That rain the other night gave the Dairy Mistress Field a good drink! The grass is heaving up out of the ground now. This is one of the three acres John sowed a few weeks ago. (The other two are for hay) I am sure you are wondering why it is called the Dairy Mistress Field.
Well, we bought a bag of very good seed with just the right proportion of grass and legumes for fattening cows, and grass fed dairy cows, and it is called the Dairy Master seedmix. Well, I said, this is an equal opportunity farmy. I get to be the Master of the Dairy and everything else for that matter. Girls are farmers too. So it was renamed the Dairy Mistress seedmix. So you see the field has named itself. Better than being a Dairymaid anyway!! Those funny little puffy dairymaid caps are not appealing! 
Yesterday I put up the new electric fence (it is just out of the shot but looks like a long fishing net), which created two fields in Pats Paddock. Daisy has stayed very nicely on her side. She actually sniffed at the new fence with the end of her nose and now has a deep respect for fishing nets. 
I led Mama and Mia across from their own field, through the barn and out onto the North side to have a wee munch in this lovely long grass on the other side of Pat’s Paddock. Mama loved it for a while then reappeared back in the Salad Bar Paddock, trailed by Mia in her role as handmaiden, for a wee lie down. (Remember we are not looking at Mama in this shot we are looking at all that lovely forage!)
And that was the grand total of her excitement for the day.
Actually TonTon being a herd dog is getting the idea now. He has finally understood that I want him to herd the sheep from behind the sheep. So as I lead the sheep, he brings up the rear, with a very concentrated look on his face, tacking back and forth behind the legs of the last sheep (usually Mama) which is very good, but when the sheep stops so does he. We have not quite got to the bit where he actually moves them along himself. So far he only follows them with great determination. He waits for the sheep to move again then up he swoops, mouth set, eyes focussed, head at just the right angle, stick firmly in his mouth and stalks along behind. I need to look up the instructions again!
I have a beautiful young friend who has just had a baby and it occurred to me that she may like to have a nice sweet, milk enriching, hot chocolate drink in the evenings. So here is the recipe for the best and simplest hot chocolate. I cannot bear those processed powdered sugary mixtures. So here is Ganache. I read about this first at remedial eating. It is quite divine. And is wonderful as a hot or cold drink.
First break up an 8 oz block of dark semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate. Organic if you can find it. Break it up into tiny pieces and place it all in a heat proof bowl.
Then pour one cup of very hot (almost boiling but not quite) heavy whipping cream over the tiny chocolate pieces. Let this melt for a few minutes then beat smoothly with a spatula for a good couple of minutes. Stir well without introducing too much air. Pour this mixture into a jar, cool and refrigerate until you need it.
Good chocolate is high in flavonoids which are kind of anti-oxidants. In small quantities it can lower blood pressure and is said to be good for your heart. So buy the chocolate with the highest cocoa content you can find and the least amount of added sugar you can bear. Then you can feel smug about your ni night drink. 
Perfect for when you have a craving for something nice but not too sweet and also a little bit healthy. You can sip and relax while you sit and feed your beautiful baby.
Just stir a tablespoon (or two) of the ganache into a cup of hot milk. Or whip into cold milk and pour over ice. This is also a good drink for kids who like a hot chocolate before bed and parents who do not want them drinking a lot of processed sugar before bed. Actually Ganache is a traditional French icing (or frosting as they say in America!) So I guess at a pinch you could use it for that too!! It can store in the fridge in its sealed jar for a couple of weeks so it is very easy to prepare. 
Sometimes I add a wee bit of home made coffee liqueur or kahlua to mine. I know! So good.
Good morning. The weather man has told me that there will be no Bendy Tree wind today. WOW. So there will be no hiding in the barn today. The light already looks golden out the window so I shall go out and begin my work.
Have a beautiful day. Enjoy your hot chocolate!
