Farm Photo 1/31/08: Breakfast Blend

Winter Colored Sheep

But this is all about to be wiped out by white. It just started to snow, and they're predicting 7 or 8 inches of accumulation by tomorrow. Unfortunately we have a lot of driving to do today. Yikes.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where former California girls still get a little freaked out during snowstorms.

Farm Photo 1/29/08: Farmyard Kitty

Topaz Reminds Me Of A Teddy Bear

Want to see more?
Topaz Photos
Farm Cat Photos
Farm Cat Stories
Haybarn Photos
Haying Season Photos
Farm Landscape Photos

Update: A Place To Bark & The America's Giving Challenge $50,000 Grant
A huge thank you to all of you animal lovers who have so kindly donated to Bernie Berline's A Place To Bark non-profit animal rescue during this exciting and important fund drive. Bernie is absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around the world, and the Zoline Foundation is so thrilled by the tremendous response that they've upped their $25,000 matching donation (which has already been matched!) to $35,000.

Right now A Place To Bark is in second place in the Giving Challenge, but the competition is quickly gaining on us, and only the four charities with the largest number of donations (not the highest amount of money donated) will win the $50,000 grant. These last two days will be crucial. All it takes to help Bernie realize her dream of constructing a shelter building for the hundreds of animals she rescues each year is a $10 tax-deductible donation made through A Place To Bark's Six Degrees badge, which you can find at the A Place To Bark blog or on my previous post: A Place To Meow, A Place To Bark, Another Phone Call From A Foodie Farmgirl, More Prizes, & How To Turn Ten Dollars Into Fifty Thousand. 100% of all donations go directly to the animals.

Everyone who donates will automatically be entered in a drawing for all sorts of wonderful prizes, including signed copies of books and beautiful original works of art created by Bernie and other talented artists.

In addition, I'll be holding two separate drawings: one for a half hour phone call from this foodie farmgirl (we'll chat about whatever you like) and one for a signed copy of the fun new cookbook, The Cornbread Gospels, by Crescent Dragonwagon. Simply leave me a comment or send me an e-mail (farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com) letting me know you made a donation to A Place To Bark and if would like to be entered in one or both of the drawings. Again, thank you!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where the dogs bark whenever they like and life is the cat's meow.

How To Contact Me

There's Nothing Better Than A Big Donkey Hello

Welcome to the farm!

I always love hearing from readers, and your feedback is always greatly appreciated. You're welcome to e-mail me at farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com, but please bear in mind that it can sometimes take me four to six weeks to reply.

If you have a question or comment about one of my recipes, please consider leaving it in a comment on the specific recipe post so others can read and benefit from what you have to say. I receive all blog comments via e-mail, so even if you leave a comment on a very old post I'll receive it and will do my best to reply.

I regret that I am no longer able to answer e-mail messages that are full of general questions about moving to the country or living on a farm. After spending countless hours over the past few years answering these types of messages and then never hearing back from 99% of the senders, I've realized that my limited time is better spent sharing more stories about my crazy country life, posting more recipes and photos, and of course maintaining the farm. However, I'm working on a page of Frequently Asked Farmgirl Questions that I hope to have ready one of these days.

Thanks so much for visiting Farmgirl Fare. I know there are a zillion places you can go online, and I'm thrilled that you've chosen so spend some of your time here with us.

All the best to you,

Farmgirl Susan
FarmgirlFare.com
InMyKitchenGarden.com

Farm Photo 1/27/08: Fence As Farm Art

Form And Function (And Unfortunately Falling Down!)

Want to see more?
Handmade Fence Photos
Farm Landscape Photos
Found Art & Farm Junk Photos

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where we find beauty in the everyday and prefer to use terms like seasoned and weathered rather than broken down and falling apart.

Farm Photo 1/26/08: Donkey On Duty?

Faithful Chicken Guard. . .

Or Donkey Naptime?



I'll Let You Decide

But don't be fooled by the open eyes. Remember, Dan can even sleep standing up.

