Food, Feathers and Fur

Julianne J. Johnson

Description

A homey and cozy collection of writings about rural living, gardening with wildlife, pets and kids from a lifelong country dweller, including a favorite recipe alongside each memoir.
This collection of essays is a heartwarming look at country living with a variety of birds and animals and savoring the bounty of the annual harvest from the garden, field and forest.

Sujets

• Cuisine
• La cuisine et son histoire
• Cooking
• Gardening

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 07 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665744249
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

FOOD, FEATHERS AND FUR
 
Cooking and Critters From the Farm at Cricket Meadow
 
 
 
 
 
JULIANNE J. JOHNSON
 
 
 
 
 
 

Copyright © 2023 Julianne J. Johnson.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4423-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4422-5 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4424-9 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023909126
 
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 06/07/2023
Contents
Introduction
March Remedy
– Spring Fever Blueberry Muffins
Manic March
– Aunt Selma’s Spring Garden Molded Salad
A Sunny Birthday
– Cakewalk Mock Angel Food
Elusive Spring
– Vegetable Beef Soup with Dumplings
March in the Meadow
– Herb Garden Dill Bread
Chicken-House Politics
– The Coop Egg Salad
Whitey’s Nine Lives
– Ice-Breaker Polka-Dot Cookies
Hunting Morels
– Woodland Morels on Toast
Pond Watchers
– Spring Green Avo Pesto Pasta
Spring Comes to the Meadow
– Rhubarb Custard Dessert
Ruger Makes Six
– People Puppy Chow
Kitty Litter
– Cat’s Meow Banana Bread
Cat’s in the Cradle
– Kitty Kibble
Mother Hens
– Cricket Meadow Oven French Toast
Spring Checkup
– White Mountain Banana Cake
Special Delivery
– Cricket Meadow Custard Rice
Ramp It Up
– Ramps and Morels with Linguine
A Guinea Goodbye
– Blackberry Burst Bundt Cake
Losing Lily
– Ruger’s Treats (for dogs)
Rooney’s Road Trip
– Breakfast-on-the-Road Granola
Apache’s Arrival
– Yeehaw Cowboy Cookies
Caprine Therapy
– Rule-the-Roost Mud Hen Bars
Butchering Chickens
– Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie
Perennial Heirlooms
– Garden Mint Peach Iced Tea
Missoula Misery
– Sick-as-a-Dog Chicken Soup
June in the Meadow
– Rhubarb Crumb Coffeecake
The Disappearance of Jeremy
– Cat Tracks
Woodland Woodpeckers
– Herb Garden Dip
Free-Falling
– Be-Flexible Green Drink
The Garden of the Goose
– Herb Garden Bouquet
Pet Cemetery
– Dead Spread
In a Jam
– Million-Dollar Strawberry Jam
Wild-Berry Picking
– Wild Black Raspberry Cobbler
Farmyard Overhaul
– Farmhouse Butterhorn Rolls
In a Pickle
– Blue-Ribbon Garlic Dills
The Joy of Geraniums
– Candied Flowers
The Benefits of Barter
– Cricket Meadow Grilled Red-Onion Burgers
Going Batty
– Bump-in-the-Night Irish Coffee
Rabid Raccoon
– “Remembering Rocky” Rhubarb Pie
Herb Garden Harvest
– Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
Piccalilli Process
– Piccalilli
Puppy Love
– Cinnamon Peanut Butter Puppy Chow
A Fatty Coon Moon
– Harvest Moon Pumpkin Bars
Black Walnut Blues
– Black Walnut Raisin Cookies
Herbal Heaven
– Herb Garden Pesto
Crickets
– Autumn Haze
Tenth Month
– Walnut-Raisin Pie
Fall-iday Feelings
– Fall-iday Caramel French Toast
Autumn Ride
– Harvest Time Apple Dumplings
Fall Cleanup
– Fall Garden Root-Vegetable Soup
Uncle Joe’s Crows
– Garden Harvest Stuffed Pumpkin
Smokey Sightings
– Black Bear-y Muffins
Skunked!
– Black-and-White Cookies
Millions of Mice
– Chocolate Mice
Pheasant Frenzy
– Ditch Chicken Casserole
Autumnal Ambience
– Root-Cellar Soup
Harvest Harmony
– Farm-Style Corn Pudding
Farm-Ease
– Windfall Apple Crisp
Beekeeper’s Bounty
– Meadow Clover Power Bar
Trigger-Happy
– Butterfinger Angel Food Cake
Free-Range Thanksgiving
– Cricket Meadow Turkey Soup
– Farmer’s Croutons
The Smell of Winter
– Snow Mountain Cinnamon Buns
