Silent Saturday (hoping to have a Sewing Sunday!)



Sam winning at Kirksville 2-2-13




Updating show string pen in barn



The oldest loading alfalfa to sell



The Farmer is still the best stacker




Pay it forward gift for a friend

Would really like to blog or sew or read or goof off, but its another busy Saturday,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Friday at the Farm--The Circle of Life

At the farm, the circle of life is shown in example after example DAILY. New calves are born, sometimes we lose a few, most do fine. That time of year is upon us now. There's a population explosion occuring right now. Baby calves are sprinkled throughout our pastures, and in many stalls of our barns. Soon there will be a new crop of barn kittens with their blue eyes looking down at us from the hay lofts where their mommas have stashed them for safe keeping as we come in to do our daily chores and feeding. When we had hogs, there were ALWAYS babies, maybe not daily, but every few weeks there were.
Babies, regardless of the species, remind us that life goes on. There's always hope to be found in tomorrow. This end of the cycle or circle of life is mostly pleasant. Watching animals grow, change and mature is a satisfying thing that we are always thankful to witness.
Most of the time, we don't see the end of the cycle with the livestock we produce. As the producers, we simply grow the animal, we aren't the processors, that's a whole other cycle (and whole other blog story) Our job as producers is to feed and care properly for the animals to ensure the consistent high quality product that you, the consumer, has come to expect.
As our kids grew and joined 4H, we began teaching them this circle. It began with their first heifer. They each showed a heifer in their first year of 4H. It was the beginning of their own herd and the beginning of the cycle. When the cow was the proper age, we let the kids research and pick a donor bull and we then AI-ed (artificially insemenated) the heifer. When she delivered her calf, based on its sex, we decide what role it will play, a male could be raised as a bull, or a steer, and if its a steer of the right age, could be next years' show steer. A female, if her structure is something that we find suitable, she will likely be retained as a brood cow, and may or may not be shown.
At our farm, we breed about 40% to AI and 60% natural service. My sister and brother in law are dealers for ABS, so the farm is their 'research' area where they try new semen available and we can have better field tests for what works best for us. We generally sync the cows that will be AI-ed, so that they all come into heat at the same time. Some of the semen we use, is from bulls known to throw good 'club calves' that way the kids have several options for next years show string and we sometimes have a few extras to sell to other 4hers. Our bulls for the natural service cows are all registered Angus.
When the kids' cows start producing more calves than what the kids show in a year, this is when they start doing a couple of things, first 'paying' the farm for the feed that their cattle eat, by allowing the farm to retain a percentage of the profits from their yearly calf crop. They also get to put some money in their college funds.
As kids growing up on the farm, our kids have seen calves born, in fact it seems as toddlers and little children they are fascinated by it, so they have never be 'grossed out' by, it's something that they have always been around. They've seen both AI and natural service happen. As they've grown their ever evolving and maturing questions have made the official 'birds and bees' talk kind of barely necessary, (at least the basics!) When we have sold cattle, either at the sale barn, or as butcher beef to the locker, we've explained thoroughly what the next steps in the process are. They've seen most of those steps happen. They know where their food comes from and are proud to be a part of feeding the world.  Now, do we ourselves eat their show steers? No, not usually and the kids would prefer not to. But they know that if the love and pampering those steers get has anything to do with the final product, they are proud to say, that they likely taste wonderful!
Having a fairly vast knowledge of the circle of life with animals is a great tool when we have to share parts of it with them as far as the two legged world is concerned. It doesn't make accepting it, especially the end of the cycle any easier. Moments like losing a friend or family member is just as hard for us as well. But I am kind of thankful to have the farming analogies to teach them that the cycle continues.
I think that raising kids on the farm is almost like having a cheat sheet to parenting. They learn a lot about life, assume responsibility in the care of their animals, and develop work ethic. Being a visual learner myself and living in the Show Me state, its reassuring to be able to teach the Circle of Life (and many other lessons) with LIVE PROPS at any given time.
Waiting for the farmer to return from the Sale Barn, after completing our part in the circle,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Thankfulness Thursday--Aunt Ethel

