Howdy Tribe,
Welcome to March!
What a time we are having. Not only are we preparing to move the farm we are now transitioning off-grid. So many things can bring about feelings of stress and anxiety and these are ranking up there with living as we are without running water.
The wind is so insane we just watched our chicken tractor (mentioned in the March 2023 edition of the Oasis Farm report under the Found on The Farm section) be launched halfway across the property. It has been collected but unfortunately is in serious need of repairs which would be impossible to do with this wind.
So now the question is where will Foghorn and his ladies sleep tonight?
The stress and anxiety are palpable and not one of us here on the farm is immune to it. Keeping strong and not losing our minds can be extra challenging when the winds are blowing at 30+ mph and destroying things right in front of our eyes all while we are completely incapable of doing anything more than we have already to try to mitigate issues before they have a chance to become problems.
We continue to try to be strong for each other and work our way through each new challenge and while some days are dreary we continue to relish the days that bring us smiles and visible forward progress. With the others, we choose to glean the lessons and then move on.
As you read through the March Fun 411 below I encourage you to pick a few of the “Days” throughout the month that make you smile or even just smirk and celebrate the day. Have fun, be fun, and encourage fun.
Side Note:
If you’re having a tough time figuring out how to answer that dreaded question (moms know this one), many days below celebrate some food or ingredient (
noted by bold & italics). Pick a couple that inspire you and use them to help plan your meal.
Let the calendar help answer that dreaded question for you.
March Fun 411:
Flower: Daffodil, Jonquil
Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone (courage)
3-1
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
National Pig Day
3-2
Old Stuff Day
Reuben Grill Day
3-3
I Want You to Be Happy Day
If Pets Had Thumbs Day
3-4
Hug a GI Day
3-5
Multiple Personality Day
3-6
National Oreo Cookie Day
3-7
Crown Roast of Pork Day
National Cereal Day
3-8
National Proof Reading Day
3-9
Get Over It Day
Genealogy Day
International Fanny Pack Day
3-10
New Moon
Day Light Saving Begins
International Find a Pay Phone Booth
Middle Name Pride Day
3-11
Johnny Appleseed Day
Worship of Tools Day
3-12
Plant a Flower Day
Girl Scouts Day
3-13
Smart & Sexy Day
Ear Muff Day
3-14
National Pi Day
Learn About Butterflies Day
National Potato Chip Day
Popcorn Lover’s Day
3-15
Ides of March
Buzzards Day
Dumbstruck Day
3-16
National Quilting Day
Giant Panda Bear Day
Everything You Do is Right Day
3-17
St. Patrick’s Day
Corned Beef & Cabbage Day
3-18
Awkward Moments Day
Goddess of Fertility Day
Supreme Sacrifice Day
3-19
Earth Day
Tea for Two Tuesday
Let’s Laugh Day
Poultry Day
National World Agriculture Day
3-20
Spring (Vernal) Equinox
International Day of Happiness
International Earth Day
Proposal Day
World Sparrow Day
3-21
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
World Poetry Day
3-22
As Young As You Feel Day
National Goof Off Day
World Chipmunk Day
3-23
National Chip & Dip Day
Melba Toast Day
National Puppy Day
3-24
National Cheesesteak Day
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
3-25
Full Worm Moon
Pen Lunar Eclipse
Pecan Day
International Waffle Day
3-26
Live Long and Prosper Day
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
National Spinach Day
3-27
National “Joe” Day
3-28
Something on a Stick Day
Weed Appreciation Day
3-29
Good Friday
Smoke & Mirrors Day
World Piano Day
National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day
3-30
I am in Control Day
National Doctor’s Day
Turkey Neck Soup Day
3-31
Easter Sunday
National Crayon Day
National Clam on the Half Shell Day
For the Month:
Irish American Heritage Month
Music in Our Schools
For the Month Nationally:
National Irish American Heritage Month (designated by Congress)
National Celery Month
National Craft Month
National Nutrition Month
National Peanut Month
National Women’s History Month
Slàinte Mhath, from the Oasis
La Vita e’ Bella, M.o.M. (Mistress of the Manor)
The Oasis Farm Population +/- 74
Caretakers: 3
Cats: 4
Chickens: +/- 47
Cows Beef: 0
Cows Dairy: 0
Dogs: 3
Goats: 2
Pigs: 0
Rabbits +/- 6
Sheep: 6
Turkeys: 3
If you have something and are interested in gifting, bartering, trading, or selling let us know.
There are so many items needed on diversified farms such as ours.
Building a relationship with your local farmer is one more way to know more about your food while helping to keep small farms like ours viable.
It will be a win-win!
Thank you in advance.
-Livestock Trailer (goose-neck preferred)
-Fencing
-Egg Fridge
-Hay &/or Grain Feeders
-Painted Desert Ewe/Ewe Lamb (looking to diversify genetics)
-Eggs
$5.00/dozen
Veterans pricing $4.00/dozen
-Pick-up and Delivery by pre-arrangement
Bawk, Bawk, Bawk…let’s talk chicken.
How much do you know about chickens?
Chickens are one of my most favorite animals on the farm (technically they all are my favorites, but don’t tell the chickens.) Their colors are amazing, the eggs are beautiful as well and the things they do can be mesmerizing.
In my daily and weekly reading on almanac.com I found two wonderful articles about Gallus gallus domesticus also known as the domesticted chicken.