Treasures in the Attic
– Gingerbread Men
Christmas Trees I Have Known
– Scandinavian Rice Pudding
Running with the Big Dogs
– Winter-White Chili
Tucker the Rescue Goat
– Friendship (for Life) Bars
Winter Wildlife
– Winter Warm-Up Beef Stew
Winter Wonderland
– Chill-Chasin’ Chili
Snow Scene Bird-Watching
– Cornbread for the Birds
– Cornbread for Us
A Frosty Moonlight Trek
– Cocoa-Java Warmer
Backyard Snow Show
– Real Cocoa
Winter Workout
– Woodland Meadow Caramel Rolls
Searching for Owls
– Prairie Farm Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
Coyote Crazy
– Meat-Eater Pot Roast
Opossum Occupation
– Rise-and-Shine Oatmeal Scones
Residency of the Rats
– Henhouse Club Sandwich
Good Riddance, Gus
– Blue-Moon White-Cloud Dessert
Winter Workout
– Pioneer Kitchen Cookies
Cycles on the Farm
– Morning Wake-Up Coddled Eggs
Book Club Bonding
– The Sisterhood Angel Pie
Loss in the Barnyard
– Life-Is-Loss Bread Pudding
The Incomparable Ruger
– Pawprint Bars
Introduction
Spring is here and in full swing at Cricket Meadow; my grandkids are here too. There is no better place than wide-open spaces for little ones to romp and play, and I savor each minute of their visit. They love the animals, and Lucia, almost five, lately has been learning the rules of horsemanship. Next up, eager to learn, Oliver and Esmé. The days are packed with activity, and when night falls, they fall asleep standing up. From flying kites to mushroom-hunting; picking eggs and herbs, rhubarb and wildflowers; feeding the birds; and feeding ourselves with hot dogs roasted in the firepit, the possibilities for entertainment are endless, if you love the out- of-doors. It seemed the appropriate time to give the downside of outdoor life a bit of exposure. This past weekend, we discussed the possibility of picking up a wood tick or two (or ten) as we explored the tall grasses near the woods. This led us to the plants that could cause a problem, like the stinging nettle and poison ivy. With all of the wildflower-picking that went on, we covered the bushes and pointed out all the berries we can eat and those we cannot. Bugs are fine to examine but best to stay away from the hives to avoid bee stings. While we enjoy picking dandelions, we decided to leave those golden beauties near the hives so the bees can enjoy them. Honeysuckle is delicious to sniff but encounters with prickly ash nearby can be traumatic. Wild violets are abundant on the paths through the woods, but it takes an armload to make a bouquet.
Trails sometimes are underwater in early spring, so a trip around the woods looking for ramps or wild onions can be difficult with a small utility vehicle. Best to don rubber boots and splash while we walk. Mr. and Mrs. Goose are fiercely protecting their nest by the edge of the field. They really don’t want to be petted.
I’m a child again with mud on my clothes and sugar on my nose. There is time to bake a cake, eat the dough, squeeze a mountain of lemons to make lemonade, stir up a fluffy batch of waffles for breakfast, and eat popcorn while watching a movie. We have an attic full of toys for when rain comes our way and bedtime storybooks from the good old days. All the things I loved as a child and did with my own children—but forgot in the blur—are here at my fingertips or in my arms, when the grandkids come. And I’m savoring every minute.
 
Lucia in a twirl
 
Oliver in the Gator looking at Apache and her mother, Cherokee

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
March Remedy
After all these years, you’d think I’d know better. But flip the calendar to March, and I’m thinking spring. However, we can count on at least a few more weeks of our longest season in these parts. Another huge heating bill, more icy sidewalks, more snow to shovel. As my father-in-law used to say, “I wouldn’t give you a nickel for March!” Does complaining help? Not enough. What does help is replacing winter g