And I'll Never Bring It Up Again

One last post about Jersey, I swear then I'll stop devoting post after post about my awesome trip!

Because nobody likes a vacation gloater...

Here are my five favorite photos from my trip in honor of the inaugural 'oh hey Friday' link up!

 

No trip to the East Coast is complete if I can't satisfying my thirst for Yuengling's Traditional Lager!

Homemade crust.  Local blackberries.  This was delicious with a dollop of ice cream!  Who am I kidding?  I used way more than a dollop!

As a Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives junky I had to go and check out 10th Ave. Burrito Company.  The Herradura Margarita was so good and the pork mole and guac nachos, epic!  I'm ready to go back.

Sweet Maggie and Sailor!  The official lifeguards at the Muirhead pool.  They make good snuggle buddies too!

I celebrated Independence Day (and the day after) here!  You shouldn't feel bad for me. 

Linking up with September F A R M and The Farmer's Wife.

Factory Farm or Family Farm? You tell me.

As a kid I spent a lot of time hanging out with my grandparents on the family farm.  My sister and I would get off the school bus in the afternoon there and spend time with Grandpa and Grandma until our parents could pick us up.  On those days, Megan and I put countless miles on the golf cart checking cows with Grandpa and probably ate thousands of strawberries that Grandma grew in her garden!

After Grandma passed away and Grandpa retired to town, my dad took over the farm and our family moved to 'The Home Place'.  Moving to the farm meant I spent even more hours with the cows, fixing fence (that the cows inevitably would run through), hauling wagons to the field, baling hay and everything else that living on a farm requires.  It was these activities that bestowed on my sister and I our shiny 'Farmer's Daughter' badges!

Recently, there has been a campaign to raise money and buy drones to fly over so called 'factory farms' and expose all the "dirty secrets" that are being kept.  For cripes, sakes.  Really? 

In an effort to counter all the negativity surrounding farms and agriculture two bloggers, Nurse Loves Farmer and The Farmer's Wifee, have created a campaign 'Factory Farm or Family Farm?  You Decide.' in support of family farms. 

They are asking for participants to create a photo collage with an aerial photo of your farm and pose the question “Factory farm or family farm? You decide.” You can even hashtag #MyFamilyFarm on other forms of social media!

I couldn't help but create two collages.  One is of 'The Home Place' and the other where Matt and I live now.  The farms themselves are different, but neither are factory! 

We are family farmers!

More Like 8 to 4:30

Helene and Sarah are back at it again for another round of #totalsocial and this month they want the scoop about our 9 to 5 j-o-b.  Well here's some details for ya on that...

• I work for University of Illinois Extension.
• Extension was established 100 years ago as an outreach organization to bring information discovered at the University to people throughout the state.
• We offer educational opportunities in five areas: health, food security/safety, environmental stewardship, wise use of Illinois agricultural land and maybe our most well known, 4-H!
• I proud to say that I actually use both my animal science (BS) and agriculture education (MS) degrees.
• I generally roll in to work at about 8:05am and only work 'til 4:30pm.  You can bet that I'm out the door at 4:30:01!
• Each day is different, sometimes it's meetings, programs, meetings, programs, but other days it's just brainstorming for the coming months.
• I work with some awesome people, one of which I'm related to!
• My favorite programs to bring to the community are horse related (obviously) or ones that introduce people to something they might not have ever learned about without our input!  Recently, we've had huge success with backyard beekeeping, encouraging women to take a more active role in farming and local foods and small farm tours!

Front Porch Decor

It's a rainy, cool day here in Illinois and all I really wanted to do this morning was stay snuggled up in bed!

Unfortunately, that wasn't a reality so I'm sharing some pictures of the pretty flowers and tasty herbs I've potted up and have sitting on my porch at home.  While I don't always appreciate the rain, they sure do!

 

Linking up with Tuesday Tea!

