Just like other equines, donkeys need regular dental care - it's time for my five precious donkeys to get their teeth checked.
Donkey teeth are constantly growing, which means their bites are always changing. Because of this, it is very important for their mouths to be examined for any sharp edges or misaligned molars. Last week, a veterinary team from Miller & Associates in nearby Brewster, New York, came by the farm to see Clive, Rufus, Truman "TJ" Junior, Billie, and Jude "JJ" Junior. Each donkey was given a thorough examination and I'm happy to report - all their teeth are in good shape.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Jude “JJ” Junior hops up on her step to take a drink and to see who’s coming by to visit. It’s an important day down at my stable.
First one up is my boy, Clive. This is Dr. Julia Daggett. She is using a giant syringe to rinse out Clive’s mouth, so she could check his teeth.
Dr. Daggett and Dr. Kim MacKinnon place a speculum on Clive. This is called a McPherson full mouth speculum. It keeps the donkey’s mouth open during the process.
Next, a speculum light is also attached to help see inside the mouth including the back molars. Adult donkeys have 40 teeth – 12 incisors, four canines, 12 premolars, and 12 molars.
The process of correcting any sharp edges or misaligned tooth conditions is called floating – filing or rasping an equine’s teeth so that chewing surfaces are smooth and properly contoured for eating. Dr. Daggett, Dr. MacKinnon, and veterinary technician, Carly Dickerson, use a power floater to file down and smooth Clive’s back molars which are rubbing against the sides of his mouth and causing some irritation.
Floats are about 21-inches long. The long handles allow Dr. MacKinnon to get to the back molars easily. She works gently and slowly, always talking to the donkey to keep him relaxed. The key to working with any equine is to gain their trust, which in turn helps them calm down.
Truman “TJ” Junior and Rufus watch Clive from the other side of the stall. Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack. We always keep my donkeys together, so they always know where their friends are.
A look inside shows Clive’s teeth after they were floated. Filing them smooth will instantly feel more comfortable the next time he chews.
Next up is “TJ.” Power floating, or floating with a power tool attached to the file, is a popular method. It does not hurt, and can get the job done more quickly. The veterinarians are also checking for proper equilibration – the process of ensuring all the teeth are in contact and bear the same amount of pressure and wear.
Much of the examination is done by feel. The edges of each tooth are felt to be sure it is not too sharp or pointed which could cut into the skin.
After all three of their exams, these boys are happy and looking for treats.
Helen comes over with a cookie for each of the boys.
Here, “TJ” watches as the veterinary team moves next door to the girls’ stall.
It’s Billie’s turn. The same process is done for every donkey – first her mouth is rinsed of any hay or grass.
And then her mouth is checked thoroughly before any floating is done. Regular dental exams and floating are an important part of any horse’s preventative health care plan. Donkeys should have their teeth checked yearly, and more often if there are any issues being treated.
Billie has the best looking teeth of the five – very little filing is needed and her bite is in great condition.
Here, Dr. MacKinnon also checks the front teeth for any abnormalities. Each donkey takes about a half hour to examine and float. What a good girl you are, Billie.
It isn’t long before both Billie and “JJ” are also done and back to eating their hay – grown and cut right here at my farm.
Billie watches as the team cleans up all the tools and supplies. She’s ready to go back out to the paddock where she can run, roll, and graze – her favorite activities.
But first, I think she’s wondering – “where’s my cookie?” It’s on the way my dear.
Yesterday, while I was busy shooting segments around my Bedford, New York farm for my upcoming television show on Roku, my housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, cooked one of the Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meals I selected from this week's menu - Sweet Chili Beef Meatball Lettuce Wraps with Pepper & Snow Peas. It was excellent and just the perfect size lunch for two. Plus, just as promised on the recipe card, the entire dish was done in less than 40-minutes. Our delivery meal service features so many inspiring recipes and cooking ideas, and you can customize the menu and choose the recipes that best fit your busy lifestyle. If you haven’t yet tried Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, please go to the web site for more information on how to subscribe.
