whats cooking in my kitchen..and stuff

So we made it through the storm just fine. It really wasn't bad at all. I know other areas were hit  very hard and my prayers are with them. Had some good down pours, wind, and thunder storms, but never lost power! We were ready for it though! Very thankful for that. The kiddos were hoping we would loose power. They like the adventure of it!

But on a more fun note one of my sisters came over yesterday and we did some cooking. Well actually we did some frying of food! Yummy! Can't do that very often though ;-) But even better we had a good visit and I love to see her and to cook with her is fun too! She cooks tons like me, and enjoys it!
But about 7pm we decided that we wanted/needed some chocolate! So we whipped up these bad boys...

                                                Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies!!

Who does that? Oh right I do!! hehe
They are really good, but super rich and I wouldn't want a whole 9x13 pan in my house all for me and my family. My sister took some with her to share. Phew! I would recommend them for a get together with lots of people to help you eat  them! We got the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.
So if you have a get together or just wanna get a little crazy here is the recipe...

Brownies
4 oz chocolate finely chopped
1 C butter soft
2 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 C flour
2 C brown sugar
Preheat the oven 350.
***DO THIS STEP.  I REPEAT, DO THIS STEP*** Tinfoil a 9x13 pan, then grease the tinfoil.  These brownies will stick bad to the pan if you don't!!!!!
Melt choc. In a bowl beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, dump in melted chocolate, add the rest. 
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool.

Cookie Dough
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C soft butter
11/2 C flour
3 T milk
11/2 C mini chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla, and flour. Mix well! Stir in mini chocolate chips.
Spread on the cool brownies and put in the fridge for 1 hr before cutting. Enjoy

Yes we do eat good for you food like salads, but who really wants another salad recipe?! Maybe I'll post something good for you next time, but I just wanted to tempt you with these brownies...if you can be tempted! Hahaha
Have a great day all!

monday confessions

Because Mondays are never my finest days, and I haven't done a Monday confession in  while...I thought I'd share a drowned rat...

Oh wait that's me! hahaha (Not my finest pic, but I'm being honest!) 
So it rained a little (insert lots of sarcasm here) yesterday while I was doing evening chores. I was soaked and wanted to show my husband how wet I got. Oh and it stopped raining when I was all done with the chores. Fantastic! He and the kiddos went out for the afternoon for personal reasons, in support of his family.  I stayed home to do chores because they wouldn't be home in time.
But it worked out for me! I got a last minute invite out with my sisters!! We do that a lot, last minute stuff.  We went out to eat and then did some shopping. I got three new sweaters, well new to me. We went to Goodwill and other stores!! Awesome sweaters too! It's that time of year here. We had lots of fun and lots of laughs at each other. All in good fun. I love being with my sisters and just being silly with them. The relationship I have with them helps keep me sane.
Happy Monday all! Keep it real!

Been a busy week for me. Things to do places to go.   Haven't really gotten a lot of house work done this week. The house is a mess. I was behind of laundry, but I'm finally caught up. For the present minute. That could change you know in about 30 seconds. It's been really cold here this week too, and windy. Burrrr. The kiddos seem like wild things running around the house. They go outside for a few minutes, but come right back in because the wind is too much. We don't have much snow, but I just looked out my window and it's snowing. Didn't know it was supposed to snow today. Oh well, it is winter now for sure.  Not much of a chance of getting 40 degree weather until March... it would be nice if it were 30... I'm done complaining. No really.
My boy went to my sisters for the weekend. He was over the moon excited about that too. He loves hanging out with his cousin. |They are the same age and when they get together they are such fun to watch. Don't think he'll get much sleep. But that's ok.
I went out with a bunch of friends the other night! Had a blast! It was so nice to talk and giggle with the girls, and not be interrupted by the kiddos, mine or theirs. Ahhh, a whole evening without being interrupted. So nice! Then we went shopping after stuffing ourselves full with some wonderful food, we didn't have to cook! More laughing and looking at some rather interesting clothing. Bikinis!!! Burr. I was surprised to see them displayed right out front, not really. I was like really? It's January and it's below freezing out there! How can you think of, oh no wait I wish it were warmer, so I guess that would work. But really! I was shopping for a sweater, not a bikini!  We went to several stores looking for sweaters. Do you think we could find a good selection? Nope. But the ones we did find were all on sale. We looked and looked. I tried several on and didn't like them. Or I liked them, but not enough to buy it. I wanted one in particular, but it is no more this year. Bummer.  Maybe I'll look online. Sometimes they have things online they don't have in the stores. Well after almost giving up my friend called me over and showed me a beautiful dark gray sweater. I liked it well enough, and hoped it would look good on me and not just the hanger. It's warm and comfy and fits just right. Now for the price...it was $18.00!! Whoohoo!!! I wanted two for that price. Anyhow, I get to the check out and looked at the computer screen with my total, it said I saved $72. How did I do that? I looked at the tag more closely and saw that it was a $90 sweater! Jackpot!! I was happy! Got a new sweater and got a good deal on it!

