... just in time for Mother's Day ...

We packed Gift Bags with goodies ...

Visit our store :

http://www.twinoaksfarm.net/store/preserves-chutneys-and-more?page=1

$ 5 flat rate shipping

Includes gift wrapping as in the pictures

Twin Oaks Farm Preserves are the perfect choice.

All our preserves are produced right here at the farm the old fashion way : just fresh fruits, that we either grow or pick from small local growers, and certified organic evaporated cane juice and all organic ingredients.

No pectin, No citric acid, No ascorbic acid or any other colorants/fillers or chemicals.

Breakfast Bag :

One jar of our Blueberry Preserve, one jar of Pear - Calamondine Preserve and one jar of 3 Agrumes.

Afternoon Tea Bag :

One jar of our Mandarine Preserves, one jar of Peach Preserve and one jar of Fig Preserve.

The Happy Hour Bag :

One jar of our Lemon Confit, one jar of our Caramelized Onions and one bag of Grey Sea Salt with Herbs de Provence.

Or you can pick and choose and we will be happy to gift wrapped it and ship it to your Mother !!! 

Orders to be shipped for Mother's Day need to be received by Monday May 7, 2012 

We are at the Seaside Farmers Market

every Saturday from 9am to 1pm all year around.

Please Forward this email to your email list and help us spread the word about Real Food.

Thank you for supporting a better way to produce healthy and wholesome food.

Twin Oaks Farm

USDA Certified Organic
Bonifay FL 32425
www.twinoaksfarm.net

As we did for my friend’s hives a few weeks ago, the idea is to take 4 frames from the established hive and move them to a new one while replacing the old frames by 4 new ones in the established hive.

Both of my hives have now two super (the additional boxes you see above the brood box), we had set the first one like 5 or 6 weeks ago and the second one 2 weeks ago. The top box was still fairly empty of bees and honey but the one below is almost full, we could not resist and took a frame to harvest the honey. The box was so heavy we had to move it together !!

Once we had the two super set aside we started to work on getting the 4 frames at the center out and moved them into the new brood box. In one of the hive we were able to locate the queen, trust me it is quite an accomplishment for beginners. I try to take a pix but between the veil and the huge gloves to try to zoom in, the pix was off focus …

Once we were done with the frames, we put back  the two super on the established hives and then  drove the two new ones to my friends at Working Cow Dairy, they are also certified organic so no risk for my bees to splurge on GMO’s or pesticide. We got them in a really nice area, surrounded by organic fields, with a little forest on one side and a nice stream running through, plenty of wild flowers all around.

I will check on them in a week or so will keep you posted on the progress …

The strawberries we use for our preserves are locally grown, in dirt for Real Taste, we just add organic Florida cane sugar to it …

Our first batch is available for purchase at our e-commerce :

http://www.twinoaksfarm.net/store/69

As you are there check out our new products :

Shallot confit in Port Wine

And our

Mandarine Preserve

is finally available online :

All our preserves are produced right here at the farm the old fashion way : just fresh fruits, that we either grow or pick from small local growers, and certified organic evaporated cane juice.

NO pectin, NO citric acid, No ascorbic acid or any other colorants/fillers or other "ingredients" put in a jar in today's world ...

Please forward this email to your email list and help us spread the word about Real Food.

Thank you for supporting a better way to produce healthy and wholesome food.

Twin Oaks Farm - USDA Certified Organic - Bonifay FL 32425

www.twinoaksfarm.net - www.facebook/twinoaksfarm

http://www.theseasidetimes.com/

A few times a year I have Muscovy ducks available. They are raised slowly over a 10/11 weeks period on pasture supplemented with organic soyfree grains. The result is an incredible meat probably one of the best I ever had.

Most duck recipe are quite elaborate and can be intimidating. Raising ducks slowly on pasture let them develop their own flavor and I found out, like with our chickens, the simpler preparation was the better one and let you taste it’s true flavor. 

