Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kids of the same flock, flock together

My brother and sister and I are pretty close (to outsiders we appear very close--maybe we just don't admit to one another--lol).  The poor hubs and my KU SNL sometimes just sit back and give each other this "did they just get released from the asylum?" or "what's the quickest escape route?" or "what did I marry into?"  or however they pass these silent and sometimes not so silent thoughts on my siblings and me. 

Perfect example, at Thanksgiving (yes the blogpost has been brewing for a while) this was a conversation:

Me:  wild thing
me and sis:  you make my heart sing
me, sis, bro: buh-duh-duhna dun you make everything groovy...and on and on

The hubs and SNL were just sitting there, I'm gonna say awestruck by the musical ability of the family and great harmonies...in actuality it was more like WTF.  LOL.

Just one of the numerous incidents that remind me how awesome they are and that the roots that started years ago, are still strong and hold up as we branch out in life. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tools of the Trade

During the winter it gets cold here in Kansas, and what does that mean?  Ice, snow, wind and having to chop ice for the animals; all while staying somewhat warm yourself.  Here is my list of what you need to embark on winter chores:

Boots!

My lovely pink-striped boots finally got a tear in the side and started letting water in.  I found this out after I had plunged my boot into a tank of water...it was not a pleasant experience...cold water, cold socks, bah!  So the hubs and I went to Cabela's and I found these Bogs...and they are fantastic!  They are comfortable, keep my feet warm, and are cute  :-)  What more could a girl ask for?  And they have oh sh*t handles...like oh sh*t my boots are stuck in the mud and need a pull out or oh sh*t I'm bundled up in coveralls, hat, gloves and can't quite get my feet into the boots.  Oh sh*t handles are the bomb!



Coveralls!

Coveralls are a must, for warmth and for keeping cow poop, hay, dirt, etc off regular clothes.  Mine are Berne and they are pink (of course) 



Headlamp!

Now I personally thought these were a little dorky...however trying to search for eggs in a dark barn or walking around at night doing chores is kind of freaky and light is needed.  So my lovely in-laws got me one for Christmas!  It is the bomb!  I'm sure I look like a pink overweight cyclops, but I can see and the animals still come running when they see me, so it can't be that bad  :-) 



Ski mask!

There is nothing like facing a cold north wind or getting splattered in the face with freezing water when you're chopping ice, and since I don't have the facial hair the hubs does, a ski mask completes the farm-girl hottie look. 




I was talking to some guys and they said there was nothing like a farm-girl in coveralls as a "sexy look"....hmmm I think they must be mistaken with some music video with a girl in a bikini sitting on a tractor.  There is nothing sexy about the look above...I really do look like a bloated pink cyclops...oh well keeps me warm  :-)

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Farm Kings? How About Farm Queens!?

So the hubs and I have been watching more TV than we normally do, well he's been watching, I've been reading and occasionally catching what he's watching.  Here's the deal, in January there is nothing on!  So GAC has been on...ALOT.  Yesterday Farm Kings had their top 10 or 20 farm videos on and showing segments of their show as well.  Hmm...nowhere in these videos did it show a woman helping.  The only women in the videos were wearing little sundresses, with cowboy boots on, and their hair blowing in the wind like Victoria's Secret models.  The man is shown hot and sweaty loading hay, driving the tractor, being the MAN.  The women frolicking in the fields waiting for someone to catch them as they dance away to the music in their heads.  Really?  I want to see some "honey" dressed in coveralls and a ski mask hauling 5 gallon buckets of feed around and fighting with a water hose that's almost frozen.  (Oh wait--is that me?  LOL).  Seriously though, Farm Kings?  Its more like Farm Family.  It's not the "man" making it work or the one doing all the work...its everyone that lives on said farm.  At least it is on our farm and most of the farms that I'm aware of.  Next time you see one of those videos with the guy sweating in a tank top to "get the job done"  look behind him...you'll probably see some woman with work gloves on and smiling because she knows she can feed 50 cows...and 5 humans  :-)

Ode to Cogburn

So I've heard horror stories about mean roosters and how when they grow their spurs they get mean and start attacking people...and I have to say...I think I have the best rooster around.  Here's why:

-He stops traffic.  Really he does.  He is such a good looking rooster that people driving into the yard stop and say wow.  (or some other R-rated version of nice rooster).  He stands tall and proud and struts around the yard like he owns it.  I mean look at him, he could grace the cover of Backyard Poultry magazine:




-He is VERY protective.  If he thinks someone is after one of his ladies, he comes a running, wings out to the side, chest flared up.  If one of the hens starts making a quacking sound, here he comes to save the day.  And if one of his ladies isn't in the pen at night, he waits around until I find said lackadaisical hen and run her in.  Then he has to look around making sure they're all accounted for.  So funny to watch.

-He isn't mean.  He has never been mean to me or any of the other people that have visited the farm.  Maybe its because we raised him that way...or maybe he was listening when I gave my "no BULLying policy on this farm" lecture.  (all new critters get this talk, we all get along here, if said new critter doesn't get along, said critter finds a new home.)  Who knows, but he's not mean.

-He's entertaining.  I can call to him and he calls right back...how weird is that?  I rarely hear him before I open the door and when he hears my car leaving or coming back, he does his cock-a-doodle doo.  Highly entertaining.

Oh well, cheers to Cogburn!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

French Onion Pork Chops

The hubs has been sick and so I've been juggling household and outside duties (aren't I always--LOL!).  Anyways, in the essence of no time, I whipped up this quick and delicious meal--yum!

You need:

1 can of Campbells French Onion Soup (Picture)
2 cups of brown rice
1/2 cup (approx) of red wine
3/4 cup (approx) of peas
1 tsp of rosemary
1 tsp of garlic
1 tsp of poultry seasoning
2 pork chops

Pour the soup and red wine into a 9x13 pan and pour the rice on top of that.  Kind of mix around (but doesn't have to be perfect).  Then place the pork chops on top of that mixture.  Sprinkle the seasonings on top of that and add the peas (again doesn't have to be perfect).  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 min to an hour.  So yummy!  No mixing boil, no dishes to wash, and healthy!  Bam!

Enjoy  :-)