Five on Friday v.16

Hiya everybody!  Isn't Friday just the best?!?!  This week didn't suck, but Friday is always a welcome sight no matter what.  Shockingly, we have a pretty empty calendar this weekend and I'm looking forward to some down time in the hammock or maybe even an impromptu date night with Matt?

My five things for today's Five on Friday are just a few things that either a) I'm looking forward to or b) something I'd like to accomplish this weekend.

ONE:

Tickets for the National Finals Rodeo go on sale this time next week!  We're headed back to 

Las Vegas this winter.

TWO:

My pal Maggie and I are taking her new horse to a show and I'll be going back to my barrel racing roots!  Although Six is enjoying his well deserved retirement I do miss 'chasin' cans'!

THREE:

After spending all last weekend making food for the graduation party I have got to catch up on a few things at home like laundry, yard work and house cleaning.  Real exciting stuff.

FOUR:

As a reward for all the boring tasks mentioned above, I hope to spend several hours in the hammock catching some rays and reading my new book.  

via

Have you read The End of Your Life Book Club?  I'm finding it to be a relatively quick read that delivers a great message!

FIVE:

In addition to reading in the hammock this weekend, there's no doubt in my mind I'll also be doing some daydreaming about my trip out to New Jersey next month.  I'm headed out to visit some friends for a few days and spend the holiday on the water at Toms River!

With a view like this, it's cool they're Yankee fans!

What are you up to this weekend?  Are you traveling, being productive or just relaxing?

Linking up with April, Christina, Darci and Natasha.

Wise Guy Cupcakes

I adore these cupcakes!  They just make me smile.

They were the centerpiece for the graduation party I catered this weekend and everyone thought they were a hoot!  Pun totally intended.  Ha!  The school mascot is a 'Sage' or owl and I couldn't resist making these little guys!

And really, while they're a bit time consuming to put together, they're very easy to make.You'll start with 24 baked and cooled cupcakes.  I made mine Saturday morning and didn't get around to decorating them until Saturday afternoon.

The most tedious task is seperating all the chocolate sandwich cookies.  You'll need to carefully seperate 48 cookies, setting aside the cookie without the cream filling.  If you have trouble with the cream breaking, you can smush it back with your fingers.

Yes, smush is a technical term.

For the noses and eyes I used 24 orange chocolate candies and 48 brown chocolate candies.

Stop counting the candies!  I said STOP!!

To affix the eyes on the cream covered chocolate sandwich cookie, use a tiny dab of frosting.  You only need a little.  Too much and you'll see it spill out from underneath the candy.

After you get all the candies attached, you'll frost the cupcake and carefully place two of the cookies on top.

Then grab one of the orange candies and place it on it's side in the 'V' below the eyes.

Now use your knife or small offset spatula to pull the frosting above the eyes into the shape of little horns.  You can easily manipulate the frosting.  There's not a science to this, just go with it.

One cupcake completed!  23 more to go.

Wise Guy Cupcakes

Ingredients:
24 Chocolate cupakes, baked and cooled
Chocolate frosting.  I cheated and used canned.
48+ Cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies.  Grab a few extras just in case!
48 Brown chocolate candies
24 Orange chocolate candies

Directions:
Carefully separate sandwich cookies, setting aside the wafer without the cream.
Use a small dab of frosting and affix the brown chocolate candies to the top of the cookie halves with the cream.  Set aside.
Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
Place 'eyes' centered on each cupcake.
Take an orange candy and put just below the cookie eye.
Use an offset spatula and pull the frosting to make horns for your owl.

Whooo are you looking at? 

  

Linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday and Tuesday Tea!

I Could Use Another Day

I don't know about you folks, but I would have been totally open to an extra day sandwiched between Saturday and Sunday!  All in favor of instituting mandatory three day weekends, raise your right hand.  Opposed... your vote doesn't count.

Friday afternoon I go off work and headed home to start prepping for the graduation party I was asked to cater.  But as I was pulling in the drive I did get sidetracked because my peonies FINALLY bloomed! 

Aren't they lovely?!?!

