Mermaid's Dance

I placed a new yarn in my Etsy shop that I just completed
and I am excited about sharing with you... It is a hand dyed, hand spun functional component yarn that has all the best fibers and speciality yarns included in it... Read more about all the goodies that I have tucked into this creation at www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com

I had a great time creating this and hope that someone will find the perfect project for this yarn.

Would love to hear what you think of this offering

Wicked Harlot

Such a flirt or I could call Esmeralda something else but she already gets called more then her name.

This morning I heard some screaming and horn clashing - It did not take me very long to figure out that the big guys had figured a way into the pasture running next to the girls and there was Esmeralda running her butt along the fence line switching her tail back and forth as the boys clacked their tongues and then fought each other. Luckily they are too heavy to stand on the fence wire and although their privates are very impressive not nearly long enough to reach.... Now I have not gotten out the measuring tape on this one but I am just eyeballing the issue...

Now you notice the other girls are sitting and behaving themselves... Dot look so innocent ladies - many of them when they saw me coming out the kitchen door ran away from the fence line and sat down really quick as if I would not notice. I thought it was funny too that when they sat down they turned their back away from the boys as if to say " We are not even looking at them - Mommy"...

So back to putting them up where they belong and to figure out how they got out. I really think the one reason most folks do not like goats could be that they are always thinking of new ways to have adventures and the owner is always playing catch up... You never should put your guard down or get too full of yourself thinking you are in charge. I guess the boys showed me that they are not in agreement to the "NO BREEDING" program this year.

What would Sunday be around here if it is not fixing fence lines, putting animals back in their spots or scolding Esmeralda.

Gallivanting Gilbert

Look at that sweet face - this is Gilbert and his is the silly guy in the group. He is one to be bouncing around, kicking up his heels and loves to run up behind the bigger boys and poke them in the butt with his horns and then run away....

Gilbert was born 2/13/20/11 to Gretal and has a sister named Gwen. He cried the hardest when he was separated from his mother and sister. He even decided not to eat for a couple of days but then his tummy won out. Gilbert may be the jester but he is also the peacemaker. He made friends with the two year old boys first and is the favorite of the two weathers who watch over the whole clan. Gilbert has tons of fiber and is uber soft - the length will be extreme and I can not wait to get to work with it.

As I type this Gilbert is jumping on and off a large metal drum that is out in their pen - sounds like a rock band warming up... It is one of his favorite games to play as the sun gets the drum nice and warm... Wished you could see him - such joy in simple things.

Three Musketeers

It is darn near impossible to get a picture of these three - they are fast as lightening and a bit camera shy.. However, they thought I was just interested in the others so they grouped together and thought the camera clicking was over with - Gotcha!!!

The boy in the middle is Herschel - born 2/17/2011 to Eva and has a sister named Hazel. He has the great red tone of his father Rasputin... He is going to have tons of long flowing fleece and is sturdy and strong.

The other two are brothers - Jasper and Jeeves born 2/13/2011 to Jill and father Rasputin.. They have pure white hair and those signature horns of their mother. They are gentle and quite and a bit shy. They do love to get alone and on their own do not cause a lick of trouble..

The three of them eat together, sleep together and Yes, practice the breeding routines after seeing all the older boys practicing... "Monkey see, Monkey do" - or is it rather "One for all, All for One" - so goes the Three Musketeers.

SO Much Alike

These two are Step Brothers - can't you tell...

The one on the left is Ozzie born 2/16/2010. Mother is Esmeralda and Father is Peter. Ozzie is one of triplets of which his brother Oscar passed away two weeks after entering the world. His Sister is Olivia. He is very much all boy and produces a very soft cashmere down that has been a joy to work with and spin. Ozzie is the leader of the 2010 boys and is darn proud of it and never gives up a chance to let everyone know.

On the right is Jerry born 2/9/11 to Esmeralda and Father is Rasputin. Jerry is a twin and his sibling Ben passed almost two months after their birth. Jerry produces an incredibly soft cashmere down but muc like his father who is an impressive Red Angora with a staple length well past 9 inches long Jerry is getting a much longer staple length at only being 8 months old. So this breeding will produce length while still giving a butter soft fiber... Pure Heaven.