Want to see more?
Donkey Doodle Dandy Photos
Donkey Photos
Chicken Photos

A year of Farm Photos ago:
1/19/07: Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life Is But A Dream
1/21/07: Nothing Slows Farm Boss Patchy Cat Down
1/25/07: It's Just Not The Same Without Her

Two years ago:
1/22/06: Not Stuck, Just Resting
1/23/06: Watered Down Handmade Fence
1/24/06: Slash
1/25/06: Dusk From A Different View
1/26/06: Can't Look Over Something? Try Looking Through It

And out of the kitchen came:
Savory Cheese & Scallion Scones

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where you grab forty winks whenever you can, and the donkeys are even cuter when they're sitting down.

A Place To Meow: Rescued Pets are the Best

A new furry face on the farm

Many of you know that last June our magnificent New Cat died suddenly, most likely from a snake bite. And then a week later we lost Gretel, a sweetheart of a tabby cat who was my beloved companion for 20 years. What you don't know is that early last November we lost yet another cat, one you'd never met (she was very private). Twin was a beautiful Siamese mix who was Molly Doodlebug's half sister.

Their mother, an incredibly smart calico cat named Ollie, was one of the seven semi-feral felines that came with Windridge Farm. There were several litters of kittens born before I was finally able to get everyone caught up and spayed and neutered.

Twin was an outdoor cat who came to live in the house after she'd had her leg badly torn apart, probably by a coyote. I didn't think she would ever walk again, but with the help of Dr. Susan's Cat Repair Kit, I nursed her back to health (hydrogen peroxide is an amazing thing!), her leg healed up just fine, and she spent ten happy years amusing us in her own quiet way.

She didn't meow, she couldn't purr, and she pretty much stopped moving around once she realized that inaction was the best way to lose The Doodle Monster's constant interest in attacking her.

With both Twin and Gretel gone, only 12-year-old Molly was left in The Shack. The thought of being the 4-1/2 pound Doodle Monster's only potential indoor victim terrified Joe so much that, despite the fact that he happens to be extremely allergic to cats, he suggested we rescue a couple of cats from the always struggling, always overcrowded, and always underfunded no-kill shelter that we've been donating money to for years. Then he let me go there alone.

On December 1st, I visited the shelter and adopted the three adult cats who had been there the longest—because really, three cats is only one more than two. (My dear friend Beth kindly pointed out that three is actually a full 50% more than two, but I told her we weren't doing the math that way and to please keep that fact to herself.)

Topaz, who is pictured above, had been living at the shelter for 15 months. There was a big 'QUARANTINE' stamped on her paperwork because she had bitten a small boy and a teenage girl, and nobody wanted to risk adopting her.

She was curled up on the bed within an hour, and when I crawled in next to her later that night she ever-so-subtly shifted her body so that it was pressed against mine, gave my hand a lick, and began to purr. I started to cry. She's a total foodie, and her favorite place to be is on Joe's lap.

Panther-like Whiskers (who now goes by Mr. Midnight) and frisky little Sarah Kate had both been at the shelter for 8 months. These two are the best of friends, and if they ever stop chasing each other around the house I'll snap some pictures of them and introduce you.

It's been a long time since I've lived with young cats, and adopting this instant family has been way too much fun. I forgot how much energy two-year-old cats have! It's been quite a change going from animals that lay still for so long you have to check to make sure they're still breathing to crazy critters who start their day by doing top-speed laps around the bedroom and bouncing across the bed to wake you up.


Settling Into Life On The Farm

Adopting a pet from a shelter is a win-win situation for everyone. As shelters go, ours is very nice and the animals are treated well. But it isn't home. I'm so glad we could finally give these wonderful, loving cats a real one.

February 2011 update: Topaz is doing great and (for three seasons a year) has turned into quite the farm cat. You'll find lots more photos of her here. You can meet Mr. Midnight here and Sarah Kit Kat Kate here. They're both doing really well, too.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the fur covered foodie farm blog where life is full of laughs and there's always plenty of fresh cream for the cats.

Farm Photo 1/16/08:Menu For Hope A Tremendous Success!

Yo! Do I look like I belong on a menu? I don't think so. And get your mitts off my mizuna!

As you can see, Whitey's foray into motherhood (which is so over, by the way) didn't soften her up one bit. At nearly eight years old, she's as feisty as ever - and having a grand time bossing everybody around. The other day she even laid an egg.

