Day of Cooking

If I were to guess I would say more people cook on this day than any other day in February. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl.  I am not even sure who is playing, and I don't care.  I cooked a ton today, and no not for the Super Bowl- I just felt like it!

To me cooking is something to do when you are stuck inside, a fun activity.  Last night it snowed another 2-3 inches, and it made everything slick.  This morning I had to go to Pleasant Hope to the bank- Took me over an hour to get there and get back. (about a 15 miles round trip on a state lettered hwy)  When I got home Chris had the 70 John Deere out playing with it.  I took some pictures.

He even brought the cows around...

After spending some time outside-feeding the chickens, taking pictures, burning the kitchen trash I went inside to start cooking.  First I started with Lunch.  Bacon Cheeseburger Soup- It was really good!

And then I made my very first Chocolate Meringue Pie- It tirned out AWESOME! Not much left right now.

And then tonight after we ordered Pizza from the gas station (it was Chris' idea!) I made pretzels! Oh my they are good! If only I had some cheese sauce!

Blizzard day 2

Nothing new to report- just took a lot of blizzard pics today.  We ended up getting about 2 foot of snow and it is bitterly cold today.  Right now it is 3 with a wind chill of -14.  It isn't supposed to warm up much more this week and we might get more snow this weekend. Great.  I don't like it-and I don't want to even think about the mud it is going to create when it thaws. yuck!



Cows finally came out of the woods to drink.




Snow drift on the North side of the house.





Cedars lining our driveway.




That is a 5 gallon bucket on its side.  It is located about 2 feet from the back door.





That is a 5 gallon bucket standing up- you can see the rim.  The drift next to it is about 6 inches taller.




Snow blew into the coop!




Snow on the coop light!




A few of the hens came out for a minute this morning.





At least the sun is out this morning!




The well house out front.  That is H hwy on the other side of the fence...





Glistening Snow.



BLIZZARD! ahhh

Hide you milk, bread, and eggs! (luckily all I need is the milk) The midwest has been hit head on with the storm of the century!  So far we have at least a foot of snow and it is still coming down like crazy.  It is drifting really bad and is super cold outside.  Right now it is 19 with a windchill of -4. brrr.  The weathermen said that the Ozarks haven't seen a snow storm like this since 1912!! 99 years ago! sheesh!  They were probably better equipped for the cold in 1912- plus they had horses and stuff that could get out in this. 

Today I made another Angel Food Cake (No one is buying any eggs in this storm!) with the 7 minute frosting.  I made the frosting purple this time around-makes it more fun lol.  I can't wait to try it.

I bet it will be really tasty! I added a bit more sugar and I intended too, but I don't think it will change the taste drastically. 

Monday Morning!

Finally my Cinnamon rolls turned out!  I didn't even try to make icing with powdered sugar though- I just made a sugar/water wash and brushed it on them. YUM!

Sunday night

Can't sleep. It is 10:45pm and I can't sleep.  We have a major snow/ice storm headed our way and I don't feel prepared. We are almost out of milk and we don't have any matches or lamp oil. 

I decided since I can't sleep I will do some laundry and make some bread.  We are almost out of bread and I need to make some anyway. I think I am going to make 1 load and try to use the rest for cinnamon rolls.  I am going to do the half wheat flour mixture again. It is probably healthier for us anyway.  Also trying something new- letting them rise in a warm oven instead of by the stove.  Also have a different recipe for the icing of the rolls- it is more of a glaze than an icing- just sugar and water-called a pastry glaze. Hope it will be good!

I ordered a cheese press kit tonight off of ebay.  Can't wait to make cheese!  Also am going to make butter!  I am sure we can get some milk from Craig Westfall (our neighbor that milks) if not my sister has been getting fresh milk from a lady in Humansville.  My sister has made cottage cheese and butter and have trying to build a cheese press to make cheese. 

Chris made a little door for my chicken house this morning.  Isn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it will do. 

will update on the rolls tomorrow.

today is better

Well after complaining the day yesterday turned out better than I had planned.  Chris took off work a little early, stopped by the store and bought me roses. :) He knew he had done wrong. Don't get me wrong I love flowers...especially bought by Chris, but Why DO men think that just because they get you flowers and take you out on a date (will get to that later) that everything is okay?  Luckily though after a long talk this morning I *think* I got him to understand.