Here is what they share - their mothers disposition. Esmeralda is commonly known as the "Devil" or other words which I will not share in writing here but I am sure you get my drift. She is the one who after I pulled her twins in 2008 she got up and plowed me into the barn cracking three ribs. Yep, she is hell on four legs but she is also the guardian of the girl goats.. She is always standing watch over the girls and is first to go out with Chief if there is any trouble in the pastures. She gives everything to her babies and will defend them to the death if she has too... I admire her strong will and Yes, some have said I am much like her. The sons are the same way. They are first to stand guard, first to run towards the coyote to chase it away and first to stand in front of the little ones when humans approach their pen. They do not wish to be touched and has the respect of their peers...

They also share the loss of a sibling and since putting the two year old billies and yearling boys together it is amazing how these two step brothers have come together. At first they fought but now they work hand in hand. I think their four legged mother would be proud of them - I know I am...

Put That Away Please

Tongues are wagging, flapping, clicking and flicking around the Funny Farm - it is what boys do to get the attention of their fair ladies.

O.K. guys I may love you but not in that way!!! Ozzie (the dark faced boy) I think is doing it more to tell me that he really is not that fond of me. However, Sherlock does love me to pieces but as his Mommy not girlfriend. He gives me the tongue because he wants my hand to lick or better yet for me to sit down and let him sit in my lap even when he weights a good 180 pounds. Not happening, especially in the snow..

I wish I could say that these adorable pink tongues are the only things flapping in the wind but just a couple minutes here and you will soon know that other parts of these handsome boys are being displayed at every chance they get. You would think with this cold weather they would keep things tucked inside but again their need to be seen and admired far out ways the need to keep those tender parts inside where it is nice and warm...

You might think - They are just Animals - what do you expect? Really? Have you been downtown in any place where men wish to show off how tough they are by not wearing a coat as the temp outside is freezing. With their shirts too tight or their pants hanging down around their butts unable to walk without doing the duck waddle. Or have you seen those girls trying to walk on a ice covered sidewalk with a short skirt on and high heels or worse yet high heeled boots? Well, at least my guys have a nice heavy coat on, they are sure footed no matter how much ice is on the ground and the most important part of this of all is, soon their need to display will be over and all those tender pink things will be back where they belong. Too Bad that wont be the case for those city folks... Here is another difference with my Smart, Handsome Boys - they are not so stupid as to stick their tongues on anything metal - not so true about Humans...

Surfing the Snow Wave

Catch the WAVE here at the Funny Farm!!

When I woke up Friday morning I saw the snow pack deciding to slide down the metal roof on one of the smaller barns. I was not sure if it would stay long enough for me to get clothes on and find the camera.

I quickly took a picture from my bedroom window and then got dressed and went outside. It was not moving at all put rather frozen in place. I took some snaps and then went about doing the feeding chores. I thought surely by the time I got back it would be on the ground. NOPE...

This amazing snow wave lasted frozen in place till 4:30 pm and then hit the ground all at once in one piece - I could hear it in the house and the billy goats sure told me all about it. So that was a record 10 and a half hours to let go.... WOW - O.K. maybe it is not the international metal barn melting record, or you may not even find this at all interesting but I guess it is just me...

Take a little time out to enjoy the simple things around you..

Sucks to be you !!

"We all step into traps, but some of us where born into ours"

I love that part in the movie Psycho - because it speaks so clearly as to how we view the world and what we do with the hardships we find ourselves in..

Now I am not saying the way to handle a difficult person is to put them in the basement all stuffed and dressed. Nor am I say take money from your boss and run away to live over a hardware store with a divorced man. What I am saying is if you find yourself in a difficult situation ask for help - You would be amazed who will be there for you.

As for this little one - I came down this morning and found him trapped yet still alive. I got the long tongs from the dye pot, picked up the trap and walked it outside. I put on my glasses to get a better view of any injuries and opened the trap. He was one lucky fellow - the way the trap caught him he luckily did not brake his legs so he ran off and down the stairs. He sat for a moment at the end of the stairs in the snow and then took off running at an amazing speed over the frozen snow and off into the distance. I wished him well and hope he has learned his lesson and does not return... Next time he may not be so lucky

So what trap are you caught in today?? Put down that very sharp big knife, take off the wig and stop listening to those voices in your head.....