But this post isn't about Whitey The Chicken (though she would like it to be, and I do realize that an update about her and her chicks is long overdue); it's about the Menu For Hope food bloggers' fundraiser which raised a whopping $91,188.00 this year! Through the UN World Food Programme, over 86% of this money will go directly to an innovative school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa which helps not only hungry children but local family farms as well.

Thanks for all of your generous donations, to the dozens of prize donors and the regional hosts, and to Pim for creating this powerful event. Every year it just gets bigger and better. We had a stunning array of prizes raffled off this year, including some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. You'll find the complete list of prizes and winners here.

As for who won the phone call from a foodie farmgirl? A big congratulations goes to longtime Farmgirl Fare reader (and huge fan of my Oatmeal Toasting Bread recipe) Jane Gardner. I'm looking forward to chatting with her and am curious to see what questions she has for me.

And if you were one of the other bidders on my prize (thank you!), you're in luck. I'm going to be offering another phone call from this foodie farmgirl as an incentive for you to donate $10 during a very special January fund drive for one of my favorite charities, A Place To Bark, which is run by one of the most amazing people in the world, artist and animal lover extraordinaire Bernie Berlin.

More details will be posted here in a day or two, but if you hate waiting and want to find out right this minute how your $10, 100% straight to the animals, tax-deductible donation to A Place To Bark will be automatically doubled, then possibly turned into $50,000, which would then be turned into a much needed shelter building for the hundreds of unwanted dogs and cats Bernie rescues each year, you can pop over to A Place To Bark and read this post. Oh yeah, and you might even win one of several great prizes, too.

Thanks again to all of you who helped make this year's Menu For Hope such a tremendous success. We couldn't have done it without you!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog that's sometimes taken over by a small chicken with a big attitude.

100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffin Recipe Made with Honey (and Baking With Your Mom)

Moist and healthy bran muffins made without bran cereal and sweetened with honey. Going whole grain never tasted so good. Overripe pears are the secret!

November 2012 update: Click here to read rave reviews about these muffins from Farmgirl Fare readers, along with some great sounding recipe variations. And you'll find the original version of my wildly popular 100% Whole Grain Bran Muffins here (recipe includes four different flavors, plus all sorts of other ideas in the comments section).

"I'm getting tired of trying take pictures of bran muffins," I complained to my mother. "I love them, but they're just not photogenic."

"Why don't you take a picture of a perfect—oh wait, we don't have any perfect pears. I know! You can take a picture of that last overripe pear sitting next to a muffin!"

I pulled the pear in question out of the crisper drawer of the fridge and examined it.

"I can't put a picture of a bruised and battered piece of fruit on my blog. Nobody wants to see that."

"Why not? It's the secret to the muffins."

Farm Photo 1/12/08: Winter Wash & Dry

You've Heard Of Slow Food? This Is Slow Dry

I love my clothesline and use it all year round. There's nothing like the smell of sheets and towels that have been air-dried on a fresh breeze. Because I'm a certified shrinkmaster, even in winter I shy away from our dryer. (Okay, okay, the crazy thing terrifies me, especially now that it seems to have only one temperature: Flame. Thank god the air-only setting still works so I can fluff up bath sheets without too much fear of turning them into washcloths.)

January weather in Missouri isn't real conducive to line drying, though, so the dirty laundry has really started piling up. You know it's bad when you can do an entire load of only reds and pinks--and it's a king size load. I'm just grateful the sheep don't wear clothes.

Click here to see the R-rated version of today's photo.

Want to see more?
I've aired my clean laundry a couple of times before. You'll find it hanging here and here.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where you never know what you're gonna find.

Farm Photo 1/10/08: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Feline Friend Or Furry Heat Detector?

Actually, the old tin roof on The Shack probably isn't real hot, but the woodstove chimney must put out some heat because cozied up next to it is one of J2's favorite winter places to be. Plus the view is great.

As for the big cracks in the top piece of the chimney, they happened when the whole thing flew onto the lawn during that bad storm back in July 2006 (the one where the greenhouse blew apart and Lindy The Chicken went missing). I figured we could just patch it back together with duct tape (I love that stuff), but Joe used some sort of special high-temp glue instead. So far so good.

Want to see more?
You'll find other pictures of J2 here, lots more farm cat photos here, and various farm life stories and tidbits here.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote acres.

