The Bright Lights In the Night

  

The Blaring Lights In The Night on Little Utah Farm
 image thanks to David Vives

We moved from Whittier, California, a suburb of Los Angeles to Iron County Utah where some neighborhoods did not have street lights. We loved the dark skies at night. We could see so many stars and sometimes the Milky Way angled over our farm. 

And then a new home was built behind us which had 5 bright night lights along the front of their home that were on from dawn to dusk. The lights flooded our dark neighborhood like the Las Vegas strip. The way the home was situated the lights shined right through onto our bedroom walls and into our dresser mirror which magnified the light.  I could o longer see the Milky Way nor could we doze off looking at the bright stars in the night sky. 

Emotions of anger and resentment filled me till I was so uncomfortable I prayed to have this anger taken from me.  And thankfully I became relieved and had a calming acceptance, peace, about the situation.  Husband and I chose a towel to hang on the window to block the harsh light. The next morning I awoke with a clear mind and peaceful heart. That night, the lights were off. It was dark and for a week it was dark. Husband looked at me and said they must have heard you. I smiled. 

At Dawn. The Bright Lights In The Night were extinguished.
Image by Deborah Moen @ Little Utah Farm

At dawn I opened my eyes with my head still on the pillow and saw the light beginning to appear above the mountains. Where blaring lights once were, I see subtle red Christmas lights, celebrating the birth of Jesus, adorning the rim of the new house making the scene so beautiful. I had to take a picture to share with you. I felt such peace and  appreciation.   

Glorious subtle Christmas Lights at Dawn
Image by Deborah Moen @ Little Utah Farm


Update: Husband just came home. He said, " You loved the red lights so much I bought you some"

Deborah Moen
@ Little Utah Farm

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm,

Until then,

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau

Skillet Apple Crisp For Two

 

Skillet Apple Crisp

This Skillet Apple Crisp for two is quick and easy, low in sugar, and has no flour. I use oats mixed with a bit of brown sugar and stevia, and some butter and cinnamon. peeling the apples is optional. I made up the recipe in my head so you may change it however you prefer. 

My Ingredients 

1 large or 2 small apples cored Any kind of apple. Peeling is optional.

1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil for sauteed apples

2 Tablespoons of butter melted for oats

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for apples

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for oats

!/2 cups organic old fashion oats

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar 

Stevia to taste

My Directions: 

Mix oats, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Place in pie tin and toast in oven at 375 for 6-12 min until crisp. Turn off heat and let sit in warm oven with door ajar.

Core and chop apples

Sautee in oil and butter until tender almost carmelized

Stir in cinnamon

 Stir in the toasted oats from the oven.

It is now ready to serve. 

Here is a recipe greeting card I made that you can purchase on Little Utah Farm Store for that special person in your life that loves to cook. It has photographs ingredients and directions and just may fit into a recipe box.   The link will take you to Little Utah Farm Store 

Skillet Apple Crisp Recipe Card 

Recipe Greeting Card

Recipe Greeting Card Inside has a photo of the apples I chopped, ingredients and directions
for Skillet Apple Crisp For Two

Sharing My Morning On Our Farm

 Hello my friends,

Since I was a child I have loved animals and nature. My parents lived on a farm back in Indiana so it must have rubbed off on me. My love for farms began one Christmas morning as I opened the door to the living room and saw a beautiful play farm under the tree with a big metal barn and silo, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, ducks, and geese. It even had fencing you could put together to make pens and corrals for the animals. That was 1958.

Fast forward to today. My love for farms and animals and nature brought me here to Little Utah Farm with my husband. I took a video of my morning to share with you to give you an idea of what my mornings are like.  When I watch it it makes me so thankful. This video is 1 minute and has sound. 

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm,

Until next time, remember to believe in your dreams because they do come true.

More on that later. 

Deborah Moen
Little Utah Farm

A Cast Iron Gril- A Connection To the Old West

 

A Connection To The Old West -
A Cast Iron Grill

I pulled out the heavy drawer of cast iron cookware, from under the stove. It was my first time cooking on the flat iron grill.  Corn Mountain Pancakes, sausage, and eggs sunny side up were on the menu. 

 

Cooking everything on one flat hot surface was fun from the sizzle of the sausage to watching the eggs spread out the grill. On the edge of the grill I saw that Lodge, the maker of the cast iron, stamped U.S.A 1896,. That was when my thoughts went back in time. 

Lodge cast iron grill  - USA - 1896 stamped on the edge.

