Sunday Quotes... Partly cloudy....37*.. windy

FRIENDS,
We are so thankful for friends, many of whom we've never met, but who share with us as if we'd seen each others' smiles. We've come to know each other online, and words from this community help us through each day.


For the next few Sundays our quotes will be from Max Coots and
his thoughts on friendship, and his wonderful comparisons to gardens.
( see last weeks Here  & HERE)

For handsome friends who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn,
and the others,
as plain as potatoes and so good for you.

Wheat-Free Oatmeal cookies... partly cloudy.... cooler

A surprisingly easy  recipe that requires no flour, and is wonderfully tender and tasty!

 

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup & 2 Tab. old fashioned oats

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. flavoring of your choice, almond or maple are wonderful

 Cream peanut butter & sugar, add milk & flavoring & mix. Stir in oats. Drop by spoonful's on oiled cookie sheet, makes about 20. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, till firm but still soft. Let cool at least 10 minutes before removing to rack. If too soft to handle leave on pan longer. They will stiffen up.

These are delicious and guess what, no wheat for a change. Enjoy!

Farm Adventures... partly cloudy... unseasonably warm

The Year of the Possum(s)

As many of you know Clarabelle is our farm nighttime sentry.
(you can read more of her story HERE ) 
Since she's old and stiff now, I've been letting her stay inside overnight
until winter is over. Apparently the woods were full of Possums just
waiting for her to be absent.
Maybe You saw the pic of the one she had up the tree, and a different one in the live trap. HERE
Anyway in far  less than a month I've dealt with 7! 
Well last night tops the all time incident.
I called her back in after last call potty stop at 9 p.m. I looked
through the glass door at her gray face and opened the door.
In half a second less than no time I saw my mistake.
Below her gray face, swinging between her gray legs, was a gray possum.
She promptly set it down on the living room floor and waited for approval.
It looked dead, but then I saw it's head move.
While it played possum, I scrambled for dog collars and tried dragging both dogs
 into another room.
I aroused the man of the house, who was dozing in his big comfy chair, and said "run
out and get the snow shovel, maybe we can scoop him up and get him
back outside".
By the time I put the dogs away and he got the shovel,
the possum stopped playing possum and ran across the living room into the
dining room.
As Murphy's law would have it he/she found the only object that could be hid behind,
a free standing cabinet and got behind there.
It's VERY heavy and of course was covered in glass objects that
had to be relocated. When he dragged the cabinet away from the wall,
NO POSSUM.
The backing on the cabinet didn't come down to the floor, so now we guessed he/she was under it. He kept guard ( you never want to loose track of where in the world the possum is) and I reached under with a stick to shoo it out.
Out he'd come, look at us, and go back under. One of us said "what are
we gonna do when we get him out"? I said "how about a 5 gal. bucket,
we'll plop it down on him".
After the bucket was located and brought inside, we tried again.
The first plop produced the exclamation "He's under it", and I burst out laughing saying "Then what just ran by my feet"?  I got a "This isn't funny!" in reply, so I stifled myself. I lost track of how many tries it took to accomplish it, but we did.
It was 9:45!
Giving the mood of the other family member, the answer is "No, I didn't get a picture",
but I sure wish I had!!!!

Sunday Quotes.... cloudy.. Wonderfully Warm....

FRIENDS
We are so thankful for friends, many of whom we've never met, but who share with us as if we'd seen each others' smiles. We've come to know each other online, and words from this community help us through each day.
For the next few Sundays our quotes will be from Max Coots and
his thoughts on friendship, and his wonderful comparisons to gardens. ( see last weeks Here )

For continuous friends, who like scallions and cucumbers, keep
reminding us that we've had them.

For crotchety friends, sour as rhubarb and as indestructible.

You might enjoy our post  Rhubarb: love it or hate it HERE

 

Almost Cabbage Rolls... sunny... warm....

