White snow on red berries
Quiet moments beside the fire
Peace, silence
The silver gleam of moon on bare branches
The cold wind on warm cheeks
Sleep, rebirth
A field of diamonds in sunlight
A crystal tear drop of ice
An ending
Swift water stopped quiet on its journey
The world made pure again
A beginning
JR Smith 11/06
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Olde Tyme - Pudding Cakes - Chocolate & Lemon!
These are from around 1951. You can buy mixes for these in most grocery outlets, but these were the originals. Give them a try...
Denver Chocolate Pudding Cake
Chocolate cake with magically appearing warm dark pudding underneath.
Do not over cook this! Preheat oven to 350F
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 oz chocolate OR 3 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons Butter or marg.
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 teaspon vanilla
For the TOP
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup white sugar
4 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup cold water or cold coffee (yummm mocha!)
Sift sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add chocolate/cocoa and butter melted together over hot water. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 baking dish. Scatter over the TOP without mixing, brown sugar, white sugar and cocoa. Pour cold water or coffee. Bake about 40 minutes at 350F. Let stand at room teperature and serve cool but not chilled. Serves 6
Serve with or without whip cream or ice cream. Chocolate sause over all would be lovely too!
Baked Lemon Pudding Cake
The tope is cakelike with a soft lemon custard beneath which provides a sauce for the pudding. For a richer dessert, spread with think layer of unsweetened whipped cream.
Preheat oven to 350F
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten until light
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 Cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 Cups milk
3 egg whites
Sift 1 Cup sugar with flour, baking powder and salt. To egg yolks add lemon rind, lemon juice, melted butter and milk. Beat well . Stir in flour mixture and beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding remaining 1/2 Cup sugar - a Tablespoon at a time; then fold into flour mixture. Pour into buttered 2 quart baking dish. Set in pan containing 1/2 inch hot water. Bake about 45 minutes at 350F. Chill at least 1 hour. Serves 6
I think you could also try orange or lime. That's my next trial!
Denver Chocolate Pudding Cake
Chocolate cake with magically appearing warm dark pudding underneath.
Do not over cook this! Preheat oven to 350F
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 oz chocolate OR 3 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons Butter or marg.
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 teaspon vanilla
For the TOP
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup white sugar
4 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup cold water or cold coffee (yummm mocha!)
Sift sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add chocolate/cocoa and butter melted together over hot water. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 baking dish. Scatter over the TOP without mixing, brown sugar, white sugar and cocoa. Pour cold water or coffee. Bake about 40 minutes at 350F. Let stand at room teperature and serve cool but not chilled. Serves 6
Serve with or without whip cream or ice cream. Chocolate sause over all would be lovely too!
Baked Lemon Pudding Cake
The tope is cakelike with a soft lemon custard beneath which provides a sauce for the pudding. For a richer dessert, spread with think layer of unsweetened whipped cream.
Preheat oven to 350F
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten until light
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 Cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 Cups milk
3 egg whites
Sift 1 Cup sugar with flour, baking powder and salt. To egg yolks add lemon rind, lemon juice, melted butter and milk. Beat well . Stir in flour mixture and beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding remaining 1/2 Cup sugar - a Tablespoon at a time; then fold into flour mixture. Pour into buttered 2 quart baking dish. Set in pan containing 1/2 inch hot water. Bake about 45 minutes at 350F. Chill at least 1 hour. Serves 6
I think you could also try orange or lime. That's my next trial!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Visit to Club Dirt
The other day Sis came over and we had another good visit. Then we went and brushed Rory as I hadn't ridden him all year. He need to earn that hay, ya know!
We opted for bareback since it was only 38F and saddles take too long. She had him on a lead line and tied up the rope into reins for me to hold onto. It was going great! He's taller than I remembered, getting on without stirrups was a challenge, solved by a mighty hoist from sis that nearly sent me off the other side! We made loops around the pasture, over some poles, around the barn a bit. Lovely cloudy day, 38F, on a warm horse! What could be better.
Yep, perfect day! Until... the big, huge, white power company truck crawled up the neighbor's driveway which runs beside my pasture. Now Rory watched it come up the drive, perked ears and all that, but Sis kept him headed towards it. We were being careful! Then the truck went to the house, messed about and came back down the drive. Ooookay! The next mistake was turning his ass to it just as the truck hit a little pothole in the drive and JIGGLED!! So, the horse does the one thing he needs to do to feel safe. He moved his ass so he could see over his shoulder.