Okay, back to the task at hand. Food and decorations for the party. 

This is just the stuff that didn't have to go in the refrigerator.  I didn't get a pic of everything crammed in there, but it was chalk full too!

Friday night I made a double batch of my So So Good Chex Mix and finished up all the paper decorations for the party.  I also loaded up all the serving dishes, utensils and drink dispensers so I wouldn't have to do that Saturday. 

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to bake chocolate cupcakes, cut fruit and veggies, make dips and BLT bites.  Thankfully the family I was doing all this for have an extra fridge and I was able to run everything down Saturday afternoon and make room for what I had to prepare on Sunday!  I spent the rest of Saturday decorating the chocolate cupcakes! 

Tutorial coming soon to a blog near you...

After getting the cupcakes done, I was happy to relax with some wine (and food I didn't have to make) at a friends cookout!  Burgers and brats on the grill, pasta salad and a baby announcement to top off the evening! 

Sunday I was up and at 'em early again.  With Matt's help, I finished up meatballs, baked ham and cheese sandwiches and black bean and cilantro salsa.  After loading up the last of the food, I headed to Wilkin's for the party.  From this point, everything becomes a whirlwind of hanging decorations, icing beverages, displaying and refilling food and because I pulled it off, LOTS of smiling!

Linking up with B Loved Boston and Champagne and Suburbs.

Five on Friday v.15

This week has been full throttle for me with getting ready for the big horse show this weekend.  My 'To Do' and 'To Pack' lists are finally starting to diminish, but I still have a lot to do to get both Louie and I ready.  Today's Five on Friday is the last five things I've pinned on Pinterest.

No surprise, they're all food!

ONE:

via

 Averie does it again!!  Don't these look epic?!?!   I would make a slight change and use almond butter, but that's just my preference.  I might have to whip these up to take with me to the horse show... I'd bet I have a bunch of new friends!

TWO:

via

 Paleo friendly Almond Joy bars.  I'm in!

THREE:

via

 Hi, I'm Myla.  I have an obsession with sweet potatoes.  If that's wrong, I don't want to be right! 

FOUR:

via

 While these berry muffins look tasty, I'm sold on the presentation!  I love the parchment paper and the jute bow.  I'm catering a graduation party next month and if we go with cupcakes, I'm thinking of using this idea.

FIVE:

via

Proving once again you can have sweets when you eat Paleo?  These brownies look pretty good!  I'm game to try them.  Paired with some coconut milk ice cream, I'd be a happy camper!

Linking up with April, Christina, Darci and Natasha.

Do You Remember Your First Love?

Mine was horses.  Surprised?

I wasn't into boys, I was more into geldings.  And a few mares I suppose.

Since before I can really remember, horses have always been my thing.  There has never been a time in my life where that passion ever diminished.  It wasn't one of those activities that I would 'grow out of' once I discovered boys and to this day it still hasn't been replaced by some other hobby!

I've been blessed to call a lot of good horses mine over the years...

But the first, the very first was Big B.

B was white with specks of brown, horseman call that flea-bit grey.  He wasn't a fancy horse show horse or anything of the sort.  If I remember right he was just a grade horse that my parents bought from some friends of theirs.

What was he though?  Safe.  My parents were sure that big ol' grey horse was going to take care of their baby girl!  So maybe there was that one time that he took off at a dead run for the barn and I had to duck against his neck or risk being plastered against the side of the barn as he flew into his stall...  That memory is forever etched in my brain!  My poor mom was hysteric, but I survived!

Time passed and my family sold B, but there were lots of other wonderful horses that came through our barn.

Stormy.  Joey.  Charlie.  Sammy.  Sonny.  Cody.  Another Joey.  Brandie.  Leo.  Scotch.

If Big B was my first love, my horse Fred would probably compare to everyone's favorite elementary teacher.  The one who taught you so much and who you will always be grateful for.

