Pumpkins, Beer Cheese, and Goats

You may have already heard the news, but if not, you should know that there's been a new addition to my family.  A little over a month ago, a beautiful baby girl, my very first niece, entered the world.  Although it was difficult to wait, I gave her a little time to adjust to her new surroundings, and then, a few weeks ago, I made the trip to Buffalo to visit J and J and meet Baby E.  She was even more beautiful than I had imagined and I have to admit that I'm quite smitten.  J and J and I spent most of the visit cooing and cuddling with her, but on a particularly gorgeous afternoon, we decided to get out of the house and visit Becker Farms, in Gasport, New York.  A 340-acre fruit and vegetable farm, the site offers produce, homemade baked goods, jams, cider and wine, as well as apple picking and other seasonal activities against a beautiful country backdrop. 

 

Almost as soon as we had stepped out of the car, our stomachs started to grumble, so we wandered into the on-site Gastropub (you didn't think this would really be a foodless post, did you?).  

We started by sharing a flight of Becker Brewing Co.'s seasonal beers (including their hard cherry cider, which was our favorite), a flight of local wines, and cheddar beer dip with soft pretzel sticks.

To say that we couldn't get enough of the appetizer would be a bit of an understatement.  Warm Bavarian pretzel rods with a molten cheese made with Art's Amber Ale and Kutter sharp cheddar.

 We all agreed that we should have each ordered our own serving, but alas, we had already chosen our entrees and they soon arrived.

The Smoked Gouda Sausage Burger with waffle-cut sweet potato fries (which, incidentally, also tasted amazing when dipped into the remaining beer cheese):

























The Farm Apple Salad:

and a Build-Your-Own Pizza with garlic-infused olive oil, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, mushrooms, and pineapple.

We shared everything, and while the burger might have been the winner, all of the dishes tasted flavorful and fresh.

Afterwards, we decided that we needed to walk off our lunch so we set off to explore the rest of the grounds.  We didn't get very far though, before we saw a sign for apple cider donuts and unanimously agreed that we would need to take some sweets home with us for later.

After gathering our booty of donuts and pastries that were sort of a cross between a s'more, a pop-tart, and heaven, we truly stopped thinking about food for a few minutes and strolled the picturesque grounds.  

I may have squealed with glee when we came around the corner and saw this autumn tableau:

But don't worry, I kept my cool and blamed the noise on the baby.  They're full of strange gurgles, right?  However, I had a harder time covering up my childlike enthusiasm for the playground equipment that we came across next.

 

That's how it's done, Baby E.  I hope that you've been taking notes.  But if not, I'll be happy to show you again once you've got a handle on that walking thing.

I also may have had to try this one out too.  I mean, who can resist a castle?

 If anyone has been wondering what to get me for Christmas, I would happily take one of these.  It might be a squeeze fitting it into my New York apartment, but you let me worry about that.

We continued on to a strange-looking elevated-walkway-type thing (technical term).

Upon getting a closer look, we realized that it had some goatly inhabitants.

No doubt feeling the draw of his animal magnetism, they approached J and had a meeting of the minds.

Kindred spirits:

When J was finished communing with those beasts, we turned a corner and found some more, slightly fuzzier options.  This time, they were in the form of llamas and alpacas.

These boys were a bit aloof though and not as chatty as the goats so they soon lost interest and turned their backs on us, which we took as our cue to call it a day and head back home, but not before I got in a few more minutes of pumpkin appreciation.

Becker Farms is a lovely place to visit this time of year, whether you have small children or just enjoy being outside during the Fall.  Check out their website for their hours and info on their upcoming Halloween programming or if you're interested in holding an event there.  But, whatever you do, just promise me that you won't leave without trying the cheddar beer dip.

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