Smoked Pork Chops with Maple Baked Apples

Smoked Pork Chops with Maple Apples
From: recipegirl.com

Ingredients:
4 (1-inch) thick smoked pork chops (bone in or boneless)
1 large Rome apple, diced
1/4 cup yellow raisins
1 Tablespoon butter
2 small sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown chops in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes (turning once). Remove and place in 13x9-inch dish. Spread apple pieces and raisins over the top and along the sides.
3. Add butter, onions, thyme, and pepper to the skillet and cook until onions are browned and tender (about 15 minutes); transfer to baking dish and arrange over and around the chops. Combine chicken broth, syrup and flour. Pour into the baking dish.
4. Cover with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling.

Apple Cider Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Apple Cider Roasted Brussels Sprouts
From: midgetmomma.com

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup apple cider

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and remove outer leaves. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss Brussels sprouts with enough olive oil to coat, and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and apple cider. Roast Brussels sprouts for about 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size. Stir the Brussels sprouts even 10 minutes to ensure even roasting, until Brussels sprouts are fork tender.

Our Next Generation/2015 CSA

The next generation of our family farm is eager to learn about the fruits and vegetables we grow. They help where they can and are amazed at what they see.

Bryn and Declan love eating their veggies. Sign up for our 2015 CSA program and you too can live a healthier life. Experience a wide variety of fruits and vegetables picked fresh for you, from a local, family owned and operated farm. Visit our website to learn more!

Apple Tree Pruning

Farmers Dale and Brandt were out in the freezing cold this week to prune our apple trees. Pruning helps maintain the trees and make sure they put forth optimal growth for our apple picking season. Apples start to be ready to pick in August. Follow this link for an informational video.

Pruning 2015

 This is a branch of the apple tree. There are two buds. The shorter stem is a leaf bud and the longer stem is a fruit bud.

Winterizing Our Strawberries

These are our strawberry plantings. We do two types of plantings. The bare root cuttings, which are just the plants with roots and are fragile, were planted at the end of June. The plugs, which are plants with the root ball and soil attached, were planted at the beginning of September. When the roots freeze, the plants are covered with straw to keep them frozen until spring. The yellow straw reflects the sunlight and keeps the plants frozen until weather warms and they are ready to grow and bear fruit.

Christmas Tree Varieties

I know everyone most likely has their Christmas tress picked out, set up, and beautifully decorated in their homes. If you would like to know more about your tree variety and the many other popular Christmas tree varieties, follow this link.

Tree Varieties

Christmas Tree Care

Proper Christmas Tree Care   
Follow these tips to keep your real Christmas tree as fresh as possible.

1. Make a fresh cut.  Before you bring the tree into your home and place it in a stand, re-cut the trunk at least one inch from the bottom just before putting it in the stand. Even if you just cut it on a choose and cut farm, this re-opens the tree stem so it can drink water.

2. Place tree away from heat sources.  Heat sources like heat registers, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stove, televisions, computer monitors, etc. speed up evaporation and moisture loss of the tree. These can also be fire hazards.

3. Water immediately. After making the fresh cut, place the tree in a large capacity stand with warm water. The stand you use should hold at least one gallon of fresh water. Don’t add anything to the water.  Research has shown that plain tap water is by far the best. Some commercial additives and home concoctions can actually decrease a tree's moisture retention and increase needle loss.

4. Check water level daily.  Do not allow the water level to drop below the fresh cut or the stem will reseal and be unable to drink. Christmas trees are very thirsty! It is not unusual for a tree to drink 2 gallons of water the first day it is the stand. 

With proper care, your Christmas tree will bring warmth and pleasure throughout the holiday season!
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