While I think it shouldn’t take a special holiday to remind your loved ones how much you love them, it’s a great excuse to make them a little something special.

And what better way than with a handmade gift?

Because I know we are all short on time, I’m focusing on simple, heartfelt gifts that are quick to make.

Whether you’re gifting a friend, family member, or that special someone, these three DIY projects are sure to bring a smile.

1. Heart-Shaped Oven Mitts

Photo Credit: Sewcanshe.com

For the bakers in your life, a pair of heart-shaped oven mitts makes both a thoughtful and practical gift. Choose fun fabrics like reds, pinks, for Valentines day or their favorite colors—and sew up a set in no time. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, this is a great way to personalize a kitchen essential while adding a touch of love.

Click <<HERE>> or the photo for the link to Sewcanshe.com for a detailed tutorial on how to make these.

2. Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies

Nothing says “I love you” like homemade baked goods! Heart-shaped sugar cookies are a timeless Valentine’s treat, and they’re incredibly easy to make. Use our families favorite Scrumptiously Soft Sugar cookie recipe, grab a heart-shaped cutter, and decorate with pink and red icing. Our favorite icing recipe just below the cookies recipe. Package them in a cute box or wrap them in parchment paper with a ribbon for a charming homemade gift.

3. Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs

For a gift that encourages relaxation, heart-shaped bath bombs are a perfect choice. Made with simple ingredients like baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils, these fizzy creations turn an ordinary bath into a luxurious retreat. Add a touch of dried rose petals or a hint of lavender for an extra-special touch. Don’t forget to make a couple for yourself!

Go get the recipe by clicking <<HERE>> at Suburban Simplicity.com.

Photo Credit: Suburbansimplicity.com

There’s something truly special about giving a gift you’ve made yourself.

They can be crafted to fit the personality and preferences of the person you’re gifting. 

I’d love to hear about what you create!

Or what is your favorite craft to gift?

Send me a message!

Have you ever wondered what happens on the farm throughout the year?

Follow along, and we’ll take you on a reading tour of all our adventures from last year and the great things we have planned for this year.

Come on, let’s head to the barn. Watch your step around the bikes, farm toys and shoes tossed everywhere as we walk the winding path from the house through the yard.

Hello cows! Jasmine and Brandy, our milk cows hang out in a pasture just before the barn.  These girls make it possible for our farm families to enjoy fresh, raw milk as part of our Herdshare. They gladly trot into the milking area to share their milk with us for a little grain. Brandy was added to the farm last spring to meet the demand for more raw milk.  Early summer, she’ll be freshened, which means she’ll have a calf.

Oh, listen!  You can already hear the pigs.  Opening the barn door is like ringing a dinner bell.   How many pigs do we have on our farm you might ask?  Well….that depends on the time of the year, but anywhere from 25-75.  Aww…look at those cute little piglets!  Don’t you just want to touch their little pink noses?  The older ones come to the edge of the pen, they like a good scratch behind the ear through all their bristly hair.

The piglets are born on the farm and spend their days grazing our pastures until they’re just the right age and size to nourish our bodies. Then, they visit freezer camp. Where’s it all go?  A few pigs go to families every spring to raise out, but most of the pigs were raised to feed Harney County this last year.  Thanks to support letters from you, our farm family and friends, we were awarded a grant to provide 400+ pounds of pork a month to the local food banks. That’s 4 pigs a month! And what a surprise to find out we get to do it again for 2025!

Last year, we also provided pork for a small school in Eastern Oregon. We are working to expand the schools we work with this year through the Farm to School Program. One day, we hope to have an area where we can host classrooms at the farm to teach the kids all about how their food is grown.

Oooo! There’s a chicken, walking by.  Let’s follow her to the hen house.  Welcome to the Hilton of Henhouses, or so we’ve been told.  When these ladies are not outside wandering the farm, they scratch and cluck around their covered run, laying eggs the shades of green, brown and white in a soft bed of shavings. Why do we have less eggs in the winter? They tend to slow down laying in the winter due to the lack of light, but when they are in full production mode we collect 3-4 dozen a day. 