Fred was the first real barrel racing horse I owned.  He was the best!  My parents bought him for me when I was in seventh grade and I competed at every county fair, open horse show and rodeo I could find.  He was a gorgeous red roan that put up with a silly adolescent girl who was convinced all her tack needed to be purple and his mane must be braided.  A little glitter on his hair never hurt either!  Poor guy was probably always questioning his manhood.

Fred is gone now.  Buried at my family's farm.  He was one of the few horses that lived out his life with us.  I sobbed like a baby the morning my dad called to tell me he was gone!  I look at all the pictures of us over the years and I'm still so thankful that he was mine!

Then there's Six.

As much as I love this horse, he was and still is a bit of a challenge.  Always a bit spooky about silly stuff like a dried up corn leaf blowing across the road, but in his day he was a damn fine barrel horse.  He also put up with me wanting to ride him in western pleasure classes and teaching him showmanship.  To this day, I could probably pull him out of the pasture at my parents and he'd kick some butt in showmanship!

Two years ago, I made the decision to retire him from competition because I couldn't keep him sound.  That's horse speak for he was sore and the medicine to make him feel good enough to run at the level we had been at was just too expensive to maintain.  Currently, he's happily munching grass at the farm.  When I go home to visit, I always make a point to stop and see him.  9 times out of 10 the little stinker will run away from me in the pasture! I love you too, pal!

And now, as you know, I have Louie.

He's certainly got some mighty big horseshoes to fill, but he's well on his way!

I'm linking up today's post over with Carly for Thankful Thursdays.  

And also Helene and Sarah for their first #TOTALSOCIAL.

Horse Show #1 In The Books

This past Saturday was the first horse show of the season for Louie and I.  All week, heck for the last several months, leading up to the show I spent getting ready. 

Most recently though things that had to be done before the show were: polishing the silver on my show halter and western bridle (which resulted in a good sized blister on my thumb), cleaning my saddles with leather soap, packing all the necessities in the horse trailer, and getting Louie all clipped up because the judges like the horses clean shaven!  I trim out his ears, around his muzzle, under his chin and even the white on his legs.  And let me tell you, that's a LOT of white hair!

Remember he looked like this not too long ago before I took after him with the clippers and gave him a mini-makeover.

Friday night I spent most of the evening in the barn getting him all pretty-fied and took precaution to keep him clean by dressing him in his 'clothes'. 

I'm sure no one is surprised they're purple, right?!?

Bright and early Saturday morning I loaded Louie up in the trailer and headed to the show.  Once we got to the show grounds I had to get him undressed and went to work putting the finishing touches on him and I!  His coat has to be clean and glossy and his white impeccably clean.  It's all about the details.  He even wears a fake tail to give the illusion of a luscious, full tail! 

We generally enter three types of classes at horse shows: Showmanship at Halter, English Pleasure/Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure.  Each of these classes then can be more specific in that they could be for ladies only or the horse has to be over a certain age.  In Showmanship, the judge posts a pattern prior to the start of the show and it's up the handler to memorize it and perform it as best you can because you're scored on the maneuvers.  Here's an example of a pattern we might have to execute:

English and Western Pleasure are both riding classes and both are judged on the way the horse moves.  The judges scores the horses against one another by watching their gates.  In English Pleasure the horse is expected to walk, trot and canter.  While in Western Pleasure the horse is going to walk, jog and lope.  The jog and lope are just a slower version of the trot and canter.  The biggest difference that most people can see between these two classes are the outfits the horses and riders wear... 

English Pleasure

Western Pleasure

Of the seven classes we competed in on Saturday, we came home with six Top 5 finishes!  We won our showmanship class(!!) and I was really proud of how we did in the Western Pleasure classes!  I've only been working with him on slowing down and being a 'western' horse since this past winter and he's really getting it!  And he looks handsome too...

This weekend we're off to another show, but this time the stakes are a bit higher!  It's the first Paint Horse breed show of the year!  That means steeper competition, tougher patterns and over all a higher anxiety level for both me and Louie... Keep us in your thoughts!