The Barn Sags......

The back of our barn pre-renovation. 

When discussing the scope of the renovation with our Amish builder he pointed out how the south-facing part of the barn had seen the most wear.  My family has lived at "The Farm" for over 44 years and even dating back to before the previous owner they repaired the roof by adding a slate roof on top of the cedar shake roof.  The weight of that roof for over potentially 100 years caused the barn to really sag.  As a solution he decided to replace the metal columns holding up the backside of the barn with huge wooden beams.  Its hard to even capture how big these beams are in the pictures.  He also added some wooden angle supports to finish the space and keep consistent with the rest of the barn.  What I love is how they used wooden pegs to put the beams together.  Their craftsmanship throughout this process and how quickly they work has been really unbelievable.  We are about 6 weeks into the renovation and the barn is really close to being completed, or should I say at least the Amish builders portion.  There is still a lot of work to be done to complete the project, but we are really excited with how all of the pieces are coming together.  So, now the back of the barn has now received a well needed "lift!" 

As we approach "Labor Day" weekend I hope you all take some time to rest, spend time with God, and enjoy your families! 

Happy Labor Day!

-Becca & Chris

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

Matthew 11:28-30

Hobo Packs

What I like most about this recipe is it's simple cleanup. You can even eat dinner right out of the foil. Then throw away the foil! You can easily substitute any fish for the scallops. Or add in any seasonal vegetables you have.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

·      1.25 lbs. medium to large scallops (about 5 per person)

·      2 squash, 1/4” dice

·      2 zucchini, 1/4” dice

·      1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

·      1 bag frozen corn kernels

·      Bag of greens (either baby kale or spinach)

·      Handful of herbs (chive, thyme, basil)

·      4 large pieces of tin foil (size of two legal pads)

·      4- 1tbs of butter

·      ¼ c. white wine or chicken stock

·      salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Heat grill to high
• Spread out the 4 pieces of foil on a counter. This will help assemble it quickly.
• First place the bed of greens on the foil, then add the rest of the vegetables.
• Add about 5 scallops to each hobo pack and season with salt and pepper
• Add the butter in the middle of the scallops, then wine (this helps steam everything nicely)
• Finally add herbs to the top.  Close each hobo pack on itself.  You can bunch it together, like a hobo bag, or fold it nicely like a pillow.  Keep it a little loose to allow for air circulation
• Drop the grill to medium heat and add the hobo packs.  Depending on your grill it could take 15-25 minutes.  Keep checking back to see if you can hear it steaming.  I usually take one off after 15 minutes and open it to see if the scallops are cooked.  They should be white and firm.
• To plate you can either eat them out of the foil for quick cleanup, or serve them over quinoa or rice.  It’s a great summer dish and pairs well with the wine you cooked it with!

Our "Goliath".....

Some of the beams in the barn are over 32 feet long, which is unbelievable.

This past week has surely been a whirlwind at "The Farm."  The floors are starting to be laid in the barn and the big front wooden doors have been installed.  (I have some updated pictures below.)  Anyone who has gone through a renovation can probably relate that at times there just seems like an endless list of things that need to get done.  This week we have been working on all of the little details that will make a big difference.  The final design of the glass doors, what will the stain color be on the exterior and interior.  We took some time this weekend to meet with an old friend who will be helping us with the landscape design.  We're also beginning to plan the electrical work, do we burry the lines do we upgrade the panel?   All of these things need to be decided, while at the same time trying to maintain on track with our budget.  In addition to the Barn details, we also are so excited about the bakery.  We have been getting more orders for fundraisers and the farmers markets are really starting to take off.  All of that being said, Chris and I are both balancing full-time jobs that we love and the bakery/barn renovation are what I would call more of our passion.  Sometimes we get into bed and wonder "Are we doing the right thing?"  

