All Because 2 People Fell In Love...

February Beanie Special...

2012-02-01T08:59:00.003-06:00

For the month of February I'm doin a special on my regular style beanies... They will only be $5.00 (plus shipping) and 1 color shown above & any size. Put your order in today. If I run out of a color sorry you'll have to pick another. Thanks, Jen

Click H-E-R-E to see what colors are available :)

Corner to Corner Afghan...

2012-01-29T16:36:00.006-06:00

I started this afghan last Sunday...
So between everyday life, barnyard chores, teenagers, cleanin house, cookin dinner, bakin cookies

I worked on it EVERY chance I got
because I wanted to see if I could finish it in a week & guess what...

I Did ;)

This one is spoken for but you can put an order in for one anytime.
Your choice of 1 -2 colors $70.00 (that includes shipping)

*Now if ya know how to crochet you can make your own Corner to Corner Throw

** This afghan came out to be 40 x 42. The next one I make I would like to be alittle bigger.

Frittata & Cranberry Bread

2012-01-25T17:19:00.004-06:00

Heres what we had for dinner tonight...
Basic Frittata from CheapCooking.com

Aint them cranberries so pretty...

Classic Cranberry Nut Bread
(I made the recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray bag)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf

Blueberry Smoothie...

2012-01-24T20:22:00.002-06:00

I made one for Blake, Dylan & myself tonight...

Blueberry Smoothie
1 cup blueberries (frozen)
1 cup goat milk
2 big spoonfuls of goat yogurt
Sugar to taste

Throw the blueberries, yogurt, sugar & alittle of the milk in a blender, blend til the consistency you want and add the rest of the milk.

Bright Birthday Blanket...

2012-01-21T21:55:00.007-06:00

Went to my sisters today for my nieces surprise 9th birthday party...

Happy Birthday!

She loved her Bright Birthday Blanket I made her :)
(Red Heart: Bikini trimmed in Pumpkin Orange)

A Little More Country Than That...

2012-01-16T09:05:00.003-06:00

I got the pleasure of meetin Easton Corbin in November, hes a really nice, sweet, down to earth guy. A Little More Country Than That is my favorite song he sings... hummm wonder if he would ever stop by, sit around the fire pit & sing it to us, now wouldnt that be cool ;)

"A Little More Country Than That"

Imagine a dirt road full of pot holes
With a creek bank and some cane poles
Catching channel cat
I’m a little more country than that

Picture a small town with an old hound
Laying out front of the court house
While the old men chew the fat
I’m a little more country than that

I just want to make sure you know just who you’re getting under this old hat
Cause girl I’m not the kind to two time or play games behind your back
I’m a little more country than that

Think of a hank song from days gone
With a steel ride that’s so strong
It sends chills up your back
I’m a little more country than that

If you want a brick home in a school zone
With the doors locked and alarms on
Girl, you’re way off track
I’m a little more country than that

I just want to make sure you know just who you’re getting under this old hat
Cause girl I’m not the kind to two time or play games behind your back
I’m a little more country than that
Yeah, I’m sure that you’ve heard those three words from Others
But they fell flat
But this ring ain’t some thing that I mean to give you
And then take back
I’m a little more country than that
I’m a little more country than that

I’m a little more country than that

Oranges, Lemons, Limes

2012-01-12T05:57:00.007-06:00

I'm workin with oranges, limes & lemons in the kitchen this week...

I made 12 half pints of marmalade yesterday... I followed the instructions from PickYourOwn. org Orange Marmalade. I bet it would taste good drizzled over German Pancakes ;)

I made a half pint of orange sugar by placing clean dried peels in a jar of sugar. Heres 14 things to do with orange peels

Made a quart of Preserved Lemons

2012-01-11T08:05:00.003-06:00

Seen this German Pancakes recipe on Katiegirl blog this mornin & thought I'd give it a try. Its really good, reminds me of french toast. It would be good with cooked crumbed sausage or bacon added to it before you bake it ;)

German Pancake Recipe
Preheat oven to 400* F

1/4 cup real butter
1 cup goats milk
4 fresh eggs
1 tsp almond (Katiegirl used vanilla)
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

1. Place butter in an 8" cast iron skillet and place in the oven to heat pan and melt butter.
2. Combine milk, eggs, and vanilla in bowl and mix well.
3. Add flour, sugar, and salt and mix until smooth.
4. Remove cast iron pan from the oven and pour in batter.
5. Bake for ~18 minutes until browned and puffy.

Then you can wait for it to collapse/cool a tad and serve with syrup, powdered sugar, etc.

Using my new KitchenAid...

2012-01-05T09:13:00.001-06:00

My honeys parents bought me... I mean us a kitchenaid for Christmas... I like it.

Goat Cheese Ricotta

So much better than goin out to dinner!

Bread
2 cups warm (almost hot) water
4 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
-Combine together and let rise for 5 minutes

1/4 cup oil
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp. salt
-Add to yeast mixture and knead until smooth and elastic.

Cover and let rise for 20-25 minutes. Beat dough down and make into loaves (this recipe makes 2 loaves). Here's the trick to get your bread to come out right. You need to roll out the bread into a rectangle, then roll up into a loaf, like you would when making cinnamon rolls. Lightly slice top of bread to get diagonal cut look when baked. Cover and let loaves rise (I put my loaves on separate cookie sheets) for 20-25 minutes. Bake on 350* for 20-25 minutes, until top of loaves are golden brown. Let bread cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

*This is not my recipe, its Gumpsgirl recipe from BackYardChickens*

Cranberry Lime Vodka

2011-12-31T10:53:00.002-06:00

I made this 2 weeks ago today... gonna try it later ;)

...Happy New Years...

Got the recipe H-E-R-E

I'm A Lucky Woman...

2011-12-30T13:03:00.004-06:00

Ok so I change the words to fit me...
Lucky Wo (Man) lyrics
By: montgomery-gentry

I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
And last Sunday when the Porkchop got out of the barnyard
Lord, it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got

But I know I'm a lucky woman
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old vans still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good man's loving
And one more day to be my teenagers mom
Lord, knows I'm a lucky woman

Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call 'em any time of day
Got a sister who's got my back
Got a mama who I swears a saint

Got a brand new pair of rain boots
Got a full week off this year
Mom had a close call acouple years ago
It's a miracle she's still here

But I know I'm a lucky woman
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old vans still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good man's loving
One more day to be my teenagers mom
Lord, knows I'm a lucky woman

Oh, my old vans still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good man's loving
And even my bad days ain't that bad
Yeah, I'm a lucky woman, I'm a lucky, lucky woman

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T16:45:00.005-06:00

Heres our Christmas in a nut shell...

... Christmas Eve...
We drive up to my sisters house & spend the day/evening with family.

... Christmas Day...
We stay home & enjoy the day as a family.
Mom/Nana is usually here with us.

... Day After Christmas ...
We drive up for The Yates Christmas

The best Christmas of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another...

Christmas gifts are nice to give & receive but to me Christmas is all about being with the ones you love, spending time together & makin memories. I hope you & your families had a very Merry Christmas.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark

2011-12-22T06:34:00.005-06:00

Its good stuff!

We Love it

Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark

(I found the original recipe on T-H-I-S blog.
makes 1 sheet of bark

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
bag of mini pretzels
12-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt

1. Wrap a baking sheet with tin foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As it melts, cover the baking sheet in an even layer of mini pretzels.

3. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir to incorporate. Allow the sugar and butter to softly simmer and bubble, but don’t let it boil, so adjust the heat accordingly. Stir occasionally. The browning process should take about three minutes from when it starts to bubble.

4. Once the sugar and butter have caramelized, pour the mixture evenly over the pretzels on the baking sheet. The caramel hardens pretty quickly so it’s important to pour it as evenly as possible from the start. Bake the pretzel-caramel mixture in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

5. In the meantime, set up a double boiler. Fill a saucepan about a quarter ways full with water. Place the pot over a medium flame. Take a large, heatproof bowl and set it on top of the saucepan. Be sure that the water in the pot will not touch the bottom of the dish, otherwise your chocolate will burn! Pour the chocolate chips into the bowl and stir constantly until they’re completely melted.

6. By this time the pretzel-caramel mixture should be done and out of the oven. Pour the chocolate over the pretzel-caramel mixture evenly.

* The 2nd batch I made I just drizzled chocolate over the pretzel-caramel mixture.

7. Spread any remaining thick spots of chocolate with a spatula. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the bark. Place it in the fridge to cool and harden for about an hour.

* The 2nd batch I made I did add the salt... to me you really dont need it, the pretzels have plenty of salt already.

Once it’s done, the tin foil should pull off easily and you can break the sheet into smaller, bark-like pieces.

Ok, I'm so not a fudge maker... YET!

2011-12-20T12:39:00.005-06:00

I've had an interesting mornin in my kitchen today...
I seen a Goats Milk Fudge recipe on Eden Hills Blog & thought I'd give it a try today. Hers looks really great & mine looks... Well you'll see...

This might have something to do with it not turning out! LOL
Also I DONT own a candy thermometer... I know shockin huh with all the makin & bakin I do. Guess I need to get one of those suckers.

I moved it to a BIGGER pot

& then it looked like this...

& then it started lookin alittle scary & it taste alittle scary too!

Merry Christmas :)

Maybe I'll try again... one day.

Ps. I need some peanut butter fudge... please!

Homemade Egg Nog

2011-12-19T17:16:00.004-06:00

I made homemade egg nog for the 1st time today...

Fresh Eggs from Our Little Farm

My family really likes it :)

Homemade Egg Nog

6 farm fresh eggs at room temperature and separated
3/4 cup sugar (for the yolks)
6 TBS sugar (for the whites)
1 tsp vanilla extract (one of these days I'm gonna have my own bottle of homemade)
a few dashes of nutmeg (or freshly grated)
1 cup of cream
4 cups of raw goat milk

Started with the egg whites..beating them to soft peaks. Then gradually adding 1 TBS sugar at a time until all 6 TBS have been added and stiff peaks form. Put in a bowl to the side. In a large bowl beat egg yolks until lighter in color. Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar at a time and beat until dissolves..adding more sugar slowly until you've added the 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the milk, cream, nutmeg and vanilla to the egg yolk mixture. Stir to combine. Whisk egg whites into milk mixture. Chill before serving.

* I got this recipe from Frizzled Farm fb page... check it out.
** This recipe is RAW..nothing was pasteurized but you could easily do that if you wanted to.

Linkin up to Fresh from the Farm Recipe Swap

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies...

2011-12-17T06:29:00.000-06:00

These are one of my favorite cookies to make and eat... taste like little yummy brownies. I got this recipe from my 2008 FamilyFun magazine. Heres the link to the recipe so you can make them, Chocolate Crinkles.

Santa would love some of this on Christmas Eve!

Recyclable Christmas Goody Containers

2011-12-15T10:02:00.005-06:00

Heres a cute, recyclable idea to share your Christmas goodies with family & friends... oatmeal containers. I started saving them in the summer & knew I would use them for something. So as I was makin/bakin caramel corn this mornin I remembered the containers & did this...

Simple & Cute

* I think it would be cute to leave the oatmeal wrapper on the container & fill it with these hm oatmeal drop cookies

** Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #5

Kay & I Bakin Chrstmas Cookies

2011-12-14T08:25:00.005-06:00

Sugar & Spice Makes Everything Nice...
Brown Sugar & Spice Cutout Cookies

I shared & let Kay wear it last night... I'm so nice, lol

Hey Memaw
Kay says she gets the finger lickin while your cookin from you, lol

I ♥ Cookies & spendin time with any of my teenagers in the kitchen.

Icing...
I put about 2/3 cup of powder sugar in bowl then added 1T. milk at a time... usually about 2T. was good. Then added food coloring, if it was too thin for my likin then I just added more powder sugar. (Thanks Jackie)

I am linking to Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday

...Christmas News...

2011-12-12T08:40:00.005-06:00

...Dear God, I'm not asking for anything today,
I just want to say thank you...
(My FB status this mornin)

I dont talk much about the my stress at Christmas time... you see every year we dont have money for Christmas & every year I start to stress til I remember to just hand it all over to God, he will come through for us... & he has every year. I'm so glad I have the courage to hand it over to him then stand back, not worry & let him work his power... do you know how hard it is to tell your kids you have no money for Christmas. We are not rich but we are not poor, everything we have we work hard for, safe up for or we made it ourselves. We spend on all three of our teenagers what some people spend on one.

My honey just walked into the kitchen as I'm gettin ready to wash dishes. He tells me he just got some good news... his work just gave them their Christmas bonus... Thank You God for coming through for us again this year! I'm so happy & relieved.

We may not be blessed with lots of money... But we are blessed with Gods love, our wonderful lovin family life, a nice warm home, family & friends that love us & love hangin out with us.

I just had to share this... Merry Christmas. Gotta go wash my dishes now, lol

Sisters...

2011-12-12T05:46:00.003-06:00

"Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers."
~ Pam Brown

"In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips."

~ Unknown

Pictures from Christmas Cookie Night 2011

Christmas Cookie Night

2011-12-11T13:04:00.005-06:00

...Its A Christmas Tradition...
Makin Christmas memories to last us a lifetime with family & friends

More Christmas Cookie Night 2011 pics H-E-R-E

Biscotti

2011-12-07T14:25:00.007-06:00

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

This was my 1st time makin biscottis... they take alot of work & time to make so ...If anyone makes you Biscottis you should really appreciate them, Just sayin ;)

A Holiday Night With Paula Deen

2011-12-04T16:15:00.009-06:00

One of my wonderful cousins won 2 tickets to A Holiday Evening with Paula Deen & shes took me with her... we were really excited. Thanks Jackie for our nice girls night out.

We didnt get to take a pic. with the real Paula Deen last night so we used her cardboard person... We had a great time, the food was yummy. I hope you enjoy the pictures I took while we were there. Paula & her husband seem like really nice, sweet, funny, down to earth people.

So Sweet

I used some of my b-day money to buy me a coffee mug ;)

Thanksgiving Day...

2011-11-27T09:45:00.001-06:00

We do Thanksgiving at home & whoever wants to come down & celebrate with us is more than welcome... This year we had 18 of us: Brian, Me, Kaylin, Blake, Dylan, Nana, Aaron, Crystal, Wayne, Desiree, Keyarra, Abby, Jake, Stephanie, Cody, Dad, Lauren & Taylor

The Thanksgiving Gang

I love these people... Dylan is being silly

Mom & us kids

Dad & us kids

Mom & Aaron

Youngest sisters Taylor & Lauren

Sisters

Cody & Stephanie

Kaylin & Gizmo

Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving Feast...

