Month: June 2013

June 2013 – A Month of Photos From The Red Double Wide

~ Grace ~ 10 Comments

June was a wonderful and busy month.

This last week of June has brought several HOT days and the garden has really taken off! (and with some late spring rains so have the weeds!)  Needless to say I’ve spent a great deal of time over the past month in the garden. 😀

We have been getting quite a few raspberries.  If the kids stop eating them we might even have enough for some jam!

Raspberry CollageThe men of the house…..shooting skeet. 🙂

June 2013 DiggerJune 2013June 2013Happy dog!

June 2013 StigDusty found this cute toad.  He kept it in a 5 gallon bucket until the girls and I got home so they could see it, and I could take a picture.  He then let it go in the garden, after naming him “Bruce the pirate toad”.

June 2013 ToadJo’s cats Boots and Tiger…Boots has six toes on her front paws, but this is not what makes her special.  Jo bought her the pink collar with her own allowance money.  We tried to tell her the cat would lose that thing the first chance she got, but for all the world Boots seems to be proud of it.  Often as not she is now referred to as “Prissy Missy”.
June 2013 catsStirring the compost pile. (How redneck!)

June 2013 CompostJo loves to read and she loves animals….this is her reading a book while the chickens and kittens play.  As you can tell by the hair, this was about three minutes after she rolled out of bed.  She would live in the barn yard, if we let her.   😀

June 2013 readingThese are the potatoes we planted in our recycled potato bin.  It’s amazing how much they grew in June!

Potato Bin CollageMore pics of the garden….(please ignore the weeds!)

Garden CollageIn July I’m looking forward to more gardening, trips to the pool, baking, BBQ’s, and 4-H meetings.

Thanks for dropping by the Red Double Wide!

-Grace

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie – Sugar Free

~ Grace ~ 6 Comments

Summer is finally here!  We enjoy smoothies all year, but they seem to be especially good on hot days.  So to celebrate the beginning of summer I’m sharing one of our favorite smoothies,(the girls have been making these daily!)  The best part is I don’t mind them having one everyday, they are a pretty healthy snack, especially if you have organic ingredients. 🙂

Choc PB Smoothie

5.0 from 2 reviews
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie - Sugar Free
 
Print
This makes enough for one adult size smoothy or two kid size smoothies. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Author:
Recipe type: Smoothy
Ingredients
  • ¾ of a cup of milk (any kind of milk)
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 ice cubes
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 5 to 7 drops of liquid stevia - we use the chocolate flavored (If you don't use stevia any sweetener will work, honey, maple syrup, sucanat ect....)
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and push the liquify button, blend until you have a nice smoothy consistency. It takes about 30 seconds in my blender.

Chocolate PB SmoothieThis is a very versatile recipe; if you can’t have peanuts just leave out the peanut butter, it’s still yummy.  If you need dairy free, you can use a different milk.  I have used almond milk and rice milk and both worked great.

An easy, healthy, summer treat with chocolate and peanut butter….how could you go wrong? Yummmm!!

Happy Summer Everyone!

Homemade Seasoning Salt – MSG Free

~ Grace ~ 65 Comments

This seasoning salt recipe has been moved to our new blog: SufficientAcres,com.

Click here or on the picture to take you to the recipe!

Seasoning Salt 4

Seasoning Salt 3There you have it, homemade seasoning salt!  Be sure to shake well before each use.  Use sparingly at first, you can always add more but you can’t take it out if you get to much.

This works great on EVERYTHING!  Well…..maybe not chocolate cake or ice cream, no definitely not ice cream…but I’m sure it will be great on everything else!  😉

Our Garden – A Work In Progress

~ Grace ~ 7 Comments

Our garden got off to a slow start this year.  To make a long story short, we couldn’t plant the garden until the chicken proof fence was up and hey,… it’s been a busy spring!!

We are making slow progress in good spirits though.

The fence is finished! (Around the garden…)

DSCN7175 (640x480)The chickens are locked out (for the most part).  They really don’t like that their favorite dust baths are no longer available. 🙂  They decided that this tiny patch of dirt would have to do.

DSCN7301 (640x470)Most of the irrigation is finished.

DSCN7294 (640x480)The seeds are planted… Almost all of them!  This is the box of heirloom vegetable seed packets I ordered, and this fall I’m hoping to harvest enough seed for next years garden.

DSCN6738 (640x480) One week old corn and beans!

DSCN7443 (480x640)DSCN7451 (480x640)-1

It’s amazing how fast everything pops up! (once it actually gets planted)

This is the biggest garden we’ve ever had and the progress is slow, but there is progress. 🙂

How is your garden doing?  Is it a work in progress too?

Ranch French Bread

~ Grace ~ 16 Comments

I found this recipe in one of my Taste Of Home cookbooks.  I’ve been looking for recipes to use my homemade ranch packets in, so I thought I’d give it a try.

DSCN7502 (640x480)-1It was a hit!!  The first time I made it I sliced it up and made BLT’s with fried eggs and avocado slices.  I wish I had taken a picture.  They were delicious!

This bread is very tender and has a wonderful ranchy flavor.

Step 1 – Start by mixing the yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2 – Put the buttermilk, butter, sugar, eggs, ranch salad dressing mix, and salt in a mixer, blend well.  Stir in the yeast and water mixture.

Step 3 – Add 2 cups of flour to the mixer and stir until smooth.  While the mixer is still mixing add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from the bowl.  That will be about 2.5 more cups.

Step 4 -Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic – about 6 to 8 minutes.

DSCN7468 (640x511)-1Step 5 – Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled – (about 1 hour).

Step 6 – Punch the dough down and divide into 2 pieces.  Roll each piece into a 14″ x12″ rectangle.

DSCN7487 (480x640)Roll up each piece starting with the long side.  Pinch the seam to seal and tuck the ends under.  Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled – about 30 minutes.

Step 7 – Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with melted butter.

DSCN7504 (640x480)-1I used this bread to make egg salad sandwiches last night for our Care Group meeting and they were yummy, yummy!

5.0 from 3 reviews
Ranch French Bread
 
Print
This recipe makes 2 loaves - about 14 slices per loaf
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 packet of active dry yeast - 1 packet equals 2¼ teaspoons
  • ¼ cup warm water 110 - 115 degrees
  • 1 cup buttermilk warmed to 110-115 degrees
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (try my homemade one it works great!)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 4½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar and let it sit for ten minutes.
  2. Put buttermilk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and ranch seasoning into a mixer and stir well. Add the yeast and water mixture and stir.
  3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until nice and smooth, add the next two cups of flour and then add a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
  4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes.
  5. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
  6. Punch down and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece into a 14"X12" rectangle, then roll up starting with the long side. Pinch the seams to seal and tuck the ends under. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

 

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