What does being 'BuffaloGals' mean?

 
A heck-of-a-lot!
     So, what does it all mean?
     Being the Buffalo Gal in Buffalo Gals Bakery & Country Store is more than just being a business owner. It's more like being a community.
     My little bakery and country store is my way of helping support our family farm.  It means I can use my domestic and homesteading skills to stay on the land that I love.    We have cattle and grains. And it's a bit like being the Pied Piper for me. My 'girlz' are mostly tame and follow me around like very big dogs.
     Buffalo Gals means self-sufficiency, giving, hard work and more. It's thinking outside the box to find solutions. It's helping others. It's enjoying the land and little play time.

Bohemian Brew Bag

     When somebody buys a  Bohemian Brew Bag , it doesn't just mean that I got paid for something I created. It helps a whole lot of other people. Right off the bat I give a percentage to Dakota Prairie Partners~A philanthropy group. "Hope, Inspiration & Vision"  It also means that the incredible lady from MoJo Roast Inc is doing well, because I am able to get the Coffee Bags from her. In turn, her being able to empty the coffee bags of beans, means that her dollars (and yours by purchasing her coffees) are supporting the Cafe Feminino program which in turn empowers women in Guatemala to be self sufficient. 
    When somebody buys Old Glory sugar cookies they are helping me support our troops. The proceeds from these fabulous soft cookies goes to Wounded Warrior Project. This is important to me, as I have two boys who serve. (Marines and Nat'l Guard)
  I also give to the PBR's Rider Relief Fund....
    Through my business I have met incredibly wonderful people, and had some amazing opportunities come my way. Last year I was able to participate in OSU's "An evening of Art & Fashion" by donating a handmade quilt to the silent auction.  The monies raised were used to help  Deployed Service Women finish their educations long distance.   
   It seems like we are all connected to each other in some way. Through giving, mentoring, donating and more.
   I know many, many other small business owners that give tirelessly of their time and talents outside of their own businesses.
   We ARE part of a Community.  

So~ Thank you!  For supporting my community ...

Katy

    
   
  
    
    

I could be a very happy girl!

THIS BARN

THIS KITCHEN

                  PLUS







                                          Would make me a very happy girl!
      I need a commercial kitchen here at the farm. We have some ideas. Of course there is the tug of war of  Mine vs His. Hubby needs Vision. To be able to think outside the box. ~ Or barn, as the case may be.
    In my wildest dreams, my space would have a full Atomic Kitchen from the 50's. It would be bright, cheery, wildly colorful and comfy at the same time.
     Many years ago I visited an old man who was remodeling his kitchen in Flagler, Colorado. It was a complete Pale Pink Atomic Kitchen. Rounded counters, under the counter refrigeration, pull outs, over-under matching double ovens....Ohhhhhh myyyyyy. I was in heaven!
    I also about cried when he just 'junked' it to the pile. Poor Kit couldn't even begin to understand why I was so distraught!
      When we needed a new stove and fridge for the house, I headed to my favorite Antique store in Sacramento. (I was on vacation) There I found THE kitchen for me! I tried to reason with hubby. I could buy this 'whole' kitchen...working even...for the price of a new fridge. He wouldn't budge an inch. I'm still kicking myself in the shorts over that!
       I spent many hours next to Grammy's massive old stove in the kitchen in San Francisco. I recall it had a warming drawer and a place where you could hook up tubing for hot water. Grammy used to make my favorite round grilled cheese on it. She also heated her metal curling iron on it. (for the rare occasions I would sit still long enough...)
    Around 2003 hip magazines started touting the "Joys of Housework"  calling it 'theraputic', 'self-esteem building',  yes....even 'thrilling'.  Fiesta Ware and metal tumblers started making a comeback. And Martha rocketed to stardom!
       Funny, ain't it?

Where is this NOW?