2011-11-26T06:33:00.003-06:00

Heres what Brian & I fixed to serve at our house on Thanksgiving...

Turkey, hm herb dressing, cream cheesey corn, kale, hm rolls, chunky cranberry sauce,noodles, sweet potato casserole, mash potatoes, goat cheese w/pearbutter & hot pepper jelly, hm pumpkin cheesecake, wildberry crumb cake... Oooo my

Had just finished makin the noodles & they were soooo good this year!

Brians workin on cream cheesey corn

I took pics while makin the dressing... blog later this week ;)

We were very bless to share all this yummy food with loved ones... Thanksgiving family pics coming soon... so stay turned.

Pumpkin - Pecan Cheesecake...

2011-11-21T18:58:00.004-06:00

We had to try it before we serve it on Thanksgiving...

Its really good ;)

My honey is the cheesecake baker in the family, his cheesecakes rock. He got this recipe out of Southern Living magazine, heres the link Pumpkin - Pecan Cheesecake

Early B-day Lunch...

2011-11-20T06:21:00.006-06:00

My sister Crystal wanted to get together & do lunch for my b-day (which is Nov. 25) so we did yesterday with our Momma, brother & Kaylin...

...A Daughter Is A Little Girl Who Grows Up To Be A Friend...
(this sayin goes with both these pictures)

These are my people, This is where I come from, lol

Not a good pic., but its the only pic we took of all 5 of us yesterday

Sister Crystal. Shes so freakin silly... she keeps us laughin, thats for sure. She didnt want us to leave, lol. I really wish she had the money (& job) to move down by us & live with her honey & 4 rugrats... we love em & miss em.

Momma & Aaron are stayin with us til after Thanksgiving, then Crystal & her family are comin down for Thanksgiving & the 4 rugrats are stayin a few days with us :)

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

2011-11-14T06:10:00.003-06:00

I know Thanksgiving isnt even here yet but I read this on a friends fb page earlier this month & wanted to share. I love this idea & hope more Americans will see, do & love it too.

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This
... ... year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine
concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift
giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes
there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down
the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is
struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at
your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about
fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to
burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our
communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition !!!!

* I'd love to receive Red Heart yarn (its made in the USA), anything homemade, 50 lb bag of chicken feed (layer crumbles), sweet feed, 50 lb bag of BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds)... see I'm not hard to shop for ;)

Lets Talk Pie Crust...

2011-11-11T07:57:00.004-06:00

Once again my sweet friend Sarah helped me out... 1st she gave me the quart of rendered lard then she shared with me how to make a pie crust, Thanks Sarah.

Pie Crust (this makes 2 crust)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 cup lard
6 TBSP ice water.

Sift the flour, measure and resift twice with the salt if using it. Cut the lard into the sifted flour with a pastry blender or two knives until it looks like crumbly peas. Then add the ice water 1 TBSP at a time to the flour mixture. Now you want to mix this with a fork, gather the dampened mixture into a ball, press it gently together and wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a few minutes. If you are using a double crust, divide it in two and roll out between 2 pieces of wax paper. Then bake. When you start to work it, don't overwork it. The way to make it nice and flaky is to not get it overworked.

Sorry I didnt get to time the cookin on this... I had my oven on 400. I'll try to time it next time.

Goats Milk Soap

2011-11-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

Well since I dont know how to make my own yet...

I bought me a bar from Michaelle over at Sprout 'n' Wings Farm from her Etsy store & I got a free lil gift, lip balm just in time for winter chapped lips. Stop in check it out maybe you'll find something for someone on your Christmas list :)

Remember to support your fellow Americans when doin your Christmas shoppin this season...
Stay tuned I'm doin a post on this sometime soon.

HM Goat Milk Ice Cream

2011-11-06T22:31:00.005-06:00

We had company over yesterday, it was so nice to eat, hang out & chat...

I got this recipe from my friend Sarah,
recipe at the bottom of post

I made 2 Yummy White Cakes with my last 12 egg whites

This was made with an electric ice cream maker,
we thought it was really good til we tried...

The batch that was made last night with a hand crank ice cream maker and its soooo good. Using the hand crank ice cream maker makes a huge difference in the texture & taste. We ♥ it. I cant wait to make different flavors, I've already been thinkin about pumpkin ice cream for Thanksgiving.

Goat ice cream recipe.

1qt plus 3 cups whole goat milk,
12 egg yolks,
2 tsp salt,
3 cups sugar,

1qt heavy cream,
4 TBSP vanilla

Scald the milk. Beat egg yolks and salt. Add about 3 cups of the hot milk mixture to the egg and salt mixture, beating well with fork as you mix them. Add back into milk in pot. Add sugar and cook over medium heat stirring all the while. Cook till coats spoon. Strain (to remove any cooked egg lumps, you don't always have to do this, but I think you should). Chill in the fridge till ready to make ice cream.

When ready, add cream and vanilla, pour into ice cream freezer, make & enjoy.

Got too many egg whites?

2011-11-04T14:08:00.006-05:00

Then make some yummy white cake.
I had 12 egg whites to uee up from makin goat ice cream on Monday (thats another blog) so I found this easy cake recipe & thought we'd try it. The Goodwife & her family are coming over this Sunday to hang out & make more goat ice cream (if all goes as planned). I'll try to take some pics. to post :)

Yummy White Cake Recipe H-E-R-E

Its a nice fall day here in Kentucky & I've been hangin out in the kitchen all day... I've got Slow Cooker Lasagna in the crock right now... funny the 1st time I made this recipe was just over a year ago when our stove got broke... remember that story? If not here it is, Our Stove Is Broke. Gonna go fix me a mug of cinnamon hot chocolate & work on some crochet.

Dinners Done

& dessert is too
(Yummy White Cake w/Goat Ice Cream & Cherry Topping)

***The things I change is I used my goat cheese instead of ricotta, HM pasta sauce I made this summer instead of store bought, & sausage instead of burger & of course farm fresh eggs.

Hope you have a great weekend :)

Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto

2011-11-03T06:20:00.004-05:00

On top of some warm HM bread
Is so very good together

I'm so happy I learn how to make Basil Pesto this summer & that I froze 2 ice cube trays of it. I so wish I would have froze more... next year. The link on how to make goat cheese is HERE.

Last nights dinner

Blake has a basketball game this evening that I'm goin too,
so this will be tonights dinner too :)

Grey Slouchy Puff Stitch Hat

2011-11-01T19:26:00.002-05:00

I love this style hat...

One Size Fits Most
Order one today in your favorite color
$15.00 plus shipping

... Kays Senior Photo Shoot...

2011-10-26T06:36:00.007-05:00

Somewhere through the past 17 years I must have blinked,
shes grown up on me...

My Wish by Rascal Flatts

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

... I Love You Kaylin ...

Does your kitchen ever look like this...

