This Week

This week has been more eventful than normal.  Monday we found out that the people that bought Carmel where coming to pick here up on Tuesday.  So I told the boys she would be leaving and started crying.  They were so upset.  They knew she was going to leave but they got attached to her since she was in the front of the barn and we were halter training her.  Caleb asked if I could take pictures of her so he would have one to remember her by.  So I did.  The guy that bought her lives in Bradford county.  So we told them maybe when we are at the mountains this summer we can try to find them.

We got a couple calves this week but too bad they both had bulls.

Yesterday I had to take Gabe to the doctor to get his leg checked out.   He has been limping around since Monday night, so we wanted to make sure he hadn't hurt his hip.  Last week he had fallen outside playing on the playhouse Sam had built.  Then Sunday he trip over a trap the boys had built with rope.  We think he just pulled muscle when he tripped.  So I took him to the doctor and he had them do an xray.  He said everything looked ok but sometimes with kids you can't see everything, so he wanted someone else to look at it.  Today if at all possible.  He wanted to make sure it was ok for him to be walking on it.  So we went to the orthopedic doctor. We didn't actually have an appointment so I didn't know how long we would have to wait.  We were there for about an hour and a half,  which I guess isn't too bad but when you have a four year old who is hungry and just wants to go home.  I didn't think to bring any toys or books along because I wasn't expecting to end up at a specialist office.  So he looked at the xrays and moved his leg in all kinds of positions that looked like it would hurt anyway, he said the xrays were fine and to bring him back in two weeks for a follow up.

Granola Bars

Yesterday I made sometime I never made before, granola bars.  They were SO good and VERY easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1/2c soft butter
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cup rice krispies

Mix everything together.  Spray a 9x13 pan lightly and put all ingredients into it.  Bake at 350 degrees until light brown, about 20 minutes.  Let cool before cutting. 

I used corn syrup instead of honey, since my mother-in-law is allergic to it and she gave me the recipe so I wanted her to be able to try it.  For the nuts I used unsalted peanuts.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Yesterday I made this blueberry cake, it was really good.  It is more like a coffee cake, something good to eat for breakfast.  The recipe says to use fresh blueberries, but I used frozen and it seemed to work just fine.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

       For the Topping:

• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir and set aside.          
• Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with sugar.  Add egg and mix until combined.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated.  Do not over beat.  Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.  
• Grease a 9x13 pan.  Pour in batter.
• In a seperate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

 I made the topping in the food processor and that seemed to work pretty well.                                    

Pa Convention Sale Heifers

A couple of months ago we decided to sell two heifers to the Pennsylvania Convention Sale.  We picked them out and moved them into our boxstall in the front of the barn.  Usually you have to take the animals to the sale but with this sale they were having at a hotel so they were going to video tape the animals.  We had to get them halter broken, so they can lead them around when they came to take the video.  The animals Carmel and Zora got to be pretty friendly.  Last week they sold.  We could watch the auction online, which was pretty neat, since we wouldn't have been able to attend the sale with having to milk plus it was in Scranton, Pa.   Here are some of the pictures I took when they were doing the video.  We let Caleb stay home and led Zora he did such a good job. 






Sam showing Caleb how to hold the halter



Caleb leading Zora













Sam & Carmel

Gabe helping to clear out the snow

Caleb playing on the snow piles

                 

Skillet Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 3/4 pould velveeta

Directions:

• Cook macaroni according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually add cream; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat.  Stir in cheese until melted.
• Drain macaroni; add to cheese mixture.  Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until heates through.

     Yields 4 servings.


This recipe is very good.  It is rich so you can't eat to much at once.

Caleb's birthday party

Last weekend we had Caleb's 9th birthday party.   I made chicken corn soup, broccoli cheese soup, meatball sandwiches, and bbq sandwiches. 

Caleb opening his presents

A butterfly habbitat

Mom with Logan and Alyssa

The beginning

I decided to start a blog to keep track of stuff we do, things happening on the farm.  Also, to keep recipes that I like, then if I lose them I will know where they are.  I am married to Sam, we have to boys Caleb, who is 9 and Gabe, who is 4.  We live on a dairy farm, the one I grew up on.  We milk three times a day and Sam and I do the late one (9pm-11pm).  

This weekend Sam and I celebrated 12 years of marriage.  Saturday night we went to the Revere Tarvern.  He wanted to go some place a little fancier then we usually go if we go out.  (We usually go to Texas Roadhouse, my favorite restaurant.)  So he made resevations, the first time we ever did that.  Their food was really good and didn't take that long to get it.  On our actual anniversary we took the boys to Applebees, we got a gift card for our anniversary and decided to use it. 

Sam & I celebrating our 12th anniversary