Life is a series of little deaths out of which life always returns.
- Charles Feidelson, Jr. | Clean-up and Kraut The big machine shed is finished and being filled with the equipment that had been parked outdoors. We're very thankful to have a place to keep everything protected from the sun, snow, wind, falling stars, creations, and creatures. Sauerkraut is being made. Shredding over a thousand pounds of cabbage is not for the faint of heart or arm. The guys have put their minds and not just their muscles into this project. Coring the cabbages was time-consuming and laborious because the heads had to be cut into quarters and then, the hearts of the cabbage carved out. An easier and much faster way was found by installing an angle bit on a drill. Zip and it's done. The "arm strong" method of turning the crank on the slicer was good for an hour or so, but after a few hundred pounds of cabbage, it was "arm weak." Creative minds mechanized that process, too. Things are moving along quite nicely now. | Let's DO Talk about "Religion and Politics" This is definitely a political time…presidential election in the USA, provincial elections in Canada, and the ongoing contention over Liberal government transparency. What does all this mean to us? We can't ignore it nor should we. Martin discusses why it is important to society to talk about religion and politics. To say "You shouldn't talk about religion or politics" is a religious and political idea, just a really dumb one. It's self-contradictory insanity. It's death. "Political correctness is the ethos, the logos of death and decay because it seeks to irradicate meaning. And only the fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'," Martin concludes. | Use it Up, Wear It Out, Make it Do, or Do Without! This great slogan was coined by the War Advertising Council during World War II to promote the dual need to conserve scarce resources and to help keep prices down by not generating excess demand. This applies today as we don't waste what we have by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Which brings us to glass canning jars. We sell a number of products in canning jars, which have become a scarce commodity in the stores. It would really help us if you could return the jars. We'll refund you $0.75 for these jars WITH the lids. The products you may have bought packaged in glass canning jars are: Sauerkraut, Honey, Cilantro Pesto, Dandelion Root Powder, Jam, and Tallow. If you have canning jars similar to these, ask us about them and we'll see if they are useful to us. Thank you! | After a summer out on pasture, the hens have been returned to their cozy berm barn for the winter. They get to scratch in the dirt floor and dig around in the fresh green hay spread in their pen. Organic grains and Grander Living Water round out their diet. All those young hens that Martin was raising are starting to lay, which means we have mostly medium-sized eggs. As the hens grow and eat more in the cooler weather, their eggs get larger. When the eggs are graded, they are sorted by weight. Medium eggs weigh between 49g and 56g per egg, large ones are between 56g and 63g, and extra-large eggs weigh between 63g and 70g per egg. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of hen, of which we have a large variety. When you open a carton of Harvest Haven eggs, you are greeted by various shades of brown and some stark white. The contents of the eggs are all the same. The feed the hens get determines the color of the yolk, though not the shell. Happy hens in a clean environment lay eggs that are good and good for you. | Breakfast Fixings Harvest Haven Eggs – We all love these golden gifts from our happy hens. Eggs are a vital ingredient in every kitchen. L'Ancetre Organic Old Cheddar Cheese – Made from organic unpasteurized milk and aged for a minimum of 10 months, this pale yellow, slightly brittle cheese has a smooth, creamy, melting texture. This Canadian gluten-free and lactose-free cheese has a nutty flavour and fruity finish. It makes a delicious addition to any cheese platter and blends wonderfully with all sorts of cooked dishes. Bioitalia Organic Macaroni – This excellent organic durum wheat semolina pasta is made in Southern Italy. It has an ideal firmness to the palate and does not overcook, making it suitable for all the Mediterranean traditional recipes. Avalon Organic Standard Whole Milk, 1 L – This deliciously rich organic milk is non-homogenized. It has the cream on top and even comes in glass bottles! Avalon Dairy, a family business, is the oldest continuously operating dairy in B.C. Harvest Haven Potatoes - We had a bumper crop of potatoes this year, excellent quality and perfect sizes for all your recipes. Enjoy potatoes with every meal. B.C. Organic Bartlett Pears - What would fall be without Bartlett pears? Sweet, aromatic, and juicy. Just right for eating fresh, canning, or a lovely dessert. Organic Pecans – These delicious raw nuts have a crisp, buttery texture and make a great snack or recipe addition. We keep all our nuts in the cooler, so they are fresh and flavorful. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Breakfast Mac and Cheese with Baked Eggs 8 oz. Bioitalia Organic Macaroni
16 oz. L'Ancetre Organic Old Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 oz. grated L'Ancetre Organic Parmesan
4 strips Harvest Haven beef bacon
Large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/4 cup Avalon Organic whole milk, heated
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. each salt & pepper, more to taste
3 Tbsp. breadcrumbs Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss with 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. dried basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a roasting pan and bake for 30 min. Set aside. While tomatoes are roasting, cook bacon until it is golden-brown and crispy. Then chop the bacon into small pieces and set aside. Meanwhile, fill a pot of water about halfway and bring to a vigorous boil. Add salt to the water, then add the pasta and undercook pasta to 1 minute less than package cooking instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside. Prepare the bechamel sauce: Heat 1 cup whole milk until hot but not boiling. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then gradually whisk in 2 tbsp. flour, continuing to cook and whisking constantly until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the hot milk a little at a time, whisking constantly, until smooth. Bring to a boil and stir in the ground mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper, then lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes to finish your creamy bechamel sauce. Reserve a large handful of cheddar cheese. Add the remaining cheddar cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese to the bechamel sauce and stir until fully melted into a creamy cheese sauce. Add the cooked pasta back into the pot, then pour the cheese sauce and stir until pasta is fully coated. Add 3 strips worth of chopped bacon and the roasted tomatoes and stir until just combined. Transfer mac and cheese to a cast iron skillet or baking pan. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Melt remaining 1 tbsp. butter and toss breadcrumbs in butter to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and remaining chopped bacon evenly on top of mac and cheese. Bake for 7 minutes. While mac and cheese is baking, separate your egg whites and egg yolks, keeping the egg yolks in a large bowl or plate so they don't touch (If you don't care about runny egg yolks, you can skip this step).
