Morning Peace

Breakfast is done,
Table cleaned off, the rest of the mess waiting.
It can wait.
I walk out the front door and sit in the cold metal chair of my porch.
It's 52* on December 10 th dry, sunny and coolish.

I sit there in that chair looking southeast.
The sun is so bright I just close my eyes and soak it in.
The bright sun with that good for you vitamin D.
I only unbutton and show so much,
It isn't just cool, I sure don't want to scare the wildlife this beautiful morning.

I feel my skin warming on the side exposed to the sun.
Closing my eyes it is just so bright I can't see out.
I hear the far off crow in the woods,
Parakeets tweeting in the building not far away.

I shield my eyes with my hand every now and then
to view the morning peace.
Mowed fields in front of me from my summers work.
Woods across the road and across the creek,
The tired unused wood pile out by the driveway.
About 700 yds southeast on the hill I see my husbands range
It's a 1/2 plate of steel hanging between two metal pipes.
Painted yellow to see and tell where he has hit his target.
A neat hole punched in the middle of the metal
The metal is bending inwards from so many bulls eyes.

The heifers aren't up in front of the house yet.
They are waiting to be spoiled with good feed down in the barn.
The 5 new heifers we saved last week are quiet this morning
Adjusting to not having a mama to nurse for breakfast.

It is so much easier to sit here and just absorb.
Everything and nothing at the same time.
I try to push out what is churning in the back of my brain.
All the need to's, want to's and must do's
Daily, Christmas and just whatever's.

My skin starts getting hot in some places
My backside is still cold from the silly metal chair.
I give up.
I have to walk through those front double doors
Back to the need to's, want to's and must do's

Crud ! Oh, Well.
Looks like I can just run away for a few minutes.
I wonder... what would happen
If I just dumped everything in the floor,
Dirty dishes, to do lists, other needful things
Just walked around it or swept it out the door?
Better yet... walk back out the front door
To that Morning Peace and just said forget it?

Ok, I give up.
I am going back into Mama, wife and family mode.

Love
Ranchmama

12-10-2017

Summertime Fun

      Summer is gone although we have had a really warm fall when we even have green grass in the pastures after a freeze. It's kind of like have a nice long spring, pretty nice really. :-)

     I've been busier than usual with all the brush hogging this summer ever now and then I get to play doing something just for fun that has nothing to do with ranching husband or even Heidi Ho. 

   

Drying rose petals and making flower essences was a fun for me learning experience. I may not ever really put them to proper use but I had a blast! I can also open the jars and smell some really beatiful dried roses.

Love

Ranchmama

( who is now in Christmas mode with presents bought and wrapping next!)

   

I did it !

              

                               

Last year I tried making the Ultimate Coconut Cake. It was such a flop I didn't even bother to put the icing on the cake. It wasn't worth the cost of the ingredients to even try to salvage it. This year I took another try at it and I actually did it!

  If you go look at Martha Stewart she has the recipe there. 

 https://www.marthastewart.com/966156/ultimate-coconut-cake

This towering 12-layer coconut cake is the signature cake belonging to chef Robert Carter of The Peninsula Grill in Charleston, SC. It is based on his grandmother's recipe and it has become the cake-of-choice for Charleston brides.

 Entire cakes are shipped across the United States via overnight delivery. The show-stopping Ultimate Coconut Cake® weighs approximately 12 pounds and is delivered to your doorstep.I would like to know how in the world it arrives in one piece ! I can't imagine shipping this when I had such a challenge getting it across town.The whole cake is $130.00 to purchase then if you have to ship it you can tack on a whole lot more for shipping overnight. When you order a piece of cake at the restaurant it is $10.00 a slice and believe me it isn't one of those big fat slices you see sometimes. They say the 10" round cake serves 16 people. It is soooo rich I'm not sure you could eat a great big fat slice. 

   They tell you to let it sit on the counter a few hours to come to room temperature but honestly so far nobody has been able to wait that long yet! If we did I am sure the actual flavors of the toasted coconut and butter and cream cheese would make us drool even more. LOL

   I noticed several people at the party were enjoying a second helping that don't usually indulge in something so rich.  LOL

   Nikki wasn't able to attend the Thanksgiving dinner I took it to but I took her and her hubby the left overs to enjoy. She said ....

    Holy Cow! I just got home and took a bite of that cake!

    That's deadly! It's like.... If I was a prisoner on death row and had a last meal I'd want all that cake!

    It's funny. She got up the next morning and found out SOMEONE... was having cake for breakfast ! LOL

   It gives me a thrill to know that not only did I actually pull this recipe off this time but people really enjoyed it that much. This is how much was left over after the party and believe me it wasn't a very big party.

