Homestead at Bridle Creek

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Archives for February 2016

Luther is Missing! Just another day in the Life of Luther

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Luther one monthLuther is one month old!  I can hardly believe it!  The life of my little ‘miracle’ turkey has been anything but boring!  Luther has been growing by leaps and bounds!  He’s no longer being toppled by the crazed chick we call Chickzilla.   He and his little turkey buddy have been inseparable. . . . so, imagine my shock to find that Luther had flown the coop!  Somehow he had gotten out of the brooder – and gone missing.  The day he disappeared resulted in a tearing apart of the hatchery (aka laundry room) – something I really didn’t have time for!  Luther usually responds to my voice – but not this time.  I couldn’t imagine his little legs taking him very far.  His wings have been feathering out – but not enough to carry him any distance.  Where was this bird?!  Even our Labrador was stumped.

Several hours into the mystery – I heard his call.  It was faint – but unmistakable.  It seems that Luther had escaped his little birdie prison (I’m thinking Steve McQueen – “The Great Escape” –  I’m sure that is how it went down!).  He apparently had hopped out and couldn’t figure out how to hop back in. . . . (only someone who has raised turkeys can truly understand this truism!).  He had gotten cold, and so slipped behind the clothes dryer and decided to cozy up inside the base of the dryer where it was nice and warm ( I actually do laundry on occasion).  We are fortunate that he didn’t end up a little turkey popper!

So, mystery solved and turkey retrieved (several hours shot!!!), Luther, Chickzilla, his little Buddy and our other little chicken (no name) were moved to the big house. . . . The San Quintin of brooders.  They no longer reside in the laundry room. . . . San Quintin is too large.  They are in the garage – in a maximum security facility until they are large enough and the nights are warm enough to move them up with the big birds.

The laundry room counter is still a hatchery.  There are  several dozen turkey eggs in varying stages of incubation – many will be hatching any day.  There will be more noise (and smell) in the laundry room  – but it will not be the same as little Luther. . . He is undeniably a little miracle bird.  Watching him grow up will  no doubt continue to be quite an adventure.  I’ll keep you posted,

Kathy

For My Valentine

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Sourdough Crepes with orange cream cheese It’s no secret that I love breakfast.  I love it so much that I could eat it any hour of the day – or all day, for that matter….  So, when I came up with this recipe for sourdough crepes, it was a double whammy!  A delicious crepe – and a use for the sourdough starter that seems to grow exponentially at our house.

So, for Valentine’s Day this year, I am serving Crepes.  (It’s as close to a trip to Paris as we are going to get this year!)  The last time I made these – the aroma wafting through the house woke Dave – and he came into the kitchen very excited about whatever it was I was making.  After having them for breakfast, I thought about them for the entire day. . . . .I am still thinking about them!

These beauties are spread with orange cream cheese – and drizzled with heated homemade orange jelly, but they can be filled and topped to your liking.

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Orange Jelly

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Orange Jelly

Tart, sweet, fresh - like having oranges on toast!
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Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 6 whole oranges washed, and sliced - peeling and all
  • granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • To the lemon juice, add 2 ¼ cups water - (yielding 3 cups liquid)
  • Slice the oranges and place into a non reactive 5 quart pot or container.
  • Pour the lemon juice/water mixture over the orange slices and allow to stand overnight – or eight hours.
  • In the morning, or after eight hours, boil the oranges until soft.
  • Press through a jelly bag and strain.
  • Measure the juice, and for each two cups of juice, add 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar.
  • Bring the juice/sugar mixture to a boil, and boil rapidly to the jelly stage. To test for the jelly stage, dip a cold metal spoon into the jelly. Draw your finger across the back of the spoon. If it leaves a clean, open trail, the jelly is done. (This is usually about 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.)
  • Pour the jelly into sterilized canning jars, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top.
  • Wipe rims, put on cap and screw band firmly tight.
  • Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Sourdough Crepes