I began to think of the chuck wagon and the man who cooked the meals, the hungry cowboys who drove the cattle long distances on the dusty range. 

The dogs and cats all gathered around the stove hoping for a bite of this delicious food. What was it like to cook for the cowboys that were working out on the range driving cattle all day.  I found a few vintage photos of a chuck wagon scene that was public domain.

Canvas tarps were fastened over the chuck wagon. 

In this next picture You can see how lonely it could have been out there. The cook didn't just prepare the meals he was also known as the barber, the doctor, the dentist, and banker for the cowboys. He played a very important role and had many responsibilities. Imagine being hot tired, dusty and hungry ready to get some grub in your belly after a full days work. They were dependent on him. No one dared complain about the food.

The cook preparing the meals out of the chuck wagon

 Here is a very good video that describes their life. 

The cook had many nicknames. The one that I knew before was "Cookie" but I found there were more like Soggy, Pot Rustler, Lean Skillet, Old Pud, Old lady, Belly Cheater, Biscuit Roller, Dough Boxer, Dough Puncher, Greasy Belly, Grub Worm, Gut Robber, Sourdough, and more. 

Cookie was a nickname for the cook of the chuck wagon
Had to be up early in the morning to get the coffee hot and have breakfast ready.
For the cowboys who drove cattle across many miles.  

There are good articles on the history of the cattle drives and the chuck wagons. I will list them below.  I will surely think of them as I cook on my cast iron grill in the future. 

To read more about the chuck wagon in the old west

here are some good links:

https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/explore/the-chuck-wagon/

The Chuck Wagon – The Real Queen of the Cattle Trail – Legends of America

 Little Utah Farm: Corn Mountain Pancake Recipe

The men all lined up behind the chuck wagon to get their meal. 

Thank you for visiting little Utah Farm

Until next time,

Here's an old western saying.  

Only a fool argues with a skunk, a mule, or a cook. 

Deborah Moen
Little Utah Farm

Little Utah Farm Store always has a discout. Find the red text by the product and enter it at checkout. 

Cow and Moon Square Pillow

This calf is standing in the light of a full moon. This square pillow comes in 2 sizes, 16" and 18 ". It can be ordered in polyester, cotton or outdoor fabric. Tere is a zipper option also. 

Whoopie Ti Yi Yo, Get Along Little Dogies

Cow and Moon Square Pillow
by LittleUtahFarm

Cow and Moon Lumbar Pillow
by LittleUtahFarm

Corn Mountain Pancake Recipe

 

Corn Mountain  Pancakes

Corn Mountain Pancakes are favorite with my family. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

2 cups of buttermilk

2 cups of sifted flour

1/4 cup of cornmeal

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter 

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs until fluffy and lemon colored. 

Beat in buttermilk

Add in sifted dry ingredients

Mix just until thoroughly dampened

Stir in melted unsalted butter

Ladle into a hot ungreased griddle ( I put a bit of oil on a paper towel and rub it on the griddle for each one.)

When bubbles form on top, flip it over

I originally found this recipe here-  Corn Mountain Pancakes - Recipe - Cooks.com

 Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm

Until next time

Life if better with pancakes.

Deborah Moen
Little Utah Farm

 

Little Utah Farm Store always has a discount. Find the red text near the product and enter it at checkout. 

Amanda: Jersey Calf Pillow

An adorable sassy young jersey cow is waiting for you to take her home. Cuddle up with this little cuties with rich brown border on the front and solid rich brown on the back. Your cow lover will definitely fall in love with this .You can customize this pillow with text or change the color.

Amanda: Jersey Calf Pillow
by LittleUtahFarm

How To Make Juniper Berry Sourdough Starter

 

Utah Juniper Tree - Iron County, Utah

JUNIPER BERRY SOURDOUGH STARTER

​Take about a dozen juniper berries and make sure they have a glabrous (smooth, no hairs), the milky-white coating is yeast. If you rub on the berry you will see it is green underneath. 

Utah Juniper Tree  Berries -
Smooth with a milky white coating.

Put the juniper berries in a jar with a cup of flour and a cup of warm water and loosely cover. Let rest for a week on the kitchen counter.  After a week, remove the berries and add a cup of warm milk and another cup of flour. Stir and let set for a day or two. You now have a great sourdough start.  Store your start in the refrigerator and add to it after use.

Use the juniper berry sourdough starter with your favorite sourdough recipe.

