Catching Up...

My meandering path has been strewn with distractions since the holidays.

My time whittled away with... life.

Let's catch up.  

We had an adoption in the family. An Australian Shepherd Christmas Eve Puppy.
Don't be deceived by this innocent looking picture... she is trouble and a half...
but we wouldn't trade our Shelby girl.

Cows have been fed, calves have been born, fences have been mended.

Husband and I ran away to Seattle... just for a week, and had a blast!

Traditions have been carried forward alongside cattle auction veterans... and a few newbies who were fascinated (as most city folk, including myself the first time) with the selling of the vials of semen.  Yes.  That's how they do it in the cow world. They're not shy about it either.

I was privileged to capture a small role in an epic love story.

(I got to make the cake and could not have accomplished the feat

 ~ a week before Christmas in Houston ~

without the help of farmer husband).

Thanks hon for being willing... being my chauffeur... being on "cake" assembly duty ...

and even having fun in the process!

Here are the lovely bride and handsome groom, Lindsey and Juan. 

It was a wedding filled to the brim with faith, hope and (of course) love.

Mom and I stealing a moment... despite Houston Dad giving us all a scare by passing out TWICE after the I Do's.  We were left with stories to tell (as usual).

Seasons are changing in our lives... and in the lives of those we love. 

Our farm matriarch is diminishing... and it is normal and expected, but grieves us all nonetheless.  Most especially her... after spending a life of filling her cup...

now her palms must open to let things go. 

I so hope that she finds pools of solace... and joy in the midst of this hard change. 

I hope it for husband as well... and for his sis and brother. 

 Boys are busy growing up... and stretching us all... and learning... and occasionally calling a truce.

Soil has been turned... fragrant and black.

Corn and maize seeds have been tucked in, all snug in their rows...

and are, this moment awakening from their dreams.

Nudged by the alarm clock of moisture and warmth... and Texas black land prairie.

We find ourselves on the precipice of Spring.

I've been pining for flip flop days... and alas... they are now upon us!

Enjoy the View

I'm enjoying my view this Thanksgiving Eve...

Do me a favor...

Take a moment to savor yours!

My Lamp has a Waist!

So what's a girl to do with a beautiful vintage accessory that fits the waist of a 20-year-old??

Say no to homemade peach ice cream? I don't think so!

Find a different way to show it off of course!

My Mom wore this belt back before I was a twinkle in her eye and thought I might like it.

As a matter of fact I do!

The thought of stuffing it into a closet seemed sinful.

So I began to look around the house for a creative way to display it...

Turns out my Nanny's old lamp has a perfectly sized waist! Who knew!?!

My lamp said she just felt like something was missing her whole life...

now she feels... complete! 

If only all of life's dilemma's were solved with a beautiful accessory!

The Games We Play

We are so blessed to live just down the street (literally) from so much of Husband's family!

This translates into lots of "get-togethers". 

(Get-together is just country for "party")

Our house is small, but that doesn't mean we limit our guest list!

People... conversation...  and activities spill into every room...

and then if we run out of rooms (or if it's a pretty day),
we just throw up a table in the yard.

If you come to one of our soirees you're likely going to get roped (not literally) into playing either

Chicken Foot... or Washers.

We love both games because men, women, children and livestock of all ages can compete!

(I was just kidding of course about livestock participation. This is strictly a human activity... even though it is named after a barnyard friend... I'll explain that momentarily.)

Chicken Foot

Chicken Foot is a domino game, played with double 9 dominoes. 

Yep... that means 9 dots on each end. 

When there's a REALLY big group we pull out the double 12's.

(You sometimes need a calculator to count the final score.)

The game is so named because when you play a "double" it must be "covered" with 3 matching dominoes... creating a sort of "chicken foot"... see the toes?

The reason niece has a pouty face is because she's holding the "double blank"... that baby is worth a whopping 50 points (and the goal of the game is to have the LEAST points).

With all those dots she's clearly going in the wrong direction.

When it gets too dark... or the mosquitoes begin snacking on us,

we just move the chicken feet to an inside table!

Trust me... you'll love it. Go buy some double 12's!

Washers

We discovered washers just last summer but apparently the game has been around... well... forever... and even though we're newbies, we're pretty much hooked. 

Since the discovery, the men in the family have built numerous and sundry variations of the board. 

This game is quite simple.

Each player gets 3 colored washers.

(Yes, actual washers from a hardware store, spray painted different colors in groups of 3)

The matching boards (with 3 holes cut into each) are placed 10 feet apart.

Players then toss their washers toward one board, while touching the other board with a foot.