Gobble, gobble, gobble.  Yep, there’s turkeys in there too.  Mr. Turkey walks around rumbling in his chest and showing his tail off to the ladies.  Did you know it takes 36 weeks to raise a heritage turkey? We’ve already got a batch of eggs in the incubator.  Last year, the turkeys set on their own, and even though they made a nest and sat on three different groups of eggs, none hatched.  We ended up having to order babies that came in the mail. Let’s hope these little babies hatch!

Oh, WOW!  There’s a peacock!  Look at his tail all fanned out.  We have three peahens and one peacock.  Peacocks can live up to 50 years.  They hang around the chicken house and make their rounds on the farm, keeping the bug population down.

What’s that?  You don’t see very many cows? Look waaaayyy out on the edge of the fields.  They tend to hang out in groups.  We calve in the fall, so in October, our fields are full of fuzzy, wet nosed little calves.  All winter, the kids enjoy driving the hay wagon while their Dad pushes the feed off to the cows.  In Spring, we move them out to Izee to graze the mountain sides. We love spending the days riding the hillsides checking on cows and moving them from pasture to pasture. All but the steers, these guys are fattened up on pasture to be processed in the fall. We are working to slowly grow our herd.

Let’s meander back over near the house to the garden.  That big plastic covered tunnel is our hoop house. In the winter, the garden looks like a disaster because I never seem to find enough time to pull weeds as mid summer hits.  I get too busy helping hay the fields.  That and I usually feel defeated because of the deer. We purchased all the materials to fence the garden in last spring, but the year escaped us and we never got the fence up. It is the number one priority for the garden this spring.  Whatever was not in our high tunnel was devoured by the deer.  And even then, if I’d leave the sides up on warm nights they’d slide right in and take bites from the tomatoes and cabbages.

Did you know you have to start planting seeds indoors in January if you hope to get a harvest before it freezes in the fall. Harney County has an extremely short growing season which can make it very difficult to grow here. We’ve already got several varieties under the grow lights and will be adding herbs soon.

This week, I’ve been ordering chicks and scheduling processing dates for our whole chickens. Did you get to try one of our whole chickens last year? They sold out! In January, we purchase the chicks for the year and schedule processing dates. This last year, we raised 100 in an old trampoline frame, dragging it around the field everyday to get them fresh grass.  This year, we plan on raising 250 and I hope to upgrade to a chicken tractor which I am working on designing to make the job of moving the chickens easier.

Do you know how to cut up a whole chicken?  Well, good news!  This year, we will be offering our chickens cut into 8 pieces.

You might be thinking, She’s superwoman.  How does she do it all?  I don’t!  While I appreciate the compliment, there is no way I could do this without the help of my family and our newly hired hand, Kimber. She moved over from the Oregon coast and loves working with the animals. We are so thankful to have her helping us out.  Now, most mornings, I can homeschool the kids without chores taking up all the time, be available to run my kids to activities in town, and deliver pigs to the processors in Central Oregon knowing things are handled at the farm.  She has been a blessing. 

Did you enjoy the tour?

Have you wanted to visit the farm? 

Now’s your chance. While we always offer the opportunity to drop by and visit, our first official farm tour offerings will be happening Saturday, May 10th from 1-3pm and Saturday, October 18th from 1-3pm. Be sure to mark your calendar. We will be limiting the number of people per tour to make sure you get the full experience and my undivided attention.

You’ll get to wander the farm, visit with the animals, maybe collect a few eggs and pick some beets, carrots, lettuce, maybe even some cabbage and cauliflower.

I’m sure you’d love to know what’s going on at the farm year round.  Sign up and you’ll get weekly emails with recipes, pictures of the farm and animals, what products we have available, and you won’t miss the sign up when it comes time for the farm tour.

From all of us here at Rural Roots Ranch, we wish you a wonderful year to come!

Know when the right time is to pull your turkey from the oven, fryer or smoker.

You’ve got the turkey. 

He’s in the freezer. 

But when is the right time to pull him out?

Ever stick your hand in the turkey to stuff him and oh shoot!  There’s still ice in there!