Farm Photo 1/9/08:I've Been Adding To My Heart Rock Collection

In A Big Way

At 5-1/2 inches high, this behemoth is now the second biggest heart rock in my collection. (The ladybug that crawled into the photo shoot helps to give you an idea of its size.) I found it while we were out enjoying a walk around a neglected section of our property on Christmas Day. I can't think of a more perfect gift from the farm.

Want to see more?
You find several other photos of my collection of found heart rocks here, along with a few stories that help explain why a bunch of old rocks holds such a special place in my heart. One of the very first photos I posted on Farmgirl Fare back in June 2005 was of my heart rocks. I think it's an interesting sign that since then, nearly 200 more have joined them on the little stone ledge that hangs on the front of The Shack.

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com

Farm Photo 1/7/08:Cute Things Come In Little Packages

Molly Doodlebug, Twelve Years Old & Still Only 4-1/2 Pounds

Want to see more?
You'll find plenty more pictures of Molly Doodlebug (aka The Doodle Monster) here. There are farm cat tales here and all kinds of cat photos here.

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com

Farm Photo 1/6/08: Stock Dog Inspection

Daphne Is Very Curious - And Bear Is Very Tolerant

Welcome New York Post readers!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

Want to see more?
--There are all sorts of Lucky Buddy Bear photos here
--You're find even more dog photos here
--There are other photos of Daphne here
--And more donkey photos are here

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo 1/1/08:A Donkey With A Sense Of Humor

That Daphne!

Wishing you a fun filled New Year!

A year of Farm Photos ago:
12/26/06: Reflecting On The Bigger Picture & The Little Things
12/27/06: New Cat All Fluffed Up For Winter
12/28/06: Warning Guard Donkey On Duty
12/30/06: Hot Crusty Bread Is Definitely The Stuff Of My Life
12/31/06: Farm Life Is Exhausting (Baby Cary Age Three Weeks)
1/1/07: Two Trees Dancing Under The Morning Mist

And two years ago:
12/26/05: In Loving Memory Of My Brother
12/31/05: Final Sunrise Of The Year
1/1/06: Best Wishes For The New Year
© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com

Recipe: Italian Rosemary Raisin Bread (Pane di Ramerino)

Pane di Ramerino — Italian Rosemary Raisin Bread

For more years than I like to think about, we've been slowly but surely working on a large metal building here on the farm that will one day house our wholesale artisan bread bakery and us. (2011 Update: The bakery is on possibly permanent hold, but we've finally moved in!)

Since progress lately has been more along the lines of slowly rather than surely, we finally broke down and admitted to ourselves that this project was never going to be completed unless we hired some outside help. Besides, The Shack is literally falling down around us.

For the past five weeks our new contractor and his helper have been hard at work by 7:30 nearly every weekday morning. Great headway is being made, and we're both extremely excited. It looks like 2008 really will be The Year We Move Out Of The Shack. It's like a checkbook-draining dream come true.


Home Sweet Soon-to-Be Home

The builders weren't planning to start until the end of this month, but a spot opened up in their schedule and anybody who's ever had construction done or watched the movie "The Money Pit" knows that you never, ever turn away a contractor who is willing to show up and work.

Because of our schedule, however, this has necessitated my becoming more involved with the project at this point than was originally planned.

Suddenly I've been busy making command decisions about phone jacks and bathroom lighting while frantically trying to figure out whether we might someday want to put in a bigger refrigerator or a second seven-foot-wide deck oven.

I also get to go pick stuff up.

I now know what it feels like to spend five and a half hours shopping alone at Lowe's Home Improvement Center. The other day, arriving mostly clueless and clutching a very long list, I systematically worked my way through what felt like 3,000 miles of aisles, pouncing on every one of those PRESS THIS BUTTON IF YOU NEED HELP thingies I could find.

But since the store was practically empty of customers - everybody else was apparently out shopping for holiday presents rather than junction box covers and 33 feet of 10-3 wire for the dryer - there was only a skeleton crew on the floor. The third time this one guy rounded a corner and saw me standing by the help button he actually blurted out, "Not you again!" At least he was smiling when he said it.

After I'd sweet talked another guy into helping me pick through an enormous pile of 2x4s in search of 32 really pretty ones (did you know you can use a garden hoe to pull the far stacks of boards within reach?), and yet another one into helping me secure said 2x4s (along with the several dozen other boards I'd picked out myself) in the bed of the truck, I headed out into the dark and foggy rain for the 90 mile drive back to the farm, smiling at the half-price rosemary topiary I'd treated myself to as a reward for making it out of the store alive.

