Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 65

The Rehomesteaders' 2016 Goals

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith PierceIt's one of my favorite times--the New Year! There's something about seeing the calendar roll over, like it's a fresh start and full of opportunities. I try and review our list of goals regularly, but on January 1st, I sit down and take a serious look at what I hope the year will produce. Most goals, I know may take a life...

A Blessed Year

Taking silly pictures while staying up, waiting for midnight. Bonus points if you can guess what movie we watched.2015 has been a blessed year. Our family expanded, prayers were answered, challenges were met with the Lord's help, goals were accomplished, friends were made and blessings were received. Being cute.We spent the day enjoying each other's company and working around the home before enjoying an evening snacking, playing games (like Jack challenging me to a bubble blowing contest...whi...

The Thrill of Hope

Pre-Christmas with some of the cousins!The Christmas season has been in full swing since the day after Thanksgiving. We've had our fill of Christmas parties, concerts, gatherings, food, music and lights. However, every year, we count down the days until we can make the trek to visit family and friends during the break. Evelyn's school concert. Before we left though, we had some business to take care of. While pregnant, Jack helped me out with the horses a bit and trained Dancer for me whi...

Hot Ham and Swiss Sliders

  My sister frequently brings these to family gatherings and they're always a hit. They're easy to assemble so you can spend time with family and still enjoy a delicious meal without being stuck in the kitchen. Serve as the main dish, an appetizer or as part of a buffet.
Ingredients:
24 dinner rolls (try Hawaiian rolls--yum!)24 pieces honey ham24 small slices Swiss cheeseAbout 1/3 cup mayonnaiseAbout 1/3 cup miracle whipPoppy Seed Sauce1 Tablespoon poppy seeds1 1/2 Tablespoons mustard1/2 cu...

Without Claire

Make a wish!Recently, Claire celebrated her fifth birthday. Her birth marked the beginning of my adventure as a stay-at-home mother, gave Evelyn a playmate and me a child in my image (yes, I was once a blond like her!). She was (and is!) a ray of sunshine, with big, blue eyes, dimples to die for and a smile that is constant and stretches from ear to ear. Claire: our favorite Halloween decoration.I've been trying in particular to savor this year with Claire. Next year she'll be off to school wi...

Reuben Dip

It's the time of year when parties are going full force. My sister shared this delicious dip an it's a good one. It adds a nice balance to all the sweets and is as tasty as Reuben sandwiches without all the work.

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour kraut, drained
6 ounces Swiss cheese
6 ounces corned beef, diced
2 to 3 Tablespoons Thousand Island dressing, or to taste

Mix all ingredients together and put in crock pot. Heat until warmed through and cheese is melted. Serve with crackers, bre...

Butterhorn Rolls

I've had these rolls for many-a-Thanksgivings (but let's be real--they're delicious all the time) and they're always a crowd favorite. They're really buttery and light with a slight crunch. Serve with butter or jelly and enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter plus 4 Tablespoons extra
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
5 1/2 cups flower

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar. Melt 1/2 cup butter with milk. Add sugar and salt....

Just Give Me That Milk

My cooler runneth over.After Jack came home from scout camp, he taught the girls the following chant:
Don't give me no pop, no pop!Don't give me no tea, no tea!Just give me that milk!Moo, moo, moo, moo!Just give me that milk!Moo, moo, moo, moo!
Honestly, I have no idea where this silly little song originated but it's so catchy that the girls are constantly singing it, including when I ask them to put my bags of milk in the freezer.
Since having Henry, and having such a positive experience donati...

Blast Off

A jalapeno starting to turn red--time to eat it!Remember Jack's aquaponics project? Well, it's slowly but surely beginning to produce food. It's taken some trial and error--the water has to be balanced with the proper pH and nitrites, the plants sometimes experience nutrient loss, the pumps need to be plugged in or the plants won't be watered (oops!), it's been trial and error finding which plants work best in the environment and the plants need enough light...there are a lot of variables whe...

So Exciting!

Watching me paint is exciting.
Sooooo exciting!