Great Googly Moogly!

I am sitting down.  That may not seem like a big deal to you, but it's something that hasn't been much a part of my life in the past 48 hours.  You see, Hannah and Greg have switched placed with me; they are in Pennsylvania visiting family and I am here in Vermont on the farm.  They left at about noon on Friday and will be back sometime today...I think.  What I've been finding myself doing most is feeding.  Feeding the fire, feeding Connie, feeding the starter, feeding the pigs, feeding the goats, feeding myself.  Everything needs to eat.  

Friday wasn't too bad...I spend almost the whole day baking 40 loaves of bread, half boules (picture is not mine) and half baguettes, mixing in a little bit of mould-washing and cheese-pricing when I wasn't kneading or shaping or freaking out that I was doing it wrong.  It was Saturday that was really killer...I woke up at 4:00 to do chores and was done by about 7:00.  Then Tucker came and we got together the coolers full of cheese to take to the market.  I was going to Middlebury and he was going to Rutland.  Somehow we managed to fit 2 coolers, 2 plastic tubs, 2 tables, 40 loaves of bread, and a tent in my little Jetta.  So I drove to the market, set everything up, and then realized that I forgot the tub containing the most important things: the cash box, the cuttings boards for samples, the tablecloths, etc.  I was freaking out for about 5 minutes, and then decided to go back and get it.  So I drove all the way back to the farm, hit the ground running, grabbed the tub, and drove back to the market.  I was only about half an hour late.  Whew!  While at the market, I sold all my bread but two baguettes!  Greg's bread reputation precedes me, but hopefully people will continue to buy.  We also sold quite a bit of cheese.  It was pretty busy because of the holiday weekend.  

I came back to the farm after that and ate lunch...at like, 2:30, and then at 3:30 I started afternoon chores.  I sat down for a total of one 1 hour on Saturday.  I collapsed into bed that night and then woke up at 4:30 to do it all again!  

This morning, the vacuum pump/motor/something broke in the middle of milking, and I had to call the neighbors, who have a cow farm, to come fix it.  He fixed it, and I finished milking, but then when I went to run the wash cycle, it broke again!  ARGH!!!  CRUMBS AND CARROTS!  It was frustrating.  But it's all fixed now, and I made myself feel better by watching She's The Man (best movie ever) and making vegan chocolate cake.  Would you like to make vegan chocolate cake?  You can, if you follow this recipe.  Omigod, omigod, you guys!  I followed a recipe!  Well, mostly.  

Not-Vegan-Tasting Vegan Chocolate Cake

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

1.5 organic unbleached all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 canola oil

1 cup vanilla soymilk/ricemilk

2 Tbs cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a larger bowl.  In a smaller bowl, mix together canola oil and soymilk.  Mix wet ingredients into dry.  Add vinegar and stir quickly.  You'll see streaks of white as the vinegar and baking soda react.  Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.  Put in a oven preheated to 375 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes.  I took mine out early and the middle is still gooey...mmmm.  It would be good warm with vegan ice cream.  

There's a new song up!  It's by a band called She & Him.  I think they're just adorable.  One half of this duo is Zooey Deschanel, who you may know from Elf (the pretty blond that Buddy the Elf ends up marrying) or Weeds (Andy's crazy girlfriend from Alaska).  Enjoy!