Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is always a very reflective day for me.  Today is the beginning of Lent and a time to be  repentant and remember the shortness of life.  The weeks prior to Easter, during Lent allow me to get closer to God.  To realize my downfalls and be thankful that God's grace wraps me up like a big warm hug and lets me know that I am loved, even with my faults.  I feel drawn to the life of Jesus and how his journey even then, so long ago, is still so relevant and important in my life; and in other Christian's lives.  Lent is a good time to bring something new and positive into my life.  I try to find something that will become part of me and enhance my spirit and bring goodness into my life and my family. I am looking forward to our Ash Wednesday service this evening.  The men of our church will provide a pancake supper before the service and I am proud that my two sons will be participating in this event.  Every Wednesday for the next seven weeks we will have a service and a nice soup, sandwich and desert dinner.  I am looking forward to all of them and bringing some yummy things.

I made the neatest little flower pots yesterday.  First, I'm a saver and love to re-purpose a lot of things!  I have some old large, plastic, vodka bottles that were given to me.  I love the long neck on liquor bottles, perfect for a self watering flower pot.  I cut them in half, keeping the bottom part to use as feed scoops for my chickens and rabbits.  I put a small piece of nylon pantyhose in the bottom where the hole is to keep the soil from spilling through, also the liquor bottles have that little spout in the hole to keep it from flowing freely, this makes a nice stopper for soil. Once you fill it with soil you set it into a water- filled, large, quart, mason jar. Plant your flower or foliage into the top.  I like to mist it with water to get the soil damp and then you just have to watch the level of water in the jar and keep it filled.  It is a great self watering flower pot.  It can look a little plain un-decorated.  I like to tie a wide ribbon around the top of the mason jar where the two pieces come together, just to give it a little color.  Some colored stones in the bottom of the jar are pretty and if you are a fish lover, even a nice Betta Fish in the bottom is lovely, they don't like a lot of space and would love the bottom of the mason jar.  I kept a big pickle jar for years with Pothos vine in the water and a betta fish.  He lived for years and loved the vines and roots to swim through.  However, I digress, back to the flower pot!  I made three of these yesterday and nothing looks more simple and lovely than a few of them in a row in front of a sunny window. It is good medicine for Spring fever, to see a few colorful blooms in the light of the window.  Hopefully, those that know me will save their liquor bottles for me so that I can make a few more of these.  I do think a 2-liter bottle could work but they don't have the long neck like the liquor bottles do so it would have to sit in something shallow to be self watering.  I wish I could take a photo and show it off, I will eventually get that new camera I want.  And then, look out I will be a picture taking fool!

General Musings from a Scattered Mind!

                          (the sunset from my front porch through the trees)

Sitting on our front porch is the best place I find to think and ponder!  Rocking back and forth in my favorite rocking chair and watching the birds fly, seeing the bright blue sky or the dusky evening sky and setting sun and listening to the sounds of nature, especially my wonderful clucking hens in the background, is the perfect place for me.  I am on top of the world, contemplating foreign affairs, great inventions, Nobel prize worthy writing; oh yeah, and to do lists, what is for dinner, how to fix something that is continually breaking and what is the best way to break up the next teenage argument.  I think the latter is more apt to my style then the ways of the world.  I love when it is warm enough to sit outside in the mornings to drink my tea and I am yearning for those days to get here quickly.  I get a warm sensation in my heart when we sit outside together as a family and eat dinner, laughing and enjoying ourselves.  I get nostalgic and remember wonderful moments in my life outside under the bright stars and vast, black sky.  I just love to be outdoors.  Although we have had a mild winter, and I am so thankful for that, I am about over the dreary cold days and all the rain, that again I am thankful for, but am ready to see warmer weather.  I have an urge to play in the dirt, to see blooms and color.  I want to go for long walks with my herd of dogs and enjoy the sun on my face and not wear a jacket or long sleeves.  I am severely infected with a disease that is Spring Fever!  

I am including tonight's dinner recipe.  I have some chicken already cooked and I thought it would be a good day for some comfort food.  I have to learn to start writing things down more often, I get these great ideas for dinners throughout the week when I'm doing something off the wall like mopping or cleaning the bathroom.  They disappear from my memory as fast as they come to it and then I find myself standing at the freezer mumbling "what will I cook for dinner?"  Just yesterday I had three different things come to mind and I thought right then, you should write these things down!  So, I have concluded that I am going to make myself a little string line against the inside of my pantry cupboard door, so that I can close pin notes to it.  That way it will be nearby and easy to write with and I will have everything I need right there, pen, paper and a way to keep from losing it.