                             

Normally I would have started this cake a few days before because it has a lot of steps and parts to assemble but it didn't work out like that and I had only 1 day to cook, cool, and assemble. I worked on this from noon until midnight taking a break for lunch and supper. I was worn out and I needed a cleaning crew to take care of the kitchen. I don't know what was harder, making the cake of trying to find a cake board sturdy enough to hold the cake or trying to fit it into the fridge!

The cake has five steps: ( We won't figure up how much the ingredients cost )

1. The filling: You make it the night before assembling the cake..

2. The cake: Two 10” cakes.
3. Simple syrup
4. The frosting…
5. The assembly

    As you can see I didn't get everything cut as nice and neat at the Chief did but maybe I will have better luck next time.

                               

Love

Ranchmama

( who has met this challenge and wondering what the next one will be. LOL )

Carnivore Man Food

This is one of hubby's favorite soups.

Fried Potato Soup 

 with 

Bacon and Monteray Jack Cheese

Pretty easy . I cut up a pound of bacon in about 1 inch pieces and fry then drain and set aside. 

    Chunk up your potatoes of choice and fry until pretty much brown or until kinda soft but not too soft sice you don't want them to fall apart in the soup.

     While you fry potatoes get a pot of water boiling enough to cover taters. Put some seasoning in like salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. I use chicken bullion but you can also use chicken broth. 

     When all the potatoes are done put them in the water. If you can't fry them all at once fry a pan full place in a bowl repeat until all are done

      Save some bacon for topping. Dump the rest in the pot. 

      I usually have too much water so I thicken it up with instant mash potatoes . Be careful it sure is easy to put too much and you wind up with a thick gloppy mess! You can water it down again with milk, water or chicken broth.

      Fill your bowls with the soup. Put a really good layer of Monteray jack cheese then top with fried bacon.

      Great with club crackers or if trying to cut back on salt use plain oyster crackers.

Love

Ranchmama 

Prepper Care

    Sounds like Medi Care or some kind of insurance. LOL Next time someone asks what kind of insurance you have tell them you have PREPPER CARE ! Your doctor is Dr. Mom / Dr. Dad. I need to start a blog on Prepper Care .    

    I've been thinking and trying to analyze a lot of health stuff. Not only for myself but other folks I come in contact with. I don't have any medical training so I would say I would be pretty clueless in many areas. Maybe not AS CLUELESS as many blindly functioning people out there but for sure not properly trained.
    I would think there are many preppers that are aware of health issues in a emergency sense of things. But are they aware and knowledgeable in the common ever day health issues that you can run across in just plain living. Not war time extreme or disaster extreme. Just if things are for some reason not as easy living and comfy as we are today even. Lots of poor people are living that way now. Medical insurance is just not working or available for some people.
   I know we talk about prepping and stocking up on meds which is always good, But can you take care of you, yours, family and friends without going to the doctor? There are so many methods to learn or be aware of for treating the people around you. The list starts with :
Common sense
Nutrition
Standard pharmaceuticals
Herbal
Essential Oils
Homeopathic
TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine 
Ayurvedic medicine
   
    Use what works for you, what is comfortable for you to learn how to use and understand. Be aware of other methods because your method may be wonderful but you may run across someone it doesn't work for and need to pull a different rabbit out of your medical hat.
   Don't forget massage, simple safe chiropractic and a big dose in counseling people.
     We have so many currant health issues. Some is due to what we call old age. But I am thinking it's more due to lack of knowledge. We are soo busy with life we don't stop to see what is really happening until we can't wiggle or in pretty miserable health. Then we run to the doctor and listen to the PROFESSIONALS that in many cases mess up more than they fix up! The naturalist / organic folks are getting a clue some of us too late but it's a start.
    If the SHTF some day many will die like we are finding out in the hurricanes. Anyone over 60 is in extreme danger of dying. I am seeing so many health issues that go back to missing something in the body's chemistry that in the chain of events the link gets broken and starts a cascade of health problems.
   Modern foods are not supplying our bodies with what we need in general due to the lack of nutrients in our production of those foods. Be it the soil lacking or just the way things are processed to be stored on the shelves in many cases. Most of these issue still goes back to our own choices in the food we eat and enjoy. If it isn't that it is the contaminants in not only the food but the world around us we live in. We have all heard this stuff before.
   So lets get back to basics. If your not a medically trained person you need to be aware and able to assist, fix, recognize common everyday issues and how to deal with them. Be the Dr. Mom or Dr. Dad in your family or group of friends. Here is a list of health problems you can check off to see what you think you can handle without modern day pharmaceuticals and maybe what you may need to learn more about. 

