Somerhill Farm

Winter Sky

2012-01-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

Spanish Rabbit with Tomatoes

2012-01-27T05:55:00.001-05:00

1 whole rabbit

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 onions, sliced
1 can (16 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 sprig tarragon
1 sprig thyme
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig parsley
extra virgin olive oil

Cut rabbit in six pieces Chop onions, garlic and celery.
Pour enough olive oil into the bottom of large, heavy frying pan and heat on medium high. When hot enough, place rabbit in pan and brown the pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Using the same pan, sauté the garlic, onion and crushed tomatoes for about 5 minutes. (If ingredients begin to stick, add more olive oil if necessary.) Add the bay leaf, tarragon, thyme and chopped celery.
Return the rabbit to the frying pan. Add the white wine and stir. Turn the heat up to bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by a half or two-thirds. Then, add the water and stir.
Reduce heat. Cover the pan and simmer gently until cooked – approx 1.5 hour. While the meat is simmering, chop parsley.
Adjust salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot in bowls over rice.

Lamb Roast with Spinach Stuffing

2012-01-20T05:19:00.002-05:00

1 leg of lamb, boned, butterflied
¼ c olive oil
¾ c chopped onion
½ c chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
¼ c chopped parsley
3 T thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
¼ tsp crushed dried marjoram
¼ tsp black pepper
6 c plain croutons
½ c water
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium; add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring. Set aside.
Meanwhile, mix together spinach, eggs, parsley, basil, rosemary, marjoram, and pepper in a large bowl. Add onion mixture; mix well. Add croutons, water, and cheese; mix gently. Set aside.
Pound lamb to an even thickness; spread stuffing over the top. Roll up meat, jellyroll style; tie. Place lamb seam side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake 2 hours. Remove from oven; allow to rest 15 minutes. Carve and serve with fresh mint.

Somerhill Moulin Rouge

2012-01-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

This is Moulin Rouge, a junior Satin Angora doe born 9-1-11. She is Maximo and Safari's daughter. I absolutely LOVE her! She has some of the finest, densest wool I've seen on an SA with the most wonderful handle. She has the type head I like - wide and blocky with short, thick ears held folded closed. And she is a beautiful, rich clean shade of red. She is very quiet and reserved.

Tic Tac Toe

2012-01-15T19:05:00.003-05:00

My new little cream buck, SHF Tic Tac Toe.
He is Hi-Jinx and Ti Kita's son.

Creole Rabbit Sausage

2012-01-13T03:11:00.000-05:00

1 rabbit, deboned and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup pecan pieces, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 T Creole seasoning

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Grind the mixture in a meat grinder fitted with a 1/4 inch die or coarsely grind in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
Form a teaspoon of the mixture into a small ball and pan-fry for a minute on each side to test the seasoning. Form the mixture into 3-inch patties, 1/4-inch thick. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Satin Angora kit update

2012-01-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Today an update on Macgiver and Maybelline's litter of six chocolate agoutis. There are 3 girls and 3 boys in this litter, too. The boys are Sanjay, Sanders, & Saburou. (suh-BOO-roo) I am thinking I'd like to keep Sanjay around and show him for a while. The girls are Saffron, Savannah, and Saraid (suh-RAY) Not sure yet which of the girls I'll keep to show.

French Angora kits update

2012-01-10T14:58:00.000-05:00

I've named all the FA kits from Hi-Jinx and Ti Kita's litter. They are all Ti names with an attempt to play on the Hi-Jinx as well:
REW doe - Tiara
cream doe - Tidbit
lilac tort doe - Tiddlywinks
REW buck - Tiebreaker
cream buck - Tic Tac Toe
blue tort buck - Tick Tock
The are growing by leaps and bounds! All weigh over 4# at 9 weeks, and even though I've separated them into does and bucks, the cages are getting crowded again! Hope I can get at least 2 of them to their new home in a few days. 2 others will have to wait until early next month when I deliver them to the PaRBA show in Lebanon, PA. It might be fun to enter Tiddlywinks and Tic Tac Toe in the show even though they are too young to compete with 5-6 month old juniors.
Ti Kita is registered now, so I just need to send in her legs to get her grand champion certificate.

Last day for the Dickens characters in downtown Cambridge

2012-01-08T16:48:00.000-05:00

This guy just appeared on the street recently.
I want to find out his story.

He has so much detail that I suspect this
is modeled after a real Cambridge citizen.

Chilly Winter's Eve Lamb Shank Supper

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

4 lamb shanks Salt and coarse pepper to taste
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/4-inch thick
1 large onion, chopped
1 fennel, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick (do not use solid center)
2 bottles (12 ounces each) light to medium beer (can substitute 24oz chicken broth)
1 can (15 ounces) chopped petite tomatoes and juice
1 c fat-free chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves

Generously season shanks with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Brown shanks on all sides until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Pour out liquid from pan.
In same skillet, combine garlic, carrots, onion and fennel; sauté for 6 to 8 minutes to lightly brown, stirring occasionally. Mix in beer or broth, tomatoes and juice, chicken broth, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Pour over shanks. Braise in 375°F oven for 2-1/2 hours. Baste shanks with sauce and turn them over every 45 minutes. Serve lamb in large, low-sided soup bowls with broth and vegetables.

