Sunset before the storm

 The gorgeous sunset was shining brightly on Big Red mixing a wash of golden glaze with the red paint.

A day later we had a blizzard that lasted 2 days with howling winds and sideways (?) snow falling.

We were able to remove the snow off the driveways during the 1 day of cold clear sunshine. Then another all day snow, this time without the wind.

We have a stack of seed catalogs and the schedule of the Mennonite plant auction to dream through, while we firm up the designs for the new garden pond we have planned for this summer. Just need to get Dear Hubby excited about helping build it. If he and his side kick, son Fred, balk at the project, I will just have to brush up on my driving farm equipment and bring the tractor and backhoe over to the desired location. Bet they will come running before I make a much bigger hole then they want me to have.

Just a little reminder of what we had on the patio last summer gives me a little boost during this gray month of February.

Big Boy Now

 

The Cochin hen and Polish rooster filled the chicken mansion with 10 cookies and cream chicks this past summer. A bit weird looking and odd colors, but absolutely adorable. 

 

Not sure how many are roosters and how many hens. As they have grown up they are 'different', and fly almost as much as they walk... but are still adorable.  When the sun is shining on them, they show a blaze of color. 

 

 This Big Boy is absolutely stunning, and was perching on the big chicken coop fence. We let them mingle with all the chickens during the day, but they march back to the chicken mansion when it starts getting dusk.

 

Too bad the sun wasn't brightly shining when he posed for this photo.

 

What a January 

Cooking Krautburgers today

It has been so cold that I feel the need for some comfort food that will stick to your ribs. First start by to fry about a pound of hamburger in a large skillet, add shredded cabbage, and onions (I like lots of onion and use about 3 or 4 per head of cabbage). Salt to taste, and add about a tablespoon of black pepper. Fry till the cabbage is getting good and brown on the bottom Stirring and turning it abour every 15 minutes or so..  Make a yeast dough (or take a short cut and buy frozen ready to bake loaves like my sister in law Virginia does) and roll it out pretty thin. Place the cabbage mixture in the center of dough squares.

Bring up the sides and pinch them shut. Place on greased baking pan with the pinched sides down.

 

 

Ta Da!!! Come and Get it.

Almost spring

Although it is only 4 days to the first day of spring, our yard looks like the middle of winter. If only it were at least above freezing, those 30-40 mph winds would do some good in getting rid of all that dirty snow. Just too depressing to include any photos of the flowers that have not emerged today.

The frame of the green house withstood all the winter storms, and the door that was installed is intact.. but... still waiting for DH to put the panels on the roof and side walls. This is the 3rd year since the project was begun. After all these years living with this kind man, I would think I would get used to his procrastination.  Maybe, just Maybe.. we can move the potting bench into the green house this spring. It is stored in the garage and I heard talk about needing the garage for the '65 ElCamino. Yup, they will have completed the restoration of that pickup this spring... and it CAN NOT sit out in the weather when it is completed (so they say).

Our goose and gander have done an excellent job of protecting the chickens. Racoons have moved into our farmstead by the dozen. When we are late shutting the chicken coop door, those 2 geese are sitting on the step filling the door opening. Nothing can get past them.

We've had to trap the racoons to get remove them from the outbuildings. Now we have bald eagles visiting every day to see if we have provided dinner.  Wish our guys would serve the dinner a bit further from the chicken pen.  At least 150 yards out from the chickens, please.  I'm afraid the bald eagles will think chicken would be pretty tasty.

Mma Potokawne's bribery fruit cake

Recipe time

The cold weather has been almost unbearable this winter in our area. Not just wind chill but actual temperatures 25-30 below zero. Then have a brisk (read hard) wind blowing at the same time, it caused us to want to crawl under the blankets and .... read. 

My choice of a book was NO. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. It was set in a small country in South Africa. Just reading about the hot dusty dessert helped to make me feel a bit warmer.  The book is like a potato chip, you can't read just 1. There is a series of 14 .. and thanks to Paper Back Swap on the internet, I will soon have them all. Waiting for the last one to arrive in a couple days.