 

Love

Ranchmama

The 11 most common reasons for emergency department visits:  

   1. Chest pain
    2. Shortness of breath / difficulty breathing
    3. Abdominal pain
    4. Headache
    5. Vomiting
    6. Fractures / sprains
    7. Syncope or fainting
    8. Motor vehicle accidents
    9. Fever
    10. Cough
    11. Infections such as a cold or the flu

    ___ Acute Anticipatory Anxiety                             ___ Laryngitis

    ___ Allergies                                                        ___ Mononucleosis

    ___ Anaphylaxis                                                   ___ Muscle Aches

    ___ Athlete's Foot                                                ___ Nasal Congestion

    ___ Back Pain                                                      ___ Oral / Mouth Sores

    ___ Bladder Infections (UTI)                                   ___ Pink Eye / Styes

   ___ Blisters                                                            ___ Poison Ivy / Poison Oak

   ___ Blood Loss                                                      ___ Post-Surgical Complications

   ___ Bronchitis                                                        ___ Ring Worm

   ___ Bruises                                                            ___ Shingles

   ___ Bug Bites / Stings                                           ___ Shock and Collapse

   ___ Burns / Sun Burns                                           ___ Sinus Infection

   ___ Chicken Pox                                                    ___ Skin Infection

   ___ Cold Sores                                                      ___ Skin Irritation /Rashes /Impetigo

   ___ Common Cold                                                 ___ Sore Throat

   ___ Cough                                                              ___ Splinters

   ___ Cuts / Minor                                                     ___ Sports Injuries

  ___ Dental Emergencies / Infections                         ___ Sprains / Strains

  ___ Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting                                 ___ Staple / Suture & Removal

  ___ Ear Infection                                                        ___ Stroke

  ___ Emotional Shock                                                ___ Sunstroke

  ___ Ear Pain                                                             ___ Swimmers Ear

  ___ Fever                                                                  ___ Tetanus

  ___ Fainting                                                              ___ Toenail / Ingrown /Removal

  ___ Flue                                                                    ___ Traumatic Injuries

  ___ Fractures and Assisting Bone Healing                   ___ Upper Respiratory Infection

  ___ Fright                                                                  ___ Vaginal Discharge

  ___ Frostbite                                                             ___ Vaccinations / Flu

  ___ Grief                                                                    ___ Wounds / Abrasions

Carnivore Hubby Food

I get sooo tired of fixing Carnivore Hubby Food and not or very little veggies. At our age and with ailments I keep telling him we are not eating the right foods! If you don't put the stuff in your body requires to function at it's prime your just going to feel like crud! He just don't get it. We argue about it all the time. He has no clue how other men eat at all. He thinks they all eat like he does or should or if they don't they are just something less manly I swear!
   So I fixed something different. I can't do any pepper not even black pepper so I left all that out. I tamed down the spices or left out a lot of stuff here.The stuff with a xxxx I left out and I put 2 x's more meat almost. It was still to spicy even for him ! I could eat it even but he didn't like it.He picked out the meat and ate a little of the rice and beans. 
   I absolutely hate it when I fix something like a stew and he picks out the carrots, green beans, or whatever other veggie I put in it that isn't potatoes or corn or hominy. I feel like I just wasted money, time, energy and made a big mess to clean up I don't want to clean. 
    I gave the huge amount of left overs to the helper and his family and they really liked it. I can't just fix a meal for me and then one for him. That's too much work. So I am stuck eating good food but not really the right foods. Next Experiment ! LOL

Love
Ranchmama

Casserole

Skillet ( Cajun )  Cowboy Rice Casserole

https://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/skillet-cowboy-rice-casserole/
 

Serves: 8
Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced  xxxx
• 1 small red pepper, seeded and diced    xxxx
• Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 8 oz fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed  ( left casing on the Kielbasa sausage )
• 1 (32) oz low sodium beef broth   ( I used powder in water mix )
• 1½ cup long grain rice
• 1 (15) oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed  ( black beans )
• 1 (10) oz can mild or hot Rotel tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 2 packets Goya Sazon Coriander and Annatto Seasoning   xxxx
• 2 Tbsp dark chili powder   ( 1/2 )
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic salt (Or to taste)
• 1 tsp lemon pepper      xxxx
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro   xxxx
• 2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. In skillet cook the onion and peppers. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
2. Cook for 3 mins. until beginning to brown then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the ground beef and chorizo. Cook until brown. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
4. Turn heat to high. Add everything but cheese. Bring to a boil stirring until combined.
5. Cover and Simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
6. Uncover and mix in the cilantro.
7. Top with cheese. Remove from the heat and cover allowing the cheese to melt or melt under the broiler in the oven.
   

