Today was really boring. I went to my real job for 10 hours (so I could bring home the bacon) & that really takes up a lot of your free time.
It was sad too. I really wanted to ride the pony since he looks like he needs a few good bucks, squealing & a run.
I didn't even have to cook! Nanny did that for me & Bryan & I mooched off of her.
Cleaning? Nah. Just got home. Laundry? Not a chance.
We did go out to the other farm & help tarp round bales for the coming rain. I mostly supervise though.
So what did I do all day? I looked at a bull sale catalog & spoke with the seller to pick out a new bull for us!
I love boring days!!
Until Later
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Betty Crocker in Training!
I have had the BEST weekend & I hope everyone else has too! One of the most wonderful things about this weekend is that I was able to spend almost the entire time with my husband!!!!!
What did we do, you ask? 4 words. AppleSauce and Apple Butter! Yumminess!!!!
You see, Bryan & I both have a facination with preserving food (it must be a farmer thing). I have more kitchen gadgets than I have shoes. And I use ALL of them! (Ok not all, I have an aversion to the George Foreman grilly thingy)
But this latest cooking adventure was the awesomist! I got to buy a new Cuisinart Immersion blender with a Whisk attachment! (FUN! Thanks to Bed Bath & Beyond for their picture!)
And, I bought a Grinder/Sieve attachment for my KitchenAid Mixer. People, I am tellin' ya, if you don't have a KitchenAid Professional Mixer - go buy one! They are SO worth the money!
(Dear Cuisinart & KitchenAid, you can make that check out to Amanda Cross for the plug in my blog. Thanks!)
If you are reading this and have never made your own applesauce, you should! It is very easy to do and easy to can. Just rough cut some apples & throw them in a pot with a little water (and I do mean a little, the juice will cook out of the apples so it won't boil dry) and cook until soft.
Then run the cooked apples, drained, through the Grinder on the mixer. The result is Applesauce!
And, of course, what do you do with Applesauce besides canning it? APPLE BUTTER!
Jealous, yet?
Until Later!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Technologically Advanced (not so much)
Is there anyone else out there in the 30-40 crowd that has issues with technology? I do. Ask me to halter break a rank 4 year old bull - gotcha covered. Need help making your roses bloom bigger & longer - no sweat! Want me to add new interest feeds to your Facebook business page - are you kidding me?
So, I was playing on FB and I found a really cool page that I wanted ours, Cross Brothers Enterprises, to emulate. I have spent ALL DAY on this! Ok, not all day. Just between the Applesauce and Apple Butter making spree.
I just want to add some "spice" to our page - is that so much to ask? Why do the directions for these things read like a Hungarian Travel Guide?
I need a 5 year old to do this for me... I will stick with riding the tractor from now on!
So, I was playing on FB and I found a really cool page that I wanted ours, Cross Brothers Enterprises, to emulate. I have spent ALL DAY on this! Ok, not all day. Just between the Applesauce and Apple Butter making spree.
I just want to add some "spice" to our page - is that so much to ask? Why do the directions for these things read like a Hungarian Travel Guide?
I need a 5 year old to do this for me... I will stick with riding the tractor from now on!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Missing Moo-Moos...the saga continues
Familiar with the Jimmy Buffett song "Stars on the Water"? This morning, the tune was running through my head & that prompted me to look heavenward. At 5:45 a.m. this morning. It was 42 degrees at the time too.
Since none of you were even thinking about being awake, take my word for it - The stars were gorgeous this morning on the Plateau! Bright & clear, Orion's Belt was directly over my head. LOVE FALL!
This begs the question - "Amanda, whyyyyy were you outside at that dreadful hour?" Because I have cows, that's why. I have this pesky job away from the farm which means that I have to be up before the chickens (yep, inserted a Southernism on ya there!) and since the redheaded ladies decided to run away from home the other day, Bryan and I are on High Alert. This means that Imust drag myself joyfully spring from the bed, pull on my best boots (not really) and trudge while dragging one foot skip out to the pasture to make sure all the nasty creatures lovely ladies are accounted for and content. I am SO NOT a morning person!
I have discussed with Bryan and next year we will have a better plan for coping with things like this... I will retire at 33 and become a full time farmer! What was that? The angels singing? Why yes! The Hallelujah Chorus just began! (That was really Bryan sighing loudly but I can still dream, right?)
To leave you, here are pictures of thehamburger in waiting sweet girls!
Until later!
Since none of you were even thinking about being awake, take my word for it - The stars were gorgeous this morning on the Plateau! Bright & clear, Orion's Belt was directly over my head. LOVE FALL!