The problem was he bucked just a smidge and moved that HUGE ass to the right about 5 feet in a split second! The knot on the right side gave way when I pulled on it to keep that from happening (reflexes are not always a good thing). I'm now falling to the left, whereupon I reach for my left stirrup (you know - the one that ISN'T there!) and Ker-Plunk! I am flat on my back!! I had NEVER had the breath knocked outa me completely. I did not know when I was going to breathe again. It felt like it might take a few days.
I rolled over and heard the truck stop. "Ohhh great, I had an audience! Dang it!" I think to myself. "Breathe Renee, breathe, you can do it.." My body does the Uhh Uhh uhh noise that says it's pondering the whole idea.
Eventually I breathe, Rory and Sis are 2 feet from me, and the driver is out of his truck. "I'm ooookay, " I say slowly and waved at the guy. Sis said Rory's head never left her shoulder, his ass just switched places.
There was no way I could climb back up on him with my shoulders going into spasms, so she knew she was it. I went to the barn and got 'real reins' that wouldn't come untied and the mounting block because I couldn't possibly lift her the 2 flights of stairs to his back.
Up she goes and I lead him around, put him about 3 feet out from me and he's ... perfect of course! The truck is gone. She slides off, we remove the reins and she trots him around a bit and he gives another little buck... Hmmmm..
Someone will be getting worked every other day the rest of the decent weather. Silly horse! Now Sis is worried I'm 'spooked' which isn't the case. I'm down right aggravated, but not spooked. Fact is I may slap a saddle and bridle on him and ride him tomorrow. That is... if I can move my shoulders to get a saddle up 3 flight of stairs onto his back.
Adventures in my world. I'm fine really; sleeping on the heating pad is helping.
We opted for bareback since it was only 38F and saddles take too long. She had him on a lead line and tied up the rope into reins for me to hold onto. It was going great! He's taller than I remembered, getting on without stirrups was a challenge, solved by a mighty hoist from sis that nearly sent me off the other side! We made loops around the pasture, over some poles, around the barn a bit. Lovely cloudy day, 38F, on a warm horse! What could be better.
Yep, perfect day! Until... the big, huge, white power company truck crawled up the neighbor's driveway which runs beside my pasture. Now Rory watched it come up the drive, perked ears and all that, but Sis kept him headed towards it. We were being careful! Then the truck went to the house, messed about and came back down the drive. Ooookay! The next mistake was turning his ass to it just as the truck hit a little pothole in the drive and JIGGLED!! So, the horse does the one thing he needs to do to feel safe. He moved his ass so he could see over his shoulder.
The problem was he bucked just a smidge and moved that HUGE ass to the right about 5 feet in a split second! The knot on the right side gave way when I pulled on it to keep that from happening (reflexes are not always a good thing). I'm now falling to the left, whereupon I reach for my left stirrup (you know - the one that ISN'T there!) and Ker-Plunk! I am flat on my back!! I had NEVER had the breath knocked outa me completely. I did not know when I was going to breathe again. It felt like it might take a few days.
I rolled over and heard the truck stop. "Ohhh great, I had an audience! Dang it!" I think to myself. "Breathe Renee, breathe, you can do it.." My body does the Uhh Uhh uhh noise that says it's pondering the whole idea.
Eventually I breathe, Rory and Sis are 2 feet from me, and the driver is out of his truck. "I'm ooookay, " I say slowly and waved at the guy. Sis said Rory's head never left her shoulder, his ass just switched places.
There was no way I could climb back up on him with my shoulders going into spasms, so she knew she was it. I went to the barn and got 'real reins' that wouldn't come untied and the mounting block because I couldn't possibly lift her the 2 flights of stairs to his back.
Up she goes and I lead him around, put him about 3 feet out from me and he's ... perfect of course! The truck is gone. She slides off, we remove the reins and she trots him around a bit and he gives another little buck... Hmmmm..
Someone will be getting worked every other day the rest of the decent weather. Silly horse! Now Sis is worried I'm 'spooked' which isn't the case. I'm down right aggravated, but not spooked. Fact is I may slap a saddle and bridle on him and ride him tomorrow. That is... if I can move my shoulders to get a saddle up 3 flight of stairs onto his back.
Adventures in my world. I'm fine really; sleeping on the heating pad is helping.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Old Recipes - Pumpkin Pie!!
This is my standard pumpkin pie recipe that is so simple, my husband makes when it's not a Holiday! Dump, blend... pour!!
Not really all that old, but it's super good.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie AKA Impossible Pumpkin Pie brought to you by Bisquick!!