Little Utah Farm has a recipe greeting card. Give to someone who enjoys unique recipes and inspire them to create a sourdough starter from juniper berries. The recipe is inside. You can cut the card and store it your recipe file. There is always a discount at Little Utah Farm Store so find the red text code on the product page to add at checkout. This Recipe Greeting Card comes in 3 sizes. Standard size 5x7, small 4x5.6, and large 8.5x11. 

Juniper Berry Sourdough Starter Recipe Card
by LittleUtahFarm

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm,

Untill next time, may peace and joy be with you. 

Deborah Moen 
of Little Utah Farm

Teriyaki Beef Jerky Recipe

 

Teriyaki Beef Jerky 

London Broil sliced thin, soaked overnight in a scrumptious Teriyake marinade then dried in a dehydrator or oven are the makings of the best jerky I ever ate. It is hard not to eat up the slices of meat before it is dried. Here is the recipe.

2 lbs of lean red meat ( I used London Broil )

Marinade Ingredients

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1 Tablespoon of minced fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1 Tablespoon of salt 

 1. Mix the marinade ingredients

2. Slice the meat 

Cut the meat into 1/4 slices

Teriyaki Beef Jerky- Slice the meat

3.  Add the meat slices to the marinade a few slices at a time and coat Put into a container with a lid and pour any remaining marinade  over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 8 hours. 

Teriyaki Beef Jerky in dehydrator. 

4. After it has marinated for 8 hours drain and dry in a 140 degree oven for 6-8 hours. You can also lay on racks of a dehydrator at 140 for 6-8 hours. I use an Excaliber dehydrator. 

Store Teriyaki Beef Jerky in Mason Jars 

I stored the jerky in the refrigerator inside covered Mason jars.

Deborah Moen
Little Utah Farm

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm,

Until next time,

May you be blessed with happiness, good health, and prosperity. 

I had rather be on my farm that be emperor of the world.

~ George Washington

Here is an encouraging greeting card I made today. For those who would be uplifted by the message "You can do it one day at a time. "

You Can Do it Encouraging Greeting Card

Artist colorful drawing of a determined character climbing a hill, one day at a time, making progress till she reaches the top. At each stage of the climb she is wearing a different outfit. It shows her reaching the top of the hill. An encouraging message. This card can be customized and personalized to suit your occasion.

You Can Do it Encouraging Greeting Card
by LittleUtahFarm

When The Thunderstorm Comes

 

Thunderheads are the tallest clouds on the planet. Little Utah Farm
When The Thunderstorms Come

Summer the monsoon season is here. The clouds rise up over the surrounding mountains and grow into giant clouds that reach thousands of feet into the sky.  Thunderclouds are the tallest clouds on the planet reaching upwards to 75,00 ft. The higher the top the more severe the storm.

I went out and took photographs of the big clouds rising high in the sky. I have the slide show with soft music for you to watch below. 

 We love the monsoon season as it cools us down on a hot days.  Almost everyday these past two weeks we have had rain with lightening and thunder.  Here is a video I put together to share the beauty of the thunderclouds that formed. 

Watch Video

Thunderclouds by Deborah Moen-Little Utah Farm

These clouds are mighty and beautiful. By afternoon they merge into a grand thunderstorm. 

When it rains the ducks are happy. They love the water.

Here is a little clip of them playing and enjoying the rain.

 

The rain got more intense.  We could hear the thunder pounding like tribal drums across the valley.  Closer and closer it came and the winds began to blow.

We rushed to get the young chicks back into the coop. It took several trips across the big yard to bring in the water and food. The cold rain fell in big drops on my face. Lightening flashed and thunder crashed above me. The rain fell harder. I could barely see for the water running down my hood.  I got this image of a scene from the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and Auntie Em are frantically getting those baby chicks in a safe place before the storm. 

 

We had finished getting everything inside the coop where it was dry. The hard rain sounded like bullets on the tin roof and the thunder exploding above us. Paul and I were moving as fast as we could and it was so loud we had to yell to hear each other. Exhilarated, breathless and dripping wet we smiled and laughed. It felt like a scene with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in the movie African Queen.

The thunderstorm continued traveling south. I ran to the back door and watched it go.. It sounded like a giant stomping the ground as it moved on into the distance.

 Paul and I talked about it throughout the evening how fun it was to be in that storm. We hadn't had a rain like that for a long time.

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm

Deborah Moen
 of Little Utah Farm

Until next time,

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain.”

