East vs West

It's always fun when we decide

at the last minute to take a mini-vacation.

East or West?

 

 

Go West, young man, go West...

and that is what we did.

All the way to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.

 

The temps were cool enough that we decided to drive

through the Badlands on our way home.

 

 

If you've never been here...

 

 

it's an awesome! place to see.

 

 

We came home feeling refreshed

 and (almost) ready to return to our routines.

 

~b



Mom's cobbler

We have been moving my mother into a assisting living center...

oh my! did she have a lot of stuff in her small apartment.
Note to self: DOWNSIZE...
start getting rid of stuff!
Before the kids have to do it.

 

 

I am lucky enough to be the only daughter of three that sews so...

Guess who got all the sewing things? YAY!

That is Mom's embroidery above and below...

She does beautiful handwork and at 83 years of age.

 

 

Who could dry dishes with such beautiful stitching?

 

I used up the last of this years rhubarb

for cobbler today. So good!

 

 

Mom's Rhubarb Cobbler

5 cups rhubarb cut up - put in bottom of baking dish.

 

Cream 1 cup sugar and 4 T. butter.

Add to this 5/8 c. milk, 1 1/4 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Put this over rhubarb.

 

Mix: 11/4 c. sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 1/4 T. cornstarch.

Sprinkle over batter.

 

Pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over whole cake.

 

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Top with whipped cream.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

(rhu)barb



40 BUCKS!!

i AM a huge fan of Green Mountain Knitting Bags.

I have been admiring the wooden handled bags for years.

 

 

Mr. b got me one for Christmas...

I love it. What a guy huh?

 

Green Mountain also sells what they call a lil' yarn sack...

 

 

$40!! No kidding...don't even ask what he paid for the bag.

I hit my sewing room and made one for myself...

 

 

All scrap pieces and thirty minutes later...

What do you think?

~b



hard lessons

A not so "funny" thing happened in the making of this cosmetic bag...

 

 

I found the pattern on-line, I thought pinterest?

Our printer is out of commission,

(aren't they always?)

so I just chose to follow the pattern on my I-Pad.

 

 

My I-Pad, as it is known to do,

threw me off-line in the middle of the construction job...

grrr

 

 

I hunted for hours to find the pattern again.

Lucky for me that I have experience in the making of bags

and I could finish it.

 

 

Maybe I learned a valuable lesson here?

 

~b



I did it!

Conquering the monkey bars...

 

 

Setting goals are good...

and getting across all of the monkey bars

at the playground

 has been a goal for these girls.

 

 

"We did it!"

Way to GO!

 

~b



FORE!

 

It was a golfing father's weekend for Mr. b and son.

 

 

The beautiful courses could make the sport tempting...

 

 

 

Fore!

 

 

I took these pictures of a beautiful course in North Dakota

where Mr. b golfed with our son-in-law a few weeks ago.

 

 

 



 

Mr. b has seen his share of beautiful courses

from the west coast to the east coast.

 

 

Like fishing...

he talks about the golf trip that got away

when at the last minute he was pulled away by Uncle Sam

 the day he was supposed to golf Pebble Beach.

 

 

~b

 

papa and chicken

 

The Barefoot Contessa was making pizza dough yesterday

which spurred me right into action.

 

 

I had cooked chicken in the fridge that needed using up...

and spinach in the garden heating up.

 

Papa Murphy's Garlic Chicken Pizza

 

1 cup ranch dressing

1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup chicken, cooked and diced
1/2  red onion, sliced in rings
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup mushroom, sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pizza crust

 

Directions:
 1. Mix the ranch and garlic together and put on the crust.
  2. Top with chicken, onion, tomato, mushrooms, and cheese.
   3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is done and cheese is melted.
  4. Top with Parmesan cheese.

 

 

We thought the pizza was excellent

 but may add a little more garlic next time.

I added fresh garden spinach because I had it.

Enjoy!

 

~b

 



Cows

 

Todays calendar page says...

 

"Don't milk a cow without first paying her a compliment."

 

That will give you something to think about all day huh?

 

I told myself I deserved a treat today...

 

 

I have a huge urge to bake (and eat).

And these pancakes and strawberries are not cutting it.

I think some homemade buns might?

 

~b



Country Living

On the farm...

 

 

If I could live on a farm...

 

 

"Old Farmers never die,

 they just go to seed."

 

 

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

 

 

"People who hate cats,

will come back as mice in their next life."

-Faith Resnick

 

 

~b



Three Blind Mice...

 

 See how they run, see how they run,

 



 

 They all ran after the farmer's wife,

 



 

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,

 



 

 Did you ever see such a thing in your life, As three blind mice?

 

Today's sewing project is this mouse pin cushion.

 

I simply love an easy and fast sewing project...using fat quarters.

And I could get hooked on pincushions!

But how many of those does one need?

 

Now...

don't you wonder about the authors of

all those morbid nursery rhymes for children?

 

~b

 

pie day...

When we were in North Dakota last week

we went out and cut rhubarb.

 

I get rhubarb at this same farm

(Thanks! Wayne)

every spring it seems.

 

 

Can you remember a time when every backyard

 had numerous rhubarb plants,

a cistern and a receptacle under the down spout

 to catch soft rain water?

 

 

I always thought rhubarb was a no-fuss plant.

Not so!

 

 

They need lots of water and composting.

I learned this from an old farm wife

 that grew the biggest rhubarb plants I've ever seen.

 

 

And now I'm cutting a piece to take to my mother

who taught me how to make the best rhubarb pie

at the State Fair!

 

~(rhu)barb

 



Score!

 

Mr. b and I were in North Dakota all of last week

helping at daughter knit and pearl and her hubs.

 

When I began to download my pictures from the week

 I thought it looked like it could have been a

 guys vs. gals contest for projects.

 

 

The guys scored numerous points for their building projects.

This shed was almost finished when we left and headed south.

 

 

The girls spent most of their time arranging and designing the nursery

which will be occupied in 2 short months.

 

 

We stenciled circus animals on a short wall above an antique dresser

which belonged to babies great grandmother.

 

 

The guys scored big points with this fire pit pergola.

 

 

Us girls came in with this winning wall design...

 

 

It's hand painted above the baby crib.

So SWEET!

 

 

The girls also planted a few flower pots and beds.

 

At the end of the day...

 

 

it was all about relaxing

and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

 

~b