It's important to learn new things, and I'm proud that I can now carry on a semi-intelligent conversation about RACO boxes, ring shanks, and SEU cable. I understand the difference between full round head and clipped head nails, and I've fallen head over heels for 1x4s, which from now on I will refer to as 'girl boards.' I also know more than I ever thought possible about breaker boxes and pulling amps.

This is all very thrilling of course, but I'd much rather be baking than taking Wiring 101, especially as I watch our bread bakery finally becoming a reality. It's a proven fact that all workers are 50% more productive when they've been well fed (no, really), and our two builders informed me early on that they love baked goods of any sort.

When I'm not stuffing them with molasses ginger spice snaps, Mexican monkey cake, or my whole wheat chocolate chip and raisin cookies—which they both declared were the best cookies they'd ever eaten—I've been experimenting with new bread recipes, including this one.


It's almost too pretty to eat.

Italian Rosemary Raisin Bread
(Pane di Ramerino)
Makes 2 small loaves - Adapted slightly from Bread

This is the second recipe I've made from a wonderful European book called Bread: Artisan Breads from Baguettes and Bagels to Focaccia and Brioche by authors and cooking instructors Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno (he's French, she's Italian). If you learn best by looking at pictures, then this is definitely the book for you because it's packed with gorgeous, full-color photos.

And while it's perfect for beginners, I think many experienced bakers would also enjoy it. I've already discovered all sorts of handy tips and useful nuggets of information. The carrot herb rolls I created last month using the carrot bread recipe were a big hit, and there are several other breads I'm planning to make. At around $15, this book is also a bargain.

Pane di ramerino has been baked daily throughout Tuscany since the early 16th century. As you can see, this is a beautiful bread, and it would not only be perfect to serve to guests but would also make a lovely gift. Thankfully the recipe makes two small loaves so you can spread the yeasty joy and still have some left for yourself.

I never would have thought to combine raisins and rosemary in bread, but the result is delicious. The flavor of the rosemary is subtle, so double the amount if you want to taste it more.

This is a rich, easy-to-work-with dough made with milk, olive oil (which adds another layer of flavor) and eggs. The texture of the crumb is reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. This bread freezes beautifully and can even be sliced while still frozen. (I use a large serrated knife.)



It also makes amazing toast, which I've been eating slathered with apricot jam and thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese. This may sound like an odd combination, but it reminds me of the cheese and chutney sandwiches I was introduced to by an English pal when I was a kid.

The authors claim pane di ramerino is a superlative breakfast bread and "quite simply the best accompaniment to fresh goat cheese." My friend Amanda, who writes about glorious Mediterranean food at Figs Olives Wine, suggested using this bread to make her cool weather bruschetta with ricotta salata and thyme. Mmmmmm. I'm thinking it would also make marvelous French toast - perhaps for brunch on New Year's Day.

I've never had good luck using those little packets of yeast, and they're pricey. Instead I buy instant yeast in inexpensive 1-pound packages and store it in a jar in the freezer, where it will keep for at least a year.

3¾ cups organic bread flour (1 lb, 2¾ oz - 533 g) plus a little more while kneading
2 teaspoons instant yeast**
1/2 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1½ packed cups (4½ oz - 127 g) raisins
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons salt

1. Mix the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs. Mix to form a soft, sticky dough, adding extra flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too moist.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead 6 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

3. Knead in the 1½ teaspoons salt, and continue kneading until the dough is silky, springy, and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a plastic lidded container (or in a large bowl covered with a damp tea towel) and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.

Shaped loaves ready for proofing

5. Divide the dough into two pieces. Shape each into a round loaf and place on a well floured couche or work counter. If you don't have a baking stone (they make the best pizza and bread!), bake your focaccia on a heavy duty baking sheet. I've been using the heck out of some of my commercial rimmed baking sheets for 20 years for everything from baking scones to roasting Brussels sprouts.

Lightly dust tops of loaves with flour and cover with a damp tea towel.

