2 ranch boys tackle a gate....

"Ready to go Mom"

First, you gotta dress the part:  you know...dirty, oversized coats and your Grandpa's old hats... oh and don't forget the jeans with holes in the knees (ooops, I forgot we save those for the summer!), cowboy boots (except Mom makes us wear snow boots in the snow...shucks) and your work belt (which is not to be confused with your church belt) with your Dad's old buckle attatched. 

 That should do it...

Task at hand---shutting the gate.....

Work team = Cowboy and Pistol. 

Conversation goes like this.... 

Cowboy says to Pistol, "You just watch how I do it...look... see how easy this is..."

Cowboy grunts and groans and puts his back into it before admitting he will need Pistol's help after all.

Cowboy shows Pistol where to stand and explains that he will pull on the post and Pistol is to put the wire over the top (as if somehow 5 yr. old Pistol has never seen it done before)

change of plans.... "ok Pistol, I will push and you put the wire over"....

SUCCESS!!!!!

total elapsed time= 9 minutes.

ok Mom, what next??

GF cookie failure and home sick...

After seeing this recipe listed several times lately, I gave it a try last night.  My result.........total failure!!

Recipe was: 1 cup peanut butter,
                   1 cup sugar
                   2 eggs
Yep, that is it.  reviews were great.  However we subbed fresh almond butter in for the peanut butter.  They came out flat and I had to scrape them off the cookie sheet.  yuck!  Guess the almond butter lacked the fat of the peanut butter.
Curiosity may get to me and I might have to try it w/ p. butter.
---------------------
other news... not much...we are still home sick.  Lil Squirt and Cowboy still have rotten coughs and I seem to be getting something again..... man hope not something new. 

sick of being sick here!

Blueberry Pancakes (gluten, soy & dairy free)

We make pancakes fairly often.  They tend to vary each time as I throw this or that in.  When feeding the Crew, I try to keep the carb level in check with the protein level.  So I would normally serve pancakes with a breakfast meat and a cup of milk also, and no carb syrup.  I also normally throw in a few more eggs into things when I cook.

These pancakes came out really well.  Moist and not crumbly.  Make extra and keep in the fridge.
==================================================

Blueberry Pancakes:
Recipe:
--------------------------
2 1/2 cups rice (or other GF) flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder

4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4- 1 cup of milk (goat, coconut, almond, ect.) or until spreading consistancy
1/2 cup blueberries drained
---------------------------
In bowl, mix dry ingredients together and make a whole and into it add eggs, oil and milk and then mix.  Carefully fold in blueberries.  Add in a little more milk if batter is too thick.
Cook in non-stick skillet with no additional oil added.

===================================================
carefully flip pancake after bubbles form on the top (this one is not quite ready)

No need to make non GF pancakes for those that can eat them, we all think these are pretty good

A few more calves...

"Rancher husband" was gone horseback all day, so the Crew and I were on heifer checking duty again and got some pics. of a few more calves.  We enjoyed driving around looking at all the new babies.  The snow is melting and we were back to 4X4 today.  Squirt still crabby and a bit of a fever today, so with that and some schooling and heifer check the day went by with nothing additional accomplished.

checking heifers...baby calves...goat kids

The sun is finally back out after 3 days gone, but it was a cold night in the negative digits last night.  Full of several heifer checks just in case and also Cowgirl's doe had to have some assistance in the early morning hours.  The bigger kids found Rancher husband, me and Lil Cowpoke conked out on the couch early this morning.  Rancher husband is caking the cows today and hopefully won't find too many baby calves missing that didn't make it last night. 

Goat kids are in a rubbermaid container by the fire and hopefully sold in the next few days so we can have all mamma's milk.  Anybody need a bottle baby?  At least they are doe kids! 

Havne't gotten any pics. of the new kids, but got a few of the heifers and calves this morning.

8 yr. old Cowboy came home after feeding with Dad yesterday with a fever.  Guess he wasn't spared of the cold afterall.  Lil Cowpoke still fighting the crud and cranky.

Cowgirl and Lil Squirt checking heifers:

Snowy Tree.

Snowy Day

Another snowy day today.  Definitely a day to fill the oven and crockpot full of yummy soups, breads and cookies, but I will happily settle for holding and rocking and feeding the Lil Cowpoke, as he is still feeling crummy.    We were home all yesterday and missed church also.  He is feeling a bit better today but still congested with a nasty cough.  So unfortunately the dinner is not on at our house, and I will admit I haven't even gotten to my morning shower yet.  But Squirt is feeling loved and cared for and that makes me happy. 

Today we are also awaiting the arrival of our first goat kids of the year.  Cowgirl's doe is bedded down out of the snowy weather and she has been checking her all day with the walkie-talkie in hand.  We have been without goat milk for almost a month now and have been using coconut and almond milks, which taste decent and cook very well.  But only one (human) kid will drink it straight. 

