Date Pinwheel Cookies

     When I was a little girl visiting my maternal grandparents I always remember my grandpa baking. One of the things he made was Date Pinwheel cookies. I had always wondered how he got the dates swirled in the cookies, I know now how it's done. I wished I would have gotten the chance to ask him his recipe for these delicious cookies, or any recipe he had for that matter. So for now I will just have to settle for something as close to his. The recipe I found is no where near like his as the dough was lighter in color and not as fluffy. The original recipe I found here at http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--2883/date-pinwheel-cookies.asp

Date Pinwheel Cookies

I used prepacked dates since they were already chopped up and pitted. However, I did not add the nuts since my little ones haven't developed a liking for that kind of texture. 

These turned out really good and were devoured within hours after baking. Will definitely be making these again!

Blueberry Streusel Bread

     I usually buy this delightful blueberry bread that we get at the store, Franz Lake Chelan Blueberry Bread. It is expensive, which prompted me to find a recipe. It didn't take me long and I had thought I found the right one, but I was wrong. It's okay, though. I decided to give it a try anyways. I did find it on Pinterest, http://pinterest.com/pin/153052087308579428/

This is how my Blueberry Streusel Bread turned out.

Blueberry Streusel Bread Recipe
(makes 1 loaf)

Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, chilled, cut up
• 2/3 cup buttermilk (see below for making your own buttermilk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (use the smaller sized ones as they hold up better than the big ones)

Topping

• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

(To make your own buttermilk; in a measure cup add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar, add enough milk to bring it up to the 1 cup measure line, let sit for 5 minutes and then use however much the recipe calls for).

Directions:

     Heat oven, 350 degrees. Grease 9x5 loaf pan, set aside. In large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter until it resembles fine crumbs. 
     Stir in buttermilk, vanilla, and egg until dry mix is moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into loaf pan. 
      In small bowl, mix together all topping ingredients. Sprinkle over batter in loaf pan.
     Bake 65 - 70 minutes, let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.


After making it was when I realized it wasn't anywhere close to the recipe I was searching for, but it was still good. Reminded me of a cross between a cookie dough and banana bread, minus the bananas. It only lasted 1 day in our house. Would I make this again, it's possible. 

Homemade Salisbury Steak

   My family loves Salisbury Steak and usually I just buy the frozen stuff in a box because it is quick and convenient. However, I have been wanting to start making as many meals as possible from scratch and trying to get away from processed food. It is not an easy task when we are so used to boxed meals.
    My husband had already looked for recipes and new what needed to be bought in order to make it from scratch but misplaced the recipe. The task was left to me to find one on super short notice. I came across this one at http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2010/09/salisbury-steak-with-mushroom-gravy.html. I did change a few things, not adding the onions (DH is not fond of them.)

    

  My revised recipe for Salisbury Steak.

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups broken up Artisan bread
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cans condense Cream of Mushroom soup (10oz can) divided
• Season Salt (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 can of portobello mushrooms with juice (4oz can)

Directions:
     Mixed together meat, bread, beaten eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of soup. 
     Shape into 6 oval shaped patties and sprinkle Season salt on both sides, set aside. 
     Heat vegetable in skillet over medium heat, add 3 of the 6 patties to the pan, cook thoroughly (like you would a burger). Set browned patties aside on a platter and cook the remaining 3 patties, set aside on platter when done. 
     In a sauce pan add mushrooms and remaining soup to pan, heat until bubbling (make sure to stir so it doesn't burn). Pour mushroom sauce over patties and serve. 

This dish is great with mashed potatoes and veggies. I made this with mac 'n' cheese and peas.

I should note that half of my patties crumbed in the pan due to too much wet stuff added and using regular bread not bread crumbs like the original recipe calls for. Would I make this again? Very likely, following the recipe closer to the original one. It still came out great and was a big hit with everyone in the family!

Scissor Beak

Beaker, a few days old.

 


     Have you ever heard of Scissor Beak? I had not, until one of our chicks started showing signs of an abnormality. All our chicks looked fine when we got them in this past fall. After doing a google search for what could possibly be wrong with our chick, it was obvious what it was. There was very little information out there about the condition and what info there was, said to cull it. How in the world was I going to be able to kill one of these cute little chicks? The kids weighed in on this issue, making it more difficult to cull the chick. Posting an ad seeking out someone who knew more about it and would be willing to take the chick in was an option, but again the kids did not want this either. 

Beaker, 2 weeks old. Showing signs of beak abnormality.

  


    I decided that we would keep the chick for now. It was not like she was not thriving. She was eating and drinking just fine. As you can see from the picture on the left, her beak alignment looks fine, but you can also see that it doesn't look quite right.

Beaker, 4 weeks old. Scissor beak is starting to become prominent.