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Bisquick (or other biscuit mix)
2 Tablespoons Margarine or butter
1 Can Evaporated milk
2 Eggs
1 Can (16 oz) Pumpkin
2 1/2 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (sounds like alot, it's perfect!)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Grease pie plate (I've used a glass baking pand, but hubby says it's not a real pie if it's not a wedge!)
Beal all ingredients until smooth. One (1!) minute in blender on high or Two (2!) minutes with hand beater/mixer. Pour into plate! Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean - 50 to 55 minutes.
(Adjustment for high altitude - 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes)
Add whipped cream, ice cream and enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or desert! Fantabulous!
Next week I'm thinking I'll share Chocolate Pudding Cake.. yummm
Not really all that old, but it's super good.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie AKA Impossible Pumpkin Pie brought to you by Bisquick!!
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Bisquick (or other biscuit mix)
2 Tablespoons Margarine or butter
1 Can Evaporated milk
2 Eggs
1 Can (16 oz) Pumpkin
2 1/2 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (sounds like alot, it's perfect!)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Grease pie plate (I've used a glass baking pand, but hubby says it's not a real pie if it's not a wedge!)
Beal all ingredients until smooth. One (1!) minute in blender on high or Two (2!) minutes with hand beater/mixer. Pour into plate! Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean - 50 to 55 minutes.
(Adjustment for high altitude - 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes)
Add whipped cream, ice cream and enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or desert! Fantabulous!
Next week I'm thinking I'll share Chocolate Pudding Cake.. yummm
Monday, November 16, 2009
From the Farm - Problem Solved
"Hey Hon," said DH the other morning, "I'll plug in the horse's water heater on my way out."
"That's a good idea," I replied, "I had to break ice the last two days. Thanks for thinking of it."
'Problem solved without putting on three layers,' I thought. I love my horse, but water had turned into an issue lately.
It all started with cleaning the heater...
Ya see immersion heaters for stock tanks sit in the bottom for months. Around here, October through March or April typically. There is a lot of calcium and iron in the well water, which is probably good for me, but not so much anything it touches. DH, meaning well, brought the old heater to the house to 'clean it up', which involved soaking in vinegar for the day. Next morning he went to the barn, buffed it vigorously with a wire brush, grinned happily I suppose and installed the now spiffy heater into the water trough. Problem solved!
Now it gets strange. Rory, typically doesn't drink that much water during a half day. He seems to go at once or twice and day and gets by on the extra water in his morning and evening feeding of beet pulp and other goodies (vitamins, but don't tell him, he doesn't like them!) So come dark I didn't think to check his tank when I fed him. Besides... it was dark!
Next day I noticed the sun reflecting from the surface of a still full to the brim water trough. 'Strange,' I thought to myself as I washed dishes, 'I'll go check when I'm done.' Sure enough, water was full up and warmish. About that time Rory, seeing me outside and figuring I might have peppermint, wandered over. I reached through the wire fence and splashed the water with the flat of my hand. Wrong thing to do! He looked at me, looked at the water and started pawing the ground around the tank. Dipping his head towards it and up again, banging the side of the thing with his knee the whole time. What the heck was going on? He wanted to drink, that was obvious. He hadn't drunk since before 11 the morning before.
I put my hand back in the water, nothing, not even a tingle. Hmmm Oh yea, I had on rubber soles. So I grabbed the handy dandy grounding rod beside the tank, laid my bare arm against the wire fence, (yes, I'm not too bright sometimes) laid my hand back in the water and ZAAAP!! Yep... it didn't set me on my fanny but I wouldn't want that happening to MY nose either.
Since then we messed with water buckets for a few days, but that doesn't work since I can't plug them in. Moved the WHITE tank down from summer pasture, thinking we could replace the Black one and that might work, IF we didn't sit it in the same place.
The next week we moved the white tank into the same pasture with the black tank, all was well. Ok, he still wouldn't touch the black tank even though it was unplugged in TWO places. Last week we tossed the black tank over the fence and put the white tank in it's place, without plugging it in. They can feel the current maybe, I don't know! So it was time to plug it in, which brings us to the start of this story. Continuation from start!!
So, about noon, I look out the window and spot the extension cord and the water heater cord about a foot apart. That does not constitute plugged in, in my book. Thinking DH simply forgot, I dress in the required three layers, take the dog for a walk and plug the silly thing in. Problem solved!