I am in a very crafty mood lately, and I really think that I have to thank Pinterest for it.  I get so many great ideas from that website, and then my mind goes wild and I come up with even more.  I have been storing water, for that emergency mode that I am in lately, and I made myself a nice dark place to store it for up to six months.  I used two coordinating pillow cases to make a cute drape over the front and I was quite proud of myself.  So, thank you everyone at Pinterest for cultivating my creative juices again, I think they had gone flat!

Chicken Biscuit Pie

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup frozen diced carrots
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2.  Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. In a large saucepan, saute chopped onion in the butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add frozen peas and carrots and cooked chicken. Pour into buttered 2 quart casserole dish.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk just until dough is moistened, then drop by spoonfuls onto chicken mixture.
5. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown, and cooked on the bottom. This tends to bubble over so I place a piece of aluminum foil under the pan to catch the drips.

Soggy, Soppy Sunday

I don't get on the computer on Sundays.  I feel that one day a week can be devoted to family and church and away from technology.  We had such a lovely sermon at church that I had tears in my eyes with the beauty of it, and I found out I wasn't the only one.  It feels good to know that our hearts aren't as cold as they feel sometimes and the words from our pastor can really touch us!  Sunday was the youth fundraiser for camp.  We had a "lunch-in" and it was a real success.  I didn't bring home one bite of manicotti, so that went over well.  The tiramisu was a big hit and so was my antipasto salad.  There was so much good food I was stuffed when we got home.  I was worried all day about one of our chickens.  She is handicapped, her legs are spradled and the lady just gave her to us.  I wasn't thrilled getting this chicken when my husband brought her home, but of course, I got attached and she is such a sweet girl.  She's not very apt at getting out of the rain, she can move around using her wings but she's not very mobile.  She CAN get into her little house on the ground if she really wants to, but most often will sit there and get soaking wet until we put her into the house ourselves.  We were at church and it started to rain and I couldn't stop worrying whether she got in or not.  I was thankful when we got home and saw she was in her little house. Speaking of chickens, I ordered my baby chicks today.  Like a dummy I knew what I wanted and saw the date they are available, today, and went to order them.  Well, I didn't know I should of ordered them before to get them for today.  So, now I am on order for March 5, 2012 to get my chickens.  Live and learn I suppose.  I lost out of some of the chickens I wanted because of my mess up! I'm still very excited and can't wait for them to get here.

I had all these grand plans for Sunday.  I am building a flower bed on the side of the house, and want to use the down trees in the woods to make it rustic and fit the look I want.  But, it was raining all day long so there was no chance of dragging my husband out in the rain to cut the logs with the chainsaw and since I'm getting over a cold, I wasn't going to be out in the rain either.  We all just hunkered down and watched Doomsday preppers and Swap people on television.  It is so hard for me to sit and do nothing but I did enjoy a nice family day together.  I love that Doomsday preppers it really makes you think about what you need to do in case of an emergency.  I've got all sorts of things dancing in my head that I want to prep!  I wanted to rake out the hay in the chicken pen and take it up to the garden for the boys to till into the soil for spring planting.  But, again the rain really did change all my plans.  We did get the top half of the garden tilled and the potato seeds, onion sets and some other seeds in the ground on Saturday.  Now I have that off my to do list.  I hope they grow well, we have never grown potatoes before.  I have all my seeds for the indoors planted and some are sprouting.  I get so excited when I see that first little bit of growth burst forth from the soil.  I'm in Spring mode so heavily, I just want to plant, plant, plant!

Eggs, Manicotti, and my broken camera!

(these are past Easter eggs the kids and I dyed, but I wanted a picture for my post!)

It feels so good to cook with my own eggs!  I have patiently been waiting for my chickens to start laying and my patience is paying off.  I am far from getting a lot of eggs but at least one every day, and today for the first time I used my own eggs in the manicotti I made.  Our church is having a "lunch-in" tomorrow and our theme is Italian.  I was so excited because it gave me the opportunity to whip up my home made manicotti and I put together a nice antipasto salad and a quick and easy tiramisu.  I'm so bummed that I can't take photos of things right now, but I'm having to save for a new camera.  My camera must just be worn out, it sucks the batteries dry right after I put them in and I can't upload anything on my computer even if I do get a photo taken.  I feel so lost without my camera, it was like an additional appendage for me!  I thought since I can't share a photo or three then I would at least share my recipe for manicotti!  It takes some time to make the manicotti "shell/crepes" but it is oh so worth it and delicious!


