May 4, 2012

Blakesley Creek Farm

Since moving back to Oregon last Summer (almost a year ago!), I have been so fortunate to make some truly wonderful friends. Most of them I’ve met through various fiber events and meetings, and all of them have been so welcoming to me and my husband. They’re all so willing to lend farm/livestock advice, a helpful hand, loaner supplies or just a few kind words of encouragement while we struggle through this apartment bound phase of our lives.  One of those friends is Lois Olund, the driving force behind one of Wren’s foremost fiber farms and part of the two-gal team that is Bellwether Wool Company. * You can find Lois’ husband, Joseph in the NY Times this week talking about Quince trees! He’s the man when it comes to Quince.

If you happen to stop by Blakesley Creek Farm, you’ll drive past a field full of some interesting characters. You’ll first notice the muppet like alpacas staring at you as you drive up, but your attention will quickly be diverted to her threesome of guard Maremma dogs: Rufous, Stella and Zucca (who isn’t actually Lois’, but is currently in training at the farm.) They’ll bark pretty fiercely, but they’re just doing their jobs and if you watch them long enough you’re sure to see Rufous tenderly nuzzling a baby lamb. And baby lambs there are! Not as many as Lois would have liked this year, but i had the good fortune to snuggle with a few shortly after their birth (and the unfortunate opportunity of butchering a 2 day old lamb that didn’t make it in order to feed him to Pocket. Waste not, want not, ay?)

If you wander about the farm some more, you’ll find bunnies, chickens, peacocks and newts. I helped Lois cull some older hens this Spring to feed to Pocket, she doesn’t like to take her animals’ life, they needed to go and i needed the experience: a great partnership. I have also taken on several unfortunate animals that didn’t make it, but will make good meals for our pup. Dying is part of ranch living, and i’m happy to be able to help Lois out in any way i can. Even if it’s bloody.

I asked Lois to say a little about her farm and her special sheep. She doesn’t raise just any sheep, of course. She’s been raising Wensleydale sheep for several years now, and they are truly beauties!

32 years ago we found our lovely piece of property- only 10 acres, all we could afford. Slowly we’ve built a house, a barn, chicken coop and rabbitry, as well as raised two very wonderful, bright and capable kids here. We added registered Wensleydale sheep about 16 years ago. After years of raising other breeds of sheep, I fell in love with Wensleydales and have found them to be the perfect fit, and wonderfully adapted to Oregon’s climate, mud and all. Since Wensleydales come from the UK, we’ve used AI over many years to upgrade toward purebred sheep. We are now at 93% and higher Wensleydales and looking forward to a purebred North American Wensleydale flock in the near future. We are one of approximately 20 Wensleydale Sheep breeders in North America and we have the largest flock at 60+.

Wensleydales are a very long wooled, lustrous fiber sheep with it’s origins going back to 1838 and a famous Teeswater and Leicester ram named Blue Cap. Read more about the development of the breed in England and see some of the sheep we visited in UK this past Summer which is where our semen originates on my Flickr page.

Lois teams up with another local fiber farmer to sell roving, batts, yarn and fleeces under the name Bellwether Wool Company. Their website is currently getting a facelift, but you can find them on Facebook. Go ahead and give Bellwether or Blakesley Creek a “like” and tell them Pocket sent them. (Pocket just loves going to Lois’ house, by the way.) Bellwether sells all sorts of fiber blends and is my first stop when i’m shopping for supplies for Fiber Friends or my personal spinning habit. I love supporting a great new friend who seems to go out of her way to lend us a hand, and they sell great product so it’s not hard to become addicted. If you’re in Oregon this Summer, head out to the Blacksheep Gathering and meet Lois and her partner, their great old fiber-filled bus, and strike them up in a friendly conversation about sheep, knitting (and accidentally felting) socks, or any other topic that smells a little sheepy. They’ll be game!