This morning we had to take a step back and re-set our priorities.  The girls came in our room this morning after they woke up and we really felt like we needed to spend some time with God as a family.   Of course the first thing they asked is "Can we watch TV?"  We told them before doing anything we need to spend some time with God, so go get your bibles and come back to our room.  Miss. Charlie our 4 year old, almost 5 year old had her little bible and we asked her what story she wanted to read, she turned to the story of "David and Goliath."  So we read the story in her kids bible, then read it in Gracie's bible which is a little older version and then Chris read it in his bible.  (1 Samuel 17)  I can't tell you how many times I've heard that story and read it, not only as a child, but also an adult.  But today, it was like I was hearing it for the first time.  As Chris was reading the words, I started thinking about how often we limit God's power, do we really believe we can beat a huge giant like "Goliath?"   This little shepherd David was the only one who was brave enough and trusted in God with every piece of his heart that he would beat Goliath.  I kept asking myself if I was witnessing this in real-time what would I be thinking?  Here you have this tiny shepherd who is going to take down a giant with a single stone and a sling shot.  I guess my whole point of this story is that we all face "Goliath's" in our lives, that distract us, defeat us and take our focus of our one and only priority  which should be "God."  If we keep him our main priority, whenever "Goliath" comes our way, we will no doubt be able to overcome it, not by our own strength, but by the living God who works through us.  

So this week as we start another crazy week of to-do's and endless tasks, I pray that we continue to keep God at the forefront.  Let him guide our actions, our decisions and plans to make sure we accomplish all what he wants us to do, and not sweat the small stuff.  So we are once again giving our "Goliath" over to God and trusting he will guide us every step of the way.  We are so excited to see the finished project and are even more excited to host our first Wedding!!!  

-Becca & Chris

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."  

1 Samuel 17:45-46

Kale Chips your kids will eat too.....

Kale shouldn't be eaten raw. It needs to be broken down either by heat or citrus to be digested properly. From a health perspective Kale has a high concentration of vitamins, K, A, C, B6, and E. Vitamin K is great because it helps reduce inflammation. More vitamin C is helpful this time of year because helps to elevate our immune systems to attack viruses. Kale is rich in antioxidants and fiber. A single cup has 30% of your daily recommended intake of omega 3s. This is about as close you can get to a "super food."

One final thing to note, I had my girls try this (when they were hungry of course) and they can't stop eating it. We tested this out on a few 9-year olds at a birthday party we hosted at "The Farm" and they loved it too!!  Make sure you wait until they are nice and crispy before you remove from the oven or no one will like them.  We hope you enjoy them!

-Chris

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of kale, rinsed and spun
• Organic non-stick olive oil spray
• sea salt 

Instructions:

• Pre-heat the oven for 180
• Remove the stems from the kale and rip them into bite-size pieces
• Spray sheet pan evenly with the olive oil 
• Arrange the kale in a tight single layer on the sheet pan and spray with olive oil.
• Season with sea salt, be liberal
• Bake in the oven until crispy, usually about 20-30 minutes.

Tip:  A yummy addition to this is adding fresh parmesan cheese before putting it in the oven!

Fresh Heirloom Zoodle salad

This quick, easy salad was created for a kid's birthday party we recently held at The Farm. The birthday girl was into healthy foods so I decided to create this vibrant, tasty side.

Fresh Heirloom Zoodle Salad

Yield- 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. zucchini, zoodled
• 1/2 lb. yellow summer squash, zoodled
• 1 lb heirloom tomatoes, diced
• handful fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Arrange all zoodles between paper towels (this draws out the moisture) let them sit for five minutes, then press gently on the paper towel to extract all the moisture
• Place the zoodles on a chopping board and run a knife through them a couple times
• Using a large bowl add the zoodles and tomatoes together, season with salt and pepper
• Cover and place in the fridge for thirty minutes
• Remove from fridge, give it a stir and taste to see if you need to add additional salt and pepper. 
• Rip the basil and garnish the top. Enjoy!!!