It Finally Happened......

Do you all remember the last family photo I posted here on The Farmer's Wife?  Well, if not please read this post here.  That was over TWO years ago!!

Last weekend we attended a wedding of one of our hired hands.  Our son was asked to be RING SECURITY, so I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to finally get a "real" family photo.  We would all be in the same place at the same time AND we all would be spiffed up as well....especially my son in his cute little tux!!!!  The reception was held at the bride's parents home which was gorgeous and there were plenty of scenic choices to for us to finally get that overdue family photo!

Typical photo sessions with my kids usually go like this....

Or.... a couple of them try to hard at achieving the perfect smile.... {I still like this picture though}

And then we sometimes luck out and get a nice shot!

That is me and my clan....LOVE THEM!!!

A special thanks to our friend Calvin for taking our family picture {I know these people, and they are not the easiest family to work with...haha}.

You can check out my latest adventure here.  Yes, I branched out with yet another job to add to my resume.  It's a little something I have a passion for and truly enjoy.  If you like me work, please like my page.

{{{HUGS}}}

You Know You Are A Farmer's Wife When.... part 2

I felt it was time for another round of:

If you would like to check out my first round round click here!

{{{HUGS}}}

Fresh Strawberry Pie

We are enjoying some Spring weather! HAPPY DANCE!!!  Winter has been around here for too long! With the gorgeous day we had yesterday I decided to make a fresh strawberry pie.  It FINALLY feels like S~P~R~I~N~G!  The gorgeous weather does a lot for one.  I will tell you I was getting a little grumpy with the cold dreary snow that showed its face the last several weeks.  

Today {since it is already gorgeous out as I type this at 7am}, I am going to take the kids and visit our local greenhouse to get this years garden plants.   I have a very small raised garden.  The hubs plans on building me another one because he wants more tomatoes... which is fine by me!  I am deathly afraid of snakes, so with a raised garden I feel that they are less likely to be in MY space! Ha!  My oldest daughter wants a strawberry bed as well.  Which leads me to my pie....

No, these strawberries are not from my garden or my MIL's or my friends, which is where I usually snag them from.  It's been too cold this year to enjoy garden strawberries.  I did buy these at my fabulous little grocery store!  I love my store!  If you have read my blog over the years you have probably heard me mention this several times.  In fact, I talked with my grocer about blogging a trip to the store and he said to go for it.  So maybe someday I will take you shopping with me and ya'll can say hi to Bruce....1. 2. 3.  Hi Bruce!!! {sorry, that was a Finding Nemo quote}

The pie.... {I can't focus this morning}

This recipe is for 2 pies.  Only want 1 pie...do half the recipe.

2  9" baked pie shells

1 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

3 Quarts Strawberries

2 Cups Sugar

4 Tbsp White Karo Corn Syrup

2 Cups Water

1 3 oz. Pkg. Strawberry Jell-o

1/4 Cup PLUS 2 Tbsp Cornstarch 

1 tsp Salt

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until well blended.  Divide mixture equally and spread over both pie shells.  Cook sugar corn syrup, water, cornstarch, and salt over medium heat until thick, add jell-o and combine.  Allow to cool.  While mixture cools, wash, hull, and slice the strawberries.  Arrange strawberries in both pie shells.  Pour mixture jell-o mixture over strawberries and refrigerate.  Top pie with your favorite whipped topping.     

{{{HUGS}}}

Monster Cookie Bars

I shared the recipe for Monster Cookie Bars over at Her View From Home.  They are a great alternative when you aren't up to making the traditional monster cookies.  Everyone loves a quick easy recipe, right!!!  

These cookie bars are very soft and full of my favorite food group....chocolate!  I will defiantly be making them this summer for a field meal dessert!!!!

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm Going To Become A Hoarder...{and a recipe}

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw the question I asked about chocolate chips.  I prefer milk chocolate chips except when it comes to things like chocolate dipped strawberries.  The semi-sweet work much better for that.  I am an addict of chocolate.  The problem being, is my entire household is too.  This can be a serious frustration folks!!!!  I will explain.....

The other night, I was craving a nibble of cookie dough and one....just ONE... fresh baked chocolate chip cookie.  That is ALL I wanted!!!  This is no problem because I'm the type of person that if I want something, I will make it.  So, I started grabbing the ingredients to make cookies.  I went to the freezer where I keep my chocolate chips and I could not find any.  That was okay, because I know that I have a chocolate loving household and they find it necessary to walk by the freezer and grab a handful of chocolate chips whenever they want.  It happens everyday!  I decided I would start hiding a bag of chocolate chips so that when I was in NEED of some....you know...for baking, I would have some.  I went to the cabinet where I stashed an extra bag and when I couldn't find them I went into chocolate shock!!!  Ugh!!!  I was so darn frustrated.  It was one of those "crabby cravings" I guess.  When my hubs got home I explained that I wanted to make chocolate chips and I purposely hid a bag for this very occasion.  To which he replied to me "whelp, I found em".

It is apparent that in this house chocolate chips are a hot commodity.  The last time I went to the store I picked up 4 bags of the hot item.  When I got home and put the groceries away I decided I will put 2 bags in the freezer and try another attempt at hiding the other bags.  At this point, I decided maybe I should become a hoarder of chocolate chips!

What is a hoarder?

hoard |hôrd|nouna stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded : he came back to rescue his little hoard of gold.• an ancient store of coins or other valuable artifacts : a hoard of Romano-British bronzes.• an amassed store of useful information or facts, retained for future use : a hoard of secret information about his work.verb [ trans. ]amass (money or valued objects) and hide or store away : thousands of antiques hoarded by a compulsive collector.• accumulate a supply of (something) in a time of scarcity : many of the boat people had hoarded rations.• reserve in the mind for future use : [as adj. ] ( hoarded) a year's worth of hoarded resentments and grudges.

Yep, I think that is what I need to become!

  I began thinking of places I could "hoard" my precious milk chocolate chips.  Where you might ask?  Well here is a few places I thought my family may never find them:

1. I could put some by the toilet paper.  I swear I am the only one that can put a new roll back on the holder so they would likely never find them there.
2.   The laundry room....need I explain more!
3.  My sock drawer.  If you see me with melted chocolate on my socks....don't judge!
4.  With the cleaning supplies....another one I don't need to explain.

This list is just a start, if you have a suggestion I would love to hear it.  It might save me from another chocolate shock!

Since my fresh baked cookie craving wasn't going to leave I ended up making Reece's Cookies.

Reese's Cookies are actually delicious!  They did help with my cookie craving.

You can find the recipe on the back of a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, but I will share it with you here as well.

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Cocoa

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/4 Cups Butter, softened

2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 pkg. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.  Stir in peanut butter chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-9 minutes.  

P.S.  If you ever watch Hoarders on TV and they air an episode about a chocolate hoarder please know I had do it for myself!!!

{{{HUGS}}}