Wacky Weather

We went from this on January 26th, to ....

...this a few days ago - warm and muddy mess.  I had to wear mucking boots out to put my laundry on the line.

  Today it's snowing again. 

All in a days work.

We now have three of us down with the crud.  I may have to make homemade cough syrup yet.  Looks like one of the kids will be cooking dinner again.  

My oldest daughter, although started getting sick later last night, stepped up to make dinner.  She was creative and scrambled eggs with my home canned salsa, and made egg sandwiches on English muffins.  For the side she cut up potatoes and fried them with cumin.  I regret not getting a photo.

Baking in Cast Iron ~ Naughty Horse

Baking continues - Irish Soda Bread (Before)

 Cooling....

Isn't it beautiful? Yum! 

I used a recipe I found on the internet, but used ricotta cheese in place of sour cream, and cut the 3 cups of raisins down to 2 cups.  I also baked it in a 12 inch cast iron pan vs. a 9 inch (didn't have one).  I just reduced the heat by 25 degrees about half way through the baking process.  The ricotta worked as well as the sour cream.  What can I say, part of our motto is "use it up."

Last night I woke coughed and coughed.  This morning I woke to a sore throat.  I am very low on honey so I cannot try the cough syrup Candy mentioned.  I hope to restock this weekend.   Two more girls are feeling ill now. 

Yesterday, while I was checking the soup on the crock pot, I looked out the window to see Blondie (my daughter's horse) with her head completely over the fence, eating the grass on the outside.  Hmpf.  I ran out and threw her some hay on the other side, to keep her mind off the grass out there.  She knows the fence is not electric.

Then when the three younger ones arrived, Blondie was doing it again.  So, out went my second oldest daughter, and got her head back in the fence.

Only a few minutes later, that daughter was back in, and my oldest was driving in the driveway.  In that short time, she (Blondie) go caught up in the fence and had her blanket half way down.  My son and I already straightened her blanket once in the morning.  She's been rolling in it already too.

Thankfully, the weather is warmer, and her blanket is off, but my oldest daughter had to fix the fence.  Naughty horse.