I first rub the duck with our Grey Sea salt and lemon and olive oil and black pepper, then cut the breast skin in a cross hatch pattern without cutting into the duck ... just to open the skin to let the extra fat drip ...

Warm up your oven to 325F and in a roasting pan cook it for 45 minuter per 1lb of duck ... for example a 4lb duck would be 3h ....

The first hour the duck is roasted breast side down, then turn it for the remaining time .. at time of turning I add 1 or 2lb (depending the size of the duck) of onions, cut into big chunk, to the bottom of the roasting pan .... the onions will caramelize in the duck fat ... 

Once the cooking time done I take the duck out of the oven, cover it with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes ... then carve it ...

In  the meantime  “deglace” the bottom of the pan into a smaller pan and scooping out the onions, add salt/pepper to taste and 1tsp of Dijon mustard, some dry white wine bring it to a boil cook it for a few minutes, strain it and serve it aside the onions.

I like to serve it with roasted potatoes (roasted in duck fat) and some Twin Oaks Farm cranberry sauce...

 Best duck ever !!! ...

Do not remove any of the extra duck fat and make sure to save all the left over fat and render it ... it will keep really well in the fridge and will do marvel with spring potatoes ...

Et voila ... Bon appetit ...

Easter is just around the corner and it is time to think "coloring" ..
With just a few simple ingredients you will have a rainbow of eggs ...

 Here is what you need to create your rainbow:

RED
2 cups of beets, grated - 3tbsp white vinegar - 2 cups water

YELLOW to GOLD
3 large handfulls of yellow/brown onion skins - 3tbsp white vinegar - 3 cups water

BLUE
1lb frozen blueberries, crushed - 3 tbsp white vinegar - 2 cups water

Green:
Boiled spinach leaves - 3tbsp of white vinegar - 2 cups of water

Purple
Make a strong hibiscus tea with 2 cups of water then add 3 tbsp of white vinegar

Mix combinations of the primary dyes (in separate cups) to make secondary colors : red and yellow for orange, yellow and blue for green, blue and red for violet.

The vinegar acts as a fixative, without it the dyes won't stick to the eggs.
For uniform color, strain each dye mixture through a cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
For a mottled, tie-dyed or spotty effect, leave all the ingredients in the pans.
Use crayons to make designs on the eggs.

The longer the eggs remain in the dye, the deeper the color.
For special effects, dip half the egg in one color, the other half in another.

Happy coloring ...

To split beehives, you take 4 of the central frames of the hive to split, including the queen, move them into a new empty hive, close it and move it away a few miles for a month or so. It will give the "older" hive time to raise a new queen then you can bring all the hives back together.

It seems fairly simple but it is not, you have thousands and thousands of bees buzzing around, you are kind of suffocating with the smoke (that is when I help) and for the not trained eyes to locate the queen in the middle of the multitude is kind of locating that pin needle in the hay story... ...

But we did it and I am happy to report that after a few days both hives, the new and the old ones, are doing well ...

 Then we came to the farm to look at mines. Last spring I got 3 hives, I still have 2 of them. I have to be honest I am not super comfortable dealing with bees ! I can confront a charging donkey but I am afraid of bees ... go figure !!!

I had not open my hives in several months, I knew they were well sealed by the bees and I did not find a reason why to open them when it was cold or windy or wet ... I did supplement them with some honey/water tea once a week in January and February and I am sure it did help them ...

I am well aware of all the problems the bees are encountering from pesticide to GMO's but I think their worst enemy is us, human, so without pretending saving the bees, I will just let the ones I have at the farm be bees and do their bees business and on my side I will make sure they have enough quality food.

On this picture we are just opening the first hive and looking at it ...

I am happy to report they are doing wonderful, I was so relieved to see them doing so well. Now the next step is to split my hives, probably in a week or two. Here are some more pictures of our beezy Sunday !!!

