Update ! Shroom City in the Country

Since my last post on the subject we have learned something cool! 

This is what is called a Fairy Ring! We were told that if you looked under this ground it is different in some way. Believe me we have mushrooms all over the pastures now but I think this is the only one I have seen in this configuration. Now I did see some in the shape of a kind of a trail. Picture a ballon string twisting in the air that's how that one looked. 

       Now look at this.....

Heidi Ho is waiting for the little Fairies to show up ! 

     I do have to wonder. Every now and then when these first started showing up she would look out the door and bark at them like " Hey ! What the heck is that ?" 

    Then again maybe she was barking at the Fairies !

Love

Ranchmama 

 

Eclipse !

Is there anything else to do Monday August 21, 2017 but be looking up into the sky to watch a eclipse?

      Like everyone else in the USA I wanted in on the fun. Here in Oklahoma we only had about a 3/4 shadow but that's ok. Hubby thought I was silly. He even asked what's the big deal?? Lol

     I fussed right back at him and told him just let me have my fun you party pooper! 

      He did go and get the welding helmet for me to clean up and he did tell me the exact time from inside the a/c house in his comfy chair so I wouldn't be gazing up into the sky for 15 minutes like a crazy goose. 

       I went out with my helmet to locate just where to look. It was fun watching the sun slowly disapear. Seems like it took forever ! 

     When it finally hit THE TIME there was about 1/4th or less of the sun showing. You should have seen me trying to get my cell phone in the helmet and aimed to get a decent picture. lol  it surprised me that after all the waiting once it hit  THE TIME it quickly started to retreat and the sun once again started to shine brighter every second. 

         I got a picture ... It's not a good eclipse pic but it's still cool enough. 

    See..... Lol

You know what??? I had worlds of fun even though sour puss just didn't get it !

    Hope everyone else had fun viewing also

Love

Ranchmama 

Shroom City in the Country

This has been a really wet summer for Oklahoma . Everywhere you go you see white puffy things all over the pastures. 

     These pics are in my yard. Funny how they make a semi circle somehow. Really fun watching how they start out and what they wind up like. 

     Some look like golf balls, umbrellas, flat top hats. 

      They say it's because of a high mold count and the warm humid air. I'm really surprised how well I'm doing. I am normally so over sensitive to mold I faint. I'm not complaining! Lol

Love

Ranchmama 

Double Tree Cookies

 

Don't these look really good? I made these first to try the recipe and liked them good enough I thought I would use these as a thank you gift to someone that is always doing something nice for one of Hubby's relatives . ( Believe me they need more than good cookies for that challenge! Lol)

    This is a copycat recipe for the Double Tree Hotel check in cookie.

     Other than a whole lot of really good cookie flavor and yummyness it has loads of chocolate chips and walnuts with just enough dough too hold it together good.

    I looked at their cookies and they are right at $2 each for much smaller cookie than what I made.

    Hubby said I can keep this recipe!

Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2017/07/doubletree-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/print/

Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Bake for 13-17 minutes
Yield: 20 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups chocolate chips (use your favorite kind)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

 Directions:

1. Place oats in a small food processor or blender and grind until they turn powdery.
   
2. Place them in a medium sized bowl and whisk in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
   
3. Set aside.
4. Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. (No mixer needed – just use a wooden spoon or spatula!)
   
5. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and eggs.
   
6. Stir until smooth, then stir in flour mixture. Mixture may be slightly lumpy because of the ground oats.
   
7. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
8. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
   
9. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of the dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet. You do not need to space them; this is just for chilling.
   
10. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight before baking.
11. Place cookies well spaced on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper .
    
12. Slightly depress each ball with the palm of your hand.
13. Do not over bake – these are best a bit under done.

**** Notes ****
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is even BETTER than the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!! It’s gooey and full of chocolate, oats, and walnuts. Plus, they’re HUGE!

Love

Ranchmama

Spring Harvest

Well it's not much of a spring havest but I get a kick out of it.

    I planted elephant garlic years ago in my little raised bed Jon and his dad made for me. Last year hubby and I used the bucket on the tractor to redo the whole thing replacing the dirt with potting soil stuff

It was a job even using the tractor. I finally got it put back together. I replanted it with some of the garlic I could salvage. I then added Hourseradish someone gave me. Ooo weee! It does get going and can takes over. I pull out the strays but even the tiniest root part takes off and grows. lol . I haven't tried harvesting it because I don't eat the stuff but I need to try it sometime just to learn how to do it . I do use it in a firewater tonic for medicinal purposes. 

The sage on the end here has been a really easy one. I was surprised how well it has done. Such pretty blooms! 

   The blooms are gone now but I plan on harvesting what looks like a bushel of leaves! I'm going to put more dirt on top of the stems to get it to spread .

      Here is my garlic harvest sunning and drying to come inside.

    Now cleaned up and ready for me to store ( I would like to learn how to string them ) to cook and I am going to replant for next year . My daughter says she doesn't know anyone in her area of Arkansas that can grow garlic. She says it just rots over there. 

    Here I just stick it in the ground and say grow! I just leave it alone and water if I want to. 

Aren't these beautiful?! The big ones fill up the palm of your hand. 

Ok so that is about it for this years playing. I wish I had more. The only other thing I have is aloe vera. Believe me my pot runith  over all over the place! Lol

Love

Ranchmama 

New Mexican Dish

My husband likes to watch Spanish tv series. Since he can speak and write Spanish he has no problems. Me? Well I get to go blind after a while reading the translations at the bottom if the screen!

     Sometimes he will here about some food and we look it up and see if we want to try it . 

Here is our latest try it.

You can see how to make it here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4mQx1zzBpuU

How to make chilaquiles

Pretty simple boy do you have to do a lot of stirring to keep the tortillas from burning! I was surprised they were tasty. 

Hubby was so funny. He watched the video and how she made the salsa. I told him I have some in the cabinet we can use. That's not how you do it! That's not what she did ! I told him I don't  have the fresh stuff and stop and think about it she was making salsa. Duh! I have salsa in a jar same thing! Well I guess your right. 

    I told him if you want to get in the kitchen and make salsa like she did I'll go get the stuff..... No don't think so he said, ok do it your way. 

   Now anyone that has read any of my stuff knows my men are lucky to know how to get a drink out if the fridge. ( now is where you ROFLMAO )

Love

Ranchmama 

Big Bad*ss Hummer

Every yr I like to put out humming bird feeders usually around my birthday in April but this year I was running way late. I just recently got my act together and put 2 feeders out making sure there was a decent amount of space to minimize any fighting.

     See now look at these

And this one was also filled and put out about 4-6' away.

You will notice that only one is empty. The other is almost untouched! 

      I finally figured out my problem. It seems that the local neighborhood hummingbirds think the monster Big Bad*ss Hummingbird has moved in and they don't want anything to do with the Junkyard Hummer!

     Even with the one empty I see them do a flyby and just keep on going to avoid that monster junkyard hummer. Lol

    Funniest thing I have seen in a long time! 

Love

Ranchmama 

 ( I took pity on the locals and relocated the junkyard hummer dude so they could eat )