farmblogger

girl cutting apples
Brenna

Last night, I had the time of my life cooking with two wonderful women.

Living across the country from my family is not always easy. It has been exciting and challenging and difficult, although I would not trade it for anything in the world. I have learned some hard lessons and things about myself: one of those things being the absolute necessity of female friendships.

I have a lot to thank the women in my family for.

They taught me how to bake, the importance of patience, and the value of knowing your own strength. They taught me to trust myself, how to be there for others, and all the best swear words (thanks Margret 😉). Not all the lessons I learned from them were spoken, most often they were from a look or a smile, and I think the majority of them were learned toiling over food. I’ve said before that I love how cooking brings people together and while that is certainly true of eating, it’s true of all the time put into the food as well.

I love the silent camaraderie of working on a project alongside someone. And I love this even more when the project involves food.

It has been a long time since I have had a traditional Thanksgiving feast! Being a few provinces away from my family leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to family holidays. My first year in Ottawa my mom (and aunt, and cousins, much to my surprise) made the journey out to see me! It was a wonderful surprise and memorable weekend with my family. I’ve been lucky enough to be embraced by my beau’s family for the past four Thanksgivings, so all in all I have nothing to complain about. However, I can’t help but miss home this time of year.

This year, my roommate and I are hosting a belated Thanksgiving for our friends, or “Friendsgiving”.

I think the event will be a blast, and I am so excited for the food! It is rare we all get a chance to take a break from our busy schedules to visit and feast. And if it is half as fun as the prep work it will be a guaranteed blast.

I think the fellowship of cooking is heightened when preparing for an event, as a task that might usually be boring can become a work of art. After all, you are no longer just making something for yourself. Regular tasks become festive, and the anticipation is palpable. I am so glad I got to work alongside two friends who have become much more like family. (Real talk though, Hannah uses Tenderflake in her pie crust, so I think my family might just adopt her).

Here I would like to extend my most sincere thank you to two wonderful friends.

I won’t lie, I was very daunted at the thought of co-hosting a Thanksgiving celebration. My Mom, and aunts, and grandma produce the most amazing of Thanksgiving feasts. I couldn’t help but wonder how it would be possible to pull off a feat like this without them. But with the help of you two, I think we did it! Also because Meaghan is my soul sister when it comes to love of all things pumpkin ( PUMPKIN GNOCCHI HERE WE COME!).

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I loved getting flour all over the kitchen, and organizing spray painted gourds on the table. I enjoyed the peeling, and chopping, and rolling, and boiling, and mixing and cleaning that we powered through last night. But most of all, I love you guys. Thank you for reminding me how powerful the quiet bond of cooking is. You reminded me the importance of having women in your life that you can dance around the kitchen and sing Fleetwood Mac with. You make my heart happy, and I am thankful.

 

 

 

 

 

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cowlick on a cow
Jim

During the last 15 months or so I’ve begun to feel that I’m being observed.

It’s as if I’ve become a player in someone’s private showing.  The play is nothing special – it’s a terrible script, there’s no plot, and the actor is sub-par.  In fact, if I had to describe it, the word would be tedious.  Not only is it dull, but it repeats.  Daily.  There are subtle variations of course but the overall message and general narrative remain nearly the same.  And yet somehow the audience seems mesmerized.  She must be, for she has been seen standing for hours every day, just waiting for the curtain to rise.  Even again today.

Meet Sophia, the pail-bunter turned audience-stalker.

There is an old, rough lumbered, grey wooden corral just a few steps from the front door of the house.  Within you will find plenty of fresh water, acres of green grass, and a cozy warm shelter.  From time to time there can also be found special rolled oat treats in a red plastic feed pail, treats never last longer than a second or two.   In fact that pail will usually just be touching the grass when a soft black muzzle plunges deep to retrieve all those scrumptious bites. Sophia cannot seem to get enough. And in case you’re a bit late with those tasty morsels in the morning, she’ll remind you.  She’s as good as any rooster we’ve ever had, and will unabashedly inform you that your clock is running a little behind.


Sophia has never lived anywhere else.  Often times on the farm things come at you a bit sideways and you just have to deal, there really is no choice.  That’s how Sophia came to be in her home.  Her momma, although she is a great cow, just didn’t have the milk Sophia needed.  This new born calf had to be fed from a bottle to ensure that she would get everything any young heifer needs to grow.  Soon she went from milk bottle to pail, to water trough, to grass, and even oats.   She stayed with us, in her corral, and grew.

The sun is up as I close the door of the house, enter stage left, and walk towards the barn.

Soft big brown audience eyes are palpable with my every step.  I look at her as I pass, moving only my eyes.  I can’t move my head.   If I turn my head she’ll notice, get excited and start bucking up and down on her side of the fence trying to get my attention. It’s her way of saying “Come on!  Come over here!  Let’s play”. Oh, by the way, did I mention she likes to wrestle?  It was kind of fun and funny to wrestle with her when she was a small calf.  But now, 600 (or more!) pounds later, the wrestling is completely-one sided.  But even so, her invitation is always irresistible.

“Ok Sophia, just a minute or two.”   If oats are her favourite, well then getting attention and spending quality time with her family is a close second.  What a character.

Exit stage right.  Curtain.

 

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