Enjoy these photos.
Every Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon kit comes with a large recipe card complete with a photo of the finished dish on one side…
… And on the other side, all the how-to, step-by-step instructions and detailed photos to match. We work hard to make sure every Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kit recipe is time-saving, easy to make, and most of all delicious.
Everything is pre-portioned, well-packaged and labeled, so there’s absolutely no confusion in the kitchen. The kits are designed to feed two or four people. It’s a superior, money saving meal kit delivery system. And look at the produce – so fresh and ready-to-use.
For this recipe, the first step is to prep all the ingredients. We call this part of the process “mise en place,” a French term for having all the ingredients cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before cooking. Here, Elvira cuts the red pepper into thin strips and then cuts the strips in half crosswise.
Next, Elvira coarsely chops the peeled ginger. Because these meal kits can be modified to fit one’s personal taste, you can use a little less ginger or a little more. This recipe also calls for chopped garlic.
Elvira also trims the scallions, and then slices them. This meal only needs 2/3 of the scallions – the rest can be used for another dish.
Scallions, also known as spring onions or green onions, generally have a milder taste than most onions. Close relatives include shallots, leeks, and chives.
The snow peas are sliced lengthwise and placed on the side along with the other cut ingredients.
Next, the ground beef is placed into a bowl and sprinkled with the ginger-garlic mixture.
Elvira adds 1/4 cup panko. Panko is the dried breadcrumbs made without the crusts. The word panko is Japanese for “pan” meaning bread and “ko” meaning flour. Panko has a light, airy, and delicate texture that helps meat crisp as it cooks.
Then she adds the scallions, one egg, and salt. Our kits come with almost everything one needs to make the meals – all you need to supply is salt, pepper, olive oil and eggs.
Finally, Elvira kneads the mixture until everything is well-combined.
Next, Elvira forms 12 meatballs – she was able to make 14 – and places them all equally spaced on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
In a measuring cup, Elvira stirs together the tamari, Thai sweet chili sauce and two tablespoons water. It is so convenient to have just the right amount of ingredients included in the kit – no need to buy separate bottles for one recipe.
After heating two teaspoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, Elvira starts to cook the peppers, stirring them until tender and lightly browned – just about five minutes.
She then adds the snow peas, remaining cut ginger and garlic, and half the remaining scallions. These continue to cook for another minute.
Meanwhile, Elvira cooks the meatballs in a 350-degree oven until the internal temperature is 155-degrees Fahrenheit – about 10-minutes.
Then she places them in the broiler until they are browned. One can also just broil the meatballs on the top rack of the oven and cook until browned.
The vegetables are now perfectly cooked.
The lettuce leaves are washed, dried, and separated.
Elvira adds the sauce to the skillet and brings it to a boil over high heat.
And then adds the meatballs and simmers, turning them over until heated through and completely coated with sauce. I wish you could smell them on this blog.
The lettuce leaves are positioned in one layer on a plate. Here, Elvira puts three meatballs on each lettuce leaf.
And then garnishes each serving with more scallions.
Two Sweet Chili Beef Meatball Lettuce Wraps with Pepper & Snow Peas for each – the perfect size for lunch after a busy morning of shooting. This meal is so easy to make and so delicious. I know it will become one of your favorites. Please order your Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kits right now! Just click on the highlighted links and enjoy our menu offerings! We’re adding more and more all the time! Enjoy the weekend!
Today in Westchester, New York, we're expecting abundant sunshine with temperatures in the mid-70s - more springlike than early fall, but autumn is definitely here, and if you live in an area where foliage changes with the seasons, you know how exciting and beautiful this time of year can be.
The changing leaves are already providing lots of color - red, orange, yellow, and brown can be seen in areas across the landscape. I've planted thousands of trees and shrubs at my farm, so it's a fantastic place to take in the season's changes and enjoy all it has to offer.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here, the changing leaves haven’t quite peaked yet, but the fall foliage is already looking so pretty around the farm. Some trees change early, others late – usually from October to November in the Northeast.