Egg citing Day at the Funny Farm

Now it does not take much to make this gal a Happy Camper. During the snow storm I walked down the long driveway because I had been expecting a package and the mail man I have seems to take great pleasure in not closing the door which means everything will be wet, frozen or worse blowing down the hill. Be the time I reached the mail box my snow boots felt like they weighted 80 pounds. I opened the door and there it was the package - my new kitchen gadget. Yes, I know I am trying to get rid of things and especially all the gadgets that I don't need but this is going to save our eggs....

It is an extra large ice cube tray that can hold an extra large egg that my hens lay without making a mess. Heck, there is room for even two eggs in each compartment but I want to keep it simple for recipes sake. You might be asking "So What Grace?" It is a big So What. Hens start slowing down egg production during the winter just when we need those gems the most with holiday baking... I do not wish to use store eggs so I have been reading up on the best way to freeze them. The problem my girls lay big yolks with lots of white to boot. So freezing them in other containers had not been working to well. Then a lady on the Mary Jane site suggested large ice cube trays - I had no idea they made them so online I went and found the best price and quickest shipping from Amazon. Placed the order on Sunday and the tray arrived Wednesday.... Happy Dance, Happy Dance!!

So I tried it out last night. It takes two hours for them to freeze solid so the production line has started this morning. I have already frozen two dozen and still going. My girls produce at least 20 to 22 eggs a day so there is no way I can eat them all even when I share them with my hard working dogs. Folks also do not wish to pay what it takes to raise an organic egg that contains no GMO's or soy in them - fine by me - more for me!!!

Watch out world - Grace will be having great Funny Farm Eggs even during the worst that winter can throw at us... I highly recommend this kitchen gadget addition for those who raise their own extra large eggs...

Thumbs Up and Happy Dance

Scream Fest with my Breakfast

After a bitter cold night at the farm and me doing several animal checks through the night to make sure all was faring well through their first 10 degree night a hot breakfast was on my mind from the moment I got out of the warmth of my bed. As I made my way down the stairs and to the coffee pot my slow moving brain clicked into the fact that the Banana Squash bread that I made Wednesday afternoon was just screaming to be sliced and eaten..

So I again asked the oven to wake up and get to work. I placed the bacon in the cast iron skillet
and in the oven, cracked two fresh eggs into my small cast iron skillet and popped that in the oven and started the coffee pot.

I was a happy camper this morning because on the TV was playing one of my all time favorite Horror Movies "THE FOG".. The original one - "Yep, there's a fog bank out there!!" Another scream fest for Jamie Lee Curtis. This movie even includes her mother which makes you think it might be on the level of Psycho but don't get your hopes up too far. Quick, which movie did the screaming Mother/Daughter team appear in which Jamie was given the title of " Sequel Scream Queen?" (is it too early for Horror Movie Trivia?) I remember seeing "The Fog" at the drive in and it scared me but now I have a giggle fest through the lumbering dialogue and very basic special effects. What in the world could have scared me?? That was back in the day when shock fests were just in the beginning stages and the movie goer was just a babe in the woods.

So now I sit here enjoying my breakfast, planning the day and enjoying the week long horror movie festivals that will be playing on the boob tube thanks to Halloween. I hope you have a wonderful day and watch out "There's a Fog Bank Out There" or in my case "There's a Snow Bank Out There".

Brooke's Beer Batter Bread

This bread I give credit to my DIL Brooke - she and my son Nick brought this to my house a couple years back and I have been making it ever since. Thanks Brooke

It is a simple recipe with many ways to make it your own.

3 cups flour (don't pack the flour) 1 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 sugar, one 12 ounce bottle of beer (today I used a very dark German stout) and 1/4 cup melted butter.

Mix dry ingred's together with a cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese and 1/2 cup Roasted, Chopped Pecans. I also added 1 teaspoon lemon pepper. Mix all together so the cheese is well coated by the dry ingred's. Then add the bottle of beer. Mix but do not over mix. Put the batter into a greased loaf pan. Then pour evenly over the top the melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. I check after 45 minutes and then keep a close eye on it, today the loaf finished in 55 minutes.. Let cool before taking out of pan. I also used a glass loaf pan today.

Here are a few of the combinations I have used in the past but I am sure you will come up with your own - Enjoy!

