If any of you still follow my blog, I have moved on to weebly. I like its format much better and it has given me a more streamlined look.. so please if you wish, follow me over to...
Tales from a Misfithousewife
I will likely be deleting this one at some point. There are a few posts I would like to move over to the new one so I will keep it active for now. Thanks for following and please look for more posts to come!
-Jessica
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Social Media?
I posted last year about how I quit Facebook and those that know me well know how anti-social media I have become. I don't understand twitter.. AT ALL and MySpace is pretty much non-existent I think. I was on Fitocracy for a while and actually liked it and it motivated me a lot, but I find myself getting sucked into the social aspect of these sites. I do have Google + set up right now, but I am already getting frustrated with it because I do not know how to manipulate it so I don't keep getting added to peoples circles and getting random messages from people I don't know. And then there is Facebook. The king of social media. Its getting to the point now where you can't even view some companies sites because they replaced them with a Facebook page, or they offer certain deals, but only if you "like" their page. My kids were watching an episode of Scooby-doo today and there was a reference on there of "friend-ing and poking". You can't escape it because it truly is everywhere.
I have personal reasons for wanting to avoid Facebook I don't feel like getting sucked into the social media hype. I think it can be detrimental to some people and relationships. It allows emotions and behaviors to surface among people that under normal circumstances would be a non-issue. I know this is not true with all people but for some I know it can cause problems. It also frightens me knowing my kids are growing up in a social media age. I can't keep them from it forever and there will be a time where they will engage in it and I cannot stop them. I want them to be able to use the internet responsibly and understand the dangers that are present. I am not about to let my pre-teens get a page of their own, but even the schools are utilizing sites that allow kids to converse with each other in social media type settings, although they are heavily monitored and only for school-related conversations. I have seen the sites they are using and they resemble Facebook a lot.
When I started making aprons last winter I was trying to think of ways to promote them. My friend suggested I use Facebook and immediately I said no way!. I know I could reach a lot of people through there, and ever since I quit my job, I could really use the extra money. I have made a few sales through etsy, and I have sold some aprons to family, and even though the craft show was successful, they are too few and far between to become profitable. I have some displayed in a local shop and have only sold one there, plus I lose a lot on commissions there so it isn't really worth my time.
Brent has been thinking of rejoining Facebook also and is trying to convince me that it's just a tool. I told him I'd be a hypocrite if I signed up again after I posted how proud I was to have quit. I would love to sell some more aprons. I am working on some new designs and I'd like to have a website for them but I am so technologically challenged. I can't even get a proper blog set up. I am relying on a standard Google template which is so boring and I don't want to shell out the $$ for someone to do it for me.
What do you think? If I opened up a Facebook page to promote my aprons, would I be a hypocrite? Is it possible to utilize Facebook as a tool only for promotion without getting all caught up in the drama and hype that comes with it? I value any input that comes my way.
I have personal reasons for wanting to avoid Facebook I don't feel like getting sucked into the social media hype. I think it can be detrimental to some people and relationships. It allows emotions and behaviors to surface among people that under normal circumstances would be a non-issue. I know this is not true with all people but for some I know it can cause problems. It also frightens me knowing my kids are growing up in a social media age. I can't keep them from it forever and there will be a time where they will engage in it and I cannot stop them. I want them to be able to use the internet responsibly and understand the dangers that are present. I am not about to let my pre-teens get a page of their own, but even the schools are utilizing sites that allow kids to converse with each other in social media type settings, although they are heavily monitored and only for school-related conversations. I have seen the sites they are using and they resemble Facebook a lot.
When I started making aprons last winter I was trying to think of ways to promote them. My friend suggested I use Facebook and immediately I said no way!. I know I could reach a lot of people through there, and ever since I quit my job, I could really use the extra money. I have made a few sales through etsy, and I have sold some aprons to family, and even though the craft show was successful, they are too few and far between to become profitable. I have some displayed in a local shop and have only sold one there, plus I lose a lot on commissions there so it isn't really worth my time.
Brent has been thinking of rejoining Facebook also and is trying to convince me that it's just a tool. I told him I'd be a hypocrite if I signed up again after I posted how proud I was to have quit. I would love to sell some more aprons. I am working on some new designs and I'd like to have a website for them but I am so technologically challenged. I can't even get a proper blog set up. I am relying on a standard Google template which is so boring and I don't want to shell out the $$ for someone to do it for me.
What do you think? If I opened up a Facebook page to promote my aprons, would I be a hypocrite? Is it possible to utilize Facebook as a tool only for promotion without getting all caught up in the drama and hype that comes with it? I value any input that comes my way.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Garden Progress
It has been really tough to resist planting the rest of the garden early and it looks as if it is finally time to get the rest of the plants in the ground. There is just a sliver of snow left on the peak of Shafer Butte, and the days are getting warmer. We might hit 90 this weekend. I probably could have planted a couple of weeks ago and covered them when we had that one night of frost, but I wanted to be safe. My early season seeds that I planted back in April are really taking off. The snow peas did not all germinate so I am going to replant some after soaking them.
Yesterday I picked up the tomatoes and peppers. I still need to buy cucumbers and a zucchini plant, plant my dill and basil seeds and we will be set. I was able to plant the tomatoes and the green beans yesterday afternoon but it got hot out there fast so I will plant the peppers today. Here is how the garden is faring so far.
I have been slowly taking out all of the grass from around the garden beds. They were a real pain to mow around last year and I thought it would look nice if we landscaped it a little by putting in some edging and mulch so it is more like a designated garden area. It is a s...l...o...w process but I think it is starting to look great. You can see in the tomato picture where I have taken the sod out from that area. I looked all over for a sod cutter and couldn't find one, so I went to Lowe's and found this knife. Its used for linoleum, but it works perfectly for cutting sod.
Yesterday I picked up the tomatoes and peppers. I still need to buy cucumbers and a zucchini plant, plant my dill and basil seeds and we will be set. I was able to plant the tomatoes and the green beans yesterday afternoon but it got hot out there fast so I will plant the peppers today. Here is how the garden is faring so far.
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| The potato planter |
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| Radishes and carrots, lettuce and scallions |
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| Tomatoes |
I have been slowly taking out all of the grass from around the garden beds. They were a real pain to mow around last year and I thought it would look nice if we landscaped it a little by putting in some edging and mulch so it is more like a designated garden area. It is a s...l...o...w process but I think it is starting to look great. You can see in the tomato picture where I have taken the sod out from that area. I looked all over for a sod cutter and couldn't find one, so I went to Lowe's and found this knife. Its used for linoleum, but it works perfectly for cutting sod.
So bit by bit, I have been clearing it all out. It's a decent workout also! I am thrilled that the potatoes are growing. Its always a little intimidating when trying to grow anything new. It will be a while before we add the next level of boards but all three planters have leaves growing and they seem to double in size daily. I have realized that I love gardening! I had to give the tomatoes more space this year because last year they overtook the beds and were too close together. It limited how many things I can grow this year and I was pretty upset that I couldn't grow everything I wanted to. I would love to have a huge garden to plant things. Even if I just gave some of the veggies away, I just enjoy gardening. I think it can be therapeutic in a way.
Tomorrow is the Race for the Cure and we decided not to do it. Instead I am going to take the older girls out for a hike Sunday to somewhere new. It should be a good time.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Race Day
Last year, I ran my first 5K with my two oldest daughters. At that point, my life was in a totally different place than it is now. I had been jogging regularly for a while, my feet weren't hurting as much and I had already dropped around 20 pounds. I had committed to losing weight and was finally succeeding for the first time. I really felt the best I had ever felt in years. When I ran last year my goal was to make it in less than 45 minutes and I made it in 42. I was so excited. Then in May, Taylor and I ran the Race for the Cure. I beat my time by one minute.
It was right after this race that my mom fell really ill. I kept up with my diet and exercise all the way through June, when she passed away, and then I just lost all motivation. I went back to old eating habits. My feet were a wreck so I quit doing any exercise. I very slowly, over the course of a year, put those 20 pounds right back on and despite trying to lose it again from time to time, I just wasn't committed. By now I was a yo-yo dieter which is one of the worst things to do for weight loss. My metabolism was all screwed up.
