Cherry Tree and Mache Lettuce

I promise...no more today. But this was the view out my kitchen door this morning.
If you look close you can see the Cherry tree just barely starting to open.And that green grass by the bird bath is mache lettuce...that is flowering. The little tree in the back is my Santa Barbara Peach. It hasn't opened yet. This winter John planted 3 cherries and the peach. We have a Seek-No-Further Apple and a Pumpkin Russet Apple along with a Blenheim Apricot.... o.k. that's all for today. Enough is enough.....

I'm Not Kidding You

I'll keep this short.
I really did hesitate on if I should show you this...or not. But I'm not kidding. These flowers are really blooming in my garden...today. February 10th. To be fair...it has been raining alot. But this morning we woke to clear sunny skies and a warm sun. Took Buddy for his walk in my slippers. Then headed out to the garden in a t-shirt in see what was blooming. I won't dwell on it. We are going to walk downtown now for some tea. There is an old plum tree in full bloom right now at The Old Mission in downtown San Luis Obispo. I want to get a picture of it before it goes by to share with you...Spring Dreams, my friends....

A Chicken Called ...Buttercup !

Yesterday I am over at Borders crusing the isles and I come to the Farm Section. You know the one..where there is Mary Jane's Farm, Hobby Farms Home, British Country Living, The Herb Companion,Culture..the one that shows you how to make your own cheese...more on that later....Mother Earth News..and then I see it. What is that? A magazine on Chickens? It is...I grab it and head to checkout. I know this is for me...

I told John the other day that this spring I want to get some chickens. Every spring over at Farm Supply they have the baby chicks. And every year I stand there and yearn. But with all the remodeling here at Farmhouse...a chicken coop was like the last thing on the list...but we MIGHT be getting close. It doesn't need to be the Rolls Royce of chicken coops..at least not for now..I have seen the ones that look like a cottage from Carmel set in a cherry tree orchard with the window boxes spilling over with red and yellow geraniums, shutters on the windows, a little peaky shingled wood roof and a gaslight lampost leading to the front door...but that's just not going to happen this year....we still need to do the bathroom.... I'll take the simplest I can get just to have the chickens.

So I opened it and what a whole new world. Did you know there is a yellow chicken?The last picture is of that variety. They even give sources for mail order. I am IN LOVE with her....and there is a variety called Buttercup...Oh, please...how much more belovedness can I take. Buttercup !

I have visions of the girls lazily pecking through the garden on a warm spring day. High white fluffy clouds in the sky...maybe a light drizzle for late in the afternoon. My clothes, sheets and yellow gingham tea towels are flapping in the March wind on the clothesline out back. I am gathering a small stack of wood to start the fire with tonight in the woodstove and am picking rhubarb to make into a small pie for after supper. A small bouquet of sweet peas that I picked this morning fills the kitchen with the fragrance of bubble gum and spice. A basket of straw filled with brown eggs from the girls sits on the drainboard ready to be made into a country quiche for supper. ...sigh...

I am thinking of naming them after my italian aunts that still farm up in Santa Cruz. Rose, Maria, and Diana...Hope they don't mind. Maybe I won't tell them.

....and the teacup goes to....Lorrie

Well I have to say that this really was alot of fun..and the winner of the sprig teacup giveaway is LORRIE from lilylovekin tails.....Congratulations, my friend...
Lorrie, email me at myfarmhousekitchen@yahoo.com with your snail mail address and it will be on it's way with all good wishes...with love from, Kary

Double Jackpot

So I am pushing the cart along at the grocery store...fighting the Super Bowl shopping crowds..and I am thinking.....pork chops....with I don't know....broccoli ?...That doesn't sound too good....and I am over in the meat section...have the pork chops in my cart...and then I see it. Lurking in the meat section. A beautiful rib eye steak. One and a half pounds..perfect for 2.Jackpot. So I dump the pork chops, plop the beef in the cart ,head to the produce and what do I see there? Fresh asparagus. Double jackpot.

Came home and got out the cast iron skillet. That's what I am cooking the roast in.