    At 4 weeks of age, Beaker, was definitely showing more signs of Scissor Beak. Again I started doing more research trying to figure out what I was going to do with a bird that might not be able to eat without help. I was greatly thankful that she was still thriving by herself and not needing any help from me to nourish her. The question still hung in my mind, whether or not we would be able to care for this chick in the way she may need if she could not feed or drink herself.

Beaker, 8 weeks old. Scissor beak getting worse.

   It was getting time to put our little bundles of joy outside to get accustomed to their new living quarters and yet I was still unsure of the fate of this little chick with the crossed-beak. By this time I had posted an ad to find someone to take care of her, feeling that I could not doing and deciding that she was eventually going to need help soon. My eldest was not thrilled and really wanted to keep her. I went back to finding more about it and came across a lady who had a hen with the same condition. Her hen was still able to eat and drink, however she did have to make accommodations in order for her chicken to eat and drink. Seeing how simple it was and not really needing to physically help her eat and drink, I took the ad down and decided once again to keep her with the understanding from my eldest that if Beaker ever needed help that she would also have to help out. She agreed. 

Beaker, 17 weeks old with Scissor Beak

  

  We have come to understand that, Scissor Beak may be genetic. If we hatch any of her eggs, her offspring may also end up with Scissor Beak. With having this condition we do have to periodically trim her beak since she is not able to keep it trimmed on her own. Beaker is still a happy-go-lucky chicken that can still eat and drink on her own.









If you would like to know more about Scissor Beak I recommend checking out
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it.html

Photography

Baskets of flowers

 

 
 
       I am by far not a professional photographer, more like amateur, as I have so much more to learn about photography. I started out with a point & shoot camera and graduated to a D-SLR last year. Even though I changed cameras, I still did not know much about how to achieve the right combination to take the best photo possible. However, it is not just about the right combination, it is also about editing as well. Some times my photos come out pretty good, other times not so much.
    Most of the photos I take are; Macro, Portrait, and Landscape. Those are the ones I want to improve on and then expand from there. But first I need to learn the functions of my camera. There are so many buttons, each one has its own function. I am a visual learner, so seeing pages of words makes me lose interest fast.






     That all being said, I would like to share with you some photos that I had entered into a Photo Challenge with my local newspaper. Each month there is always a new challenge to get people working on their photography skills. I have submitted a photo every now and then but nothing ever came of it, that is until December when the photos were selected for the "The Beatles Song Challenge". The criteria was to take a photo that made you think of a Beatles song. I chose "Don't Bother Me, the reason I chose this song was because I was out taking photos of my chickens and was collecting eggs after I was finished. I saw one of my hens in her nesting box and was not sure which one she was as it is rather dark in there. I turned my camera on to the macro setting and snapped the photo. Of course it was the one hen that tends to be bite, so glad I didn't just reach my hand in..lol I was pleasantly surprised that my photo was one of 5 that got chosen.

  

    The challenge after this one was "Favorite Photo of 2012". I have taken many photos of the course of the year but it was 1 in particular that I always loved. What I liked most, was that it was taken with my point & shoot Sony Cybershot and it was one of the 1st photos I had taken in 2012. I had submitted it along with another that was taken at Mt. Rainier. Of course we were allowed to enter up to 5 photos but I only did the 2. Out of all the photographers that had entered and their multiple photos, I was among the chosen and the photo of mine that was chosen was my absolute favorite!

     I was shocked at the judges comments and elated. For her to choose my photo even though she is not a fan of Landscape type photos, now that is awesome! I love doing these challenges but it is also very nerve racking at the same time. There were so many other entries that I was not sure mine would even get chosen. I definitely want to learn to take better pictures and branch off from there. Anything is possible, right?

Laundry

     Lately my family and I have been sick with colds and runny noses so naturally we have an over abundance of laundry. Add in the fact that 2 are under 4 years old and go through a couple of outfits a day at times, that is a lot of laundry. Awhile ago I had stumbled across a post about homemade laundry detergent. The ingredients in the homemade laundry detergent was Borax, Washing Soda, Fels-Naptha Laundry soap and water. I only had to go to 1 store to find all these items, which were in the laundry isle in close proximity to one another. It cost me roughly $7. The cool part was,  the cost of this was much less than what I was spending on the prepackaged, ready-to-go, store bought stuff. The even cooler part, I could make multiple batches. I should mention that the homemade batch lasts me almost 3 times longer than the ready-to-go, store bought stuff does. Cha-Ching! More savings!! For me, this was something I felt would help save my family money and I know exactly what is in my Laundry detergent. I do have a kid who has skin issues and using this stuff does not irritate her skin at all. Now for the recipe!

