Category: Come On Over

Where You Been My Whole Life?!

posted by Chelsea

When I was in college I had a math professor who was originally from somewhere in the Middle East. He had a thick accent, was a phenomenal math teacher, and to top it off, he was hilarious. If he made a mistake in class he would say things like “It not my fault! No wife! No breakfast!” One time, a couple years after I had been in his class, I was standing in the hall outside of his classroom and he walked by and said hello and made some joke about being my “old enemy”. As he was talking, he threw a big stack of stuff into the garbage can that was sitting close by. He headed to his classroom and came back a few minutes later quite disheavled. He started rummaging through the garbage can and when he found his stack of stuff he said, “So busy talking I throw away my students papers and take my garbage with me!?” Anyway, if you happened to miss his class, even just one time, he would come in, see you, and say “Where you been my whole life?! You think you just come when you feel like it?!” This was particularly annoying to Eli (as in short for Elijah) who was a cross country runner. Eli missed class fairly often and when he came back he would hear “Ellie! (as in short for Ellen) Ellie! Where you been my whole life?!”

Anyway, ALL of that to say, if you’re sitting there wondering about me and the rest of the crew here at CC and you’re saying, “Where you been my whole life?” I’m here to tell you. Charlotte has been moving lilacs. Lets all hope she’s about done with that project. Ann has been trying to finish her homeschool year strong and get outside projects done. Me, I’ve been trying to get everything I possibly can finished before this baby arrives.

As I’ve mentioned before, Buck is currently working long days outside of cell-phone range. Needless to say, he calls as soon as he gets into cell range everyday, to make sure I’m not having contractions or something of the sort, and when he finds out I’m not he says “So… what ARE you doing?!” Simply because he knows I’ve been organizing, sorting, gardening, cleaning, and sewing…

…. like a mad woman… or rather like a pregnant woman who doesn’t have much time left to get EVERYTHING done.

I wasn’t going to make a crib skirt (I thought I’d buy one at some point) and then amidst my organizing frenzy, I came across this fabric…

…and since I also organized the closet that houses my sewing machine and it, along with all of my other sewing paraphernalia was suddenly handy…

… I pulled them all out. And I sewed a crib skirt as well as curtains. I also stumbled upon a quilt I started 6 years ago (?!) and just needed to sew the rows together. (Who does that?! Who keeps a quilt that close to completion for SIX years?) So I sewed the rows together and now I will deal with the rest of it.

So that’s where I’ve been your whole life- obsessed with whatever project of the day I’m working on. Today I’m cleaning out the fridge and working in the yard. While I find it unnecessary to show you my fridge, sometime today (or tomorrow morning!) I will give you a garden tour– Emily did one of hers yesterday and while mine is on a much smaller scale, I’d really like to show you what I’ve been up to.

Now, go start a project and be obsessed with it. I highly recommend it.

Mock Italian Soda

posted by Chelsea

Now for a sure fire way to delight your kiddos (or self!) this summer. It’s cool, refreshing, and fun. It’s a “Mock” Italian Soda. Mock because it doesn’t contain syrup. Here’s a look at our rendition of the coffee shop favorite….

First, a cup with ice in it…

Then about 1/2 the cup filled with juice (100% is best, of course!)….

Then the rest of the way with sparkling water…

Then topped with a little dollop of whipped cream….

And the final touch, a straw…

Ta-da! Kiddo delight!

Dandy Lions

posted by Robyn

Spring is in full bloom now and I love so many things about it. Like froggies in the water dish………

Or dragging meadows getting them ready for the hay to start growing….

I know it is crazy but I like Dandelions. Yes, they are a weed and if I was a farmer, I would still spray them and try to get rid of them. But I like when they bloom in my yard and cover it in yellow.

Another thing I like about Dandelions are the Yellow Finch who come and eat all the little seeds. Sorry I don’t have a picture of the little yellow bird. But while I was taking pictures of the ~~weeds~~ Dandelions, I was being ~~watched~~ stalked by a dandy lion……yikes!

No, just kidding, not this dandy of a lion but a more innocent one…..

or is he? Welllll…… I will let you decide that.

Breakfast…or Lunch…or Snack

posted by Chelsea

My breakfast (or lunch or snack) obsession this pregnancy has been nothing other than an egg sandwich. I eat one just about every day. I love them. I can’t imagine my life without them. Today, I want to show you and tell you how to make one just right. Your life will never be the same. And you don’t even have to bring another child into the world to enjoy one… you can eat this pregnancy-free.

First things first. A picture of the glory….

Second things second. How to make it:

A whole wheat english muffin. Toasted.
An egg. Cooked to over-medium perfection.
A slice of medium cheddar melted on top of the egg (official instructions: set the slice of cheese on top of the egg during the last couple minutes of egg cooking).
A slice of canadian bacon- cooked (warmed, really) until slightly crispy.
Avocado- sliced and slathered on top of muffin.
Kosher salt- to taste.

Perfection.

Life From My Perspective

posted by Chelsea

Here’s a look at life from my perspective these days….

Actually, it usually looks more like this…

Life from my perspective, at 36 (nearly 37!) weeks pregnant, includes….

