A Family Trip To The Pumpkin Farm

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Last weekend we went en famille to the Kingsley Family Farm to pick out our pumpkins.  We do this twice a year, in mid October and later on in December for our Christmas tree.  I know we can pick out pumpkins for less money elsewhere, but the entertainment here is so fabulous it's worth the markup in spades.  No matter how old you are, you will have lots of fun.

Where else can you find pumpkins the size of the ones above?

There is every kind of pumpkin here, too many to list and, frankly, I forgot to jot down the names!

Preserves, syrups, apple cider anyone?

It took us forever to find THE one...

And the winner is.....

.

This Cinderella pumpkin is now gracing our front door.  Unbeknownst to me, my daughter went around and found another just like it.  We now have the most expensive pumpkins of the neighborhood in front of our house!

Future Christmas trees.

This was my mother's first trip to the farm.

We have very determined shoppers in this family...they have been well trained/

But Madame Mere had another idea in mind and look who's waiting for her at the wheel...

With a little help from her grandson no less......as my daughter watches in the background in complete disbelief.

This is much better than picking out pumpkins she says...

This is the second tractor she rides in the four months she's been here.  A real farm girl!

Heaven knows what they're talking about....

Was that Grammy?????

Meanwhile, back at the farm...

Why does this photo make me think of pate?

Every farm has a dog, right? He was the official welcoming committee.

I'm not familiar with this breed of cattle but they were beautiful and very, very vocal!

History repeats itself...my grandchildren look exactly like their father and aunt at that age...

Madame Mere's destination...more hydrangeas

MM on the lose..I think her boyfriend ditched her...

 Daughter in law and Harper are just happy to be on the sidelines.  We are all on pins and needles hoping she will turn out to be a redhead like her mom.

Finally, back to Lindaraxa's for lasagna, everybody's favorite...

where we offer free babysitting services from the Sous Chef, always willing to oblige.

Stay........

They may the most expensive pumpkins in the neighborhood but they are a daily reminder of all the fun we had at the farm.  Priceless!

*******

10/29/14

The cows have been identified by one of our readers and favorite bloggers, Chronica Domus as a heritage breed by the name of Belted Galloways

" I just watched a documentary on Dumfries House in Scotland and saw some of these attractive cows being visited by Prince Charles, who is a big advocate for heritage breeds. "

See full comment below.  There were more cows out to pasture, I guess HE takes care of them!

Lipton's Meat Loaf with a Twist

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I usually don't post on Sundays but one of my dearest friends is having a craving for meatloaf!

I have been making this meatloaf recipe ever since I got married 40 years ago! It comes from a friend of ours who used to have a house in Vermont where my husband and I went during ski season. I think it is so good that I have never felt the need to look for another recipe and my family and friends have been enjoying it all these years. Like a lot of meatloaves today, it is a variation of the one on the onion soup mix but the addition of bacon really makes it stand out. The original recipe calls for real bread crumbs, so if you have day old bread, by all means use it.

The way I like to accompany meatloaf is with baked sweet potatoes on the side and creamed spinach. If you don't want to make the latter, Stouffers makes a pretty good one. The baked sweet potato will only take an hour at 350 degrees, so both can cook in the same oven. Make sure you let it rest for at least 10 minutes, otherwise it will be hard to cut. I usually let it rest longer.

This is one of the simplest most delicious and economical meals you will ever have...The ultimate comfort food. In addition, there is nothing like having meatloaf sandwiches for the rest of the week!



Ingredients


1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix or Onion Beef Soup Mix

2 lbs. ground beef

3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs*

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp dry basil*

3 slices of bacon

pepper


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Shape into a loaf in a 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan or in a loaf pan. Cover with 3 slices of bacon.

3. Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.




*Cook's Note Use 1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs or 5 slices fresh bread, cubed
* If you have fresh basil use it..if you have lemon basil, even better!
* I prefer to use a metal meat loaf pan instead of ceramic. The one in the photo is from Getty Images. The one in the recipe will look the same or better!

A New England Dinner...Yankee Pot Roast

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Having lived in New England for most of my life, every once in awhile I get the urge to have something that reminds me of that happy time. On Sundays, particularly when it was snowing, I would dig out my old copy of the Yankee Magazine Cookbook and turn to one of my favorite recipes for pot roast. Picture this, snow falling heavily outside, the fireplace going, the TV turned to an old favorite movie and the smell of rum and horseradish permeating the air. Now that I'm in Florida, I usually wait for a cold spell or turn the air conditioning down to 60. I still haven't figured a way to turn on the snow.

