I’ve been working here and there on my blog, adding in some new pages and updating as I go. I’ve finally taken a moment to dedicate a little bit of time to our Heritage Breeds and what they are (see left sidebar)- and why they’re important.
I’ve added some heritage breeds of my own to my flock in the form of 5 mature adult ducks, which I’ve already fallen in love with!
(Left front: 2 Cayuga females, Front right: Blue Swedish drake, Back: Blue Runner & Blue Swedish females)
They’ve already proven to be excellent layers (well, not the drake- obviously) and I’m happy to report that I’ve actually eaten duck eggs for the first time and was relieved to discover that I really couldn’t tell the difference between duck and chicken eggs! Love it!
My plans? Find a drake to breed to that classic-looking black/green Cayuga in the front there. She is gorgeous and I’d love to support this threatened species by producing quality ducklings.
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In addition to the new ducks, we’ve had a busy last few days. With bear season underway, Josh has been out late every night- but it’s all worth it when he brings home a big slab of bear meat like he did last night. Now, as much as I love hunting, I cannot imagine choosing to hunt a large animal like a bear with no intention of eating it. But lucky for us (especially when no tag was drawn that year), there are people out there who just don’t want to eat it- and we can take it off their hands.
Bear meat, you say? Yes. If you’ve tried it before and didn’t like it- it simply wasn’t prepared properly. Sorry. It’s a meat that needs to be trimmed of all of its fat- or it doesn’t taste good. However, if you take the time to trim, trim away- you will be greatly rewarded. Cut it into chunks, put it in some foil with butter and grill it good (and I mean good- you want that meat cooked all the way through!)- and you’ve just had probably the best (in my opinion) meat there is. Hands down. My oldest son Wyatt refers to it as “candy”. It’s that good.
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Coming up? Recipes. I’ve got so many good ones I want to share- so be on the lookout for the update on my Recipes tab in the left sidebar. I will leave you with one, a cake that I make for my daughter’s birthday:
Pink Lemonade Cake
This is a sweet, heavy cake. I have found that the one and only way to eat it is with fresh raspberries- something about those raspberries just brings out the flavor. Don’t bother with ice cream- this one is a stand-alone dessert that needs no extra sweetness!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup pink lemonade powdered drink mix (I used Country Time)
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup pink lemonade powdered drink mix (I used Country Time)
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 nine inch round cake pans with baking spray; dust with flour.
In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and lemonade drink mix at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon extract.
In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly among all three pans. Bake cakes for 24-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on counter or on wire racks.
Frost with Lemonade Butter Cream Frosting.
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 nine inch round cake pans with baking spray; dust with flour.
In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and lemonade drink mix at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon extract.
In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly among all three pans. Bake cakes for 24-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on counter or on wire racks.
Frost with Lemonade Butter Cream Frosting.
Lemonade Butter Cream Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, softened (3 sticks)
6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thats been thawed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thats been thawed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 cups powdered sugar
In a large bowl beat butter, lemonade concentrate and zest at medium speed with a mixer until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar (I do one cup at a time), beating until smooth.
*This frosting will seem thick at first, but the more you work with it, the softer it gets. This is also one of those frosting recipes where you really don’t have to worry too much about “saving” enough for the outside of the cake. I always have about 1/4 cup left over to put into a little baggie with a snipped corner and do some little ruffles around the edges.*
(Recipe courtesy Food.com HERE)
hello there!
I followed the link from your scrapping blog. geez ur one busy girl!!! im not so much into hunting but love growing my own produce and cooking. Was reading your jam recipes and I Wish raspberries were wild here!!! they cost an arm and a leg… about $7AUD for 250grams.
Anyhow – also love reading recipes and love the American take on things cause most of my best recipes come from home based cooks blogs from America. I don’t know what it is but you guys sure know how to bake good!!
looking forward to reading about your self sustainable life in the woods. 🙂 🙂