Go to www.facebook.com/twinoaksfarm for more pictures on my beesy Sunday ....

and

and a New Year of Health and Happiness!



Thank you for supporting a better way to produce healthy and wholesome food.

Twin Oaks Farm
USDA Certified Organic
Bonifay FL 32425
www.twinoaksfarm.net

Running out of great gifts ideas for your favorite people ???

We have it ....

 Still looking for stocking stuffers ??

We have it ....

You want to create the perfect holiday gift basket ?

We have it ...

Searching for a unique  hostess gift ???

We have it ...

and they are all just a click away ...

Order by Monday and it will ship right on time ....

Visit our store :

http://www.twinoaksfarm.net/store/69

Special Holidays Shipping Rate :

$ 5 flat rate for order up to $50

Free shipping for order $50 and up  ....

coupon code FREESHIP

Twin Oaks Farm Preserves are the perfect choice.

All our preserves are produced right here at the farm the old fashion way : just fresh fruits, that we either grow or pick from small local growers, and certified organic evaporated cane juice and all organic ingredients.

No pectin, No citric acid, No ascorbic acid

or any other colorants/fillers or chemicals.

Fig Preserve

Peach Preserve

Blueberry Preserve

3 Agrumes

Pear - Calamondine

Golden Plum

Red Plum

Fig - Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Sauce

Caramelized Onions Compote

Spiced Eggplants Chutney

Sweet Pepper in Hot Vinegar

Organic Grey Sea Salt and Herbs Rub

Hot Chocolate Mix

We know how hard it is to pick and choose

 so we thought we would help you in creating ready to go :

Bag of Goodies

From sweet to salty and from breakfeast to aperitif

You can order them online and we will ship them all wrapped up.

The Breakfast Bag

2 jars of Preserves 

and 1 bag of Organic Chocolate Mix

The Kitchen Essentials Bag

1 Jar of Lemony Sage Mustard

1 Jar of Cranberry Mustard

1 Bag of Grey Sea Salt and Thyme

The Apperitif Bag

1 Jar of the Caramelized Onion Compote

1 Jar of Red Wine Pear Compote

1 Jar of Spicy Eggplant Chutney

 We are at the Seaside Farmers Market

every Saturday from 9am to 1pm all year around.

Please Forward this email to your email list and help us spread the word about Real Food.

Thank you for supporting a better way to produce healthy and wholesome food.

Twin Oaks Farm

USDA Certified Organic
Bonifay FL 32425
www.twinoaksfarm.net

 so we thought we would help you in creating ready to go :

Bag of Goodies

From sweet to salty and from breakfeast to aperitif

You can order them online and we will ship them all wrapped up.

The Breakfeast Bag

2 jars of Preserves 

and 1 bag of Organic Chocolate Mix

The Kitchen Essentials Bag

1 Jar of Lemony Sage Mustard

1 Jar of Cranberry Mustard

1 Bag of Grey Sea Salt and Thyme

The Apperitif Bag

1 Jar of the Caramelized Onion Compote

1 Jar of Red Wine Pear Compote

1 Jar of Spicy Eggplant Chutney

To place your order go to :

http://www.twinoaksfarm.net/store/69

Twin Oaks Farm Preserves are the perfect choice.

All our preserves are produced right here at the farm the old fashion way : just fresh fruits, that we either grow or pick from small local growers, and certified organic evaporated cane juice.

No pectin, No citric acid, No ascorbic acid or any other colorants/fillers or chemicals found in a jar in today's world.

Special Holidays Shipping Rate :

$ 5 flat rate for order up to $50

Free shipping for order $50 and up  ....

coupon code FREESHIP

We are at the Seaside Farmers Market

every Saturday from 9am to 1pm all year around.

Please Forward this email to your email list and help us spread the word about Real Food.

Thank you for supporting a better way to produce healthy and wholesome food.

Twin Oaks Farm

USDA Certified Organic
Bonifay FL 32425
www.twinoaksfarm.net