This spring, Taylor told me she wants to do the races again and I got really scared. I have been going back to the gym, and tweaking my diet to find out what my triggers are. However, when she told me she wanted to run again, I was really scared. Thankfully I had remedied my foot problem. For the last several years, I had been wearing Asics and my feet just kept getting worse. I talked to a person that has the same problem that I do with her feet and she recommended some (very spendy) Nikes to me. Boy, that has made all the difference in the world. I have very little foot pain anymore. I can jog, jump, walk in stores (that used to really trigger foot pain), with no problems at all. I have not been able to shed a single pound despide my toughest efforts. I am trying to push through this and keep doing the things I need to do without getting discouraged. Some days are better than others.
I am elated that my kids want to be a part of these races and go hiking and just be outside. So I decided to go ahead and do this local race with my girls. At this point, my goal was to just finish without dying. I managed to make it through to the end in 46.5 minutes. Twelve minutes longer than it took Taylor and 10 longer than Bridget. BUT, I finished. And it felt really good! I remembered how much I loved doing it and have decided to go ahead with the Race for the Cure again this year. It is the day before Mothers Day. Almost exactly a year from the last time I had a "normal" conversation with my mom. This Mother's day will be tough, but I think the best way to celebrate it, is by doing this with my daughters. I am ever grateful that Taylor dragged me out there this last Saturday morning.
It was right after this race that my mom fell really ill. I kept up with my diet and exercise all the way through June, when she passed away, and then I just lost all motivation. I went back to old eating habits. My feet were a wreck so I quit doing any exercise. I very slowly, over the course of a year, put those 20 pounds right back on and despite trying to lose it again from time to time, I just wasn't committed. By now I was a yo-yo dieter which is one of the worst things to do for weight loss. My metabolism was all screwed up.
This spring, Taylor told me she wants to do the races again and I got really scared. I have been going back to the gym, and tweaking my diet to find out what my triggers are. However, when she told me she wanted to run again, I was really scared. Thankfully I had remedied my foot problem. For the last several years, I had been wearing Asics and my feet just kept getting worse. I talked to a person that has the same problem that I do with her feet and she recommended some (very spendy) Nikes to me. Boy, that has made all the difference in the world. I have very little foot pain anymore. I can jog, jump, walk in stores (that used to really trigger foot pain), with no problems at all. I have not been able to shed a single pound despide my toughest efforts. I am trying to push through this and keep doing the things I need to do without getting discouraged. Some days are better than others.
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| Middleton Fun Run 2013 |
I am elated that my kids want to be a part of these races and go hiking and just be outside. So I decided to go ahead and do this local race with my girls. At this point, my goal was to just finish without dying. I managed to make it through to the end in 46.5 minutes. Twelve minutes longer than it took Taylor and 10 longer than Bridget. BUT, I finished. And it felt really good! I remembered how much I loved doing it and have decided to go ahead with the Race for the Cure again this year. It is the day before Mothers Day. Almost exactly a year from the last time I had a "normal" conversation with my mom. This Mother's day will be tough, but I think the best way to celebrate it, is by doing this with my daughters. I am ever grateful that Taylor dragged me out there this last Saturday morning.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Spring Planting
We had some rain roll in over the weekend so I decided to get some planting done. Things are getting busy around here so I wanted to get this early planting out of the way. We are not out of danger of frost yet, but there are some things that can tolerate the early spring cold. I planted some of the same things last year but am trying a few new things also.
Last year I mentioned I wanted to try growing potatoes, but we never got around to getting the planters built. Since we have the beds for the rest of the garden ready to go, I put Brent to work on the potato beds.
The idea behind the potato towers, is that you can grow a large amount of potatoes in a small space. Since a potato is a tuber, it will shoot off potatoes where there is dirt and room to grow. We found these plans and used them as a base for building them. Potatoes can be grown just about anywhere. Some people use tires, others garbage cans or buckets. They can be grown in the ground and in towers like ours.
We had enough lumber for three towers so I decided to experiment and plant three varieties and see which grew the best in this environment. Many websites say that you can grow 100 lbs of potatoes in this type of set-up. I plan on weighing them at harvest and see what yield we actually get. I planted Little Reds in the first tower, Idaho Russets in the second, and Yukon Golds in the last one. It will be interesting to see which variety does the best.
After I placed the 12 pieces of potato with eyes that were sprouting into the tower, I covered them with dirt. Once they are about 6-12 inches tall, I will fill in dirt until there is 3-6 inches of leaves above ground and we will add another board. This will be repeated until there are 6 layers. Some people wait and do a harvest at the end of the season, or you can harvest throughout the season as well by removing the bottom board and harvesting some potatoes and then putting the dirt back in. I have had little luck storing the big bags of potatoes we get in the fall so I think I will do the harvest as you go method.
Last year I mentioned I wanted to try growing potatoes, but we never got around to getting the planters built. Since we have the beds for the rest of the garden ready to go, I put Brent to work on the potato beds.
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| Cutting the boards |
The idea behind the potato towers, is that you can grow a large amount of potatoes in a small space. Since a potato is a tuber, it will shoot off potatoes where there is dirt and room to grow. We found these plans and used them as a base for building them. Potatoes can be grown just about anywhere. Some people use tires, others garbage cans or buckets. They can be grown in the ground and in towers like ours.
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| Three potato towers |
We had enough lumber for three towers so I decided to experiment and plant three varieties and see which grew the best in this environment. Many websites say that you can grow 100 lbs of potatoes in this type of set-up. I plan on weighing them at harvest and see what yield we actually get. I planted Little Reds in the first tower, Idaho Russets in the second, and Yukon Golds in the last one. It will be interesting to see which variety does the best.
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| Idaho Russett potatoes |
After I placed the 12 pieces of potato with eyes that were sprouting into the tower, I covered them with dirt. Once they are about 6-12 inches tall, I will fill in dirt until there is 3-6 inches of leaves above ground and we will add another board. This will be repeated until there are 6 layers. Some people wait and do a harvest at the end of the season, or you can harvest throughout the season as well by removing the bottom board and harvesting some potatoes and then putting the dirt back in. I have had little luck storing the big bags of potatoes we get in the fall so I think I will do the harvest as you go method.
Along with the potatoes, I planted some sugar pod peas this year. I only planted one row because I will probably be the only one eating them, but I wanted to try something different. I planted a different variety of carrots and radishes than I did last year. The carrots from last year failed to grow very big. I think they were a different variety than what was supposed to be in the package. Then, like last year, I planted lettuce and scallions. I will have to wait until May to plant anything else. We still will get frost and there is still snow on Schafer Butte so I cant plant anything that will not tolerate the cold.
I'm excited for this year's growing season. Everything did so well last year and I am hoping it will do good this year as well.
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| The girls enjoying the dirt from the grass we dug up |
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Better Bread
I have been trying for years to make a decent loaf of bread. It has taken a lot of experimenting and failed attempts, dense rolls, and loaves that didn't rise. I learned to make a decent pizza crust and had been making that for a long time. My family eats a lot of rolls and french bread. I have at least a dozen roll recipes stashed away.. some that were better than others but none that were great. Many times I would have Brent stop into our local grocery store on his way home and grab a loaf of freshly baked french bread to go with dinner. It was quick and easy and not too terribly expensive.
The problem with stopping at the store for one thing.. is you usually end up buying at least 3 or 4 things and that can really add up. I was on Pinterest one day and came across this recipe. It looked simple enough so I thought I would try it. After making this french bread half a dozen times, I don't think I will ever buy it again.
Here is how mine turned out. I usually make it into two large loaves using one the day I make it and saving the other for either kids' lunches, or another nights meal.
The problem with stopping at the store for one thing.. is you usually end up buying at least 3 or 4 things and that can really add up. I was on Pinterest one day and came across this recipe. It looked simple enough so I thought I would try it. After making this french bread half a dozen times, I don't think I will ever buy it again.
Here is how mine turned out. I usually make it into two large loaves using one the day I make it and saving the other for either kids' lunches, or another nights meal.
