Like many of you, we received about 8 inches of snow last week! Our son Henry enjoyed it for a little while but soon became indifferent and (like his mama) wanted to warm his hands by the fire.

Snow days are my favorite time to do things around the house because there is only so much you can do outside. I slow cooked beef stew, organized cabinets, sat around the fire with Jeff, and sharpened all my kitchen knives.

Winter is such a lovely time to cook hardy meats to warm you up and fill your belly. This week at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market we are offering Eye of Round Roast for the first time. I included a recipe because it is best cooked a particular way and shouldn't be put in a slow cooker like some of the other cuts of roast.

We hope you are enjoying this holiday season and have a very Happy New Year!

Ingredients:
1 Eye of Round Roast
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika (if desired) to taste
Vegetable or Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Season roast with salt and pepper (and paprika, if desired). Rub meat with oil.

Place meat in roasting pan in preheated oven.

Roast beef for 5 minutes per pound. Then turn off oven. Do not open oven for 2 hours (For example, a 2-lb. roast would take 10 minutes to cook and then sit in the turned-off oven for 2 hours).

​Enjoy!

​I had not had much experience cooking with lamb before we starting raising them. The closest I ever got was eating lamb gyros from not very reputable sources…you know the kind of places… Lamb Steaks from our grass-fed sheep is a completely different product. I once heard that your dish is only as good as your ingredients and that technique can only get you so far. I try to be conscious of these words when I prepare meals for our family. This is why I try to let our product stand on its own two feet in this simple lamb steak recipe.
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With summer quickly approaching, canning season will be going strong here on the farm in no time. Soon I will be plucking all of the ripe tomatoes that I can find and stashing them away to make one big batch of sauce. It’s such a busy time of year. Our gardens (and weeds) are growing lightening fast, the cows are still calving, and our chore list seems to be never-ending.

Here on the farm we have a staple that never gets old, mainly because it is always changing. I try to make quiche once a week for our family using seasonal vegetables. I use seasonal vegetables not just for variety but also for flavor.

This recipe is perfect for a quick breakfast during the week – just pop it in your toaster oven. It’s also great for lunch or dinner with a salad or even cold out of the refrigerator for a quick snack. I use a simple piecrust recipe, no need to worry about blind baking and baking beads. I mean, who has time for all that? This piecrust is just as delicious as the ones that take twice as long to make. The recipe yields two piecrusts, I usually stick one in the freezer for the next quiche or pie.

We have a saying in our home - fear the fake not the fat. This recipe is packed with wholesome farm fresh ingredients so it's hard to feel guilty about consuming such nutrient dense food. Bon Appetit!

In 2017 we stabilized two sections of stream and built a pond. Pheeww! I wish I could say that in 2018 we could prop our boots on our desk for a while and admire our work but ongoing projects seem to continuously pop-up.
 
Last fall we constructed a pond between our farm and Jeff’s parent’s property. This pond will provide habitat for aquatic plants and animals. A gravity pipeline from the pond to a concrete watering tank will provide drinking water for our livestock even if the power goes out. Also, the pond will serve as an irrigation source for our pastures during times of drought. ​

​Ahhh Spring, you’ve always been my favorite. Even before beginning our farming journey I have always loved the anticipation of your bright sunny days and fresh rain.
 
It’s such a hopeful time for any homesteader.  My thoughts are filled with a perfectly manicured garden full of ripe produce ready for the picking. Here on the farm, lambing season is coming to a close and our pastures are inhabited with one of the cutest farm animals on the planet. Birds and flowers are waking up but there is still a certain stillness remaining from winter.
 
Spring reminds me to reflect on the past while keeping goals in mind for the future. I feel as if my slate has been cleaned by the restful nights of winter and it’s time to roll up our sleeves again.
 
Welcome back old friend.

​Welcome to our very first blog entry! Our life here on Belflower Farm began in late 2014 shortly after we were married. We have been committed from the start to improve the health of our land and the health of those that consume our products. If you would like to learn more about who we are please visit the About Us section of our website.
 
Grass-fed beef and lamb have been the core of our farm since the beginning. We believe in rotating our cows, sheep, and chickens on pasture to work with nature rather than fighting against it. According to a study by the Environmental Working Group, grass-fed beef is healthier, safer, and better for the environment  compared to grain-finished beef.
 
This week we welcomed a pair of twin lambs from a first time mother. Her strong mothering  instincts were on display as she cleaned, nursed, and protected them. She had a boy and a girl, who were jumping around and playing within a few hours of being born…can you imagine? This makes five lambs running around our pastures so far this season with 5 more ewes scheduled to give birth any day now.

To love anything good, at any cost, is a bargain. –Wendell Berry