No featured Fiber Friend this week, as i’m a bit manic in getting them ready for a “big meeting” with a local yarn shop: wish me luck! And feel free to stop by the Etsy shop and as always feel free to send me custom requests for your favorite animal :)

Are you a spinner or fiber artist? Have you ever played around with Wensleydale fiber? What did you think??

This post can be found on the Simple Lives Thursday blog hop.

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May 3, 2012

Natural Flea/Tick/Mosquito Prevention

As you know, we love our corgi here at Pocket Pause. Heck, i named this blog after her. We feed her a raw diet, wash her with my natural soap, give her homemade and grain free treats, and are pretty strict with her training regimen.  Yet on the first of every month, we empty a vial of insecticidal poison onto the back of her neck in order to ward off fleas. We even refer to this stuff as “the poison” and take pains not to hug her closely for the first 2 days after application. If we’re so freaked out about getting it on out skin, why are we so cool with slathering it all over her body???  I dunno!

Actually, i do know. I’m terrified of fleas.

Run! Run from the fleas!

I once lived in a shared house. I lived down the hall from a room that once housed a gal and her hound, who was not on flea medication. In Savannah, Georgia. In a house surrounded by feral cats. You get the idea. I was quickly the new favorite housing project and buffet for all those lonely, now dogless fleas. It took 4 or 5 trips from the exterminator and many itchy bites before we got rid of those fleas. I’m no longer willing to take chances.

Does my fear of fleas make it okay to slather poison all over my fur baby once a month? I think not. I posted over at Bathtime last week with some facts about why those “poisons” can be really bad for your pet, research, and ideas for a new, natural alternative in my mission to repel fleas. Check it out, if you missed it.  What i came up with is an oil based concoction of mixed essential oils, chosen for their flea, tick and mosquito repelling attributes. I’ll be able to use this oil on Pocket as a spot treatment, just like that Frontline stuff, as well as hike-specific repellant. Since no poisons are involved, i’ll also be able to use this stuff on us skin-folks. I plan on mixing up a thicker balm, mixed with beeswax and coconut oil that we can bring about with us when we travel. Since i make soap, i order essential oils in bulk and have a large arsenal on my hands. Buying in bulk is much cheaper than picking up small portions at the health food store, but you CAN find most of these oils locally if you search. * If you’re interested in ordering larger quantities online, i’ve posted my favorite suppliers on the “resources” page.

Pocket’s Bug-B-Gone (makes 2 oz)

  • 1 oz carrier oil (i use jojoba, though international supplies of this oil are limited. Choose an oil with a long shelf life. Hemp would be a good option)
  • 3 ml Cedarwood Essential Oil (not juniperus)
  • 2 ml Clove Essential Oil
  • 2 ml Peppermint Essential Oil
  • .5 ml Rosemary Essential Oil
  • 3 ml Lemongrass Essential Oil
  • 2 ml Citronella Essential Oil
  • 3 ml Lavender Essential Oil (not grosso)  * More about the essential oils i chose at Bathtime

I used a baby dropper to measure out the essential oils carefully. You could also use a skinny syringe. Be prudent about rinsing out the dropper between oils as you don’t want to contaminate the other bottles of essential oil. Also be sure to wash your hands well after handling straight essential oils. They can do some crazy things in your body when applied straight! Shake this solution well each time you apply and try to find a jar with a dropper or use one of those stoppers that only lets a drop pass through the rim at a time. Store the jar out of direct sunlight, but not in the fridge or it will be impossible to get out. You can alternatively store in a wide mouth, 4 oz mason jar and blend your oils with melted coconut oil then store it all in the fridge which will keep it solid. This balm would be better for rubbing in your hands then onto your dog. I like the idea of having the dropper and applying the oil directly to her neck every 2 weeks or so, to be absorbed into her body for long term pest repellent.

I will post our observations in a few weeks and let you all know how it works out!

How do you feel about heartworm/flea prevention in pets? How about vaccination? I want to hear everyone’s thoughts on these potentially contraversial topics. Bring it on!

 This post is part of the Simple Lives Thursday blog hop!