So last night Chris asked mom and dad if they would watch the kids, they said they would as long as we picked them up when we got home. (grrr but beggars can't be choosers) So Chris and I went to Springfield and went to the Campbell 16 theater. We saw Little Focker- GREAT movie! Afterward we went to Cheddars and ate.  I got a Strawberry Swirl Texas Margarita- it was so good! I had never had one before and I want another one! lol.  I was buzzing the whole way home.  To eat I got the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and fries...very good.  Chris got a hamburger with onions and mushrooms on it.  It looked really good too.  We got home around 11 or so and the kids were extremely tired.  Sophia was so tired that she didn't really want to even go to sleep---overtired. ugh. She cried for like 2 hours. 

Suprisingly I did not have a headache this morning (figured I would).  Got up about 8:30 (kids and Chris were still sleeping) went and let the chickens out and started cleaning their house out. It is truly amazing how much the poop! I filled the entire lawn cart full of poo! And it had only been about 3 months since I cleaned it out.  I went back into the house and talked to Chris- he had planned to run off to my dad's house for the day and I told him no.  He whined like a little kid, and whined somemore.  BUT I got my nest boxes built and he still got to go to Dad's house.  (where he is now) 

Sophia is napping and I am in here on the computer. I am going to go back outside here in a minute. It is absoluty beautiful outside today- 60 degrees and the temp is still rising!  I need to live it up since we have a MAJOR snow and ice storm moving in tomorrow and Monday. BOO!  I am so ready for Spring and mother nature is being mean by giving us a small taste and then dumping cold air and yuckiness on us again.

I made a new sign yesterday to sell eggs.  Raised my price to $2.00 a dozen.  Eggs at Walmart are now $1.64 a dozen! I couldn't believe it!

Can I scream? Major Mommy Rant...

I want to scream like the kids and throw a fit. But no I am an adult and I can't do that.  My head is killing me-that argument with Chris last night did not help it. The kids won't take a nap.  I dropped a gallon  of milk on the parking lot at WalMart. I forgot to stop by Walgreens and get diapers. I need to clean my house. Laundry needs to be folded. I am so tired and worn down. It is a beautiful day outside and I am depressed. sigh.

The only people I ever talk to are the kids, Chris, and my mother. I talk to my BFF once a week, if that-but its not the same.  I want day to day interaction with adults, but I can't get a job and afford daycare.  I would like to start working in the evenings but I know Chris wouldn't go for that. 

I wish mom and dad would watch the kids for a weekend for us, but they won't even keep them for 1 night.  Its not fair.  Grandparents are suppossed to be happy to keep their grandkids, but not my parents-since they are raising one of them.  I wish Chris and I could just get away for a couple of days and not have to worry about the kids, animals, keeping the house clean, etc.

I want a clean house. I want it to stay that way. I am so tired of dirt-not just dust--- mud, wood chips, crumbs, DIRT!  No one ever picks anything up, or even tries to clean up messes.  Chris will spill something, get a towel and leave the towel on it. ugh.

Oh and my vaccuum sucks...well actually it doesn't suck-that is the problem. Who ever thought it was smart to put all those stupid foam filters in it should be shot.  I have washed them numerous times and they are falling apart...and no they don't sell replacements for them anywhere that I can find- I even looked online.  I think I need a new one, but I hate to spend much on a vaccuum when the only carpet I have is Cooper's room and the area rug.  Of course I use it in other places too though, more the attachements though.   The damn thing wouldn't even suck up a cobweb! ugh.

Everything that we got as a wedding present is tearing up. We will celebrate 5 years in July. 5 years! Things should last longer than 5 years.  My cookstove only has 3.5 working burners--the main one in the front only works part of the time-and I already tried a new burner--it is the stove.  My stand mixer sucks- the bowl is tearing up and I can't get replacement parts because they discontinued the line and no other bowls are compatabile.  and my vaccuum.  oh and my wall mirror in my bedroom fell off the wall a few days ago and took some of the sheetrock with it...

I want to paint my living room. I want sheetrock on my walls. I am really tired of the blue walls. It makes it so dark in here.  I want white walls-or something really light like a cream color.  Dark floors, brown furniture, Dark Blue walls, and white trim makes a really dark living room. 

I just want to be happy.  I can't get Chris to help me with anything!  I NEED help with my nestboxes.  He acts like he doesn't care.  Says he doesn't have the time-but then goes over to dad's and works on a tractor. Since when does his FIL come before his wife?  That doesn't seem right to me at all.  I am glad they get along, but he needs to learn to say no. No I have things I need to do at home. Erin needs my help.  ugh. 

I guess I need to quit venting but I am so irriated. I need some mommy make me happy pills- maybe they would help me....