There are different stances for "the toss"

Some rest one foot on the board (see Husband above)

Some stand completely on the board (see Little Brother)

Whatever your stance...

a washer in the top hole is worth 3 points,

one in the middle hole scores you 2 points,

and a sinker in bottom hole gives you 1 point

The first one to 21 wins!

There are apparently MANY "official" rules for this game, (do a google search)

but the way we figure it... as long as all the players agree, there's no RIGHT way.

Our family has put our own twist on things (shocking).

There are some special "tricks" to which we've assigned special names as follows:

GRANDPA

Three 3's in one toss!

(This is a grandpa because Grandpa Work was the first one to accomplish it)

FARMER's WIFE

Three 2's

(So named because yours truly was the first to hit this combination.)

PINE TREE

Three 1's

CIRCLING THE WAGONS

This is when you leave 3 washers on the board. Booo.

FLAT TIRE

Two 3's and a 2

(You were sooo close to a GRANDPA but flattened out on that last toss)

SNOW MAN

a 1, then a 2, then a 3

(We keep adding to the list of course)

You are welcome to adopt our lingo... or make up your own...

But whatever you do... talk a lot of smack... work on your technique...

practice, practice, practice...

and do some serious rejoicing when you win. 

My group certainly does!

Where can you get a Washer board?  We've found them at local flea-market-type-spots. 

(If you live in Dallas they have them at Trader's Village.) 

If you're the handy man (or woman) type you can find instructions on how to build your own on the internet.  (Is there anything you CAN'T find on the web?)

WARNING: This activity is addictive.  Do not be alarmed or surprised if your enthusiasm is contagious and you end up with more than one "set of boards" and/or corrupt your friends and family with Washer Fever. =)

It's Snowing!

Every year...

in April... sometimes May

it snows.

It isn't North Wind... or Jack Frost who brings the white...

It isn't chilly... or cold... or even wet.

But it is this great lady which blankets my lawn with her downy offspring. 

The Texas Cottonwood.

Husband gets grumpy.

Everyone starts sneezing.

It gums up the mower.

But I always smile when I see her first fluffy refugee flying across my yard.

She is majestic... and lovely.

At times it looks as if a giant pillow fight has taken place on the grass...

bits of her pollen filling in the low places...

rolling down the roof in tiny soundless avalanches of poof.

If you look closely here... you can see them flying... little white specks... orbs... dancing free.

Littering the lawn...

Tiny puffs poised in the sunlight...

Ready to take flight with the slightest motion.

I have a co-conspirator!
A compatriot who joys in her messy shedding... delights in the simplicity of it... her pirouettes of whimsy... flecking the air with melodies of movement. 
Her daughters harmonize with the laughter of my boy. 

I don't care what anyone says... I love that tree.

And now I am not the only one.

I have swayed a Cottonwood Rebel to my side!

The "Dirt" on Husband

Husband has dirt in his blood.  He said he never would when we were dating.  He said he'd never be a farmer (although the "good story" he wrote when he was 8 hinted otherwise).
It hangs on our wall now... as it did on his grandparent's wall for many years. 
 

He "gets it honest"...
His daddy, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather all turned soil. 

Farming is a tough occupation. It's unpredictable.  Physically demanding. Financially risky. The weather is finicky.  Machinery breaks down.  The hours are long.  Injury is lurking...
And yet... it fills husband's cup. 

He comes home each night dirty and greasy... lovely and spent.  The cologne of soil... and grease... and earth cling to him... and I savor it.  His days are wrapped in sunshine... rain... mud... weather forecasts... planning and shifting plans... livestock that depend on him... sowing seeds... and harvesting their offspring... divided and multiplied.   

These are the "girls" I share him with...

Activities as old as time... souped up with a little John Deere Green horsepower and modern day technology. 

Tools lined up... everything in it's place.

(This would explain why my purse makes him nauseous!)

The cycling of the seasons has deeper meaning for us than for most...
a "chance of thunderstorms" hold weight much greater than whether my picnic will be spoiled or not.

In admiration I watch those perfectly straight rows of emerald sprouts look out upon this world and I am overwhelmed by the beauty of it... the field itself...
and the way it nourishes husband. 

Winter wheat morphs the field into a giant Chia pet!

The black ground is watered with his sweat... and sometimes blood and tears. 
Roots grow deep into this ancestral land.

Alongside the wheat and corn... grow faith and trust and patience and hope. 
God whispers in the wind... and shouts from the treetops.

All that dirty blood running through his veins... and light... and air. 
Cleansing and right.
He is more... and so am I.

I'm so glad he changed his mind about this farming thing.

Balcony or Basement?

 

  There's a little book one of the sisters in my forest gave me for Christmas a few years ago.

There is a jewel which I mined from it's pages and have carried in my pocket ever since. 