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| Shaped into loaves |
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| Slicing and doing an egg wash |
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| Baked to perfection |
These got a tad bit darker than I would have liked, but I am still learning the ins and outs of my new double oven. This french bread turns out so soft and airy. Spencer (4) gets so excited when I make the "squishy bread"! It is perfect for eating hot out of the oven, turning it into garlic bread, or as leftovers for sandwiches. It is so incredibly fast to make. I can make a batch in about 2 hours from start to finish with little babysitting. I wish I had known how easy this was a very long time ago.
I recently got a Wondermill grain mill so I will be making much more bread in the near future. It really is an art but nothing beats a fresh loaf of bread.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Knee Deep
I didn't fall off the face of the earth, I have just been... preoccupied. Since we have come to the realization that we will be living in this house for a while, or at least someday sell and hopefully profit on it, we decided to start working on some home improvement projects. We bought this house after the owners foreclosed on it and put it on the market at a steal of deal. It was too good to pass up so we took advantage of what started out as a bad situation.
Since this was a rental for so long, many things had been neglected. It was fairly dirty, there are chunks of drywall missing in places and bad patch jobs in others. There is no color on the walls, the carpet has been well worn, and the appliances were overused and not very efficient. The first goal was to paint.. everything. However plans changed and we started to do a mini kitchen renovation. After some quotes, we decided we would do most of it ourselves other than the counter top refinishing.
I will have some before/after pictures eventually, once I locate the befores. It is finally starting to come together nicely although it was sketchy at first. I was without a sink and dishwasher for about 2 weeks and I have since come to truly appreciate their presence in my kitchen. Washing dishes in my bathtub was getting really tiring. I realize this is a first world problem but most of the problems in America are. Sometimes we just don't realize how good we have it.
I digress... so far, we have a new stove, dishwasher and microwave (that still needs to be installed), and new sink and faucet (that yours truly installed herself). The counters are refinished and I am about 80% sure of a paint color. I need to find some curtain fabric so I can take down the horrid faux wood blinds. It will be nice when things get spruced up with some new paint. We are also hoping to paint all the cabinets and trim. We have learned so much about each other and home improvement in these last few weeks. I also appreciate the people who do this sort of work for a living as it really is an art form.
I am trying to do a little more reading lately. We went to the book store to look at some books the other day and I found this little gem in the bargain shelves.
My kids are all on Spring Break this week so that in itself has presented many challenges. Thankfully we have had good weather compared to some that are experiencing snow storms in March. I think Punxsutawny Phil better run for cover because I know a few people who would like to have his hide! I, on the other hand will be enjoying almost 70 degree weather in the upcoming days where I will be planning the final layout for my 2013 garden.
Happy Spring y'all!
Since this was a rental for so long, many things had been neglected. It was fairly dirty, there are chunks of drywall missing in places and bad patch jobs in others. There is no color on the walls, the carpet has been well worn, and the appliances were overused and not very efficient. The first goal was to paint.. everything. However plans changed and we started to do a mini kitchen renovation. After some quotes, we decided we would do most of it ourselves other than the counter top refinishing.
I will have some before/after pictures eventually, once I locate the befores. It is finally starting to come together nicely although it was sketchy at first. I was without a sink and dishwasher for about 2 weeks and I have since come to truly appreciate their presence in my kitchen. Washing dishes in my bathtub was getting really tiring. I realize this is a first world problem but most of the problems in America are. Sometimes we just don't realize how good we have it.
I digress... so far, we have a new stove, dishwasher and microwave (that still needs to be installed), and new sink and faucet (that yours truly installed herself). The counters are refinished and I am about 80% sure of a paint color. I need to find some curtain fabric so I can take down the horrid faux wood blinds. It will be nice when things get spruced up with some new paint. We are also hoping to paint all the cabinets and trim. We have learned so much about each other and home improvement in these last few weeks. I also appreciate the people who do this sort of work for a living as it really is an art form.
I am trying to do a little more reading lately. We went to the book store to look at some books the other day and I found this little gem in the bargain shelves.
Now I know most of you won't appreciate the all kinds of wonderful this little book holds, but for my fellow lefties, trust me when I say how great it is. I would never have thought to read books on being left-handed but growing up as a lefty in a right-handed world, I can honestly find the humor and truth within these pages.
My kids are all on Spring Break this week so that in itself has presented many challenges. Thankfully we have had good weather compared to some that are experiencing snow storms in March. I think Punxsutawny Phil better run for cover because I know a few people who would like to have his hide! I, on the other hand will be enjoying almost 70 degree weather in the upcoming days where I will be planning the final layout for my 2013 garden.
Happy Spring y'all!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
For the Birds
We had an unusually cold winter this year. For a few weeks it was below freezing constantly. We have had a few warm days since that cold spell but the last few days it has been really windy and chilly. I can't wait for some warmer weather when I can get my garden going and spend time outside.
This winter we decided to put up a bird feeder. When I was young, we had one in our backyard that my dad built. I loved identifying all the different birds and seeing the same ones come back time and time again. I have wanted one here for a long time and a couple weeks ago Brent thought we needed one too.
I have really enjoyed having birds around. Our dog, Kati, who happens to be a bird dog, happens to think its pretty great to have all the tweeties in the yard. She has long since ignored the chickens but is enticed by the little ones. Part of what makes having a bird feeder around is the fact that many of the birds found in Idaho, were not found in Tennessee. I have my handy little bird identification books around so I can look them up.
This winter we decided to put up a bird feeder. When I was young, we had one in our backyard that my dad built. I loved identifying all the different birds and seeing the same ones come back time and time again. I have wanted one here for a long time and a couple weeks ago Brent thought we needed one too.
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| My childhood cat, Patches, waiting in the birdfeeder |
I have really enjoyed having birds around. Our dog, Kati, who happens to be a bird dog, happens to think its pretty great to have all the tweeties in the yard. She has long since ignored the chickens but is enticed by the little ones. Part of what makes having a bird feeder around is the fact that many of the birds found in Idaho, were not found in Tennessee. I have my handy little bird identification books around so I can look them up.
Some of the things we discovered is how many hawks are around here. We see hawks flying around all the time but usually not in our backyard. Last summer a Robin built its nest in our tree and hatched five little babies. The kids were excited. Then one day one of the kids went to check on the babies and the nest was totally empty. Someone said it might have been a Magpie, but we don't usually see those either. After we put up the feeders, there were a lot of hawks hanging around. So we thought maybe it was a hawk that plucked those featherless babies from the safety of their nest.
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| Kati is not enthused with the chickens |
We have watched some hawks nose dive the little house sparrows and goldfinches. We have even found some feathers on the ground. One day there was a young Cooper's hawk on our fence eating what appeared to be a little bird. This just proved that they are around in full force. I know next time I have baby chickens I will be really careful to keep them safe. It would be horrible to have one plucked from the pen by a hawk.
Some of the other birds we have seen are various finches, a downy woodpecker, several Northern flickers, and many doves, starlings, and robins. I am hoping spring will bring back some of the migrating birds and we will see some different species. I also want to put up a hummingbird feeder. I am really glad we decided to put up the feeders this year and hopefully we will enjoy them for many seasons to come.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Open for business
Back in December, I mentioned my first craft show. It went really well and I decided to try and sell my little aprons online and had to get a shop up and going. I'm not one to really put myself out there much and I know the competition is stiff but everyone has to start somewhere right?
When my girls were little, my mother-in-law gifted me her old sewing machine. I toyed with my mothers when I was a teenager, making hair scrunchies for my hair. I always liked the idea of sewing because my mom made us some nice dresses from time to time. My mother-in-law taught me the basics and then I was pretty much on my own. Thankfully kids clothes are forgiving so I was able to practice on my kids clothes. I still have a lot to learn but for now I am having fun.
I decided to use the ever popular Etsy to sell my little aprons. I still have to get some more inventory in there and it would be great if I had a little girl model but for now it will do. I am also in the process of fancy-ing up the girls style and I want to design a teen one. One of my "little" girls isn't so little anymore and I will need to design something more appropriate for her.
