You say, "Raised in a barn" like it's a bad thing? | Dot and Dash Life in the barn is not so bad, especially if there is a bed of clean straw, fresh water to drink, and a manger of delicious hay. Last week Dot, our smallest Jersey heifer was hanging her head and not eating. Not a good sign. Investigating the situation, it was concluded that she was too small to compete at the feeder with the bigger animals. Putting her into the barn by herself with all the hay she could eat immediately perked her up. A couple of days later, one of the yearling beef steers was acting sluggish. Our rancher friend was consulted about the problem. He said that livestock can have issues when the weather is unusually warm at this time of year, which is what we've been experiencing. The steer was put in the comfortable barn with Dot and given special attention. The guys were even picking fresh grass from the field to encourage him to eat. When cattle stop eating even for a short time, their rumen stops functioning as it needs to and the animals can die. So, it was vital that Dash, who got a name to go with Dot, keep eating even if it meant getting fresh grass and force-feeding him. He seems to be doing better but still needs to be monitored. Life on the farm is not for the faint-hearted. The warm weather had kept us from strawing the strawberries and garlic. Finally, last weekend we had some wet snow and slightly freezing temperatures, which meant the straw could be spread to protect the strawberry plants and garlic from the freeze-thaw cycle of our Chinooks. Farming has its challenges, and it's certainly not boring. | Have you taken us up on this offer, yet? With an abundant supply of our meats, we have various boxes of cuts at a bit of a savings. This is a convenient way to have quality Harvest Haven meat in your freezer. And these boxes make great gifts for family and friends! BBQ Box: 1x T-Bone Steaks (2 steaks) 2x Kansas Strip Steaks (4 steaks) 2x Top Sirloin Steaks (4 steaks) 6x Ground Beef (6 lb) Average Cost: $220 Slow Cooker Box: Cross-Rib Roast Blade Roast Inside Round Roast Meaty Shanks Average Cost: $152 Budget Box: 2x Stir Fry (2 lb) 2x Minute Steaks (2 lb) 2x Short Ribs (5 lb) 6x Ground Beef (6 lb) Average Cost: $179 Chicken Sampler: 1x Whole Chicken (3-4 lb) 2x Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 2x Drumsticks (8 legs) 2x Wings (20 pieces) 1x Soup Bones (3.5 lb) Average Cost: $110 Lamb Sampler: 1x Boneless Leg Roast (2-3 lb) 2x Lamb Chops (4 chops/pkg) 1x Lamb Stew 1x Ground Lamb Average Cost: $108 | We have lots of eggs so, let's get baking!!! The hens are in their cozy berm barn where they get to scratch in the dirt floor and dig around in the fresh green hay spread for them. Organic grains and Grander Living Water round out their diet. Happy hens in a clean environment lay eggs that are good and good for you. | It's that time of year when people get the sniffles, sore throats, and coughs. Now we have an awesome new Harvest Haven product to alleviate the discomforts that come with a cold. Our bodies need the housecleaning these ailments are serving, but the job can be less painful with a little help from our new friends. Harvest Haven Hacking Helpers are tasty little lozenges made from our raw honey, organic cane sugar, eucalyptus, peppermint, and menthol crystals. They are the best! | With the cost of everything going up these days, what's better than a gift certificate that helps with the basics of life? With a Harvest Haven Gift Certificate, you're thinking in the box out of the box. | Harvest Haven Pastured Boneless Lamb Leg Roast – Such a great cut of meat for a special event or a family dinner. Easy to prepare, and so delicious! Harvest Haven Garlic – This year's garlic crop produced large bulbs with crisp cloves of robust flavor. A staple for every kitchen. Harvest Haven Red Kuri Squash – Another flavorful substitute for pumpkin is the Red Kuri. It has creamy yellow flesh, with a smooth texture and a rich, sweet flavor. It works well in casseroles, soups, and curries, and is a great substitute for acorn squash, too. Organic Pecans, 180 g – This native of northern Mexico and the southern United States is a nutrition powerhouse packed with vitamins and minerals. Their rich, buttery flavor and natural sweetness make a tasty snack and a delicious addition to your baking. Kept fresh in our cooler. Organic Farmer's Market Cranberry Sauce, 426 mL – Made with only Organic Cranberries and Cane Sugar, this cranberry sauce brings the fresh, pure flavor you'd expect from made-from-scratch. Arla Organic Cream Cheese, 200 g – So creamy, smooth, and tasty! A must-have for delicious spreads, dips, sauces, and desserts. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Herbed Boneless Leg of Lamb For the Lamb
1 4-5 lb Harvest Haven boneless leg of lamb
6 peeled Harvest Haven garlic cloves
Zest from 1 orange
