Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 35
March 4, 2018
From-the-Garden Pizza Sauce
Along with our whole wheat pizza crust recipe, we also decided to top it with some pizza sauce with ingredients we had harvested from our garden and had stored in the freezer (that way, we can pretend it's warm outside). You can adjust it to your taste and it makes enough for a generous amount for two large pizzas.Ingredients:
2 cups diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons basil
Salt to taste
In a medium...
March 3, 2018
Cattle Corral
Zoey loves watching the cows!Though we're incredibly fortunate to have our own barn and the cows have a spacious stall with a run out back, come spring, everyone is itching to have some space to run and fresh grass and since we have plenty of space and the grass is starting to green up again, we do our best to oblige.
Jack did have a work trip scheduled but since it was delayed, we spent the day fixing up one of the cattle corrals that had fallen into disrepair. We cleaned up weeds a...
March 1, 2018
Lemon Glazed Cranberry Muffins
I'm a sucker for a good muffin recipe. They always go over well with the kids and they pair with everything from soup to grilled chicken and salad. Here's a new-to-us recipe that was happily received!Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries, quartered1 Tablespoon lemon zest (optional)1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon2 1/2 cups flour2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt2 eggs4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled1/4 cup canola oil1 cup milk1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Glaze 1 cup po...
February 24, 2018
Maple Syrup Fill
Maple syrup!This winter has felt incredibly hard due to the weeks upon weeks of frigid temperatures, snow, and ice. Then, it seemed like one day, we were sledding and building snowmen and the next, a strong breeze blew in springtime.
Zoey's hair has a mind of its own in the wind.We had flowers...
Almost stepped on a trio of crocuses (does that make it croci...?) in the middle of the grass....and the bees came out to see if there was anything to eat.
With the warming temperatures, that also means...
February 23, 2018
Hungry Boys
Henry raiding the fridge. Hungry boys think alike.
Parton raiding the hay ring.
February 21, 2018
Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
Oh, yeah.Now that maple syrup season is in full swing, we've been enjoying weekend breakfasts that basically center around syrup. I inevitably wake up a bit earlier than everyone else (moms really can't sleep in, I've discovered), get this in the oven, we do some of our chores and when we're dressed, the animals are fed, and the cow is milked, we sit down to this delicious meal (if you want it even faster, it can be made ahead the night before so you can get it in the oven early). A 9x13...
February 20, 2018
Farm Kid
If you've had to chop and haul your own wood...
...if your job is to keep the cow happy while she's being milked...
...if you've had to wait in the car during cold, rainy days while chores get done...
...if you've had to form your own bike gang because there aren't any other kids who live near you...
...if you are in charge of collecting the eggs every evening...
...if running to get the mail leaves you out of breath...
...if you pass enormous sheep flocks on the way to the grocery store...
...if yo...
February 18, 2018
Hay is for Horses
Ever since getting a tractor, one of the biggest benefits we've experienced is its ability to move round bales. Not only are they cheaper per pound but they can feed the animals for weeks, which means no hauling square bales out to the animals twice a day.
Helping move the round bale ring.Since switching primarily to round bales, we've also invested in a couple of round bale rings. Basically, they keep the livestock from trampling all over the hay and rendering it inedible. You'd think it...
February 17, 2018
Reasons to Run
Awww! Look! Canadian geese! Sorry but you're not welcome here.While I have a very decided love/hate relationship with running (currently, I'm leaning more toward the tolerate it side), Jack, however, does not see the point of it. As a wrestler, running was a warm up and nothing more and though I do occasionally catch him on the treadmill, it's only for a few minutes at a time. To Jack, there are a few reasons to run, though.
A lonely mallard drake, hanging out in the last of the unfrozen...
February 15, 2018
Love at Home
Kate was so happy to get her hands on her Valentine's Day plant!A few days ago, Jack and I were talking about Valentine's Day 2017, wracking our brains and trying to remember exactly what we did. While I'm not a particularly talented Romeo, Jack really is. He knows how to make all the ladies of the house feel special and makes a day celebrating love a thing the whole family enjoys. Turns out, we remembered last year I was sick with the stomach flu and I wanted nothing more than Valentine's Da...
