happysorrelmonday.

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une

happysorrelmonday.

vibrant sorrel thriving in our garden.

The sheep love sorrel too. (Good fences make good neighbors.)

Chin scratch heaven: Sorrel? Who needs sorrel?

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anuary

Its fleece was white as snow.

Happy first birthday sweet Mimi.

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ecember

Pretty packaging that protects the planet.

Two winters ago I was feeding our sheep one afternoon. As I tore off a big section of a hay bale, I found a long piece of plastic curling ribbon tangled in the stems of the hay with which I was just about to feed my wooly children. I assumed it had been attached to something like a helium balloon, set free to float up to the sky, popped over our hay farmer's field, and then got swept up and included during haying season. I realized that this probably happens all the time, that ribbon was never going to breakdown, and I got a little sick thinking about the pounds and pounds of plastic generated each year for bows that are admired for five seconds and then tossed in the trash.

Despite the fact that I am definitely a sucker for a gorgeously wrapped present, I haven't bought any non-biodegradable gift packaging since.

So for times when I needed wrap just slightly classier than the funny pages, I did a lengthy search, and found this great packaging company, Nashville Wraps, who carry a huge amount of eco-friendly, recycled material, reasonably priced gift packaging. They also have a big section of Food Packaging for all of your edible homemade gifts, including these great 100% recycled cardboard cupcake holder inserts for their bakery boxes. I love this company, and everything I have used from them has been plentiful and gorgeous.

Check them out. The sheep thank you.

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ctober

Under the rainbow.

Our sheep in the backyard after a recent cloud burst. Practically a pot of gold.

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ugust

Babies

I just realized that this summer it has already been two years since we were given two of our most affectionate sheep, Blanche and Stella, by our friend and farmer, Eugene Wyatt, of Catskill Merino Sheep Farm. We still think of them as the new babies of our bunch. They were rejected by their mothers when born, so were "bottle babies" and good ones for us to take to a new home and flock. We had to think fast when we got the call that we could come pick them up---finding a printer box in the attic that would safely transport them home.

Here is a short video I made at the time, announcing our new additions to friends and family.

The time has passed so quickly.

[caption id="attachment_87" align="alignnone" width="620" caption="Blanche & Stella"]

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Catie Baumer Schwalb is a chef, food writer and photographer, who splits her life between the city and the country. Not too long ago Catie was a New York City based actress and playwright for more than a decade. She has her Master of Fine Arts from the National Theater Conservatory, and her Grand Diplôme in classic culinary arts from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. ... Read More ≫

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