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil For the Crust
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley In a food processor, combine the garlic, orange zest, thyme, and rosemary. Blend, then add the olive oil and blend to make a paste. Smear the paste all over the lamb, place it in a container or deep bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Meanwhile, let the lamb sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, mustard, and parsley, add the breadcrumbs, and use a spoon or your hands to thoroughly blend. Press the mixture all over the top and sides of the leg of lamb and place it in a roasting pan. Some of the breadcrumb mixture will fall off the sides; that's fine; just kind of tuck it in underneath the sides of the lamb. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400 F and roast for another hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the roast reads 120 to 125 F for medium-rare. Let the lamb sit for 20 minutes before slicing and serving warm. | Roasted Squash with Cranberry and Pecans 4 lb Harvest Haven Red Kuri Squash, unpeeled weight
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup pecan nuts
fresh or dried parsley - optional garnish Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Peel, deseed, and chop the squash. Spread the squash out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Toss gently to coat. Roast the squash for 40 minutes. While the squash is roasting, pour the boiling water over the cranberries and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain. Remove from oven and drizzle over 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Scatter over the drained cranberries and roughly chopped pecans. Garnish with parsley and serve. | No-Bake Cranberry Yum Yum Crust:
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter Cream Cheese Mixture:
1 package Arla cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla, divided
3 tbsp sugar Filling & Topping:
1 can Organic Farmer's Market whole berry cranberry sauce
3 tbsp chopped pecans Prepare the Crust:
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and melted butter. Blend with a fork until crumbs are moistened. Set aside 1 tablespoon of crumbs for topping. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x9-inch pan that's been buttered. Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture:
With an electric mixer, cream together softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup icing sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. By hand, mix together whipped cream and cream cheese mixture until well combined. Assemble the Yum Yum Layers:
Spread a little less than half the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture evenly over the crust. Stir cranberry sauce a bit in its can to break it up. Drop cranberry sauce by large spoonfuls on top of the cream cheese layer. Gently spread cranberry sauce filling evenly over the cream cheese layer. Top cranberry layer with the remaining cream cheese/whipped cream mixture. Gently spread it evenly over the cranberry layer, covering it completely. Combine chopped pecans and reserved 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. | Gifts That Last a Lifetime Another newsletter goes to press and I'm still waiting for a couple of videos that I hoped to receive weeks ago to share with everyone. One is Martin giving an update on his dental procedure of having his palate expanded after his tongue-tie was cut. The other is a new music video from Victor Hafichuk Music. In the meantime, here's Martin describing three of the smaller Grander products – the pendant, penergizer, and small board. Like all Grander Living Water products, these will last more than a lifetime when taken care of.
Grander Water Revitalization is a natural technology from Austria that brings water back to life by restoring its original vitality and energy. It makes water more pleasurable for drinking and bathing, more effective for cleaning, enhancing anything that uses water. Revitalized water has a profound influence on all living things, and even mechanical and nonliving systems using water (boilers, cooling units, humidifiers) benefit from its enhanced properties. Attractive and comfortable, the pendant will enhance your energy while protecting you from harmful EMFs. They come in several styles. | The penergizer is a portable pen-sized unit for revitalizing water and beverages. It is a convenient way to experience the benefits of Grander technology. | Handy, attractive, and easy to use, the small board revitalizes water and beverages, keeps fruits and vegetables fresh longer, and can help alleviate pains and discomforts in the body. | Our Austrian naturalist friend Johann Grander is no longer with us but if this can be said of anyone, at least in the water department, it can be said of him that he "left the world better off than when he entered it." That's for sure. | | |
