I needed some summer colored lipstick so the Teen Queen whipped me up a batch of a color crayon I picked out. She was babysitting and the purple is the color the little girl picked out to make for her mom 🙂
You can see how we make our lipstick on my facebook page here: ChasenChanceRanch Lipstick
On our vacation I brought along the new book (An Honest House: A Memoir, Continued) of one of my favorite authors and bloggers, Cynthia Reyes.
Living on a small hobby farm, working part time, having two children who play multiple travel level sports, and trying to fit in a little me time is always a challenge. I figured I would be able to get in at least a chapter or two while away for those 6 days. After the third day, my family threatened to hide my book as I finished it and was starting it over again. I did not want to put it down!!
I read Cynthia’s first book, “A Good Home” last year while on vacation. I read it again during our Christmas break from work. I could not wait when Cynthia announced her new book would be coming out this year!
In her first book, Cynthia shares the history of her life coming from Jamaica to Canada. She relates how her homes defined each part of her life in such a way you can envision each place and home. Her life is rolling along exactly how life should be. And then you learn of the terrible car accident which changes everything. She touches briefly on how her life changed and how she moves forward.
In “An Honest House” Cynthia explains in more detail the toll the chronic pain and PTSD take on her, how it affects her family, and the new home they had just moved into. She shares the daily challenges she faces and how she has found a way to cope and live with the love of her family and friends!
You can find both of Cynthia’s books on Amazon here:
You will not be disappointed!!!
We eat a lot of vegetables in our house. Raw, grilled, steamed, chopped, pan-fried, over the open fire, you name it, we eat it that way.
I thought I would share some tips we have learned along the way as well as how we (ok it’s me really) sneak more veggies into our family diet.
Keeping sliced carrots and celery in our fridge in some cold water to make them last longer is a trick I do every week. I keep blue cheese and peanut butter around so they can dip them instead of just munching on them raw all the time. Works like a charm!
Chopping up all types of vegetables and storing them in baggies or small containers that are visible when opening the fridge is another way of getting the kids to snack healthy as they will grab them when hungry. I keep some ranch dressing along with the blue cheese for these types of vegetables.
Storing my own homemade salad in a bag is another easy thing for kids to grab. I have a few different dressings to choose from and also red wine vinegar as that’s the Teen Queen’s favorite to top off her salad. You would be surprised how quick a kid will eat salad if they only have to grab a handful out of a bag and put it in a bowl!
Keeping things colorful is inviting to all. In our chicken stir fry I use all different color peppers and also for when I am making a vegetable side dish for dinner. The kids call these dishes “rainbow vegetables”.
Kale chips are another great crunchy snack. You can do the same thing with brussel sprouts by peeling them and baking.
Topping veggies with sauce and cheese is a great alternative to pasta. This gets scooped right up in a matter of minutes!
Filling them with meat and rice topped with sauce…who could resist!
Loading up your crockpot meals with all different types of veggies that soften, add flavor and break down into the gravy is sneaky!! This is how I hide parsnips from the Boy!
Grilling is huge in our world. I will grill many many vegetables in the summer. Seasoned with a little olive oil, garlic powder and salt and cooked until charred and soft. Every vegetable is delicious!
And last, keeping fresh corn around and teaching the kids how to microwave their own for 4 minutes and then peel allows for a delicious, no string ear every kids loves!
I have shared recipes on this blog (you can find them under the “Categories” section) as well as on our Facebook page: ChasenChanceranch for all of these pictures. If you can’t find one, just ask!
Saturday we are leaving for a week to Wainfleet, Ontario. It’s a beautiful place which I shared last year in this post: Summer Recap
This year my niece is working so it’s been a bit of a struggle trying to get things organized for the animals and farm work. But hopefully it all works out well with the juggling of people and if not, we are only 35 minutes away and I can zip home if need be.
I have a special book I have been waiting, very impatiently I might add, to read while away. I shared about the book here: An Honest House . I have to admit I have “sneak peaked” into the book a few times and have had to force myself to put it down!! The reviews have been wonderful and are adding to my anticipation!
I hope you all have a wonderful week and I look forward to sharing some pictures from our vacation and my own personal review of the book!! Tina
This mama turkey has been hanging around our cabin. She has a few babies we have seen running on the trails, but lately she has been hanging out closer and closer to the barn.
If you saw my previous post: Camping on the Farm, I shared that we have a cornhole game by the cabin. This is a game you play using “corn bags” that are tossed. The “corn bags” are a felt fabric stuffed with whole kernel corn and sewn shut.
We went back to play the game the other night and could not find the bags. After a few minutes of searching, we found one empty bag of material, then another and another and so on. Yep, you guessed it, mama turkey had stolen the bags and put a tiny hole in each one and eaten the corn!!
We have had no rain in almost 2 months. The ground is hard as concrete and most of the wild vegetation has shriveled up. These poor wild animals are having a hard time finding food sources. I am finding more and more deer in my pastures picking at leftover hay. The raccoons are around and in the garbage, the birds are eating and drinking at the feeders and bird bath more than ever.
This picture was from yesterday. She has now made her way up to the chicken and goat pasture and was eating the chicken scratch feed. Needless to say, I ran to the feed store today and purchased a bag of corn to put out back in our feeder for her and her babies.
For more of our crazy daily farm living adventures, don’t forget to follow our facebook page: ChasenChanceRanch
Pie crust is one of the easiest things to make that many people think is not. I like making our crusts for everything from pies to pot pies. I know exactly what is in it and there are no preservatives or chemicals!
Seeing as I have 6 cherry pies to make and freeze I will share my pie crust recipe here:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 TBSP sugar (if making for fruit pies omit for meat potpies)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening (if you buy the vegetable shortening sticks it’s 3/4 of the stick)
4 – 6 tablespoons cold water (I usually only need 4 full TBSP)
Make crust:
In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour, sugar and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas (crumbs). Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and sticks together when pressed.
Gather dough into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer or you have frozen it, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
With floured rolling pin, roll one round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Place in pie plate and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. You can do the same with the other half for a topped pie or roll and cut it into strips for a lattice crust.
I make 2 batches of crusts and keep them in the freezer as they are perfect to pull out and let soften when you need them.
I also freeze our pies unbaked after assembling them. You heat them just as you would a frozen pie at 375 covering the crust edge after 20 minutes and continue until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly.
Our family Cherry Pie recipe here:
https://chasenchanceranch.wordpress.com/…/cherry-pitter-be…/
Happily Ever After
Natalie. Writer. Photographer. Etc.
Every Season a Gem
Connecting to Friends, Old and New, Through Recipes, Gardens, and Dinner Parties
Official Home of Lavinia and Rick Ross
Reading and Writing about Appalachia
Sugar and Spice and Chats About Life
This site is about my life as a farmgirl, wife, mother and grandmother. We have a beautiful granddaughter and the cutest grandson. We own two farms in Craig County Virginia, leasing one and raising beef cattle on the other.
My Photographic Journey Around America
Having an Attitude of Gratitude
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...sharing my cooking secrets & recipe inspirations
Weaving together the threads of life
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