bucket of feed down to the barn and all of her memories of being The Privileged Animal apparently came rushing back. And how do sheep get to what they want? They PUSH. As she shoved her way through the barely open barn gate and then tried to squeeze her way (along with me) through the partially open Treat Room door, my only thought was, "Geez, that girl's gotten big!"

Once inside, she turned around and around in circles, knocking things over and frantically looking for food while I tried to push her out the door, laughing hysterically because the whole scene was so hilarious. I still let her into the barn with me sometimes while I'm filling up buckets of treats, but I had Joe install a little latch on the Treat Room door. I now lock myself in there while Cary and The Nanny Bear wait outside.

Cary knows she doesn't have to suck up to me, either. Once in a while she'll allow her face to be scratched, but if I try for a hug when there's obviously no chance of a treat along with it, she takes off. Meanwhile I'll have six or seven other sheep surrounding me, all clamoring for pets and hugs.

Then out of the blue she'll surprise me. She still likes to be the first one through the barnyard gate each morning, but one day, instead of heading right off down the driveway, she stood next to me as the rest of the flock filed past us. I scratched her head and talked to her for a little while, and then we walked out together to join the group.


Hanging Back With Mom

The sheep keep to a fairly regular grazing route each day, and at this time of year they're usually at the far end of the hayfield by mid-morning. One day back in late October I was standing at the edge of the hayfield fence taking photos when they started filing by. I heard Cary's still recognizable (though much deeper) bleat and looked over to see her running toward me at top speed just like she used to. I was so surprised. She stopped just on the other side of the fence and proceeded to quietly munch grass while the rest of the flock kept heading out into the field. After a minute or two she looked up, saw that everyone was several hundred feet away, and ran off toward them.

Cary may not show it very often, but we both know she's still my little girl.

Because of losing several baby lambs to a still unknown predator during lambing season 2006, last spring, much to their dismay, all of the sheep were locked in the barn each night for several months because it was the only way we could guarantee the babies would be safe. When the big boys, who had been kept in a separate pen during lambing, were put back with the flock, I let them sleep outside in the adjacent barnyard if they wanted to. While Bear and I herded everyone else into the barn in the evenings, at least six or seven of the boys would start settling themselves under a large oak tree.

After a few nights of watching this, Cary decided to join them. She'd sit right down with the boys and give me a defiant stare. Make me. Since she wasn't a mother, there really was no reason for her to spend nights locked in the barn, and so I gave up the fight and let her sleep out under the stars with the boys.

Next year things will be different, though. Studly Do-Right Jefferson (who is about twice the size he was last year) went to work at his one and only job on October 13th, and less than 24 hours later he'd. . . nailed my baby. So if all goes well, around March 13th we'll have a Cary baby. I do hope it's a girl.

Want so see more? You'll find lots more Cary stories and photos here.

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Cary Is One Year Old Today!

Hip Hip Hooray! It's Cary's Birthday Today!

Okay, actually Donkey Doodle Dandy (who is doing just fine, for those of you who have been asking) said the same thing he always says, "Hee HAW! Hee HAW! HEE HAW!" (yes, donkeys really say that) but everyone knew what he meant. And yes, this photo was taken today, and he's still wearing that incredibly ratty blue halter. (Kat, please don't faint.)

Don't know who Cary is? Click here to read her story--or to read it again if it's been awhile.



Dan has adored Cary since the first time they met (well, most of the time anyway).

Because life on the farm is full of the unexpected, we tend to shy away from making extravagant plans for holidays and other special occasions. Instead we'll end up taking an afternoon off, or cooking up a special dinner, or opening a bottle of champagne (or all three) simply because, as Joe likes to put it, "It's Tuesday." Or it's snowing. Or there's a full moon. Or the first tomatoes are ready in the garden. You don't have to look hard around here to find a reason to celebrate.

And so, in that tradition, Cary's birthday has been a rather quiet one. I spent some time poring over baby pictures, smiling and sniffling as I relived the past year. And several times during the day I went outside and just stood with Cary while she ate. Okay, okay, I stole some hugs and kisses, too.