There's the proof!! Yup I'm happy I got a new sweater, I just loved the selection out this fall. Too bad I missed the one I really wanted, but I got a different one and I love it!  I also had a great evening out with friends, so that was even better. I also bought the CD Adel 21! Oh I just love her singing. Amazing!  Just my 2 cents on the fact.
Have a great weekend all!

hats on

Me gots a new hat!! I love it!!  Here it is! A friend of mine had one similar this summer and I loved it! My husband was sneaky and between the 2 of them got me the hat and it came in the mail yesterday!  My girls say it's sparkly!!  Just thought I'd show it off!

Have a great weekend all!

a good day includes ice cream...

...just ask my family! They'll tell you!!
I had a great day on Sunday. After church we came home and had lunch and one of my sisters and her son came over for a visit. We just sat on the couch and talked and giggled, while the kiddos played outside and enjoyed the sunshine. We also enjoyed some yummy treats that she brought and some iced coffee!! I had and still do have a million things to do, but I like to just rest and relax on Sunday, whenever possible. Living on a farm in the summer, or any other time of year, you don't always get that day off. Much as it would be nice. Animals and chores still need to be done two times a day. Anyways...
We decided that since it was the last day that an ice cream shop was going to be open we'd surprise the kiddos and take them down to have ice cream for supper that night. It's down on a lake and it was so nice to sit and eat and watch the kiddos run around the edge of the water. Even if the wind was really blowing and I ate some of my hair with my fries because it was blowing around so much it got in my mouth. I know it was my hair. It was a huge hit, the ice cream not the hair in my mouth!!. I had french fries and my sister had onion rings, but we shared them. I thought it was a bit too windy and cold to eat ice cream, but Matthew and the kiddos didn't. Then we went for a walk in the woods. My sister is not a farmer or much for wanting to walk in the woods, especially in her flip flops. She is the one sister that is a town/city gal. She loves to come to the farm and see the animals and us and is willing to help, but she doesn't want to live on a farm, it's not for everyone. I still love to tease her about being a city girl!! haha sorry sis, but it's true!!  She's a good sport, and had fun getting mud on her feet and squished between her toes!! She said she'd have to bring multiple pairs of shoes when she comes from now on! The boys were running way ahead of us on the trail and Little Matt knew his way around and was able to go through the woods and come back to us. I was so proud of him. Me? I would get lost a hurry. All the trees look the same to me, and the paths do too. Guess maybe if I went down there more I could tell my way around. Yeah that's it!!  The woods we went to are ours. We have a wood lot and get our fire wood there! It's great having a wood lot!
We made it back safe and sound and my sister only had a little bit of mud on her feet and flip flops! We all had a nice walk, and it wasn't nearly as windy in the woods as down on the lake. The kiddos were thrilled they got to have ice cream for supper at the ice cream shop, and a walk in the woods!
Here are some pictures of our fun! Enjoy! I know we did!!

Ice cream always tastes better on the water!

my girl caught a frog. she was very pleased too!

No I really don't have a fedish with mushrooms. I just thought they were pretty!

my sister. kiddos moving branches out of the path!

this little critter wanted a free ride on my leg. i flung him off and left him in the woods!

a beautiful sunset. this picture doesn't do it justice to how beautiful and brightly colored it was.

 Have a great day all!!

fire pit

My sister called me up one day and asked me what I thought about her getting my other sister a fire pit for Christmas. I thought that it sounded like a great idea! They often have a "campfire" in their tree stump that they have been burning. I said I didn't even know they had those. I know sheltered life in the country. We chatted about it for a while then chatted about other things. Probably about Christmas and how I wasn't even close to being ready for it! I never gave it another thought. Then when we had Christmas with my parents I got the fire pit and fire sticks to cook things on! I was surprised and excited to use it! But I would have to wait, and that seemed like a very long time.
 And then the other night we finally got the fire pit out!! Oh and my sister has a knack for finding these marshmallows on steroids too. I have never seen them so big! I still have no idea where she gets them. Well the kiddos had some left over so I dug them out and roasted marshmallows in the fire pit while My Man read a book to us all. Then we just sat around out camp fire and chatted about our days. We watched and listened to the farm critters. What one of my sisters calls "farm TV." I love that expression. As it got darker we could see the lightening bugs coming out, and the kiddos started chasing them around the yard. Some managed to catch them, and I tried to get a picture but it didn't come out, but a very small light on the camera. It was a nice evening to sit and relax by the fire and chat as a family, and listen to the kiddos giggle as they tried to catch lightening bugs. We didn't get them to bed until almost 10 pm. For my farm kiddos that's late, but we were having fun, and nights like those are just too fun to end!

this is the book

giant marshmallows, fire and sicks! we are set now!

the cheeks! 

how long do I cook this?

mmmm. it's almost as big as she is!!

that's fun in the country!

takin it easy with my man!