That evening I remind DH about his statement, and say I solved the problem, I plugged it in, so it should be fine for the snow storm we expected. He looked at me with a puzzled expression, "But I did plug it in."
"Well, it didn't move a foot apart all on it's own, it was hanging on the fence, remember?" slightly puzzled myself at this point.
"Oh! I plugged in the extension cord... IN-side!" he laughed.
"You mean it actually takes two mature adults to plug in a water heater?" I said grinning broadly. "This has to be the craziest house of people and critters I've ever heard of." By now we were both laughing and the dog was pretty sure we had lost it again.
Just another day on the Ranch around here. Problem Solved!
"That's a good idea," I replied, "I had to break ice the last two days. Thanks for thinking of it."
'Problem solved without putting on three layers,' I thought. I love my horse, but water had turned into an issue lately.
It all started with cleaning the heater...
Ya see immersion heaters for stock tanks sit in the bottom for months. Around here, October through March or April typically. There is a lot of calcium and iron in the well water, which is probably good for me, but not so much anything it touches. DH, meaning well, brought the old heater to the house to 'clean it up', which involved soaking in vinegar for the day. Next morning he went to the barn, buffed it vigorously with a wire brush, grinned happily I suppose and installed the now spiffy heater into the water trough. Problem solved!
Now it gets strange. Rory, typically doesn't drink that much water during a half day. He seems to go at once or twice and day and gets by on the extra water in his morning and evening feeding of beet pulp and other goodies (vitamins, but don't tell him, he doesn't like them!) So come dark I didn't think to check his tank when I fed him. Besides... it was dark!
Next day I noticed the sun reflecting from the surface of a still full to the brim water trough. 'Strange,' I thought to myself as I washed dishes, 'I'll go check when I'm done.' Sure enough, water was full up and warmish. About that time Rory, seeing me outside and figuring I might have peppermint, wandered over. I reached through the wire fence and splashed the water with the flat of my hand. Wrong thing to do! He looked at me, looked at the water and started pawing the ground around the tank. Dipping his head towards it and up again, banging the side of the thing with his knee the whole time. What the heck was going on? He wanted to drink, that was obvious. He hadn't drunk since before 11 the morning before.
I put my hand back in the water, nothing, not even a tingle. Hmmm Oh yea, I had on rubber soles. So I grabbed the handy dandy grounding rod beside the tank, laid my bare arm against the wire fence, (yes, I'm not too bright sometimes) laid my hand back in the water and ZAAAP!! Yep... it didn't set me on my fanny but I wouldn't want that happening to MY nose either.
Since then we messed with water buckets for a few days, but that doesn't work since I can't plug them in. Moved the WHITE tank down from summer pasture, thinking we could replace the Black one and that might work, IF we didn't sit it in the same place.
The next week we moved the white tank into the same pasture with the black tank, all was well. Ok, he still wouldn't touch the black tank even though it was unplugged in TWO places. Last week we tossed the black tank over the fence and put the white tank in it's place, without plugging it in. They can feel the current maybe, I don't know! So it was time to plug it in, which brings us to the start of this story. Continuation from start!!
So, about noon, I look out the window and spot the extension cord and the water heater cord about a foot apart. That does not constitute plugged in, in my book. Thinking DH simply forgot, I dress in the required three layers, take the dog for a walk and plug the silly thing in. Problem solved!
That evening I remind DH about his statement, and say I solved the problem, I plugged it in, so it should be fine for the snow storm we expected. He looked at me with a puzzled expression, "But I did plug it in."
"Well, it didn't move a foot apart all on it's own, it was hanging on the fence, remember?" slightly puzzled myself at this point.
"Oh! I plugged in the extension cord... IN-side!" he laughed.
"You mean it actually takes two mature adults to plug in a water heater?" I said grinning broadly. "This has to be the craziest house of people and critters I've ever heard of." By now we were both laughing and the dog was pretty sure we had lost it again.
Just another day on the Ranch around here. Problem Solved!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Celebrate Life in 2009
First off, a BIG thanks to MissMaisy for all the work she’s done to make this a proper Blog, and not so much my ‘ramblings’. I’ve discovered I’m technologically challenged about quite a few things. (seems my computer is behind a bit too, I had to add the word blog to my MSWord dictionary) Thankfully others have younger brains than I do and more creativity. You should check out her blogs, they are pretty amazing.
A Happy New Year to anyone who finds this wayward link to the outside. May 2009 be a year to celebrate all the good things life holds for each of you.
