Barn is finished!

Having a barn raising

Thursday, Dec 27th.  The crew arrives.  Looks like someone kicked
an ant hill out there.

Looking over the prepared site, getting ready to set the corners.

Mid-day.  All the posts are set, and they are starting to add
the sills.

End of the first day.  All the framing is done in 8 hours of work. 
The barn will be 30x60

Dolly Rock Farm Wichita

Copper junior Satin Angora doe.
I met Amanda in Indianapolis a week ago
to pick her up. 
 

The Friendly Beasts

Jesus our brother, kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude
And the friendly beasts around Him stood
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
"I carried His mother up hill and down;
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town."
"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

"I," said the cow, all white and red
"I gave Him my manger for a bed;
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head."
"I," said the cow, all white and red.

"I," said the sheep with curly horn,
"I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn."
"I," said the sheep with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,
"Cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry;
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I."
"I," said the dove from the rafters high.

"I," said the camel, yellow and black,
"Over the desert, upon my back,
I brought Him a gift in the Wise Men's pack."
"I," said the camel, yellow and black.

Thus every beast by some good spell
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
The gift he gave Emmanuel.

White Rabbit Enchiladas

2.5 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 T butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken broth
1 c sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 4oz can chopped green chilies

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil 9x13 baking dish.

Mix 1.5 c cheese and rabbit, divide into taco shells, roll and place in dish.
In sauce pan, melt butter, add flour and heat 1 minute.  Whisk in broth, and cook until thickened.  Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and chilies.  Pour over enchiladas, and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 22 minutes, then place under broiler for 3 minutes until cheese starts to brown.  Serve, garnished with chopped tomatoes and green onions if desired. 
  

Mongolian Lamb

1# thinly sliced lamb, from leg steak
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water to form paste
Peanut oil
1/2 oz dry black woodear mushrooms, soaked in water to rehydrate and chopped
8-10 green onions, chopped
1 sm can baby ear corn, drained
3-4 slices fresh ginger, diced
2 T hoisin sauce
sesame oil
steamed rice

Marinate lamb in brown sugar, soy sauce, wine and cornstarch paste for 30-45 minutes.  Heat peanut oil in wok, quickly brown lamb slices.  Add baby corn, mushrooms, onions, and ginger.  Stirfry for 2 minutes.  Stir in hoisin sauce, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve over rice. 

Rabbit & Chili Rellenos Casserole

2 c  cooked, shredded rabbit
2 (7 ounce) cans whole green chilies, drained
 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 ounces sharp  Cheddar cheese,shredded
2 eggs, beaten
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) can enchilada sauce
Chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
 Lay half of the chilies evenly in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the Jack and Cheddar cheeses, spread shredded rabbit evenly over top, and cover with remaining chilies. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and flour, and pour over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, pour tomato sauce evenly over the top, and continue baking another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Jack and Cheddar cheeses, green onions, and serve.

Nutritional values of rabbit meat

Calories
A 3-oz. serving of roasted rabbit meat contains 167.5 calories. Eating a balanced meal ensures you get the calories you need to meet nutritional goals as well as the nutrients you need for optimal health. Consider consuming rabbit meat with a serving of vegetables, such as broccoli or corn, along with a healthy grain, perhaps a serving of brown rice or couscous. A serving of rabbit meat contains far less calories than the same size portion of beef -- 259.3 calories

Fat and Cholesterol
Rabbit meat is relatively low in fat; each 3-oz. serving has 6.8 g of fat, which accounts for 37 percent of the calories. Compared to beef and pork, rabbit is the clear choice -- 3 oz. of beef has 18.3 g, and 3 oz. of pork has 8.2 g. Your meal plan should ideally contain 44 to 78 g of fat per day, or 20 to 35 percent of your calories. Rabbit meat is low in saturated fat, as well, containing 2 g. Consuming high amounts of saturated fat may put you at greater risk of coronary heart disease; you should limit your intake of these fats to 15 g per day. A 3-oz. serving of rabbit meat contains 69.7 mg of cholesterol, a necessary substance in your body for cell formation. However, you do not need dietary cholesterol as your body produces all you need. Do not consume more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day to avoid health problems that can result from high cholesterol and if you suffer from heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake to just 200 mg daily.

Protein
Three oz. of roasted rabbit meat contributes toward your daily protein needs. This portion provides you with 24.7 g of this macronutrients. Protein keeps your body working in myriad ways, from supplying your body with energy to helping your build muscles to maintaining the function of your immune system. The University of Illinois website notes that consuming a low protein may cause you to eat more food in a day as it affects how full you feel. The recommended amount of protein to ward off hunger ranges from 10 to 20 percent of your daily calories.

Vitamins
Adding rabbit meat to your meal plan gives you a big boost in vitamin B-12 -- each 3-oz. serving provides 117.6 percent of the recommended daily intake. Vitamin B-12 plays a critical role in the function of your central nervous system and metabolism, as well as the formation of red blood cells. Your body has the ability to store a few years' worth of vitamin B-12, so eating rabbit supplies you with not just your daily requirements, but a little extra as well. Rabbit also serves as a rich source of vitamin B3, containing 35.8 percent of the amount your need each day. This vitamin, commonly known as niacin, aid in converting carbohydrates to energy and manufacturing a variety of sex hormones.

Minerals
Rabbit meat contains quite a bit of selenium, a mineral your body uses to make antioxidants and stimulate sperm production; each 3-oz. portion of meat contains 46.8 percent of the recommended daily value of selenium. MedlinePlus reports that some physicians may recommend incorporating more selenium into your diet to combat hardening of the arteries, as well as cancers such as stomach, lung, prostate and skin cancer. A 3-oz. serving of rabbit also provides you with 22.4 percent of the phosphorus you need in your daily meal plan. This mineral accounts for 1 percent of your total body weight and influences your body's ability to use carbohydrates and fats, as well as the repair of cells and tissues.