Tag Archives: fun

Wordless Wednesday – Butter

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It’s been a few days since I posted last…life has been on a roll again! When I say there’s never a dull moment here, I truly mean it! I’ll explain later, but for now, enjoy this photo:

The other day I opened the fridge, and was greeted with this:

Hmmm...wonder if this is a hint?

 

 

Call me crazy, but I believe someone may have been playing in the fridge! And for my dairy friends, half the sticks are real butter, half are the “other” kind. I don’t use real butter for George’s stuff, but Boss Man insists on it! 🙂 We’re a mixed house like that.

Today, I’m linking up with Katie over at Pinke Post for Wordless Wednesday. Go check her out and give her a follow, she’s amazing! (And a fellow Prairie Mama!)

Fish Out of Water

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About a week ago, I spent a few days on a road trip with my good friend, and fellow Prairie Mama, Katie. We left our families on a Sunday evening and drove a few miles to this place called Hutchinson, KS. (And by few miles, I mean, like 700 of them.)

Why would we do such a thing? It was all in the name of sharing our story and spreading our circles.

You see, Katie and I think a lot alike on certain topics. And we’re both passionate about certain things, like our family, our faith and agriculture. And yet, we are very much so different. Katie is a stunning, tall blonde, who is an experienced traveler and can fit in anywhere, including the fields of North Dakota and the boardrooms of California. I’m, well, I’m more corn-fed and am a bit timid when it comes to spreading my wings and venturing out to places unknown.

But our trip was amazing…and it made me realize so many things (I’ll get into the details in a later post).

Like:

  • It’s good for the heart and soul to get away and laugh like a teenager again.
  • The most amazing support you can find may not even be in your own backyard…well, unless you consider the internet your backyard…or a Starbucks in Hutchinson, KS.
  • The most accomplished of speakers can spin words of wonder, and yet you will never hear a single message that they are trying to get across to you. And yet, the most quiet and nervous of speakers can knock you over by bearing their heart to you.
  • When I think space exploration, I think Hutchinson, KS. Doesn’t everyone?

The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS, was truly out of this world!

 

 

  • The man in the Garmin does not like bridges. He makes us float over water.
  • There are amazing Tweeps all the way from Aberdeen, SD, to Hutchinson, KS, that can give you great tips, like when the speed limit changes or how fast you can drive before risking a ticket.
  • If you need to prepare too much to tell your story, then it’s not your story to tell.
  • Perhaps the Police Surveillance Van #4 would be more undercover if the van did not use the network titled, “Police Surveillance Van #4.” Just sayin’.
  • I love sharing my story.

And I learned this all thanks to a late-night Twitter conversation with a gal that only lives an hour from me, but I probably would have never met, had it not been for social media. And we traveled to a social media conference. Coincidence? I don’t think I believe in them any more.

Hunk of Meat Monday – Gooseberry Patch Recipe #4

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It is definitely Hunk of Meat Monday…and today I’m featuring another fantastic recipe from my Gooseberry Patch Cookbook “Dinners on a Dime.”

And I’m also reminding you to head over to my latest blog post and sign up to win a Pink’ed-out Kitchen! That’s right, a pink Kitchenaid complete with accessories! Who can beat a deal like that? Check it out!

But now on to my recipe…this was a great one, but I learned a lesson or two!

Tac-Ole` Bubble Bake

Ingredients:

Simple, just the way I like it!

  • 2 12-oz. cans refrigerated biscuits, quartered
  • 1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1 1/2 c. salsa
  • 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
  • Optional: sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes

This is my meat of choice...hamburger!

Arrange biscuit quarters in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Spread beef (or leftover taco beef) evenly over biscuits. Spoon salsa over beef; top with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Garnish as desired. Serves 4 to 6.

Little did I consider that the full dish would cause a problem...but still looks yummy!

Costs:

  • Biscuits – $2.27 each – $4.54 total
  • Beef – $2.97
  • Salsa – homemade (free!)
  • Cheese – $1.97
  • Total – $9.48 (6 servings = $1.58 per serving!)

Follow directions and be ready for some amazing food!

Lessons I learned:

1) Only use ONE layer of biscuits (one bigger container of biscuits will do it, don’t need two!) – Otherwise the biscuits rise to the point of making a mess while baking, then the inner biscuits don’t get done…and let’s just say that it makes a mess and a headache that’s not needed. One layer, one layer only.

2) Put a pan or something under it to catch the overflow…just in case you do something like what’s listed above and it makes a mess. Just a warning. 😉

Although it wasn’t an error-proof attempt (follow directions, Val, follow directions), it was absolutely yummy! And my boys ate it up like crazy!

Hunk of Meat Mondays

Don’t Fold Laundry

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So, I was in the living room, folding laundry, when a surprise walked in…

Look! See! Pretty!

