April 10th Recognizing Farm Animals

 

Growing up in rural Illinois has many bonuses for sure. It was a lot of fun and good green space to get out and have fun but a good way to learn work skills as well. Both of my grandparents were farmers in Greene County Illinois where corn and soybeans were king and along side many raised livestock as well. Likewise, the area is still teaming with many family farms and looks like this will continue just as it has for many generations. 

Corn and soybeans are popular crops in the area. Farms in this area also raise livestock animals of cows, pigs, chickens and others. Farmers in this area should not feel alone as there are community organizations like the Greene County Farm Bureau supporting farmers in the area as well. Offering tips and ideas to help promote the farmers safety by offering training to those who need experience and those that have been in the farming business for years as well\

The National farm animal day has been created to demonstrate care of farm animals and what the great need is. The day also was created to help draw awareness to the abandoned and abused animals and the need for good safe homes. While farm animals give the world eggs, milk, cheese, meat, wool, leather and more the farmers and those responsible for caring for the animals in return offer the animals food, shelter and care. 

One way to get involved is to find out how farm animals live. Visiting a farm is a great way to do this., There are many farms that are set up in southern Illinois to do just this. In addition, visit the farmers extension service and check out 4H this is a great way for kids to learn about farming and caring for animals. Perhaps you will find out many things others will not know about. 

Take for instance knowing how much land you need to raise animals, what animal is the friendliest to raise, what animal is the easiest and etc....

• chickens are raised easily on farms with little room. Maintenance is low as well. In addition, the chicken offers both eggs and meat
• Goats are often considered the most friendliest animals to raise on the farm. In addition many find goats are comical as well.
• Did you know that one farm animal that looks the dirtiest is actually the cleanest animal. Most pigs wallow in the dirt and mud but when it comes to going to the bathroom they will not do it in the same area as they like to live. They often go aside to use the bathroom so that the waste is not in the area that they live, breathe and sleep. 

As a final point animals have rights of their own and here is a list to help keep those in mind

Animals have the right to sufficient food and water for their own health
Animals should be able to live in comfort and appropriate living area. 

Animals should be helped and kept out of pain, injury and disease. This should be done through  proper care

Animals should be able to live as they normally would in nature. 

Animals should not live in fear of their handlers. Likewise they should be able to live their life without fear of abuse, neglect or cruelty. 

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Back to blogging

 

I am just reentering the blog world. Because I can no longer do what I was doing working at a nursing home as an aide I have decided to come back to one of my early loves and writing in a blog. It has been some time and I guess you can say that is the reminiscing and what we are doing new. One of my loves in the past was writing daily in a blog. I had some true friends i met online. I look forward to that being a possibility as well. 

What we are eating this week has been a great amount due to sales that our stores are having. 

Monday and Tuesday both was thankful for a sale that Krogers had on ham. Ham was fixed up dinner style and then again in sub style as well. It was super good. 

Tonight, my daughter cooking and she is making a pasta casserole. She is known for these she likes them a lot. Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole is the treat for tonight.

1 lb ground beef

8 slices cooked bacon, chopped

1 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup cooked pasta (elbow, penne, or rotini works great!)

½ cup diced onions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a baking dish. Cook the Beef and Onions in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onions until the beef is browned and fully cooked. Drain any excess fat.

Mix the Filling: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the BBQ sauce, cooked bacon, and cooked pasta. Mix well to ensure everything is evenly coated with the sweet and tangy sauce.

Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the beef and pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out evenly and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese generously over the top

Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden. Serve and Enjoy:

 Tomorrow will yet be another surprise as my daughter in law is in charge of meals that day, Once again the weekend will be mine so I will share a post later in the week as to what I serve then. 

will write more later. This is my first post back and it will take me a bit to get warmed up but just wait soon I will be doing great posting again. Thanks for reading my post would love if you would leave a comment. 

Patriots Day

 It's been 20+ years since the attack that devastated America on September 11, 2001. Three thousand individuals would lose their lives, and many first responders went down in history as hero's. Four airplanes were in the air and their missions were dictated by those flying the planes. The pentagon, the twin towers in New York and the other plane destination was not truly known. However, all of these planes would crash killing the individuals in the plane as well as many others in the areas that were hit. 

What a terrifying day it was I will always remember that day. I was at work and our Administer announced turn on the TVs we are under attack. For days it seemed we were all glued to the TVs trying to find out all that we could. I felt for those families that had family members in those areas and prayed while we all wanted to hear if they had been found. 

While today, September 11 is not a public holiday it is a day to remember. Many places around America have celebrations to help not only remember but to think about what we could do to make America better. 