These aprons would be great for baking, gardening, art, or whatever ones heart desires. So hop on over to my little shop and take a peek! I have aprons for girl and boy children and toddlers and am willing to discuss custom fabric requests.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Eating wild
When I was little, we had neighbors that would host a huge 4th of July bar-b-que and all the neighbors were invited. I looked forward to it every year. They had a huge pit in their backyard where they smoked an entire pig for a few days before the event and it was delicious. One of those years they had a huge spread of different food to eat. When I asked them what some of it was, They responded with venison and goat. There was NO WAY I would have touched it. Then I grew up and married a hunter.
My oldest daughter turned 12 this year and bagged her first buck. It was very exciting for all of us. It was right before Thanksgiving and my father-in-law was coming down for the holiday anyways but ended up coming a few days early to help process it. It was so nice of him to help out as Brent had to work and I was clueless. The weather was too warm to let it hang any longer so it needed to be done. I did watch though and tried taking mental notes on how it was quartered and skinned.
Some of my first posts on this blog over 2 years ago were about my misadventures with wild game. I have struggled with birds and fish and this was my first time dealing with venison. We didn't really have time over Thanksgiving to deal with the trimming of the venison so we threw it all in the freezer until we had time to grind it up and make sausage. Since Brent had so much time off over the Christmas holiday we decided to tackle it then. On Christmas day, while the kids all toyed with their new goodies, we went at it. We were up until midnight grinding and packaging up pounds and pounds of breakfast sausage. It turned out really good. The kids haven't developed a taste for it yet but hopefully they will. Brent and I really like it though.
The pheasant was much better this time around than previous times but I still think there is a better way. I was surprised how quickly I got the hang of taking the meat off. There ended up being very little waste once I got the technique down. I had never really messed with anything like that before. I am used to prepackaged chicken breasts and tenders. Other than the Thanksgiving turkey I am pretty inexperienced with bone-in meat.
My oldest daughter turned 12 this year and bagged her first buck. It was very exciting for all of us. It was right before Thanksgiving and my father-in-law was coming down for the holiday anyways but ended up coming a few days early to help process it. It was so nice of him to help out as Brent had to work and I was clueless. The weather was too warm to let it hang any longer so it needed to be done. I did watch though and tried taking mental notes on how it was quartered and skinned.
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| Taylor's buck |
Some of my first posts on this blog over 2 years ago were about my misadventures with wild game. I have struggled with birds and fish and this was my first time dealing with venison. We didn't really have time over Thanksgiving to deal with the trimming of the venison so we threw it all in the freezer until we had time to grind it up and make sausage. Since Brent had so much time off over the Christmas holiday we decided to tackle it then. On Christmas day, while the kids all toyed with their new goodies, we went at it. We were up until midnight grinding and packaging up pounds and pounds of breakfast sausage. It turned out really good. The kids haven't developed a taste for it yet but hopefully they will. Brent and I really like it though.
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| Deer steak in my Gramma's old cast iron skillet |
Throughout the season Brent has been bagging some various birds. Chukar, quail, Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse and sometimes a pheasant. We decided to thaw these out and make a meal out of them. The birds are delicious but it takes quite a few to feed this family. Thankfully all of my kids love them. I have not had a lot of success with pheasant in the past. It is really lean and cooks pretty quickly. Today, in order to make the cooking process a little faster I decided to just cut the breasts off all of them and fry them up.
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| Fried quail breasts |
I just used a flour breading on the quail and a Panko breading on the larger birds. I wish I had taken note of the different birds I cooked because they all had their own unique taste. The quail is the biggest hit around these parts though. Too bad it takes so many to get a decent batch. There were 7 quail this time around, enough for each person to have one whole quail.
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| Quail, Panko crusted pheasant and others |
The pheasant was much better this time around than previous times but I still think there is a better way. I was surprised how quickly I got the hang of taking the meat off. There ended up being very little waste once I got the technique down. I had never really messed with anything like that before. I am used to prepackaged chicken breasts and tenders. Other than the Thanksgiving turkey I am pretty inexperienced with bone-in meat.
To round off the day, I made some venison stew. I wish I had more of the stew meat. It was a little potato heavy but tasted good nonetheless. I have been trying to get away from prepackaged seasonings and making my own. It is surprisingly easy. I make my own taco, chili and stew seasoning now and so far there are little complaints. The biggest complaint is that I go heavy on the amount I cook with because it isnt measured out for me. It is still so much better than MSG laden seasonings. In fact when we were making the deer sausage, we looked all over for a prepackaged seasoning and all of them had MSG as the first ingredient, so we resorted to a recipe and it turned out great.
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| Venison stew |
I am just really happy that I am getting the hang of cooking this meat. It would be a shame to waste any of it. It is so tasty and healthy (except when fried in a ton of butter!) and I get excited each time my husband and his bird dog bring home some more birds, and hope someone is able to get a deer (or elk) each season as well.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Building Traditions
The semester has rolled to an end, the snow has fallen in the foothills, and the Holiday season is in its final stages. I managed to pass chemistry with an A. I really struggled in that class although my grade does not reflect it. I feel like I really earned it through a lot of hard work, long night and even tears.
This is me and Brent's 13th Christmas together, and our 12th one as parents. You would think that it's easy to build traditions from the start but it never really seemed to work out that way. For many, many years I felt like we didn't really have our own traditions and rituals that we could call our own. This year it felt different. I don't know if it's because I have been home practically the whole holiday season or if its because I lost my mom this year and it has seemed important to build these memories with my family so they will stay with them forever and hopefully pass them on to their own children.
Growing up, my family had a lot of traditions. I have tried incorporating them into my own family and some just seemed to work their way in by accident. Having parents from two totally different backgrounds has made it a little more interesting also. Brent has his own memories from Christmas and I have mine. When we were newlyweds, his Grandma Olive would send us packages of cookies. Her family is of Norwegian descent so the treats she would send were traditional Scandinavian cookies.
I would be lying if I said I was the best baker in the house. Brent has earned that title through and through. I just consider myself his little helper. We were able to get the recipes from his grandma and we bought some of the special tools needed to make some of the cookies and his dad had a few older ones that he sent to us to use as well. About a week before Christmas we took all the stuff out, Brent made the dough, and then we all got busy making some cookies.
It was a lot of fun and the kids seemed to enjoy it. It is nice being able to pass some of the family heritage down to the kids. All we can do is expose them to it and hope they carry it on in their lives. We made three different kind of Scandinavian cookies. The first are a family favorite called Kringlers or Kringles. There are many variations as we learned but in the end we went with his grandma's tried and true recipe. Next we made Almond tartlets or Sandkakes. I really liked these. It's what they are making in the photos above. The final kind we made were Rosettes. These were fun to make. They are similar to a funnel cake where you take batter and put it in hot oil until it fries and then you sprinkle powdered sugar on top but these cookies are in pretty shapes like roses and stars. They weren't a favorite but were interesting to make.
This is me and Brent's 13th Christmas together, and our 12th one as parents. You would think that it's easy to build traditions from the start but it never really seemed to work out that way. For many, many years I felt like we didn't really have our own traditions and rituals that we could call our own. This year it felt different. I don't know if it's because I have been home practically the whole holiday season or if its because I lost my mom this year and it has seemed important to build these memories with my family so they will stay with them forever and hopefully pass them on to their own children.
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| Our Christmas Tree |
Growing up, my family had a lot of traditions. I have tried incorporating them into my own family and some just seemed to work their way in by accident. Having parents from two totally different backgrounds has made it a little more interesting also. Brent has his own memories from Christmas and I have mine. When we were newlyweds, his Grandma Olive would send us packages of cookies. Her family is of Norwegian descent so the treats she would send were traditional Scandinavian cookies.
I would be lying if I said I was the best baker in the house. Brent has earned that title through and through. I just consider myself his little helper. We were able to get the recipes from his grandma and we bought some of the special tools needed to make some of the cookies and his dad had a few older ones that he sent to us to use as well. About a week before Christmas we took all the stuff out, Brent made the dough, and then we all got busy making some cookies.