2012-01-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about walking on beaches lately.
This just seemed to fit.

Pending Grand Champion Somerhill Oleander

2011-12-31T23:39:00.000-05:00

Oleander was BOB in both shows today in Wilminton, OH

Judge Mike Adams evaluating her for Best in Show. He eventually
selected the Tan, but mentioned her along with the Mini Rex and Florida White
as the top rabbits in the show.

Thanks for the pictures, Annette. :^)

Beautiful sunset

2011-12-30T12:04:00.003-05:00

One benefit of coming home from work at sunset is
getting to see how beautiful it is.

Parmesan Rabbit

2011-12-30T06:11:00.000-05:00

1 Rabbit
1/2 c Bread crumbs
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 Egg
Salt and pepper
1/4 lb Butter
1/2 c Tomato juice

Cut rabbit into 6 serving pieces. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together. In another bowl, beat a egg with salt and pepper.

Roll pieces of meat in crumbs, then in the beaten egg and then again in crumb mixture. Fry in butter over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add tomato juice and cook for another hour over very low heat.

Somerhill Baton Rouge

2011-12-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

She is a black tort Satin Angora. I love the interaction
of black and red on her mask. She is so striking!

Christmas presents

2011-12-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

I found this print of a painting by an artist in the UK, and ordered it.
Chuck had it matted and framed for me. Isn't she gorgeous!

These are Chuck's new camp moccasins from LL Bean. The pair he was
wearing were at least 25 years old.

2011-12-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Lamb with Spinach (dilli Ka Saag Gosht)

2011-12-23T05:22:00.000-05:00

8 T Vegetable oil
1/4 tsp Black peppercorns
6 Whole cloves
2 Bay leaves
6 Cardamom pods
2 Medium onions finely chopped
6 Garlic cloves chopped
1 Inch cube of ginger chopped
2 lb Cubed lamb
2 tsp Ground cumin seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp Salt
5 T Plain yogurt well beaten
2 lb Fresh spinach chopped
1/4 tsp Garam masala

Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom pods. Stir for a second. Now put in the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir and fry until the onions develop brown specks. Now add the meat, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and 1q/2 of the salt. Stir and fry for a minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Stir and fry for a minute. Keep doing this until all yogurt has been incorporated. The meat should also have a slightly browned look. Add the spinach and the remaining salt. Stir to mix. Keep stirring and cooking until the spinach wilts completely. Cover tightly and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour or until meat is tender. Remove the lid and add the garam masala. Turn the heat to medium. Stir and cook another 5 minutes until most of the water in the spinach disappears and you have a thick, green sauce. Remove the whole spices and serve.

Remodeling the rabbitry

2011-12-18T18:44:00.000-05:00

I have stacking cages for the rabbits, and for quite some time, I've not used the bottom cage because its hard to reach the back of cage to clean it. It also is hard to lift the rabbit out of the cage safely, and young kits are impossible to capture if they go to the back corner to hide. The top cage is also a problem for the same reasons. After talking and considering several ideas, we've decided on building a frame of 2x4s and stacking 2 cages on it. This raises the cages to the optimum height for me to reach both rabbits.

This shows the frame Chuck made that supports my 2 French Angora bucks, Hi-Jinx (cream) and Nightshade (black) I am also replacing the floors of the cages and some of the legs and tray slides.

New baby bunny pictures

2011-12-17T18:11:00.002-05:00

The Satin Angoras. These are from Macgiver and Maybelline, and are all chocolate agoutis.
I think there are 3 bucks and 3 does. 3 of the bucks, and 2 does are reserved.
I've got my eye on the big, high rufus buck with dark grey underwool.

The next 3 pictures are the French Angora babies from Hi-Jinx and Ti Kita.
Here are the REW buck and doe - both spoken for.

These are the cream buck and doe. The buck (left) is blue-based cream,
and the doe(right) is lilac-based cream. I may keep the buck.
The doe is spoken for.

This is the blue tort buck, and lilac tort doe.
The buck is spoken for, the doe I may keep.

