Tuesday 24 February 2015

Winter and a Chocolate Pecan Pie

Blah.

It's still February.  And it's still freezing cold. 

We haven't gotten any breaks this winter....no thaws.  Just cold.  and more cold.

Everyone is so sick of it.

And there is no mention of the polar vortex this year.

That's because it's really just called winter.

It's all one giant. never ending. polar vortex.

And it's sucking the life out of all of us.

It's so exhausting.

The other day I opened the door to the mudroom and there was a calf standing there.  I didn't even know it was back there.  But it was standing there.  In the mudroom.  Terry had turned on the little electric heater for it.  And it was standing in front of it....letting the warm air hit it's face.  It looked like it was having a really good day.  I said something to it...I don't remember what and it looked up at me....and then just turned it's head back on the warm breeze.  And I just shut the door and pretended that I didn't really see all that.....and that that really wasn't happening in the mudroom.  But it was.

It's all crazy.  Completely crazy.  This life of winter and frozen water bowls and new calves.  and frozen eggs.  and drifted snow.  and freezing cold.

I just want to go outside for a walk.

Today was Johanna's day.  The day she was born.


She's 17.

That seems impossible.  But I guess it's not.  Because it is what it is.

She requested a chocolate pecan pie.  So I made one. 


And it was good.  Very. very. good.


Of course there was cake too....


Brenda

Monday 16 February 2015

Family Day Weekend

It was unbelievably cold this past weekend.  Well....not really...it's winter.

But anyways, it was cold.

Calf number 18 was born and he was the first to come into the mud room and experience the salon treatment this year.  He got a total blow dry off with my trusty hair dryer.


He is doing great....and he has returned to the barn.

I made this cake....


It took me a ridiculous amount of time to decorate.


And I don't care if I ever see that cake pan again.


But Tasha was super excited when she saw it....so that made it all worth the work!

The kids had their Square Dance Achievement night.

Sophie had the camera this year.....



And as always....when they asked everyone to join in.....I was suckered into dancing.



I spent more time trying to figure out if I was a boy or a girl (I was a boy)....and which hand was my right and my left (I've always had serious problems with this).



I think the young lads in our square were ticked....because we kept screwing everything up....and then we just laughed hysterically about it.



We headed to Calabogie Lake for a family get together on Saturday.  The boys were happy to get out on the ice to fish.  I stayed inside and ate and didn't take any photos.

I stayed inside again yesterday....and I made ribs.

I stayed inside again for most of the day today....and I roasted a meat bird.

It's all about the food when it's this cold.

But I did get out for a walk this afternoon....the sun was warm....and I had to peek in at all those new calves.

Brenda

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Lettuce, Piss Pot Lids and Markers

It's February.

I'm missing this.


I haven't had good lettuce in weeks.  WEEKS.

I seem to keep buying it for some weird reason....even though it's terrible.  And the last time I bought it I just packed it in the bin with all the rest of the stuff...and I wasn't really thinking.....and the lettuce was all 'exposed'......and by the time I had walked from the store to the truck it had all frozen on me....and it was BLACK.  The lettuce that was not really good to start with was now completely ruined.

I miss lettuce.

I was cleaning out a room over at the farmhouse that we bought a couple of years ago.  It was a room full of things....I wasn't even sure what was in there.  Stuff left from the auction sale....and other stuff.  A lot of stuff.  Stuff I didn't know I owned.

A piss pot.


With a lid.


Looks to be in mint condition....as far as piss pots go.


I didn't know I even owned one.

But I'm not really sure what to do with it.  Do you display a piss pot?

And take a look at this...


SIX piss pot lids.


What do you with piss pot lids?

I searched on Pinterest and got nothing.  NOTHING.

Ya, so anyways.....my nephew put marker on his face today.  One little mark.  It reminded me of the time that Sophie came to me completely covered in marker.  I had to find the photos.

Unfortunately she really wasn't wearing appropriate clothing....she was 2 at the time and she actually wasn't wearing anything except a diaper and some kind of tank top because that's what 2 year olds do.....so I had to crop the photo.


But the series of photos that I took of her that day made us laugh so hard we cried.

And I had a hard time finding the photos because they were on the disc marked 'Lydia's Baptism'.  But it all makes perfect sense...because when you have a newborn in the house everything is crazy fun.

Brenda

Tuesday 3 February 2015

A Cake and a Pie

I did some baking on the weekend.

A sweet girl was turning 3 and needed a pink cake....even the inside!  So, I made a white cake and put some pink dye in it.

The other request was that it be musical.  Johanna had the idea to make the notes out of chocolate....and she planned it out and did them for me.  I told her that she may as well put them on the cake....since she made them....



She was going along and then I kind of freaked and told her that she was putting them upside down....but she knows more about music than I do....and she said that that was the way they were suppose to go.  It's a good thing I got her to do it!  I would have messed it all up.




Then I made a coconut cream pie.  Winter is a great time for me to try some new recipes...and this one is a keeper!  So yummy!


Brenda

Monday 2 February 2015

The Hill of Snow

There are lots of great hills for sliding in the fields.

But this is much more convenient.


It's a hill of snow.



And it's steep and it's fast.


And it has kept them busy for hours.


It's good.  very. very. good.

Brenda