This is not a good start to a long day of cooking.

You don’t want to be the ONE! 

We’ve got you covered.

Simply look up your turkey’s weight on this nifty cheat-sheet and you’ll know exactly when your turkey needs to be placed in the fridge to thaw.

Last week, we brought you a little info on rubs and recipes to cook your turkey using the oven and crockpot.

This week, we’ve included delicious recipes for smoked, deep-fried, instant pot and air fryer turkey.

Simply click on the “Print Recipe” button above the recipe and you’ll be able to easily print them.

If you don’t get a chance to try one of these recipes out, there is always Christmas or Easter or any time you have a hankerin’ for some turkey. 

What’s your favorite turkey recipe?

Does your family like the simple tried and true roasted turkey or do you go all out on the spices?

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM

Today, I finally got the garlic in the garden and put to bed for winter. The wind was blowing, but thankfully it was still in the 40’s.

I planted 4 times as much as I did last year, 367 cloves to be exact.

Last year, it was so easy to grow and popped up first thing in the spring when there was no green anywhere else on the farm.

How will you cook your turkey this year?

Oven baked/roasted, deep fried, smoked, instant pot, air fryer, crockpot…SO many options!

Over the next coupla weeks we’ll share with you our favorite recipes. 

We’ve got some interesting options whether you like it more on the simple side to extravagant rubs and exotic seasonings. 

Not sure what you like?

Take a look at some of these options for flavorings:

• Basic Herb Turkey Rub : This classic rub consists of flavor pairings like garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary and sage. The herbs perfectly complement the turkey while keeping the flavor simple.
• Brown Sugar and Spice Rub: Do you crave a hint of sweetness? Look for rubs with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Spices like cumin, mustard, cinnamon and cloves pair nicely with the sweet.
• Cajun Turkey Rub: Now here’s a way to add some serious spice and depth to turkey with the classic Cajun flavors of cayenne, paprika, garlic and oregano. The heat makes for an exciting Creole-style turkey.
• Lemon and Herb Rub: Use lemon zest and juice to give this rub a refreshing taste mixed with rosemary, thyme and parsley, it’s a Greek-inspired turkey seasoning.
• Coffee Rub: Have some coffee lovers in your life? The richness of coffee makes an unexpected addition to a turkey rub. Mixed with spices like chili powder, cumin and cinnamon for an incredible taste.
• Jerk Turkey Rub: Wishing you were on the beach instead of freezing for Thanksgiving? Imagine you’re there with the taste of a Caribbean turkey, use a jerk-style blend with habanero peppers, allspice, cloves, garlic, onion and thyme. It delivers spicy heat and warm flavors.

Don’t those ALL sound delicious?

How much rub do I need?

• Plan for about 3-4 tablespoons of rub per pound of turkey meat. Err on the side of more to be sure the flavor permeates.

Now, you’ve got your rub chosen, you know how much you need – here’s how to properly apply it to get the most flavor from your turkey.

How to Apply Turkey Rub

• Under the skin – Loosen the skin from the breast and thighs, rub some of the mix directly onto the meat, then replace the skin. This helps the rub penetrate through the meat.
• Over the skin – Coat the entire surface of the skin evenly with the rub. Try to avoid thick clumps.
• Body cavity – Fill the body and neck cavities with some of the rub for flavor from the inside out.
• Relax the rub – Once coated, let the rubbed turkey rest in the fridge 8-24 hours so the spices can deeply season the meat.

Cook as desired – Roast, grill, smoke or fry, which ever method you choose. The rub adds flavor throughout the entire cooking process.

We’ve got a couple of recipes to get you started:

• Oven Roasted: A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
• Oven Roasted: Lemon Oregano Roasted Turkey
• Crockpot: Crockpot Turkey with Garlic Butter

Looking for something a little more challenging?

Next week, we’ll bring you recipes to smoke your turkey, use an instant pot or deep fry!

Simply click on the “Print Recipe” button above the recipe and you’ll be able to easily print them.

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM
Within the last 30 days, we’ve had 30 cows who’ve been calving.

