Roasted Potatoes Carrots & Onions

I had planned on posting this recipe a couple days ago, but I was hit INSTANTLY with the flu bug that is going around.  My youngest daughter has been sick since Monday, then my oldest daughter came home from school not feeling well on Tuesday.  I was keeping up with my youngest daughters demands request for a drink every 10 minutes and keeping her wash cloth wet {with REALLY cold water....imagine an 8 year old with a high pitched squeal giving you those instructions...she really is sweet} that she placed on her forehead and neck.  I gave them their fever reducer as directed.....cause I am super mom {insert laugh here}.  Then it hit me too.....like one moment I was fine and the next I just hurt.  My joints ache, I spiked a high fever, and my tonsils feel like they are bulging from my neck.  Needless to say, I spent the next 2 days in bed.  At one point I had to ask my hubs what day it was because all I have felt like doing is sleeping.  My hubs was so kind and got some medicine for me and checked in on us "sickies" throughout the day.  He is a great nurse!!!

I am still sick and running a low fever of 100 down from 103.6, my body is still aching, and my tonsils are the size of Texas, but I have managed to get out of bed.  Now that is improvement!!!  I so badly want to go out and enjoy this fantastic weather we are having, but I am just not feeling good enough.  Ugh!!!  But, good for you, I am able to sit here in my recliner with my computer perched on my lap to share this yummy recipe with you.

Roasted vegetables are so easy.

Preheat oven 475 degrees

I used:

2lbs Carrots

6 Potatoes

1 Vidalia onion

3 Cloves garlic

6 Tbsp Olive oil

1/2 Tsp Dried thyme

1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel carrots, cut into bite size pieces.  Dice potatoes into bite size pieces leaving the skin on.  Cut onion into eighths.  Mince the garlic.  Combine carrots, potatoes, and onion in a large bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over vegetables, add garlic, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Toss until the vegetables are covered in olive oil and seasoning.  Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer and cover with foil.  Roast for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and continue roasting another 30 minutes {or until your desired crispness is achieved} stirring every 10 minutes.  Serve.

{{{HUGS}}}    

Texas Sheet Cake With Mocha Frosting

This past weekend we had company.  I love when we have friends around.  It is always a good time for us and the kids.  Visiting, laughing until our sides ache, telling old stories and making new memories is right up my alley.  Plus, I love to provide an all out feast for our friends.

I made smoked spareribs on our Traeger {I mentioned that on my new facebook page} which I hadn't done before.  They turned out fall off the bone phenomenal!!!!  I served the ribs with roasted vegetables and salad.  I thought about the traditional coleslaw and beans that are typically served with ribs, but I wasn't in the mood for coleslaw or being traditional.....cause that's how I roll.  For dessert we finished stuffing ourselves with Texas sheet cake complete with mocha frosting.

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This cake is ridiculously delicious and will defiantly make your guests groan....so go ahead and groan right along with them.....you don't want them to groan alone!!!!

For the cake:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
5 tbsp Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 Beaten Eggs
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla

Frosting:
1 3/4 stick Butter
4 tbsp Cocoa
6 tbsp Milk
3 tbsp Instant Coffee Crystals
1 tsp Vanilla
4 cups Powdered Sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.

In a saucepan, melt butter then add cocoa.  Stir together.  Add boiling water and allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds.  Turn off heat and pour over flour mixture.  Stir slightly.

Combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.  Stir buttermilk mixture into the cake batter and combine.  Pour into a greased sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes till done.

While cake is baking make the frosting.  Add coffee crystals to milk and stir until coffee is dissolved. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add cocoa, stir to combine.  Turn off the heat.  Add milk/coffee mixture, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Stir together.  Pour over warm cake.  Serve.

Now, go make this cake!!!

{{{HUGS}}}

Easy Caramel Popcorn

So today I had a craving for caramel popcorn.  I have a major sweet tooth {yeah, bad I know} and caramel popcorn seemed to be the go to sweet treat I wanted.  This is ridiculously simple to make.  It is perfect for an after school snack for the kiddos too.

1 3.5oz bag of microwave popcorn
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
salt to taste

Pop popcorn according to package directions.  Place popcorn in a large bowl with a lid.  Heat remaining ingredients on med-high heat until it resembles a syrup consistency.  Pour caramel sauce over popcorn.  Place lid on the bowl and shake until all the popcorn is evenly coated.  Pour popcorn out onto wax paper and allow to sit until caramel has hardened.  Store in an airtight container.

I think I am missing an ingredient and didn't think about it until after the fact.........but I think if I would of drizzled a little Nutella over the top of the caramel popcorn it would have been even better!!!!  Anyone have a love for Nutella like I do???

{{{HUGS}}}

Another Way to Transfer Photos

In an earlier post I showed you how to transfer photos to wood.  I mentioned that I would show you yet another way to transfer photos.  As promised, here it is.  This way is much cheaper because you don't have to buy iron transfer paper, but requires precision.  You will need freezer paper {not wax paper}, a piece of printer paper, spray adhesive, an ink jet printer, and a photo or image to print out.  I used an image from the Graphics Fairy.  If you are using words be sure to mirror your image so you can read what you transfer.