Here's the heart of it...

Imagine you are standing on a stage in a theater...

above you there is a balcony...

below you a basement.

Balcony People

They are the ones who…

Believe.  

Scaffold.

Pray.

Inspire.

Cheer whether you’re winning or not.

Mentor.

Make burdens light.

Buoy.

Tell the truth.

You know who they are.

Family and friends… authors… singers… ancestors…

You may know them personally, or not. 

Identify Them.

Name them.

Love them.

Listen.

Basement Dwellers
They are the ones who…

Beat you down.

Suffocate.

Discourage.

Curse.

Sabotage.

Revel in loss.

Abandon.

Lose hope.

Manipulate.

Who is in your basement?

Family and friends… authors… singers… ancestors…

You may know them personally, or not.

Identify Them.

Name Them.

Love them.

Do not listen.

I am thankful in this season to have a balcony which is filled to overflowing.

I dare not begin to list the faces which I see when I tilt my head upwards...

I know I would leave someone out. 

Identify your Balcony People.  

(You're probably in their balcony too.)

Call them... write them a letter... tell them.

Where do YOU live in the theater of your friends and family?

Upstairs or down? 

Think about it… and increase your altitude if necessary!

Credit Where Credit is Due ~

The fiery sunset pic is the work of my Colorado Mom...

who is definitely in my balcony! 

C³ ~ Corn on the Cob in a Cooler

A friend sent me this recipe and I tried it that very same evening!

It was so easy and worked like a charm...

When cooking for a crowd it's the only way I'll do it... from this day forward.

Pre-Party Prep

• Shuck and clean corn (or purchase the pre-shucked variety).
• Place the corn in the bottom of a cooler that seals with a tight lid.
  (I'm not sure a Styrofoam cheapie would do the trick in this case...
  It's the insulated quality of a real deal igloo-type cooler that makes this work.)
• Boil enough water in a large pot to cover the corn in the bottom of the cooler (a couple of gallons).
• Pour water over the corn (CAREFUL Peeps!  I'm not kidding... the water is boiling for a reason... it is VERY hot.)
• Close the lid and set the timer for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime... set out all the fixins.
• Butter (of course)
• Salt and Pepper
• Gourmet Salt (Black Sea Salt anyone??)
• Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese (ooh la la)
• Chili Powder and Lime (ole')
• Lemon Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• Cayenne (some like it hot!)
• Times Up!  What are you waiting for??  Open the lid, and chow down!

After-Party Makeover

Happily... I overestimated (just a little) the corny consumption of our crowd... so I sheared the leftover cobs and threw the extra corn in a Ziploc.  The next day the the golden kernels made another star appearance in a simple corn, hominy and black bean relish to accompany fajitas for the family. 
It was just as good in the re-run as it was in the premiere!

Three Cheers for the Ears!!

Homemade Marshmallows... Happy Sigh.

So I guess it's time to explain the "marshmallow" piece of my blog/life. 

A few years ago my Colorado Mom introduced me to

Homemade Marshmallows...

(did you just hear angels and harps in the background??)

I admit... I have become more than a little obsessed. 

I don't know why... but beating gelatin and sugar into fluffy goodness...

just melts all the stress smooth out of me. 

Not to mention the fact that at the end of the day,

you're left with little bites of melt-in-your-mouth squares

(yes homemade ones are square). 

You can tint, flavor, dip, sprinkle, and toast these gooey cubes,

into an ENDLESS array of delicacies.

Are you a Marshmallow Skeptic?

I DARE you to try again.

No disrespect to the store-bought puffs...

they have their place in rocky road ice cream and
perhaps sprinkled on sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving... 

but these homespun creations are a different breed altogether. 

(Like comparing a store-bought tomato in December

with a sun-warmed crimson globe plucked straight from a Texas garden in the middle of July.)

Some comparisons are just not fair.

My favorite mallows (so far) are good old-fashioned vanilla!

Until you have had one of these toasted over an open fire...

I daresay you haven't lived. 

Kitchen Necessities:

• Glass baking pan (you choose the size depending on the size of marshmallow you desire... 8 1/2 x 11 for a thinner (mini-mallow)... 9 x 9 for a fatter (bonfire-worthy mallow)
• Mixer - you just can't pull this off without at least a hand mixer... but a stand mixer is ideal.
• Candy thermometer OR a cup of ice water (I'll tell you more about that in a minute).
• Pizza Cutter (or just a large knife will work).

Here's the Potion:

• 3 Tbsp (packages) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1/2 c. cold water
• 2 c. granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• Powdered Sugar
• Raw Sugar (colored sugar)... (if desired)

Step by Step:

1)  Bloomin' Gelatin ~ In your mixing bowl pour 1/2 cup of cold water and sprinkle the 3 packages of gelatin over the top stirring just until all the granules are damp. Let it sit while you prepare the stove top concoction.  