Thank you to my sister for all the camp fires we are going to have and memories we are able to make! Come on over for a marshmallow roast soon!!

through the snow we go...

Oh it seems like we are always cleaning up a snow mess this winter! We have had sooooooo much snow! I  can't guarantee I won't complain about it.
 I did the chores yesterday morning so Matthew could dig us out, again! I sat and milked the cow as my son chattered away and then he asked me a question. It took me by surprise. He simply asked "what DO you like about winter Mommy?" I know I'm not shy about saying I don't like winter, and the kids know it. But they still invite me to play with them in the snow banks and I love to do that! Then my surprise came again as I found myself answering him. It just rolled out of my mouth as I milked. The truth. I told him that I told him I liked that fact that it was a time of rest. And by rest I meant that the gardens were done growing, so we don't have to weed, pick, weed, pick weed, can it, and the field work was done. And we could feed our animals, and ourselves with all that we had done during the warmer months. No longer did I have to mow the lawn (Little Matt mowed some this year too). That the meat chickens are in the freezer. I told him that the gardens and fields die and comes back to life in the spring. That everything has a life cycle and God is in control of it. That if you stop and think about it, it's truly amazing how it works. The ground rests and so do we, the ground grows and produces and we work to tend it. I said even in Florida where it's usually much warmer there, then here, the gardens need a rest. I don't know anything about gardening in warmer climates, but all the vegetables, fruit, and fields need a rest time there too. All the seasons have their greatness, even winter! He smiled and we chatted a little more. Then he picked up Hardy and put him close to me and I squirted milk in his mouth and he licked his lips quickly to keep up with the flow of milk at him. I laughed so hard I had to stop milking! It was so funny I wished I had the camera. I guess I'm gonna have to make it a permanent part of my body. When I figure out that feat I'll share! The other cat growls and hisses at you if you do that to him. The weather is supposed to be warmer in the coming weeks and it is so tempting to start tapping trees, but I'm afraid if we do when the snow melts we'll need a ladder to get the sap buckets down! There is so much snow!

 My sister came to visit me yesterday. If you haven't guessed I have two older sisters. For fear of my life I won't mention our ages, but we are all relatively close in age. hehe! I'm glad we live in the same state too. Different towns in different directions, but we get along well, and have a good time when we get together! I had a wonderful visit and we cooked supper together too. She started some wonderful cinnamon rolls that sit overnight and you finish in the morning. Oh were they good! My husband said that they tasted a lot like the ones I usually make, but lighter and not so heavy! WOW! What a complement. I was pleased that he liked them, and they came out well. The kiddos thought they were good too. They thought I could make them again!  I have a very discriminating family when it comes to food. They tell me when it's gross and they tell me when it's good. I don't mind as long as they are nice about it. I can handle it. I like the honesty. I'll show you some pictures. Look at 'em if you dare!!

Seems like I'm talking a lot about us and cooking and not a lot about farming, but I guess that's what happens in the winter. Soon I'll be talking about all the farming and canning I'll be doing and you'll wonder when do they eat or where has she gone with no posts!? I'll take pictures for sure. If I can I'll try to post tomorrow some farming pictures!  Ah farm life. Only one I really know, and the only one I really want!

Roll out the dough real thin, add lots of melted homemade butter, organic cane juice (sugar),  and cinnamon, roll up tight...

Cut into 1 inch rolls and put in a buttered pan to rise... then bake about 20 minutes...

baked to golden perfection. Then drizzle on some glaze and devour while still warm! I helped myself to two, as did Little Matt! That's a 9*13 pan full of them!

The kiddos stopped playing to get their picture taken! That is the top of the chicken coop in the back there. Just to show how BIG the snow banks are! What a beautiful day!

How many people have a snow plow truck come and plow their driveway??!! 