2011-10-25T08:51:00.007-05:00

Mine does ALL THE TIME, so embarrassing. Thank goodness I dont get many visitors & when I do thank goodness they come to visit me & not a clean house, lol. I'm just being real here, showin ya the good, the bad & the down right dirty mess in my kitchen... now I have to stay away from computer world, no crochet, no goin out on this beautiful October day to enjoy it with my barnyard animals (I'll have to enjoy it through my kitchen window as I wash the dishes, lol) til get it all nice & pretty ;)

I also need to make up some laundry soap, clean slice & freeze the last of the peppers & dry some rosemary... So thankful that I make enough taco meat last night to have have leftovers tonight! So if you dont hear from me for awhile please send a search party...

Just whip it up mom...

2011-10-20T08:33:00.005-05:00

Sooo Pretty Pretty Princess Kaylin comes into the living room last night & ask me if I have a camo scarf made up somewhere in my crochet mess (today is camo day at school) I said, " I dont think so." She says , "well cant ya just whip one up!" I laughed first then told her I didnt even know if I had any camo yarn in my stash... so we started searchin & I did find a half used skein way down in a yarn basket. Then I prayed it was enough, she wanted an Infinity Scarf. It takes me 2 hours to make these if I can sit still & let my hook fly. Did I make it...

Ya bet your hook I did ;)

* I even got a Thank You this mornin when I told her it was done!
So if you would like to order a Infinity Scarf in camo or any color for that matter just leave me a message & I'll get back to ya (they are 12.00, plus shipping). I do have a list of orders that I'm workin on for customers. So I'd better go work on 1 right now.

Tryin to help a friend in her time of need...

2011-10-17T06:40:00.007-05:00

Auction Is Closed

One of my friends lost her momma to cancer on October 13, 2011. This was her fb status, last Thursday night... "I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes and the prayers. MY MOMMA WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD AT 8:10pm Today. Please pray for strength for my family."

This is her message on fb:
If anyone can or would like to send a donation it would be greatly appreciated more than I could ever say. Im not good as asking for help for things but for this I have no choice. Any amount is helpful. Just inbox me with the amount. $1, $5, $10 or whatever. it all counts and i know times are hard for everyone. But regardless please keep me and my family in your prayers. I have never gone thru anything like this and Ive going thru a lot in my life time. I am in TN and its so hard to do things from here. LOVE and THANKS to all for everything. I dont understand why im being punished so badly. I didnt do anything to deserve this. Momma passing away on my bday and not being able to bury her until we can pay more money or have a co signer. I just want to go home. Please send prayers for strength and protection for me because today I'm weak

I'm just tryin to help alittle, I'm gonna do a silent auction for my friend & her family... I'm gonna auction off 1 Infinity Scarf (color of your choice)... the auction starts now & ends tomorrow morning at 10:00 am central time. The bid starts at $12.00. Just post your bid below. Thank You.

* Update on bid: Its up to $20.00 at 6:00am 10/18
** Auction is closed. The highest bid was $22.00. Thank you Michaele for makin a bid.

Black fleck Infinty Scarf & Hat

2011-10-14T05:28:00.002-05:00

Infinity Scarf in black fleck...

Now imagine in your favorite color for only $12.00 (plus shipping)

Its paired with a puff stitch slouchy hat in this pic. (15.00)

Buy a set for $25.00 (plus shipping)

I think its a great stylish fall/winter look ;)

Heres my 1st Infinity Scarf

* I'd like to say Thank You to my daughter for being my model... even when shes freezing & doesnt wanna be takin pics.

Gettin To Know Me... From A-Z

2011-10-13T05:57:00.004-05:00

Seen this game on 2 blogs last night... akagramma & Happier Than A Pig In Mud & thought it would be fun to play along.

A. Age: 35

B. Bed size: Very pretty wooden country style queen size.

C. Chore that you hate: Folding & puttin laundry away!

D. Dogs: Daisy (6) Mutt & Hank (2) Weimaraner

E. Essential start to your day: Get up before the family, grab a cup of coffee, turn on my laptop & check in on all my sites :)

F. Favorite color: Pink... but really I like all colors.

G. Gold or Silver: Silver

H. Height: 5'6"

I. Instruments you play: None but I think it would be pretty cool to play guitar.

J. Job title: Wife/Mom

K. Kids: Daughter 17, 2 Sons 14 & 12. Then nephew 18.

L. Live: Kentucky

M. Make of car: Mini Van & if ya really know me you know I know NOTHING about cars, dont know their names only colors, lol

N. Nicknames: Jen, Janana, Aunt Jen Jen, Moo Moo

O. Overnight hospital stays: Only with each birth of my children.

P. Pet peeves: People being wasteful. Rudeness.

Q. Quote from a movie: Yippie-kay-yay, mother******! (Live Free or Die Hard)

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: 2 Sisters, 1 brother & 2 half sisters... everyone is younger than me.

T. TV Shows: Alot... all the CSI's, Survivor, Big Brother, Dives, diners & drive ins, Hoarders, Desperate Housevives, Army wives & alot more, lol

U. Underwear: Are good to have, lol

V. Vegetable you hate: Hominy... was made to try it as a kid, havent ate it since, yuck.

W. What makes you run late: Teenagers.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Mouth at dentist.

Y. Yummy food that you make: All my hm foods... pizzas, breads, cinnamon rolls are just a few.

Z. Zoo animal: Elephant but I like em all.

Your turn....and let me know if you post this...I'd love to get to know you better too!

Goat Milk Yogurt Is Done

2011-10-11T08:14:00.006-05:00

The link to how I made my goats milk yogurt is posted H-E-R-E check it out & make yourself some, its really good. I let let mine cook in the heatin pad for 12-13 hours. I've already got another quart from todays milkin in the works. I also made more farmers cheese with 2 quarts this mornin. I saved the whey, using 2 cups of it in Amish white bread I'm bakin today & Piper was one lucky farm kitty she got a nice warm bowl of whey for breakfast.

Even though the yogurt turned out pretty think I went ahead & drained about 1/2 of it through a coffee filter to make it supper thick like Greek yogurt.

See how thick it turned out & I only used 2T of store bought starter.

I couldnt wait I went ahead & fixed me a bowl for breakfast

You will need to add sweetener to your own bowls... I like to use some of my jams or toppings, this mornin I'm using my canned cherry topping & sliced almonds... yum yum good!

Cherry Topping

It was suppose to be jam but it didnt thickin enough so its topping now :)

Makin goat yogurt...

2011-10-10T09:45:00.004-05:00

I've been wantin to make some hm yogurt with my goats milk, so I started lookin up recipes yesterday & today I'm following the process from The Goodwife's post Make yourself some yogurt. So if I like how it turns out I see alot of yogurt makin & eatin in the future. I still need to get a hand crank ice cream maker so we can try goats milk ice cream. The Goodwife & her family are coming over later this month with their ice cream maker & we're gonna have a ice cream makin/eatin party, gonna be a good time.

So in about 12 hours I should have some hm goat yogurt

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

2011-10-07T18:32:00.002-05:00

Made these today & they are so freakin good!
I will be makin them often, lol

...Recipe on this blog ...

The Farm Chicks
(the only thing I did different was I used dark choc. chocolate chips)

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

1 cup butter (2 cubes), at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter, sugars, and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread dough evenly into a large rimmed baking sheet (also known as a jelly roll pan). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown and puffed all over. Remove from oven and cool until warm.

