Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 46

An Angry Girl

The bees survived the winter--HOORAY! We've been seeing them buzzing about, sucking nectar from everything from the peach tree to dandelions to strawberry blossoms. While we're thrilled with the surviving hives, I couldn't help but notice Henry taking a very keen interest in the hives and has been wandering a tad too close for comfort.
So, one night, under cover of darkness, Jack suited up and drug the one hive that was near the playground and put it next to the other hive that is situated in...

More Morels

Look at that little baby mushroom!This past weekend was a lot like it is every other weekend: we worked, we rested, we had fun together...
And then, morels were discovered. Jack cutting up an ash tree in order to "plant" his morel spores.The past few years, we've enjoyed exploring and as a result, foraging for lots of different free, edible finds, from black raspberries to asparagus. One thing that has eluded Jack, however, have been morel mushrooms. We first heard of people hunting for morels...

Another RJ

[image error] Nova is no longer a little kitten, though she sometimes torments Hercules with her youngster ways (and then pays the price for it when he fats on her). But, for the most part, she's quite the grown up feline, to the extent that she's moved on from hunting grasshoppers to dragging home real prey. Interestingly, since all of our cats were orphaned or abandoned as small kittens, they've all had to learn to hunt on their own and have each specialty. Hercules likes the big game, like rabbits and s...

Run Away

The little stowaway.If Henry were ever to run away, the first place I'd check would be the tractor. The second would be near pizza.

Soft Funfetti Cookies

One of the girls chose to make these for a family night treat and they were quite the delicious treat and break from our regular go-to chocolate chip cookie. They're soft and chewy and though there's no cake mix in them, have a hint of cake batter flavor. They were quickly a family favorite!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature3/4 cup sugar1 large egg, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla1 1/2 cups flour1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspo...

The Easter Bunny Has Been Spotted!

A mighty cute Easter bunny, if I do say so myself. And chocolate scented!The Easter Bunny Has Been Spotted!
That means lots of candy, decorated eggs, and a new baby is just around the corner.

Kids of All Kinds

Is this worthy of a world record?For the past several years, some of my family has been able to visit every spring break, regardless of where we are and regardless of what we're doing, whether we're building stairs in Iowa, spending a chilly day at the beach in Texas, or getting started on our home here in Indiana (and eventually doing the master bath). This year, was no different.
Kate and Elsa with a picture of them four years ago at spring break!Of course, there were a few things we needed...

Flowers by Claire

Claire is a girl of many talents, one of which is the ability to see beauty in places that others overlook. While I would have glanced at the daffodils and grape hyacinths, I usually overlook dandelions and wouldn't have even given a second thought to a discarded chicken feather. But Claire? She sees a beautiful bouquet.
And now I do, too.

Grooming in the Rain

Dancer enjoying a good scratch. After dinner, we went outside to enjoy the (finally) nice weather. Evelyn and Claire went to go pick flowers and find fallen chicken feathers but Kate, Henry, and I went out to groom the horses, who've started shedding like crazy. I let them sit in the hay ring so they can reach the horses while they eat. It wasn't long before the few droplets of rain turned into a near deluge.
Guess that means we were just grooming in the rain.

Oreo Truffles

Jack asked me to make these for a Pi Day (you know, 3.14) work party (because aerospace engineers are so literal, that they were celebrating the math equation, not the pun on the word pie--all he cared was that they were spherical). Of course, I can't send them to work without saving a few for us to try. Needless to say, they didn't disappoint.

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 package Oreo cookies, any flavor
16 oz semi-sweet or white chocolate

In a food processor, crush th...