That's right folks! A snow plow! We have so much snow that the plow truck can't move the snow any farther! And with more snow coming on Saturday...  The man who plows out neighbors driveway asked a friend who drives a snow plow truck if he could swing over and move some snow!  He did, as you can see! How many people have that happen??!! The kiddos couldn't wait to abandon their school work and get outside to watch! How exciting! A little red neck? Maybe, but oh well!

winter fun

I lost a day this week. Don't ask me how that happens, but it did. All day today I thought it was Thursday. I kept making plans, shocking I know, for home school. But it's Friday. I'm glad too. I'm ready for the weekend!
 Last night was a friends birthday and we, a bunch of us gals, crashed her house for a girls night in! The kiddos, mine and all the other ladies were not invited, and we had a blast! A bunch of friends eating and laughing and having a great time together. We had some of that microwave fondue, and I was in charge of heating it up and, I've never done that before, fondue that is, and I burnt part of the plastic it was in! Oops! It smelt like burnt popcorn!  Fried zucchini all over again! Well they made me try the chocolate and it was fine, the stuff that was not burnt, and we had strawberries and some other yummy treats! Gotta have yummy snack food for a girls night!  I didn't get to bed until 2:30am! And let me tell you morning came really fast too! Matthew let me sleep in, but I was up at 8:00, but laid there until 8:30. He did all the chores while I slept, what a great man I have! I could have stayed in bed, but my eyes refused to stay shut. Go figure. So we had school, and carried on with the day. I had 2 glasses of coffee today instead of one. Yes, I drink my coffee in a glass, it's iced coffee. Yes you read that right it's iced. I don't drink hot coffee. Yuck. Not even when it's -12! Earlier this week some in-laws came over, and my brother in law decided we would do a kid swap. So the kiddos had to be good in school all week, his kids and ours are very close in age, and they home school too. So tonight we did the kid swap. Emma and her cousin, they are 2 days apart in age and just like two peas in a pod, are here for the night. Two five year old girls, oh boy! Well DaLaney and another cousin are three months apart in age, went to the in laws house. Two seven year old girls, oh boy!! Could prove to be interesting for both sets of parents! It's all good, they've spent the night before...
So what did I do this afternoon? Well I wanted to take a nap, but that didn't happen. I'll show you what I well we did this afternoon.

What on earth is that?

This is interesting... the boys deep in thought...

OK, now it's looking like something. Know what it is yet?

Oooooo, doors going on! Nice hands honey...

Ta da.. got it yet??

Isn't she perty?

What? Oh that's the inside of it!

"Fire it up and watch them horses run"... Oh sorry, I love that song! Know it?

We're in business, well almost... can you smell it?

 OK, I didn't realize I had taken so many pictures. Actually I have more, but won't share them all. We got our saperator set up today! And when I say we, Matthew was the one that bricked it up. I watched and took pictures and handed him the bricks! Apparently you buy the saperator, and then you have to brick it up and then fire it up and let the bricks cure. So that's what we did. Now we have to level it on one side, because if it's not level it's a nightmare to use. I still need to show you what we used to have compared to this one. I haven't found the picture yet. I'm sure we'll have a learning curve with this one. Hopefully it will be a short one and we can get it and have fun with it. If it had been the middle of February today we would have had a good run of sap. But it's only January.  It started to boil, the water, we put in it in about 10-15 minutes! That's fast, but the fire comes right up, and well, it's too hard to explain, I'll have to see if I can get a picture. Oh, and if your wondering why there is a tarp looking thing hanging up, it's because we had a space heater blowing on  the bricks to help them dry and it kept the cold out of the sap house to help them set while we glued them on with the cement. Now we need to empty the saperator because it's supposed to be really cold tonight! What were the kiddos doing while we were working? Well they were outside enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, and temperature's that didn't freeze you, and they were riding their bikes too! No unfortunately I don't get a picture of them. Would have been great picture too! Maybe tomorrow. It was kinda tough riding the bikes with the snow, but they tried, and had fun doing it too!

Oh and the name of the song is My Kinda Party by Jason Aldean!

Note: I know it's called a sap evaporator, and if your wondering why I call it a saperator and have the time and inclination you'll have to read the other posts with the label syrup to explain the meaning of the word. It's cute how it got it's name!!

for my sister

Well I tried to upload a picture for you tonight, but my computer would not cooperate. Or maybe I just don't speak computer.
I love this saying, and I have no idea where or who it came from. But it goes like this:
Laugh everyday, even if it's at yourself.
That said, I was on the phone last night with one of my two sisters and I was hearing the weirdest sound. It was kinda like a wwwweeeeeeyooooouuuu sound. You know those movie previews and the space ones where the UFO is coming down? That's what it sounded like. I told my sister and we had a good laugh over that. Go figure. Maybe it was late, maybe we were just being silly. That was one of my laughs at myself yesterday. But anyways, this one is for my sister.  Love you sis!