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Sourdough Crepes

No need to refrigerate this batter overnight. Light, spongy, everything you want in a crepe - plus -it is a great way to use up that unfed sourdough starter!
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unfed sourdough starter
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 2 Tablespoons butter melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk - as needed to thin batter

Instructions
 

  • Instructions
  • Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
  • In a medium bowl, or the container of your blender, combine all ingredients – except the milk.
  • Add milk slowly, until the desired consistency is achieved. You want the batter to be about the consistency of heavy whipping cream.
  • Butter the hot skillet.
  • Pour ¼ to 1/3 cup batter into the center of the pan.
  • Pick up the pan and tilt/swirl the batter in a circular pattern around the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook for about 45 seconds or until the edges of the pancake begin to pull away from the pan,
  • Loosen the edges with a silicone spatula and flip the pancake. Cook for an additional 20-30 seconds.
  • Remove crepe from pan. Place on plate and cover while you cook the remaining crepes.

Notes

Serve with jam, berries, fruit, whipped cream, ricotta, cream cheese, or syrup.

Luther’s Little Buddy!

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turkey hatchFinally – a buddy for Luther……sigh.  Luther is no longer the smallest bird in our flock of insanity.  Yesterday’s surprise was finding this little one in the incubator.  The two  eggs in our final stage incubator had been still for way longer than I had anticipated – never a good sign – and I had given up hope that they would hatch.

new baby 2I went into the incubation room (also used for things like laundry – when I get around to it) to check the humidity level – and was surprised that the two eggs had been moved completely across the floor of the incubator.  Being the only one home, I was mystified.  Both shells appeared to be totally intact.  How did they get there? And then I saw it – a big brown eye – staring up at me from a little yellow face – Buddy was born!

clean hatch

The hatch was so perfect, that the shell was left intact – very unusual.  This is a very strong and efficient bird – no mess – no drama….just down to business.  What a bird!  It is evident, that of all our Toms, Ferdinand – our Spanish Black – is the father of all turkeys so far.  These should be a fantastic cross.

 

luther meets buddyTheir first mWhat's a Buddy Foreeting was quite comical…Luther is the one with his face in the corner, and the one hiding behind the baby. . . Luther may be sweet – but brave – he is not.

Time will give this little one it’s name, but for now,          Luther has a buddy!

Here’s what’s Happening on the Homestead

Spring.  Just the word congers up images of blossoms and bunnies, eggs and chicks. . . . and catalogs filled with tableware, linens and all the fresh spring color imaginable. . . . so when my spring edition of the Pier1 catalog arrived – I was immediately drawn to devour every page.  The dinnerware, table settings, linens were, in typical Pier1 form, a wonderful feast for the eyes. pier1-catalog-page

But, there was one thing that especially drew my attention. . .their adorable folded napkins – especially the little bunnies in the upper right corner of the page. The catalog directed readers to log on to their website for instructions  – which I immediately did.

Upon arriving at the page, I  searched for the Bunny Fold pier-one-bunny-ears-directionsand found this.   I grabbed some cloth napkins (which happened to be from Pier1) and, following their directions, began folding.  It only took me to the 4th step to figure out that there was a real problem with the directions – they were rolling from the wrong side of the napkin. . . and by the final step – it was unmistakable.

wrong-way-bunny-napkinI had created this.  I took an unfolded napkin and the directions to my husband – who, as a builder, reads instructions for a living  . . . and his response was immediate – these are not right.  They have rolled from the long side and not the point – and used directions for a granny knot.  It needs to be an ‘overhand’ knot.  (50 plus years of scouting – he should know his knots!)

After making a few simple changes – rolling from the point and using an overhand knot – the finished product looked like the one in the Pier1 picture.  Success!    folded-bunny-napkin-perfection

 And so, as much as I LOVE Pier1, no one is infallible.  I have done my own set of instructions, including pictorials, for your use should you be wanting to try these little treasures.  Such a simple way to dress up a spring  or Easter table.

Just Click Here to go to the instructions.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy,

Kathy

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Established in 1989, the Homestead at Bridle Creek has risen from acres of oaks and scrub brush to a  [Continue Reading …]

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