Crochet. Bright Pink/Orange Baby Blanket/Hat

2011-10-06T09:14:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine orders this BEAUTIFUL bright granny square blanket & puff stitch hat for one of her friends... I just love em.

She also ordered a Beanie earflap hat & scarf for herself in these colors...
She loves brightness ;)

* Yarn used: Red Heart Shocking Pink & Pumpkin*

Infinity Scarf

2011-10-04T18:51:00.002-05:00

...Infinity Scarf...
Order one in your favorite color today :)
6.5" Wide, 60" Round
Your choice of 1 color: $12.00 (plus shipping)

If you have fb check out my fan page & "like" it... Crochet By Jen

Thanks For Breakfast, It was good...

2011-10-01T09:41:00.003-05:00

Would be nice to hear

Made 2 Quick Quiche (ham & cheese) w/ hm blueberry & banana choc. chip muffins for the family this mornin. Did I get a thank you or a good breakfast hon or that was good mom... no. It would be nice to get alittle feed back so I would know if it taste good or taste like poo. Sorry I usually dont complain & I try to stay a happy person but I guess I'm just feelin alittle sorry for myself this mornin & maybe, just maybe alittle under appreciated. But I guess thats all moms. Would they even notice if I stopped cookin all the homemade foods I cook & just bought boxes of cereal & processed junk & then just said here, heres your yummy breakfast or dinner... I dont want them to go overboard with the compliments just a simple thanks, that was good hon/mom would be nice.

Alright I'm done... let me pull up my big girl panties, put a smile on my face & act like it dont bother me. I'm good at that, thats how I've gotten through life :)

This was 1 of my daughters status on fb today... it brought tears to my eyes... what the hecks wrong with me today?!?!

Daughter: Every girl deserves someone to remind her that shes beautiful ♥
Me: Yeah... that would be nice.
Daughter: moo moo, your beautiful. lol
Me: Awww thanks lil Crystal... Your Beautiful Too.

Cute lil hats I've been makin...

2011-09-30T08:21:00.001-05:00

These are some orders I've been workin on lately

Just wanna say Thank You to everyone that orders from me...
the money I make off my crochet goes to Our Little Farms feed bill :)

Bread & Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

2011-09-27T19:55:00.010-05:00

Made more goat cheese today... I followed This Recipe from My Country Blog of This and That. I had alittle over 1 quart of whey when I got done & wanted to use some of it, so I seen this Amish Bread Recipe on a fb friends page & decided to use whey in it instead of water. To all my dairy goat friends what other ways do you use your whey?

This bread taste sooo yummy! My family LOVES it. This is the only bread recipe they want me to make now, lol. Dylan told me it was the bomb! Hey... thats a really good complement coming from your teenager. Really, you should make this bread for your family.

Last night I put a hg processed chicken in the crock, it cooked on low all night long & a big part of today. Decided to make Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole with it, recipe at bottom of post
.

Good Stuff :)

The kid is starvin when he walks in the door from school...

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Cooked, Shredded Chicken
Box of pasta, cooked & drained
2 cans cream of chicken
sour cream
milk
shredded mixed cheese
salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bakin dish ( 9 x 13), mine had Rice Crispy Treats in it today. In large bowl add cooked shredded chicken, cooked drained pasta, cream of chicken, a big scoop or 2 of sour cream, pour alittle milk in, throw some shredded cheese in, add your seasonings mix it all up til creamy... ya might need to add alittle more milk? I dont measure alot in this recipe I just make it. After mixed good put in bakin dish, sprinkle more cheese on top & bake for about 30 mins. Then eat... we like it :)

... Beautiful Fall Day...

2011-09-27T06:02:00.003-05:00

We started off nasty & rainy yesterday mornin but as the day went on it tuned into this...

BEAUTIFUL
I went outside to enjoy it & work on a crochet project

Sat back in the hammock for a bit... Tulip & Star came to the fence to visit then went off to munch on the grass.

Heres the crochet project I'm workin on...

Granny Square Baby Blanket

My Headlamp... Shoot me 31/52

2011-09-22T07:41:00.003-05:00

Dont take much to make me happy...

My honey went to the store the other night & brought me home this cool headlamp, I had one before but it was smaller & somehow got broken... hummm any teenagers want to confess about that one? Anyways... this thing is super cool, I used it for the 1st time last night to go lock up the barnyard animals that live on Our Little Farm. Man it was like daylight outside. I was so happy walkin around shinning my light on everyone. I really got to see the glow of everyones eyes. I bet they where wondering what the heck what goin on, lol. No monsters are gonna sneak up on me now when I have to go out & lock the barnyard up in the dark ;)

*Shoot Me! It's time to stop hiding behind that camera of yours. Your family is missing you in the picture. So it's time to post a picture of YOU (yes, you) every Thursday with your child, your spouse, your friend, your dog, or even by yourself. Just get in the picture, you'll be glad you did! And just jump in now with 1 of 52, you can do it

Spreadable Goat Cheese...

2011-09-19T12:10:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to make a spreadable cheese so I just followed that same recipe that I used for the 1st goat cheese I made then after about an hour of draining I put it in the food processor & added some whey til it was spreadable. I just seasoned it with kosher salt, cracked pepper, basil, garlic powder... really it takes on the flavor of whatever herbs you use. I really think this would be good with bits of bacon, green onions... or basil pesto mixed in it. ;)

*This would make a good ricotta too

Milkin Goats... Shoot Me /52

2011-09-15T05:31:00.004-05:00

If you havent heard... I have 2 Kinder Dairy Goats. I started milkin em on 9/10... the girls & I have had our ups & downs this week with milkin & alot of it had to do with me not having a milkin stand... you see thats the way they are use to being milked. Well we fought during milkin time for 3 days, then on 9/13 my wonderful handyman husband built me a milkin stand (I'm gonna post about this on my Our Little Farm blog) by takin down & usin some of our back porch, Thanks Honey.

This pic was taken the 1st day I started milkin

My milkin stand is great, I love it. I love the fact that I dont have to fight with the girls... we still have to build the head thing & feeder tray. But for now this works. Since 9/10 I've gotten about 2 gallons of goats milk, I think thats pretty cool. Check out the goats cheese I made. I plan on makin some more today... I really like it.

Made my 1st goat cheese...

2011-09-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

Heres the recipe I went by...

Make Soft Goat Cheese

Put 1 quart milk in stainless steel or enamel pan. Heat to 170°F. Stir in the juice of 2 lemons for 15 minutes. If stringy curds do not form, add more lemon juice. Pour mixture into colander lined with cheesecloth. Drain over a bowl for at least 2 hours. The drained curds will give about ½ cup of mild cheese to use as cream cheese or like cottage cheese. Refrigerate.

* I think next time I'm only gonna let it drain til no more whey is dripping, not the 2 hours. I wonder if that will keep is spreadable? Mine was crumbly, before I put it in my lil mold, which is fine... I think it would taste good sprinkled in some hot pasta or a salad.

** After it drained & I put it in a bowl I mixed some dried basil, garlic powder, sea salt & pepper to it... I plan on experimenting with different spices & herbs.

*** If you have a favorite goat cheese recipe please email it to me, I love tryin new things

I saved the whey & today I'm gonna try to make alittle ricotta

Crochet: Shell Hats

2011-09-12T06:10:00.003-05:00

If you would like to order one just pm me what style & color.
They are $15.00 (plus shipping).

