Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 32

Flowing Fountain

So pretty! Having a pond has been so much fun but as with everything, it requires a good amount of work to keep it healthy. First off, Jack bought an aerator--think of the thing that you put in a fish tank to blow bubbles into the water. That helped keep the deep waters oxygenated for the fish to have something to breathe but did little to help with the algae on the top. So, part of the kids' chores has been to get their life vests on and scoop out algae onto the shore. Surprisi...

Just Laugh

Laundry sink flooding again? Just laugh!Sometimes, I wish life was all roses and butterflies and unicorns prancing under rainbows but sometimes, things aren't so perfect. The other day, when everything seemed to be going wrong, I sat down for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat, while Henry plastered me with stickers. The one that stayed on most of the day was Laugh. So, I've been trying to do just that. When the cows aren't grateful for the enormous pasture they're in, are convinced the...

Summer Fun List

Last time getting off the bus for two and a half months!To say the kids' last summer was LAME is a huge understatement. In a matter of months, we decided to finish fixing up our house, list it, sell it, move, and unpack. Sure, there were a couple of trips to Holiday World to tie them over but those were the highlights between long days that were full of hard work. So, I'm probably looking forward to summer with them almost as much, if not more than the kids! Here are some of the things I'd lo...

Half Child, Half Adult

She's nine! Half child, half adult, as she'd like you to know.It seems like only yesterday, we were reroofing our house in Iowa, in the hot August weather, and I thought that the nausea was due to dehydration and my sometimes unreasonable discomfort with heights. Turns out, our two years of trying to have a baby had come to an end--I was pregnant! Fast forward to the following spring and Evelyn finally joined our family after 42 (yes, 2 weeks overdue!) long weeks of waiting. We were in l...

Homemade Baked Beans

With all the grilling we've been doing, baked beans seemed like the perfect side dish. Only problem? We didn't have any in our food storage! But, with a few ingredients, we had on hand and less than half an hour later, we had some seriously delicious baked beans that went perfectly with our easy coleslaw and perfectly marinated grilled chicken!

Ingredients:

2 cans Great Northern or Navy Beans
3 strips bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoo...

Pond Life

Wishin' she was fishin'.The first time we looked at the home we're now living in, the first thing I thought was, "Gee. That pond is awfully close to the house." It has since grown on me. I have yet to have my foot slip on the gas and drive our car down into the water (knock on wood!), I love being able to watch the water while cooking or doing dishes, and it has been a fun source of family bonding time.
Of course, there is the downside that it is entirely too convenient for the kids to wa...

Easy Coleslaw

To go along with some delicious, marinaded, grilled chicken, we made this easy coleslaw. Nothing fancy and no bizarre ingredients. Just a delicious side made with very little preparation--the perfect dish for those hot days when turning on the stove doesn't sound like a good idea.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise4 teaspoons white vinegar1/4 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon dry mustard1/4 teaspoon salt1 bags (14 oz) shredded coleslaw mix or shred your own cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots
In a medium...

The Best Chicken Marinade

 Ever since getting Jack a grill for his birthday, we've been grilling like crazy. One of our staples is cooking up a bunch of chicken breast to eat and use in other recipes. Often, I just marinade it in Italian dressing but I wanted a bit more flavor. This was the answer!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 Tablespoon mustard (regular, Dijon, Spicy Brown...whatev...

Queen of the Wild

We just took these photos and they're already out of date!Happy belated Mother's Day! It was a whirlwind weekend at our house. Despite all the frigid winter weather and lots more snow than normal, the older girls had a couple of makeup snow days left over. So, they had a four day weekend, the weather was fantastic which means...
Our mansion tent. I'll never camp any other way with children.CAMPING! Admittedly, I was a tad crabby when we got there. I was hungry (let's call it what it was...I was...

Grass for Grazing

The queen of her shed.If there's one thing I've learned as a hobby farmer is that you really can never have too much fenced pasture. Even if our animals couldn't possibly eat so much grass in the time it takes to grow, it can always be cut for hay. Plus, the more property that's fenced and is grazed, the less I have to mow. Mind you, I enjoy mowing, but anything more than an hour and it gets to be a bit much.
The horses so far have had more than their share--so much that occasionally, I have t...