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| The BEST baker in the house |
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| Taylor the apprentice |
It was a lot of fun and the kids seemed to enjoy it. It is nice being able to pass some of the family heritage down to the kids. All we can do is expose them to it and hope they carry it on in their lives. We made three different kind of Scandinavian cookies. The first are a family favorite called Kringlers or Kringles. There are many variations as we learned but in the end we went with his grandma's tried and true recipe. Next we made Almond tartlets or Sandkakes. I really liked these. It's what they are making in the photos above. The final kind we made were Rosettes. These were fun to make. They are similar to a funnel cake where you take batter and put it in hot oil until it fries and then you sprinkle powdered sugar on top but these cookies are in pretty shapes like roses and stars. They weren't a favorite but were interesting to make.
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| Rosettes |
I am sure this will be a tradition that will be carried on for many years to come. There are many other kinds of cookies that we didn't try yet but there is always next year. Our next adventure will be making Lefse!
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| Kringlers, Sandkakes, Rosettes |
Sunday, December 30, 2012
The new year is upon us
It's that time of year again. The new year is closing in quickly and for once I am glad this year has come to an end. I have no real regrets, I accomplished a few things I set out to do, and I am going into the new year with a clear plan of where I want to go in my life. For the first time that I can think of, I know what I want to be doing and where I'd like to see myself in a year or two, I just don't know how I am going to get there just yet.
I reviewed my goals of 2012 and was thrilled to see I accomplished some of them this last year. My final kid potty trained back in June!! I am so glad diapers are out of my house for good. I also ran my first and second 5K, I got my garden up and going, and for the most part we have a semi-working budget. We also were able to take a vacation even though it wasn't to the ocean.
I was doing really well with the weight loss. I made it to about 27 pounds lost and then my mom passed away and I pretty much gave up. I also managed to re-gain over half that weight back and totally lose focus. My foot injury didn't help either as I was unable to do the one thing I really enjoyed. This being said, I plan to hop back on the wagon this year and I want to do a juice detox to sort of clean all these truffles and candies out from my insides.
My blog still looks as crappy as it did last year and I didn't post as much as I wanted to. I need to learn my way around the computer somehow, spruce up this blog and make sure all the pictures work. I will also be launching an Etsy shop in the near future of some things I am creating.
Thanks to everyone who sticks around to read what I have to say. I know this year will bring bigger and better things for me and my family and I wish the same for you and yours!
I reviewed my goals of 2012 and was thrilled to see I accomplished some of them this last year. My final kid potty trained back in June!! I am so glad diapers are out of my house for good. I also ran my first and second 5K, I got my garden up and going, and for the most part we have a semi-working budget. We also were able to take a vacation even though it wasn't to the ocean.
I was doing really well with the weight loss. I made it to about 27 pounds lost and then my mom passed away and I pretty much gave up. I also managed to re-gain over half that weight back and totally lose focus. My foot injury didn't help either as I was unable to do the one thing I really enjoyed. This being said, I plan to hop back on the wagon this year and I want to do a juice detox to sort of clean all these truffles and candies out from my insides.
My blog still looks as crappy as it did last year and I didn't post as much as I wanted to. I need to learn my way around the computer somehow, spruce up this blog and make sure all the pictures work. I will also be launching an Etsy shop in the near future of some things I am creating.
Thanks to everyone who sticks around to read what I have to say. I know this year will bring bigger and better things for me and my family and I wish the same for you and yours!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
My 40/40 list: Part II
Back in April I posted my 40/40 list: part 1 and I had no idea it was going to take this long to come up with 20 more items. I wanted to make sure they were realistic goals and give myself enough time to think of things I really wanted in my life. I finally finished the second half of it and am ready to post it.
21. Go to the Oregon Coast: Its about an 8 hr drive from here and we almost went this past summer but decided to go to Wallowa Lake instead.
22. Make my three youngest kids a quilt of their own
23. Go on a back country trail ride: Idaho has such beautiful back country, I would like to see it on horseback someday.
24. Raise some meat chickens: and process them myself. This was something I was going to do last year but ran out of time with the busy summer.
25. Go ice fishing: My husband takes the kids each year and soon we will all be able to go. They seem to have a good time and now that the kids are getting older I hope it can be a family event some of the time.
21. Go to the Oregon Coast: Its about an 8 hr drive from here and we almost went this past summer but decided to go to Wallowa Lake instead.
22. Make my three youngest kids a quilt of their own
23. Go on a back country trail ride: Idaho has such beautiful back country, I would like to see it on horseback someday.
24. Raise some meat chickens: and process them myself. This was something I was going to do last year but ran out of time with the busy summer.
25. Go ice fishing: My husband takes the kids each year and soon we will all be able to go. They seem to have a good time and now that the kids are getting older I hope it can be a family event some of the time.
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| Taylor and her large trout |
26. Float the Boise River
27. Ride the Zip Idaho zip line: I remember riding a small zip line as a kid and it was a lot of fun.
28. Go hunting: I have no idea what for but I need to put my hunters ed to good use.
29. Ride a jet boat in Hell's Canyon
30. Stay at an all inclusive ranch: It would be nice to go on vacation and not have to do anything.. just relax, ride horses, swim, hike..
31. Run the Dirty Dash: I was supposed to do this in 2012, but by the time August rolled around, I was not int he proper shape for it.
32. Own some kind of livestock: which means......
33. We will be living at our final destination: I think we knew all along that this was not going to be our final home, but the stars need to do some major aligning in order for us to get to where we want to be with a little bit of land, where life is a lot slower.
34. Become completely debt-free aside from the house.
35. Complete my Idaho Master Naturalist training: I never became fully certified so beginning in January I am going to pick up the pace with volunteering.
36. Go cat-fishing: YUM
28. Go hunting: I have no idea what for but I need to put my hunters ed to good use.
29. Ride a jet boat in Hell's Canyon
30. Stay at an all inclusive ranch: It would be nice to go on vacation and not have to do anything.. just relax, ride horses, swim, hike..
31. Run the Dirty Dash: I was supposed to do this in 2012, but by the time August rolled around, I was not int he proper shape for it.
32. Own some kind of livestock: which means......
33. We will be living at our final destination: I think we knew all along that this was not going to be our final home, but the stars need to do some major aligning in order for us to get to where we want to be with a little bit of land, where life is a lot slower.
34. Become completely debt-free aside from the house.
35. Complete my Idaho Master Naturalist training: I never became fully certified so beginning in January I am going to pick up the pace with volunteering.
36. Go cat-fishing: YUM
37. Volunteer at the Idaho Bird Observatory banding birds
38. Go to Yellowstone: Its just too close to not include on here!
39. Visit Silverwood Theme Park and the Northern Idaho Panhandle
40. See either a Cirque du Soleil or ice skating performance
So there it is, my odd list of things I want to accomplish in the next 5 years. I know some of them will happen next year. I know others won't happen for another couple of years but I will do my best to get these marked off my list!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Busy days of winter
You would think with my not working anymore that I would be posting like crazy. I don't know if it's writers block, or I am just too busy with life but I have had nothing to write about lately. Christmas is creeping up on me so quickly, final exams are in a week and a half, and the kids are busy with school programs and basketball tournaments. We are also trying to squeeze in some of the local holiday festivities. I have to give our little town some credit, they know how to bring the community together. It seems every holiday has some great community activities.
I have one project I have been working on. This last month I have been making child and toddler aprons. I wanted to have my online shop up and going but I am still working on it. Last weekend I was a vendor at my first craft show. It was through the kids school and was very small but it was perfect for me to get my feet wet. I sold quite a few aprons and made a profit so I think it is something I will expand on. I really enjoy making them and they are so cute and versatile. I still have quite a few aprons available if any of you know of a little one that likes to bake, garden, paint, or just play pretend!
Taylor has had a pretty exciting year overall. She turned 12 this year which meant she could now go hunting. She and her dad spent a couple of weekends searching for her trophy deer and she came home successful.. She shot a really nice buck and had a great experience with her dad. I am sure it was something she will never forget. It's also nice having some game meat in the freezer. I have learned that I prefer meat that has been shot or caught rather than bought by far. I have been using my gramma's old cast iron skillet to cook up the deer steaks and they are delicious! Brent has also been doing a little bird hunting and ice fishing will be upon us before we know it. There's nothing like a freezer full of deer meat, chukar, and trout!