We moved them close to the house, so we could keep a close eye on the first time mothers.

Thankfully, the weather has been fairly nice.  Only a couple nights dipping to 15*F, but nice warm sunny days.

It always amazes me how strong and determined they are.  Usually, within 15 minutes of them being born they are trying to stand and nurse.

I love watching them race across the field with their tails high in the air.

You got a great deal on a turkey or they didn’t have any small ones left, but you’ll NEVER eat this much. 

Or maybe you overslept and are running out of time and you need your turkey to roast quicker on Thanksgiving day. 

The one way to drastically reduce cooking time or stash away some turkey for later is to cut it up and piece it out. 

Either way, we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s a quick “How To” on cutting up your turkey into pieces.

It’s a chicken, but never the less, same concept.

We’ve also got written instructions below. 

Sure, you can’t beat the amazing appearance of a whole turkey on the table – delicious waves of steam rising off a lightly golden, perfectly plump meal.

But there are definitely times when practicality trumps presentation. 

Cutting up a turkey is a little tricky, but a sharp knife and a dry, stable cutting surface are all you need. You got this!

If you’re afraid you’ll destroy the turkey on the big day, try it out on a chicken. Have one for dinner in the days leading up and practice your skills. 

Here you go!

Step-By-Step Instructions to Cut Up a Turkey

 It’s easier if your turkey is slightly frozen or very cold.

1. The first thing you’ll want to do is cut through the breast meat along the keel bone on both sides and then down the neck along the wishbone.  We’re not going to breast it out at this point.  It’s just easier to get the cuts in before the rib cage is unstable with the legs missing.
2. Next, take the legs of your turkey and pry them apart from the main body of the turkey.  Now you can easily cut the skin where the legs attach.  Once the skin is cut, spread the legs even further until you hear the joints in the thigh bones pop.  Now you can cut the meat along the back of the turkey and through the thigh bone joint to remove the leg and thigh.
3. To separate the leg and thigh, flip the piece over with the skin side on the cutting board.  You can see a muscle line between the leg and the thigh.  Cut right through this line.  This should separate out the leg from the thigh.
4. Repeat for the other leg.
5. Now for the wings.  When you look closely at the wings you can see a ring where it attaches to the body.  Run your knife right around this ring.  It should cut right through the wing joining and remove the wing. 
6. With the wing removed, let’s separate the wing drumette from the wing bow.  When you look closely at the wing, you can see a line of muscle down the center of the wing separating the two pieces.  Cut right down this line and it should cut between the joint and provide you with your two pieces.
7. Repeat for the other wing.
8. Time to remove the breast meat. Continue with your cuts you made next to the keel bone down along the rib cage.  The breast meat should easily come off.
9. Repeat for the other breast.

You did it!

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Now, you can prepare your parts as you would a whole turkey (brine, butter, baste and season if/as you will). 

•  Start in a preheated 450° oven, cooking only the breasts and wings for 30 min.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and add the thighs and drumsticks. Roast for 60 min. or until done (turkey should reach 165° as a final temperature; the parts will cook at different rates, so be sure to temp each part separately).
• Remember to tent the turkey with foil when it’s removed from the oven and let the meat rest at least 30 min. before serving (temperature will increase as the turkey stands).

WHAT’S NEW ON THE FARM

Two weeks ago, we rounded up the cows in Izee and brought them to the farm to calve. They started arriving on Thursday! 

But, one of my favorite memories of rounding up the cows actually came when the work was done. I took all the kids down to the river to play and I got to soak my feet. They tossed around algae clumps, pulled off a leach, chased after minnows with ball caps for nets and had lots of laughter.

I hope you find the precious few moments there are to enjoy the time with your loved ones making memories whether it’s everyday things or special occasions.

Don’t worry, next week I’ll have plenty of baby calf pictures for you. 🙂

Don’t be caught with not enough or WAY too much turkey at your Thanksgiving gathering. 

Can you really have TOO MUCH turkey? Who are we kidding!

You may be thinking, Thanksgiving?  Already?!  It’s never to early to start planning, right?  Sure makes life a lot less stressful as the big day arrives.

