Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 14

Towers, Hot Springs, and Renovated Barns

Devil's Tower!

Just like leaving the Niobrara, we barely had drip dried after swimming in the hotel pool before we were on the road again. Heading west to visit Jack's sister, we had decided instead of making a mad dash to Idaho, we'd take a few days to get there so we could enjoy the beauty of the trip. South Dakota was good to us but we kept chugging along to Wyoming. Even though we took it slow, there was still an extraordinary amount of time in the car. It's just a fact of life when taking a r...

Chocolate Chip Dessert Pizza

Friday nights are usually our homemade pizza night (hooray for a meal that no one complains about!). We like pizza however it comes...red pepper alfredo, chicken and spinach pizza, fruit pizza, and especially dessert pizza. This recipe tastes like cookie dough dip in pizza form. In a word? Delicious.
Ingredients: 1 pizza crust (here's our go-to quick recipe...beware it makes 2 to 3 crusts) Sauce 8 ounces cream cheese1/4 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup chocolate chips Streusel 3 Tablespoons butter, so...

Stop in South Dakota

We had barely drip-dried from tubing down the Niobrara before we were back on the road again. Valentine, Nebraska is so close to We intended on driv...

Tubing Down the Niobrara

Evelyn gives tubing down the Niobrara a thumbs up.

A long time ago, when I was still young (and actually had blond hair...yes, my blond kids got it from me), my family went tubing down the Niobrara with some friends. Up in western Nebraska, most people have never heard of the river--much less been there--but it was memorable enough for me that I've always wanted to go back. From late May to the end of June, we had a fairly constant stream of family visitors. It was wonderful to see so many of our ...

An Epic Mound of Bedding

Ready for a good time.

Usually, we have family visit several times a year but with Covid-19, it's been crammed together and in some instances, overlapping. Right as Jack's mom and sister were getting ready to leave, my parents, brother, and his kids showed up. It was a little tight for a night but the kids are always up for camping, even if it's only in the backyard. We wasted no time getting started having a good time. While my dad spun around on the mower, our neighbor came over and dug out a be...

Sausage and Creamy Tomato Pasta

Sunday night dinners are either super simple or over-the-top elaborate. Just depends on my mood.

The Garden is Basically Heaven

One of the yearly goals we've been able to check off every year since moving to Indiana has been to put in a garden. It hasn't always been pretty--the weeds, insects, clay soil, and intense heat or lack of rain has kept us from ever feeling like I've been truly successful. Yeah, I'm always surprised how well the garden can do without much help from me (I'm the animal person, Jack's the plant guy) but this year has definitely been different. My favorite kind of reusing: functional recycling. Egg c...

Hotel Eliker

Cooling our feet near the upper Cascade waterfalls.
After we said goodbye to my sister and her family, it was only a few days before we welcomed more family. Jack's mother, sister, and her three kids came for a visit. During Jenny's visit, Jack found a couple of hogs to take to the butcher and split with his sister and mom. In part, they came to pick up their side of pork but really, they came to have some fun. The great thing about living on a farm is that there's never a shortage of fun for a ki...

Grilled Pork Chops

We got our hands on some fresh pork and though Jack claims he doesn't like pork chops, I made these for him and guess what? He's been converted. The great thing about this is you can marinate the pork but if you're running short on time, you can brush it on and it's just as tasty.
Ingredients:
6 pork chops1/2 cup apple cider vinegar1/4 cup honey1 Tablespoon mustard2 1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cumin3/4 teaspoon paprika3/4 garlic powder3/4 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon onion powder1/4 teaspoon cinnam...

Honey from Heaven

Remember that time Jack almost died from bee stings to the face earlier this year? Good times. NOT. That hasn't stopped him from his fascination with bees, especially when they're FREE. Jack's first attempt at luring a free bee swarm to our place was when he stuck an empty beehive in a tree and put in a viol of bee lure in it--basically lemongrass essential oil that attracts bees seeking a new home. Guess what? IT WORKED! It's a small, happy hive but they've been coming and going all summer and se...