luna acres

DISCLAIMER: This post contains material that may be considered graphic or inappropriate to some individuals. Continue at your own risk. You have been warned. Ok.Thanks.Carry on. My aunt, my dad's sister, came to stay last night. She has never stayed the night before, in fact we haven't ever seen her too much, holidays and whatnot. Several times a year. She is a nice lady, but she has some issues, we'll leave it at that. My problem is this: as soon as we arrived home last night, around 9:30 at night, after being gone since 9 that morning, the moment we see each other, the first words out of her mouth are, "you're poor bunny rabbits are freezing to death out there!" Imagine my long exasperated sigh here. Having farm animals isn't the same as having pets. I think Jon Katz said it best in a post last week, "I can give them shelter, warm water, good hay, I cannot make them comfortable or keep them warm, they accept their lives." We raise rabbits...

We found a local co-op that delivers in Blacksburg (on our way to work) and offers products from 50 different farms plus the Amish store. We picked up our first order last week, along with some produce from the little market stand. Yesterday morning we treated the family to breakfast, nothing we ate was nearly as delicious as the sausage. We have missed fresh local good-for-you and knowing-how-it-was-raised food more than we could have imagined. To make our first experience even better, we introduced ourselves and were greeted excitedly, with open arms to all the products we can produce (rabbits and mushrooms, our first two projects, are greatly unspoken for!) Delicious food, and networking.  Life is getting better and better. Until next time, Angela Kelly

To celebrate my birthday this year I decided to host a dinner party. I created the menu, bought the groceries, and spent the whole day in the kitchen. Dinner parties have always been a passion for me, ever since I was in middle school. I loved getting out the fine china and dressing up for no reason. It feels nice. Unfortunately, none of my friends could make it, but we still had a lovely dinner with family. It was a great night with the company of my favorite Amy, my parents, my sweetheart of course, and my uncle Mark, which was an unexpected and pleasant addition. Dinner began with a salad of fresh romaine lettuce, strawberries, walnuts, and a blush wine vinaigrette. The appetizer was beautiful shrimp-kabobs with melon, pineapple, and peppers. The Mardi Gras inspired main course was roasted mandarin Cajun chicken, with jambalaya rice and grilled Cajun veggies. I also made a delicious champagne lemonade cocktail that will certainly be on my list for years to come. The most extravag...

I was planning to cook something today and share my adventure, but I woke up with a wretched head cold. I still managed to get some chores done and be moderately productive, but now it's nearly dinner time and I feel my energy bar has been depleted. So cooking escapades to begin next weekend. Instead I will share something that I've been struggling with lately. Meat grosses me out . There, I said it. I've never had intentions to become a vegetarian, although I do wish eating local pasture-fed room-to-roam meat was easier to come by (and maybe it is, I just haven't found out yet.) I'm now considering the switch to a more herbivore-based diet for the first time in my life. It started on Thanksgiving, when my mom asked me to take the dark meat off the turkey. I was grossed out, (I've always felt a little uneasy dealing with full birds) but I tried. I dug at it until I broke down crying from the feel of the meat under my fingernails. I started having a panic atta...