Let’s start with the article “Know Your Backyard Chicken Terms”
Click on the article link to find the answers to the following questions…
What are male chickens called?
What is the difference between a Boiler, and a Broiler?
What is a pullet?
What is the difference between a Rooster and a Roaster?
These are just a few of the questions you will find the answer to.
The next article is “Why Do Roosters Crow? 10 Riveting Facts About Roosters!”
I absolutely love roosters. Hens are amazing but roosters are just, WOW!
This article answers questions like…
“Are Roosters Chickens?”
“Why Do Roosters Crow?”
“Can Roosters Fly?”
Take a few minutes to learn more about Gallus gallus domesticus
After you know more, share your knowledge with your family and friends.
As most of you know I love St Patrick’s Day, the celebrations, the food, all of it, it’s just good fun. Last year’s menu was Corned Beef & Cabbage, Colcannon, Irish Soda Bread, and Irish Apple Cake for dessert. We brined our brisket and shared that process on our Rabit Hole Randomness blog, Brine Your Brisket.
I would love to be able to share with you that I once again brined the brisket and will be perfectly prepared for celebrating but that is not even an option this time around. This year we are in the process of preparing to move as well as transitioning off-grid which equates to my kitchen and pantry being in complete upheaval.
To survive all that is going on and still have a bit of sanity left at the end I have chosen to not go all out this year. Time and space are just not available and so I will find a way to celebrate that fits with our current situation.
That doesn’t mean we won’t be eating well. Just that I won’t be “doing it all”.
So let’s get in the kitchen and make us something with that leftover corned beef.
Corned Beef Hash Brown Casserole
Found at FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the baking dish
6 cups frozen potato tots, from a 32-ounce bag (about 28 ounces)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound sliced deli corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 dashes hot sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with oil. Fill the bottom of the dish with one layer of the potatoes (about 4 cups). Drizzle the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bake until hot and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and red and green peppers. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and started to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the corned beef, and cook for 2 minutes more. Let cool.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a large bowl.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Cheddar over the potatoes in the casserole dish. Layer the vegetable-beef mixture over the Cheddar. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and top with the remaining cup of Cheddar. (The casserole can be assembled up to this point and refrigerated overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Top the casserole with the remaining potatoes (about 2 cups). Bake until the egg mixture is set and the top is lightly golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Don’t Disregard the Discard
As I have become more comfortable with my sourdough starter (her name is Demeter) I have also come to love the discard. I love that there is no waste and Oh the things I can make!
Including sourdough discard really ups the flavor and nutrition of so many things. I posted in January about our favorite skillet recipe that I morphed into both savory and sweet options under Wild at Heart, “Simple Sourdough Options (using discard)”. (Click on the link to be taken to those recipes.)
As we are preparing to move our farm and transition to off-grid I find that actual baking never makes it to my get’r-done list. There are so many other things in demand of my attention and time. Just my starter feeding schedule can range between once every 1-3 days (not super consistent but she is still very active).
I will not give up my sourdough, so I do what works, which leaves me with discard, AND oh the things you can make with discard.
The options are many and varied which makes choosing a recipe to share extremely difficult. By the time you get to the bottom of this, I will have found a recipe to share I promise, but first I want to share a few of my favorite websites that are focused mainly on sourdough.
For those of you who want to try your hand at sourdough, these sites have wonderful information and RECIPES! Oh, the recipes…You’ll See!
These are in no particular order.
I think that’s probably enough to get you started. There are many more but for now explore some of these and get your sourdough spark lit again.
And now for that recipe I promised you by the end…
Sourdough Sugar Cookie Bars
From: littlespoonfarm.com
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cups (150 g) granulated white sugar
1 large egg room temperature
2 teaspoons (5 g) vanilla extract
¼ cup (50 g) sourdough starter discard room temperature
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
FROSTING INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons (56 g) butter room temperatutre
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
TOPPING
sprinkles
INSTRUCTIONS
COOKIE DOUGH
Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) if baking right away.
Use an electric mixer to blend the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes or until they achieve a light and fluffy consistency. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and sourdough starter discard, and continue to beat until thoroughly combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt with to wet ingredients and mix them until they are just incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Prepare an 8" x 8" baking tin by lining it with parchment paper. Evenly press the cookie dough into the bottom of the tin, using flour on your hands to prevent sticking. If you don't intend to bake immediately, cover the dough and refrigerate it for a maximum of 3 days.
Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The surface of the cookie bars will be a very light golden brown color.
Take the tin out of the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let the cookie bars cool down entirely in the tin before applying the frosting.
FROSTING
Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. If the frosting appears too thick, gradually incorporate a teaspoon of heavy cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached. In case the frosting seems too thin, blend in a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to thicken it.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cookie and top with sprinkles. Lift the cookie out of the tin using the parchment paper and cut the cookie into 9 large or 18 small squares.
To maintain freshness, store the squares in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to five days.
Community Partners
My new obsession. Quail eggs! Aren’t they gorgeous?
We received these from our wonderful community partner, Cooper’s Homestead and Crafts.
Yes, they sell them for eating $4/dozen or hatching $5/dozen, or over 8 dozen $3/dozen. If interested contact: Rachelle Cooper text: 530-782-8545
A huge THANK YOU to Salina at Artistic Wonders for the wonderful Graphic Art.
If you require art of any sort give her a shout at:
artisticwonderscreates@gmail.com