Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 63

Tough Egg

We've been blessed to have fresh eggs all winter!Today was a sunny and warm late-February day, so the girls and I were outside enjoying the weather and collecting maple sap. Before heading in for lunch, we checked the coop for eggs and were happy to find two warm, fresh eggs nestled in the straw. Naturally, the girls asked if they could bring them in, to which I gave them the chance to learn to be responsible. Not to my surprise, Kate dropped hers with a loud crack on the kitchen floor. To ou...

All That A Horse Could Teach

Stoney's in a trustworthy mood today.To learn all that a horse could teach, was a world of knowledge, but only a beginning...Look into a horse's eye and you instantly know if you can trust him.

~Mary O'Hara
Dancer? Um, not so much.

Chocolate Party!

Dressed for Valentine's Day.Valentine's Day drums up all kinds of sentiments from a wide variety of people. For me, it's always been a sweet holiday that I've been blessed to celebrate with many friends and family. Dancer loves Stoney. Stoney is moderately fond of Dancer.This year, Jack continued his tradition of spoiling the girls and me. He got everyone their traditional flowers and I'd taken the girls shopping one at a time to pick out a special treat for one another. And if chocolate equal...

Crock Pot Chicken Fajita Soup

I love a warm, hearty soup on a cold day that requires very little work. I even used some of our zesty salsa in it--with a little cheese, some avocado, chips or sour cream, it's an entire meal in one bowl.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken breast
2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
2 cups corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray the bottom of the crock pot with cooking spray. In a bowl, mi...

Miss C

She pities the fool.Mr. T has nothing on Miss C.

Precious Jewels

The most precious jewels you'll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children. ~Unknown

Peck Away

The poor ash tree has been gnawed from top to bottom.I haven't counted exactly how many, but I'd guess we have several hundred trees on our small acreage. Most of them line the North side of our property and in the summer, they're quite impressive and shady and do an excellent job blocking the view of the road and making us feel like we're a little more secluded than we really are. In the winter, though, when everything is bare, they're a little less impressive. Sure, Jack enjoys going out ab...

Slow Down

Everyone resting up.I woke up yesterday with big plans. The weather was going to be gorgeous, especially for mid-winter. I was hoping to chop and stack a little more wood that I hadn't gotten to before Henry was born, wanted to play outside with the girls, had a run scheduled, needed to push another round bale in for the horses and toyed with the idea of riding. So, I hopped out of bed, got my chores done and was on the way to the kitchen, carrying our big baby boy upstairs (turns out there i...

Accomplished

All that's left!Of all the things that could make me feel accomplished, having only a few inches of wasted trim after starting out with ten feet really makes me proud. Especially since there were multiple corners. Which means cutting lots of angles. On an electric miter saw. And I didn't lose any fingers.

It's the little things...

Sweet Potato Muffins

A muffin pan of deliciousness!We had some leftover sweet potatoes that we needed to use up and gave these muffins a try. Like our zucchini bread, they were a hit with the kids, even knowing full well that they were made with veggies! We put a little sweetened oat mixture on top to make it special, but they're yummy without, too. Have extras? Just freeze them until you're ready to eat, thaw and you've got a super quick side.
Ingredients:
3 eggs1/3 cup sour cream3/4 cup oil1 cup mashed, baked swe...