desset!!

Hahahahaha!!! I just saw this picture and I had to share it! If you scroll down and read the post below this one you'll see why I titled it dessert! All it is is fresh local raspberries and strawberries! I put a little sugar and cream on them and well  needless to say one serving was not enough. Maybe I should title it "this moment!" I would like to savor those sweet berries again!!

what's cooking in my kitchen

I thought I'd change things this fine Friday afternoon. It's really beautiful out. The sun is shining and it's about 70ish degrees, and I didn't take any pictures and I didn't find one I wanted to share. So there.
Maybe I'll tempt you with food! It sounds different, it's called Unity Beef Casserole. Not the best title for a main dish, but it's really good, well, we like it! It's really easy to make too.

Start with some hamburg 1lb, and onion, I forgot. Shocking I know!

some egg noodles 1/2 a bag

cream of mushroom soup. I like Amy's Organic brand. It's really good!

sharp cheddar cheese! yummy! Recipe calls for American cheese, but I prefer cheddar! About 1/2 to 1 cup. I never measure it, I just throw it in and if it looks good I don't add more. Depends on how much you like cheese! I just so happen to like the stuff!

buttered bread crumbs. I like a lot. 

mix it together, toss the bread crumbs on top and

tada! it's done!

cook up some corn while the casserole is baking

all cooked and delish!

I forgot the milk in the casserole. It calls for 1.5 cups. I never put that much in. I don't like it that creamy. Again I eyeball it. I had some corn so I cooked that up with it. Made a quick, good, simple, easy meal after a hectic day for me. The corn cooked while the casserole baked at 350 for about 30 min. Just long enough for everything to be hot and bubbly and make the bread crumbs be all crunchy on top.

Maybe next time I share a recipe the pictures won't be so dark, and it will be a dessert! I mean you can't really go wrong with a dessert, and  I don't know if I've ever really shared one. I love desserts! I think it just might have to be chocolate too. Maybe. Now I just need to remember to snap a picture of two of it!

Enjoy!

one year

I've had this blog for a year and one day. My first post was on September 28 of last year. Time sure has gone by fast. Started with just some of my family members reading, and now I have people I have never met following along in our journey! I think that is really cool.
I enjoy reading the blogs I follow and feel like I have gotten to "know" others in other parts of this wonderful world that I have never been to, and other farmers that live in the same state as me! It's nice to read about what others are doing on their farms and in their lives!
I want to say thank you for reading (following) about our lives and leaving comments! I love the comments!
Have a great day all!

harvesting...

pears and apples oh my!!

My SIL and I went out to one of my aunts house to pick some. We were just going to get pears, but then they offered the apples and we decided to take them. They'll make good apple cider and maybe a pie or two!!  My aunt has plenty of acres for the kiddos to run around and they had a blast eating pears climbing the trees and watching their crazy aunt or mother shake the trees to get the pears out! We had a rope and a ladder that we used because most of the pears were on the top of the tree. So I climbed the ladder and one of my nieces could get a little higher them me and put the rope around one of the branches. Then with the rope I could really shake the pear tree. Got knocked in the head a few times, and slime down my back once, but it was all fun. I liked watching the kiddos run around laugh and giggle. My boy went with his daddy for the day, so he was not around.

 You can see the hill that they were running up and down. That was just part of the amazing piece of property my aunt and uncle own. It's so quiet and beautiful out there.

 This great grove of trees looked like a great place to take a picture. Look at all those girls.

 Look at this handsome little guy! He's such a cutie! He had the most fun sitting in the boxes throwing the apples and pears out! He got the biggest kick out of that and would laugh as we put them back in the boxes. I wish I had a picture!

 A nice cluster of apples I thought. They are called Johnathan's.

 My uncle couldn't wait to take the kiddos for a ride around on his tractor. They were laughing the whole time. I'm not really sure who was smiling the biggest, my uncle or the kiddos!

A nice looking apple tree. They won't be ready until next month so I didn't pick any.

 Next week my SIL and I will be canning the pears we got. And maybe we'll press some cider some evening with the boys (our husbands) and kiddos! That's always fun too. It's always more fun to harvest and can together with someone and press some cider! Makes the work go faster, and it's always fun to laugh with a friend!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

here 'tis

 This is our new tractor! Well OK, so it's not new per say. It's actually a fully restored 1941 John Deere H . This tractor was actually my great grandfather's first tractor. My mothers, mothers fathers tractor that he bought new! Can you believe that? It was my kiddos great great grandfathers!! Did you catch all that?!  Now how in the world did we come across this ole beauty? I'll tell you so keep reading if you like stories and a little family history!!
It all began a few years ago just to set you up for it.
 My great-Uncle Erland on my mothers side wanted to buy his fathers tractor back, he knew who had it. He had wanted it for a long time, but the man didn't want to sell. He, my uncle, was just a boy when his parents got it. Then after the man died my uncle went and asked his widow if she wanted to sell it. She decided to sell it to him. When my husband and I went for a visit Uncle Erland told Matthew he bought it. He was like a kid in a candy shop when he took Matthew to see it. At the time it was not in the condition that it is now. Unfortunately my uncle developed cancer and knew he was going to die, so he sold the tractor. All he told Matthew was that it went to a good home. Matthew has thought of my uncle often and wondered where the tractor went. Never thinking he would see it or know where it went. Then this summer my family had a family reunion. Through the course of a conversation that I was having about our farm with a relative the subject of tractors came up, and I was telling him about the one we have. Matthew was near by and heard the word tractor and he joined in the conversation after I asked him a question about ours. Well this man is the nephew of my Uncle Erland. The two men Matthew and Arvil started talking about Erland, and the tractor that was his fathers. HE HAD IT! And the implements, plow, mower, and cultavators. What?! He said that he actually wanted it gone before the winter. What?! Matthew and I looked at each other. I knew what he was thinking. We have some new ideas for our farm that we were approached with, that require another tractor, and then serendipitously one "fell" in our lap. (I just like the word serendipity, I know all things happen for a reason). Matthew and I started talking about it on the way home, and decided that we should pray about it and see about getting our duck in a row, so to speak.We had just walked through the door when the phone rang. It was Arvil saying he had called the man that wanted the tractor, but the man was unable to buy it, so we now had first refusal on it. WOW! We were not in a position to buy it just on sentiment.  We needed to be sure that it would do the jobs we needed it for.
It's been a few months and today our ":new" tractor is home!!! Not only does it have family heritage to it,  it also fits our need, price and will do what we need it to do!! What a blessing to us. We are so very thankful. It's amazing how it all worked out.