Vegas ....What a mess !

Sometimes bad things just happen. No explaining it.
Please God ..... heal the injured mentally and physically and all others that are touched by this stupidity.
I'm afraid there will be many more maybe not like this one but it will be more frequent. Much more frequent.
People are not happy. Life just sucks for too many of our citizens of all ages.
How do you make a dent in all the many forms of unhappiness in our country?
Drug abuse
Alcohol abuse
Mental and Physical abuse to family
    I think these are rampant the tenticals (sp) of the damage ( this touches many areas) of just these reach out to not just for 1 victim but for whole families for lifetimes.
    then you have the many other areas of
Bills
Bad Health
Hunger (yes in our country)
Poorness........ I know hard working people that are still poor and just can't get ahead. Always behind the 8 ball.
   How do you pick up even 1 family or community up to a better happier life much less a whole country with good people that are just drug down and not happy?
     Love ?? People say that but I don't think people understand what that is, It isn't just being a good person and not doing bad things. It isn't just telling people you love them ( it never hurts though)
    Love is a action word.... a verb ......
 It is taking action in small and large ways to SHOW LOVE to everyone you can in some way. 
 It can be as simple as 
telling someone how good they look
thank you for such a good job
sharing your garden bounty
fixing "too much" dessert and sharing with someone
It can be listening to their problems letting them let off steam and then asking how can "we" fix that now. 
It can be letting them work  enough to pay a bill even though you could have done the work yourself. 
Maybe take someone out to lunch or ask them over for a meal they didn't have to fix.
    I know those are Little Things but those are things anyone can do. Maybe if we get in the habit of doing lots of little things we can work up to the big things whatever that may be. 

   I just don't know how to fix that much sucking in the world very quick.

Love
Ranchmama
( I really do TRY to love everyone but believe me I have my limits ! LOL)

Cloudy Dreary Rainy Day

It's 67* with a high of about 73* today. Cloudy dreary light rainy weather.

It's. 9 am hubby is fed he has birds and cows taken care of and I decided to just come out and sit on the porch. 

     I told hubby I just needed a break from dark and dreary in the house. He said it's that way out here ! I told him nope! Not as bad as inside and I get fresh air .

      He and Heidi Ho sat out here with me a few minutes and decided to go in. 

      I like the rain. This kind of slow rain is so soothing. We needed it. The hay field is all cleaned off of hay bales and soaking it up. Nikki's place we recently brush hogged and it can green up and get pretty again. The Sire's place I worked on a few weeks ago and I have most of the south side looking good. It has the poorest soil from being farmed for probably a 100 yrs . It's slow growing on the grass but those darn weeds are just terrible! Hubby said it's a waist of time but I told him I for sure want to get the north side of the place looking better before he has to put hay spikes on the tractor . I don't want to have to look at all that nasty stuff all winter where we drive and feed ! He said it would fall down after frost and I told him it didn't last yr and we had to look at it all year ! I sometimes think I need goats. 

    I also brush hogged behind the house in our little nursury pasture where we put cows we need to keep a close eye on. 

     Things are going to look so good in a few days after this rain kicks in !!

     Well darn. I have called everyone available this time of morning, wrote this little day report now I guess I have to go in and deal with kitchen, desk and hubby's 2 teeth he had taken out on Monday . He is such a Sheldon sometimes, overthinking every little tiny thing like he has no clue  !!  Grrr but it is kinda funny I just try to laugh about it. I told him listen.... I had 5-6 taken out at a time several times with abscesses and broken down below the gums.... Really ! What your doing is amature hr here dear ! Lol

     Darn. I give up.  Dark dreary house , chores and insurance paperwork is calling.

Love

Ranchmama 

Bull Talk

    A few weeks ago it was time to move the bull from the house to a pasture about a mile away since he had done his job here at the house. 

     As usual I drove the truck to back up to the trailer while hubby opened gates and directed me to the right spot so he could drop the trailer onto the hitch. 

       I can't back up that trailer and make a turn aiming for the corral gate for nothing no matter how much I try so hubby gets to do that . 

       We get bully into the trailer without any problems as usual. Seems like they always know if they load up they are going to party. LOL

        I drive the truck and trailer while hubby unlocks and opens gates.