The heifers started in calving a couple of weeks ago.  They sure are cute when they are born.  Not quite as cute at midnight in the snow I am sure, though I wouldn't know as I check (human)kids and husband checks calves--good deal, huh!

Banana -Chip Muffins (G,S,D-free)

Gluten, Soy and Dairy free Banana-Chip Muffins:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe:

3 cups rice flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2-1 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Oven on 350 degrees.

In first mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder.  In second bowl, mash bananas then add sugar, oil and eggs and mix.  Then pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir.  Stir in  chocolate chips.  Spoon into baking cups until between 1/2 & 2/3 full and bake about 15 min @ 350  Makes 25-30

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Enjoy Life : gluten,soy&dairy free :

stir in chocolate chips...

spoon into baking cups...

bake 15 min. then cool on racks...

Grabbin a snack Mom...

uh...just a min. Mom....I'm just grabbin a snack!

family germs = family colds...yuck!

This week we have a cold running through the house.  Don't worry I will spare all the pictures of proof.

Before you are married or have kids (and are still young...... of course the definition of young to me gets older every year in relation to my aging -funny how it works that way...), so anyhow, when you are remotely young and in good health, having a cold  is not such a big deal.  Of course it might get you down for a short time and you might miss some work, but it will soon pass and in a few weeks you probably won't even remember it. 

But.... when you have a family with multiple kids things change a little bit... well... maybe a lot.  Because then a little cold will inevitably spread from one family member to another... kid to kid to kid to kid....and oh ya, the parent's will of course get it also because little kids can't keep their germs to themselves and will sneeze and cough and do other unmentionable things on you.... and bigger kids will forget to cover their mouths at least a few times and will undoubtfully cough or sneeze on you no matter how many hundred times you very kindly remind them to keep their germs to themselves. 

So if you take one 3 or 4 day cold and multiply it by 2 adults and 4 kids what will you get??  A house you definitely don't want to visit.  You know the kind... with thermometers, used tissues, cough drops and enough medicine to stock a pharmacy shelf all strewn about.  Thankfully this cold has so far hit the whole family except the 8 yr. old boy in just this week alone, so hopefully that means it will also soon be gone.  Isn't a rapid fire always better then a slow fire which takes one victim at a time and keeps your house in a flame for a month??

The other good news is that this is our first cold of the season so to speak.  I really attribute that to staying home as much as we have.  Staying out of stores (good way to save a few dollars...but not so good when the groceries aren't well-stocked) and for now staying out of the library, oh...I can't forget to mention the biggest key of all, staying out of school away from everybody elses sick kids... another positive to HOMESCHOOLING.  Thankfully we don't mind being hermit-like.

Hope everybody else is staying well this winter.

Rubber Ducky...Your the ONE!

Ok, so after spending his first 7 1/2 months hating....hating...hating...hating  bathes...hating so much that he pretty much never had any...COWPOKE  has decided that he can't have enough bathes in one day to keep him happy! He also decided that little rubber ducky is his all-time favorite toy in the whole house and he never tires of chewing on him.  Unfortunately the dog has also decided that rubber ducky is her all-time favorite chew toy and she has chewed through three and has only left one baby ducky for COWPOKE which we now have to leave in the tub.

Gaining a family member!

No, not the kind you are thinking!!

 Though my BIL  and his wife  do have that kind in their oven...due the end of June. Their first little one.


For those of you that haven't yet heard.....




We will (very soon...like this Spring) be gaining a new BIL.  The news is out and we couldn't be happier for my sister  and her fiance!!  Congratulations!

With this addition  to the family, there won't be any more unwed siblings in either of our families.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Valentine's Day Cupcakes!
Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free.
---------------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
1 Pamelas's Chocolate Cake Mix (gluten,dairy & soy free)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil (do not be stingy on the oil)
2 cups coconut milk (I use SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut milk)
1 (3.4 oz) coconut cream instant pudding mix (I only use Jell-O brand made by KRAFT)
1/2 cup of Miracle Whip Light by KRAFT
---------------------------------------------
Oven 350
Mix pudding mix and milk together and then add to the cake mix along with the rest of the ingredients.  Spoon batter into cupcake papers until slighly over half full.  Bake15-20 minutes.  Don't overbake.  They should come out of the oven feeling pretty springy to the touch still.  Makes about 25 cupcakes.
----------------------------------------------
Frosting:
mix together powdered sugar, coconut milk and a little oil or crisco until thick and smooth.
Frost cooled cupcakes.
----------------------------------------------
Personal comments:
I loved these cupcakes.  They were so moist and rich.  No one would ever know they were gluten free.  I have made them with and without the mayo and both were great.  If not using mayo just add a little more milk in for the right consistancy.  Pamela's cake mixes are great and are flexible for substitutions.