   

2)  Stove Top Rock ~ In a small sauce pan combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup water and salt.  Stir until combined. Turn heat on medium high and stir frequently.

3)  Firm Ball ~ If you have a candy thermometer, you're looking for "firm ball stage" or 250 degrees (244 if high altitude).  If you don't have a candy thermometer, then fill a cup with water and add 3 ice cubes.  Keep beside your pot (I'll tell you why in Step 4).

 4)  Stages of the Moon... (I Mean the Syrup) ~ Your mixture is going to go through some stages... it will start out kind of cloudy looking... once the sugar dissolves then it will be clear and syrupy... then bubbles will begin... next it will later bubble like crazy and "foam up"... finally the bubbles will settle down and lose their "foamy" quality.  It is at this stage that you want to start testing the temperature of your mixture.  Very carefully drop one or two drops of the mixture into the ice water.  The drops will sink to the bottom of the cup.  Immediately put your hand into the ice water and touch the "glob" at the bottom.  You are looking for a "firm ball" consistency... this means that the glob will still be "ball shaped" and will be "firm" to touch... not hard as a rock, but firm.  If it is still too soft, then keep cooking... the mixture has not yet reached the correct temp.  After a minute more... try again. 

  

5)  Mix It Up ~ Turn your mixer on low and begin combining the gelatin and water mixture that is now in full bloom. CAREFULLY pour in the HOT mixture. Did I say carefully?? I mean it! This is hot folks, and if it gets on your skin it will stick and burn.  It is a fabulous idea to wear a kitchen mitten when performing this stunt. Once the hot mixture is completely poured into the gelatin, turn up the mixer speed to the top level.

6)  Prepare the Pan Man ~ While your potion is mixing and fluffing, prepare your glass pan.  Spread shortening onto the bottom and sides of the pan.  GENEROUSLY sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the shortening.

7)  Nearing the Finish Line ~ After the mallow potion has been whipping for 10 minutes or so, it will be white and will have at least  doubled in size. You will suddenly hear your mixer begin to strain a little... this is your signal that you're almost there!

8)  Flavor Time ~ Turn down your mixer speed to low (If you don't turn it down, you may end up with a ghostbuster's-like glob of mallow on your counter or floor... consider yourself warned!)  Add 1 Tbsp vanilla to the  mixture and continue beating just until combined.

9)  Sticky Business ~ Now for the fun part.  Transfer your mallow mixture out of the bowl and into your prepared pan.  A little "Tricky in the Kitchen" tip here... If  you spray your hand with "Pam" you can handle the mallow mixture (a little) more easily.  It is still extremely sticky, so just do your best.

10) Pat Down ~ Once the mixture is in the glass dish... wash your hands and dry thoroughly. Pour 1/2 cup or so of powdered sugar onto the top of the potion. You can now pat down the mallow mixture using the powdered sugar as a barrier between your skin and the VERY sticky surface.  Pat down until the mixture is evenly dispersed and level.





11) Time to Rest ~ Let sit overnight on the counter covered with a dry kitchen towel.  (Try to wait patiently.)

12) Un-Pan That Mallow ~ The next day... sprinkle powdered sugar onto a large cutting board and turn out the mallow onto the surface. It will be in one piece (like a pillow). 

13) Divide and Conquer ~ Use a large pizza cutter (or knife) to cut the pillow into 2 inch squares (or whatever size you so desire).  The edges of the marshmallows will be very sticky so roll in either powdered sugar, or raw sugar if you want a little sprinkly crunch on the outside.  (I usually do a combination of the two methods so that people can choose).  BOTH varieties toast well... the sprinkled version giving a sort of "brulee" outside once toasted... careful though!! Hot sugar is really HOT when heated so be sure to let either version cool down before popping into your mouth (or between layers of graham crackers and chocolate).

14) Store and Share ~ Store in a large Ziploc bag... mallows are most intensely soft when they are fresh, but will last for 2 or 3 weeks if kept in a dry cool place.  The texture will get a little more chewy as they get older... Some people love these the older they get (not the people... the marshmallows).  I have a DEAR friend who loves those crazy peeps Easter marshmallows for Halloween... each to their own.  I've never tested the outermost extremes of Marshmallow Life, but since there are no milk or perishable products in them, I guess they could last indefinitely.

Don't let the steps frighten you... If you're not an adventurer in the kitchen... pass this along to a friend with the promise to let you taste the spoils. (And if you just happen to wind up with some homemade mallows right around the time of an upcoming camping trip... serendipity!)