I tried not to lose my cool…but what the *#@!

Don't you like my surprise?

At this point, I just had to laugh. Or else the tears wouldn’t quit, you know?

Are the legs a bit much?

And then I wondered…where did he all color?

I'm so proud!

Thankfully, the only “artwork” I found was George. So, it quickly became bath time!

Oh no! I'm melting!

He kind of freaked out over the marker melting off…and I had to keep draining the tub and adding clean water.

Someone wasn't happy about losing his tats...perhaps he thought he was losing his street cred?

My lesson learned for the day? Don’t fold laundry. Now,  just to let my husband know that. 😉

Thankful Thursday – Zoo Days

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Yesterday was a crazy day…really, really crazy. So today, I was looking back through some photos and remembered a trip I took with my boys to the zoo.

It wasn’t that long ago, and we took some of my nephews with. It was so much fun…and on days like today (when I feel lousy and exhausted), it’s a great chance to relive those moments.

So here we go:

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Monday at Mayo

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Today was our first day here in Rochester for our fall checkup. We have met with the dietitian and got some really great new ideas for George’s diet.

For example, she gave me the idea of grilling a portabello mushroom (the great big cap) and topping it with a bit of salsa and a little bit of shredded cheese, to make it resemble a burger. What a GREAT idea! (I just hope George goes for it!)

We’re also going to be in contact with a chef that has a daughter that follows a low-protein diet…can’t wait to get some more ideas and recipes!

But I would like to give a big shout out to those people that have been so amazing and have made me feel like I was at Scooter’s coronation activity today. Scooter was named Little Mr. Ellendale last fall, and that meant that him and Little Miss Ellendale would be part of the high school Homecoming ceremony.

Unfortunately, this is Homecoming week…and I couldn’t reschedule this appointment again. So I missed it, but not really. Not one, not two, but at least THREE different people took photos for me. And truthfully, it probably went better than if I would have been there.

Scooter, escorting some beautiful women!

 

Little Miss and Little Mr. Ellendale - future Homecoming royalty???

 
 

The beautiful thing about living in a small town is that you can ask someone for help, and know that all is taken care of…and I can’t believe how lucky I am.

Eating Dinosaur Eggs

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Just thought I would throw out a quick blog update, so that you didn’t think that I had fallen off the face of the planet. Actually, harvest is upon us and things are getting busy around here. This week we:

  • need to clear an area for our new hay shed
  • need to freeze more corn
  • need to can more salsa and tomatoes
  • finishing my Dad’s siding project
  • county Farm Bureau annual meeting
  • attended a funeral
  • school functions/homework/etc.
  • prepare for corn chopping
  • get ready to wean cattle
  • prepare for my trip with Katie to the Small Town 140 Conference in Hutchinson, KS!!! (I’ll be a presenter there!)
  • prepare for a return trip to Rochester
  • get ready for a super-huge, ginormous rummage sale next weekend
  • get ready for Applefest
  • get some freezer meals ready for the rest of harvest

Sounds simple, right?

But this little story had me giggling this morning, so let me share with you…

EJ (4), asked if he could eat some oatmeal for lunch. I didn’t have a problem with that at all, I mean, a simple, fast meal that dirties one dish and can be made in a minute? Sure, count me in! I had picked up some special instant oatmeal packages the last time we were in Aberdeen, so he grabbed one of those and away we went.

EJ’s job was to open the package and put it in a bowl. I add the water, we push the buttons on the microwave together and voila! A meal is served. But he had a bit of a problem when he opened the package.

Dinosaur eggs in your oatmeal? Why not?

“Mom, what are those?”

“Hmmm….well, it says that those are dinosaur eggs.”

“Mom, I don’t think I’m hungry any more.”

“Don’t you want dinosaur eggs in your belly?”

“No, they might eat me.”

Well, being the nice mom that I am, I only tormented him for a little bit, then explained that they were actually just like little jelly beans. I would’ve kept the ruse going longer, but I didn’t want to have to make something else for lunch! 😉

Hunk of Meat Monday – Gooseberry Patch Recipe #2

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It is Labor Day, our first week of school is done, a fun weekend was celebrated and here we are…back at Monday.

I promised last week that there was going to be a special surprise added to my “Celebrate a Year of Blogging” celebration, so here it is: added to the prize package is a Smart Pot 5 1/2 qt. Crock Pot and a Gooseberry Patch Slow Cooker cookbook!!! With the crock pot craze of late, and with school starting and activities picking up, I thought that a crock pot would be a perfect addition to my celebration! Be sure to go to this blog post, and post a comment…or go to Facebook and “like” Wag’n Tales!

Celebrate a year with me! Win a Crock Pot!