1 Bar of Fels-Naptha shredded
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 5 gallon bucket
1 pot
3 gallons of water plus 4 cups

In a large pot add 2 cups of water and the shredded bar soap.  Heat on medium to low heat until the soap is dissolved. Once dissolved, add 2 cups of hot water, 1 cup Borax and mix. Then add in the Washing Soda and mix. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat, continue stirring until it coagulates.  Add the contents of the pot into the 5 gallon bucket. Add 3 gallons of hot water. Stir. Put a lid on it and leave sit for 24 hours. (*note: I have used this before the 24 hour mark and it was fine). You may need to mix it up as you use it, since it tends to separate some as it sits. If you choose not to use a bucket to store it, you can use milk jugs or any other type of jug.

I use about 1/2 cup of detergent per load (I usually have medium - large loads), but will add some extra if I have a full load.

I have seen this recipe vary depending on the person who posted it. Feel free to change up the amounts as you see fit. I only posted what I use for my process of making the Laundry detergent that I use.

Phalaenopsis Orchids

The Orchid in the yellow pot is from 2010, the other 2011.

 

In 2010, I received an Orchid plant as a Mother's day gift. I thought I had followed the care instructions correctly but over time the stem of the plant (which produces flowers) dried up and I completely cut it off. This may have been a rookie mistake but at the time, and not having much knowledge of how to care for the plant, I thought it best. I had asked around on a few forums as to how long it would take for a new stem to grow back, but no one was able to tell me, making me wonder even more if I had done something wrong to my plant. I didn't want to throw it away as the leaves were still green and producing new ones, however I did re-pot it with fresh planting mix specifically designed for orchids. They do not thrive in potting soil like other plants do, but grow best in a mixture of bark, perlite, and hardwood charcoal. The planting mix I used is Better-gro Phalaenopsis Mix, which has all these ingredients in it. The key to re-potting was, soaking the mix ahead of time before replanting my orchid in it. The original care instructions said to put a few ice cubes on top of the potting mix once a week. However, I had heard that orchids do not like this as they are tropical plants and should be given room temperature water. Which is how I now water my orchids and they are thriving. Another thing the care instructions said was it needed indirect sunlight. Where I had placed it ended up not being enough sunlight, which in turn may be why the stem dried up. After getting a 2nd Orchid the following year, I changed where I kept them to my kitchen window. It faces between Northeast and East, so my plants get the direct morning sun up until around noon (which is about 4-5 hours total). Recently my first Orchid plant started growing a new stem. This has me so elated because I did not think it would ever grow a new stem plus I have no idea what color flowers it had. My 2nd Orchid plant is already on its way producing a new flower. The previous year I got blooms twice, so I am hoping it will do it again.

The lesson I learned, to always research the plants care instructions regardless of what the tag says. It does not hurt to gain more knowledge about the plants you care for. Please keep in mind that this is only what worked for me for the type of Orchid I have.

Minizing

     Recently I came across a book about being a minimalist. I am all for this, because I feel it would reduce my stress and less things to keep clean. After reading it I saw potential things in my home that we really do not need, other items we do not use, and other things we could be using if we could get to them. To me our home is not big, but when we first moved in it was. We were upgrading from an apartment with a baby on the way. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a double car garage on a little over an acre of open land seemed big and perfect. Fast forward 11 years later, now we are a family of 5 with a bunch of stuff.
    To try this out I did something very simple. I removed my blender and food processor from my counter top by placing them in my pantry (since I had the room in there). I also cleared off the top of my refrigerator, which is usually where I keep empty egg cartons. Talk about an eye sore! After doing those few things my kitchen looks bigger, more open, and easier to keep clean. Plus now I have more room on my counter tops (which isn't much by the way), to do more food prep and baking that I don't normally do due to lack of space.
    Seeing how easy this, I want to do to this all over my house. Of course I have reluctant occupants that think I am out to get rid of their things. It is possible that items may find their way out the door, but wouldn't it be nicer to enjoy the things we do use rather than storing items we do not? 

The New Year

     The New Year is finally here, resolutions anyone? I never seem to stick to resolutions, maybe this year will be different. There are definitely things I want to do this year. That doesn't really make them a resolution though. At the top of my list, my yard. I still need to clear up the property line of all the unwanted blackberry bushes and other plants I do not want growing there. Then the rest of the yard needs a good raking. Chickens love to scratch and in doing so have created a mess of rocks all over the yard. In a way it is nice. I was able to sell a decent amount (22, 3 gallon buckets full). The task of picking up all these rocks is not fun, however I have 3 little helpers. I also need to take care of the pine trees we recently took down, plus we have a few other trees coming down as well... Permaculture anyone? I recently heard about this interesting way of gardening and thought I would give it a try. It seems like it is the same way as mulching, only you are doing it beneath the soil and leaving the wood in much larger pieces. Will keep you posted as to how it goes. Lastly on my list, an addition onto my already existing chicken coop with all the perks! I got a lot of work ahead of me, but I know that I will get it done.