This September, NOFA-NY will be running its 3rd Locavore Challenge. I'm participating - are you? It's not so much a challenge as a guide to adding more local foods to your diet throughout September with a big potluck celebration at the end of the month. Here's an example of some of the "challenges."
While this challenge is geared towards New Yorkers (the state, not the city, though NYC is included of course!), anyone could easily join in on the fun. For more details, click here, and sign-up right over here. I'll be sharing tips for a locavore diet throughout September, and I hope you'll add a comment on your tips, too!
Here in Upstate New York, fall has certainly arrived. The leaves are stunning this year (some of the most vibrant reds and oranges I have seen in years) and when the sun goes down, the house begs for the warmth of a wood stove. Autumn is also the time when slow cookers come out of the cupboard and the smells of stews and braised meat waft through the house (I'm getting hungry just thinking about it). How about some delicious braised short ribs? I posted my Tomato-Braised Short Ribs and Creamy Parmesan Polenta recipe over on the Eat Local blog... I hope you'll check it out. While the meat cooks away in the oven for a few hours, this dish really only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, perfect for a lazy Sunday or casual dinner with friends (you can watch a movie or take the dog for a walk while it hangs out in the oven).
But wait! There's more!
I've entered this recipe in the Calling All Cooks recipe contest, and I've been selected as a semi-finalist! But I need your help to make it to the finals. If you could, please head over to Facebook and vote for my recipe by "liking" it. The top five make it to the finals. Voting ends Wednesday, October 19th at 1pm, so you don't have long! I'd really appreciate your help.
As a thank you for your vote, please let me know in this post's comments that you voted for me, and you will be entered to win a gift basket full of tasty treats from Silly Goose Farm! Just leave a way to contact you, as well (like your email address). Already voted? That's okay. Get your friends to vote and leave me a note in the comments telling me you voted. A winner will be announced on Friday!
Thanks again for your help! PS - While you are on Facebook, stop over and "like" Silly Goose Farm, too!
Thanks everyone for your support. I was the runner-up in the competition (but I still netted some great prizes and amazing exposure). As a thank you, all three commenters (Tara, Christine, and Becky) will be receiving a special gift from Silly Goose Farm -- thanks for your sweet notes, ladies!
We hosted the 2nd Annual Silly Goose Farm Barnside Movie Party on Saturday (sounds very official, eh?). It was a blast, and it seems everyone enjoyed themselves. This year, we showed A League Of Their Own (we kept with the baseball theme from last year's The Sandlot). The weather was perfect (although a little humid and buggy - seriously, I think I have 50,000 bug bites), and the night was magical.
I kept the food and drink simple this year (well, more simple than usual). For beverages, I served a mint lemonade, white wine sangria, and assorted beers and juice boxes for the kids (sangria recipe coming soon!).
Food was kept to a popcorn station (everyone loves an old air popper!), brownies and a yummy jalapeno dip brought by friends and neighbors, and ice cream sandwiches.
I made four flavor combinations of sandwiches, including peanut butter-chocolate, chocolate chip-toasted coconut, chocolate-mint, and oatmeal raisin-scotch vanilla (I made everything from scratch except for the mint and chocolate ice creams. I ran out of time! Recipes to follow).
Edith was having a rough day, and slept through the entire event. Eric, on the other hand, was in the middle of the action all night.
The orange moon was nestled behind a grove of trees for the evening, which allowed the stars to twinkle. I'm not sure which was brighter - the stars or the hundreds of fireflies that hovered around us, flashing their little lights like the most steadfast theatre attendants.
We are hoping to have another movie night before the season is over. I would like to do this every year (show a family-friendly movie (I'd love to show You've Got Mailor Bringing Up Baby), and perhaps a more "cult" movie - topping my list are The Royal Tennenbaums, Harold and Maude, and The Big Lebowski. I get the feeling that no matter what we choose to show, we'll still have a great time.
Have you ever watched a movie in plein air? What are some of your favorite movies? I'd love to hear! Let me know in the comments, or tell me about it on Twitter! I'll be posting recipes and how-to's from the party soon, including tips on making your party fit within a sustainable lifestyle. And a very special thanks to my lovely, gracious friend Christine, who took the lovely pictures you see here!
Hello friends, how was your weekend? Mine was busy busy busy! We held our 2nd Annual Barnside Movie party on Saturday, and on Sunday I attended a food swap held by the amazing From Scratch Club. I'll have pictures and recipes coming right up, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share some photos from around the farm over the past few days.
I attended the most wonderful party on Friday night, hosted by From Scratch Club. It was part dessert potluck, part food swap, part book signing, and entirely awesome!
