Freezer Meals ~ Breakfast Burritos ~ The Weekend

I am experimenting with recipes for freezing breakfast burritos. We have a large supply of peppers, potatoes, and onions from the garden.  We also have a good supply of eggs from our chickens.  

So why not utilize it into freezer meals for breakfast?  Kind of a neat way to stock up differently.

First we made a batch with home grown onions, green peppers, potatoes and home canned salsa.  Then we added some sausage and a bit of cheese. Oh, and the kids opened another jar of home canned taco sauce to top these tasty burritos.

Going Bananas. . .

 Bananas were on sale, so I decided to try dehydrating them into chips.  If they kids like them, they will be healthy, inexpensive lunch packings and snacks.

 My intention was to sit, sip a hot cup of tea, inhale the wonderful apple spice candle, and read over some magazines from the library.

However,  while the tea cooled, I looked over to see that more of my bananas were ripe - too ripe to eat.  So I hopped on the handy dandy computer and made these Healthy Banana Cookies.  So simple, and so delicious.

Then I sat back down to sip my tea, and came across another recipe - Banana Chocolate Cupcakes.

I ended up baking again. 

I whipped my egg whites by hand this time.  Very easy to do also.  It was a rainy, dreary day, so it may be why I got the "baking bug" or it may be just the case of "when you give a mom a muffin."  You know how we can all get side tracked so easily in our day?

These were in the "Lower-Calorie" section of the Diabetic Cooking magazine.  We are not diabetic, but love their lower sugar/calorie recipes.  The family devoured these, even before I had a chance to frost them.

I still have more ripe bananas for baking, but need to run to the store for some butter.  Otherwise, you'd be looking at photos of banana bread also. 

Baking - the best therapy for stress.

Another Hike on the Farm. . .

Another day, another hike.

I was super excited to see we have a "Poor Man's Banana Tree" on the property.  I never saw it until this year.  It's kind of hidden in the trees.  I will have to see if it is still bearing fruit too.   Although, I think the fruit ripened last month. I was so excited I forgot to get a closer look.   It's technical name is The technical name for this tree is Asimina triloba.  The fruit is edible.  

I was even more excited to see another black walnut tree also.  I think I need to do some more hiking in the back woods more often.  

 ...found yet another black walnut tree!  Yippee! 

 ...and even another one!  Four years ago, I would not be jumping of joy to see these trees.  As a kid, when we'd visit my grandparents, we'd toss these out into the street and wait to hear a "pop" when cars ran over them.
Next on the hike.....

...another orb weaver spider (check out the red and white legs on this).  Ugh!  I almost got my hair in this web by leaning over to see what plant this was...

Not sure what it is, but I found another bush underneath a locust tree also.  

I'll have to confirm what this is with the parks division again. Hmm? 

The barn that has seen it's last days....gonna miss this barn, as I can see it from the kitchen every day.

Sadie, Gus, and Jesse...taking a break from our little hike, and watching the goats.

Peanut looks a bit upset I came to visit without treats.

At the end of our hike and back to the house, Sapphire (Sassy, Sassafras) had to give all the dogs a rub by, and then she got a lick in return.  This is the kitty that went missing for a long time.

Take a Walk With Me ~ Before it Snows

Welcome to our farm. . .sharing a bit of it's beauty today.

Fall, leaves, fall

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night's decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Jane Brontë

I Wear Pink for. . .

(Me at the Island)

I wear pink for my Mom who is a survivor, and for my Aunt who unfortunately passed away from breast cancer. And of course for all those that have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Who do you wear pink for?

Wear Your Slippers All Day ~ October 14th

October 14th is "Wear Slippers all Day" day.

How fun is that? So make sure you put that on your calendar.


Today is National Diversity Day and World Farm Animals Day.  October is also Diversity Awareness Month, Eat Better, Eat Together Month, National Book Month, and National Cookie Month.

It's raining here today.  A bit dreary, but we needed the rain in the garden.  My sugar snap peas were starting to wilt, and my green beans are about ready to harvest.  

In celebration of National Book Month, I am pulling this off my shelf.  Today is a good day for reading this book.  Hubby bought it for me years ago, and it contains seven novels by Jane Austen.  I may also bake us some cookies and hold a "read and feed" night here with the family. 

I am also making a trip to the library.  I to return this book.  I'm not going to have time to make any of these this year.  However, I do plan on checking this book out again.  Cute stuff!

I finished the 4 scarves that teachers ordered, and making a 5th one for my 10 year-old.  They have a spirit week this week, and she has pleaded for one to wear on Friday.

What book(s) are you reading this month?

Excerpts from a Journal Junkie

from the family journal . . .

. . . our 15 year-old daughter raised $104.00 for the Humane Society Mutt Strut fundraiser.

. . . I have been taking my 15 year-old parking lot driving, and now on 2 lane highways (gulp!).
 

. . . it was nice to see the girls playing a board game recently.


. . . spent a day taking school photos of my 15 year-old daughter.  It's been nice on the pocketbook, to take these photos myself.



from the homesteading journal . . .

. . .froze two more quart bags of peppers from the garden, dug up the last of the red potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Picked another strainer full of peppers.  There are still two more rows to pick from.

...made homemade dog treats in my dehydrator. The dogs loved these. 

 (These two photos were from May of 2012)

...coming to an end on cleaning the wood barn.  We let someone borrow the wood splitter, so we are splitting by hand until it's returned.  The farm truck is broke down, so we have to fix that before we haul more wood. Not a great start for fire wood this season, but we'll get it cut.

 Our one black walnut tree was recently trimmed by the city.  It is right under the utility wires, and they spent the summer trimming most trees.  We feared they would cut this tree completely down, as they were with others.  My 10 year-old said to me "Do I have to chain myself to the tree?"  Thankfully, they just trimmed it, and it may actually help it produce better next year.  We picked up a bag full of walnuts for harvesting and for making a dye.

I picked a strainer full of sugar snap peas, some heirloom lettuce that reseeded itself twice now, and some organic swiss chard (which I blanched and froze).




I am still getting herbs, so decided to dry more lavender, spearmint and lemon.  I have plans to make a tea,







 
from the handicraft journal . . .

. . .our 10 year-old daughter brought home orders for 4 Team Spirit crocheted  scarves.