A few weeks ago we posted a recipe for Almost Lasagna~ the taste without all the work (if you missed it you can find that recipe HERE ) apparently a lot of you don't like the effort to make lasagna any more than I do because it was a big hit ~ So today we're posting Almost Cabbage Rolls~ the flavor without all the work! Goes together in about  half an hour in one DISH!

In a ten inch DEEP cast iron pan or other large pan  

sauté
1 T. olive oil
1 lb lean hamburger
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium green pepper, finely diced
till meat is browned and onion soft
meanwhile using slice attachment on food processor or with a knife finely slice two cups cabbage
add to meat, cover and let cook till cabbage wilts, about five minutes
add
1 cup long grain rice , stir well
add
1 (15 oz) can crushed OR diced tomatoes
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning, stir well
add
2 cups boiling water
cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes till water is absorbed & rice is done
add
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (we use a co-jack blend)
cover and cook just till cheese is melted
Served with garlic bread and a salad makes a meal for four

Sunday Quotes...cloudy... still warm

 FRIENDS
We are so thankful for friends, many of whom we've never met, but who share with us as if we'd seen each others' smiles. We've come to know each other online, and words from this community help us through each day.

For the next few Sundays our quotes will be from Max Coots and
his thoughts on friendship, and his wonderful comparisons to gardens.

"Let us give thanks;  For generous friends.....with hearts...and
smiles as bright as their blossoms:  For feisty friends, as tart as
apples:"

Sweet & Spicy Red Bean Soup... partly cloudy... 70* ?

Sweet & Spicy Red Bean Soup

1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
4 ounces ham-hock or ham shanks or salt pork
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup carrot slices
3 15 oz. cans red beans, drained
1 1/2 cups apple juice or cider
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup dry red wine, optional

Sauté onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil, put in crock pot with
meat. In onion pan heat tomatoes w/carrots. When hot add to crock pot.
Heat beans with juice and add to crock pot with sugar. Cook on high
for 3 hours, stirring a couple of times. About 30 minutes before
serving stir in allspice and wine if desired. Turn heat off and leave
covered until time to serve. Sourdough or French bread is especially
nice with this.
Serves 6

Sunday Quotes...... cloudy... chilly

Rushing The Seasons

 

Have you every thought ~
in this sped up world,

We're always in a hurry

No matter what the Reason?

We rush to work, rush home

rush to post the latest gadget that we've bought

Why we even rush the seasons!

In Spring we post pics of red-ripe tomatoes

flip-flops, beaches and swimming gear

We say we sure wish summer would get here!

In Summer we post pics of  bonfires,

Pretty leaves and trees

and say "Hurry up Fall, Please"

 

In Fall we post pics of  mugs of cocoa

Blankets, scarves and snowmen, too

we say "Hurry up winter, do"

 

In winter we post pics of  green grass

bare feet,  and pretty flowers everywhere

We sure do hope spring was in the air!

 

So now, while it's hot
We say, "hurry up fall"
We need you, after all...........
But soon it'll be "get here spring",

so we can start

Rushing the seasons once again!

 

©Jonquiljunction

Simmering soup....... Cloudy....20's

Soup season is upon us! This is a favorite around our house, and unlike many soups that need to simmer for hours it can be thrown together in a few minutes with ingredients you most likely have on hand!!

Italian Soup
1 cup sliced kielbasa sausage
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced Italian tomatoes, un-drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup penne or spiral pasta
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt , or to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 cup frozen spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Sauté sausage, onions and garlic in olive oil, about five minutes. Add  next three ingredients and bring to a boil, add pasta and seasonings, simmer uncovered for ten minutes or till pasta is tender. Add spinach, stir well, turn off heat, cover and let sit for five minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and serve with garlic bread or crackers.

 

Rushing the Seasons..... Cloudy..... 35*

I know better than to rush the seasons, but in the last 2 days I've heard 2 flocks of geese heading North, and my 2 hens that are left after Walter made
his rounds this winter, have each laid their first egg. AND the pigeons, 3 so far, are building their nests and laying. Could Spring be far away? 
Either they know something we don't OR they are in for a big surprise!