Will you be in a pumpkin patch tonight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAer30q8FXo&feature=related

Happy Halloween!

Kentucky Oven BBQ Rabbit

1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 oz. tomato juice or V-8
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Place rabbit pieces in a single layer in baking dish.  In large saucepan, combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, butter, tomato juice, water, apple cider vinegar, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Pour over meat. Bake at 325º F for 2 hours or until fork tender. As liquid evaporates, meat will brown on top and the sauce will thicken. Turn each piece and bake for 15 to 20 minutes on other side to brown. Serve with fried potatoes, baked beans and hot biscuits.

Wordless Wednesday - Beautiful morning

Baby Bonnet

A yarn customer dropped by my space at the farmers market today to show me the sweet baby hat she crocheted using some of my BFL yarn.  I think it turned out great, and she is very happy with it, too.

Quick and Easy Lamb Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups boneless lamb, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add lamb and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes.  Add onion to skillet; cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add flour, butter, vegetable oil, curry, and cumin; cook until fragrant, whisking to mix, about 2 minutes.  Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer and cook until lamb is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Wordless Wednesday - Hickories on the hill

Latest Roving

This is my latest roving - a blend of 65% Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) and 35% red Satin Angora.  Its available for sale at $5 per ounce.
This is the original color of the dyed BFL locks, before the angora, which is a peachy color, was blended in.

Magnificent 7

My keeper BFL ewe lambs for this year.  In no particular order:
Eden, Saoirse, Kipling, Interlude, Wild Rose, Justimere, Philadelphia.
They are out of 3 different Llwygy X1 sons.

Nutfields Oakley

My new copper Satin Angora doe.  She is from New Hampshire,
by way of a wild trip to New York last weekend.

Czechoslovakian Rabbit in Sour Cream Sauce

1 rabbit, cut into pieces
Flour
Shortening or bacon drippings
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1 cup sliced onion
Caraway seeds (optional)  

Roll rabbit in flour. Heat shortening and brown rabbit on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place in roaster. Mix sour cream, milk and onion; pour over rabbit. Sprinkle with caraway seeds. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours at 325ºF to 350ºF. Check occasionally so it doesn’t dry out; add more milk if necessary.

The finished culvert.

They came back Tuesday to remove the forms on the new cement. 
This time, they did what the engineer told them to do, cleaning the
dirt and debris out of the streambed and lining the area with riprap.

Ready for Retirement Home

GrChamp Somerhill Nightshade "Pops" is looking for a retirement home. He is black, carries chocolate, REW, dilute, non-extended. In his prime, he was unbeatable on the show table. Excellent body, great density, etc.
 Born7-8-2009
He still breeds, but is not producing reliably anymore, especially in the summer. He is in good health, still grows a nice coat, and is pleasant tempered.
Pluckable.
The prospect of a clean, well loved retirement home is much more important than his price. He is available to an experienced angora home where he will be kept properly groomed and well fed.
Please contact me at somerhill@earthlink.net

Somerhill Glen Rock

All packed up and ready to head to Indiana with Dustin  to breed some Shetlands.  And maybe get his own flock of BFL ewes next year.  He is a twin out of a Potosi ewe and my X1 son, Xalt.

Photo taken by Dustin at his farm.  Those are Shetland and Cormo ewe
legs in the background.

UARC angora specialty at Marietta OH results

BOB Giant - Nancy James; BOB Satin - Lisa Rodenfels; BOB French - Tina Vance;, BOB English - Maureen Varvir.  Mareen also won Best in Show, and is holding the special award made and donated by Annette.

The BOB awards (made by me)
 

Middle eastern lamb skewers

1  medium onion, quartered

1  peeled garlic clove

4  flat-leaf parsley sprigs

1/2  teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

3  T fresh lemon juice

1  teaspoon ground allspice

1  tablespoon kosher salt

1# lamb cubes

2  T olive oil

Warm pita and Greek-style plain yogurt, for serving

In a blender, combine the onion, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest, lemon juice, allspice, salt and  puree until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a re-sealable plastic bag, add the cubed lamb and turn to coat. Seal the bag, pressing out any air. Refrigerate the lamb for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

 Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Drain the lamb, shaking off the excess marinade. Thread the lamb onto 4 long skewers, leaving a bit of room between the cubes. Brush the lamb with the oil and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes for medium-rare meat. Serve the lamb skewers with warm pita and yogurt.

BFL lambswool Yarn

A sampling of the yarns I've been dyeing lately, taken at
the farmer's market.  

Satin Angora juniors

Somerhill Cimmaron.(red)  At 2 months, he is already 5#.
He will be joining my friend Annette's herd soon.

Somerhill Tandoori and Thalia.
Chocolate agouti sisters.  They are looking for new homes.
I'll have them at the UARC angora specialty in Marietta, OH
this Saturday.   One is reserved - one available.

My dilutes - all dressed up, but no show.

Somerhill Hi-Jinx
Cream buck, 1 leg, registered. Several litters produced.  

Somerhill Tiddlywinks
Lilac tort doe, out of Hi-Jinx and Ti Kita.  Registered at
Springfield show.  Will be bred after the fall show season.

I went to the double show in Springfield on Sunday.  I had to leave by 3PM to make an appointment at the farm that evening, and angoras had STILL not been called to the table for either show.  But it was not a complete bust, since I did get Winky, Hemlock, and Moulin Rouge registered, and met someone at the show to deliver a SA junior doe.
There were 4 FA exhibitors, and one each SA and EA breeders there.  Met Jamie, a brand new SA owner, and watched as she taught Emily how to drop spindle.  And Maureen won Best in Show B with her English Angora - WOO HOO!
Next Saturday is the UARC angora specialty along with a double show at Marietta OH hosted by the Blennerhassett club.  There are several SA breeders coming to this show, so it will be FUN!   We should have all 4 angora breeds represented at this show.

Dangerous Wild Animal Act

Ohio Department of Agriculture reminds owners of dangerous wild animals to register them before Nov. 5 or face criminal charges in the future.  Failure to register animals by the deadline is a first-degree misdemeanor for the first offense, and a fifth-degree felony for each subsequent offense, the department said.  In addition, anyone who wishes to receive a permit to keep a dangerous wild animal past Jan. 1, 2014, must register and microchip their animals by the Nov. 5 deadline, according to the release.  After Jan. 1, 2014, anyone with dangerous wild animals or restricted snakes in Ohio must have a permit or an exemption. Permit applications will be made available in 2013, according to ODA.
More info here:
http://www.agri.ohio.gov/TopNews/DangerousWildAnimalAct/