Tryin' to help out.....

So,I added a search button (look to your right,ladies;) to my blog.
I am hoping this will help if you are trying to find a recipe I posted in the past or other information that you got here.
It is not connected to the web,it only searches my blog.
Let me know if this helps out!
Or if you have any other opinions about my blog:)
Have a super day!

Itty Bitty Knitty's

That's what these are!
Just darling Itty Bitty Knitty's.


This last Baby Shower I was invited to really threw me for a loop.


Last minute projects are not fun for me,certainly since this time of year I don't have any minutes to spare.

So,I said to myself "Self,you need to figure out how to have gifts like this on hand"


So,I looked up some simple patterns for Baby Hats and Bibs.


These are such darling and easy little gifts to make!
Also,quite fast to whip out,so even though I only have a few minutes a night to knit,I can finish one of these in just a couple of nights and still feel like I am accomplishing something!
The bib is taking a little longer,but its going to be cute.


I am knitting the bib out of 100% cotton yarn (or what I call "washrag yarn")
So,which ever Mama I give it to,she can just throw it in the wash when its dirty.


Please excuse the pictures,its very hard to show these off when I don't have a baby to model them.

But,hopefully you get the idea;)

{Tried and True}

I am slightly obsessive compulsive.

I have this quirk that I have to find the best of something.

Even if it is simple.

Years and years ago,I was determined to find the best biscuit recipe.

I couldn't just make Biscuits,they had to be flaky,buttery biscuits,so I made every biscuit recipe I could get a hold of till I found this one.

This one proved to be the best one I have come across.







Sky High Biscuits


3 cups flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup of butter (no subs!)

1 egg,beaten

1 cup of milk



Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine first five ingredients; cut in butter till mixture is course and crumbly.

Add beaten egg and milk,stir till just mixed,DO NOT overwork dough,(overworking the dough will make a 'tough' biscuit)

Turn out to lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

Roll out to a 1 1/2 thickness and cut biscuits,place on ungreased cookies sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.



Nothing like a warm biscuit with jam in the morning or nothing goes so well with soup or chili then a biscuit:)


Life has been so hectic lately,but I am hoping to have a minute to post my "little" knitting projects I have completed!
Hope your week is going well!

A cool ocean breeze,anyone?

Okay,so we all know I am a lover of the old-fashioned front porch.

But,every once and awhile,my heart flutters back to the warm,balmy days I spent in Hawaii chilling out on our Lanai,sipping Mai Tai's, while the cool fragrant ocean breeze washed over us.

And today,I really missed that,so I thought I would go back to that place and bring you with...

Farmhouse Stoves

Can't have a Farmhouse Kitchen without a stove,right?

So,which one of these is your favorite?

{Flutterby}

That is what my Grandpa used to call Butterflies: Flutterby.

This fella has been fluttering by my flowers every day.

So,yesterday I caught a picture of him.

Thought I would share his delicate beauty with all of you.

Oh,Ruby! How I love thee.......

I have a confession to make.

I Love Rhubarb.

Borderline obsession with it.

Its just delicious!

Although,I would have to say my favorite is Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (which was recently my birthday "cake")
There are other recipes that are certainly a close second.

(please note:the leaves on Rhubarb are poisonous to humans AND animals,so please discard in a safe location,NEVER feed to your livestock)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Rhubarb Custards~

Unsalted butter,for ramekins/gratin dishes
3/4 cup of sugar
12 oz rhubarb,washed,trimmed and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup flour
2 large eggs,plus 1 large egg yolk
Coarse salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter 6 five and half inch gratin dishes (1 inch deep),dust with sugar and arrange on rimmed baking sheet.(you may also use 4 inch ramekins,2 inch's deep)
Toss rhubarb with 1/4 cup of sugar and divide among dishes.
Cover each dish,first with parchment paper then tin foil and bake until rhubarb has softened and released its juices,about 30 minutes.
Take pan out of oven,but keep oven on.
Puree milk,cream,flour and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar,eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender till smooth.
Bake,uncovered,until just set,about 22-24 minutes.Let cool for 20 minutes.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Rhubarb Bars~

Crust:

1 cup of flour

heaping 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter,softened

Filling:

2 eggs,beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely chopped rhubarb

Mix together crust ingredients,it will be a stiff dough.

Press dough into a 7 by 11 inch glass pan(you can use metal,but the glass makes a nice crunchy brown crust)

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

While crust is baking,prepare filling.

Beat eggs,add sugar, flour and salt,gently fold in rhubarb.

When crust is done,spoon filling over hot crust and bake for an additional 35 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into bars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a yummy drink that you can make out of Rhubarb:

~Ruby June~

6 oz Rhubarb Soda (See recipe below)

1 oz White Tequila

about 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Serve over Ice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Rhubarb Soda~

(which is yummy on its own and very attractive beverage to serve guests)

1 1/2 cups of roughly chopped rhubarb

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Sparkling water

Place Rhubarb,sugar and 1 1/2 cup water in a saucepan,Bring to a boil,then down to a simmer.

Cook for 15 minutes,until the syrup is bright pink.

Turn off the heat and allow to cool.Strain syrup into large jar.

To make each soda,measure 1/4 cup syrup into a glass.

Add sparkling water to make glass 2/3 full,stir and add ice.

{On Farmer's Time}

Awhile ago a lovely reader of my humble little blog asked a very good question (Thanks Lap Dog;)

What is a Farmers' Schedule like?
I will answer: What Schedule?

I am a planner,I do not like surprises(even good ones) and I like to know not only what I am doing today or tomorrow but have my week planned out.

Then I married a farmer.

You will get up in the morning,not knowing where you will be or what you will be doing later on that day(or even an hour from then).

My Manly may leave the house with a kiss on his lips and an idea that he will cultivate the beans today,then an hour later I get a phone call that the tractor is broke down and we need to drive to Timbuktu to get the part.

A few hours later I find myself in a Tractor Junkyard (yes,there really is junkyards for tractors) in Oregon,wondering how in the world I went from doing laundry to the place I currently am in.

Exciting?

Adventuresome?

Well,sometimes.

But,also irritating.

A farmers schedule is dedicated to the dirt and to grease and farm equipment.

It doesn't matter if its my birthday , the hay has to be baled.

It doesn't matter if its Sunday,the beans have to be cultivated NOW.

My husband TRIES to take Sundays off(after my pleading and begging) but,occasionally that doesn't happen.

He normally works 6 or7 or 8 in the morning till God knows when (he doesn't even come home when its dark sometimes,because you normally bale the hay when the dew first sets on it,that can be at midnight or 4 in the morning or never,he has set out in the field all night and the dew never came,only to get up at first light and go to work on something else)

And this is 6-7 days a week.

Its not always easy on a marriage,let me tell you.

Also,ladies have you ever tried to make an edible dinner for someone that has NO estimated time of arrival?

So,either it is a crock pot dinner or something that can be whipped up in 20-30 minutes (he calls me when he is on his way home)
After 2 1/2 years of marriage all I really want is to cook a dinner (a normal dinner: Homemade Pizza, Lasagna,whatever) and when its ready to have someone there to eat it!!!

That hasn't happened as of yet.

But,when he does come through that door,covered in dirt and grease,looking exhausted.

All my anger dissipates,because even though its not the easiest job and life can be very hard,I know he is doing it for us.

And I married that sweet hunky farmer boy,for better or for worse.

Happy Independence Day

Life has been crazy lately,but I am hoping to be able to blog about a few things in the next week.

Have a safe and fun weekend!!