Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 34
April 11, 2018
Without Winter Coats
Raven...about the only one who's glad to see snow. To say that spring has been bizarre this year is an understatement. One day, it's snowing and chilly, so we bring the animals in...
Thanks Evelyn and Jack for putting the horses in their stalls! ...then it warms up nicely, which means mud (and grumpy horses)...
...then, we get a deluge of rain and the girls practically have to paddle the school bus to get home from school...(Kidding. Sort of.)
All the extra time inside isn't all...
April 1, 2018
He Is Risen
Easter is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons: family, chocolate, a nicer-than-normal Sunday dinner, the warmer weather (usually...this year we at least had sun), and reflecting on and celebrating the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So excited about her very own basket!Kids always make things more exciting, especially special occasions. Everyone was up at the crack of dawn to look for their Easter baskets and were thrilled to find a few special treats. Even Zoey could...
March 31, 2018
Marengo Cave
Though the start of spring break was anything but warm and technically, we already had a spring break trip, we still wanted to take advantage of Jack having Good Friday off and do something fun. The week off of school for the girls was admittedly boring, basically filled with unstimulating-yet-necessary activities like spring cleaning.
Finally! Raven got to come with us on a trip.So, we picked Marengo caves as a destination, packed up the car, and fueled up at a delicious Chinese buffet b...
March 27, 2018
Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
These Brussels sprouts are very polarizing...half the kids hated them (though they love Brussels sprouts roasted with just salt and pepper) and the rest of us loved them. Guess since I'm the chef, I get to decide what we have for dinner and as far as I'm concerned, these were d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon b...
March 25, 2018
When Life Gives You Snow
The beginning of winter and on through the new year definitely felt like winter. Wind, frigid cold, snow. Then, February felt like spring and March? I don't think Mother Nature has made up her mind.
Raven doesn't care who's petting her as long as someone is scratching her ears. One day it felt like spring...
...then back to winter...
Fresh eggs! ...spring...
...winter...
...a day of springlike weather...
...then back to winter...
then back to spring....
March 22, 2018
Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits
The girls have become more and more interested in cooking so I've been searching for easy yet delicious recipes that they can help me with. These fit the bill! They went well as a side to soup and had everyone asking for seconds!Ingredients:
Biscuits
2 cups flour (you may need to adjust, depending on how moist your dough is)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar
3/4 cup cold milk
Butter Topping
3 Tablespoons but...
March 18, 2018
Find Yourself in Nebraska
Not every day we come across a caterpillar that can carry all the cousins.To say Jack has a busy travel schedule this year is an understatement. But, imagine our surprise when he found out a couple of his trips would be to Nebraska! Not everyone gets excited about the prospect of traveling to the midwest but we sure do. Though we knew it would be a quick trip, we took the girls out of school (standardized testing and homework is overrated--extended family's important too!), cra...
March 16, 2018
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Casserole
I made this for dinner one night (since the hens have started laying regularly again) though it'd be delicious for a breakfast or brunch, too. I snuck a handful of spinach in to be really cruel to my children to make it a tad healthier and really loved the result. Eat up!Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 cups shredded potatoes OR hash browns, thawed
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
5 slices bacon
1/2 cup spinach, optional
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut bacon into p...
March 10, 2018
Largemouth
Jack and his first largemouth bass!This morning, the kids and I were cleaning up the house while Jack was milking Dolly and putting in a new round bale for the horses. On his way back to the house, he decided to shove off on our paddle boat and put his lure in the water to see if any of the bass were biting. In a matter of minutes, he had one on the line.
We knew we had bass in the pond...when we brought home some fish from a nearby fishery to restock the pond with algae and snail eaters,...
March 7, 2018
Cat Door #2
Herc is an old pro when it comes to cat doors.At our first house in Iowa, we put in a cat door so the kitties could come in out of the cold when they needed (or drag in dead rabbits, but that's another story) without us having to open and close the door. Now, they make their home in the garage, sleeping on the warm boiler system and eating at their leisure. The problem is, while we were leaving the garage door cracked, an extreme cold snap resulted in us coming home from our Christmas travels...