This begs the question - "Amanda, whyyyyy were you outside at that dreadful hour?" Because I have cows, that's why. I have this pesky job away from the farm which means that I have to be up before the chickens (yep, inserted a Southernism on ya there!) and since the redheaded ladies decided to run away from home the other day, Bryan and I are on High Alert. This means that I
I have discussed with Bryan and next year we will have a better plan for coping with things like this... I will retire at 33 and become a full time farmer! What was that? The angels singing? Why yes! The Hallelujah Chorus just began! (That was really Bryan sighing loudly but I can still dream, right?)
To leave you, here are pictures of the
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Case of the missing Moo-Moos
This week has been eventful. The kind of week that I just itch to write about. The kind of week that confirms the belief "Truth is stranger than fiction". But nothing this week compares to what happened last evening. (That's just a few hours ago, by the way).
Saturday, we weaned 2 cows and brought them from the Wartburg farm to our farm so they can rejoin the main herd. This sets the scene...
About 5 p.m. yesterday, I go out to work the cows. I notice that the 2 mommas aren't around. I think to myself "I need to go look for the girls & make sure they are good." Them not being around the herd isn't unusual since they aren't very social. Bryan arrives & we finish up the cattle that I have penned. We go back inside & I am putting dinner in the oven.
Me: "Honey, I never saw the girls & I think I'll go look for them. "
Bryan: No, finish supper, I'll go look. They are [probably hiding in the trees in the far corner.
Me: I'll be out in a minute to help you look. They could be anywhere.
Never was a truer statement uttered!
So, we search for about 30 minutes & realize that the ladies have vamoosed to parts unknown. So we head back to the house to change clothes & call in reinforcments, Michael & Company.
While the rest of the family is driving over, Bryan hops in the truck & heads to Hwy 70 where we think the may have gone. I crawled under a section of fence & began looking for a track to tell me where they have gone.
I drop down a steep hill, over a wet weather creek, down the steep hill some more, back over the creek, etc for about half a mile. (By the way, It's really pretty down there!) I went all the way to Hwy 70 and never saw a cow track, manure or any other indication they went that way. So.... Back up the hill I climbed!
I reached a border fence line that has a pretty green field in it (not our field BTW). So I trespassed for another quarter mile before I climbed over the fence line again onto a private road, all the while praying that no dogs decide to eat me. Still, no cows.
SO I walked down the private road to the main road and headed home. As I neared my driveway, my family pulled up in the truck & reported that they had no luck finding them while driving the roads.
The girls are Houdini's I tell ya!
The family continued up the driveway to go help Bryan with a different section of field & I decided to canvas neighbors. I also corralled a neighbor into helping me.
As I stood in the middle of the road deciding what to do, I prayed that I would find success and find my girls alive & healthy and that whomever had them would admit to it and give them back.
God was watching over me as the first driveway I decided to take was the man who had them!!!!!!!!
He was so nice about the situation and was gracious enough to offer "boarding" for the girls until we can come & pick them up. I couldn't have written a better ending to this story but when you finally place your troubles in Gods hands, he WILL provide.
Until later,
Me: "Honey, I never saw the girls & I think I'll go look for them. "
Bryan: No, finish supper, I'll go look. They are [probably hiding in the trees in the far corner.
Me: I'll be out in a minute to help you look. They could be anywhere.
Never was a truer statement uttered!
So, we search for about 30 minutes & realize that the ladies have vamoosed to parts unknown. So we head back to the house to change clothes & call in reinforcments, Michael & Company.
While the rest of the family is driving over, Bryan hops in the truck & heads to Hwy 70 where we think the may have gone. I crawled under a section of fence & began looking for a track to tell me where they have gone.
I drop down a steep hill, over a wet weather creek, down the steep hill some more, back over the creek, etc for about half a mile. (By the way, It's really pretty down there!) I went all the way to Hwy 70 and never saw a cow track, manure or any other indication they went that way. So.... Back up the hill I climbed!
I reached a border fence line that has a pretty green field in it (not our field BTW). So I trespassed for another quarter mile before I climbed over the fence line again onto a private road, all the while praying that no dogs decide to eat me. Still, no cows.
SO I walked down the private road to the main road and headed home. As I neared my driveway, my family pulled up in the truck & reported that they had no luck finding them while driving the roads.
The girls are Houdini's I tell ya!
The family continued up the driveway to go help Bryan with a different section of field & I decided to canvas neighbors. I also corralled a neighbor into helping me.
As I stood in the middle of the road deciding what to do, I prayed that I would find success and find my girls alive & healthy and that whomever had them would admit to it and give them back.
God was watching over me as the first driveway I decided to take was the man who had them!!!!!!!!
He was so nice about the situation and was gracious enough to offer "boarding" for the girls until we can come & pick them up. I couldn't have written a better ending to this story but when you finally place your troubles in Gods hands, he WILL provide.
Until later,
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