These next weeks will be busy with baking, basketball, school and Christmas. I will be so happy to have a month off before I have to start back at school. I learned that I need a few more classes in order to graduate so I will have to push graduation out another semester. I am pretty bummed-out about that but I have come too far to just quit. I really wanted to graduate in the spring but it wasn't meant to be. I will just keep on trucking until I get that diploma.
I have some planned culinary adventures that I hope to report on. I am a lot more comfortable in the kitchen than I was when I began this blog but I still feel I have so far to go. We are trying to eat more locally and conscientious as we were before since we have slipped a bit with that. It really is a transition and with rising food costs and financial road-blocks, it doesn't make it any easier. Having a flock of chickens that aren't laying due to fewer daylight hours and their untimely molting doesn't help matters either.
I'd like to give the blog a face-lift and do some regular posting this coming new year. I know I could make it more interesting than it has been this past year and that will be my resolution. I love to write and this is a great outlet for it. In case I don't make it back before the holidays, then I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and I appreciate you all taking the time to read my thoughts.
I have one project I have been working on. This last month I have been making child and toddler aprons. I wanted to have my online shop up and going but I am still working on it. Last weekend I was a vendor at my first craft show. It was through the kids school and was very small but it was perfect for me to get my feet wet. I sold quite a few aprons and made a profit so I think it is something I will expand on. I really enjoy making them and they are so cute and versatile. I still have quite a few aprons available if any of you know of a little one that likes to bake, garden, paint, or just play pretend!
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| Spencer modeling an apron |
Taylor's basketball team has made it to the tournament. They finished off the regular season with 7-3 record. I am really proud of how well she has grown as a player and that she has found something she really loves to do. We will have about a month off and then it will be time to start a round of AAU basketball. She is really excited to be playing AAU. It will be a bit more competitive than the inter valley league she has been playing.
Taylor has had a pretty exciting year overall. She turned 12 this year which meant she could now go hunting. She and her dad spent a couple of weekends searching for her trophy deer and she came home successful.. She shot a really nice buck and had a great experience with her dad. I am sure it was something she will never forget. It's also nice having some game meat in the freezer. I have learned that I prefer meat that has been shot or caught rather than bought by far. I have been using my gramma's old cast iron skillet to cook up the deer steaks and they are delicious! Brent has also been doing a little bird hunting and ice fishing will be upon us before we know it. There's nothing like a freezer full of deer meat, chukar, and trout!
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| Taylor's first buck |
These next weeks will be busy with baking, basketball, school and Christmas. I will be so happy to have a month off before I have to start back at school. I learned that I need a few more classes in order to graduate so I will have to push graduation out another semester. I am pretty bummed-out about that but I have come too far to just quit. I really wanted to graduate in the spring but it wasn't meant to be. I will just keep on trucking until I get that diploma.
I have some planned culinary adventures that I hope to report on. I am a lot more comfortable in the kitchen than I was when I began this blog but I still feel I have so far to go. We are trying to eat more locally and conscientious as we were before since we have slipped a bit with that. It really is a transition and with rising food costs and financial road-blocks, it doesn't make it any easier. Having a flock of chickens that aren't laying due to fewer daylight hours and their untimely molting doesn't help matters either.
I'd like to give the blog a face-lift and do some regular posting this coming new year. I know I could make it more interesting than it has been this past year and that will be my resolution. I love to write and this is a great outlet for it. In case I don't make it back before the holidays, then I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and I appreciate you all taking the time to read my thoughts.
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| My table at the craft fair |
Friday, October 26, 2012
Changes... and my first 40/40 triumph!
I am almost finished compiling my 40/40 list and only have to think of five more things to add to it. I am proud to say however, that I have marked off the first item on the list!! After long discussions with my husband, many sleepless nights, and plenty of number crunching. I decided it was time to leave Wal-Mart. I am still in a shock and it feels a little bit surreal since it has only been a week, but I am 100% certain it was the right thing to do.
I have been thinking about this for a long time, but it wasn't until my mom passed away that I realized how fragile life was and how important it is to spend time with those that are the most important to you. It is unfortunate that it took a tragedy such as this to make me realize how much I have been missing out on and that this was not the sort of life I wanted to be living.
My Grandmother secured this job for me when I was 16 and in need of a driver's license. Since I was not allowed to drive until I got a job, this was a good fit. It was a family affair with my grandmother and aunt working in the same store. I knew a lot of people there and my best friend Shelly worked with me as well. I made relationships that have stuck with me throughout my life and I would be lying if I said there weren't some good times at store #667 in Tullahoma, TN.
Working for Wal-Mart provided quite a bit of flexibility as I moved to three different states and five separate stores, bore five children and returned to school. I managed to work there for 18.5 years. Through the years, Wal-Mart's store policy has become stricter with scheduling and criteria for part-time vs. full time associates which affected things like insurance, vacation, and personal flexibility.
Ever since my first child was born 12 years ago, I have missed many of the extra-curricular activities they have participated in not to mention the things they were unable to do because of my work schedule. This includes school activities, sports, theater productions, and community and family events. At this point in time it means I would miss my daughters first year playing on the "A" team for middle school basketball. This is something she is very excited about and devoted to and it would be terrible if I couldn't be there to support her.
Since I would leave for work as soon as my husband would get home, the kids were used to being in a single-parent environment most of the time and it has caused conflict with parenting styles and it was hard for us to collaborate on discipline and chores. Together, my husband and I make a pretty good team, but it was hard to execute when we were rarely home at the same time. That one hour before I would leave for work was extremely hectic and stressful for me, my husband and the kids.
On top of the emotional toll it took on my family life, I was physically beginning to feel the effects of working in that environment. My body hurts in ways I don't understand. I have foot pain that is directly related to working on the concrete floors, and would suffer minor carpel tunnel from time to time. At only 34 years old, I hobble around like someone much older despite being in better shape than I have been in during the last decade.
It was a hard decision to come to, and we weighed all the pros and cons but when it came down to it, this was the best decision for our family. It was breaking my heart to miss so much and to see my kids grow up knowing I was missing so much of it. Hopefully I am not too late and we can enjoy being a family and doing things together because that is what matters the most. Even though this decision will provide us with many challenges, it will make life much more rewarding.
I have been thinking about this for a long time, but it wasn't until my mom passed away that I realized how fragile life was and how important it is to spend time with those that are the most important to you. It is unfortunate that it took a tragedy such as this to make me realize how much I have been missing out on and that this was not the sort of life I wanted to be living.
My Grandmother secured this job for me when I was 16 and in need of a driver's license. Since I was not allowed to drive until I got a job, this was a good fit. It was a family affair with my grandmother and aunt working in the same store. I knew a lot of people there and my best friend Shelly worked with me as well. I made relationships that have stuck with me throughout my life and I would be lying if I said there weren't some good times at store #667 in Tullahoma, TN.
Working for Wal-Mart provided quite a bit of flexibility as I moved to three different states and five separate stores, bore five children and returned to school. I managed to work there for 18.5 years. Through the years, Wal-Mart's store policy has become stricter with scheduling and criteria for part-time vs. full time associates which affected things like insurance, vacation, and personal flexibility.
Ever since my first child was born 12 years ago, I have missed many of the extra-curricular activities they have participated in not to mention the things they were unable to do because of my work schedule. This includes school activities, sports, theater productions, and community and family events. At this point in time it means I would miss my daughters first year playing on the "A" team for middle school basketball. This is something she is very excited about and devoted to and it would be terrible if I couldn't be there to support her.
Since I would leave for work as soon as my husband would get home, the kids were used to being in a single-parent environment most of the time and it has caused conflict with parenting styles and it was hard for us to collaborate on discipline and chores. Together, my husband and I make a pretty good team, but it was hard to execute when we were rarely home at the same time. That one hour before I would leave for work was extremely hectic and stressful for me, my husband and the kids.
On top of the emotional toll it took on my family life, I was physically beginning to feel the effects of working in that environment. My body hurts in ways I don't understand. I have foot pain that is directly related to working on the concrete floors, and would suffer minor carpel tunnel from time to time. At only 34 years old, I hobble around like someone much older despite being in better shape than I have been in during the last decade.
