About Dayphoto

My name is Linda Brown. I live on a farm on the western slope of Colorado, in the high mountain desert. I’ve lived here all my life, hailing back four generations on my father’s side. Today I blog about our farm, the everyday activities that keep the farm going. I also write about my thoughts and dreams and goals. On Friday’s I always write about TLC Cai-Cai. Our sweet kitty who helps keep the farm safe. And Boo Berry Betty, a breeder dog learning to be a Farm Dog! The lovely thing about blogging it opens the world up for all of us to reach out and meet people from many different cultures and different ways of life. You can find me every day (but Saturday) at https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/ Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm, Linda Brown

The Season of Miracles

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Dayphoto

It is the season of Miracles, you know! And one happened for us….we were able to go ahead and deliver the truck load of high moisture corn…we had to have it at the dairy this morning at 4:30 so it could be ground before the feed trucks rolled in. Not a problem!

Moisture is high still so we will wait, better waiting than to have another situtation…snow is due here this evening.

We sure have lots of cranes or blue herons this year. I can’t really tell what they are, but I enjoy hearing them and watching them land in the corn fields at night.

They’ve sort of run the Canada geese off and taken over the sweet corn fields. That being the way of things the geese flap on over to our corn fields. Both groups are very talkative so for some time the evening air is full of bird chatter.

Then if you get up at night to check on things (ever since the large predator visits I go out to check on our animals) you can hear the birds moving around getting a little more comfortable. I enjoy hearing them.

It might be after Christmas before these stalks are gone. What a unusual year this has been. But it is working out.

See ya on Sunday!

Linda

Start Stop Start Again and Now Stopped ….AGAIN!

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Dayphoto

A storm blew in to the high country bringing high humidity once more. The corn has shot up to 16% and it did it in a hour. So here we sit with a truck full of high moisture corn. And we do not know what to do with it. If Terry were to put it into the granery/silos…brand name Butler Bin…it would mold the whole bin. 16% is too high to dry, it will never dry down enough before it would mold. Seems like it is always something this fall.

Here is how we fill the bins/silos/graneries–Terry loads the combine up…then dumps the corn into the truck

The truck bed is raised so the corn spills and is taken up into the granery.

The corn is tested for moisture in this little black box…a digital moisture meter. Pretty cool, they only cost and arm and half of a leg…up to the knee cap.

Tallen decided she was going to help Grandpa work. Of course, Grandpa thought she would be the best helper so he took her with him.

This corn sure has been a struggle this year…now we have to see if we can sell a truck load of high moisture corn to one of the feed lots. And it needs to happen soon.

If it isn’t one thing…..

Linda

Storing Corn

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Dayphoto

We are at 15.4% so have begun again. This time we will be storing it in the butler bins.

That is a tarp over the loading shoot to keep the moisture out.

We haven’t had to use these bins in a long time, but at least we have them. Put the corn in, run the fans, unload the corn after it has dried enough and take it to the dairy. Lots of work, and much more expense, but better than losing it.

Linda

Fog

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Dayphoto

We woke up to fog this morning…

I rather like fog…makes me think I’m in London, England. (How would I ever know, I’ve never been there except in books-but hey, I can pretend!)

Corn is still wet 16%. This is suppose to leave by 2:00 this afternoon and then a warmer, drier air mass is suppose to come in.

We’ve set up the grain bins and hooked up the driers…might as well give the electric company some more money…the stuff isn’t getting dry out in the field.

Linda

We Are Still Waiting 15.8%

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Dayphoto

No corn harvest for awhile.

It’s raining here and of course the moisture content (while lovely for my complexion) has plumped up the ears of corn to a lush 15.8%. Since high humdity will make wrinkly skin disappear and straight hair curl it does have it’s disadvantages. How it works on our skin and hair is how it works on a ear of corn.

So we wait.

For those of you who are enjoying my gluten-free recipes I bring to you-

Buttermilk Biscuits

2/14 cups white rice flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 teaspons baking powder

1 tesaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xantan gum

3/4 c chilled butter cut into little tiny pieces

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Grease a baking sheet or line the sheet with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl shift together the dry ingredients at least three times (these types of flours need lots of air and mixing to come together correctly)

3. Using your fingers, rub the chilled butter into the dry sifted ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (No large pieces of butter should remain.)

4. Pour buttermilk over the mixture and stir until moistened.

5. Drop (or roll your dough) for each biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing your biscuits about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm with butter and jam. (Red Pepper jelly is extra good!)

Store any uneaten biscuits in a zip lock bag.

Linda

Corn Harvest STOPPED AGAIN!

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Dayphoto

Another storm has rolled in complete with W.I.N.D.

This mass of ‘stuff’ is covering the whole sky, now, as I write. Along with the storm comes moisture so OF COURSE the corn is now too wet to harvest. Everyone, including us, has had to pull off the corn harvest. Trucks, combines and grain bins are sitting and waiting.

Corn is back up over 15%

Aren’t you glad you are not a farmer? Or maybe aren’t you glad you are not trying to harvest corn?

What a struggle this year has been.

We also got our water (irrigation) bill for the year. The cost is stunning! Amazingly stunning. And discouraging to say the least.