Fun fact***** In the '50's Ladies Home Journal Art of Homemaking suggested that a ladies (house)dress should be "Wide enough for action, but not so wide that it will get in your way or make you trip on stairs or a ladder...."
                             Can you just see me now? Stop laughing already!
   But I digress...
In a nut shell, I want to bring some nostalgia to my little space. To be comfy and cozy. And have you want to come by, have a cup of coffee and a chat. I want to share my recipes with you and gardening tips.
    And speaking of...How about this recipe for Cheese Straws... A friends mom used to make these.
                (the paper it's on says it came from a Kraft Cheese box)
                             1/3 cup grated American Cheese
                             1 Tbs Butter
                             1 1/2 Tbs milk
                             4 Tbs Flour
                             1/2 c Bread Crumbs (seasoned to taste)
               Cream together cheese and butter. Add milk. In a small bowl combine flour and seasonings. Add to mixture. Knead lightly until smooth. Roll to pastry thickness. (about 1/4 inch) Cut into strips 6" x 3/4". Bake on greased cookie sheets in oven until browned.
           * these are good with soups and salads*
                      
 I have the Vision. I WILL make it happen! (soon)
Katy

  

Potato, Pataaahhhhhtoe

Me and my huge Reds

      So here I am. A smidge after 5 a.m. The sun  is up, the birds are chirpping away and I am doing nothing. Just sipping my coffee and thinking that I should be out hilling my potatos before it gets hot today.

     Instead, I know I will end up eating some potatos first!
    We eat so many potatos, you would think we were Irish! - Mostly fried in the cast iron skillet with onions and peppers....YUM

potato field...100 hills

There are many ways to grow potatos. And just as many types of potatos. We generally grow Red's..Pontiac is fave. Though we occasionally have Yukons. But rarely standard Russets.

The =K guard 'Mingos (I like this shade of lipstick!)

  I hill ours. Not because I think it's the best way...But because my Holstein painted yard 'Mingos look cool out guarding the potato patch! :)
   My uncle puts in rows of Potatos out in the field and just leaves 'em to make it on their own. And they grow just fine.
  I have also has great success growing some in cardboard boxes with layers of newspaper and dirt alternated. This is great for patio gardeners!
  This gardener has always wanted to try the 'Tire' method, but hubby Vetos it...that's where you would use old tires in stackable rings. I know a lady in Denver that does this to save on garden space and conserve water. She starts with one tire on the ground filled with dirt. She usually puts about 4 potatos in it. as they grow, she adds more 'rings' and dirt. When they are 3 or so tires high, she stops stacking. And just waters for the rest of the season. After the first hard frost she takes off the rings. And presto...Many potatos without the back-breaking work of hilling!
   Storage- Most years we just dig, and store in the basement. We put ours in cardboard boxes (no lids) and don't pack them in. We pack loosely so they  can 'breath'. The reds seem to hold the best and we can eat ours all the way through April most years. Then we use whatever is left for Seed when we plant again.
  One year we had the Great Potato Fiasco. I personally planted and hilled 100 hills! -My cousins had just moved here from California and I said I would share my garden with them the first year... Fall came, hubby and boys dug the potatos. We were also still 'in the field' at this point. So hubby told the boyz to fill every barrel they could find with potatos and to drag them to the barn. He swore he'd have the boys sack 'em up and bring  'em in sooooooon. Well, soon turned out to be at Christmas when we were completely out in the house. He sent the boys out to the barn to grab a barrel and bring it in. Lo and behold... every single potato was FROZEN solid!!!....
   Did I mention that we like Potato Salad??? Every family has their own 'recipe'. Some like mustard, some put in jalapenos, some like it warm. I like it cold.
   Here's our 'family' recipe...

  Potatos & Hard Boiled Eggs  2:1 ratio  (we do 10 & 5)
  MAYO!!!! (not miracle whip)
  Onions - diced small (usually 1 good size onion does the trick)
  1 Stalk Celery - Minced
  1 can Sliced Black Olives
  Dill - lots
  Mustard - standard yellow. No fancy stuff
  Dill Relish - or a couple-three pickle spears diced up

        There is no exact recipe...You just kinda start putting it all in a big bowl and add until it tastes 'right'. ....You'll know.

( And yes... I know that the correct plural spelling is p-o-t-a-t-o-e-s)

   Have a favorite Potato recipe or story?
I'd like to know....