My pin oaks, Quercus palustris, have done so well over the years. In fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to gold and orange colors come out and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
The perimeter around my paddocks displays such wonderful shades of orange, yellow, amber, brown, and green. I love the layers of color created by the changing leaves. Although some autumn coloration occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, the most brightly colored foliage is seen in Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia, northern and western Europe, the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, Russia, eastern Asia, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand’s South Island. Here is my grove of American beech trees seen from across the pasture.
Another popular vantage point is this one looking down between the paddocks with the corn crib on the right and the changing sycamores and allèe of lindens.
Here’s a view through the woodland. Many of these trees are deciduous, meaning they tend to seasonally shed their leaves after showing off their brilliant fall colors.
Even the potted tree seedlings are changing. I have thousands of young trees potted up behind my stable. They are doing very well and will eventually be planted in the ground and added to the ever-evolving landscape at my farm.
The white pines in the distance are majestic. Seen from nearly every angle on this side of my farm, these trees stand tall in the changing landscape. Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, white pine, northern white pine, Weymouth pine, and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America.
These are the horse chestnuts, Aesuclus x carnea, at the foot of my Boxwood Allee in front of my stable. These trees are changing to yellowy-red for fall before the leaves all drop.
Here are the weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula, on one side of my “soccer field” where my grandson plays whenever he visits. I love these weeping hornbeams – the branches of these trees gracefully weep creating an umbrella of foliage that reaches the ground. The leaves are beginning to change – the foliage turns a bright yellowish color this time of year.
Up close, one can see the seed catkins hanging from the branches, holding about 10 to 30 seeds each.
This is a Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamellia, just behind my gym building. Native to Japan, this tree is known not only for its brilliant shades of orange that emerge in fall, but also for its interesting exfoliating bark and delicate blooms. I love Stewartia trees – do you know why? Here’s a hint: it’s in the name.
These are my bald cypress trees that line one side of the carriage road to my Winter House. These too are just starting to change color. Bald Cypress trees, Taxodium distichum, shed needlelike leaves. In fact, they get the name “bald” cypress because they drop their leaves so early in the season. Their fall colors are tan, cinnamon, and fiery orange.
Not far is this striking burning bush shrub with fiery scarlet foliage just starting to show. This bush is as low-maintenance as it is dazzling, making it exceptionally easy to grow as either a single specimen plant or in a grouping.
Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood is a small upright tree or large, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub. It is related to witch-hazel. The oblong green leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall, often persisting into the winter months.
Here are the bright yellow branches of the American larch, Larix laricina, out in the pinetum. This tree is commonly called tamarack, eastern larch, American larch or hackmatack. This deciduous conifer will drop all these showy needles just as winter approaches.
These sugar maples above my tree peony garden bed also display gorgeous color in fall – the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red.
This maple is also beginning to transform for the season. This one is just across the carriage road from my tropical hoop house not far from the chicken yard.
Guests that come around this time of year often ask, “what are those flowers that look like crocus?” The common name for Colchicum is autumn crocus, but they are not true autumn crocus because there are many species of true crocus which are autumn blooming. Also, Colchicum flowers have six stamens while crocuses have only three. The colchicum are all blooming now.
Here is another colchicum. Colchicum is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape. When the weather is mild, colchicum’s flowers begin to unfurl. Most Colchicum plants produce their flowers without any foliage. This is why these flowers were first known by the common name “naked boys.” In the Victorian era, they were also called “naked ladies.”
And look what else is starting to bloom here at the farm. This is just one of hundreds of saffron flowers planted by my friend and colleague Hannah Milman.
Planting is done in July, August and September either by hand or by machine. Harvesting comes at the end of October to mid-November, roughly eight weeks after planting.
And soon, my outdoor grounds crew will be busy blowing all the leaves. I’ll share more photos of the trees as they reach their peak fall colors. What does autumn look like where you live? Let me know in the comments section below.
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