Let The Weekend Begin...

2011-09-09T09:38:00.007-05:00

My sister brought 3/4 of her rugrats down last night, they will be stayin with us til about Tuesday. They love coming down to the country & hangin out with us, the freedom of just running out the door to enjoy nature, all the farm animals & Aunt Jen Jens hm pancakes...

Abby & Jake have already been playin outside since about 7am. Keyarra is eatin her pancakes & talkin to me while I clean the kitchen & blog. Shes telling me she told her teacher about me & how I love to make homemade foods. Tellin her about Our Little farm & all the barnyard animals.

You know you're the best Aunt in the whole universe when your niece brags about you to their teacher, lol ;)

They are my lil chore helpers today too... their still at that stage in life where chores are fun!

Well we're off to take Cody to work, then to the grocery store... wish me luck, its been a few years since I've taken 3 rugrats to the grocery store.

Me & My Honey... Shoot me 29/52

2011-09-08T05:54:00.003-05:00

He really is my best friend

These where takin on Sunday at my mommas Redneck Weddin

Mom & Clintons Redneck Weddin

2011-09-05T08:53:00.006-05:00

Your not only my mom. your one of my best friends.
I'm so glad your finally happy, I love you.

To See All The Picks Go Here: Redneck Weddin Down On The Farm

Mother & Daughters... Shoot me 28/52

2011-09-01T06:14:00.004-05:00

...We Love You MoM...

...Taken At My Mommas Bridal Shower...
(Gettin married at my house/yard this Sunday)

Lil Love Notes...

2011-08-29T08:01:00.005-05:00

I've been findin lil love notes from my honey lately...

Isnt he so sweet :)
Thank You Honey... I Love You Too.

* Hint Hint married couples its these sweet simple lil cute things you need to do to let your honey know you love them & are thinkin about them. We've done this back & forth over the years, its just a nice lil surprise to find alittle note in your laptop, note pad, by your lotion, coffee cup... so write a lil love note and hide it for your honey to find in the mornin

Crochet: Potholders, Dishrag & Poncho

2011-08-28T12:27:00.005-05:00

$12.50 a set (color(s) of your choice)
( 100% cotton yarn, Sugar n' Cream: Colors in pic. hot orange & playtime)

Prefect For Fall
Order one for that special lil girl today. Your choice of color. $25.00
Sizes: small (5/7), medium (8/10), large ( 12/14)
(this one is a medium, red heart yarn: Bikini)

My barnyard friends... Shoot me 27/52

2011-08-25T18:04:00.002-05:00

Here I am with 3 of my babies. I was out feedin/waterin, collecting the afternoon eggs... got 18 today & I cleaned out the chicken shack & bantam tractor

All About Cherries...

2011-08-24T18:22:00.011-05:00

Arent they beautiful

4 pints
(I made it like ya would blueberry jam)

I do not have a cherry pitter & after pittin cherries for hours, I was really wantin one, lol. I had 4 tools to use... a tooth pick, paper clip, long tweezers & a straw. I actually used the straw the most, it worked really good, I did have to keep snippin the end off to keep the straw workin good. Towards the end my hands where really hurting so the tweezers worked for me better.

The straw just pokes the pit right through the other end :)

15 pints

Froze some to use later in the year

Gettin my Jam on........

2011-08-23T11:51:00.009-05:00

Wish yall could smell these nectarines they smell sooo good.

...Nectarine Jam...
2 pints

3 pints of caramel pear & 3 pints of nectarine/pear jam

...Pearsauce...

12 pints & 6 1/2 pints

On the pearsauce I just clean, peal, slice the pears & add them to my crockpot with some lemon juice, alittle sugar & cinnamon, sometimes nutmeg or some other spice. Cover; cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours (or on High 4 to 5 hours). Mash with a potato masher to reach the consistency you prefer. Then put in clean, sterile jars & can in a waterbath for 15 mins. (pints) I like to eat pearsauce (or applesauce) mixed in my oatmeal.

Caramel Pear Jam
(original recipe is for apples... An Apple A day from The Stray Needle )

6 cups peeled, cored chopped pears (I took a stick blender to them in the pot after they cooked a bit)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups white sugar
1 package powdered pectin

Heat the pears, water, lemon and cinnamon on medium heat about 20 minutes or until soft. Add pectin bring to a boil, add sugar and bring back to a boil for 1 minute. Ladle into sterilized jars and water bath for 15 minutes on pints. Taste like apple pie to me :)

Tomorrow I'm makin pear butter

More Goodies... (blueberries)

2011-08-22T20:19:00.007-05:00

The same sweet friends that brought us the corn brought us all these goodies last Thursday... I love it. I'm very thankful they shared more goodies with us.

Cherries (24 lbs.) , Blueberries (12 cups), Pears (5 plastic bags of pears, around 40 lbs.), Nectarines ( 7 lbs.) & Green Peppers (6 lbs)

This has kept me just alittle busy lately, lol

I froze the 12 cups of blueberries, plan to make jam with em later
(I'll be postin this week about all the goodies I've been makin, so stay tuned)

Its Not Just Corn...

2011-08-21T18:58:00.005-05:00

Remember- you've been blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. Don't hold back or allow doubt to block God's blessings....

Some friends brought us about 60 ears of corn last Monday, which I thought was very sweet & nice of them. They also brought 4 bags of yummy pear (another post on the pears sometime this week). The next day as I was washin dishes & watching the hummers out my kitchen window when it dawned on me that there is a story behind this corn. You see acouple days before we were over someones house & they have a cornfield behind em (its not theirs), anyways the corn is ready & they told us to just go pick us some corn if we wanted it... yes I wanted some of that corn but I do not steal, even corn, its just plain wrong. Some farmer took the time to plant & take care of the field of corn, that is their income, I would never take something that was not mine, I'm just not that kind of person. So I believe since we didnt steal any corn God blessed us with friends that brought us some corn & pears. I did send my friends home with 5 lil goodies of their own.

Thank You God & Thank You Friends ;)

Happy 40th Birthday... Shoot me 26/52

2011-08-18T06:13:00.000-05:00

I don't want a perfect relationship. I just want someone who I can act goofy with, someone who treats me well and loves being with me, like a best friend...

My honey is my best friend & my best friend just turned 40 last Sunday...

Hes still got it goin on ;]

Pear Jam & Honey...

2011-08-16T07:16:00.005-05:00

Heres some things I've made with the pears I got from my sisters tree...

A chopped, cooked cinnamon pear is so good in your oatmeal

I just followed the pear jam recipe in the pectin box. Next time I'm gonna put the cut up pears through my food processor to get smaller chunks.

I got the pear honey recipe of BYC on the canning thread

Pear Honey

8 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
8 cups white sugar

Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2 to 3 hours. (Can do this in a large crock pot too...) Ladle into hot sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal jars with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, or the amount of time recommended by your local extension for your area.

Yield- 4 pints ( I did half pints & got 8 with alittle extra for eatin right now)

* Had a friend bring me 4 bags of pears yesterday gonna work on makin some pearsauce & maybe pear jelly, might just freeze some too.

Happy 28th Birthday Sister :)

2011-08-13T09:54:00.006-05:00

Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer. ~Louise Glück ~

Sister to sister we will always be, A couple of nuts off the family tree.