There may not have been a lot of fanfare, but everyone definitely ate well, because today was officially Sheep Freedom Day. We've been warming up for it all week, as the sheep were already spending each day in a large fenced pen across from the barn. As I type this, though, 90 woolly beasts are outside and on the loose.



And while I have no doubt whatsoever that little foodie Cary (aka She Of The Always Empty Four Stomachs) would have taken a breather from frantically munching on sweet spring grass to eat a cake if I had baked her one, I opted instead to sneak her a bag of one of her very favorite foods--popcorn. She didn't inhale it in two seconds like she used to off the hardwood living room floor, but that was only because today it got stuck in between the blades of grass, forcing her to nibble on them as well, and that took a little longer.

For the most part, Cary adapted very quickly to life with a two legged mother. When she was very small, though, I would call out to her and she would often look at me in confusion. You could tell that her baby sheep brain was sending her mixed messages: This smells and sounds like your mother, but she should really be a lot shorter and wider and woollier.

As Cary grew up, my fears about her not learning how to be a real sheep went completely unfounded, and she slowly adapted herself back into the flock. It is truly amazing to watch animal instincts at work.

If somebody looked at Cary for the first time today, they would never be able to tell that she once had a badly broken leg. And if that somebody wandered among the sheep with me while they were out grazing, they would never be able to tell that, for a while, one of those sheep spent every waking moment of her life with me--working in the garden, lounging on the daybed in the living room, curled up at my feet while I sat at the computer. But I know, and Cary knows.


She's all grown up now, but once in a while, when she turns her head just so, like she did this afternoon, I can still see the baby in my little girl.



Happy Birthday, baby. It's been a year I will never, ever forget. And it's been wonderful to have shared it with so many of you.

Click here if you'd like to revisit some of the many previously posted Cary photos.

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo: 5/5/07

That Big Sheep . . .




The One Who's Pushing All Those Baby Lambs. . .




Away From Her Treats




That Would Be Cary

Guess who's turning one year old tomorrow!
(And guess who hasn't even baked a cake yet.)

Don't know who Cary is? Click here to read her story.

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com.

Give Beets A Chance: Recipe for Caramelized Beets with Garlic

Harvesting young beet greens with Baby Cary last spring.

"Who here likes beets?" I asked my cooking class students. Almost everyone raised their hand.

"Wow. A room full of beet lovers. This is great. Okay, do you like garlic?" Enthusiastic nods all around. "Then I'm going to tell you the easiest, amazingly delicious way to prepare them."

It didn't matter to me (or my students) that this was a class on making cream cheese pastry. Certain things simply need to be shared no matter what the circumstances, and my recipe for Caramelized Beets With Garlic is one of them.


Last summer's tiny but tasty beet harvest.

One of the best things about homegrown beets is that even if you abuse them, they will still taste delicious. The plants will put up with frosty mornings as well as hot and humid summer days.

The beets you see above were planted late and thinned too late (those are the giant thinnings in the top photo). They were also left in the ground until July 31st, so some of them ended up much too big—and looking a little strange.

I then stuffed my poor harvest in a plastic bag and stashed it in the refrigerator for two months because I wanted to save it for my beet-crazy mother's upcoming visit. I was sure the beets would be tough and woody (not to mention half rotten), but I should have known better--beets from the garden do not hold a grudge. They were wonderful.

It's not too late to plant some beet seeds in the garden. Check out my kitchen garden blog post, How To Grow Beets from Seed and Why You Should, to learn how.

Farmgirl Susan's Caramelized Beets with Garlic
There are plenty of other ways to cook beets, but even if I have a 100-pound harvest someday I will probably never try any of them because I am so addicted to these.

The two most important things you need when making this recipe are plenty of beets and plenty of time. Beets shrink down a whole lot while cooking, and if you or a kitchen companion is a hungry nibbler, they'll shrink down even more. Start with way more beets than you think you'll need; my foodie mother and I ate this entire harvest in one sitting.

