Farmgirl Follies

Mis-steppin’

Posted by Farmgirl on November 28, 2009  |  3 Comments

I made a mistake today. I forgot it was the day after Black Friday and I agreed to travel to Amish country with my siblings and their families. Which is really rather ridiculous considering our farm is surrounded by Amish neighbors. We live in our own little Amish country, for heaven sakes.

FarmGuy had the foresight to stay home and watch the shop for me. I loaded up the kids, popped a road trippin’ CD in the car and away we went … southwest 50 miles into the beautiful countryside.

Does it look like peak Christmas shopping season in that photo? I didn’t think so either, and that’s probably why it didn’t occur to me until later in the day. 

My siblings and our gaggle of kids — 16 of us in total — gathered at a local restaurant for a huge buffet breakfast that was nothing but sinful, especially two days after a Thanksgiving feast. Then we made a stop at a small little store out in the middle of the countryside.

And it still didn’t hit me. I mean c’mon … just look at the view!

It was a gorgeous day. Christmas shopping didn’t enter my mind as we drove over hill and dale. Our drive was lovely. The sky was blue. The buggies were plentiful.

AND THEN.

After a morning of casual driving, we came to one of those small towns situated in the heart of  Amish country. And I remembered why I never go to Amish country on a Saturday. And then I remembered that it was the day after Black Friday. And I silently cursed my own stupidity.

I hate traffic. I hate crowds. I get angry … not at the people, God bless them all. I get mad at myself for forgetting that there is absolutely nothing I need in such a crammed and crowded place that I can’t get at home, in the small, local and friendly shops that continue to crop up around the countryside. If it’s not available locally, I can order it online. 

So I followed along at a snail’s pace, No. 4 in the parade of family vehicles. I berated myself for breaking my own rules of conduct to avoid crowd-induced claustrophobia.

I’m not sure when my neurosis set in. I’ve lived in dorm rooms, city and small-town apartments, and hostels abroad. Each and every time, I yearned for wide open spaces. Wasn’t that a Dixie Chicks song?

Anyway, I made the mistake of driving headlong into a crowded throng of holiday shoppers. We made it through one parking lot, one store, one crowded line for ice cream, and one check-out. And then we went home. I waved so long to my siblings as we tore out of the parking lot in search of freedom. They — being of a more sound mind and body, continued on. I hope they had a lovely day. I hope they forgive me for being squeamish and strange.

I know, I’m ridiculous. But it’s quiet here. And my kids are outside running around without a care in the world. And it’s hard to see my house from the county road on which we live.

And everything I really need, is within a half-hour drive. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel and explore new and exciting places. I just don’t like commercial chaos.

I prefer the road less traveled. On your way, you’ll find there is more to see and more time to see it.

And you can breathe deeply … and sigh with satisfaction.

The day after

Posted by Farmgirl on November 27, 2009  |  No Comments

How do you spend the day after Thanksgiving? Yesterday’s dishes are washed and put away, we’re recovering from turkey and pumpkin pie overload. FarmGuy is splitting wood. The girls and I are gathering Christmas decorations. Farmboy is watching Tom & Jerry.

And of course, HGTV’s Home for the Holidays special is playing in the background. I love decorating ideas … especially those with a holiday flare. Which is why I took a look at the Country Living site. It’s great if you want a little decorating inspiration.

And when you need some cozy, rustic decorations or primitive antiques to adorn your nest, stop by Farmgirl Finds. You’ll also find treasures for primitive fans on your gift list. Stop by and see us!

Holiday Hours

Closed Friday, Nov. 27

Saturday, Nov. 28 — 10 to 4

Friday & Saturday, Dec. 4 & 5 — 10 to 4

Friday & Saturday, Dec. 11 & 12 — 10 to 4

Friday & Saturday, Dec. 18 & 19 — 10 to 4

Thankful heart

Posted by Farmgirl on November 26, 2009  |  1 Comment

I am so very thankful for these little people.

And for these two.

I’m thankful for pontificating brothers … and sisters and their husbands.

I’m thankful for dads and moms and aunts and the phrase, a deer in headlights.

I’m thankful for rare photos of my brother-in-law laughing!
And for special guests who spend the holidays with our loud and crazy family.

I’m thankful for snack tables at the perfect height for little hands.

And I’m thankful for dessert. (And that my pies turned out just right—chocolate walnut bourbon pie recipe coming soon!)

I’m thankful for him—especially him. And his carving skills.

I’m thankful for uncles and sisters and my sister-in-law, and I apologize profusely for not capturing a photo of them. I’m thankful for everything … the good, the bad, the ugly and the spectacular. Those things shape who we are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Morning delight: baked oatmeal

Posted by Farmgirl on November 24, 2009  |  1 Comment

It’s kind of like a big oatmeal cookie for breakfast. And it’s perfect for days when you need early morning fare for holiday guests!