After the roast comes out of the oven I will let it rest while I whirl up some yorkshire pudding batter...I'll heat the cooking fat (sorry, my new diet) and add the batter. Let it bake till it puffs way up and turns golden brown and serve it with au jus. I also got fresh horseradish and sour cream to go along side. Hello Mr. Toast...I think I am in your territory with this meal...being english and all..am I right , my friend?

As far as the asparagus goes I am just roasting it in the oven with olive oil and some of my precious pink sea salt.

I have been making yorkshire pudding and roast beef since I was in high school and still living at home. And I ALWAYS used the recipe from my FAVORITE cookbook. "The Treasury Of Great Recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price. You can see how soiled the pages are...well worn and well loved....indeed.


The drawing for the sprig tea cup is Monday and your response has overwhelmed me.
I saw some cute Valentine cookies today and a tin of Spring Cherry tea so I'll sweeten the pot with those goodies too..A little bit of Spring Cheer. I think we could all use some of that right about now.

Thank you all for your kind comments. It makes me feel good knowing that there are so many wonderful people out in this world. I am so lucky to have met each and every one of you. You're THE BEST !

Giveaway At Farmhouse For A Teacup

O.K. well, I am coming close to my 200th post on My Farmhouse Kitchen and thought it would be time to do a Giveaway...I thought about what it should be. Hmmmmm

And then it hit me..A Sprigware Teacup. Cause it's what Farmhouse is all about. Friends...stopping by to visit and have a cup of tea and a warm cookie just out of the oven.

I have collected Sprigware for a very long time and I just love it.They are pieces of porcelain that are very old...most of what I have came from my cruising ebay...and it seemed that time and time again..when I would get a piece..it usually came from somewhere up in New England...

So my dear sweet ones, please leave a comment and I'll add your name to the bucket for the draw which I will do next week....and as I reach my 200th post it makes me reflect on what this blog world has done for my life.It has enriched it in ways I never could have imagined. When I started back in July of 2009, I had bought a camera and I didn't even know where you turned it on. Jeff ... Sharon's husband taught me how. Thanks Jeff ! Little did I know then..that by turning on the button to a camera..I would also be turning on a light in my life. And that light in my life is all of you. I cherish all of your friendships...and I have been lucky enough to make some very, very dear friends...you mean the world to me and I love you all...

Bessie's Dilly Bread

So last night we had the soup and the dilly bread. We got home kind of late after taking Buddy for a walk at Avila Beach, but the great thing about this bread is that you can mix it all up and when you're ready just pop it into the oven. It is pretty much fool-proof in that it is really just a batter bread. No real kneading or critical timing here. Just mix everything together and let it rise..usually for about an hour..more or less isn't going to make much difference .After about an hour I just punch it down, cover it back up and let it go till I am ready to bake it.

After taking it out of the oven Bessie always rubbed fresh soft butter over the top and sprinkled it with salt. Now that we have the "fancy salt"...I sprinkled some pink sea salt on it. I bake mine in a cast iron skillet..it calls for an 8 ' round casserole, but since we have a Farmhouse theme going on over here..I like the cast iron skillet...it just looks so cute.

When it first came out I sliced off a couple of bites and we smeared some (more) butter on. It smelled so good in here ...and we nibbled away like 2 mice.

We just about polished it off last night with the grated Gruyere melting on top...but there was just enough to have a couple of pieces toasted this morning for breakfast. Lucky Us !


Bessie's Dilly Casserole Bread

1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup large curd cottage cheese...how farmy is that?
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon instant dried minced onion
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
2 Teaspoons dried dill seeds
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over water and dissolve
Heat cottage cheese till just warm
Combine in bowl with sugar, onion,butter, dill seeds, salt and baking soda
Add egg
Add dissolved yeast
Add enough flour to make a stiff batter
Beat well
Cover and let rise about 60 minutes or till doubled
Stir down and put into a well greased 8 " round casserole....I went cast iron skillet
Cover and let 40 minutes...( I let mine go 2 hours and it was fine)
Bake at preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. If it starts getting too brown cover it with foil...( I didn't need to)

Remove from oven and rub the top with a dollop of butter and sprinkle with sea salt
( You don't have to, but it makes the top shiny and pretty..and it tastes GOOD)

Your kitchen will smell good and everybody will be HAPPY