Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

. . . nature walk: negev desert, israel

This week's beautiful nature walk comes to us all the way from the Negev Desert in southern Israel.  There Sharon and her family explored the fields of wild Anemone that bloom once each year, blanketing the region with their elegant red blossoms.  Thank you so much Sharon for sharing this great trip!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Sharon for sharing!

*Last time in Nature Walks: Point Pinhole, California

... classic truffles

Valentines Day is by far one of the best days of the year for chocolate lovers. Heart shaped red boxes filled with the wonderful little treats are practically everywhere! As a little girl, Valentines Day was a favorite. Every year my Papa would give each of us kids a mini box of chocolates and my Mom would get a big box. To this day, if I'm in town, my father will still get me a box of chocolates, and to this day I still adore it! This year though, I decided to try my hand at making a few chocolates of my own...



... I used the simplest recipe I could find, and being me, I added to it (because lets face, one flavor just isn't enough).



This biggest challenge to this whole making your own truffles thing is the waiting part. The ganache needs a few hours to set up, then there's the forming part, then more chilling, followed by dipping in a chocolate coating, and yet even more chilling/waiting (I suppose the down time could be used to make valentines?).



What I loved most about this activity was how much easier it was to do than I thought it would be. Another thing is the accessibility. The ingredients can be found at any grocery strore, and the flavor options are endless. Even better? Anyone can do this (really, anyone), which means the whole family can hang out and get covered in chocolate together!

Recipe and Notes:

I used this recipe, adapted from Bon Apetite. What I did differently was to divide the ganache into three bowls after mixing. That way I could create different flavored truffles.

Flavors:

- Almond Cherry: 1 cap full Almond Extract, dried tart cherries (placed on top of truffle after chocolate coating).

- Coconut: 1 cap full natural coconut flavor, finely grated and chopped unsweetened coconut for rolling in after the chocolate coating.

- Cocoa Vanilla: 1 cap full of vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling.

 

 From our family to yours, Happy Valentines Day!

 

~ Jordan

 

*Last time in Recipes: For a Winter Weekend

... barn stories: nellie's love

Nellie is a Alpine/Nubian Goat that found her way to our farm 12 years ago. She was old when she arrived missing some of her teeth, and too old for breeding, she just needed a home. She found one, and found a way into our hearts! Goats have personalities that are much bigger then their size. They are constantly getting into what they should not, and into places they are not suppose to be. In a word, they are  trouble but such wonderful trouble, if that can be. We think Nellie is headed towards twenty way past the normal age of a goat, 12 years.  She is no longer moving around and is resting on a deep pile of straw. She is tucked in when it is cold, with blankets keeping her warm even on the coldest of nights. I offer her water four times a day and she is hand fed with hay cut just the right size, with little bits of sweet feed added.  She is dearly loved...

She just loves life and all that goes with it. The other night as I was holding her I saw a tear drop from her eye. I had been shedding a few as I held her, I questioned what I saw, could she shed a tear too?

I leave that up to you to decide. We have all been shedding happy tears on the farm the last few weeks, enjoying the time we share.

To Nellie the Goat, and to her unconditional love...

 

~Deb

 

*Last time on Barn Stories: Keeping the Peace

... knowing green: a love of nature

A little over two years ago I picked up my Papa's old Nikon and started taking photos of the wonderful bits of nature that surrounded me. A little over a year ago I got a camera of my very own, and my life changed forever. Much like the beginning of all relationships I was completely infatuated with the contraption. As time progressed I began to see glimpses of what could be if I worked hard enough, if I read enough, and if I took enough pictures every day. Like all relationships we have also gone through some rough patches. Blurry photos of what I knew was that perfect moment between subject and light, "genius" ideas that I could not figure out how to photograph properly, and uncooperative subjects (chipmunks in particular). Luckily these trials have been brief, and as long as I keep clicking that round silver button, something decent is bound to show up eventually.

What has also developed along with my love of photography is a greater love of nature. Camera or no camera, serendipitous moments in the natural world are second to none. So as the yearly day of love approaches I think it's only appropriate to look back on the past year and say thank you to Nature for providing so many beautiful moments...

... beautiful moments indeed!

 

So, Nature... would you be my valentine?

 

~ Jordan

 

*Last time in Nature: Visindi Circus

... nature walk: point pinole

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us from the beautiful shoreline of Point Pinole Regional Park in California. There Annie and her family explored the sandy beaches and local wildlife until the sun set. Thank you Annie for sharing such a fun adventure with us!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Annie for sharing!

 

*Last time in Nature Walks: Tanzania