Honey Roasted Rabbit

2011-12-16T06:05:00.000-05:00

1 medium rabbit, cut into 6 pieces
1 c Orange juice
1/2 tsp Freshly-ground black pepper
2 tsp Ground fennel
1 tsp Saffron threads; crumbled
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp Coarse sea salt
2 T Lemon juice
1/4 c Honey

Garnish:
Lemon edges
1 md Onion; thinly sliced,, soaked 30 minutes in ice water

Place the rabbit pieces in a large deep nonreactive bowl. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, reduce the orange juice to half a cup. In a small bowl, combine the pepper, fennel, saffron, cayenne, and salt. Add the reduced orange juice and the lemon juice, whisk together, and let stand for 10 or 15 minutes. Add the honey and mix together. Pour this mixture over the rabbit pieces, toss so that each one is evenly coated, and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, loosely covered. Toss the pieces every 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast the rabbit for 20 to 25 minutes, until done through with no trace of pink remaining. Baste once with the marinade halfway through the cooking time, then again when you remove the rabbit from the oven. Place the rabbit pieces on a platter and surround them with wedges of lemon. Drain the onion slices briefly on paper towels, separate them into rings and scatter them over the top.

Believe it or not, this is a second Redtail juvenile

2011-12-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

This one came into the office just a few minutes ago. We checked it over, and decided to try to release it. Joe took it outside, gave it a toss into the air, and off it soared. It had been found along the side of a road, so probably just got the wind knocked out of it hitting a car.
Wonder what injured animal #3 will be - don't things come in threes?

Another wild thing that needs our help

2011-12-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

This immature Redtail Hawk came to the office today with a broken leg. It had been injured long enough that the leg had started to heal crooked. Likely it has not eaten for some time, and that is why it could be captured. Joe will take it to the rehab center in Licking county. Hope they will be able to help it return to the wild.

Tipsy Shanks of Lamb

2011-12-09T06:17:00.000-05:00

2 lamb shanks
3 Peeled halved cloves garlic
1 sliced Carrot
1/4 c Chopped onion
2 T Gin
1 Sprig rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 Sprig or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pepper to taste
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Madeira
4-6 new potatoes
4-6 small onions
1/2 c White wine

Add all the ingredients except madeira, potatoes, and onions to a heavy casserole, or a dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Turn meat; add madeira and spoon juices over meat. Continue to simmer for 1 hour, basting meat periodically. Add the onions and new potatoes; continue to cook until done. Done is when a fork pierces the potatoes easily; approximately 30 minutes.

Brandied Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

2011-12-02T05:58:00.003-05:00

1 md Rabbit, cut into 6 pieces
1 T Olive oil
1 T Butter or margarine
1 med Onion, cut in quarters
Whole cloves
Parsley, thyme, basil
Salt to taste
Brandy
4 T Whipping cream
1.5 T Grainy coarse Dijon Mustard

Heat olive oil and butter or margarine in large skillet until bubbly. Add meat pieces and saute on all sides until browned. While browning, press whole cloves into onion chunks (generously). Add chunks to skillet in between meat pieces; add other herbs. Sprinkle with salt. Generously 'slosh' brandy over top (at least 1/2 cup). Cover. Cook over medium to low heat about 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove meat pieces from pan and keep warm. Discard onion chunks & cloves. Increase heat to medium high. Add cream and mustard; cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Return meat to pan and coat on all sides with sauce. Serve at once.

2011-12-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

One of the new Dickens scenes in downtown Cambridge.
This is the likeness of our local newspaper's main photographer, Mike Neilson.

A close-up of his face. This REALLY looks
like Mike!

Two more rovings for the market

2011-11-30T09:15:00.001-05:00

Violet-Cornflower-Navy

Plum-Coral-Russet

Easy care flock

2011-11-27T05:48:00.000-05:00

Somerhill Lucerne

2011-11-26T17:47:00.000-05:00

Llwygy X1 daughter out of Somerhill Rowan (Loyalty x Laird)

Japanese Lamb Curry

2011-11-25T05:44:00.001-05:00

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped
10 mushrooms, sliced
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1 T butter
1 tsp. salt
2 lb lamb, cut into cubes
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Flour
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. butter
2 garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1 T. curry powder
2 T. tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 c wine
2 c water
2 c beef broth
2 bay leaves, cut in half
¼ c apple sauce
1 Japanese curry roux
2 T milk
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Cut vegetables. Parboil carrots until they are 80% cooked. In Dutch oven or large pot, heat butter on medium low heat and add onion and salt. Occasionally stir and sauté until onion is caramelized. It will take about 1 hour. When liquid is gone, make sure to keep stirring and scrape the bottom of the pot.

Meanwhile, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of lamb pieces. Then sprinkle flour on top and coat with the flour. Remove excess flour. In a cast iron skillet, heat oil and butter on high heat. Add the lamb but do not crowd the skillet. Do a second batch if necessary. Cook until browned.

When onion is caramelized, add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and tomato paste. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the lamb into the Dutch oven and pour in wine. Cook until alcohol/liquid is evaporated.
Add water and broth and bring it to a boil. Add bay leaf, apple sauce, and cook for 2 hours.
Add vegetables and cook until potatoes are soft (carrots should be 100% cooked by now).

Now add the roux. Use a ladle or spoon to help dissolve the roux. From this point, you have to make sure you don’t burn the curry! Mix well and keep scraping the bottom of the pan with wooden spoon. If the curry is too thick, add water to dilute. Add milk and Worcestershire sauce and cook on low heat until everything is mixed well.