It is April already, and a Wednesday to boot, but I have a favorite uncle who dies for this recipe and has made a request...so we will sit amongst the palms, with the smell of gardenias and jasmine and imagine its cold outside and its just another Sunday in New England. In all seriousness, you can make this any time, but it tastes much better and warms the soul particularly in the winter. I have made a couple of changes to make the original even better. Please read the cook's note at the end before making it.

Half-Way House Yankee Pot Roast

3-4 pound bottom round roast
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter
salt
flour
1 large onion, sliced
12 whole peppercorns
12 whole allspice
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
1/2 cup good dark rum
1/2 cup beef bouillon
Kitchen Bouquet
Small whole carrots, or larger carrots quartered

Mash the garlic and sauté in the butter. Rub the meat with salt and flour and brown it well on all sides in the butter. Lay the meat on a bed of thin-sliced onion in a large Dutch oven or any pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the butter, the spices and seasonings and pour the rum over the meat. (A good pot roast will supply most of its own juices, but as it cooks pour the 1/2 cup of beef bouillon over it to make an ample supply of gravy). Cover tightly and simmer for 3 or 4 hours until the roast is tender. This may be done either in the oven or on the back of the stove. If you want carrots with the pot roast, add them to the pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking. About 5 minutes before the end, add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet. When the roast is done, remove it to a hot, round platter and surround with the carrots. Stir the gravy until smooth, correcting the seasoning if necessary. Pour it over the roast; if fresh dill is available, you may add some. I don't, but it's up to you. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Cook's Note

Don't' get anything but bottom round roast. It is the best cut of meat for this dish. Roast is done when you pierce the meat with a fork and it almost goes through it. Ovens and stoves vary so use your discretion. Do try to use dark rum, although in a pinch you can use white. It does make a difference. Jamaican rum is the best, but Bacardi is excellent. At the end if the sauce is runny, dissolve a tsp. of flour in hot water and add to gravy. Do not miss adding a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet, it does make a difference. And make sure you make it exactly as the recipe calls for. The blend and aroma of all the ingredients is unbelievable...You will think of Yankee clippers and Nantucket!

Mashed Potatoes

If you are entertaining informally for Sunday dinner, make your regular mashed potatoes with butter and milk and add 2 eggs. Transfer to a souffle or casserole dish and bake at 325 for 40 min. This keeps you from having to make the mashed potatoes at the last minute, plus it makes them rather special.

What's for dessert? Try an Apple Crisp!

The Perfect Roast Chicken

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Yes, I know what you are going to say..why make one if I can buy one? Because it is an entirely different experience! This is the quintessential one dish meal, with lots of leftovers for lots of things. Besides, it has potatoes and vegetables and only one pan to clean. Chickens are now on sale for .79/lbs and this 5 lbs. chicken from Sanderson's, 100% natural, was only $4.00. Wait 'til you see what we are going to make with leftovers tomorrow.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Cooking time 1 hour Prep time 5 minutes

1 5 lbs. chicken
3-4 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 cloves garlic, mashed
1 lemon or lime
1 TB Herbes de Provence*
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
6 Red potatoes
1 small bag Baby carrots

Make sure your oven is clean, otherwise you are going to smoke your entire house. Preheat oven to 450. Cover the roasting pan with tin foil paper so you wont have to work too hard cleaning it afterwards. Take all the innards out of the chicken, saving the livers in the freezer for a later use. Wash the chicken and pat dry. Lay the chicken on the roasting pan. Mash the garlic cloves with the back of your knife and put half in cavity and rest on the pan. Cut up the potatoes in quarters and add to pan. Add the carrots. Cut the lemon or lime up in quarters, and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Stick the rinds inside the chicken. Add olive oil liberally over the chicken, the potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle herbes the provence and sea salt over the chicken and vegetables. Using your hands or a spoon, make sure vegetables are entirely covered with olive oil and the seasonings. Place in the oven for exactly 1 hour. Let sit for about 15 minutes, before you carve and serve.

Cook's Note

The chicken will turn out darker and crispier than the one in the photograph, which was taken out of the oven earlier to make for a clearer picture.

Wine Suggestion

If you really want to enjoy the experience, pick up a nice French Burgundy or Pinot Noir from California or Washington State.

*Variations: Substitute Herbes de Provence with Fresh Rosemary