Katy
 

How does your garden grow?

Forever stuck in my mind is the nursery rhyme:
     "Let's marry" said the cherry.
     "Why me?" said the pea.
     "Cuz you're sweet" said the beet
     "Say you will" said the dill
     "Think it over" said the clover.....

And YES, I know the remaining 36 verses!

     Over the years have honed my gardening skills. Some of my methods are unconventional. Some are handed down tips. And some I just learned as I went. There were definitely many failures. But just as many successes spurred me on.
   I think I just absorbed a love of the dirt and the whirrrrr of the mower. My Dad was forever puttering in the yard, My Grandpa was a master tomato grower and my Grammy always had geraniums in buckets on the stairs in San Francisco.

My dad and me

   My first flowers were Nasturtiums. It remains a favorite. We planted them in like the first grade at school as a Mother's Day project. On the way home with my precious plant, my brother knocked it out of my hand and the pot broke. I think I've been growing them ever since just to prove a point!
  One year my hubby brought home 'seed' potatoes from one of his customers. I planted them with care and hilled. And hilled. and hilled some more. Fall came. We went to dig up the potatoes...and imagine my surprise to find out they were Fingerlings! Nice, pretty, fancy, itty bitty potatoes.
  One year we had potatoes as big as my head!

I usually plant a double row of corn all the way around my garden, leaving little 'gates' on all four sides. The first year I did it I called it Corn-wallis...It wasn't so funny after I had to explain Cornwallis.

Corn-Wallis

  The cornwall protects everything else. It can blow gale force winds and nothing on the inside is ruined. The corn just stands back up. It also helps to keep it a little more humid in the square, which makes my plants happy. You can also plant shade loving plants near the corn.
  Hubby likes hot radishes, so they are planted with the onions.  I make my tomatoes grow bigger and sturdier by pinching off all the bottom leaves and most of the first blooms as well.
   An old kettle BBQ is a planter for my carnations and petunias. And We have a HOT PINK Adirondack chair and ottoman one of the boyz made in school. ( he swore he would take it when he moved....he didn't so now it's mine) That's where hubby sits to watch me garden.
                    For me I think it is the satisfaction of knowing 'I did it!'
   In a later post I will have my favorite pickled beet recipe and one for corn relish.
     Some tips I have learned..*Never plant a full 25 ft row of lettuce at one time. You will never eat it all!
* Do not forget your potatoes in the barn...They WILL freeze solid in the winter in ND * As in the field, you should rotate your 'crops' in the garden. * When you are stressed, you can work it off in the garden by beating the hoe on the ground and imagining who is annoying you!


This how part of my garden grows!

Happy Gardening!
Katy

And a story about Leggs, brings us to Eggs!

  Eggs-
     They come in all sizes and colors.
                 Some are Brown
                 Some are Blue
                 Most eggs are good for you!

    Here at Buffalo Gals Bakery, we know a thing or two about eggs! We get ours from a nearby farmer that raises only real free range chickens. They feed on the grasses that grown naturally and are not given any hormones.
  *Did you know that truly fresh eggs are nearly impossible to peel? Their low Albumen PH level causes the albumen to adhere to the inner shell.
     If you let your farm fresh eggs 'age' for about a week and then boil them, the shells will come right off.
  * Most supermarket eggs are already 3-5 weeks old before they are even on the shelf. The expiration date on the carton is a 30 day expiration  from the time they were packaged!!!
  * Farm Fresh eggs have on average seven times more Beta Carotene, twice as many Omega 3's, 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4  less saturated fat and three  times the vitamin E than 'store' bought eggs.
                  And they taste better!
 
    According to an old joke "the best way to keep an egg fresh, is to keep it in the chicken!"



Mike the Headless Chicken
www.miketheheadlesschicken.org
is an entirely different story!