Fresh Goat Cheese with fresh Dill and a pale Ale Beer

Smoked Cheddar with roasted chopped Almonds and a Honey Ale Beer

A Crumbling Mexican Cheese, Chile Powder, and a lime Mexican Beer

It is all up to you and that is what makes this bread such fun and so tasty..

Eat Your Veggies the Funny Farm Way

I love Banana Bread but mine has a bit of a twist. My recipe calls for 2 and 1/3 cup Mashed Bananas - what I do is use have banana and half squash equaling up the amount required. In this bread today I used the earlier roasted Acorn Squash but I have used other kinds in the past. The next addition this round was 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips and 1/2 cup Butterscotch Chips and last but not least 1/2 cup Maraschino Cherries chopped. Oh My Gosh it is GREAT!!!

As with most of my recipes you can change it to suit your desires or what is sitting in the pantry. I have added Toffee Chips with White Chocolate Chips or Peanut Butter Chips with Honey Roasted Chopped Peanuts. You get it - add what sounds good to you but with the addition of a veggie you can afford a little bit of guilty pleasure in your add In's....

What is great about this bread is after it has cooled down you can slice it, wrap it up in individual servings and it is great to just take one slice out of the freezer in the morning, pop it into the toaster and enjoy with farm fresh eggs over easy - quick and very tasty meal with no effort at all... I found if I don't place some in the freezer it is gone before I know it and there I will sit with no time to bake and wishing for better self control..

Start Your Oven

I started off roasting a couple of Acorn Squashes and one large Butternut Squash to be used in later dishes. The acorn squash will be incorporated in the Banana Bread. The Butternut Squash was mashed. To that mashed golden squash I added Butter, Brown Sugar, Gram Marsala and a touch of Vanilla - taste and adjust if you need or wish salt. Whisk that all around and then with an Ice Cream Scoop I place on a cookie sheet the dollops. Place in the freeze till frozen solid. Then place in a freezer bag ready to take a perfectly formed dollop out and add to any evening meal during the cold nights to coming.

I then spiral cut 6 baking apples and placed in a bowl - add Coconut Sugar, Apple Pie Spices, a pinch of salt, a hand full of Cranraisins and 1 teaspoon Almond Extract - Toss and place in a buttered dish and add a few thin dots of Butter on top. Bake 350 till apples are just tender not mushy... This will be used with a Pork Roast that I have scheduled this week.. It is also Yummy on top of a steaming hot bowl of Steel Cut Oatmeal in the morning.... I think I know what I am having for breakfast tomorrow..

Next up is a great Mac Dish with Spiral Cut Ham chunks.... Everyone has their recipe for Mac and Cheese but here is a new take on it. The Spiral Cut Ham had a sweet glaze on it when I first baked it so I had to rethink my ingred's. Instead of the standard milk or cream I used Coconut Milk - not the thin kind in a can but the kind you find in the cold milk department. I also added Cream Cheese along with my Cheddar Cheese. I also used 1 teaspoon of Lemon Pepper, about 1 teaspoon of dry mustard with a pinch of Nutmeg. As it bubbled away in the oven the house smelled amazing!!! I had a hard time waiting for the dish to come out of the oven and a scoopful on my plate - LUNCH TIME!!!! I admit it was so good I had another scoopful.. I separated this dish into three freezer containers and one for this weeks menu. Yum...

Just a small start - snow is a coming!

At six am the snow was starting to pile up and after the morning animal chores had been completed and I played with the dogs it was time to come in and start my day.

So many things I could do today but first to add some warmth to the log house. I turned on the oven and started a marathon day of baking. Oh my, between my yarn labeling work I had that oven working up a sweat - just wait till you see what I made. Now if you have not eaten yet you might want to skip the next posting - it will make you wish you lived at the snow covered Funny Farm...

Fun Time in the Snow

To understand how much my Dogs love snow here is a picture of Sophia - I put together Tuesday afternoon her house with a huge carpet covering the outside and a new thick rug and blanket inside knowing in my head that she would never use it but I knew in my heart that I could sleep tonight without obsessing about her being out working in the storm...

As you can see Sophia was about six feet away from her house in a deep snow bank enjoying the cold and snoring away... After her morning nap she was up chasing snowflakes and barking at the deer... Fun Day, Snow Day Sophia's Way !!!

