Chick in a hat

I just couldn't help but try out the minature hat and scarf that I made on one of our new chicks! She wasn't too impressed. When the power went out last month I seriously thought I might have to be knitting 40 of these to keep them warm! Thanks to the generator we didn't lose any of the babies. Whew! Good idea to raise the girls through the winter IF we don't have a cold winter. We look forward to the yummy eggs these girls will give us in the spring.

Christmas at The Barn Store

Wow! I knew it had been a while since I posted anything on my blog but I didn't realize it had been since October. I promise to do better in the new year.
I've got lots of things for Christmas gifts in the store.....granola, trail mix, jam, honey and of course, lots of knit things. Who wouldn't love to have an alligator scarf? I've got some lovely holly to add to your home or wreaths. I'm going to collect a few huge spruce cones from a friend. Think of something fun to do with those. I'd love to tell you that we have eggs but the chickens are taking a bit of a break through the winter. They just don't like these short days. We're open every day, as usual, so stop by and browse.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Now, this is the time of the year to be eating all those root vegies that you grew (or buy at the store). Probably my favorite way to eat those is to roast them. I peel beets, sweet potatoes or yams (I know, I know....we don't grow those here), scrub carrots and potatoes and cut them into about 1/2" to 1" pieces. You can add peeled garlic cloves or just about any other vegetables but I like the root vegies the best. Lay them on a baking sheet with sides. Generously pour olive oil over the top....and I mean generously. I bet I use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil. Using your fingers toss the vegies around until you're sure they are all coated in oil. Salt generously. Bake at 400 degrees about 45 minutes or till vegies are getting quite brown. The bottom starts to carmelize just a bit. These are soooo good! The kids love them! I just warmed up last nights leftover roasted vegies under the broiler for lunch.

Donut Day at The Barn Store

This is just the remnants of Donut Day! I didn't do a final count on donuts and maple bars but we must've fried at least 200 of them. Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed. And to those that didn't hear or couldn't attend yesterday, maybe we'll have to do another one this fall. That's not a promise, just a thought. I think this time, though, I'll have Ron do the frying and I'll socialize at the Barn. He had all the fun!

Kindergarten Pumpkin Day

The eight kindergarten kids from Orcas Christian School came to pick out pumpkins from our garden last Friday. Oh, what fun it was! They got to ride down the road on the trailer being pulled by the tractor. We even sang a couple of songs on the way. Lunch was next with some hot chocolate and warm pumpkin bread that Steffanee Roach made. Next (finally) came the Great Pumpkin Pick! Those pumpkins were hiding everywhere but 5 and 6 year olds don't have trouble hunting them out. Everyone ended up with the pumpkin of their choice. Mrs. May has plans for them at school next week! A story, an art project and then it was time to go. Two hours fly by when you're outside having fun. Away they went on the tractor/trailer and back to school. We hope to do that again next year!

Fall Donut Day

We've had a tradition going on here for the last couple of years and it's going to happen again this coming Saturday. It's "Donut Day"! Come one, come all and enjoy the fresh donuts! This is a recipe that was passed down from my mom and is soooo good. I expect John to be here to get the first donut like my dad used to do. We'll supply the coffee and donuts and maybe we'll even make a few maple bars for Ronna. They're best when they're warm so we'll plan on having these out of the oil and glazed by 11:00. This is a "thank you" to all our friends plus the new ones we've met this summer through the Barn Store. Thank you all!

Pies at the Barn

The pies are cooling and will be ready in The Barn Store tomorrow (Sat.) by 10:00am. Local apple and mixed berries are your choice to have for lunch or dinner. These little pies go quickly so come early. They're perfect to share with someone you love......although, Ron will sit down with a fork and devour one all by himself!