~Author Unknown ~

I made her a chocolate cherry Fast Fixin Cake I seen the recipe this week on My Mountain Garden Gleanings . We all liked it, I'll be making this cake different ways for us to try :)

Me & Ellie Mae... Shoot Me 25 /52

2011-08-11T07:54:00.003-05:00

Both of us were lovin the snuggle time :)

Project: Rustic Bench Planter

2011-08-10T13:51:00.006-05:00

We worked on another project today... a rustic planter bench. I seen one on someones blog months & months ago & love it. I showed it to my honey, he printed the pic off & today we made us one, it turned out great!

We have wonderful neighbors who let us go on their land & find wood we need anytime we like... Gonna have to make em some goodies for Christmas this year for being such great neighbors ;)

I have such a great crafty husband...
I/we see something we like then he/we make it our way.

I love it.
I'm gonna buy some pretty fall mums to fill it with .

...look how pretty today was...

I Love Barns, wish I had one :)

Take time to sit & enjoy the world...

2011-08-09T21:41:00.009-05:00

We found the perfect spot to put a bench in our yard right where we can watch the wild birds & hummingbird, it has shade in the mornings & evenings. Brian was at the Amish saw mill picking up some wood for other outside projects when he saw this beautiful cedar wood to make 2 benches with. He got it home, then went to work on it ( hes on vacation this week), Now we just have to find a spot for the other one.

I was takin these pictures through the window while I workin in the kitchen with tomatoes ... he didnt know, lol.

Busted, lol

I really love it. This is where I'll be in the morning with my cup of coffee & crochet project.

I was sittin out there this evening & took these pics of a hummer :)

Pears...

2011-08-08T14:23:00.003-05:00

We picked these pears while at my sisters house on Sunday I'm gettin ready to make some pear jam... If you had these pears tell me some of the things you would make?

SC p hook scarf & afghan...

2011-08-06T11:19:00.002-05:00

I know its hot as hell right now & no one wants to think about wearin a scarf, but you will this winter ;)

SC Scarf: Any Single or Multi Color Yarn. Orders yours now :)

Starts out at $ 12.50 (depends on yarn).

Gonna be an afghan when I'm done.
(red heart color: bikini)

This is how we enjoyed the last day of summer break... shoot me 24 /52

2011-08-04T05:57:00.001-05:00

We had a beautiful, relaxin lake day (5.5 hours) with one of my cousins, her 2 lil boys & acouple of the teenagers friends... everyone got along, just a great day. Think this might be out back to school tradition, weather permitting.

Only 20 mins. away from my house :)

Cousins by blood - friends by choice
(Shes the only family that lives sorta down by us, besides my momma, so we hang out alot... I think of her more like a sister & her boys like my nephews... Love ya girl )

Makin sand castles

Splishin, Splashin

Boys Being Boys

Acouple more lake pics. H-E-R-E

Hot Pepper Jelly

2011-08-01T14:16:00.003-05:00

Canned 8 half pints of hot pepper jelly today... plan on makin some more before canning season is over, love to eat this stuff on crackers w/cream cheese. Its also good cooked on a pork loin, chicken, porkchops, who knows what else.

Recipe Here:

Hot Pepper Jelly

* The only thing I did different was used jalapeno, banana & green pepper. I also added hot pepper flakes we dried last year.

Pasta Primavera & Chocolate Cake...

2011-08-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

A nice summer dinner... good way to use up some garden fresh veggies.

I 1st learned how to make this dish from this recipe years ago, now I just do my own thing & use whatever I have on hand. A good hm crusty bread goes great with this dish... I didnt make any, I was being too lazy... Crochetin :)

Good Cake :)

Poor Man's Krazy Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6T cocoa
1 t salt
2 t soda
2 cups water
1/2 cup oil
2 T vinegar
2 t vanilla

Mix all by hand in a big bowl. Bake @ 350 for 30 - 35 minutes in 8 x 11 cake pan very moist and tasty.

Caramel Icing

* Time 10 minutes
* Serves 8

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup milk (hot)
* 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar (or as much as possible so you can still spread it)

How to make it

* Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar. Bring to boil and cook and stir for 1 minute.
* Cool for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
* Add the milk and beat until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until spreadable.

** I used 3 cups of powder sugar but next time I think 2 will do & not be so thick...
*** Cream cheese icing would taste great on this cake too :)

Crochet Spiral Baby Blanket

2011-07-29T05:36:00.001-05:00

I started this blanket on Monday & finished it Thursday... 3 days. Does that tell ya what I've been doin lately, lol. Yep, crochetin. Its just too hot to hang outside with my barnyard animals & honestly I havent felt like cleanin house much so its been me, my yarn/hook, the tv & movies most of the past few days. I really love how this blanket turned out & will be makin more.

Yarn used: Red heart Mirage & Country Blue Size: 35x35
This is a baby shower gift but if you would like to purchase one just email me or you could make your own :)

Pattern Here:
SmoothFox's Spiral Baby Blanket Number 2

Lake Day; Shoot Me 23/52

2011-07-28T05:24:00.003-05:00

After a day at the lake this past Saturday we went home & hung out with the animals in the barnyard on Our Little Farm

Happy 18th Birthday Cody ...Shoot me 22./52

2011-07-21T07:08:00.005-05:00

We had a surprise 18th b-day party for Cody on Saturday. We had a good time with the family & friends that came down to celebrate with us.

Todays Harvest 7 19 11

2011-07-19T09:11:00.002-05:00

Being able to have a garden is so wonderful...

Pick all this, this mornin. I'm gonna be busy in the kitchen for awhile.

Picked 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes yesterday evening

Todays Breakfast: Fresh cucumber & cherry tomato salad w/basil, shredded cheese, parmesan & ranch. I'll be having a slice of zucchini cake too :)

Sparta... Shoot Me 21/52

2011-07-14T06:21:00.005-05:00

Heres what we did last Saturday... we had to sit in traffic for 3 miles, for 2 hours, we dont have air in our van, that part was not fun. lol This was our first time goin to a big race.

I though this was cute & funny...
to see more Sparta pics. click on link below.

Sparta... Kentucky Motor Speedway

Yummy Veggie Dinner...

2011-07-13T19:17:00.004-05:00

Oooo I love havin a garden & I love eatin veggie dinners

Squash patties, oven roasted green beans, jalapeno cornbread & beets

Zucchini/Squash Patties

2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt to taste
vegetable or canola oil
*old bay is good to throw in the mix too :)

Directions: In medium bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, flour, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and salt. Stir well to distribute evenly, Add beaten eggs and mix well.

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by the heaping tabelspoonsfuls, spread out to make nice round thin patty (if necessary), and cook a few minutes on each side until golden brown.

*Follow directions a few times, then make it your way, I just through stuff in, mix & cook.

** These are so good. When we have ripe tomatoes I put a slice on each of my patties on my plate, I also drizzle ranch & hot sauce on my own.

Canning season has begun for me......

2011-07-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

Might not be in blog world much, & this is why... garden is doin great & cannin/freezin season has just begun. But I'll try to get here when I can to check on everyone...

7/8: 14 quarts of bread & butter pickles, 8 pints of sweet dill pickles, 4 cups of freezer pickles & 3 gallon bags of sliced squash in the freezer.