Serve curry with rice.

2011-11-24T05:28:00.002-05:00

President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving – more 200 years after the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, in 1621. However, the holiday wasn’t declared an official national holiday until 1941.

Updated baby pictures

2011-11-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

These are Ti Kita and Hi-Jinx baby French.
2 REW, 2 cream, 1 lilac tort, 1 blue tort. The creams are different
shades, so I think one is a lilac based, and one is blue based.

These are Maybelline and Macgiver's babies. They are all chocolate agoutis.

Dickens Victorian Christmas is back in Cambridge

2011-11-21T10:13:00.001-05:00

This is the window in the Penny Court in downtown Cambridge. Once again, the village has been invaded by hundreds of manikins dressed in victorian garb, posed in vignettes depicting life in Charles Dicken's England. Penny Court is an antique mall housed in the former JC Penney's department store on the main street in town, Wheeling Ave. Several of the local businesses have begun decorating their windows in the Dickens spirit, carrying on the theme of the Christmas season.

Lancaster Rabbit Show Sunday

2011-11-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Oleander, my REW French Angora doe picked up her second leg at the show yesterday. She was BOS to the best of breed white buck my friend Tina showed. We had a pretty nice show; 13 English, 13 French, and 11 Satin Angoras were shown. None of my Satins placed, which is not a big surprise, considering I took a plucked buck, a clipped doe, and 2 babies. :^) My friends Nikki and Annette both got legs on their rabbits, so it was a good day for them, and fun for all of us.

It was Tina's birthday, and Jenna baked a cake and brought it to the show as a surprise. What a good friend!

Tim

2011-11-19T18:02:00.000-05:00

Timmy's motto: Never stand when you can sit; never sit when you can lie down.

Rabbit Breakfast Sausage

2011-11-18T05:49:00.009-05:00

1 dressed and boned rabbit , cut up
2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1-1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c finely chopped peeled tart apple
2 T canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In a food processor, process the mixture in small batches until coarsely ground. Stir in apple.
Shape into 16 patties, 3 in. each. Heat oil in a skillet; cook patties over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until sausage is browned and meat is no longer pink.

Christmas ideas for the market

2011-11-13T16:36:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Annette, for the idea for these cute little yarn ball Christmas ornaments.

New Satin Angora babies

2011-11-13T09:49:00.002-05:00

Somerhill Maybelline had her kits during the night, sired by SWF Macgiver. They are wellfed and sleepy. I think all six are chocolate agoutis. ONe "might" be a chocolate.

Somerhill Xalt

2011-11-12T17:58:00.003-05:00

Xalt is breeding the ewes I got from Kathy at Potosi this fall. He is an X1 son out of Somerhill Bess, who is a Carryhouse R1 daughter out of a Loyalty daughter.

Xalt is in the center behind the tall ewe.

Fall colors roving

2011-11-12T15:14:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite - of course!

Somerhill Baton Rouge

2011-11-11T10:17:00.001-05:00

She is 7 months old now, and turning into a real beauty! A black tort.
I took this photo, and clipped her down. The thought of breeding her is tempting.....

Tunisian Merguez patties

2011-11-11T05:53:00.002-05:00

1 lb. ground lamb
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T. minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. paprika
1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄4 tsp. ground fennel seed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup yogurt
8 leaves basil, roughly chopped
Chopped tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers, for serving
Flat bread, for serving

Add 2 cloves garlic, harissa, parsley, paprika, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt, and pepper to the ground lamb. Divide lamb mixture into 8 portions and form the portions into 3"-wide patties. Heat 2 T. oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb patties and cook, turning once until browned and still slightly pink, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer merguez to paper towels; set aside.
Meanwhile, stir together remaining garlic and oil, yogurt, and basil in a small bowl to make a sauce; season with salt and pepper. Serve merguez on a platter with sauce, chopped vegetables, and flat bread.

2011-11-11T05:06:00.002-05:00

Ti Kita's new babies.

2011-11-09T18:22:00.000-05:00

These were born yesterday. She is a blue tort, and the sire, Hi-Jinx, is a cream. There are four that look like they will be dilute torts, and 3 that are light colored I am hoping are creams and not REW. They are like popcorn in the nest - leaping into the air.

Satin Angora Juniors

2011-11-09T06:24:00.001-05:00

Somerhill Mardi Gras, chocolate JR doe from Maximo and Virichic. Her baby coat was clipped.

Somerhill Ducat (chocolate agouti buck) and Somerhill Moulin Rouge (red doe) from Maximo and Safari

I'll be showing these 3 this fall. Ducat has a killer body!

Buddy and Tim

2011-11-07T06:15:00.002-05:00

Somerhill Xcite at 7 months

2011-11-06T18:06:00.003-05:00

An X1 son, out of Somerhill Collette, who carries Jamie and Ebony Boy blood.

