Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 83
January 16, 2015
To Side or Not To Side
The back of the house is sad! So do we side it or paint it like the front deck?I worked really hard this spring, summer and fall to get about 80% of the house painted and the siding fixed. This monstrous house (and equally intimidating deck) is no small feat! But, the front and both sides are looking tremendously better thanks to some new siding, rocks and fresh paint. That leaves only the back to do and as shown above, it'll be another big undertaking. which begs the question:
to side or not...
January 15, 2015
Green Carpet
It's nice to see a bit of green in the middle of winter!The only place I like green carpet is when it's growing outside.
January 12, 2015
All Tucked In
All tucked in for the duration of winter.Before the latest cold snap, Jack cut and situated some thick insulation so the bees would be all cozy and warm. And as a treat and for our peace of mind, the bees came out for a breath of fresh air on a warm day just to let us know they were okay.
Or at least that's what it looked like...January 11, 2015
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
My sister Jenny gave me a compiled recipe book for Christmas and I've already marked a few that look delicious. The first we tried was the cinnamon crumb cake--a simpler version of a quick (yet delectable) coffee cake. It was so good, we had it twice as a side to our soup dinners in a week. And maybe a slice for breakfast too...Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sifted flour plus 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 c...
January 7, 2015
Chocolate Chipmunk
Claire misunderstood the other night when I told her she could have three pieces of candy--she thought that meant she had to eat them all at once.
Our very own chocolate chipmunk.January 6, 2015
Savings
The girls were so excited to hold their very own money.First goal of the year crossed off the list: we opened the girls each their own savings account!How are your goals coming along?
January 4, 2015
Sunday Painting
Trying out all the different colors Santa brought the girls.Since I've already admitted I'm a painting addict, I'm might as well mention that I also paint on Sunday...it's just a different type of painting.
Occasionally Raven gets roped into the beauty routine too. She's just one of the girls.January 3, 2015
(Copycat) Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
I'm not a very frequent visitor of Red Lobster (not a fan of food that originates from water) but I do enjoy a good biscuit and they've got 'em. Here's a quick recipe--ready in 20 minutes--that is a great side for soup, grilled chicken or on their own.Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, divided
1 cup milk
8 ounces shredded cheddar
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
Preheat the oven to 450F....
January 2, 2015
A Bit of Nebraska
A flyby of sandhill cranes.After a long drive returning home from Nebraska, I was eager to get some fresh air and stretch my legs. So, I headed out back to check on the chickens and give the horses a scoop of grain before the sun went down. I heard them before I saw them: a fairly large flock of migrating sandhill cranes. Raven tucked tail and ran from the strange noise while I watched the flyby of birds that represent an important part of Nebraska heritage.
Stephen L Tabone Nature Photography...
January 1, 2015
Happy New Year
We had a wonderful holiday visiting friends and family in Nebraska, but, as always, time always goes to quickly and we were on the road back home before we knew it.
Took the girls bowling for the first time before we left Lincoln.The drive home was uneventful, if we discount the fact that we left Lincoln when it was -1F and our heat in the van decided not to work well despite our attempts to fix it earlier in the week. We bundled up in double socks, coats and blankets and celebrated every prec...
