Fresh From the Farm Blog

Here in the Hill Country, we have had a very warm fall season weather-wise. October was warm and dry but now there have been some cooler days and it set my mind thinking about cooking a pot of chili. Thinking of a warm bowl of homemade chili, a slice of cornbread, hot from the oven and slathered with butter gets my taste buds going. We raise cattle so have the added benefit of ranch raised, grass fed beef to use in our chili. At Fredericksburg Farms we have several chili mixes that we have developed from our own tried and...

Next Monday is Veterans Day. Many of us look forward to a holiday from work or school without thinking about the reason. The armistice ending World War I was signed on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year at the 11th hour, or November 11, 1918 at 11 AM. It was originally called Armistice Day, and referred only to WWI but in 1954 the name changed to Veterans Day to honor all of America’s veterans for their love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. In our family we have veterans both...

So, tomorrow is Halloween. That word evokes visions of pumpkin carving, finding just the right costume, and planning a route to visit the houses the give out the best and most candy for trick or treaters. In the Texas Panhandle where I grew up, Halloween was often a cold, windy, evening. That meant that it mostly did not matter what your costume was, because no one would see it underneath your coat anyway. So instead, you counted on a very cool mask or you got your mom to “make up your face” to look scary with fake blood, gashes and...

In the world of fragrance, a person who has a very discerning smeller, and can separate out the various layers of scent that combine to make a fragrance, is called a “nose.” At Fredericksburg Farms we use a panel of folks to decide what scents we will select to use and combine to make our candles, wax melts, soaps, lotions, and air fresheners. We are busy right now working on a host of new scents to add to our lines. The creative manufacturing and marketing team is excited and we cannot wait to see what they choose. We’ll keep you...

Looking through some magazines on the weekend, I saw photos of folks with sweaters and sweatshirts on sitting outside dining amid fall color. I want to sit outside and enjoy fall color and sweatshirt weather, too! Our mornings are pleasant these days but afternoons of 90 degrees do not conjure up visions of sweatshirts. I want to cook up a pot roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions that can cook slowly in an afternoon while it fills the house with a tantalizing aroma. For me, the weather needs to be cooler for this treat to taste just right. And I...