6. Put the baking stone in the cold oven and heat to 400 degrees (never put a cold stone in a hot oven). Proof loaves until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Note: the book says that the loaves will spread and look slightly flat after rising, but will rise up dramatically during the initial stages of baking. Mine didn't flatten out, but my dough was on the dense side.)

7. Cut a slash, 1/2 inch deep, across the top of the loaf, then another in the opposite direction to make an "X."

8. Bake in the preheated oven (directly on the baking stone if you're using one) until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath, about 30 minutes with a baking stone and 45 minutes without. Cool on a wire rack.

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

**A NOTE ON YEAST: I prefer to use instant yeast when baking bread because you can add it straight in with the dry ingredients. If you're using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you'll need to proof it first.

For this recipe, place the 1/2 cup of warm milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Add this yeast mixture to the flour along with the rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs.

Instant yeast is stronger than active dry yeast, so some bakers recommend using up to 25% more active dry yeast than the amount of instant yeast called for in a recipe (that would be 2½ teaspoons for this recipe). Others substitute active yeast for instant yeast 1 to 1. This may take your dough a little longer to rise, but that will only result in even better tasting bread.

Alternately, if a recipe calls for active dry yeast and you want to substitute instant yeast, you may want to use a little less. The original version of this recipe actually called for 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and I simply used 2 teaspoons of instant yeast instead.

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

Farm Photo 12/25/07: Today's Holiday Performance Schedule

Who needs TV when you have Lucky Buddy Bear?

There will be breakdancing by the barn at 1:00 and 3:00, along with a special bedtime performance at 5:00 which will be followed immediately by molasses tuck-in treats for all.

Have a Merry & Amusing Christmas!

A year of Farm Photos ago:
12/24/06: There Are So Many Ways To Show Someone You Love Them
12/25/06: Wishing You Life's Simple Joys This Christmas

And two years ago:
12/24/05: It's Over 100 Years Old But Should Work Just Fine
12/24/05: Christmas Eve Greetings From The Farm
12/25/05: Merry Christmas To You

© FarmgirlFare.com

Recipe Revisited: Cranberry Christmas Scones

These Cranberry Christmas Scones Are Tasty Any Time Of Year

Sometimes I forget about recipes. I hadn't made these yummy little scones in months, but when a reader sent me a note recently telling me she'd made them six times in the past two weeks and was about to mix up two more batches, I couldn't stop thinking about them. The idea of maybe getting a nice updated photo of this tried and true recipe was all the excuse I needed to head into the kitchen.

Since there are many scone recipes that call for lots more butter than mine do, I decided I would experiment and see what happened if I tossed in several extra tablespoons of butter. I rationalized this research by telling myself that the scones wouldn't actually be any richer than usual; the butter I usually slathered on top was simply going into the dough. And they would even be easier to eat.

Unfortunately sometimes I also forget to add all the ingredients when I'm following a recipe. Many years ago, not long after I'd first started baking yeast breads, I was shaping some French bread dough into rounds for a dinner party and realized that when I was mixing up the dough I'd forgotten to add the salt. Since there was no way to get the salt into the dough at that point, I sprinkled it over the tops of the loaves. Then I went out and foolishly admitted this to the dinner guests. They laughed in my face, but I didn't feel too bad because they ended up devouring every bit of that warm and crusty, saltless bread.

It wasn't until I'd pulled this batch of scones out of the oven that I realized I'd somehow forgotten to add the sugar. Thinking back to that French bread, I spritzed the tops with water and proceeded to sprinkle so much sugar on them it looked like we'd had a light snow in the kitchen.

The scones were perfectly edible, but that 1/4 cup of sugar in the dough really does make a difference. (In fact, another 1/4 cup probably wouldn't hurt.) And adding the extra butter turned out to be totally unnecessary. The scones weren't any flakier, and the bottoms actually ended up a little greasy.

If you're looking for an easy and delicious way to impress your guests and brighten up your holiday breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea, I invite you to give these cranberry Christmas scones a try. You'll find the original recipe here. As long as you remember to keep the sugar inside and the extra butter on top, I think you'll really enjoy them.

© 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 12/22/07:Strange Things Happen On The Solstice

Did He Stretch That Fence With His Ears?

Happy first day of winter!