― Vivian Greene

The Glorious Sun Ritual of Birds

The Glorious Sun Ritual of Birds

I have seen crows perched with their mate way up high on the poles in California from my backyard. They faced the rising sun, beaks parted, standing there still and reverent as the sun rose in the morning.  I can not help but feel the desire to stand with them with my hand over my heart and a smile of appreciation for another day.

In August of 1997 my Grandson was about to be born. My Daughter called and asked if I would come to help her. I quickly packed my bags and took a plane to Phoenix, Arizona where she lived. When I arrived I walked out the doors of the airport and into a furnace ! I had never been in such hot temperatures. The air felt heavy and thick like hot molasses.   It was 117 degrees. I was glad to get into the car and crank up the air conditioner. I arrived at the apartments and was greeted by my Daughter and my Son-in-Law. 

As I entered their home, I placed my hand on the double pane glass storm door and it burnt my hand like a frying pan. "Ouch !"  Spending time inside caring for my daughter was a gift not only for her but for me. I had missed her since she moved to Phoenix. In the evening when it cooled down to the mid 90's I would go out and walk up the road to the park. It was hot but my mind sirred with  thoughts of being a Grandmother. It was my first Grandchild. 

One morning Rebecca and I went for a walk to the market for groceries. We crossed the road made of sticky black asphalt. The smell of tortillas filled the air as we got closer to the market. Old worn barrels turned 'round and 'round as men turned the crank to roast the chiles. They smelled wonderful. Inside the market was was a little tortilla factory. A long silver conveyor shelf snaked through the little area. Busy hands patted the masa dough into round flattened tortillas.They were packaged and placed on the conveyor shelf and the packages rolled in by the dozen.  A hundred packages were stacked up front for customers to buy fresh. 

We walked home with the groceries with the smell freshly made tortillas and roasting chiles in our memories. We talked how the baby was about to be born soon with lot's of giggling and excited anticipation. It was a happy time when I let go of work and just became present for her. Along the way we walked past homes where water gurgled out through hoses and sprinklers and onto the lawns for any thirsty wildlife. I had never seen such kindness towards denizens of the city. Little pools of coolness lie waiting and ready for the birds and animals to quench their thrist and cool their feet and bodies. 

 I noticed it had cooled down to 86 degrees during the night. That enabled me to take a walk to the park and wander about before temperatures rose to 117 degrees. I quickly got my shoes on, grabbed my sunglasses and a hat. I was ready to go. I placed my hand on the double glass door to check the temperature.  It had cooled down since yesterday's blistering heat. I pushed the door open and stepped out onto the road for my walk. I was unaware of the blessings that lie ahead. The thought of my new grandson and the special time I was having with my Daughter, Rebecca, uplifted me. 

I  approached the edge of the edge of the park. The green lawn was soft under my feet. Children played tag on the grass. The air was filled with happy voices and laughter.  As the sun rose up from the horizon over the mountains, I could feel the heat burn my shoulders. I felt a tinge of worry came over me. I shook it off took a deep breathe and made up my mind to acclimate. I looked around and felt all the sensations as the glorious bright sun rose into the sky.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a flock of black birds standing in a disappearing shadow under a tree. There were about 5 or more. They held their little faces up to the sun with beaks parted, breathing in the last cool breaths of morning. They stood very still as if they were giving praise to the sun with such reverence. My heart still swells as I remember this moment.  It was just like the crows did back in California facing the rising sun, again, I can not help but feel the desire to stand with them with my hand over my heart and a smile of appreciation for another day.

The Glorious Sun ritual of Birds - Art by Deborah Moen

As I stood still with these birds, I felt myself completely adjust to the heat. Not kidding. By the grace of God, I was acclimated. No longer was the air thick and dry and inhospitable. It was now a part of me. I was reborn into this hot land of Phoenix. I will never forget that feeling of relaxing into heat and accepting it. Such a rich lesson arose out of that experience. It was quite magical caused by a change in perception while aligning with grace and love and appreciation. 

Since that day I have seen my Grandson grow taller than me. Time and circumstances have taken me and him to this Little Utah Farm . These days on my way to town along the country road, I see the mated ravens facing the rising sun on top of the power poles, their beaks parted, bodies held still and reverent. Then the beauty of life passes through me as I turn at the stop sign towards town. I remember the time with my Daughter and the changes that make us twist and turn inside and out. I am so grateful for the time we had together, for the time I had raising my Grandson, and for this farm where I now live. Life is so good 

That is all for now, Hope you enjoyed the post

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm

Come back and if you like, Follow my Blog

Until then take good care,

Deborah Moen
of Little Utah Farm