Welcome the Light!
We've come to a most sacred time of year for many spiritual traditions around the world. Given the trials of 2020, this symbolic return of light feels ever more significant and vital. We focus now on renewal and rebirth.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light that gives light to everyone (is) coming into the world.
This Weeklyish shares one of my most festive cookie recipes, introduces a new member of our family, and delves into the wonders visible in the darkness this week. Enjoy it, then take time to reflect, give thanks for family and community, and rejoice in the resilience and grace that has carried us this far, and will see us back to the light. Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, and Happy Holidays from Hole in the Woods Farm!
Just a quick reminder for your winter holiday feasts: we will deliver to your home on Thursday, Christmas Eve! Order online to keep your celebration local! However, there will be no pickup at the Culver Farmers' Market this Saturday. |
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Order Deadlines
| Delivery Option |
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Deadline |
| Home delivery | Thursday |
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Tuesday, 10pm* |
Pickup @ Culver Farmers' Market | Saturday |
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Thursday, 10pm |
| *Sourdough orders for delivery require an additional 24 hours |
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Chad's Grand Marnier Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Yes, we focus on healthy, seasonal, local food. But, it's the holidays (and, truth be told, I've had less culinary creativity this week). I used to make about 100 dozen cookies as Christmas/Hanukkah gifts, and this was one of my favorites. The orange and dark chocolate flavor pairing has always been associated with Christmas for me: I always had to save a dozen (or two) for myself...
Makes about 4 dozen
2 1/2 C Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 teas baking powder
1/4 teas salt
1 C Butter
1 1/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Molasses *
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
Grated zest of 2 organges
12 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 C chopped Walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and mollasses until it's light and fluffy. Add the eggs, and beat well.
Add the dry ingredients, Grand Marnier, and orange zest, and mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chunks and walnuts.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the cookie sheets, and bake for another 9 minutes (watch carefully - ovens vary. This should be a fairly light-colored cookie). Cool completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container (except the ones that don't make it that far!). They freeze well, too.
Notes:
My favorite chocolate for this is Guitard Waialua Estate 70%. It's a single-plantation chocolate from Hawaii with astounding flavor and texture. I have it on hand for making chocolates, but you can get some here.
If you collected any of our local black walnuts (which weren't very abundant this year, but certainly were last! They tend to bear heavy masts every-other year.), they are great in this recipe.
*Alternatively, use 1/2 C sugar and 3/4 C brown sugar for the sugar and molasses. I can't ever keep brown sugar from becoming a brick, so I always just make my own...
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Meet Josh (he's Just a Gigolo)
Josh is our new gigolo. He is quite a looker, and with his addition to our farm, we should finally be moving along our lamb endeavors.
He's a young St. Croix ram, whom we were going to hire to work with our ewes. Alas, COVID happened, and put our breeding plans on hold. Meanwhile, Josh's previous people are downsizing their farm. So, we've adopted him permanently.
He started chasing the girls (literally) immediately. They weren't quite sure what to make of him at first. But soon enough everyone made friends. After half an hour or so, everyone calmed down enough to eat a bit of hay before rolling in it.
If all goes well, Josh will allow our grass fed lamb project to finally take off. We should have cuts of lamb available at our markets and for delivery beginning early summer 2022, with whole and half lamb orders available a few months before that. Stay tuned!
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Winter Solstice and Astronomical Excitement
Today marks the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the darkest day of the year, when the sun appears lowest on the horizon and daylight is the shortest. Many cultures celebrate the solstice. Druids call it "Alban Arthan," which some interpret as the light of King Arthur, who is symbolically reborn at the solstice. Other sects translate it as light of the bear, referring to the constellation Ursa Major, aka the Great Bear, which shines brighty by night, symbolizing the rebirth of the sun. It is one of the most important feasts and rituals of the year, coming when spirits and weather are otherwise bleak. Sure enough, the days will now begin to get longer and brighter. With hope, we'll also turn the page on the darkness that has defined 2020 globally.
These short days also bring long nights, filled with excitement! Tonight is the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets will appear so close together that to the naked eye, they will look like one bright planet in the western sky shortly after sunset. If you have even a modest telescope, you should be able to see both planets, and four of Jupiter's moons, at the same time! This is the closest they have been able to be seen in 800 years, and peole have named it the Christmas Star, as it happens just a few days before Christmas, just like the Star of Bethlehem. NASA has provided some great tips for viewing this landmark event here.
If you want a little more rapid motion in your night sky, the Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight and tomorrow. The moon may be a bit bright, so the best viewing will after midnight tomorrow, when it will have set. Look towards the little dipper, and expect 5-10 meteors an hour.
Finally, around midnight Thursday into Friday, you may see a rapidly, somewhat erratically, moving red light in the sky, sometimes accompanied by unexplained sounds like jingling bells and strange laughter. This odd phenomenon seems to occur every year at this time. It's a bit unpredictable, but concentrations of sightings seem to occur over homes with well-behaved children.
So, look up, and enjoy some of the treasures the darkness offers this week!
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Order Deadlines
| Delivery Option |
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Deadline |
| Home delivery | Thursday |
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Tuesday, 10pm* |
Pickup @ Culver Farmers' Market | Saturday |
|
Thursday, 10pm |
| *Sourdough orders for delivery require an additional 24 hours |
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