   * You CAN keep fresh eggs for long periods of time. Stored UNWASHED in cool pace- whether it's the basement, fruit cellar, refrigerator- fresh eggs will keep for for a couple months and still be perfectly fresh.
   Why??? Because they are unwashed! Hen Fruit, right from the chicken, is coated with a natural sealant called "Bloom". While washed eggs are definitely prettier, leaving them unwashed protects them against bacteria and aging.                                                 

*NO! WE DO NOT KEEP EGGS THIS LONG IN THE BAKERY!*
        Uncle Sam & our local Health Department sez No Way!

     As a consumer YOU SHOULD KNOW  that chemicals are used to wash the eggs from factory chickens before they go to the grocery. Some of these chemicals are : Chlorine, Ozone, Hydrogen Peroxide, Potassium or Sodium Hydroxide (that means LYE) . Since egg shells are porous, a portion of the chemicals will be absorbed into the egg. That's the part to be concerned about.
         I'm not saying you Shouldn't  eat 'store' eggs, I just wanted to point out some facts.

  Julia Childs once said "The egg can be your best friend, if you just give it the right break."

 Manga! Manga!
      Katy

Doing good feels good!

Marine Jean Quilt

                 An Evening of Art & Fashion for a great cause.

     High fashion, Generous donations and a fabulous group of ladies from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University made a difference in the lives of Military families.
    With a motto of " Breaking thorough barriers for women and girls" The OSU chapter of AAUW  put together this fundraiser to provide computers for Deployed Military Women to continue their educations online. And also funds for Single mothers to finish theirs.
                                           An Evening of Arts and Fashion

Ali B's Original Designs

   Among the donations was a Marine Jean Quilt, made by me. I got the jeans from the quilt from my son Cpl. Dillon Tapparo. He originally was acquiring jeans from his buddies on post so I would make him a new blanket. Luckily he gave me enough for two. Jeretta Nord Horn (director of the OSU chapter AAUW) decided that my quilt would do much better in the live auction-(Which also featured items from world renown designer Stella Thomas). There was fierce bidding for it .
      The Marine Jean Quit eventually was sold for 800 dollars. It was able to purchase THREE computers!
   Among the other donors was the incredibly talented Alanna Beoppre of Ali B's Originals in Bottineau, ND. She makes outstanding custom jewelry.
  Jo Khalifa of MoJo Roast in Westhope,ND "Your Personal Coffee Roaster" also generously gave of both her time and talents. As a friend of Jeretta Nord Horn, Jo was asked to be of assistance. Jo put out the word to North Dakota companies to provide donation items for a silent auction.

Original Stella Thomas Designs

                          The evening was a great success!
And what's more, these women that are benefiting from this event are leading the way with their Can Do Attitude. They are proving that anything is possible.
                                                   May God keep them safe.
 

Can Do!!

It's an attitude!
   A way of life for some....

   There really is nothing you can't do if you're determined. Sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you may get thwarted. Or run into a brick all. But that's all it is. A wall. An object to go around.
  From the time I was a tot, I hated being thwarted in what ever it was I wanted to do. I was often called Margaret by my parents because my Grammy Margaret didn't know the meaning of the word 'NO'.
                                    NO is just a word.
  I have a little business selling Biscotti and Cookies and such. (www.buffalogalsbakery.com ) I also have a few accounts. I want to grow my business. However- money and a new commercial kitchen are my current issues thwarting me.
   I still work a day job. So, instead of going all out and spending money I don't have yet, I decided to  plug away at getting the word out. I am learning how to use Social Media effectively,  write about my Biscotti,  send out a few samples a week,(postage costs money)  and  I rely on friends to help spread the word of Buffalo Gals. In the meantime, I am putting away a little money at a time for a commercial kitchen here at the farm verses driving to a rented one.
   I butt heads with hubby over this one. (But I'll wear him down!) I have been doing my research. Have looked at countless buildings, talked to contractors about remodeling an existing farm building. We have debated the wisdom and practically and ultimate cost of each.
   Now, I am about ready to part with my hard earned money. After all, 'the only way to make money is to spend money'.
                                   Such a true statement!
   I have found my way around the wall. It's taking a little longer than what I would like. But I am moving forwards towards my goals. Each step brings me closer.

      So go for it!

Katy