A year of Farm Photos ago:
12/17/06: J2 With A Good View
12/18/06: Autumn Sunflower 2
12/19/06: Cary Can Find A Snack Anywhere
12/20/06: Goodbye Autumn
12/21/06: A Beautiful First Day Of Winter

And two years ago:
12/17/05: She's Not Over There
12/18/05: Do You Think She's Been Stolen?
12/18/05: WCB: A Glint Of Trouble In The Doodle Monster's Eyes
12/19/05: Donkey Doodle Dandy Is Fluffing Up For Winter
12/20/05: Farewell To My Favorite Season In Missouri
12/21/05: Happy First Day Of Winter

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com

Farm Photo 12/19/07:How The Mighty Have Fallen

I Could Spend Hours Taking Pictures Of Leaves

And you could spend hours perusing the dozens of wonderful prizes (some of which still have a 1 in 2 chance of winning!) offered up by food bloggers around the world for this year's Menu For Hope. Each $10 donation buys a virtual raffle ticket toward any of the prizes, which include a phone call from me and--better yet--a signature cookie recipe created especially for you or someone you love by my best baking pal, Beth. How cool would that be?

Over 86% of all donations go directly to an innovative school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa that helps both hungry children and local farmers. You'll find lots more information about Menu For Hope (which ends Sunday!) here.

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com.

Farm Photo 12/17/07:It's Never Too Cold For A Tummy Rub

Or is that an upside down happy dance?

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

We won! Farmgirl Fare has been named Best Rural Food Blog in the Well Fed Network's 2007 Food Blog Awards. Many thanks to all of you who voted for us, and to the judges for their hard work. A big congratulations to the 13 other winners, and to the other finalists in the rural category - Nami-Nami (Estonia), Garlic Breath (France), and Lucullian Delights (Italy) are three of my favorite food blogs.

And now I have to go break it to the sheep that there isn't any actual food associated with winning a Food Blog Award. (It's hard to think about anything else when you're walking around with four stomachs.)

© 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 12/16/07: Winter, Take One

So We Had A Little Snowstorm Blow In

A year of Farm Photos ago:
12/12/06: Where Does The Time Go?
12/13/06: Breakfast In The Front Field Back In Late October
12/14/06: Summer In The Barn, Autumn On The Ridge
12/16/06: It's All In The Light

Two years ago:
12/11/05: Ever Cut Firewood In The Snow? I Have!
12/11/05: Weekend Dog & Donkey Blogging
12/12/05: Frolicking On The Farm
12/13/05: Yo! So I'm Not Good Enough To Donate?
12/15/05: The Weathered Look Is Very In Around Here
12/16/05: Where Did She Go?

And out of the kitchen came:
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners & Baking With A Faraway Buddy

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

Farm Photo 12/15/07: Farm Art

Still Life With Barbed Wire & Buck Brush

Have you ordered from the Menu For Hope yet?
Just a reminder that our annual food blogger fundraiser is going on now. Your $10 donation will support an innovative school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa and buy you a raffle ticket toward one of dozens of amazing prizes. Read more about Menu For Hope (including the prize I'm offering this year) here. Wondering how your money is spent? Over 86% of donations go directly to the children and farmers in Lesotho.

© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com.

Farm Photo 12/14/07: Good Next Door Neighbors

They Aren't Nosy & Are Obviously Into Food

Have you voted for your favorite food blogs yet?
Voting for the 2007 Food Blog Awards ends tonight at 11:59pm EST. There are 14 categories to vote in, and Farmgirl Fare is up for Best Food Blog - Rural!

Farm Photo 12/13/07: Slow Traffic Ahead

As Seen Through My Windshield

When a discount chain builds a megastore out here, they put in new stoplights and create special turn lanes. When an Amish community moved to the area last spring, yellow traffic signs popped up along the highway sporting pictures of horse-drawn buggies and asking us to Share The Road. I gladly do.

As for taking this picture, don't worry--there were no other cars around and I'd slowed down to one horsepower speed.

© 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 12/11/07: It's A Small World

Moss Capped Peaks On A Wooden Landscape

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

Food Blog Awards Reminder:
Have you voted for the 2007 Food Blog Awards yet? Hint, hint: Farmgirl Fare is up for Best Food Blog - Rural. There are 13 other categories to vote for, too. The polls close Friday, December 14th at 11:59pm EST.