oops

I made some ketchup. Then fed it to the pigs. Smelled good, but was hot, hot, hot! Guess I put too much something in it. Must have been the jalapeno or the Cheyenne pepper. Oh well, maybe my pigs got indigestion from it!! haha. The flavor was nothing like what I like for ketchup either. I'm a total ketchup snob, I love Heinz Organic. I spoiled myself and that is what I buy. I would always love the ketchup at the restaurants better then the stuff I had at home. Then I found out why. The restaurants use Heinz. Awesome. Now I use it. When they came out with the organic I thought great, now I need that one. So now I'll be trying a new ketchup recipe, and when I go shopping, again I'll get the new ingredients that I need to make it. And I'll let you know how that tastes. I deleted the pics and wouldn't share the recipe or tell you where I found it. I wasn't impressed. I hated to dump it, but chalk it up to plastic fried zucchini!
When I went shopping I got some lemon juice to put in my tomato juice I would like to try making. I just don't have lots of tomatoes to be experimenting with and there are not lots to be found.
I also found

TANG! I hadn't thought of Tang in oh I don't know since I was a kid. Then last week while I was mowing the lawn it popped into my head. I know, it's amazing what I think about while I mow. So I was looking for it when I went shopping and ta-da! I found it! I was excited that they still made it, I think I may be dating myself and sounding older then I really am, but anyways... I made some today for the kiddos to try. I don't usually like to buy sugar sweet things like powdered drinks, but I couldn't help myself. I even had to have some, and it tastes like I remember. I didn't make it overly sweet either. I don't remember having it often when I was a kid, and it was a treat. So maybe I'll keep this as a treat for my kiddos. They thought it was really good! I just love my Kool Aid pitcher that it's in. I had a mason jar one, but broke it and am looking for a new one.

monday confessions

It's been a while since I had one of these so I thought I'd put one together! Here goes!

I too often wear my hair up in a messy ponytail, or clipped up in a hair clip.

Sometimes I let my bangs grow out so they are too long, then I cut them off and then when I'm out and about like miking the cow they are forever in my face, and I can't get them out of my face and I wonder why I cut them, and let them grow out again! I swear it's a vicious circle!!

I hate to dust. I like to have my kiddos help out lots with that chore!

There are days I am so busy I have no idea what it is I've done at the end of the day and it doesn't look like I've done anything, but I'm exhausted. Go figure.

I hate green peppers. The other color peppers are fine, but green, yuck, gag, gross!! I've never liked them. I used to sit beside my mother at supper time and if there were any green peppers I'd put them on her plate. I still will pick out any green peppers that I find laced in my food. I try to avoid ordering anything in restaurants that might have green peppers in them, the taste is just cooked into it and well, yuck.

I've always wanted to go to Texas.

I have days where they start out really good and things are going better then I expected, then there is a hiccup of some sort and that's it. The day is shot, and it just unravels from there.

Have a great Monday!! hahahaha

what a week!

This week has been so crazy busy for me. I lived in my kitchen. Just about all day everyday I was there. Not kidding here either.
I harvested some carrots from our garden and got a bushel of them. This is just a nice picture. We had tons of them that were this size too. Makes it real easy to peel and cut them up. Not to mention it fills up a jar real quick. One of my SIL's came over two afternoons to help me get them done too. That was such a blessing for me. Makes the work go so much faster to have someone to chat and giggle with. The kiddos and hers played together outside. I still have more carrots to harvest... not today though. She also brought over her canner so we had 2 going at once! Yay!! Makes things go faster too!

  I was given some tomatoes and cucumbers that needed to be processed. Made the cucumbers into pickles. Garlic Dill, like the last batch. Perfect size for them too. The tomatoes I just canned for stewed tomatoes. I was going to turn them into ketchup, but didn't have all the ingredients to make it. But I now do, so I'll be making some soon with some tomatoes from our garden. So that will be coming next week! Can't wait to try it!

And then I was given some apples, lots of apples. I think they are Macoon. Not Mac's. They are really good. I turned them all into applesauce. We are going to get some different apples and I thought I might try just canning apple slices, (like pears) and seeing how they are, and freezing some too for pies! Yummy!! My Man loves apple pie it's his favorite!  I had two big boxes and a smaller crate full of apples. They are time consuming, but worth it.

cooking in my big roaster pan...

all cooked and in the mill to be turned into applesauce...

goodness comes down into the front and all the seeds and peelings go out the side. what a great tool to have!

That has been my week and why there are so few posts from me this week! Not to mention we are in full home school gear too! Have a great weekend all!

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A photo (or more), no words- capturing a moment(s) from the week.  Simple, special, extraordinary moment(s). A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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!!