Farmgirl’s Baked Oatmeal

Mix together:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 cups milk

Stir together with a fork, then add to sugar mixture:
2 tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Add:
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Optional: dried fruits like raisins, dates or cherries; and chopped nuts

Pour mixture into a 13×9-inch casserole that has been sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. This can also be prepared in small ramekins for individual servings.

Enjoy!

He’ll be sleddin’ down the mountain

Posted by Farmgirl on November 24, 2009  |  3 Comments

My boy is proud. He now has coveralls just like his Daddy’s. He couldn’t be happier. I purchased this warm and toasty, rugged and durable winter wear on ebay. I love ebay. Mostly because it’s very economical, especially when you’re buying coveralls for a three-year-old.

These were shipped to me from a lady in Helena, Mont. And I can’t help but wonder, where did her little three-year-old wear these? Did he sled ride down the mountains? Did help his daddy feed cattle on some isolated ranch in the dead of winter? Or did he simply put these on to run around in his yard and play in the snow?

I’ll never know, but that’s ok. I’m sure my little farm boy will create plenty of his own memories.

Howling at the new moon

Posted by Farmgirl on November 21, 2009  |  7 Comments

“Well-behaved women rarely make history.” ~ Mae West

One of my favorite things to do is spend time with like-minded women who enjoy basking in silliness even though some think them ridiculous. Are we old enough to know better? Sure. Do we run the risk of appearing off our rockers? Possibly. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

On Thursday I boarded the Chateau, above, dressed in a green Kiss Me, I’m Irish T-shirt and a fake alpaca-fur cape. My hair was in its natural state of reddish, curly disarray. My fingernails were painted black. No, it’s not my typical attire. I was in character, you see … Victoria the vampire.

An aunt, various cousins, friends and my sister headed to Tinseltown for the midnight showing of New Moon. We arrived about 7:30 p.m. Enjoyed red velvet cupcakes with frosted fangs. Enjoyed a few cocktails and dished about our favorite characters from the movie. Admired the movie posters taped inside the camper.

We laughed until we cried. We cried until we laughed. It was very emotional.

First, let me just say that the movie was awesome. Fabulous, actually. But that’s  not what this post is about. I want to point out how important it is to NOT take yourself too seriously. As it turned out, the others in my party did not wear their costumes. So what? I made a teenage girl in the long, long line shriek, “LOOK! She’s Victoria!” And really, that’s all I needed to confirm and justify my own stupidity. Everyone should be so lucky.

Women and girls stood outside the RV taking photos of our banners.  A local restaurant delivered pizza to our party in the parking lot. It was wonderful.

Hundreds, possibly thousands of women and girls, united by a zest for life. A willingness to be just a little addicted to romantic stories of fictional vampires and werewolves. Even a midnight movie and a 45-minute drive home in the dark at 3 a.m. could not quell my satisfaction and sense of joy. Every once in awhile it’s good to step outside your typical routine and do something that’s purely playful and ok, childlike.

Life is too short. You know the familiar phrase: Live well, laugh often, love much.

And to that I would add, wholeheartedly and with great fervor.

Toodles to noodles

Posted by Farmgirl on November 19, 2009  |  2 Comments

Another Iron Chef competition under our belts. Last night’s featured ingredient: noodles. Who knew noodles could be prepared in such tasty and diverse ways! It was a truly delicious meal.

The little urchins who claim me as their mother were first in line at the food table. Imagine.

So many choices … like broccoli ramen noodle salad.

And cheesy, creamy, ooey-gooey noodles …

And chow mein noodles smothered in chocolate and red sprinkles. My oldest daughter made these. I think she ate 10 of them before the competition. They were yummy.

Fettucine noodles with alfredo pesto and pepper …

We enjoyed buttered noodles submitted by last month’s winner.  And Farmboy presented spaghetti noodles with meatball & mushroom bourbon sauce. The man knows how to saute mushrooms … it’s an impressive process that involves Worcestershire and soy sauce, bourbon and salt and pepper. Mmmmmm.

Once upon a time I made a typical tuna noodle casserole, but I added peas and water chestnuts to make it healthy. Does that make it healthy? I hope so. Anyway, my youngest daughter fell in love with it. She proclaimed it her favorite dish forever.

I was making a grocery list this week and she said, “Mommy, don’t forget to buy water chestnuts for my Iron Chef entry.”

Water chestnuts?

“I’m making my favorite! Tuna noodle casserole with water chestnuts. And hey, [sister], I’m putty peas in it—na, na-na, na-naaaaa-na.”

Oldest daughter hates peas. “Go ahead!” She said, disgustedly. “I just won’t vote for you!” And then WW III ensued.

Youngest daughter made the dish, however. Just the way she loves it … and it was delicious.

I submitted buttermilk apricot noodle kugel. Different. Tasty. Almond-flavored and fruity. It earned me a second-place nod from the judges.

Our hostess prepared chicken and noodles—the ultimate feel-good food. Next time I’m sick, I’m calling her. This was the third-place dish.