Probably some of my most popular posts of the past have been the tribute posts to those I love. Not opening with that line to pat myself on the back, but to warn you now, this one made me cry typing it, so you might want to get a kleenex before continuing to read it. In observation, I think we are all more creative about the things that we are pasionate about, love unconditionally and the people we deeply and truly love.
Today is one of those kind of posts. Let me introduce you to my Aunt Ethel. She's my dad's youngest sister. She's the mother to the cousin I am probably closest to, certainly in age, but in so many other aspects of our lives. As a child growing up, most of my dad's immediate family lived about 2 hours away from us. That didn't mean we weren't close. I have many memories of weekends spent in Granite City. Weeks spent there in the summer, trips to the St Louis zoo and Grant's Farm, playing with my cousins, being at my grandparents and Aunt Ethel's back yard on Briarcliff. I thought always that their closeness was due in part to such similar lifestyles and interests. My dad and uncle were truck drivers, they liked to hunt and fish. Now raising my own children to an age, where they are just starting to come into their own, I realize that 4 kids in 10 years, is similar to the 5 in 10 yrs that they were and its easy to be best friends with your siblings when there are many of you, fairly close in age.
I am the only Granddaughter on my dad's side of the family, did that make me spoiled rotten? Quite likely. But as I grew up, I was quite jealous of my aunts, who seemed to do everything together. Of course 3 sisters, living in the same town, raising 5 boys in 6 years among them, they likely worked together to maintain civil order.
As a little girl I spent a week here and there in Granite City with time divided among my grandparents and my aunts. After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother lived with my Aunt Ethel. We were pretty close to her anyway, as my dad and my Uncle Jim were as close as if they had been siblings. They enjoyed many an outdoor adventure together. They fished all summer and hunted all winter. I can't imagine the number of bluegill and rabbits that met their demise on those trips. So when we visited GC, we stayed at Aunt Ethel's. They visited us regularly as well, living in a small rural town, there was ample hunting and fishing opportunities, close at hand.
Along with Aunt Ethel, comes Kenneth Earl Swann, 3 months and 4 days older than me. This fact really griped me as a kid and but entertains the heck out of me as an adult. Being so close in age has made us good friends our entire lives. I am sure that no one else gets us and I sure we neither one care. I recently had a facebook friend comment, why did that guy say, whatever it was he said that particular day, they were wanting me to be as concerned as they were, I had to ask a second time what? Then I just smiled and said cousins, unless you've got the great ones I have, you wouldn't understand. We live several miles away from each other and don't get to talk often, but within seconds of answering the phone its always like we talked yesterday. A three word text tells the other one exactly that we know what's up, we understand and we love ya.
Every person has their 'thing'. You know the thing that everyone says you are great at! My Aunt Ethel would be the first one to say that hers wasn't cooking or sewing and we'd all laugh and be able to share a hilarious example of the truth in those statements. But my Aunt has a more special gift than something as basic as that. Her gift is people and making them feel loved.
Aunt  Ethel has never known a stranger. She never forgets a face. Having grown up in multiple towns, she has a wealth of friends in all. She's the one who keeps in touch with all of the family. She loves keeping up with everyones lives because of her sincere love of people. Because of that love, she makes a point to truly get to know you. She will move heaven and earth to help anyone with anything. She'd fight like a momma protecting her cubs to defend anyone she loves who has been done wrong.
Aunt Ethel is the perfect hostess. She always goes that extra mile to make time spent at her home enjoyable. She does that many ways. She's got a knack for decorating her home to be warm and inviting, casual and comfortable. She takes special care in adding touches to celebrate the holidays. Holidays is just another place that she shines. I have a collection of ornaments that span 30 years that my Aunt Ethel gave me, as do my cousins, her kids and several other people that she loves. We received special ones the year we got married and when new babies were born. She went to great pains seeking out just the right ornament to share with family and friends. Aunt Ethel knows that it is always more blessed to give than receive.
As I became an adult and got married, I was lucky enough that Aunt Ethel moved closeby. I enjoyed her help and influence as I sat up my own home. She always had the best advice and made suggestions that turned into some of my family's best and most treasured items. She was close to me my whole life, but those years when she was physically closeby were during an important transition time in my life, coming of age, getting married and starting a family. I think of the things we did, talks we had and how they have influenced who I am today. I know that my Aunt Ethel has been a blessing not only in my life but in the lives of so many.
I had kids before Kenny and when I was expecting Cody, I think she was almost as excited as my parents and David's. She was at the hospital when he was born. (She kept my dad distracted when labor was getting intense, I will never forget her sharing that story of her ushering him outside 'for a smoke' when I apparently got VOCAL in my attempts to bring forth my first born!!!!) She moved away to be closer to her own child before the rest of my kids were born, but all of my children know the love of their Aunt Ethel, even if it's been from afar.
In recent years she's been fighting a debilatating disease, Parkinson's. It's taken so much from her physically. Most devastating to those of us who love her is that it's taken her uncanny natural God given ability to show and tell others just how much she loves them. But all of us know how much she loves, as she's shown us all over and over for so many years. One look in her eyes and we still know. Her love is her legacy and it will live on.
Struggling with the slow goodbye,
From Tulip~
KH