So moving on….there is nothing we can do about either problem…Finally here is my gluten-free cracker recipe:

Premium Saltine Crackers

1 c white rice flour

1/2 c brown rice flour

1/2 c cornstarch

1 1/ teapoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablesppons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 c cold water

Kosher salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 425*. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add cold butter. Blend, using medium speed on handheld and stand mixers, until butter is cut ino the dough and no large pieces of butter remain. When corectly mixed, dry ingredients should resemble lumpy sand; some pea-size pieces of butter will remian. Add water and blend until a dough forms.

2. Place a 12 x 16 inch piece of parchemnt paper on a work surface. Place dough on parchement paper and cover with another 12×16-ince piece of parchment. Roll dough incredibly thin (the above photo shows a too thick roll…so don’t roll it this thick). When you think the dough is thin enough, roll it a little more. The dough will cover about two-thirds of the parchment paper. Remove top parchment paper. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into cracker-size pieces, or a size you like. Generously sprinkle kosher slat all over the top of the dough.

3. Carefully transfer parchment paper with dough to a baking sheet. Bake for 20- 25 miuntes or until the crackers are golden brow.

4. Remove pan from the oven. Allow crackers to cool on wire rack completely.

Makes about 2 dozen crackers.

(adapted from Easy Gluten-Free Baking by Elizabeth Barbone)

Have a nice weekend everyone,

Linda

Chocolate – Covered Cherries

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Dayphoto

Terry was able to combine until 7 last night…the cold and the moisture stayed off allowing the combine to work therefore, YEAH!!!! One field down and two more to go!

1/2 c butter, softened

3-3/4 c confectioners’ sugar

1/2 c sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 c flaked coconut

2 jars (16 ounces each) maraschino cherries with steams, well drained and patted dry

2 packages (11-1/2 ounces each) milk chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in milk and vanilla until well blended and mixture looks like softened butter. Fold in the coconut.

2. With moist hands shape 2 teaspoonfuls of coconut mixture around each cherry, forming a ball. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.

2. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip coated cherries into chocolate. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

These never last 1 month at my house. I use them as gifts for employees and bosses and for those I like, but do not want to embarass with a fancy/smancy gift.

Linda

Finally

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Dayphoto

I thank each and every one of you for your prayers and wishes for the corn to dry down….it has! Yesterday it reached below 14% so Terry was able to begin.

What a joy to see that field being mowed down and the corn spilling into the truck

One field should be done tonight. If the other fields can be done will be up to the moisture content and if the snow stays away. Another storm is coming in on Friday.

Linki hurried out to the field as soon as she got permission from Mom-mom.

She enjoys helping Grandpa as much as possible.

One field down. Now if the snow and rain will just stay away…..just for a little while more. We will be set for winter.

Linda

The Year of the Wind

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Dayphoto

Wind became our constant companion starting this spring. Not just a now and then breeze but a real honest-to-goodness wind. After our really long, last forever and ever winter ended, the wind began.

Now wind is normal for our spring….it takes the wind to melt the snow in the mountains and in the canyons surrounding us, and because we live on a mesa, we are subject to wind.

Our wind comes out of Utah.

Five miles away in the town of Delta, while we are blowing away, they have nothing, nada, zip, no wind.

(I took this at 4:00 p.m. last evening)

But this year, after the spring winds left, the winds continued on into summer, then fall, and now winter 15-35 and sometimes 45-60 M.P.H. wing-dingers.

Even though the corn stalks, and the corn leaves, and the corn tassels are dry…the ears with their lovely little knurls are not.

The tops are now broken, lying helter-skelter along the furrows and there is nothing we can do but wait.

A warm up is suppose to start today and get all the way up to 45* by Friday with the nights bottoming out around 16*. But the best part is the wind is only going to be around 5 M.P.H.!

Say a little prayer for us that corn dries down to 14% or lower. Once that happens we can begin the harvest. A couple things rely on harvest…the cows are turned into pasture, which cuts down on the hay usage, and we get paid! One paycheck a year per crop is how a farmer gets to stay in business.

Sure has been a funny year. Terry said in all his years of farming, or his father farming corn, has the harvest ever been so late. We aren’t the only farmers hurting, so hopefully a corner has been turned and the corn can get out the fields into the elevators.

Linda

Baby Its Cold Outside

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Dayphoto

We are topping out at 21* and dropping to 6* at night. It’s suppose to be here for awhile longer.

Thanksgiving was good, but since the corn is still sitting out there waiting to be harvested (it gained moisture) I had time to cook.

Gluten Free Onion Rings and Gluten Free Tomato Soup

3 cups all-purpose flour (regular or gluten free)

1/2 c rice flour

1 c cornstarch

1 teaspoon cayene pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 large onions sliced thin

Dip onions in the flour, cornstarch, cayene pepper and salt. Work the mixture on the rings until they are thoroughly coated. Shake off any excess flour before frying the onions.

Fry until crispy. Pat off excess oil and toss onion rings in wicked spice mixture:

1 tablesppon ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)

(Wait until all the foaming action in the fryer dies down. That means all or most of the liquid in the onion has cooked out, which is what makes them crispy.)

Tomato Soup

Saute 2 tablespoons chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter

Blend altogheter all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free), 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teasppon pepper, 1 dash garlic powder and stir into the butter and onions.

Removed from heat and slowly stir in 2 cups of tomato juice. Boil for 1 minute.

Stir hot tomato mixture into 2 cups cold milk

Heat to almost boiling and serve.

It is important to stir the hot mixture-slowly- into the cold milk to avoid curdling.

Add a toasted cheese sandwich and the onion rings.

Tomorrow I will give you my gluten-free cracker recipe.

Linda