It was a hard decision to come to, and we weighed all the pros and cons but when it came down to it, this was the best decision for our family. It was breaking my heart to miss so much and to see my kids grow up knowing I was missing so much of it. Hopefully I am not too late and we can enjoy being a family and doing things together because that is what matters the most. Even though this decision will provide us with many challenges, it will make life much more rewarding.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Easy Turtles
I have never been very creative, in the kitchen or otherwise. In the craft department I am usually able to duplicate something, or if it has a pattern, like cross stitching or sewing, it's a piece of cake. In the kitchen, I am golden (usually) if I have a recipe. Before my mom passed away I would frequently send her emails asking for certain recipes that she used to make and techniques she used to make something. Just a couple of weeks ago, in fact, my sister called me asking "how did mom make fried okra?". I had no clue. Since leaving the south nearly 13 years ago, my taste buds have not been anywhere near okra as I don't think too many people out this way eat it any other way than pickled. She used to cook it just right. It wasn't battered like you find in the store, it was breaded, and she would cook it until it was crunchy and to most people it would appear burnt, but it was so delicious.
Now, my mom loved sweets. But for her it wasn't just any sweets. She had her favorites, and she was really good at making things that other people loved and she hated. For instance, as long as I lived in her house, I got a made from scratch carrot cake for my birthday. It was fantastic, but there was no way you would ever catch her eating any of it. What did she like? Well one of the things that stands out to me is a turtle. I too love turtles. My dad would get her a whole box of them at Christmas, just for her.
Last week I bought some caramels with the intent of making some caramel apples with the kids. The other night I was craving something sweet, since my diet is on hold until my will power decides to return. I grabbed a caramel, and two pecan halves and popped it in the microwave to melt it a little and what came next was pure genius. I thought, hmm, this is so good. All it needs is some chocolate and voila! It's a turtle.
Tonight I grabbed my daughter to lend me a hand and here is what went down. This is so simple, and to most probably common sense, but honestly my brain just doesn't usually function this way.
1. Grab a bag of Kraft caramels and a few kids to start unwrapping them into a bowl.
Now, my mom loved sweets. But for her it wasn't just any sweets. She had her favorites, and she was really good at making things that other people loved and she hated. For instance, as long as I lived in her house, I got a made from scratch carrot cake for my birthday. It was fantastic, but there was no way you would ever catch her eating any of it. What did she like? Well one of the things that stands out to me is a turtle. I too love turtles. My dad would get her a whole box of them at Christmas, just for her.
Last week I bought some caramels with the intent of making some caramel apples with the kids. The other night I was craving something sweet, since my diet is on hold until my will power decides to return. I grabbed a caramel, and two pecan halves and popped it in the microwave to melt it a little and what came next was pure genius. I thought, hmm, this is so good. All it needs is some chocolate and voila! It's a turtle.
Tonight I grabbed my daughter to lend me a hand and here is what went down. This is so simple, and to most probably common sense, but honestly my brain just doesn't usually function this way.
1. Grab a bag of Kraft caramels and a few kids to start unwrapping them into a bowl.
2. Take some pecan halves, 2 halves for each caramel, and stick one on each side of a caramel pressing gently so they stick.
3. Place entire plate of caramels into microwave and zap them for about 30 second and test. It took 50 seconds for ours to be soft enough. When they come out of the microwave, immediately squish each one together so they stay stuck. You want them to be soft, but not melted.
4. Place squished candies into the freezer while you melt the chocolate.
5. Choose a chocolate. I had some semi sweet bakers chocolate which would have been perfect for me, but I added 3 cubes of chocolate flavored almond bark to a whole bar of bakers chocolate to sweeten it up a little. Any chocolate that will harden when at room temperature will be fine. Melt the chocolate in the microwave using 30 second intervals and stirring between each until its smooth.
6. Remove the candies from the freezer and get ready to dunk! Using a fork, drop each one into the chocolate and roll it around until fully covered and then place it on wax paper to dry.
7. Try not to lick the entire bowl of chocolate clean, and eat all the caramels in one sitting.
8. Let the candies cool until the chocolate hardens.
There ya go. It's not rocket science but it is good! In honor of my mom and her love of the nutty, caramel-y chocolaty goodness, ENJOY!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
P is for....
Pears, Potatoes, Peppers and Pesto! I have been wrangling with tons of all of this for weeks now and I cannot wait until the harvest is over. This may happen sooner than I thought. Today the high was only in the 60's and we are expecting our first possible frost tonight.
The store I work for ordered too many pears and decided to sell them at rock bottom price and I picked up 72 pounds of ripe Bartlett pears for a little over $7. For three days, I turned them into canned pear slices and pear sauce. In the end I had 18 quarts of sliced pears, and 5 pints of pear sauce. I didn't do the math, but I am pretty sure I came out ahead! By the last box, I was so tired of cutting and peeling pears that I threw the rest out to the chickens. They seemed to enjoy it.
For the last three years, I have been buying large sacks of potatoes locally from some guys in a neighboring town. It seems like a good price as I get 30 lbs for $5. Right now I can get a 10 lb. bag at the store for $1, but these potatoes surpass them in quality. They are HUGE! with very little blemishes and most still are caked with dirt they are so fresh. Did you know when you buy a sack of potatoes from the grocery store, they are usually from the harvest the year before?
Peppers! Where do I begin? I do know that next year I am only planing ONE jalapeno plant. I threw out so many peppers because I didn't get them in the freezer or eaten in time and my chickens hate peppers. My bell pepper plants produced pretty well but they will definitely need more support next time as I lost several to broken branches. My orange ones are just now turning. I hope they can hang on a few more days through the frost. As for the chilies, I looked online and learned to string them up to dry. I will know in a few weeks if that was successful, but they do look pretty hanging in my kitchen!
Pesto.. so delicious in its garlicky flavor. In the middle of summer when my lettuce was all finished, I decided to throw down some basil seeds. Those seeds really thrived in our summer heat! I finally got around to turning some of it into pesto but it didn't make a dent in the crop. If my plants survive the night I plan on finishing them off tomorrow. Pesto has to be frozen and not canned unless you have a pressure canner in which I do not. These plants are nearly 2.5 feet tall and I probably wont get to a fraction of what is on there but I am sure I will appreciate it in the dead of winter.
The store I work for ordered too many pears and decided to sell them at rock bottom price and I picked up 72 pounds of ripe Bartlett pears for a little over $7. For three days, I turned them into canned pear slices and pear sauce. In the end I had 18 quarts of sliced pears, and 5 pints of pear sauce. I didn't do the math, but I am pretty sure I came out ahead! By the last box, I was so tired of cutting and peeling pears that I threw the rest out to the chickens. They seemed to enjoy it.
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| sliced pears |
Peppers! Where do I begin? I do know that next year I am only planing ONE jalapeno plant. I threw out so many peppers because I didn't get them in the freezer or eaten in time and my chickens hate peppers. My bell pepper plants produced pretty well but they will definitely need more support next time as I lost several to broken branches. My orange ones are just now turning. I hope they can hang on a few more days through the frost. As for the chilies, I looked online and learned to string them up to dry. I will know in a few weeks if that was successful, but they do look pretty hanging in my kitchen!
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| ripe chilies hanging to dry |
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| orange bell peppers |
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| Basil |
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wallowa Lake Vacation
A few weeks ago we finished our summer off with a family vacation. This happened to be the first real family vacation we have ever really taken aside from visiting family members. Of course the kids always think visiting family is a vacation, but this was the first get-away we have taken in about 8 years.
We began planning this vacation around January. It was difficult deciding where to go but in the end we decided to get away, but not too far, and stay in a vacation home near Joseph, Oregon by Wallowa Lake. I have firmly decided that the Pacific Northwest is the most beautiful part of the country that I have seen so far. After we left the high desert and entered Oregon, I knew it was going to be a nice weekend.
We were greeted by some locals. These deer were so tame (and very scruffy), the kids were able to pet them and we were able to recognize most of the group by the time we left. They hung around our place the whole four days. I'm sure the kids will always remember that.