Somerhill Xcel at 7 months

2011-11-06T18:00:00.001-05:00

An X1 son out of Somerhill Adagio, daughter of Gwystedd Jamie

Somerhill Xact at 7 months

2011-11-06T17:53:00.000-05:00

X1 son out of Somerhill Wilkie, a triplet daughter of Barlaes Titus

New Rovings

2011-11-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

I've been working on some new rovings using the white BFL roving I have in stock. These are 2 of the ones I've done this week. The fall colors one - which I LOVE - is already at the market. I also have a plum blend, but the camera picks it up as blue.

View out the kitchen window

2011-11-04T14:36:00.000-04:00

I love it when the flock is in the pasture to the east of the house. I enjoy looking out kitchen window and seeing all the beautiful shining white sheep against the rich green grass. It takes 2 photos to get all the flock. Dear Penn has to be in both photos.

Rabbit Fingers

2011-11-04T05:28:00.001-04:00

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
1½ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. roughly chopped dill
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. dry mustard powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE RABBIT FINGERS:
2 lb. rabbit meat, cut into 3"-long-by-1"-wide strips
1 T sugar
1 T kosher salt
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 c flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
Canola oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS
To make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the honey, dill, mustard powder, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and stir together until smooth; set honey-dill dipping sauce aside.
To make the rabbit fingers: In a medium bowl, toss together rabbit, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and mustard; set aside. Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set aside. Pour enough oil in skillet to cover bottom, heat to medium hot. Working in batches, coat rabbit in flour, shake off excess, and dip in eggs; coat in breadcrumbs. Fry rabbit until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining rabbit. Serve with dipping sauce.

Somerhill Ti Kita

2011-11-02T13:43:00.001-04:00

Ti Kita lived with my friend, Tina, for about a year. Tina showed her and got her 3 legs needed for a championship, and also had a litter of bunnies. Now she has come back home to me, and I will get her registered and granded, and then she will raise some beautiful babies. Ti Kita is a blue tort French Angora. She is a daughter of Marinette, granddaughter of Voodoo.

Waiting for Dr Wilden

2011-11-02T13:37:00.000-04:00

We had our annual scrapie certification inspection this morning. The federal vet comes out and checks ear tags and then goes over our records to be sure all sheep are accounted for. We're a Certified Scrapie Free flock now. These are the 6 ewes we got from Kathy last month. They are still in quarantine, so are kept in a separate area about 1/2 a mile from the rest of the flock.
It was a beautiful morning for working outside on top of the hill. I was sorry to have to get cleaned up and head in to work.

Oleander

2011-10-31T18:24:00.001-04:00

This is my French Angora doe, Somerhill Oleander. She has 2 legs, and I am hoping to pick up her third needed for a championship at either the Lancaster or Zanesville shows later this month. She is looking spectacular right now! She has raised a couple litters for me, and I'd like to breed her to Nightshade later this year for some juniors to show at the spring shows. It would be nice to have a GrChamp doe to go along with my champion buck. :^)
My other doe, Somerhill Ti Kita, has her 3 legs, but needs to get registered so she can get her championship certificate. My friend, Tina, showed her and won those 3 legs with her.

FS- Somerhill Lava

2011-10-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Somerhill Lava - chocolate tort Satin Angora doe born 9-1-11
Available NOW for $65. Show/breeding quality

Mongolian Lamb

2011-10-28T05:29:00.000-04:00

2/3 lb. lamb leg steak, sliced across the grain
3 T corn starch
3 tsp canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c water
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp (heaping) red pepper flakes
2-3 large green onions, sliced

Pat the steak pieces with a paper towel to get rid of any moisture. Toss the steak and cornstarch together; shake off excess cornstarch.
Mix together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or large measuring cup.
Heat half the oil in a wok or large fry-pan at medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, then add the soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer back to the bowl or measuring cup.
Turn the heat up on the wok and add the remaining oil. Add the lamb and cook, stirring until just browned.
Pour the sauce back in and let it cook with the meat. Simmer for around 5 minutes or until thickened. Place lamb mixture on top of a bed of rice and garnish with green onions.
Serve with a side of steamed veggies. You may choose to toss in some broccoli during the last 5 minutes of simmering.

A follow up article on the exotic animal situation in Zanesville, Ohio

2011-10-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/26/for-hanna-pain-was-too-personal.html

A peek behind the curtain to understand the person who keeps lions in their backyard.

Gene Check results

2011-10-25T22:50:00.000-04:00

Got the codon testing back on the 6 X1 sired ram lambs tonight. Would you believe, all 4 of the rams we plan to use in a couple weeks are QR, and the twins, who I plan to sell, are both RR. Both types are resistant to scrapie - but the RR are more so, since they carry 2 resistant genes.

We used the ear tags that double as collectors for testing. They are cool - the small plug of ear tissue that is removed in the tagging process is captured in a plastic receptical that has the same ear tag number printed on it. We just popped those in the mail, and in a week, got our test results by email. The 6 page instruction manual was intimidating, but in reality, it was quite simple. I'll be using this system again for sure.