She also made these. Her haystacks were made from rice noodles. She used both milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

Guess who took first prize? Mmmm hmmmm. You can’t beat chocolate.

If you’re counting—and perhaps these ladies are …

… we managed to use seven types of noodles in the competition: rice, chow mein, spaghetti, thin spaghetti, fettucini, egg noodles and wide egg noodles. Did I leave any out?

Awesome!

But not as awesome as nanny love …

… or daddy love.

Or family love.

Family love is the most wonderful thing of all. And I’m so thankful for our hostess who started this new family tradition. It involves three generations of cousins and brothers and sisters and children and grandchildren. And they’ll remember it always.

Start your own new traditions. You’ll never, ever regret it. And it just might be a tasty surprise!

I spy …

Posted by Farmgirl on November 13, 2009  |  1 Comment

Christmas on display. Come see what’s in store this weekend!

Fabulous primitives. Join us for the Tour of Homes. Three houses. Exciting antiques.

You won’t be disappointed.

You will be inspired.

You may fall in love with worn and aged items all over again!

Gorgeous color. The very best new “old items” can’t compete with time-worn color.

Secrets revealed. We’ll show you our dirty laundry.

Buddy system. We all love primitives and rustic antiques. And we love to share that passion with you.

Come on over to Farmgirl Finds! It’s going to be a great weekend in Augusta!

Holy cow, that’s mighty tasty!

Posted by Farmgirl on November 12, 2009  |  4 Comments

Sometimes I do not want to cook. Every night. For five people.

What to do? Make this brisket.

Why? Two reasons:

1) If you prepare a four-five pound brisket, it will feed your starving offspring and hungry husband for at least three days and you can sit around and file your fingernails or watch afternoon stories or read New Moon for the umpteenth time or whatever it is you like to do.

2) It’s mouthwatering. Truly. It’s Truly Scrumptious (Quick! Name the movie with the character, Truly Scrumptious. But then go make this brisket!)

Farmgirl’s Beef Brisket

(Recipe actually belongs to these folks. It’s the best recipe I’ve found — and I’ve made a lot of brisket!)

Ingredients:
2 pounds Certified Angus Beef ^® brand brisket
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 ounces chili sauce
1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine garlic and pepper; spread evenly over brisket.
2. Separate onion into rings; arrange over brisket. Combine chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire sauce and sugar; pour over brisket and onions.
3. Cover and cook 2 hours. Turn brisket over; stir onions into sauce and spoon over brisket. Cover; cook 2 hours more or until fork tender.
4. Transfer brisket to cutting board. Slice on the bias across the grain.

 

I started with a 4.5-pound brisket, so I doubled the ingredients in this recipe. Spray the pan. Then add brisket, fat side up.

I minced the garlic and then sliced an extra-large onion.

Add pepper to the garlic, then rub all over the meat. Then cover with sliced onions.

Pour chili sauce into a bowl and add beer.

I happened to have Heinz Chili Sauce in the pantry. Yuengling is a very tasty beer, but it’s not readily available in this neck of the woods. Farmguy stocked up on our recent trip to Pennsylvania. Like beer? Try Yuengling. It’s America’s oldest brewery!

Add Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.

Now pour it on … literally. Then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for two hours.

This is what it looks like after two hours. It smells even better! Scrape off all of the onions, turn the brisket over, and then spoon the onions and sauce back on top of the brisket. Put it back in the oven: 350 degrees for two more hours.

If there happened to be a man in the house during cook time, he’s probably been anxiously awaiting the final buzzer of the oven timer. Put him to work slicing!

I’m telling you … it’s incredibly tender. So juicy and flavorful and again I say, truly scrumptious. And remember … this will feed a crowd or a family of five for several days.

Unless of course they are ravenous carnivores. In that case it will last for dinner, lunch and one sandwich.

Enjoy!

Stand on the curb and clap

Posted by Farmgirl on November 11, 2009  |  3 Comments

The spark of an idea. Have you heard of The Honor Flight Network program?
It was an idea conceived by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Retired Air Force Captain. Earl wanted to honor the veterans he had taken care of for the past 27 years. After retiring from the Air Force in 1998, Earl was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a small clinic in Springfield, Ohio.

In May of 2004, the World War II Memorial was finally completed and dedicated in Washington, D.C. and quickly became the topic of discussion among his World War II veteran patients. Earl repeatedly asked these veterans if they would ever travel out to visit THEIR memorial. Most felt that eventually, somehow, they would make it to D.C., perhaps with a family member or friend.

Earl could tell that the majority of the veterans had given up all hope of ever visiting the memorial that was specifically created to honor their services as well as the services of their fellow comrades who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. That’s when Earl decided that there had to be a way to get these heroes to D.C. to see their memorial. more …

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. Now, with over one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.

Hear Trace Adkins talk about Honor Flight

On Veterans Day — and every day — remember why we are free … why we can sleep peacefully at night … why our children do not know the ravages of war first-hand.

Thank a Veteran. As Will Rogers said, “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.”