The response of this attack on America was answered by forming the Department of Homeland Security. This organization created in 2002 is responsible for border security, immigrations, disaster relief and prevention. In addition, many other steps have been taken to ensure safety. Screening of baggage by airports as well as full body scans help to insure safety to all those as well. 

Shall WE Never Forget 

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns have been around for many hundred years. Some say that they were introduced to the world by a monk who marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday. He wanted all to share them and show love in their friendships. 

Queen Elizabethan in England decided to limit the production of hot cross buns in the 16th century. They would have only been sold during Christmas, funerals and Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. This law to ban the buns was not one that was observed, and many people disagreed with the ruling.  Thus, the buns were made throughout the year whenever the people wanted.

Another idea that the hot cross buns held special healing powers also was found to be a suspicion. Some that enjoyed these buns believed that if the hot cross buns were baked on Good Friday, they would never go stale and would ward off evil.  In the past ages these buns would only be ate on Good Friday, however modern time has saw them baked many times throughout the year and hosting no special powers. 

Make your own Hot Cross Buns 

• 3 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams) , Note 1, CHECK still active!
• ▢1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• ▢1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk, warm , full fat or low fat (Note 2)
• ▢4 1/4 cups (640g) bread flour (or plain / all purpose) (Note 3)
• ▢2 tsp cinnamon powder
• ▢2 tsp All Spice OR Mixed Spice (Note 4)
• ▢1/2 tsp salt
• ▢1 1/2 cups (210g) sultanas (Note 4)
• ▢1 – 2 oranges, zest only (Note 4)
• ▢50g / 3.5 tbsp  unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ▢1 egg , at room temperature

Mix dry – Place flour, yeast, sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix with stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Add wet – Add butter, milk, egg, sultanas and zest.

Standmixer: Mix for 5 minutes until a smooth elastic dough forms. Start on speed 2 then once the ingredients are combined, increase to speed 4. After 1 minute, add extra flour if required, just enough so dough comes away from side of bowl when mixing and doesn't stick terribly to your fingers. (Note 5).

Hand kneading: Alternatively, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched – see photos & video for before/after comparison.

Rise #1:

Leave dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap and place in a warm, wind free place to rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it is – see Note 6.

Forming Balls (watch video, it’s helpful):

Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.

Remove cling wrap and punch dough to deflate.

Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface, shape into a log – this will deflate the air. Cut into 12 equal pieces.

Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that’s how I get a nice smooth surface.

Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.

Rise # 2:

Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then loosely place over the tray.

Return tray to warm place and leaver 30 – 45 minutes, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).

Partway through Rise #2, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).

Crosses:

Mix flour and water until a thick runny paste forms – see video for thickness required.

Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.

Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.

Baking/Glaze:

Bake in preheated oven (180°C/350°F) for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.

Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.

Remove buns from oven. Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack.

Brush with jam mixture while warm. Allow to cool to warm before serving.

Recipe Notes:

1.  Yeast: Use any yeast labelled instant or rapid rise yeast. I use Lowan Dried Instant Yeast (red tube, sold at Woolies/Coles baking aisle). 

YEAST CHECK to ensure your yeast is still active (unless you just bought/opened a fresh bottle): mix 1 teaspoon yeast with 1/2 tsp white sugar and 1/4 cup warm water (40C / 100-110F). Leave 10 minutes. Foamy and creamy, smells yeasty = yeast is good. If no foam, it’s dead. Time to get another!

Normal yeast / active dry yeast – same ingredients, but start as follows:

mix yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and all the warm milk in the bowl, then leave 5 – 10 minutes until surface gets foamy;

add all the other ingredients (including remaining sugar minus the 2 tsp used above), then mix/knead per recipe; and

proceed with recipe as written.

Fresh yeast (comes in a block that crumbles, not powder like dry yeast) – use 27g/ 0.9 oz. Crumble it into the milk and let stand until it foams up, same as using active dry yeast per above.

2. Milk warmth – Scalding hot milk kills the yeast. I heat it for 45 seconds on high in the microwave. The test is this: stick your finger in. If it was a bath, would it be pleasant? Good. It’s not too hot or too cold!

3. Breads are also fluffier and more tender if made with bread flour rather than normal flour. However, this recipe works great with normal white flour too.

Flour quantity – differs all year round, and with different flour brands. Start with 4 1/4 cups to be safe (better to start sticky and add more flour as required), expect to add an extra 1/4 cup. DO NOT add too much flour – results in dry dough = tough buns.

4. Flavourings

Spices – All Spice is my default, but I also use Mixed Spice too and no one would ever know the difference. Sub with: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves and nutmeg

Sultanas: Some recipes say to add sultanas after the dough has been kneaded or risen. If you do this, you’ll find it very hard to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. By adding them before kneading, some do get squished. But it’s not noticeable in the end resu