slacker

slacker....that's me. i had a good friend to remind just how much of one i have been lately with this blog, she's right. she is so over seeing the turd cake from months ago, so i had better come up with something and fast before i loose my all of one follower. let's see what's new? hmmmmmm....do you know i work now? i mean if you define work by twenty hours a week, then i do! i am a switchboard operator for our local hospital. it is...well...different, if you don't mind hearing penis, bm's, vomiting and so on stories...all this and more before you can get out that you are just the lowly operator. where can i transfer you? people are crazy i tell you. everything from there are bugs in my lungs to i have a toothpick stuck in my penis! ow.

anyway, what else? christmas, it was nice, low key, uneventful, kids happy, good. new years, it was nice, low key, uneventful, kids happy, good. we have finally finished all the required "stuff" to the old farmhouse, so every one has left the building. i do not have to worry about contractors and any of that crap for awhile. people keep asking-us where we found it, when are you moving, why did you buy it? let me address those questions now, in order....internet, i don't know and it was an opportunity.  done. if you need details, let me know.

i guess there is not too much else to talk about that i can think of for the moment, so let me fill in with some random photos.....enjoy.

travis enjoying the tub at the old place....

the only christmas tree i put up this year....pitiful, slacker....

what happens when you don't listen...

just because i like it...





send me your pyrex, fire king, etc...

the red roof inn...teehee. see ya!

happy halloween...here have a turd.

yummy kitty litter cake.....enjoy a turd on me. happy halloween!

ps-yes it is really me and not a zombie. i am still alive and well, just been busy and with a lack of enthusiasm to blog. i will do a farmhouse update soon. i promise.

garden creek...our new old farmhouse

yep, we did, we went full tilt boogie, took the leap and bought a second home. we bought a nifty hundred years plus old clapboard farmhouse on 26 acres in mathews, va. this and my new job, which unexpectedly came together at the same time, has been a huge source of stress for me the past few weeks. i am grateful for the help of a wonderful realtor, financier and title agent to pull it all off, even if it was right down to the wire. they kept me sane, well, the best they could,  but it is not over, yet. we still have renovations and they are about to begin. ick. i know it will be all worth in the end, so i keep telling myself. bring it on. i got my paint samples, baby.

 yeehaw.

here are just a few pics to give you a little peek at our newest adventure. i will post more following the redos. enjoy.

btw, it is a three bedroom,  one bath/half, living room, family room, kitchen and what we call a mystery room.

ricotta stuffed roma tomatoes

so yesterday was my first day back to work after having a seven year break! i wouldn't really call it a break since two children, hundreds of loads of laundry, hundreds of meals and so on were involved. anyway, i was pooped. i was also later than i thought, so i quickly made a pot of pasta, sauteed some chicken and made these little ruby gems. we are getting fresh roma tomatoes from the garden everyday, now, so what a delicious use of them. i had seen the original recipe on the pioneer woman long time ago, but this is my quickie version with what i had on hand.

beth's ricotta stuffed roma tomatoes

you need: roma tomatoes, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, garlic(fresh or dried), bread/cracker crumbs and olive oil

wash, split lengthwise the number of tomatoes you want. now clean the seeds out completely, i used a spoon. sprinkle a little kosher salt on the halves and lay cut side down on a paper towel to dry a bit. meanwhile heat your oven to 400F.

in a bowl, add approx one tablespoon of ricotta for every tomato half you have. to this add some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. the following all ingredients would be even better if fresh: basil, italian parsley and garlic. i happened to have the parsley, so i chopped roughly a teaspoon fine, a hefty shake of both garlic powder and dried basil. if using fresh, i would say depending on the amount of filling, half to a whole garlic clove minced, but same amount of basil as to parsley. it really depends how much filling and tomatoes. taste it and decide what you need.

 now fill you halves, nice and packed. smooth off the tops.

now get some bread crumbs or in my case, ritz crackers. smash fine. dip each cheese packed side into the crumbs. place on a cookie sheet, hit with a smidge of olive oil and roast for 30 minutes.

yum, yum, yum.

oh, you could easily add some parmesan cheese to the filling or on top. yehaw.

enjoy.

goodbye to good friends

my fluffy cheeked rosie chicken, the little green egg layer and.....

my lovable little mildred chicken(closest to the door) the newest welsummer......

killed by this man!


despite extra water and shelter the chickens just could not take it. chickens body temperatures run in the low one hundred's, so you can imagine what the heat wave does to them. i have now hooked up a fan blowing into the coop, so i can only hope that it won't scare them and they will go inside. silly birds.



freecycling baby!

oh my gosh i have become a freecycling junkie!

what is freecycling you ask? well, according to the net it is "also known as free recycling, is the act of giving away usable unwanted items to others instead of disposing of them in landfills." it is so much fun! it has allowed me to give away items i don't use or need any longer and in return find things i do need or just plain want. i love it.  for example, just today i was freecycled this fantastic comforter set for travis.

it is made by olive's kids and included sheets, shams, valances, comforter and even a matching room sized rug! he loves it and i am so appreciative. other things i have picked up included shoes for travis, tops for caroline, decorative knick knacks and even this lovely antique sofa.

it has not been all take on my part, i have also been freecycling back quite a bit, giving bags and bags of kids clothes, pairs of shoes, pictures, seasonal decorations and more. i just gave away a huge bag of crafting goodies yesterday. the old saying "one man's junk is another man's treasure" is so freaking true!

if you think you might be interested in freecycling check it out here. you enter where you live and join that particular yahoo group. you will get emails with offers, wanteds, founds, etc...

remember to reuse, reduce and recycle. enjoy.

meet ada and mildred....

they are my two new adopted welsummer hen sisters and they seem right at home, already. i named these girls ada and mildred in honor of two old sisters that i knew as a kid. you see, both of my folks were from lynchburg, virginia and on our many trips to see family we would stop at ada and mildred's rambling old farmhouse. i have no idea how my parents came to know these two women, one widowed and one a spinster, but i remember their house was green, old, smelled of body odor, bacon grease and full of beautiful antiques. they also produced the most tasty sweet and butter milks, as well as the most adorable boston terrier pups ever. my parents bought it all, the antiques, milks and puppies. what characters these two wonderfully large bosomed, shift wearing ladies were. they were the most eclectic coupla of old hens i have ever met. we loved exploring their old farm as kids on our visits. heck, my brother kevin even manage to rack up a few foot stitches courtesy of one of their rusty pitchforks on one trip! ow! can you say tetanus shot?

sadly, they both passed sometime in the 1980's. here are my ada and mildred....

this is ada, right in the front, next to rosie. i think both of the welsummers look very similar to my rhode island reds.

mildred and rosie hanging with dottie.

the two new sister wives making themselves at home in the coop. they figured it all out immediately. this was the easiest chicken integration i have ever done. wanna see what their eggs might look like? look here and scroll down. oh baby, come on ada and mildred. i have faith in you. hmmmm...faith...that would make a nice chicken name. hey jamie....

another interesting link. enjoy.