Cooking time will vary depending on how big a pile of beets you're cooking, the size of your beet dice, and how high you set the burner on your stove. Figure a minimum of 45 minutes, but it'll probably take more like an hour (trust me, it's worth the wait).

So easy. Scrub your pile of fresh beets under running water. If the skins seem a bit thick or tough, you can peel them. (I’ve never made this with store bought beets—or ever bought beets at all, come to think of it—so I don’t know what the skins are like.) Trim the tops and bottoms, then cut into about 1-inch dice.

Pour a generous amount of your favorite olive oil in a large skillet or pot and heat (a cast iron skillet works great and is one of the best kitchen bargains around). Add the beets, stir to coat with oil, then cook slowly, stirring often.

Meanwhile, peel several cloves of garlic, sprinkle them generously with salt, and chop them up. When the beets are fully cooked and caramelized, make a hole in the center of the beets and add the garlic, stirring around to make sure the garlic touches the bottom of the pan and cooks.

Cook about 1 or 2 mintues; do not let the garlic brown. Stir the garlic into the beets and serve.

If you happen to have any leftovers, they taste great the next day, either reheated or straight from the fridge.

Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.

© FarmgirlFare.com, the beet loving foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo: 3/7/07

Baby Cary Turned Ten Months Old Yesterday!

I actually had the right day this time (no really, I did)--I just didn't have a chance to post these photos. A month after bravely surviving her first shearing, Carybunga is as cute and as crazy as ever. But of course we all know she isn't the baby anymore. . . (Don't know who Cary is? Click here to read her story.)



One Of Annie's Triplets, Less Than An Hour Old

Yep, triplets. Two boys and a girl, born yesterday morning without any problems. All three little darlings are doing fine so far. They're much smaller than the other lambs; the tiniest one is only about the size of The Doodle. (I really should weigh them. I suppose I could just plunk them down on my kitchen scale--how cute would that be?) Second time mother Annie, who had just one tiny boy last year, is extremely pleased, if a bit tired. I am thrilled.

That makes 7 lambs born in less than 48 hours, which is a record for us. Studly Do-Right Jefferson certainly did right.

Each day brings more surprises. Add sunshine, blue skies, and a non-stop parade of hundreds and hundreds of squawking geese high overhead flying north (one of the neatest things about living here), and, well, things on the farm are good. Crazy, but good.

There are stories. Stories I want to remember but know I will forget. Stories I need to write down. But right now there simply isn't time. Right now I'm headed back out into the sunshine and down to the barn--surprises await.

A year of Farm Photos ago:
3/7/06: Harbinger
3/6/06: Freeze Frame

Welcome new visitors!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

Daily Farm Photo 11/18/06: Oats Everywhere!

Cary's last dish of treats in the house

I think this one's pretty self-explanatory. What the photo doesn't show is Joe sitting five feet away, shaking his head in disbelief—and me laughing hysterically. He didn't believe me when I said she'd never done this before. What I couldn't believe was how far she'd flung those flakes.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Snugglebunny With Frosting
And out of the kitchen came: Hearty Lentil Soup With Smoked Sausage

© FarmgirlFare.com

Daily Farm Photo: 5/26/06

Cary

Today is my brother's 36th birthday,
but he died from alcoholism last December 24th.

He would have absolutely adored Cary.

Look how much life he's missed already.

I am so grateful to all of you who have helped me through these past painful months. One day, one hour, one minute at a time. He is never far from my thoughts. He is dearly missed.

Daily Farm Photo 5/22/06: Flower Power and a Cary Update

The Driveway Is Pretty In Pink Right Now

No Lamb Report today except to say that Cary is doing very well and is up to 10 pounds. She now lets her injured leg touch the ground when she is standing still--and sometimes even puts a little weight on it. Last night she was bouncing in the barn. This morning she was packing with the bigger lambs. I am thrilled. She is, as usual, asleep at my feet as I type this.