        We go down the road a bit open the gate and I pull the trailer into the property a ways to pull the cows away from the open gate. Usually there is never a problem everyone does what they are supposed to. 

        This time hubby goes to let the bull out and call the cows so everyone could get acquainted as usual. Darned if I didn't look back and see some cows wonder out the gate and up the road to our other property gate across the road! 

       Hubby tells me to jump in the truck go up the road turn it around and block the road so the cows wouldn't go too far. I told him no way! I can't turn it around that fast! You do it! 

      So he jumped in and dropped me off at the gate to block the ones in there and to let the others in. 

      No big deal pretty normal. Except! This time the other bull across the road came up to welcome the ladies from across the road! 

     Well that is not ok with the bull we just dropped off! He started heading to the gate to have a talk with that guy! Let him know real quick just how things are going to be! 

      Hubby was up the road shooing the cows back where they belong. I was at the open gate guarding it .... That is until I looked up to see about a 2000 lb bull in front of me eyeballing the bully directly behind me on the other side of the road. 

     They were both bellowing. I swear they had the yard stick out measuring everything to see who had the biggest part. 

       I looked at the bull directly in front of me and he gave me a look that let's  you know you are in the way and you wouldn't win ! 

     I quickly shut the gate!! Then moved out of the way! 

     Now I have heard two bulls "talking" across the road to each other but I have never been directly between two when they were chatting! 

     Oh my gosh!!! Sooo loud!!! I don't usually get too worried about things but there are some things you just  "know" you don't mess with! Bulls are something though you always watch no matter what.

       It was like two huge grizzly bears sparing. 

       Hubby got the cows back where they belonged and I guess they distracted bully enough we could open the gate without issues . 

      Wow! All these years and that was something I have never encountered up close and personal. 

      The picture above I barrowed from the net but they are the same color and size to give you a idea.

   

Love

Ranchmama 

The Things You Learn

With a new cookbook or 3 ! 

In my quest to find perfect prize winning pie and cake recipes, since I don't have any recipes handed down to me from my mom or anyone, I collected a few books recently that actually had won first place with there recipes. 

    It doesn't take much of a excuse for me to get a new book I can use and learn from.

     What I really learned from these is to use UNBLEACHED flour. Now tell me what is wrong with my thinker? All the things I do for myself and playing DR Mom to other folks to cut back on toxins and improve our health and I never thought of THAT ! 

   Sheesh! Head slap! Duh!!

I found what I  was looking for at Wally World the smaller stores are slow like me and haven't caught on yet.

Love 

Ranchmama

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 ) 

Hubby's Special Request Steak Soup

Hubby has been wanting some steak and potatoe soup for a while.I make a fairly good one but had plenty of room for improvement.I did some surfing around and found a recipe that might fit our taste buds if I made a few changes.

      Here is what we had for super. I must have done a good job because he said it was like what you would get at the expensive Russian Restaraunt that he an Nikki went to in New York. 

     I found these new to me mini crackers and that just made it even better for him! He said it's a shame it took 40 yrs for me to find this recipe and he hopes I can make it again just as good! ( hmmm... Somewhere in there is a backasswards compliment )

     The changes I made were:

 I used

4 sirloin steaks

No celery (didn't have any)

No mushrooms (don't like them)

I used beef bouillon 

Tossed enough A-1 Sauce in it to look good

1-c heinze catchup instead of tomatoes

No wine ( Don't like the flavor in my food)

No thyme

   I browned my meat and the bones with the onions and chopped garlic in bacon grease.

   I kept the bones with the soup to get what little bone broth I could in the soup and extra flavor. 

    I fried my chunky potatoes ( lots of them) like for a meal until just tender then added that to the already tender & cooked soup meat. 

   I like the carrots. Hubby picks them out... GRRRR..

Well that's how I done it and looks like I better stick too it! Lol

Love

Ranchmama 

Robust Beef and Potato Soup

1 1/4pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of fat

1 1/2tablespoons vegetable oil

1large onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

8ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

6cups low-sodium beef broth

3/4cup canned crushed tomatoes in purée

1/3cup dry red wine

3/4teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon Coarsely ground black pepper

1/2teaspoon dried thyme

1 to 1 1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions

1. Cut stew meat into bite-size pieces. 
2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. 
3. Add meat and brown on all sides.
4. Transfer meat to a bowl. Add onion and celery to pan, adding more oil if needed. Cook, stirring, over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except potatoes. Add beef.
5. Bring to a simmer. 
6. Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
7. Add potatoes and return soup to a simmer. 
8. Cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.