Briefly remove the mac and cheese from the oven and use a large spoon to make 4 wells in the mac and cheese. If you skipped separating your egg yolks, just add an entire egg into each well and bake for 13 minutes so your mac and cheese bakes for 20 total minutes. Otherwise, fill each well with an even amount of egg white. Bake for an additional 8 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully add an egg yolk onto each well so the yolk sits on top of the egg white. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes so crust is crispy, egg whites are set, and egg yolks are still runny. Remove from oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes before serving. Enjoy! | Skillet Breakfast Potatoes 1 1/2 pounds Harvest Haven russet potatoes 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil pinch of cayenne 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional: rosemary, thyme, garlic clove Potatoes: Peel and quarter the potatoes. Place prepared quartered potatoes in a pot with salted water and boil for 15-20 min. Insert a knife into the thickest part of the potato, the knife should go through with some resistance. Drain potatoes. Let potatoes cool to room temperature. You can also refrigerate the potatoes once cooled and use the next day. Just dice the potatoes up into roughly 1/2 inch pieces before you add them to the skillet. They chop up easier if they've had a chance to hang out in the refrigerator. Cook: Using a 12-inch skillet or larger, place the butter, olive oil, and if using the rosemary, thyme, and 1 smashed garlic clove into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to melt and the olive oil to heat through. When the herbs start popping and sizzling, remove them and the garlic clove, discard. Add the potatoes in a single layer, season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, toss to coat evenly. Cook the potatoes for a total of 8-10 minute, flipping and tossing them every 2-3 minutes to ensure even browning. Taste for seasonings and adjust to preference. Serve immediately. | Baked Pears with Honey, Cinnamon, and Pecans 3 B.C. Bartlett Pears
? cup Harvest Haven honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut pears in half. Using a teaspoon core out the seeds. Cut a small sliver off the bottom so the pears remain straight when baking. In a small bowl combine half the honey with half the cinnamon and half the vanilla. Place the pears, sliced side up, in a baking dish. Drizzle the pears and take to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. While the pears are baking combine the remaining honey, cinnamon and vanilla with pecans. Pour over the pears and bake for 10 more minutes or until soft and slightly golden. | Farm Fun and Funnies The hoes and rakes are hung up; the tractors parked; and the harvest stored. Now, there's time to enjoy some R and R after the daily chores are done. The guys are brushing up on their guitars and drums to make some music, if you can call it that. They are learning to play their instruments, so sometimes the sounds we hear are not quite that musical. But who hasn't had to learn causing some discomfort? Let's just say it takes some tuning up. The Farm Fit Facility is dusted and ready for sweaty workouts. After a summer of strenuous farming, some bodies are in good shape while others need to do more stretching after hours of sitting on a tractor in the field. Jeannie is not included in the need for more exercise. She's been doing laps around the farm in the early morning, as well as weight training. And don't think of messing with her! Jeannie can deadlift 210 pounds. Just ask her next time you're in the store. She'll blush a little, quietly smile, and effortlessly carry out your groceries to your car. The Van Popta kids had lots of outdoor activities during the summer, but now have turned their attention to more creative ventures. During the summer Konstantijn enjoyed arranging beautiful bouquets with the flowers from her garden, but that venture ended with the snow. She's back to Konstantijn's Kreations, the colorful and artistic necklaces and bracelets you see as you enter the store. She has a lovely assortment of colors and styles. Her imagination is only limited by the variety of beads she has. | Marseilles is having fun working on her project. With her grandma's help, she's making Marseilles' Masterpieces. "I wanted to call them Marseilles' Marvelous Masterpieces, but I couldn't get 'Marvelous' to fit right on the logo. So, they're just Marseilles' Masterpieces." "Besides, they weren't that marvelous," Marseilles says matter-of-factly as she describes her scrunchies. Marseilles' colorful scrunchies are nicely displayed on the table along with Konstantijn's Kreations. You're sure to be impressively accoutred after shopping at that table. | However, Marseilles' favorite pastime is making cartoons. She has a knack for hearing discussions about any number of topics and turning them into insightful and humorous cartoons using stick people. Here's an example coming from a discussion about whether civilization has advanced or not. | Mathijs is a busy guy, too. He has a mind similar to his dad's, always working on something beyond the rest of us. For a 10-year old going on 20, he has an amazing understanding of all things technical and mechanical. One of his many undertakings was to figure out how to use photoshop to downsize and print an image he wanted for his string art. He researched and did it. His entrepreneurial enterprise is building wooden spruce trees out of barn wood. His Aunt Yolanda, whose work you'll see on display in the store, is helping him. The trees are very attractive ornaments. Look for them when you come in. | Mathijs' most exciting endeavour is learning to play guitar. He started on a right-handed instrument, which wasn't easy for a lefty. But he persisted and eventually was able to get a guitar suited for his size and left-handedness. Being apt at using computers, Mathijs found a program to teach him, and the household enjoyed some fine acoustic music. But the app he used was also applicable to electric guitar. Mathijs was intrigued…music and mechanics all in one. Wow! He went shopping on the internet and found a used left-handed electric guitar, which he bought with his own money. Doesn't he look thrilled? | Let the fun begin! Guitar man….Guitarzan…. | |