As night fell, an eery mist flowed into the valley

2011-10-24T19:36:00.003-04:00

QUICK AND EASY RABBIT FOO YUNG

2011-10-21T05:03:00.005-04:00

1 T sunflower oil or peanut oil
8-oz. boned rabbit meat, cut into strips
2 tsp. salt (divided)
1 medium onion, sliced
7 oz. frozen peas,carrots
8 oz. beansprouts
5 whole eggs, beaten
3 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Heat the oil in a wok over medium to medium-high heat.
Stir fry the rabbit meat until lightly browned. Add one teaspoon of salt, the onion slices, and the peas, and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add the beansprouts and stir fry for a minute more. Add the eggs, beaten with the other teaspoon salt, and the mushrooms to the ingredients in the wok; reduce the heat to a low setting. Stir occasionally while the eggs set so that the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the hot wok.
When the mixture has set and is brown in places, the dish is ready to be served. Goes great with a brown gravy and steamed white rice.

Saw this out my window this morning..........

2011-10-19T10:08:00.000-04:00

Just kidding. Did ya hear about all the wild exotic animals that are loose in SE Ohio this morning? I'm hoping to catch one of the giraffes, I've always wanted one!

Larue & Lucerne

2011-10-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

Larue

Lucerne

Even though these girls share the same sire (Llwygy X1) and their dams are twins that look VERY similar, they show a lot of diversity in their look and conformation. Larue shows the influence of the Laird side of her mother's pedigree, while Lucerne has the Loyalty look about her. Both have beautiful fleeces!

Lucerne(left) & Larue - that's dirt on her legs, and not spots.

2011-10-17T16:03:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it pays to work late

2011-10-16T19:04:00.000-04:00

This is what greeted me when I left work about 6PM on Friday nite.
It eventually became a double rainbow, then the middle disappeared, leaving the ends glowing like torches against the black stormy sky

More fall produce at the market

2011-10-16T19:02:00.000-04:00

3 kinds of kale and raw honey

Lamb Stassa

2011-10-15T15:41:00.002-04:00

1 small boneless leg (about 2# - you may need to slice one in half)

2 T lemon juice
1 T Olive oil
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 T sugar
2 T chopped mint
salt, pepper

Mix together dry ingredients. Let leg set out on counter for an hour to rest. Then rub with olive oil, and rub dry mixture into surface, patting to make sure all remains on the lamb. Place lamb on rack in roasting pan, drizzle lemon juice over, and roast very slowly at 250 for 3 hours. Slice thinly and serve with your favorite yogurt sauce and pita. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, slivered onions, more mint.

Somerhill Larue

2011-10-10T19:31:00.000-04:00

Here is her baby picture. She is an AI daughter of Llwygy X1, out of Royce (Loyalty/Laird)
Royce and Rowan are twins.

Somerhill Lucerne

2011-10-10T19:29:00.000-04:00

Here is her baby picture. She is an AI daughter of Llwygy X1 out of Rowan (Loyalty/Laird)

New yarns

2011-10-10T10:12:00.000-04:00

Burnt orange, olive, and aztec gold

russet, magenta, vermillion

6 baby girls

2011-10-08T19:38:00.000-04:00

These are Maximo and Safari's girls - 2 red, 2 chocolate tort, one chocolate agouti (wideband) and a black. They are 5 weeks old, and ever so cute!

Rabbit Mexicali

2011-10-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

1 Rabbit, cut into 6 pieces
2 c Corn
1 tsp Parsley
10 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp Rosemary
1 c minced black olives
1 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Chili powder
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
2 peppercorns
2 c yellow cornmeal
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Egg yolk
1/2 c Minced shallots

Place the rabbit, parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until rabbit is tender. Drain rabbit and reserve 1 cup liquid. Remove rabbit from bones. Sauté the garlic and shallots in small amount of fat in a skillet until tender, then add the rabbit, corn, tomatoes, olives, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Combine the cornmeal and egg yolk. Strain the reserved liquid, add to cornmeal mixture and mix well. Stir into the rabbit mixture and spoon into a greased casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until set.

Satin Angoras for sale

2011-10-03T18:37:00.000-04:00

I have an adult chocolate doe - has raised 2 litters successfully, with a RIS winner in her March litter.  Her sire is a grand champion who won BOS at the angora nationals this spring. Photo HERE
BD Virichic. Born 9/2010.    $85.00    Could be sold bred to a chocolate buck.

I also have her tort daughter born 7-15. This young lady is one of 2 I have kept back to evaluate for myself. She has a nice high arch, full hindquarters, good shoulders, and nice sheen.   I've just clipped off her baby coat - so no photo unless you request it. Somerhill Moulin Rouge   $65.00

UARC Specialty today

2011-10-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Fran Spangle with her Best in Show colored English Angora Doe.