First take a piece of freezer paper that is a little larger than an 8.5x11 piece of paper.  Use the spray adhesive on the regular paper and attach it the NON waxy side of the freezer paper.

Next, trim the edges of the freezer paper down to 8.5x11 so you can run the paper through your printer.

Print your image so that the image prints on the WAXY side of your paper.  Be careful not to touch the image once it is printed so it won't smear.

I used a wood circle that I painted with acrylic paint.  I used the same steps as I did in my previous photo transfer project.  I also marked the edges of my design so I could tell where I wanted to place it on my wood circle.  Then use a damp rag and slightly wet the surface you are going to transfer the image too.  In this case I wet the wood circle.  Very carefully lay your image EXACTLY where you want and use a a credit card or something hard to burnish your image.  I used an Uppercase Living transfer tool.  DO NOT MOVE YOUR IMAGE OR IT WILL SMEAR.  When you are done burnishing lift your wax paper straight up off the wood.

As you can see, I had a little bit of smearing, but I can live with it.  Vintage right!!!  I did not put any sealer on this yet, but I would probably use a spray for best results.

There you have it.....another way to transfer an image.  I have my little sign displayed in my bathroom with my prized towels {the ones you really don't let the kids or hubs use because they are too pretty}.  I got my towels here.  I hung some divided baskets and then adorned my TP and towels with some twine. Now that is some fancy TP huh??!!??

OHHHH, I almost forgot.  You can simply wipe off the waxy side of the freezer paper with water and reuse it for another project.  Awesome stuff I tell ya!!!!!

If you would like to keep up with the happenings on the farm, my projects, and recipes be sure to LIKE me on facebook!!!  Yes, I finally started a page for my blog!!!!
{{{HUGS}}}

BIG News....well for me

If you have read my blog you are probably aware of my on going laundry saga.  Yep, laundry is a big deal at this house.  I am a farm wife, therefore I constantly have the normal everyday dirty clothes to wash plus chore clothes covered in cow poop, grease, and oil.  I am never caught up on laundry.....EVER.  Okay, maybe once in awhile I get it all done, but I swear it only lasts for five minutes.  You can read about my laundry saga here, here, here & here.

Mondays and Thursdays are my days off from work so I do the majority of my laundry then.  I try to do one load every night so I don't get so far behind.....like one load makes a difference...LOL.  Well, I was doing laundry on one of my days off and my dryer started acting up or maybe I should say overacting.  It wouldn't turn off!!!  I think this could be a fire hazard.  I am one that throws a load in the dryer and walks out the door to go do my errands.  I didn't feel comfortable doing leaving the house while the dryer was running so this started causing me to be...well....irritated.  I was having to babysit my clothes dryer....REALLY.  When we purchased the dryer it was used.  I am sure it has done its fair share of laundry over the years and was ready to move to the "bone" pile.

I told my hubs years ago that  the next time I have to buy a new washer or dryer I was getting both.  My washing machine is small capacity and I find it to be very unpractical for a family of six.  When my last washing machine quit my hubs went to the local appliance store and bought one because we can't be without one.

So, let me introduce you to my new friends.  We are still getting to know one another, but so far I have a PAIR of new friends.

Purdy huh!!!  I ended up going with a beautiful pair of Maytags.  I was planning on getting LG because they seemed to have fairly good reviews.  I am sad to say that when I was reading reviews I never read any on Maytag.  I had it stuck in my head that I was going to go with LG or Whirlpool.  When the hubs and I got to our local appliance store I browsed all they had.  I mentioned that I was leaning toward the LGs.  They mentioned that their repair man refuses to work on LG brand appliances.  The repair man has to pay for the parts up front and then is reimbursed by LG THREE months later!!!  I guess I can't blame him for not working on them!!  I wanted to be sure to have a repair man close {remember we live in the sticks} and they recommended the Maytag or Whirlpool.  With new appliances I hope I don't need a repair man for a long time!!!!!!

I would love to give you full blown review of my new friends, but we are still getting to know one another.  They are from the Maytag Maxima line and I LOVE that they are LARGE capacity.  The washing machine is soooo quiet that I find myself checking on it like I would a sleeping baby.  I am impressed with how much cleaner my whites seem to be.  There is a setting for Whitest Whites.  I love that if I have a stray article of clothing that I forgot I can pause the machine and toss it in.  I would hate if I didn't have that feature.  The dryer only takes about 30 minutes to dry a normal load {jeans take a little longer....and there is a setting for denim}.  I'm loving the wrinkle preventer.  It also has steam, but I haven't used that yet.  I have only had the set for a week, but I can tell you that I am in love!!!!!

In the midst of my appliance love I also have another love....CARPET!!!!!!  My carpet if finally in.....no more cold feet in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!

I can hardly contain myself!!!!

P.S. I was not paid by Maytag to talk their product up.....I really love them and Maytag doesn't even know I exist.  That's all.

{{{HUGS}}}