The weather was fantastic. We were able to leave the smoke that is engulfing most of Idaho and enjoyed clear, cool skies. We took a tram to the top of a summit and it was very steep. It was well worth the view that greeted us at the top though. It was totally breathtaking. The chipmunks at the top were very tame also. It was reminiscent of when I was young in California and we would go to the coast and feed the chipmunks and squirrels there. The kids fed them and we took a small walk around to a few lookouts.
One of the highlights of the trip for me was watching these Kokanee salmon spawning in the creek. The colors were so brilliant and some of them were just huge!
One of the highlights of the trip was the 1-hour horseback ride I took with the kids. Someday I will get Brent on a horse! I was worried it would be a very un-exciting ride through the woods. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a nice 1,000 ft elevation gain through the forest with some beautiful lookouts of Wallowa Lake. It was the first time the kids had been on a long horseback ride, but I think they really loved it and it was probably the highlight of their trip.
The night before we left we were sitting in the cabin when what looked like a large bird flew over our heads. This little guy had probably been hanging out in our cabin all weekend. It was fun catching him and putting it back outside.
Overall it was a good trip. We had a little bit of drama, but the fun outweighed it. I learned a valuable lesson though. Never feed your preschooler more than one junk food-filled meal in one day, especially when they are not used to eating that way. Cleaning up hot dog bits off your other child in the middle of the night is not a lot of fun.
We began planning this vacation around January. It was difficult deciding where to go but in the end we decided to get away, but not too far, and stay in a vacation home near Joseph, Oregon by Wallowa Lake. I have firmly decided that the Pacific Northwest is the most beautiful part of the country that I have seen so far. After we left the high desert and entered Oregon, I knew it was going to be a nice weekend.
We were greeted by some locals. These deer were so tame (and very scruffy), the kids were able to pet them and we were able to recognize most of the group by the time we left. They hung around our place the whole four days. I'm sure the kids will always remember that.
The weather was fantastic. We were able to leave the smoke that is engulfing most of Idaho and enjoyed clear, cool skies. We took a tram to the top of a summit and it was very steep. It was well worth the view that greeted us at the top though. It was totally breathtaking. The chipmunks at the top were very tame also. It was reminiscent of when I was young in California and we would go to the coast and feed the chipmunks and squirrels there. The kids fed them and we took a small walk around to a few lookouts.
One of the highlights of the trip for me was watching these Kokanee salmon spawning in the creek. The colors were so brilliant and some of them were just huge!
 |
| spawning Kokanee |
One of the highlights of the trip was the 1-hour horseback ride I took with the kids. Someday I will get Brent on a horse! I was worried it would be a very un-exciting ride through the woods. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a nice 1,000 ft elevation gain through the forest with some beautiful lookouts of Wallowa Lake. It was the first time the kids had been on a long horseback ride, but I think they really loved it and it was probably the highlight of their trip.
 |
| Taylor, Bridget and Natalie |
 |
| Cowboy Gavin |
The night before we left we were sitting in the cabin when what looked like a large bird flew over our heads. This little guy had probably been hanging out in our cabin all weekend. It was fun catching him and putting it back outside.
Overall it was a good trip. We had a little bit of drama, but the fun outweighed it. I learned a valuable lesson though. Never feed your preschooler more than one junk food-filled meal in one day, especially when they are not used to eating that way. Cleaning up hot dog bits off your other child in the middle of the night is not a lot of fun.
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| Oh, yeah. I did it. I puked on my brother! |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Summers end
It seems like this summer just flew right by. I suppose having to travel to Tennessee plus having hobbies to keep me busy helped spur it right along. The garden did 100 times better than I ever imagined it would. It has totally served every purpose I wanted it to and then some. My original intent for the garden, was to provide enough green beans to last us all summer and winter in the form of frozen and dilly beans, provide fresh home grown tomatoes, zucchini and squash to eat, and to try to grow a few new things. The amazing thing is that everything I planted, actually produced. I am pretty proud of myself considering I have never grown anything in my life.
As the summer is winding down, I will be getting back into the groove of things. I finally made it back to the gym. I managed to pack on about 8 lbs that I had previously lost since I hadn't seen the gym all summer and only tracked my food sporadically. It felt really good to get back in to the gym and back to a routine. Also this coming week, I return to school.. again. I took last semester off and am back at it with only two classes left. Unfortunately I cannot take the classes simultaneously so my projected graduation date is Spring of 2013. I cannot wait to be done with this.
This year all four older kids are in the same school. I realized after sending them off that first day that this is the first time in about 10 years that I have only had one kid at home. It is a strange feeling and I can't get over how quiet the house is during the day when they are gone. That silence disappears quickly though as soon as they walk through the door.
Ever since my mom passed away, I have been trying to reflect on a lot of things. It's been a difficult few months and some days it is still surreal and I can't believe she is gone. I honestly think the more time goes by the harder it gets. I have had plenty of bad dreams and still can visualize her with the panic in her eyes as she was telling me she was not doing ok that day I was there. It has helped me reflect on my role as a mother and I have been trying to change the way I parent my children. I appreciate my role more now than ever before, but it also makes that role very hard. This was definitely an eye opening experience, and I know it will take a while to heal.
We are still budgeting but we changed from Pear Budget, to using Dave Ramsey's budgeting tool and his Total Money Makeover book. I have had the book for years and tried abiding by it before but quit shortly after starting it. Today, we don't have much debt and have a pretty decent income. It allows us to do things we have not been able to do previously, such as go on a family vacation, purchase things for hobbies and fund expenses ahead of time. However we feel we must stay on a strict budget or else we will find ourselves in the pitfalls of major debt.
I am still working on the rest of my 40/40 list. I have about 9 more items to add to it before I can publish it. I never thought it would be so hard to think of things, but I want to make sure the things I list are realistic. Hopefully I will have lots of new exciting content over the next few months. I have lots of content ready and pictures archived, I just need the discipline to get them posted. Thanks to all my readers who have stuck by my side, not deleting me from their blog roll, and checked in from time to time. I'm glad to know the little following I have is loyal.
As the summer is winding down, I will be getting back into the groove of things. I finally made it back to the gym. I managed to pack on about 8 lbs that I had previously lost since I hadn't seen the gym all summer and only tracked my food sporadically. It felt really good to get back in to the gym and back to a routine. Also this coming week, I return to school.. again. I took last semester off and am back at it with only two classes left. Unfortunately I cannot take the classes simultaneously so my projected graduation date is Spring of 2013. I cannot wait to be done with this.
This year all four older kids are in the same school. I realized after sending them off that first day that this is the first time in about 10 years that I have only had one kid at home. It is a strange feeling and I can't get over how quiet the house is during the day when they are gone. That silence disappears quickly though as soon as they walk through the door.
Ever since my mom passed away, I have been trying to reflect on a lot of things. It's been a difficult few months and some days it is still surreal and I can't believe she is gone. I honestly think the more time goes by the harder it gets. I have had plenty of bad dreams and still can visualize her with the panic in her eyes as she was telling me she was not doing ok that day I was there. It has helped me reflect on my role as a mother and I have been trying to change the way I parent my children. I appreciate my role more now than ever before, but it also makes that role very hard. This was definitely an eye opening experience, and I know it will take a while to heal.
We are still budgeting but we changed from Pear Budget, to using Dave Ramsey's budgeting tool and his Total Money Makeover book. I have had the book for years and tried abiding by it before but quit shortly after starting it. Today, we don't have much debt and have a pretty decent income. It allows us to do things we have not been able to do previously, such as go on a family vacation, purchase things for hobbies and fund expenses ahead of time. However we feel we must stay on a strict budget or else we will find ourselves in the pitfalls of major debt.
I am still working on the rest of my 40/40 list. I have about 9 more items to add to it before I can publish it. I never thought it would be so hard to think of things, but I want to make sure the things I list are realistic. Hopefully I will have lots of new exciting content over the next few months. I have lots of content ready and pictures archived, I just need the discipline to get them posted. Thanks to all my readers who have stuck by my side, not deleting me from their blog roll, and checked in from time to time. I'm glad to know the little following I have is loyal.
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