So, let’s figure out just how big your bird needs to be.

How many guests will be at your Thanksgiving get-together? You’ll need to figure about 1 1/4lbs per person. So let’s do the math.

Example: It’s you, your spouse and the in-laws: 4 adults. You’ll need about 1.25lbs per person.
4 people x 1.25lbs = 5 lb turkey

All these numbers hurting your brain?  LOL!  No worries!  We’ve done the math for you.  Simply find the number of guests and wala!  You have the size of turkey you need to purchase.

Number of Guests	Turkey Weight (lbs)
4	5
6	8
8	10
10	13
12	15
15	20
20	25
25	32

I don’t know about your house, but we’ve got a lot of kids at ours.  If you do as well, just round down.  Kids usually go for the rolls and side dishes, or dessert if allowed, and leave little room for turkey.

If you are feeding a large group, consider buying two smaller birds. Smaller turkeys will cook faster and more evenly.

We’ve still got a few turkeys left. 

If you’re looking for a tasty nutritious alternative to the turkeys you’ll find at the grocery store, give ours’ a try.

My father-in-law can’t eat a turkey from the store.  However they process or raise them, there is something there that makes him sick to his stomach.  He makes sure I have one for him every year.

I’d love to hear a bit about your Thanksgiving gatherings.  How many people typically show up at your door? Or does your family travel? 

We tend to head out to the in-laws.  It’s been a tradition for many years to have Thanksgiving there.  We’ve had upwards of 50 people down to just a couple dozen.

What’s New on the Farm

Piglets!! Yesterday, our sow Winnie, had 9 piglets.

They are just the cutest. Enjoy this little video watching them squirm around at only a few hours old.

Mom’s snoozing away after an exhausting morning.

You’ve cut off the pieces with all the meat…now what to do with the bones and rib cage?

Make your own homemade chicken stock, of course!

Perfect for soups and casseroles or to sip when you’ve got the sniffles.

Hopefully, you’ve saved the backbone and rib cage after we cut up our chicken.

Now’s the time to pull it out of your freezer!

These bones are are the perfect ingredient for creating flavorful, healthy chicken broths and soups due to their high collagen, protein, vitamin, and mineral content.

Did you know there is a difference between stock and broth?

 I didn’t!

They are so often used interchangeably. 

So, what’s the difference?

Broth is usually a clear soup and made from simmering the meat to create a flavorful and thinner consistency liquid. 

Stock is typically made from bones versus meat, and often herbs are used to boost the flavor. Stock is thicker than broth. It also contains more calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals than you will find in broth.

How long does chicken stock take to make?

The longer the stock simmers, the more flavor you’ll extract from the bones. Plan on two to four hours of cooking time on the stovetop or about 10 hours in a slow cooker, then allow some time for the stock to cool before you store it. 

What goes in the pot to flavor chicken stock?

Traditional stock calls for carrots, onions, and celery, plus fresh or dried herbs. Once you know how to make chicken stock, you can customize it with whatever you like. 

Do I need any special equipment to make chicken stock?

A large pot or slow cooker, plus a large metal spoon or ladle to skim off the foam or other impurities from the surface of the stock. You’ll also need a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to strain your stock through. 

Can I freeze chicken stock?

Stock freezes beautifully—it will keep for about three months. Cool, then skim off the excess fat from the surface and divide the stock among ziplock bags or jars (don’t fill the jars all the way—the liquid will expand as it freezes). You can also pour your stock into muffin cups and freeze until set, then pop out and freeze in a resealable plastic bag—you’ll have perfectly portioned disks. 

Here you go!

Give it a shot!

What’s New on the Farm?

We have three peahens. For the last month, one has been missing. We were hoping that she found a place to hide and was setting on eggs and didn’t come to demise from a predator. 

Well!!  The day before yesterday, I walked down to the chicken house to gather eggs and THERE SHE WAS!!  With two little pea chicks in tow!

Mom is constantly snapping and clicking and talking to her little chicks and they make a constant chirping noise very different from chicks.