*No more work (as in the kind that I get paid for) until post-baby. Hallelujah.
*Baby preperation mostly done… room ready, newborn clothes washed and ready, bassinet washed and ready, wipes bought, diapers still to buy.
*Two girls who are looking bigger,

and less like babies, each and everyday…

*Getting comfortable, something that gets harder with each passing day.
*My house= my favorite place to be… especially when it’s clean or I’m cleaning it. I’m feeling slightly neurotic about cleaning these days.
*Wonderful people in our small town. ie: Yesterday at the grocery store the checker called for carry out and looked at me and said “I knew you’d say no if I asked if you wanted help out. She will be helping you- I’m making that decision for you today.” Love that.
**And finally…. The excitement of bringing a little boy home to our family… so close, yet so far away!!

A County Fair Dinner

posted by Chelsea

Fair food– a wonderful addition to the hot days and where I grew up, cold mornings, of the county fair. Snow cones, “Indian tacos”, “Elephant Ears” and “Walking Tacos” were amongst our fair food choices.

My favorite, the “Walking Taco” is a quick lunch or dinner option. I’m not claiming any health-food awards on this one, but it’s a fun “treat-ish” sort of meal. Traditionally, walking tacos are made with a small bag of Frito chips and the entire taco is made in the small bag so you can “walk” with it. But typically, I make the tacos in a bowl, using a big bag Frito chips, chili (not pictured below) shredded cheddar, sour cream, and avocado:

To serve, put a handful of chips in a bowl, top with chili, cheddar, sour cream and avocado (and anything else that sounds good to you: onions, tomatoes, etc)…

To make a truly county-fair-style-dinner, serve Walking Tacos with corn-on-the-cob…

… and even if it’s still April, go ahead and call it summer!

Camp Potatoes

posted by ann

My dear friend Jennie, great cook and life-long ranch girl, shared this delicious recipe with me. She is also the angel who taught me how to make French bread, Sausage & Wild Rice Casserole and other recipes I’ve shared here at Cowgirl Clippings. Jennie’s version of Camp Potatoes are baked in heavy duty aluminum foil, but I don’t always have that particular item on hand. I just cook them in a baking dish and cover tightly with regular foil.

~Cut 4 large potatoes into 1/4″ sticks (think ‘french fries’)

~Grease a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or 9 – inch baking dish) with 3 Tbsp. butter

{Getting some help from my girl}

~Place potatoes on foil (or in dish) and sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper, to taste **

{Almost had a little too much help here when the top popped off the pepper shaker! But we managed to salvage the dish!}

~Pour 1/2 c. milk, cream or half-and-half over potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 – 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

~Roll up foil and seal tightly (or cover baking dish tightly with regular foil or lid)

~Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender

**Note: I learned the hard way (milk running everywhere!) to fold the edges of the foil up to form a “wall” to keep the milk on the foil and off the floor. :-)

Orange Pan Rolls

posted by ann

These little “rolls” are closer to a first cousin to a biscuit than a roll, but they’re still yummy! Because there’s no kneading and raising time involved, they are super easy to whip up for a snack or a breakfast treat.

~In a wee tiny bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar & 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg~

~In a wee bowl melt 2 or 3 Tbsp. butter~

~In a much larger bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 -1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp. salt & 1 tsp. grated orange peel~

~Cut in 4 Tbsp. shortening until mixture is crumbly~

~Stir in 6 Tbsp. milk until just moistened~

~Turn dough out on floured surface and divide into eighths~

*I doubled the recipe, thus the extra dough*

~With floured hands roll each piece of dough into a ball; dip in melted butter, then in sugar mixture~

~Evenly space in a lightly greased 9 -inch baking pan~

~Bake at 425 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown~

Shoes

by Charlotte

I’ve never thought much about my shoes other than as coverings for my feet. Once I received a remark that my outfit was lovely – all but my shoes (I was wearing Birkenstocks with a fitted sundress). I was also asked why I didn’t bother about my feet when I got dressed in the morning (my shoes had such big holes that my little toes peeked out the sides). Or something to that effect. Even after receiving those remarks I remained oblivious to my feet – - -

Until I watched the movie “Chocolat”. (Interesting movie. Not exactly one that brings glory to God but is honest about what the church can become. Not as risque as I thought it would be either.) In “Chocolat”, a daughter asks her mother why she can’t go to church like other mothers and why she can’t wear black shoes like other mothers. This made me look more closely at what the actress was wearing on her feet . . . and sure enough her shoes were colorful. And, more importantly, the shoes said a lot about who she was.

Since then I have been keeping my eyes open for shoes and what they say about a person. For example, what kind of woman would wear these shoes?

(OliMac Shoes, but I was unable to track down anything else about them.)

Most likely a feminine one.

Or who would wear these?

main pic

(Source)

Probably an outgoing woman.

Or these?

(I found these off pinterest and was unable to track down the source.)

Maybe a sassy lady.

You get the idea. Any one could wear these boots.

Old West Leather Roper Boots

(Source:)

But only a couragous woman would wear these.

(Source unknown.)

All of that to say, I just bought a pair of glitter shoes.

(Source:)

Who’d have ever thought?

South of the Border Barley-Lentil Soup

posted by ann

This recipe came from my mom and I’m sooo glad she shared it. I have tweaked this recipe to accommodate my family’s tastes and have also substituted ingredients when I don’t have what I need in the pantry.

In a large kettle, saute:

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. oil

Add to above:

2 quarts beef or chicken broth
2 cans (16 oz. each) chopped tomatoes
1 cup barley
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. coriander
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional) ~ I use one pkg. taco seasoning instead of cayenne pepper

Bring contents of kettle to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour or until lentils and barley are tender. Stir occasionally and add more broth if needed.

Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream or grated cheese.

**This soup freezes well and reheats easily**