My orange biscotti is in the giant mason jar in the top-left of this picture
The dessert potluck part highlighted many gluten-free and dairy-free offerings. I made gluten-free biscotti, then dipped them in chocolate (which probably wasn't gluten-free, oh well). To be honest, I'm not very familiar with cooking or baking with special dietary needs in mind, and I'm very lucky I don't have to typically be conscious of such things. I love milk and wheat too much.
The book signing portion of the evening was to celebrate the release of Kate Payne's "The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking." I had the chance to speak at length with Kate and learn about her writing process and why she chose to pen this how-to. She is one of the most genuinely sweet, nice people I've met, and still seems so grounded despite all her success!
The food-swap was the brainchild of From Scratch Club (who also hosted this soiree). I brought homemade sweet and sour salad dressing, and received macaroni and cheese, hummus, spinach tarts and paneer palak. Yum!
For more info on the wonderful party, please head over to Christine's amazing blog, Unspeakable Visions. All pictures are courtesy of this lovely lady!
I'm throwing a dinner party soon and I am having a tough time deciding what to wear. Informal attire is typically acceptable at most of the events we have at Silly Goose Farm, but dinner parties seem to just be a bit more effort. I feel like fashions should follow suit (excuse the pun). I'm not expecting my guests to be wearing anything especially-special, but I think the hostess should show appreciation for guest attendance through her wardrobe. So, would you do me the favor of helping choose my outfit?
Option One: Casually Chic (taking the classic jeans and t-shirt up a notch with fun shoes and fancy accesories). 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Option Two: Springtime Sweetie (since the weather is still a bit chilly, I'm fitting in all the red I can) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Option Three: Ritz and Revelry (bringing the air of formality back to dinner parties) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulations last week regarding Eric. His first birthday was a blast, but I'm a little sad my little baby isn't such a little baby anymore! Pictures of his first birthday (including his first haircut!) are available here, while his birthday party (complete with vintage typewriters, homemade Play-Doh, handmade streamers, and a cake that looks like a cheeseburger) is documented here.
I wanted some playful decorations for Edie's birthday party, but wanted something that wasn't to "hokey." I found an awesome tutorial on The Purl Bee for a twisted felt garland. It was so easy! A nice "sit in front of the TV and catch up on The Real Housewives, uh, I mean Meet the Press" project. I think I bought about two yards each of blue and white felt, and it made a TON of garland. I have a big garbage bag full of it! But, it was really easy, and for the amount shown here, it would probably take less than an hour to make and only cost a few bucks. Check out the tutorial here.
I wanted to make a somewhat unexpected birthday cake for Edie's birthday. And since she's such a little thief when it comes to chocolate chips, I thought I'd try a a chocolate chip cake. I found a recipe here, and put my own spin on it.
********************
Old-Fashioned Butter Cake with Chocolate Chips
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips*
1. Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla.
2. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine chocolate chips with a bit of the flour. Alternately add flour and milk, ending with flour. Add chocolate chips. Mix each addition until just combined.
3. Pour batter into greased and floured cake pans (two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9x13-inch pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. **
4. Cool cake in pans for 15 minutes before removing. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
*I used mini chocolate chips, but feel free to use any type of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate you prefer. Despite my best efforts, the chocolate chips still sank to the bottom of the cake. When I frosted the cake, I just faced the layers so the chocolate encased the frosting.
**In order to get the two-tiered cake for Edie's birthday, I made two batched of the cake. The first in two 8-inch cake pans, the second in a 9x13-inch pan, which I cut two circles out of and layered together.
********************
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup soft butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8-10 tbsp milk
1. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt.
2. Gradually add half of powdered sugar. Add half of milk, one tbsp at a time, to loosen frosting. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and milk in similar fashion. Once incorporated, beat at high speed until white and fluffy.
********************
I added white and red drages to the cake once frosted, then rolled and cut blue and white fondant for the ribbons. When cutting the cake, I removed the top tier and served slices from that first. The bottom tier was cut by making an inner and outer circle and cuting wedges from it. For a tutorial, click here.
Shiny, glistening, ruby red candied apples. A staple at Halloween and county fairs alike. Edie's birthday party wouldn't be complete without them.
********************
Candied Apples
10 medium-sized tart apples, like McIntosh
10 wooden sticks or skewers
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp (about 20 drops) red food coloring
1/2 cup Red Hots candied or 25 Atomic Fire Balls*
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Wash and dry apples. Remove stems. Insert wooden sticks into stem end of apples securely.
3. Add sugar, water, corn syrup, hot water and food coloring into a large pot. Boil until temperature reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.
4. Add Red Hots or Atomic Fire Balls to the pot (Red Hots will complete melt away, Atomic Fire Balls will not). Boil until temperature reaches 285 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.
