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Pinterest Favorites and a Snowed In New Year! It’s time to rest!
Happy New Year’s Eve! It’s a beautiful day here at the farm and we have decided that being snowed-in is not all bad! Once the men are finished feeding cattle and servicing trucks we are ready to settle in with some hot chocolate and rest. Our Christmas parties were fun and time with family is priceless, but now we are ready to enjoy the peaceful snow and relax. For this last blog post of 2012 we want to share with you our favorite holiday Pinterest pins and also a glimpse into an average snow day on the farm!
You can pin this entire post as a resource for next year!
“Brown paper packages tied up with string”…and we attached a favorite photo of the gift recipient!
On Pinterest they refer to this as “Christmas Crack”…but we prefer to call it “Christmas Crunch”…it is ooey-gooey and addictive! Click HERE for the recipe! *We added Christmas M&M’s for color and a little almond flavoring.
The last Pinterest Pin we tried this year was the Peppermint Hot Chocolate Stirrer idea…did anyone else make these? They were a lot of fun to make and they really add a lot to your hot chocolate! *You can find stirring sticks in the plastic-ware section of Walmart. For the instructions click HERE.
We are thankful for the time with family and for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior! We are excitedly awaiting the New Year and all that will come with it. We are trusting that whatever joys and whatever sorrows may come we believe in the One who will carry us through and never leave us or forsake us.
On a snow day like today, our men feed extra hay to the cattle and double check their watering tanks so that they do not go without food or water for a day. The men work extra hard in the windy cold to keep the cattle healthy and ensure their well-being. Often times the cold front will cause an expectant cow to go into labor so the men keep a watchful eye out for newborn calves or cows having any trouble delivering their calves.
Here are some more snowy shots from today!
In the next picture, the cattle are lined up eating their hay. The men use a flat bed truck with “spikey arms” to load up each round bale of hay and then they release it to unroll as they drive along through the pasture. The cattle are excited to see the truck and bales of hay!
The calves are the only real concern in cold weather. Healthy, well-fed cattle like ours can withstand snow and ice with temperatures all the way down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Their hides are very thick and they develop a winter coat that serves as an insulator for their body heat. They stay together as a herd and usually duck down out of the wind if needed. Cattle are well suited for this weather!
Have Happy New Year and please stay safe on the roads! We look forward to sharing more with you in 2013!
So Thankful, So Grateful!
We met the above pictured turkeys at a friend’s farm recently they said they would be oh so grateful if you would eat more beef!
Although…we understand that at this time of year, it’s hard to beat the classic Thanksgiving turkey. Here’s a picture of the feature dish from our last Thanksgiving dinner. We used the Oven Bag as instructed by a dear friend and we were very pleased with the results!
Even in the hardest of times, we have learned the importance of looking for the hidden nuggets and to be grateful for our daily blessings. Some days and some years are easier than others, but Psalm 100 always encourages our family and helps to guide our hearts toward gratitude…
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Many blessings to you and yours and a very Happy Thanksgiving!
With love, The Britt Family
Red, White and Who?
As I type this, Ryan and I are eagerly awaiting the results of the 2012 Presidential Election. The election that could impact our future children. The election that has been arguably the closest race in history. The election that has divided Facebook friends and Twitter followers and has consumed journalism and lunch dates. The election that is unfolding before our very eyes and ears.
What will happen? I can’t say what the outcome will be nor will I tell you who our family has voted for, but I can tell you this… Lord willing I will wake up tomorrow and enjoy the freedoms of this country that I daily take for granted. I’m a woman and I voted. I’m a Christian and I get to post about my faith on a public blog. I’m Caucasian and sold some furniture today to an Asian woman who hugged me and I shared a blog post with an African American friend on Facebook who has dined at my table. We are blessed indeed. Blood was shed for these freedoms in more ways than one or even two.
(Beautiful rose Ryan brought home to me!)
Tonight we celebrate these freedoms even if we don’t celebrate the outcome of the election.
I served my favorite meal in celebration. As I was preparing it I was thinking, “Red sauce, white potatoes, and blue…?” I didn’t have any jello…. so green beans would have to do!
Red Sauce over Steak: (Use this version if you have a busy day planned!)
- Two round steaks in Crock Pot.
- Pour Hunt’s All-Natural (gluten free) tomato sauce over top.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and onions
- Cook on Low for 4-5 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes (I leave peelings on for vitamins) and green beans!
For dessert, we are enjoying Chocolate Cake (not gluten free, just a box) w/ RW&B Sprinkles and Buttercream Icing!
