Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 28

(Upcycled) Fan Blade Happy Halloween Hanging

Don't they all look so happy? ;)One of the first things we did when we moved into our New Harmony home was to update the old fans. Since I hate throwing things away, I kept all fourteen (yeah, it was a lot of light) fan blades to use for crafts. We've made a DIY Bling Butterfly before but this time, we saved the blades for something Halloween related...because you can never have too many Halloween decorations, right?

So, if you'd like to make one of your own, here's how to do it:

You'll Ne...

Nebraska Runza

Nebraska is my home state and while some turn up their nose at it, complaining it's too flat or too boring or too whatever, it really is a gem. People are so nice, the state is incredibly diverse (don't believe me? Look here!), and the food is somethin' else! Everyone knows about our cornfed beef but here's one of our other favorites--the Nebraska Runza! It's basically a hearty meat and cabbage filled bread roll. It's so much of a favorite that there's an entire restaurant devoted to Run...

North then South

Silver Beach, Michigan!We were lucky enough to have Jack's parents visit over Labor Day weekend, in part, to look into places to visit for next year's weeklong family reunion (we're talking keeping 30+ adults and their offspring entertained!), and partly just because. Moving a giant floating peacock isn't as easy as it sounds...They came bearing gifts, some for Henry's belated birthday and some, also just because. Do you really need a reason to spoil your grandkids with an enormous floating pe...

Sometimes

Chaos between photos.Sometimes, I think I falsely give off the image that everything is perfect in our neck of the woods...that it's all roses and rainbows and happy animals and well-behaved children, the weather is mild, the food is perfect, and nothing ever happens to go wrong.
Not even close!
What I am working on is trying to see the positive in otherwise irritating, tiring, frustrating situations so that more often than not, we have happy moments. Sometimes, it's so aggravatingly hot th...

Creatures Great and Small

I know summer sometimes gets a bad wrap because it's hot and humid and riddled with biting insects but there are a lot of things that I really enjoy about the season, like swimming, vacations, school breaks, and all sorts of creatures great and small.
This year, we came across p-l-e-n-t-y of praying mantises. I wasn't sure that many of them would make it after all the unseasonably cold weather we had but whenever we weeded in the garden or around the house, we kept finding them scrambling to g...

Funfetti Butter Cookies

We had a spare box of Funfetti cake mix in our pantry and decided to shake these things up and try these. They're super yummy, rich, and are one of those cookies that gets better and better as it cools. They were a hit!

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 box Funfetti cake mix
1/4 cup sprinkles
1/4 cup powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add egg and mix. Pour in box of cake mix and stir until combined. Add sprinkles and...

Sum Up Henry

Our handsome, sweet, clever boy is now THREE! Henry came into our family after a difficult time and has been a blessing ever since, whether he's swinging quietly in the hammock, he's pondering life's deepest questions, or helping Jack with some redneck weeding. As with any of our children, it's incredibly difficult to sum up Henry. He's a mixture of me and Jack but is most decidedly his own person that's full of humor, ingenuity, and a healthy sense of fun. So, if I had to try and define...

Peach Cobbler Bread

There have been plenty of peaches around here, so we decided to make something new! This peach cobbler bread was a great side dish for dinner (and was finished off at the following morning's breakfast!) and was so moist, tart, and sweet, that we'll be making it again soon!

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (I did half white, half whole wheat)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 whole peaches, peeled and sliced or 3 cans peach chunks, well-drained...

Turkey Enchilada Bake

After roasting a turkey for Sunday dinner (and making some yummy pumpkin pie bars to go with it!), we had a lot of turkey to use up. So, instead of the usual turkey soup or pasta recipes, I made a yummy enchilada bake. Not only is it SUPER simple to put together (it's so much easier than rolling together individual enchiladas), it tastes amazing and is customizable, so everyone can add toppings to their liking. Will definitely be keeping this recipe handy come Thanksgiving!
(And, if you d...

Summer in Review

It goes without saying that summer always goes by too fast. Thankfully, this summer was a lot more fun than our last one with moving and all, and we were able to cram in a whole lot of fun into the short time the kids were out of school. Even though the girls were ready to get back to school (especially Kate!), I can honestly say I was sad to see them go--overall, we had a really enjoyable time together and accomplished most of the stuff we set out to do on the list we set up when our la...