SNOW DAY - FUN DAY!!

My Big Boy "Chief" LOVES SNOW! Who doesn't but it is so much fun to see these dogs come alive at the first snowflake... Today we are getting hit with a big snow maker and I was out enjoying the snow while doing the feeding chores but Chief really shows us how to have fun.

As I came around the house he stood still and looked at me like a little kid with it's hand caught in the cookie jar. I smiled at him and shouted "Let's Play" and that was all it took. He did his usual plant the face in the snow and run while the snow piles up his nose and all around his head. Then picking his face out of the snow he shakes all over getting the snow out of that massive coat only to start all over again. This goes on and on and on and on - what can I say my Dogs never get tired of playing in the snow - they love snow.... Now I may not be able to keep up with his running in the snow but we do have big roll a rounds in the deep drifts and he loves for me to pile the snow all on top of him to then he shakes it off - such fun !!! I too love snow and today was a great snow day with 6 inches and still counting as of this posting.

What a way to start our day.. SNOW DAY

Sunday in the Oven

Sunday means something great to eat.. Still finishing up the painting in the hallway and closets but I decided I worked hard these last four days and needed something that would warm the tummy and feed the soul.

It is a simple recipe that you can put together with the items you already have in your well stocked kitchen..

I started by pulling off the bones the last of the tender roasted organic chicken meat. This Chicken has provided six different recipes for this gal - well worth the price. Plenty of juicy bits about 1 1/2 cups worth for this recipe. The bones went into the crock pot to start a pot of broth. I then diced a sweet onion about 2/3 cup, about 2/3 cup celery, cubed 3 small potatoes and now comes the part where you use what is in the frig. I cut one medium zucchini into the same size as the potato, I chopped one red pepper the same size cubes, then I added 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (you know the peas, carrots and corn kind) but if you have some fresh veggies that need to be used up then make this your own recipe. I then took a can of Mexican White Cheese Sauce but again you could use a homemade white sauce. I like using this because it is low in salt content and is a blank slate when cooking - also it does not curdle in the freezer. In a separate bowl I mixed the Mexican White Cheese Sauce with about 2/3 cup heavy cream. Whisk together till smooth. Now comes you taste buds. Add pepper, garlic, Maggie, chopped parsley, paprika all to taste. I left out the salt until you have everything combined because the chicken and the Cheese Sauce all have salt in them. Then combine all the ingred's and taste - adjust to your liking. With this dish I also added roasted chopped chilles about 1/4 cup but again not so much that this would become a Mexican dish.

Place all into a 9x13 greased pan and topped with a sheet of prepared puff pastry. Brush with a egg yolk and a drizzle of cream beaten together and brushed on top of puff pastry and pop into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes then cover with foil ) leave a bit of room or you puff pastry will end up on the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes... Take out of oven and let it rest for 4 minutes before you dig in. This dish is delish!!!

Love Your Job

Our work day is 24 / 7 around the farm and you can see Chief is a hard working farm hand. Out with his bottle kids he sits and watches while they nibble away. No matter what the weather, the lack of sleep or how many directions the goats go - there is Chief willing to do what ever it takes to make sure this farm and those who live here are safe and sound.....

Yep, he and the other two hard working Pry's (Kasha and Sophia) will be receiving their scrambled eggs for breakfast with a slice of French Toast on the side. It is the same breakfast this hard working gal also had this morning.

How many of us can say we LOVE our job, feel each day that we have purpose and know that without you things would not work?? My job does not understand weekends, days off or even sick days but I am joyfully greeted by 80 animals who depend on me and I would like to think love me... Chief always greets me as if I was a long lost buddy and snuggles me so hard that at times he knocks me to the ground - when was the last time a co-worker greeted you take way?? The work is hard with long hours and does not pay much but the rewards come in many forms other then what can be measured by most. So I hope you have a job that fills your heart and soul - I get paid in paid in bottle goat kisses, wet dog nose snuggles, wild deer sitting in front of my shop door and amazing sunrises.

My View

This is the view from my kitchen - beyond words!!!

Then this is the view from my livingroom - is it any wonder why I LOVE this place.

