JULY AT ROSE COTTAGE FARM

Well here we are halfway into July... the holiday cottages are doing well now, after a really slow start to the season.

we have a beautiful litter of chunky siberian kittens that are thriving really well.

Sadly our chestnut mare lost her foal after a difficult birth and is starting to recover and get ready to bring back into work.

The latest creation at the farm, is my very popular Elderflower champage.. excellent refreshing drink with low alcohol content. I have made 3 gallons and have bottled and given several away to friends. This simple to make drink requires no skill other than a few elderflower heads,chopped lemons, sugar,cider vinegar and plenty of water. just combine the elderflower and lemons in a fermentation bucket with the water, approx 8 heads,2 lemons per gallon. after 36 hours strain onto 1 1/2 lbs sugar and tablespoon cider vinegar. bottle in screw top bottles...DO NOT TIGHTEN THEM!!! Chill and drink within 3 months,enjoy....

JUNE AT ROSE COTTAGE FARM

Well here are at last in the beautiful June sunshine.

We have been getting out and about carriage driving with the horses. The photo here shows Jeannie our norwegian fjord pony and bramble my little speed machine of a welsh!!I think they are whispering about the camera man!!

The lambs are growing fast now and starting to change colour from the all black wool to a lighter shade, slightly brown, and the faces are whitening all the time. The ram lambs are developing horns, and attitude to match!!
Our holiday cottages are getting booked up, and from visitors from overseas. We are meeting some really interesting people as the year progresses.

We have had a lot of other births on the farm, ducklings, chicks and kittens...Scarlet the chestnut mare is due to foal at the beginning of July so watch this space!!

March

Well, here it is March and lambing time. All the ewes are in the field shelter tonight and just as well. Snow has fallen yet again and the temperature has dropped dramatically. We spent the day forking new straw into place and manhandling a huge round bale into the shelter for them. No big tractors here just Jim, me and a lot of questionable language!!


This last weekend I was away at the Coventry and Leicester cat show judging, what a busy day that was, with 58 different cats to judge. It will be a week or so before all the reports are done.


We have had the first of the ducklings and chicks arrive, they are in our kitchen in an incubator chirping away. My 14 year old birman girl is babysiting them (well it is warm on top of the incubator!!)


I will be back blogging as the first of the lambs arrive....

Audrey

February at Rose cottage farm

Well, February certainly came in with a blast from the past... the snow is falling thick and fast and reminds me of the proper winters we used to have when I was a child. That's right, chilblains, frozen hands and home made soups!! Today on the AGA I have a brocolli and stilton soup simmering from the last of my organic vegetables, there's home made bread in the oven and proper butter on a dish!

The sheep were not amused by the start to the day, the 12 herdwick ewes are just 5 weeks off lambing and the 6 gimmer lambs are constantly hungry in the snow covered fields. Snowdrop (the bottle fed lamb) thinks it's time to come back into the house and the AGA and tried so hard to help me with the sheep nuts that most were spilled liberally all over the floor.

We have the first of the runner duck eggs which are now warming in the incubator, they should hatch before March hopefully. The fjord ponies are more than happy to roll in the snow but our other carriage ponies are less impressed. Scarlet the Welsh section C is due to foal in June so watch this space>>>

Recipe for Brocolli and Stilton soup

1 large head of brocolli
1 large onion
2 oz of stilton (or any cheese that needs using up)
1 organic stock cube
pinch black pepper
pinch of mixed herbs.

Rough chop the veg and place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 mins. Remove from the heat. When a little cooler, blend the ingredients, I use a hand blender. Add the cheese by crumbling or grating. gently heat stirring all the time until the cheese melts, serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Norwegian Residents

This is the first post from Rose Cottage Farm. Here's one of our Norwegian Fjord horses. This is Jeannie on the far right, and nosy Scarlet (the Welsh Section C just had to have a picture too!)

The Norwegian Fjord an unusual looking horse is believed to date back to prehistoric times and closely resembles the Asiatic wild horse seen in prehistoric cave paintings. Its history in a rugged, mountainous area of extreme weather conditions means it is exceptionally sure-footed and hardy.