What'sfor Dinner Wednesday--Super Bowl Snacks

This week with the Super Bowl coming up I decided to add a few of our family favorite snack foods. Whether you are hosting or attending a party, or just need a quick to throw together snack, any of the items will be easy to prepare and you may likely have the ingredients in your pantry.
#1 Lil Smokies, or as my family lovingly calls them, 'Heart Attacks on a Stick'
          1 pkg Little Smokies, I buy the beef ones if available.
          1 pound pkg of bacon
          Tooth picks
          Brown Sugar
          9x13 pan
          Aluminum Foil
Cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap each third slice of bacon around a smokie and pin together with a toothpick. Place in the 9x13 pan arranging the entire package into one layer. Sprinkle with a layer of brown sugar on top of the smokies. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Serve immediately or keep warm in a crockpot.

#2 Layered Mexican Dip

Layer  in a casserole or shallow dish the following items:
            Cream Cheese, softened; Refried Beans, Salsa, Grated Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Lettuce and topped with small dollops of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips. Can be made ahead if stored covered in the refrigerator.

#3 Toffee Apple Dip
        1 pkg of cream cheese softened, 1/2 pkg of Heath Bar Bits, 1/3 C of brown sugar

Place all three ingredients into a quart sized freezer bag, seal and knead until ingredients are evenly mixed. Keep refrigerated. Before serving allow to sit out for a few minutes to softened slightly. Serve with apple slices. Also great on graham crackers.

These are a few of my 'go-to'  recipes for parties and gatherings. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does. Hoping to see you again more regularly in blogland, sorry for the long break between posts.

Posting from Cody's laptop and spending lots of time fixing mistakes created while getting used to his keyboard,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

What's For Dinner Wednesday

Hello All! Hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas with family, friends, fellowship and food. I have been on a short 'blogging hiatus'. I just had so many other projects going that I didn't give myself the time to blog and I've missed it terribly. (think that next year I will either A. not say yes to so much or B. write some blogs ahead and post them in December) I haven't posted since Dec 6th, totally feels like just yesterday, this month has flown!

Today's post is going only be part of 'What's for dinner?' It's Pear Crisp made from one of my favorite cookbooks. The cookbook was given to me by 'brother from another mother' Brent Gibbons. It's just one of the recipes in a great collection from "Two Chicks from the Sticks" their website Their cookbook is all baked items and I have made several of them, they are all wonderful.
Here's the recipe:  ***WARNING THIS IS FROM MEMORY, MY COOKBOOK IS A WHOLE ROOM AWAY AND I AM FEELING LAZY, BUT HAVE MADE THIS ENOUGH TIMES TO REMEMBER IT, PROBABLY ;)
Filling: 5 cups of pears, peeled, cored and diced (I just sliced, we have pears from FFA fruit sales and we are eating them up, but this is our favorite way to eat them!) 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon (I just shook some)
Topping: 3/4 C oatmeal, 3/4 flour, 3/4 brown sugar, 1 stick of butter melted, 1 tsp each baking soda and powder.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, lightly grease 8x8 pan (you will note from picture my skills at following directions)
Combine filling ingredients and place in pan (or combine them IN the pan, like I did)
Combine topping ingredients with a pastry blender, or a fork, or YOUR HANDS, its whatever, until it forms pea sized crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over filling and bake for 30 minutes-ish or until topping is browned and filling is bubbling. ENJOY!
I think tonight we will be having this with Spaghetti and Meatballs, Bread Machine Basic One Hour Loaf of White Bread and Salads. The oldest invited his girlfriend out to supper, so I will say this dessert serves 7, that's if it no one discovers it before supper!
Enjoying a day of doing what I please with no where to go and glad to be inside as its pretty cold outside,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Thankfulness Thursday---2 of my very good friends

Today I am going to tell you about two of my very good friends. Much time is spent with these friends. They are my therapy. They help me create. Yes they are my sewing machines. Here they are:



We spend LOTS of time together. They know my secrets. They never tell. We make things that make people smile. It makes us happy too. One or the other are generally ready at moments notice to help me make gifts, things for our household, repair things. They've seen Halloween costumes, pillowcases, curtains, quilts, and bags. They've helped me hem pants, patch jeans and so much more.
When other things aren't necessarily going the way I want them to, I just get one of them out and we work it out. They don't judge, they just say, let's meditate on this for a while, what are we going to make that's fun today?
Now granted it's a give and take relationship. While they take care of me, I also have to care for them. New needles, remove the lint, oil them up. But its like a lot of friendships, what one lacks, they other fills in with. With them I can do great things. Without, not so much. I found that out recently when one wa away at the 'doctor' and the other cracked its bobbin, and none around for a quick replacement. A quick trip to the store and we were back in business.
Making lots of Christmas things that will make lots of people smile with my two best friends whom I am thankful for,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

What's for dinner Wednesdays--Baked Tilapia

Okay two nights in a row, three if you count Sunday, but I actually did that post in the 'evening' hours, instead of the wee morning hours of the 'night before' like the last two posts............ By the time I finish typing this post, it will officially be BE Wednesday and the rest of my Wednesday is FULL to the brim, so knocking out my blog post early is the only way it would have gotten done this week. My friend with the blog who also does 'What's for Dinner Wednesdays' suggested I add this recipe one night while we were 'talking' on facebook. So Nicole, this one is for you, sista.
This week's installment of What's for Dinner Wednesday features my current favorite 'quick' main course, baked Tilapia. Now I am a farm wife with likely hundreds of dollars worth of beef in my freezer, but I also say variety is the spice of life and once in a while we eat 'other stuff' :) One of my current favorite, quick foods to prepare is tilapia. What's a tilapia? Hmmmmmmmm, well it's a fish, I couldn't tell you where its from, what it looks like or anything else, but I will mention, it tastes pretty darn good. I buy it in big bags at our local Sam's Club. It comes in a big bag, like this:

Inside the big bag, each portion is frozen and packaged singly. That's probably one of the things I like the best. I didn't know that was how it would be the first time that I purchased it, but it sure makes things handy. I can make a couple for The Farmer and I for lunch, or several depending on who is home and how hungry I guess everyone might be.

The first thing I do is line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, mostly because it doesn't seem to stick to the foil as bad and makes clean up a lot quicker. I try and remember to preheat the oven to 375 degrees right now as well, sometimes that doesn't always happen, but we will pretend I remembered today. The first thing on the foil is about a tablespoon each of Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. I usually make 6 or so filets, if you are making less or more add the first two items accordingly.

This picture isn't very pretty but its oil and lemon juice. I make sure the whole pan surface gets covered and then turn both sides of each  FROZEN (no thawing, bake these guys frozen!) filet in this concoction to dampen them, so the stuff in the next step 'sticks' to the filets.

Okay next step, into a cereal bowl, add about 1/3 cup of corn meal, 1/3 cup of bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and I am really guessing here, worse than the first three ingredients, 1 teaspoon each of season salt and lemon pepper. (Remember I am not a measurer, so these are guesstimates) I think mix them together. I will sprinkle this mixture onto the first side then flip and again onto the second side of each filet. (thinking I will never make money at writing easy to read recipe instructions) It will look like this:

Once you've covered both sides, slide that guy in the oven. It will need to bake for 30 minutes, at 375. While its cooking, you will likely have time from an adult beverage, might I suggest this..............

Tonights selection was a frozen strawberry margarita, from my 'bucket' in the freezer. You have time to sip away OR, time to prepare your sides, at our house, its generally a veggie and some sort of pasta, usually macaroni and cheese. We dont usually have a potato, unless they are mashed, as most of the scallop 'boxed' potatoes or frozen french fries don't go along with the lower oven temp to bake the fish. So drink that margarita or cook those sides, because pretty soon out of the oven will come this:

If you were lucky enough to get the moisture (lemon juice and olive oil) right and a good cover on the 'breading' they shouldn't stick and aren't too soggy, I make this once a week and have for months and about half the time mine isn't perfect, but I have NEVER EVER thrown any out. I am going to pretend that its because of my great cooking skills and not the fact that teenage boys will eat EVERYTHING and ALL OF IT that you put in front of them.
Sitting here moments after midnight thinking that instead of typing I should be sleeping as there's a long day ahead,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Tune in Tuesday--50 Shades Trilogy