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May 1, 2012

Chicken and Pasta Bake plus MORELS

I like to experiment. Sometimes i’m pleased with the results, other times, well – i don’t post them. This dish turned out darned tootin tasty, and i thought it worth sharing.

When you search google for ‘chicken pasta bake’ you almost always come up with recipes that utilize cut up chicken breast verses parted up whole chicken. I buy my chickens whole and i like to cook them as 2 breasts and 2 thighs. I went out on a limb and “went for it” piecing together a few temps and times online and monitored with my meat thermometer until i was satisfied with the results. Here’s what i came up with:

Whole (quartered) Chicken Pasta Bake

  • 1 whole chicken, breasts and thighs removed with the back and neck reserved for Pocket (or for stock making)
  • 1 leek
  • 1 fist full dried spaghetti
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (this would have been SO much better with home canned tomato sauce, but i am out and used Trader Joe’s organic instead)
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • Salt, pepper, cayenne

Bring a pot of salted water to boil while preheating oven to 350. Cook 2-4 servings of spaghetti to al dente while quartering the chicken. Place chopped leek (or regular onion) in the bottom of a well seasoned cast iron pan (or pyrex baking dish coated in a little oil). Once cooked, spread an even layer of pasta over the leeks, season with salt and pepper, place chicken parts evenly over pasta, season again and top it all with the jar of pasta sauce. No need to cover, the sauce will insulate the dish fairly well. Cook for about an hour, or until ALL pieces of meat read at least 165 with your meat thermometer. Double check the thighs.

*** As a bonus! We scored some morel mushrooms from The Mushroomery at this week’s farmer’s market in Corvallis, and stuffed them with Alsea Acres garlic chives Fromage Blanc. I put them in a smaller cast iron pan into the oven with the main course and cooked about 20 minutes for some tasty side bites of glory. These were my very first morels, and i think i’m addicted. I sure hope to grow or forage some in the upcoming months and years.

We definitely shared in some fist pumps over this meal, though i really shouldn’t be eating ANY sort of pasta while i’m still technically dieting. Salad for dinner, tonight! (Topped with shredded thigh meat from this chicken bake). It’s hard to describe what the morels tasted like, especially since their flavor was heavily influenced by the delicious cheese stuffed inside of them (who knew they were hollow and stuffable???). I’m pretty sure i could say they tasted like “forest floor,” which sounds like a cop out, but totally fits their flavor. I’m excited to try them again, and am glad i have a wonderful, local, sustainable source for them. I DO hope we can forage our own soon, however.

How about you? Ever tried morels? If you haven’t, are you curious? If you have, how would you describe them??

This recipe can be found on the Simple Lives Thursday blog hop.

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April 30, 2012

Decadent Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. LOVE. Yet for some reason it took me YEARS to master how to actually MAKE mashed potatoes. Instead i relied on my mom or father in law to make me my favorite side dish and only got to eat them at Thanksgiving or Christmas. This was no good at all! So at some point i had my F.I.L. show me how he makes his mashers, and i’ve fiddled with the recipe over the years to create my own version.

As you know, i normally prepare mashed “potatoes” along with some cauliflower to make a lighter, less carb-heavy version. I’m not always interested in dieting, however. Here’s my recipe for real, honest to goodness, creamy, garlicy, deliciously decadent mashed potatoes.

The Real Stuff

  • Potatoes, red or yellow. About 2 medium sized potatoes for each person, equivalent to the mass of one big baker.
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • small pat butter
  • 1/4 cup yogurt
  • pinch rosemary
  • salt/pepper

Cover potatoes and rosemary with water (in a pot, of course) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and cook until the potatoes can be easily stabbed with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain, add diced garlic and butter and begin to mash. You may use a hand mixer or a plain old fashioned masher. Add yogurt, salt and pepper and continue to mix until you achieve a creamy, smooth consistency. Add more yogurt and/or a splash of milk if necessary.

Slather with gravy, shredded cheese or a saucy main course and you’ve got a little cloud from heaven on your plate!

How do you like your mashed potatoes? Light and fluffy, and rich and creamy?

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