Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 6

At Least Until Summer

It's Sunday night, the kids are all asleep (or at least pretending to be), and we're on the cusp of going back to school after a two-week spring break. That's right--two whole weeks of glorious spring break for the kids. It felt like an eternity and the blink of an eye all at once. Where did all that time go? It was time (mostly) well-spent. Indiana mud. 'Nuff said.The first week, we were so lucky to have my parents come for a visit. Not only do the kids get to spend some one-on-one time with the...

Where Adventure Might Lead

Everybody loves the hiking backpack!We've been having nicer weather the past few weeks, which means it's time to meander out in the woods. The last several springs, we've been sticking to the same trails. We know where the morels and the ramps grow, and we know how far the kids can go before they start getting tired. This time though, we decided to try something different. In the Morgan-Monroe state part near our house, there are a couple of orienteering courses which is something both Jack and I...

Easter Egg Hunting Practice

Uh, that's not the nesting box...There are a lot of cool things about having a backyard chicken flock--they eat a lot of annoying bugs, they're hilarious when they run, they consume our food scraps and turn it into fertilizer for the garden, and they aerate the soil with their incessant scratching. Oh, they lay eggs. The problem with not keeping them locked up all the time? They don't always lay eggs where anyone is going to actually find them. 😅
Someone forgot to put the grain bin lid on and...y...

Cranberry Almond Salad

If there was one (*healthy*) food I could probably eat every day for the rest of my life, it'd be salad. There are so many combination possibilities from sweet to savory. This one hits all those notes and with a couple of strips of grilled chicken, it's a full and satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
Salad6 cups lettuce (romaine, iceberg, spinach...whatever you like)1 cup  dried cranberries1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted1 cup grated parmesan cheese1 gala apple chopped3 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
M...

Sturdy Pole Barn

One of my favorite amenities of our property is the fact that we have a barn I HAVE A BARN! It is everything my little girl self always wished she'd have (see? Dreams do come true!). But, as thrilling as it is to have, it wasn't built to my specifications...I'm still grateful that it's a sturdy pole barn that can keep all sorts of animals warm and comfortable, there are some things that I still don't love about the building. What can I say? I've worked in and visited a lot of barns and I know wh...

Let There Be Light

Last year, Jack and I started talking about the idea of getting solar panels installed. We liked the idea of using less electricity from the local power company, 'cause really, does anyone like paying for utilities? Especially when we could be getting them for free from the sun? I don't think so. We started doing a little digging and talked with a friend who installed them on his own home. After a few months of arranging the financing and figuring out the arrangements, we got to work installing ...

Incredible Claire

Right after I thought I was turning thirty-six (turns out, I'd already spent a whole year as thirty-six, and actually turned thirty-seven!), Claire turned the big one-one. That's right. Our second-born, joyful, ball of sunshine with an infectious laugh turned eleven. How? How? Claire loves to go fishing with Jack, especially when the bass are biting.It feels like just yesterday, Jack and I were huddled in bed with Evelyn, with no power, no heat, frozen water pipes, riding out an Iowa blizzard. Oh...

Glazed Peach Bread

Ooooh, yeah. Yum.
I was sifting through our freezer, looking for dinner ideas when I came across a package of frozen peaches we'd put up from a trip to Georgia and it got the cogs in my brain turning. I could have made peach cobbler, but if I made it into a bread, it's healthier...right? Even if it's not, it went well with drumsticks and green beans and made a tasty breakfast the next morning. Hint: I doubled the recipe to make sure we had plenty to go around.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butt...

Homestead Cats

It took Snickers a while to master trees, but once she did, she lived for climbing.Cats have always been part of our homestead--in fact, they've predated our owning land and are second only to the horses in the chronological order of animals we've acquired (Stoney will always be #1!). Though we've gone through several kitties, they've all held a special place in our family and on our farm. Herc made such a cute kitten!The first set of kittens came to us before we'd even left Nebraska for Iowa. I ...

Instant Pot Ranch Pot Roast

Cold weather means hearty dinners. Even better if they're easy. This one is perfect for the days I'm busy and don't have a ton of time to commit to an involved dinner. It's literally dump the roast in, cover with toppings, and turn it on. Voila! Try with chuck roast or arm roast and pair with some mashed potatoes for some comfort food, or a salad to make it lighter. Either way, enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 pounds frozen beef roast1 cup beef broth (can substitute chick or veggie, too)1 packet ranch dressi...