Got these done tonight

Picked 1 gallon ice cream bucket of jalapenos, 2 gallons of green beans & almost a bushel of squash, I might be able to pick some beets tomorrow.

4th of July, Shoot me 20 /52

2011-07-07T08:05:00.003-05:00

Went to the parade with family & friends

Cooked out, played cornhole with friends & got to hang with one of my besties...

Tried to get some sugar from a beautiful tamed wild mustang...

More pics. H-E-R-E

Steps are finished.

2011-07-06T10:30:00.004-05:00

Heres when we started back in March 2010 Project #2, building steps, 15.5 months later the steps are done. We've been waiting for the bricks to go on sale & they did, so Brian worked all day last Saturday to finish this project.

They look great, I love em. I didnt realize what a difference it would make walkin up em, so much easier. Great job honey!

Update: Round Ripple Babyghan

2011-06-28T10:16:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to post a pic of how its lookin. I've got acouple more rounds to do on it.

Italian Round Bread

2011-06-21T19:21:00.008-05:00

After doin alittle house chores & alot of barnyard chores today (cleanin & scrubbed 2 coops) I didnt have much time to bake bread and I really wanted some bread to eat the Fresh Basil Pesto I made yesterday ( love love pesto now), so I wanted a fast, easy round bread recipe and one of my friends send me one to try. Recipe here Italian Round Bread

The family liked it, 1 round is gone. This recipe is a keeper in my kitchen.
Thanks Amy :)

Fresh Basil Pesto

2011-06-21T07:52:00.004-05:00

I made pesto for the 1st time yesterday evening, it was so easy & smells so good & tasted good too. I plan on bakin some bread today to eat it with. Would also be good mixed in some hot pasta. I will be makin pesto more often now.

Recipe Here

Me & my lastest crochet project, Shoot me 19/52

2011-06-21T07:41:00.004-05:00

Taken on Fathers Day at my In Laws. Nice way to spend the day. I'm workin on a round ripple babyghan in a soft pink, one of my cousins have ordered it from me as a gift for one of her friends.

Yates Fathers Day...

2011-06-20T06:34:00.005-05:00

Heres how we spend Fathers Day this year...

Happy Fathers Day Honey, We love you!

The early birds get the worms...

HM banana/walnut pancakes w/cool whip & syrup, farm fresh eggs, bacon & strawberries.

I really love this Fathers Day pic.

Decided to process 5 roosters... more about this later on my Our Little Farm blog
Look at the size of this spider Brian found while rearranging the lean to area of the shed! Scary... & I am in this area EVERYDAY. Our mission is to kill it, of course it got away before we could yesterday.

Guns & Bows... nice way to end Fathers Day

**************
Spent Saturday at the In Laws, nice hangin out with family...

Brian, his dad & sister taken on Saturday

Kenucky Down Under: Shoot Me 18/52

2011-06-16T06:03:00.005-05:00

We only had Dylan at home for a few days last week... it was nice, big difference than havin all 4 teenagers home, lol. Well we ended up taking him to Kentucky Down Under on Sunday and had some nice fun family time...

More Pics. Here: Kentucky Down Under

Nutty Family... Shoot Me 17/52

2011-06-09T07:09:00.002-05:00

Ok... So we like to be silly & make faces, lol

These were taken last Saturday, we had alittle cookout out with my momma, my sister Crystal & 4 rugrats, 3 of the teenagers had their boy/girl friends here, it was a nice. If your on facebook click here to see more Sweet Summertime pics.

Crochet By Jen: Crazy Stitch Babyghan

2011-06-06T11:10:00.002-05:00

Its Done!

Made it with 3 colors... 30x36

Nice Mornin To Crochet...

2011-06-03T08:35:00.007-05:00

Got up this mornin grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down in the barnyard by the pond for a bit, then grabbed my crochet project sittin outside in the cool shade workin on it........ Its A Beautiful Mornin .... How are you spendin yours?

Maybe I can get this babyghan finished this weekend only 9 more rows to go & the trim

...The View...

Freckles is enjoyin the mornin too :)

Memorial Day Weekend... Shoot me 16/52

2011-06-02T06:21:00.005-05:00

At A Family Cookout

Enjoyin a family cookout, crochetin & talkin to my wonderful MIL

Ps. Hope ya stop in on my other blog Our Little Farm to see whats goin on.

Jalapeno Poppers Anyone... Shoot me 15 /52

2011-05-26T06:17:00.006-05:00

My computer wont let me go to our pictures so I found one from last summer already in my blog post to use this week for my shoot me. Brian & I workin in the kitchen makin jalapeno poppers with jalapenos from our garden.

We ate alot that night... then I froze the rest, we still got about 1/2 gallon bag full :)

Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients
2-1/4 pounds cream cheese, softened
4 (8 ounce) packages shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons and 1/4 teaspoon bacon bits
2-1/4 pounds jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
3 cups and 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups and 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
25 cups oil for frying
Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Spoon this mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves.Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes. Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat to ensure the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated. In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F ( 180 degrees C). Deep fry the coated jalapenos 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Ps. Hope ya stop in on my other blog Our Little Farm to see some Nature Hearts... Leaves

Crochet:: 2 Boy Babyghans

2011-05-23T06:28:00.003-05:00

Finished 2 crocheted baby blankets I've been working on, I'm over half way through another one & then I've got 2 more to go... Its Baby Season :)

Size: 30x30

Dylan & Me... Shoot me 14/52

2011-05-19T06:08:00.002-05:00

Dylan the youngest teenager (12)
Don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy. ~Author Unknown

If you have never been hated by your child you have never been a parent. ~Bette Davis

*Shoot Me! It's time to stop hiding behind that camera of yours. Your family is missing you in the picture. So it's time to post a picture of YOU (yes, you) every Thursday with your child, your spouse, your friend, your dog, or even by yourself. Just get in the picture, you'll be glad you did! And just jump in now with 1 of 52, you can do it!

Jr. Prom

2011-05-16T08:21:00.007-05:00

Was this past Saturday for Kaylin & Cody...

Kaylin... The Daughter, 16

Cody... The Nephew 17

The Group

Both Kaylin & Cody will graduate next school year... & start their adult lives. Doesnt seem like it should be time for all that... just yesteryear Kaylin had Cody (& her brothers) playin dress up in her ballerina/dress up outfits. We have pics. somewhere, lol!

We have alot more proms to go, lol

Happy 1 year anniversary mom...

2011-05-15T08:42:00.005-05:00

I'm very proud to say that today, May 15 makes 1 year since my momma decided to give up alchohol! We are so proud of her. She will always be a recovering alcoholic BUT she is one strong lady & she will make it! Shes stubborn too, when she sets her mind to do something watch out...

"You Rock Mom!"

The power of prayer: I prayed for years that God would make my momma stop drinkin,(I actually prayed for he to make her yucky sick when she wanted to drink, make her not want it). She was mean, nasty & rude when she drank plus she was slowly killin herself. Well in Gods own time (not mine, lol) he answered my prays on May 15 2010... she woke up that mornin & had a talk with herself and hasnt had a drop since! Funny thing is...... She gets yucky sick when she thinks about the liquor! lol I love it. She is a much happier person since she stopped drinkin & we love her so much.