Judge: Glen Carr - 42 entries
ENGLISH - 23
BOB - CSD - Fran Spangle
BOS - CSB - Maureen Varvir

FRENCH - 13
BOB - CSD - Jenna Leonard
BOS - CSB - Lisa Rodenfels

SATIN - 6
BOB - CSD - Lisa Rodenfels
BOS - CSB - Nikki Gaona-Maciel

GIANT - none shown

Logo

2011-09-30T14:11:00.005-04:00

This is the logo on the canvas bags that were given as BOB prizes at the UARC specialty. The other side of the bag had the win, date & place. I think they turned out very nice.

REAL Shepherds Pie

2011-09-30T05:09:00.007-04:00

1 deepdish pie shell
1# roast lamb, cooked until tender and shredded
1 bag frozen stirfry veggies with asparagus
salt, pepper to taste
3 C prepared mashed potatoes
1 C shredded sharp cheddar

Place in pie dish in this order, bake at 350 for one hour. I cooked the lamb roast in a crockpot, and included a small amount of the juices with the lamb meat. This is absolutely delicious!

One of the "S" bridges on old US Rt 40 roadbed

2011-09-29T09:08:00.001-04:00

This one is about 10 miles east of Cambridge(OH) just off Bridgewater Road. It can actually still be driven across. There is another on the west side of Cambridge, pictured HERE

My birthday presents

2011-09-26T10:47:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned I LOVE red? Now I have a RED microwave! LOVE IT!

Plus, Chuck let me get 6 more BFL ewes from my friend, Kathy Davidson @ Potosi in Glenrock, PA.
They are just beautiful! Meet Elsie, Esme, Carrah, Cecelia, Isacara, and Islay. 2 yearlings, 4 two year old ewes. I drove over on Saturday evening, stayed in York, PA, and then went to Kathy's in the AM to study pedigrees and admire her flock. We loaded my choices into the truck, and 6 hours later, the girls hopped of the truck and immediately began grazing. Gotta love these BFLs - nothing fazes them. See how well rested and content they look this morning?

Rabbit with cabbage and apples

2011-09-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces
flour, oil
salt and pepper & your favorite seasonings (sage, oregano,sweet basil, thyme, rosemary)
2 c cabbage, shredded
2 c apples, your choice of type, peeled, cored and sliced
1 c apple cider

Season some flour to taste with your favorite seasonings. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet.
Roll the rabbit in the flour and add to the hot oil.
Cook until browned on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.
In a slow cooker, layer in the cabbage, rabbit, apples, cabbage, etc.
Pour in the cider.
Cook on high for 5 – 6 hours or until the cabbage and rabbit is tender.

Congrats to Kim and Somerhill Belle!

2011-09-23T13:24:00.000-04:00

Kim Witherow of This'n That Farm Angoras from Mayville, NY won Best Reserve In Show with her Red Satin Angora Sr. Doe at the Niagara Frontier Show A in Batavia, NY on Saturday, September 17. The Doe's name is Somerhill Belle.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KIM! This would be Maximo and Virichic's earlier litter, born in March. She is a full sibling to the litter I have for sale right now. Here is a picture of the March litter.

2011-09-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

This monster and its mate were terrorizing a poor local landowner, so I sent our fearless wildlife specialist out to remove the menace and save the day!
(this snake is about 5 inches long)

A Wool Gathering

2011-09-19T20:06:00.000-04:00

Some of the yarns I had for AWG last weekend. (thanks to friend Annette for the photo) All but 3 skeins sold, and most of the white, too. Sales were crazy Saturday - I had so much fun! Almost all the dyed locks sold, too, and the last of my washed BFL fleece that I had intended to dye in shades of red and have made into roving.
The only bad thing was that the white roving I had planned to have for the show did not arrive from the processor as expected. :^( So when it shows up, I should have about 10-11# of beautiful white roving available.

See you this weekend?

2011-09-16T18:39:00.000-04:00

Off to A Wool Gathering in the morning as a vendor. Hope to see some of my friends there!

Lamb Meatballs & greens on ciabatta

2011-09-16T05:15:00.002-04:00

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, large stems removed
2 cloves garlic
Salt and ground black pepper
1# lamb meatballs (recipe here)
1/2 of a small head romaine, cut-up or torn
6 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted

In a food processor or blender combine oil, lemon juice, parsley, and garlic; cover and process until finely chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer parsley mixture to a large skillet; add meatballs and heat through, covered, over medium heat, stirring and spooning sauce over meatballs occasionally.
.Place one ciabatta roll, toasted side up, on each plate. Top with shredded romaine. Remove meatballs from skillet with a slotted spoon; place atop romaine. Drizzle warm parsley mixture over meatballs

Take a "Pie in the Eye" for conservation

2011-09-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of the event at the fair last night. We had a nice crowd, and over 150 plates of whipped topping were tossed at our poor, hapless (victims) volunteers.