5. Remove pot from heat. Dip apples into the mixture, allow excess to drip back into pot. Allow to cool on foil-lined baking sheet.
*It sounds like a lot of spicy, fiery flavor, but it only lends subtle cinnamon taste.
Little Miss Edith's birthday party was just the best ever. She was (relatively) well behaved, had a blast playing with her friends and cousins, and said "Wowie!" every time she opened a present.
We did a "County Fair" theme. I tried to make food that would resemble what you would find at a summertime carnival.
I found inspiration for the party here and here. I think Edie liked it. For more pictures of the party and all the goodies, click here. Stay tuned for some select recipes!
I have SO many things to update you on - house renovations, parties and get-togethers, exciting events and announcements, it just seems like I haven't had the time to dedicate to it. I've been feeling a little uninspired lately, but I have the perfect cure...
It will be my first vacation in quite some time (I think having 2 kids under 2 years old makes that whole travel thing a littel tough, anyone agree?). If you haven't guessed by now, I will be traveling to the Cape Ann/Boston area. I love Boston, and in fact, Dave and I almost moved there before we bought Silly Goose Farm. We are fortunate that our jobs let us take random vacation and basically live anywhere, but I'm glad we chose here. My mom will be coming with Dave, the kids and I.
So, my question to you is: If you could travel on a long weekend, where would you go? I am always looking for new destinations to explore, and would love some ideas!
To continue with the al fresco movie theme, I attended an Albany bloggers event last week entitled "Cinema Under the Stars." The event was sponsored by our local paper, the Times Union.
The event was held at Dale Miller, an amazing downtown Albany eatery with a lovely outdoor terrace. A blow-up movie screen was provided to show "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Of course, several non-bloggers bought tickets to the event, but many local bloggers made an appearance. Herearesomeoftheirposts.
I met a few really nice people and caught-up with old acquaintances. Michael Huber, the editor of the blogroll at the Times Union, did an amazing job organizing and orchestrating the event. Mike, kudos! Proceeds from event admission and partial bar tabs where donated to the Times Union Hope Fund. A very generous attendee even wrote a sizable check for the Hope Fund! I just love do-gooders. Whoever you are out there, thank you for your kindness.
I know pretty much every girl love Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly, but sometimes she annoys me. I love the premise of the movie and the whole aspect of "a girl trying to find her way," but some of it is just so unbelievable. Maybe that's just me? And Mickey Rooney as a SUPER stereotypical Asian? Oh, the 1960s - full of nostalgia, wholesome living, and blatant political incorrectness. Although, I was having a case of the "mean reds" last week, so watching "Breakfast at Tiffany's" did cheer me up a little. And one Halloween, I did don a Holly Golightly costume (everyone asked me if I was supposed to be a flapper - say wha?). And of course, George Peppard is just beyond dreamy, right? Okay, maybe the movie isn't that bad, so I'll stop talking smack about it now.
Let me just start off by saying that I am the biggest Social Suzie ever. Seriously. I get so chatty and distracted, that I totally forget to do important things when hosting a party - fill people's glasses, make sure there's TP in the bathrooms, etc. I also forget to take pictures. From now on, I'm dedicating one friend at my parties to be the Official Photographer (I'll even make them a little press badge, if necessary). Actually, I think what I really need is to hire a professional photographer and just capture every moment of my life. Because, yes people, I really am that interesting.
So, where was I? Oh yes, parties. Dave and I love a good party. It seems like this whole "outdoor movie viewing" thing has really gotten popular. Let me just premise this blog post by saying that we've had the idea of doing this party for a while. Like, years. With the barn and surrounding lawn/pastures, it would be a shame not to.
We had to postpone this year's party due to rain, but the day we finally had the party was beautiful. Like I said, not many pictures, but I'll try my best to narrate. We set up our projector to the DVD player and one of our guitar amps. The screen was a 12'x15' painter's drop cloth nailed to the barn. Sure, it's a little "country," but that's okay with us.
Personally, I can't think of movies more indicative of summer than that one.
The barn illuminated by cinematic glow
We put out lots of beverages (check out those HUGE mason jars!)...
I don't care what anyone says - I still love using canning jars as drinking glasses
And lots of tasty snack (including homemade ice cream sandwiches)...
Excuse the appearance of these little treats. They got a little soft and drippy by the end of the night.
My mom thought they were tasty...
Isn't my momma pretty?!
As did Baron...
The evening received a big thumbs up!
So friends, what do you think? Was "The Sandlot" a good choice? Any recommendation for movies next year? My movie dream list would include "Harold and Maude," "The Big Lebowski," and "12 Angry Men." But with so many kids in the audience, being "family friendly" is of high importance. Any ideas? What are your top three movies? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