No this isn't gonna be real graphic, but there may be a few SHOUTY CAPITALS! ;) Okay so like millions of people in the last year, I have read the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. Actually I will admit on here, that I have actually reread it, more than once. I have read other blog posts about it, I have watched the you-tube fanmade movie trailers, I am fan of a couple of the pages on facebook. And NO I am not a pervert, well maybe not, LOL.
Do I recommend this trilogy, yes I do. Not for the kinky sex, but the chemistry EL James created between Ana and Christian. While the author will say Christian is a 'fantasy' leading man, there are a lot of things about him that I found to be very believable. Wants what he wants, how and when he wants it, pretty normal. (maybe what he actually wants would make some peoples toes curl, not that, that is always a bad thing either) He works hard, he plays hard. And when he fell in love, he fell lock stock and barrel, throwing out the window all that he knew, for something he wanted more.
Then there's Ana, I almost think that her character is more fantasy than Christian's. How many 22 yr olds, find Mr. Perfect, land the dream job, end up married, pregnant and living their happily ever after within 3 months of graduating college? Oh we all have differing views of perfection, the dream, etc.....
Probably the most unbelievable thing to me in the entire book is the amount of constant drama, I will say at some point, maybe by beginning of the third book, maybe it was sooner, I had the thought NO ONE HAS THIS MUCH DRAMA.
The story is enduring, 'bad boy' with jacked up past, meets, falls in love with virginal innocent young woman. He reforms, they marry, the end......... The dialog in this book was the thing that drew me in. Not to say my husband is 50 Shades of anything and if he was, I wouldn't be posting about it on a blog that MY MOTHER reads. But I have had some of those similar conversations with my significant other. We all have, its the little parts, you are talking and all of the sudden, you say the wrong thing and they react totally the opposite way you expected. The raw emotion of falling in love and breaking down all the barriers with that person you love. And yes the cute little comments back and forth filled with sexual innuendo, we've all flirted with the person we love and the more intimate the relationship, yeap the more graphic the flirting, usually with most people behind closed doors.
I was entertained by Ana's constant 'in her own head' moments where she debates the situation with her subconscious (good angel) and her inner goddess (bad angel) I have no idea how that would be portrayed in the movie, and I don't think it will be part of it, unless its an 'inner voice' other wise the humor within those parts would take away from the real scene.
So if you haven't read 50 Shades, I say read it, yes there are some things that are a bit erotic, suck it up and get over it, there's way worse things, in my opinion. I am looking forward to the movie. I have a million opinions on who  I think should play who. I think that it will likely be unknowns, as this movie has the ability to 'make a star' out of its characters.
Just for fun, here are a few of my picks, although I realize there will never be this many 'bigger names' in the movie. I am torn on Christian. Ryan Gosling, Ian Somerhalder are probably my top two, but I wouldn't be upset with Matt Bomer, and there are several others including Channing Tatum that I have seen in other fan lists, that I would be okay with. Anastasia, I am pretty set on  Alexis Bedel, but again open to other ideas. I kinda like the idea of Kim Cattral as Elena Lincoln, but there are probably 4 or 5 others who seem to fit the part as well. I saw somewhere Mark Harmon as Carrick Grey, like that. Diane Lane as Grace Grey......... I have seen gobs of Jose options, not too picky on that one, same with Kate and Elliot, although someone mentioned Brad Cooper for Elliot, think he's too big of a name to play a supporting role. I can't come up with anyone I think is slimy enough to play Jack Hyde, in other words the picture in my minds eye, I haven't come across yet.
Okay so that's enough about 50 Shades. There are so many opinions about the book(s). I liked them, a lot, think what you will about that, but no judging unless you've read them, maybe more than once, LOL
Earliest I have ever posted a daily post but was still awake and had the idea rolling around in my head,
'Laters Baby' From Tulip~
KH
:)

Silent Sunday

Seth's Christmas Program



Noah and Cayla's Quilt




Noah and Cayla

 I think we ALL know I couldn't be TOTALLY silent,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Tune in on Tuesdays Charlie Brown Christmas

I remember looking forward to all the Christmas specials as a kid. Of course we didn't have channels like ABC Family who run them over and over all month long, or cartoons available on demand for that matter. I loved any holiday Charlie Brown special, but the Christmas one is probably my favorite. One of the few that features the real story of Christmas.
Home with a sick little guy working our way through our Christmas DVD collection and snuggling,
From Tulip~
KH
:)