Natalie, our Pastor’s wife here in Louisville, makes the most amazing Buttercream Icing! I tried to replicate it tonight the best I could.
She uses the Wilton Recipe, and has these great tips!
- Unless you need white icing, don’t bother with buying clear vanilla.
- If you want the icing to be less perishable, use water instead of milk.
- That recipe makes about the same as a tub and a half of store-bought icing.. I usually just double the recipe to make sure I have enough to cover the cake and decorate it.
- If you’re going to color the icing, you’ll want to keep some extra powdered sugar on hand… you wouldn’t think so, but the smallest amount of extra gel color can really thin the icing out.
- If you have a stand mixer, like a Kitchen-aid, USE IT! If all you have is a hand mixer, use it until the icing is getting a little thick, then finish by hand.
I’m going to finish with this beautiful quote by my all time favorite President…
Happy Election Day, friends! Trusting our nation to the hands of God and rejoicing over roses. Love, Kara
The Sun, the Rain and the Appleseed!
“How did God produce apples like this without rain???”
The answer, of course, is that ONLY GOD could produce apples without rain!!!
Our grandchildren helped us pick the apples over Labor Day weekend. At first 21 month-old Luke thought the tree was full of pretty balls to throw in the basket, but Grace and Lydea soon set him straight!
…at least while they were watching!
The girls stayed focused…
And we’ve enjoyed applesauce, apple crisp, apple pie and apples with caramel dip!
In fact, we like to sing the Appleseed Song as our prayer before meals:
“Oh, the Lord’s been good to me
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need;
The sun, and the rain and the appleseed!
The Lord is good to me!! Amen!!!!
Easy Apple Crisp
- 5-6 C peeled, sliced cooking apples
- 1/3 C butter
- ½ C flour
- ½ C rolled oats
- ¾ C packed brown sugar
- ½ – 1 tsp. cinnamon
Spread apples in 9 X 9” baking pan. Cut butter into remaining ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 -35 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden. Serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings. (Macon Christian Church Cookbook)
My cousin, Bill Davis, makes a yummy apple pie.
He shared his recipe:
- Double-crust pie crust (ready-made or your favorite recipe)
- Peel and slice 5 or 6 apples
Mix together:
- 1 C sugar
- 1 Tbl. Flour
- 1 Tsp. cinnamon
Layer apples and sugar mixture over pie crust. Add top crust. Dot with butter and sprinkle sugar on top or use an egg-wash. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes and then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 – 45 minutes longer.
Enjoy!!
From Discouragement to Hope…
Oh, to be like Habakkuk:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom”
“And there be no fruit on the vines,”
“Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food,”
“Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls,”
“Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation,
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19
I’m afraid I have been murmuring and complaining about this drought.
And then I read NIGHT by Elie Wiesel about the Holocaust.
And I have nothing to complain about.
The amazing thing is that in spite of being in the “severe drought conditions”, we have the most delicious, sweetest and tastiest fruit on our trees and vines. And the fields are producing food – my men have chopped 1250 tons of silage over the past week and we will be able to feed our cattle. That is amazing grace in a dry and thirsty land!
CHEESY TOMATO STROGANOFF (from August 2012 Home Life)
-
1 pound wide egg noodles
-
1 pound ground beef
-
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
-
1 can diced tomatoes (I used some of my luscious garden tomatoes)
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
-
8 ounces sour cream
-
3 green onions, sliced
-
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Makes 8 servings
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Boil noodles and set aside. Brown ground beef
and drain. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, and garlic powder to beef. In a
separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
Layer ingredients in a 9-by-13-inch pan or two 8-by-8-inch pans: first
noodles, then beef and tomatoes, and then cream cheese mixture. Top with
shredded cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
You could also serve Jeff’s Peach Cobbler. He made it for us with peaches from our very own tree in the backyard. We’ve had the most peaches ever IN SPITE
OF THE DROUGHT! THANK YOU, FATHER GOD, OUR PROVIDER!
But I don’t have the recipe. I heard that it is similar to Paula Deen’s on
Food Network, but there is a rumor that Jeff has added a secret
ingredient…
All I know is that this is all that was left of it after Jeff prepared a
Sunday Evening BBQ for us (in my kitchen) while some were boating and
swimming and others were visiting Grandma. Now that is an amazing
son-in-law!
After Cheese tomato Stroganoff and Peach Cobbler you will want to go for a walk…we did! And we enjoyed watching this little fellow swim across the lake.
“The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.”
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