I am horrid about resolutions, so I thought I would take the advice of others and try to write some Goals for 2009. About a page and a half in, my goals turned into a To-Do list, which stopped me for a good bit. Goals should be more than the daily grind of things that need done. So here is my list, after being renumbered and rearranged about three times.
1. Self – Get and stay healthy as possible, laugh often, love much, ride when able, hug more often, worry less, live life fully every day.
2. Family & Friends – Reconnect and stay close, visit more often, phone someone weekly, send cards or something. Share the journey with the ones I love.
3. Create – Everything! Work on Etsy shop, craft fairs, blog weekly, play with colors of beads, think up new products, learn to spin and knit, crochet more, take the camera with, and pull out those paints again.
4. The Ranch – Play with the cats more, hug the horse daily, plant something, clear out the barn. (this is my to-do list again!! Arrrg)
5. HOST – Get active and help others. Figure out the HOST Shop, find resources that work, be part of the whole team.
NOW, if I can just keep my life from becoming one long To-Do List I’ll be on the right trail.
A Happy New Year to anyone who finds this wayward link to the outside. May 2009 be a year to celebrate all the good things life holds for each of you.
I am horrid about resolutions, so I thought I would take the advice of others and try to write some Goals for 2009. About a page and a half in, my goals turned into a To-Do list, which stopped me for a good bit. Goals should be more than the daily grind of things that need done. So here is my list, after being renumbered and rearranged about three times.
1. Self – Get and stay healthy as possible, laugh often, love much, ride when able, hug more often, worry less, live life fully every day.
2. Family & Friends – Reconnect and stay close, visit more often, phone someone weekly, send cards or something. Share the journey with the ones I love.
3. Create – Everything! Work on Etsy shop, craft fairs, blog weekly, play with colors of beads, think up new products, learn to spin and knit, crochet more, take the camera with, and pull out those paints again.
4. The Ranch – Play with the cats more, hug the horse daily, plant something, clear out the barn. (this is my to-do list again!! Arrrg)
5. HOST – Get active and help others. Figure out the HOST Shop, find resources that work, be part of the whole team.
NOW, if I can just keep my life from becoming one long To-Do List I’ll be on the right trail.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
About this whole Jinglebobs thing
I’ll admit it, I’m a Tack Junky! I love searching the net for new tack stores and sites; I collect websites from different magazines I read and then check them out when I’m avoiding housework. I read tack catalogs in bed, and have piles of them in different places around the house. It helps that I have a horse to buy all those nifty things for. It doesn’t always work out so well for my checkbook though.
One day I’m checking out a new place with lots of things I haven’t seen before and I ran across Rhythm Beads. Of course I had to research that with Google! What a wonderful world that opened up for me. Something to help myself and my horse to get ‘in step’ with each other and maybe put a little spring back in his walk. I was entranced and ordered a set.
Did I mention I’m not a patient person? The next day I was in town buying beads and bells and other supplies. I could do this! I love keeping myself busy; I love colors and creating things. I thought about all the different problems one could encounter around a horse... and by the weekend I had completed my first set. A local craft fair was being advertised, and that set off a chain of events. No, I didn’t make the craft show - I didn’t have enough made - but I had too many to just hand out to friends and family. 
I did get in on a Tack Swap though. It was held outdoors, in the rain and wind one Saturday. I sold one piece! I was hooked but it’s too blasted cold in November to go to outdoor craft fairs, so there had to be a way to sell these to other horse crazy people... Now I have an online store and I can hang out at horse shows and O-mok-sees: come and visit me at Jinglebobs on Etsy.com .
One day I’m checking out a new place with lots of things I haven’t seen before and I ran across Rhythm Beads. Of course I had to research that with Google! What a wonderful world that opened up for me. Something to help myself and my horse to get ‘in step’ with each other and maybe put a little spring back in his walk. I was entranced and ordered a set.Did I mention I’m not a patient person? The next day I was in town buying beads and bells and other supplies. I could do this! I love keeping myself busy; I love colors and creating things. I thought about all the different problems one could encounter around a horse... and by the weekend I had completed my first set. A local craft fair was being advertised, and that set off a chain of events. No, I didn’t make the craft show - I didn’t have enough made - but I had too many to just hand out to friends and family.
I did get in on a Tack Swap though. It was held outdoors, in the rain and wind one Saturday. I sold one piece! I was hooked but it’s too blasted cold in November to go to outdoor craft fairs, so there had to be a way to sell these to other horse crazy people... Now I have an online store and I can hang out at horse shows and O-mok-sees: come and visit me at Jinglebobs on Etsy.com .
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