Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

Eplekake

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Making cakes is not really my thing but the ducks have been laying well and we have a lot of eggs to use up.

So I made my variation of a Norwegian Eplekake (apple cake).

Leftovers were the mixing bowl to clean, which OH duly obliged, and some peel/cores plus a rogue banana skin I added as it needed eating up.

So, while the cake was cooling, I went out with my bowl to find someone(s) who might like it.

Apparently Haakon doesn’t like cooking apple cores anymore.

Luckily Kolka, Iacs and Fivla do.

Vitamin wasn’t interested. She probably couldn’t hear what was going on behind her.

On my way back to the house, I met a Shetland bumblebee (Bombus muscorum agricolae) or “drummie bee”, as they are known here.  My first for this year.

And finally, here is my Eplekake of which I am rather proud.  A firm favourite in this house.

Recipe: (if anyone is interested and it is incredibly easy).

4 apples
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp allspice or you can use cinnamon.

200g caster sugar
200g butter
170g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
4 eggs

Oven 180 °C or Gas 4/5

1. Peel and core the apples and chop them into 1cm chunks into a clean empty ice cream carton with lid.  Add brown sugar and allspice. Put lid on and mix it all up.

2. Blend caster sugar and butter until creamy.

3.  Break eggs into jug and add slowly to butter/sugar mix in one at a time.  Blend well.

4.  Sieve flour and baking powder into big mixing bowl.  Add sugar/butter/egg mix – fold in thoroughly.

5.  Add apples and fold well again.

Quickly pour mixture into large baking tray that is already lined with greaseproof paper.

Put in middle of oven for 50 minutes.  Stick a knife in and see if it is done. If not, give it a few more minutes.  It can take an hour.  The knife must come out clear with no cake batter on it.

When done, put tin on cooling rack. Delicious warm or cold.

It doesn’t have to be just apple – sometimes I add crystallized ginger because I love it or if I have no apples, I use blueberries or rhubarb or anything you like really in cake. Be warned, all the blueberries sink to the bottom but it is still delicious and you can call it an upside down cake at that stage!

Doing Everything Early

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I’m going into town for a meal later so have had to do everything early. It is raining so that is helping too. The sheep also wanted in at lunchtime and the Shetland ponies were in their containers sheltering.

I generously filled two small-hole double haynets and tied them into their boxes.

That should keep everyone occupied for a while and hopefully fill them up.

Pepper obviously was my constant three-legged companion.  She is managing suprisingly well on three, sometimes four, legs.  The slice off her front pad is healing nicely and she has day dressings and at night, when she can’t escape, a baby’s sock to keep the wound dry and clean while airing.  So far, this method is working. Her stitches are booked to come out on Monday, all being well.  Pepper is also grounded and not going on walks – only allowed outside with me doing chores.  Ted still has to go on dog-walks which he hates and runs straight home the minute he can.

The other support team is helpful to the extreme.

Not!

But he’s around and shouty if someone (him) might be starving.

In the big field, the horses and ponies are rotating the use of the shed.  Mostly it is a battle of wills between Kolka and Fivla and Vitamin, though I have seen Haakon briefly standing in there.  Iacs, never.  He is not that kind of wuss.

The never-ending feed machine continues, just earlier today.  Everyone probably thought it was their birthday!

 

Greasy Forelocks and Manes

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When I was in the field this morning, I noticed that the old horses and ponies had greasy clumpy forelocks and thought to myself I must do something about this.  I’ll do it later – Mañana.

Later arrived and, after I had made my statutory hand-felted sheep, I was in desparate need for some fresh air so I went outside armed with my small bucket of grooming tools.  I knew I would probably be in for a long walk to find everyone but, as luck would have it, the horses and ponies had all come down to the paddock for water, or use of the little shed.

So I grabbed my chance.  Some took no time at all to brush out like ↓↓ Haakon ↓↓. I finished him in seconds.

Bibble (aka Iacs) needed a lot more attention.  His mane was forming clumps from old finer winter hair that had matted in and was turning into knots. I diligently brushed them all out and he was instantly transformed into a handsome beast.

Kolka was another who didn’t take long.

Mostly because she left and I hadn’t bothered to bring a headcollar so couldn’t catch her.

 

Still, I got them all done in that field.

Including Fivla and Vitamin who then took to their shed.  I might have a go at the other Shetland ponies.  They have the equine dentist (first check up ever) on Thursday so that might be a good time to do a spot of grooming as well.

Go Fivvie!

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This morning Fivla had claimed all rights to the wee shed so I gave her bucket in there too.

And Fivla was not letting anyone else in.  Nope. Not for no one. It was Her Shed. End of.

I had already let most of the sheep out into the field but Lambie, ‘Ster and ‘Bert was refusing to go out on the grounds there were too many horses and ponies around the gateway.

Gussie had gone out with the rest but came back when he realised the others weren’t with him.  It’s funny how they like their friends around and mind very much when they’re not. He was shouting a lot.

And then something rather odd happened.

I watched on while Kolka and Gussie had a little chat.

Normally Kolka is not really a fan of other types of animal being around.

Maybe she liked the smell of real wool on a real sheep – you know, like when you sniff a clean jersey and know it is made of pure wool.  There is a distinct smell.

And Gussie, who is very like Pepper in that he has to make friends with everyone, was very happy with this gentle velvety nose snuffling him.

Meanwhile, Fivla was not budging.

And I secretly thought to myself “Go Fivla.  Don’t be shoved around by the others”.

She wouldn’t even let Vitamin inside either, which was unusual.

And then there started to be a queue forming.  I sent this photo to Daisy and she texted back “You are on hold to stand in the shed. You are currently number 5 in the queue. Estimated waiting time 2h“.  That made me laugh.

Loners

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In every herd or flock, there is always one.

A loner.

With the sheep, it is Lambie. Of course, it’s Lambie. How could it be anyone else?

Possibly not the brightest star in our firmament and, yes, he stood there in his little dining room/pen for a good hour while the gate was open telling himself he had nothing.  You can almost hear him singing to himself “nobody loves me, everybody hates me, think I’ll go and eat worms”.

I did tell him, repeatedlym…. but nope, nothing.

The lights were on…. yada, yada. Lambie eventually worked it out.

With the old horses and ponies, it is Iacs. He is often found by himself staring into the middle distance looking distinctly vague. He lets out a pathetic neigh of loneliness and Kolka usually draws the short straw and has to go and get him back.  She is kind like that.  Haakon hides and says nothing.

And, lastly, amongst this lot, you can guess who it is and why it is……

Yup, Newt.  Nobody loves Newt.

And we all know why.

(in case you don’t, it is because he is awful to everyone when they’re eating – the bottom whizzes round trying to kick anyone in his way, including me!)

And so Newt is all alone in the world too (despite having great hair this summer).