WINNERS of the Seed Saving Jounal

The drawing happened and we have three winners - Yep, I must have been under the spell of the Hunters Moon - Drum Roll Please

Ngo Family Farm
Brandee
Candy

Congrat's to those who won and many thanks to those who entered...

If you would please contact me on how to send you your journal - also send me two choices on colors for your journal and I will do my best to get you your first choice...

Again, we can save the world one seed at a time...

Autumn II is now for sale

I took a few minutes out of my Sunday evening to finish another one of these Autumn Fiber Batts. I now have it up on my Etsy shop and hoping the pair of them will find a new home.

Next in the overn

Yep, still going strong and now have two wonderful loafs of "Banana, Acorn Squash Bread with Cranraisins. One also has Chocolate Chips included. Yummy - Oh My!

My DIL Brooke was so kind to send me her Banana Bread Recipe this morning because mine was no where to be found. However, I did not have enough ripe bananas so I had to improvise.. Acorn squash was being baked in the oven already so why not add that?? Forgive me Brooke but you know me - never can leave well enough alone.

2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter soften but not melted, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 2 over riped bananas, one medium size acorn squash baked - this with the bananas should equal 2 1/3 cups...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two small loaf pans. In a large bowl combine flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. In a separate bowl mash bananas and squash, whisk in the eggs, vanilla. Stir wets into dry until moist. Next I took 2/3 cup Cranrasins and folded into the batter. Take half of the batter into one pan and with the other batter I added 1/2 cup chocolate disks, gently fold in and turn out into other pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Let cook on a wire rack and once cool to the touch turn out of pan to cool a bit more. I have already had two slices - hope I can keep my hands off it so there will be more for this week.

Enjoy and see what happens when Mother Nature thinks she throws me a curve ball - I eat like a Queen...

Next on the baking list

The next cookie is from the same book and is another easy yet tasty treat..

Jam Kolache

1/2 c butter, 3 oz of cream cheese, softened, 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and whatever jelly you would like. I used a organic cranberry/raspberry jam. I double the recipe...

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour to butter mixture. Beat Well.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, cut with a 3 inch round cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon jam on each cookie. Fold opposite sides to center, slightly overlapping edges. press down lightly on centers. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. I then mixed powdered sugar and a touch of Egg Nog to make a nice drizzle glaze. If you are using other jams you can match the glaze to compliment the jam.

I will warn you almost half of the cookies did not want to stay closed in the middle - tried several ways to fix it put they still wanted to pop open. They still taste great but for those of us who have to have perfection this might up set you. I think if you went with a large circle so you could overlap them further that might fix the problem just remember you will have to bake them a bit longer. Still they are mighty tasty....

What do you do when it's snowing outside??

For me after all the animals have been feed and watered I come in and started cooking... This brings heat into the house and makes me know that I will have something wonderful to eat after battling the elements...

I started with this very simple yet Yummy cookie. It comes from a book from the library "Southern Living Best Loved Cookies" and I was amazed how easy yet so tasty... I kept reading the recipe over and over again because I just could not believe this was going to work. So here it is and trust me it works.

3/4 cup sweetened condenses milk, 14 ounce package sweetened flaked coconut, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels.

Stir together first 4 ingreds. Drop dough by lightly greased tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. I used a small Ice cream triggered scoop to make mine. Bake at 350 for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Microwave 1/2 cup chocolate morsels in a zip lock bag by 30 second intervals to melted.. Cut a tiny hole in the bottom of the bag so you cam drizzle the chocolate over the top of your cookies. Then try to keep your hands off them for just a little while...

I told you - so easy and great rewards for such little work.. Enjoy

Living in Colorado

You can go from 86 degrees one day and 6 inches of snow the next. I got all the animals settled Friday because I could tell that we are having a change. The animals where like kids on the first day back to school - they not happy but it is all part of life. They had to get along in their barns instead of having 4 to 10 acres to sleep in. The new kids who where born after snow season this year had never seen snow so that is a whole new can of worms. It took me about an hour to convince the bottle kids to come out with me and walk in the wet deep snow. They are not happy but finally followed me out and only walked for a couple of minutes. As you can see the old timers never let a thing call snow bother them - Peter is having the run of the back yard nibbling as he goes - happy camper...

Never a dull moment - I am a happy camper too because you know me - LOVE SNOW!!!