One of the characters bakes a fruit cake that she uses to bribe workers to fix things at the orphanage. I became curious about that cake. Finally I used duckduckgo.com to find a recipe for it. Aha!! There it was.  The first cake was so good I baked a second one before going to bed. It is NOT like the fruit cakes you receive near Christmas.  More of what we would call a coffee cake but different. It really goes better with tea. And- Red Bush Tea is the choice in the book. I checked the Frontier Herb catalog and they have it!! In many varieties. I am ordering the plain red bush tea in the morning. 

Hope you enjoy the cake as much as we do... and don't skimp. When it calls for butter, use butter!! Not margarine. Calories are the same in butter and margarine, but there is a BIG difference in texture and taste.

Mma Potokawne's Fruit cake

Long Cold Winter

Barn Cats 

Our outdoor cats have made their home in the horse barn this winter. Unfortunately wild animals have discovered their food dish in that barn. If only... DH would finish putting on the doors ... and building the tack room ... and ... well, you get the idea.His little hiatus to get his new hip installed this winter has put everything off schedule. He should be released to quit using the walker in March. THEN he will have at least one hand free to work on some of those jobs that never got completed.  However it will probably result in me spending time looking for where he left his cane.

Looks like Half and Half and Buttermilk are enjoying one of our rare sunshine days. We have had more then 35 days of below 0 temperatures. It might get up to 10 above 0 today.  Looking for my swim suit!!!

Surprise Surprise Surprise

Sure didn't expect to find a guest for dinner at the feed pan for the cats.  Opened the door to the horse barn to check on the cats during this stormy time, and there sat a possum in the middle of the feed pan with the cats back aways but surrounding the pan of food, watching.

The possum was as surprised as we were and ran right into the biggest cat in the bunch when it jumped out of the pan to get away.  No wonder the cat food was going down fast, and the cats always seemed to be hungry.

Since our experience a few years ago with rabies, we prefer wild animals to NOT live in our our buildings. We make sure all our outside cats have rabies shots, but because cats are nomads, there will be a feral show up now and then at the dish.  If it stays it gets caught and hauled in for a vaccination.   We've had some interesting adventures trying to catch wild cats and feel very fortunate the vet is willing to work with them to get the shots.

Snow!! Lots of it!!!

Cold!! Snow!! Wind!!  I am ready to be done with winter.  Another blizzard is on the way this afternoon. We get plenty of warning with all the weather channels, and it started in Western Iowa last night.. and here comes the wind... full of snow... with a promise of 16 below 0 for tonight with winds up to 50 mph. Only thing to be thankful for, all that furniture on the patio that we neglected to get put away will not get blown away. It is buried in snow and can not move. Boy! are we going to have a clean-up job in the spring.

Report from the sickroom

 

 Don is doing well after the new hip installation in December. Donya and I thought he was not walking as much as doctor ordered, so slipped the FitBit in his jeans pocket one night. It is so tiny he did not notice it. About noon the next day we told him about it cause we wanted to check how he was doing. First he was mad, a guy has no privacy at all!!  Then he started to like it and checks it himself. If there are not enough steps logged on for the day, he actually gets up and walks to bring it up. That little piece of equipment sends the data to Donya's computer, then resets it's self for the next day. Great little tool.

Chocolate cake with Red Beets

My family is not eating vegetables as much as I would like to see them eat. They'll eat plenty of dessert, though. So.. I feel they need to eat more red beets. I froze lots and need to move them into the 'eat now' category.  I found this recipe for cake. heh heh heh   Let them eat cake!!!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup butter, softened, divided
• 1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups pureed cooked beets
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a microwave, melt chocolate and 1/4 cup butter; stir until smooth.
• Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the remaining
• butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.
• 
  
• In a small bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla.
• 
  
• Beat into creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine
• flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
• 
  
• Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at
• 375° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
• center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a
• wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust with
• confectioners' sugar. Yield: 16-20 servings.
• 
  

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