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
82 responses to “A cup of Hot Chocolate for my friend, from the Dairy Mistress”
Reading this, I realized how important it is to always be ready for hot chocolate. What better way to celebrate the signs of spring?
true, with the evenings still a little cool.. hot chocolate is just the thing.. morning siobhan! c
This sounds like the best hot chocolate — if I did farm work all day, perhaps I could afford to have rich treats like this (or if I were nursing a baby). Heavy cream doesn’t make it into our house often: we’ll make the year’s first strawberry shortcake with it next month and we have it at Christmas and Thanksgiving, bought from our local dairy. The maple leaves in the last photo are gorgeous and it is nice to see Mary’s Cat.
Morning Sharyn. Mary’s Cat goes everywhere with me on the farm, he thinks he is a dog.. c
Top chocolate drink – very good idea.
Morning Roger.. c
Photos AND hot chocolate recipes! My eyes and stomach are so happy right now. Hmm I can just imagine how much better when I whip up some of that! I already feel cozy! Expecting snow tomorrow..perfect!
Oh no! Snow! Well keep it up there! We are in full planting mode now!! c
Tha ganache is a wonderful recipe! Wow! I wonder if I could control my portions…I could perhaps try to utilize a little discipline 🙂 That wonderfully green Dairy Mistress Field is so lovely! I know it represents a lot of work, but it invites a leisurely stroll through with a camera! Lovely day to you, Celi! Debra
Morning debra, just a spoonful in milk each time and you will be fine, it can get quite rich if you let it!! c
Hi Celi! This ganache hot chocolate looks crazy, ridiculously delicious. That is MY type of hot cocoa. How sweet you are for making it for your friend.
It is good because it is not too sweet, it would go very will with one of your little cup cakes! c
I just love that phrase…remedial eating…one to remember!
it is sweet isn’t and she has a lovely page! morning brigette.. c
Hooray!! I told my daughter (as she stirred that powdered stuff in her milk) that my blogging friends post all kinds of hot chocolate recipes that are incredible.. and we just needed to wait for the right one to appear.. and Voila!! I’m making this for her today!! xo not-looking-smidge
Not Looking! (How long do we need to keep shouting that to each other i wonder) this recipe is great for kids as you can make up a batch and store it in the fridge and they just scoop out a spoonful and drop it into their hot milk. Easy Peasy. !
I’m not much of a chocolate fan (crazy, I know…am I even human?), but I know homemade hot chocolate is so much better. I can’t stand the powder mixes either. Yours sounds fabulous. and yes, women can farm too! Love that you renamed it the Dairy Mistress seedmix, that’s hysterical. xx
morning caroline, i am not a chocolate fan either but when I make this with a dark barely sweet chocolate and only add a little i do like it! weird.. c
NO WIND!!!! YAY! We are having one of those days here also. I got hot so I came in to get a drink and have a break.
Thanks for the lovely break!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
I am so pleased that you are having a day without wind too, honestly it is like being able to take a good clean breath! c
I love how all the animals see to get along:) Have a Great Day!
It is cool isn’t it, ntil they don’t! c
I love your renaming of things. Dairy Mistress sounds very great-goddessy and earth-mothery. The green grass is starting to look just like a NZ field! Chocolate drink sounds so yummy.
Morning Juliet! I had to laugh about the NZ field, it is like i am carving out a little NZ over here.. c
A wee bit of a kick sounds perfect. Love the colors in today’s photos.
I guess that’s what dog whistles are all about…but that may be a poor guess. I just love watching these dogs work. I don’t announce this, but I, too, hear dog whistles… 😦
I will definitely try this chocolate recipe out! Mouth watering already!
I don’t like the wind either…it does something to me. When I was working downtown Chicago on the lake front and would walk a couple blocks to a deli for lunch and back, and the wind was blowing good, by late afternoon or early evening I was chilled and sweating and in bed. Take something and in a few hours be all good again. If I didn’t take anything I would be miserable for quite a while.
Mama’s not fat…she is pregnant and lovely! She has life inside of her. I say that to any lady in her predicament so it should work for Mama too!