I know that I L-O-V-E my crock pot…and I know many of you do as well! This crock pot is great! It cooks to your desired time, and then switches to keep warm! As soon as my old crock pot decides to kick the bucket, I’m getting myself one of these babies!

Well, enough about that, on to my Hunk of Meat Monday recipe!

Easy Cheesy Potatoes & Sausage

All ya need!

Ingredients:

  • 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 lb. smoked pork sausage, cubed
  • 16-oz. pkg. pasteurized process cheese spread, cubed
  • 1/2 c. butter, melted
  • 1/2 c. milk

I left my sausage in bigger chunks, that way it's easier to pick out for George.

Mix all ingredients together and transfer to a greased 10X8 baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for one hour, or until potatoes are tender. (I would suggest stirring occasionally.) Makes 6 servings.

All done!

Cost for this meal:

  • Potatoes – $1.77
  • Sausage – $1.50
  • Cheese spread – $2.50
  • Total – $5.77 – and since it makes 6 servings, that’s less than $1 per serving!
Hunk of Meat Mondays

Thankful Thursday: One Year and Counting!

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That’s right…I’ve been blogging for a whole year. I started this, after some encouragement from a dear friend, thinking that it would be a good way to let off steam, show my farm and talk about my boys. Ha! That didn’t quite work the way I planned, but oh well.

Future Farmer

EJ already knows he has big shoes to fill!

Boy, what a year it’s been! Last year, I talked about harvest, I talked about deer, I talked about school. I was frustrated that we didn’t know what was wrong with George, we traveled a LOT for his medical issues and we spent quite a bit of time in the hospital. And now, here we are…

We finally have a name, our days in the hospital will hopefully be fewer, but at least we now know what we’re dealing with and where to go from here. Our farm is still here, even when Mother Nature threw us some curveballs, and we have not be regulated out of existence…yet.

Life, as I know it, is pretty good. Even with as crazy as it gets. Plus, teaming up with my friends at The Real Farmwives of America and Friends has also been an AMAZING experience!

I never dreamed in a year’s time, that my blog would end up with almost 20,000 hits. That’s amazing to me. And I thank each and every one of you, for coming along for the ride.

I don’t know where the next year will take us, but we’re on our way!

And to celebrate the past year…I have a bit of a quiz and a giveaway for you! So here it goes:

Answer this question in the comment section below to enter: What is your favorite post on my blog? (Hint: There is no right answer!) Or why do you come back?

Want more entries? “Like” Wag’n Tales on Facebook. All Wag’n Tales friends on Facebook will be automatically entered!

Wondering what you’re winning? Well, it’ll be a really cool prize pack! Including a Fullerton Cookbook, an Ag Book of the Day or three, a Farmers Feed Families button down shirt and more! Winner will be drawn on September 9…so be sure to enter right away! (And pass it on to your friends!)

Ag Book of the YEAR!!!

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Howdy, all! If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll remember that in May I did an Ag Book of the Day theme, where I picked a book a day to feature…it coincided with my sons’ school reading program. It was an amazing month, and there were great books featured.

And now, I’ve found our latest treasure, and I’m sure it’ll soon be yours as well! And if you’re lucky, you’ll win one of the signed copies I’m giving away!!!

Here it is:

A family favorite!

 
Levi’s Lost Calf, by Amanda Radke, illustrated by Michelle Weber. We received our copies on Saturday, and we’ve already read it 15 times!!! The boys LOVE the colorful artwork and all the animals involved. The story is a simple, yet completely realistic farm story…a little boy is helping on the farm, and realizes one of his favorite calves is missing, so he takes his trusty horse and goes to find it!
 
Not only does the book have a GREAT story, but it also includes a great cowboy recipe, and vocabulary words to help those that may not be familiar with ranch lingo…how cool is that?
 
I’ve seen some really good farm books for kids, but this is one of the best! I highly recommend it, and if you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be signed up to win a copy, signed by Amanda Radke herself!!!
 
This is Amanda’s first book (and I’m hoping for many more to come!), and the artwork by Michelle Weber is breathtaking, as beautiful as it is captivating! So be sure to get your copy soon, you don’t want to miss out!
 
To enter in the contest, just leave a comment on this post. For extra entries, subsribe to my blog and follow me on twitter (wagfarms or Cows_Life)…let me know if you already do those things, it’ll still count as an entry! I’ll have a random number selected from random.org to pick my winner!
 
Good luck…I’ll draw TWO lucky winners on Friday, August 19!
 
*I better add that, although I was given the copies of the book, the opinions expressed are my own, and don’t reflect anyone else, but me, myself and I. Although, I still think it’s a super-cool, absolutely fantastic, out-of-this-world ag book, you can buy a copy yourself and decide on your own. But trust me, it’s great! 😉