Home Made Manicotti

8 Eggs

3 Cups Water

3 Cups all-purpose

1 ½ Teaspoons Salt,

Combine eggs, water, all-purpose flour and salt in your mixing container. I use my kitchen aid mixer, but a bowl and hand mixer works well too. Blend until mixture is smooth.

How to Make Manicotti Shells

Lightly spray pan with Pam and then heat the pan for about a minute over medium high heat. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the hot frying pan.

Quickly and carefully tilt the pan in a circular motion until the batter forms a round, thin layer in the pan. (Similar to a crepe or a very thin pancake.)

Cook about 1 or 2 minutes until the shell surface appears dry.

Carefully lift the manicotti shell out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool stack with wax paper squares on top of each other.

Repeat process to make approximately 24 shells.

Lightly spray pan with Pam and then heat the pan for about a minute over medium high heat. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the hot frying pan.

Quickly and carefully tilt the pan in a circular motion until the batter forms a round, thin layer in the pan. (Similar to a crepe or a very thin pancake.)

Cook about 1 or 2 minutes until the shell surface appears dry.

Carefully lift the manicotti shell out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool stack with wax paper squares on top of each other.

Repeat process to make approximately 24 shells.

The Filling

3 pounds Ricotta Cheese

3 Eggs

1 pound shredded Mozzarella Cheese

½ Cup finely chopped Parsley or a full 11g spice bottle of dry parsley

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Onion powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed.

Spoon about 2 or 3 Tablespoons into the center of a manicotti shell and roll. Fold the ends in over the filling and then roll the shell like a burrito.

Spoon your favorite tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan to cover.

Arrange manicotti in the pan and lightly cover with additional tomato sauce.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly.

Pinterest

Oh dear, I think I have found a new toy!  If there is one thing about me, it is that I'm usually the last to get on the train of anything.  I still am reluctantly fighting the cell phone although beginning to give up my resolve as I find they can be convenient.  Of course, I'm the last one in the house without one!  I joined facebook and thought "what do I do now", slowly learning how useful it is to share photos of the kids to family all over the United States.  The new timeline? Well, lets just say I have it but I'm again thinking now what? But, what I have found that I am very excited about is this pinterest.  This is right up my alley, where I can put photos and set up boards with things that I like, and look at other peoples boards that like the same things.  I think I'm in love and this time I'm not fighting it, I'm getting on the train!

Spring is lurking!

Winter on the farm can look dreary for the most part, but there is something very nostalgic about this broken down fence line.  It draws me to look at it and wonder what people, what animals and what greener pastures were here before us.  Perhaps, my wonderment is why I haven't knocked it all down yet!

Taking long, winding, walks brings a new perspective to life when you are out among nature.  Just taking in the simple things that God has blessed us with and appreciating them can really lighten a winters heavy heart.

I am looking forward to spring and seeing some greenery and color, of course I'm not discounting the green pine trees we have everywhere.  But, blooming dog woods and strange unknown bushes and wild flowers do stimulate the senses and touch my heart.  I know that day will be here soon, if I can only hold out and not start trying to plant flowers that will freeze before their time!

Until spring arrives, I will take every glorious sunny day and hold it dear to my heart.  As I wait for those light breezes, bright mornings and cool evenings where the stars fill the black sky like twinkling Christmas lights, I will appreciate the glory of winter a few weeks more.  Rain to feed our soil, wind to blow the dust away and cold, crisp days that take your breath away are still upon us, but will be laid to rest as soon as the warmth of spring that is lurking, arrives.

They can make me laugh!

Dealing with teenagers should come with a free sample of Tylenol!  Don't get me wrong I love my children with every last breath, but they do know how to push our buttons.  I do love those moments when one of my kids really makes me laugh.  Even out of frustration you have to stop and laugh.  This morning our chihuahua, Ziggy, jumped up in my chair and over my shoulder and down my back to get warm.  Of course, scratching me down the back as well.  I grumbled at him, and my daughter looks at me and says "do you still lovvve him?" I looked at her still frustrated with Ziggy and the searing sting down my back from the scratch and replied, "I still love you when you make me mad!" She replies "Good to know!" Well, that just made me laugh!  Does that mean she is hatching some sinister plan now to test the theory? Teenagers today just make a parent go "huh?"

I have to commend that father that shot his daughter's laptop after her disrespectful rant on Facebook!  I think more teenagers need a reality check these days, to let them know they don't really know it ALL, nor do they have it so bad!  Of course, in their minds without them parents would sit drooling on themselves all day long.  It is hard to remember being a teenager and I know we probably said, thought and did the same things just in different formats.  Oh how we get paid back for what we dealt out when our parents were looking at us and saying "huh?"