Lambing Season Already

Today is a very cold day in January, and the newborn lambs at our farm are protected from the harsh winds.  They have a special place in the front of the barn and their own private barnyard.  Their moms enjoy these private quarters where they can nurse their young and bond with them while having access to fresh water and nutritious hay.   An occasional treat of grain, fondly known as sheep crunch, gives them something special to look forward to on a chilly evening.

At the end of December, one of our pure white ewes gave birth to a single white lamb, a male.  A couple of weeks later, one of the brown Katahdin ewes gave birth to single male lamb, brown and white spotted.  Over this past weekend, triplets were born, and possibly there will be more this week.  It is a very cold time for lambing, and we wish it could be otherwise for their entrance into the world.  It seems the ewes have some good sense to hang around the barn when they begin labor, rather than be out in the field.  I hope and pray that this good judgment prevails especially during this week of predicted single digit high temps and very low lows!

I promise to post pictures of some of the lambs soon.

New Year New Tastes

Sometimes it is fun to try new foods just to break from our routine.  It is easy enough to take an old-standby recipe and just make a few changes to the ingredients.

Several customers have recently tried making their lasagna with ground lamb instead of beef.  If you can imagine the flavor of the Greek dish Moussaka, you can imagine how delicious your new lasagna recipe could be!  You can even try making a mostly vegetarian lasagna and maybe add a layer with some lamb, if you are not sure how you will like it.    You can vary the sauce.   Instead of a red sauce, you could try a white sauce....it could be like an alfredo, or it could be just a simple roux, or a more complex bechamel.  

Do you have a favorite recipe for tuna-noodle casserole?   This classic recipe can be varied to become a chicken-broccoli bake, a ham and cheese casserole, or even a recipe to use ground lamb!   You do not need to learn a lot of new techniques to make these adaptations, and it is so much fun to experiment! 

Happy New Year!!

I hope everybody enjoyed the holiday season!  The big snow made it tough to travel and to shop, but what a beautiful sight to behold!!

This week is the big thaw.   The sun is out and temperatures are edging toward 40 today with high near 60 expected later in the week!   A great week to do outdoors projects

We have some new products in the store this week, especially in the deli section.  So if you want to try something tasty and quick, stop by to see what is new, including:

• Tyson Buffalo-style deli chicken wings
• Amish-made cole slaw
• Aidell's all-natural, Italian-style chicken meatballs
• Winter's bun-size Kielbasa
• Farmland's angus-beef hotdogs
• Individually flash-frozen, boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• Diced Ham

We are sorry to report that Chuck and Dave's authentic, Mexican-style tortilla chips are no longer available in the store.   We are trying a new product that is equally delicious, so stop by to try these chips with a big Donkey on the package!!  We have them in the "unsalted" variety.

On the farm, we had a new lamb born a couple of days before the end of 2012!   It was very cold, but he and his Mom are doing just fine in the barn.   They will probably enjoy getting out into the barnyard during this warmup.  I hope to get a few pictuers to post very soon.

Thank you for shopping at Homer Village market in 2012, and we look forward to serving you in 2013!!    If you have any suggestions or special requests, please stop by and let me know!

Christmas Hours: Looks Like a White Christmas Ahead!

I hope everybody is having a jolly season so far!    The snow is so pretty!   Wishing everybody safe travel if you are visiting friends and relatives to celebrate the holidays!

Merry Christmas! 

If you still haven't decided what to have for dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, think about a nice leg of lamb roasting in the oven or lamb shanks in a casserole!  We have several whole boneless legs that weigh about 3 pounds and some half legs with bone the bone that way about 2.5 pounds.  Also we have some whole legs with bone and boneless shoulder roasts too.

Homer Village Market will expand its hours for the winter season beginning in January 2013 and will be open again on Mondays but will be closed on Sundays.   Hours will be Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  If you are on your way and need me to stay open longer and wait for you, just call ahead and I can stay until closer to 7 p.m. if needed.

 

Christmas Hours:

Open Monday 12/24 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Closed Tuesday, 12/25

Open Wednesday, 12/26, Thursday 12/27 and closing early on Friday 12/28 by 2 p.m.

Closed Saturday, 12/29, Sunday 12/30, Monday, 12/31, and Tuesday, January 1, 2013


Reopening with new Winter Hours beginning Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.

Smith's Eggnog-French-Toast Casserole Recipe

SMITH’S EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

· 7 large eggs

· 2 cups of Smith’s Eggnog

· 1/3 cup sugar

· 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

· 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

· Salt

· 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

· 1 French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch slices

· Powdered sugar

PREPARATION:

· Beat together: Eggs, Eggnog, Sugar, Salt, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Vanilla

· Dip slices of bread in the eggnog mixture, and place them side-by-side in a greased, ovenproof, glass dish. Pour any remaining mixture over the slices

· Cover and refrigerate overnight

· Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

· Bake on bottom rack for 20 to 25 minutes (watch overbrowning bottom)

· Place hot dish on rack to cool slightly, and dust with powdered sugar

· Serve with maple syrup and melted butter

· Makes 6-8 servings

Note: tsp. = Teaspoon

Lamb for the Holidays

I was browsing the recipes on the website of the American Lamb Board.  There are links to other sites that also have some delicious sounding recipes for lamb.  Lamb shanks are featured in several recipes, since they make such a nice family-style dish with potatoes and carrots.  The long, slow cooking with wine and fragrant herbs and spices makes a wonderful aroma in the kitchen.

If you are interested in having lamb for your holiday meal, please stop by or call and let us know which cuts interest you.  We have whole, boneless leg roasts (rolled and tied), whole and half leg roasts with the bone, lamb shanks two per package, lamb chops two per package, and ground lamb in one-pound packages.   Lamb meatballs make a festive meal!

Here are some links to interesting lamb recipes:

www.americanlamb.com

http://www.saveur.com

http://www.foodnetwork.com

Tis the Season!

Season's Greetings!   Welcome to December!   Where did November go?   

At the farm, our chickens just enjoyed eating the two pumpkins that provided nice, fall color outside the store from mid to late November prior to being wilted by several nights of frosty temperatures.   Now it's time to decorate for Christmas at the farm and the store.

If you are doing some holiday shopping and looking for stocking stuffers or other small gifts for your friends and family, stop by Homer Village Market and take a look around.   Here are a few ideas:

How about a hand-made cotton dishcloth - very pretty!  Only $2 each

Who wouldn't enjoy a fragrant and pretty bar of botanical herb soap made in a small batch?  We have lemongrass and also eucalyptus only $2 for small bar and $4 for medium size.  These make nice hostess gifts at holiday parties, and so does a pretty dish cloth.


We offer local maple syrup from Butcher Family Farms, which is located less than two miles from Homer.  Half-pints are $5, Pints cost $9, and quarts are $16.  We can also get half gallons or gallons if you order a few days in advance.

 

 

 

 

All greeting cards are on sale including boxed Christmas cards.   Gift mugs and small toys are also on sale.