My two co-workers

2011-09-13T14:11:00.000-04:00

Van Slack, our technician, and Joe Lehman, our Wildlife Specialist.
This is our display at the county fair - we have a nice garden shed, a pond and waterfall, and some pretty stone retaining walls. Tomorrow night, some teachers, a county commissioner, the city mayor, and possibly county sheriff will be targets for whip cream pies. The money raised goes to support our conservation day camp. The event is called "Take a Pie in the Eye for Conservation"

Safari's kits

2011-09-12T06:10:00.001-04:00

There are still six - its a cool morning and they kept trying to snuggle back down in bed.

2011-09-11T11:10:00.002-04:00

Somerhill Fleur de Lis

2011-09-10T18:32:00.000-04:00

Twin daughter of Somerhill Lockerbie AI and Somerhill China AI. HERE is her baby picture.

Fall is here - apples and cider arrive at the market

2011-09-10T18:22:00.000-04:00

Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic, Rosemary, and Thyme

2011-09-09T05:12:00.001-04:00

6 lamb chops, about 1 inch thick
sea salt to taste to season cooked lamb chops

Marinade:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. garlic puree or minced fresh garlic
2 T olive oil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine marinade ingredients. Place lamb chops inside small ziploc bag, pour marinade in, and marinate 1-4 hours.
Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to high heat. (You can only hold your hand there for 1-2 seconds at that heat.) Grill lamb chops about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the lamb chops and how hot your grill is. Season with sea salt to taste and serve hot.

For Melissa - copper Satin Angora buck

2011-09-08T20:08:00.002-04:00

Malabar State Park and more yarn

2011-09-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Last night I took off from work a little early and drove north to Malabar Farm State Park (near Mohican). My friend Anne had asked me to do a presentation for her spinning guild on raising sheep. I talked for almost 45 minutes, and several people stood around afterwards asking questions and admiring the yarn and wool I'd brought. (they gave up eating cookies and cake to talk to me - hehe) I really enjoyed it - but driving home 2.5 hours in the rain and very dark country made me sleepy. I made it home safely just before 11PM.
Her guild meets monthly, and also has some events on the weekend throughout the year. Next time they do that, I need to go back up and spend more time looking at the displays and learning more about the farm and its original owner, Louis Bromfield.

Today

2011-09-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

Today I will finish washing all the wool from this year's wool clip. I should have it dry and ready to ship to Stonehedge for white roving on Tuesday morning. I also have some more skeins to dye, although I am running low on some of my favorite dye colors. Maybe 2011 is the year I finally use up all the old Cushing dyes I have collected over the past 20 years!

Yesterday, the temperature topped out at 100 degrees! Today, we have 82 predicted, with thunderstorms approaching. Tomorrow, the high should be 65. The rest of the week is to be in the upper 60s and 70s.

New Yarns

2011-09-03T08:28:00.000-04:00

Getting ready for A Wool Gathering

Safari's kits

2011-09-03T07:39:00.000-04:00

By popular demand (ouch, Vici, you are hurting my arm)
Here are the new kits. Black, chocolate agouti, red, and one is lighter, like a fawn or dilute.
We'll see.

Guess what I'm doing?

2011-09-02T12:17:00.001-04:00

"I can't decide whether to build my nest or eat the dandelion greens mom gave me....."

As it turns out, she decided on the nestbuilding, and Safari had 6 new babies yesterday.
Looks like a black, and some reds. Some of the reds have a chocolate cast to them, so maybe I'll get some of my favorites - the wideband chocolate agoutis with lots of rufus. Safari is a chocolate agouti, and the sire is Max, who is red. These are Max's last kits for me, as he bred Safari on his way out the door, headed for California!

Fall Rabbit stew

2011-09-02T05:25:00.000-04:00

1 rabbit, cut into 6 pieces

6 Carrots, peeled and chunked
1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
3 Onions, cut into quarters
7 Potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt to season
2 T Cornstarch

Take a large pan and fill three cups water (or chicken broth), bring to the boil, then carefully add the rabbit.
Bring to boil again and simmer for 5 minutes skimming off anything that floats to the top. Add carrots, onions, potatoes, and simmer for 1.5 hours. Add squash and simmer 30 minutes longer.
Remove from heat. Remove rabbit pieces, allow to cool slightly, & remove bones. Meanwhile, make a paste with the cornstarch and used to thicken the stew. Return rabbit to stew, heat through, and serve.

Hawk, again

2011-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

This time, she was at the bottom of the driveway, perched on a fencepost beside our mailbox. I was able to drive up fairly close before it took off and flew across the yard, within feet of the house, and back into the ravine behind the house. I heard it calling while I was in the barn doing my morning chores. We think she is an immature Redtail - I say she because she is pretty large.

Mint Pesto for Lamb Chops

2011-08-31T11:11:00.000-04:00

1/2 c mint leaves
1/2 c fresh parsley
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

No farmers market this week - the Washington County fair runs through the weekend, taking our space.
When we move back into the building, I plan to sample lamb chops with this pesto on the side.