5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned on the Farm (thus far)

1. Learn to drive it.

*I distinctly remember my dad taking me to our church parking lot and making me drive backward figure eights around the two light poles using only my mirrors before I was allowed to drive forward. Needless to say, I’m pretty comfortable driving a car or pickup. I also distinctly remember trying to learn how to drive a manual. *grunt of discomfort* It was unsuccessful. (I blame my two older brothers for taking all of Dad’s patience for that regard.) It is no secret that to live on a farm, or even just to visit, you have to have a working knowledge of driving numerous modes of transportation – tractors, 4-wheelers of all varieties, pickups of all varieties, and any other object your spouse may arrive home with. I can drive our tractor, but I can honestly say I am NOT proficient in it. Did you know there are gears A-E on a tractor? And on top of that, each gear has like four settings? And on top of that, you have to run the throttle? And on top of that, you have to steer? Now is a good point to note that having the capability of backing up a trailer, a camper, a feed wagon, a disk, a grinder, a hay cart, or any of the like is INCREDIBLY beneficial. For anyone watching me attempt this, it is just comical.

On the farm, if you have the lowest capability level you end up doing the worst work – opening gates in the rain and snow and mud (aka – getting splashed by those materials as the tractor drives by), chasing cows back in, hauling buckets of anything and everything to the tractor, or even running after the tractor because you want a ride to the next chore spot instead of having to hoof it in a quick run.

2. Know your tools.

*I feel silly explaining this one in much detail because I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable, problem-solving woman, but geez la wheez! I do not know my tools. Thank goodness for my 5 and 6 year olds! 

3. Learn IT.

*Basically, if you have to call someone to come fix something in your house, stay next to them and learn whatever it is they’re doing so you don’t have to call and wait on their timeline again. (I still call people because it takes me a long time to process learning, but this is something my husband is exceptionally good at doing.)

4. Remain calm.

*I can actually hear my husband’s laughter at this one. He tells me this all of the time. I am learning this lesson and have repeatedly learned it – especially when you’re trying to move a brand new momma cow into the barn with her baby and she’s thinking what literally every mom in the history of moms has thought – Are you taking my baby!?

Also, this comes in handy when a 5 year old falls and cracks his head and is freaking out himself. ER trips are MUCH more manageable with three children when one is level-headed. 

5. Never give up.

*I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it SUPER easy to walk away and move on from a challenging task. However, on the farm, that is rarely an option. There have been countless nights where my husband and I go back outside to work on equipment after the children go to bed because it HAS to be fixed. Cows HAVE to be fed in the morning. I have emptied the feed wagon BY HAND because I broke it the evening before and did not even know until that morning. All 1,200 pounds of feed by hand. Because calves have to eat. (Note: See Lessons 1-4. If I had 1. Learned to drive it properly, 2. Known my tools, 3. Learned (how to) fix it, and 4. Remained calm – that situation would not have been nearly as emotionally driven for me.) There have been countless times when I have wanted to just walk out of a cattle yard and let the sick cow or calf be because frankly I’m tired of them being uncooperative and just plain rude. Alas, I cannot because that cow and/or calf represents a way of life for my family and one does not walk away from that. And honestly, what is that teaching my kids? I have had a sick calf in my front porch, bottle feeding it, rubbing it with towels and talking to it to keep it alive when things were especially bleak.

You just never give up because something or someone needs YOU or something you can provide for them. 

Famous White Mac & Cheese

The vote came in on Instagram (@knittygrittyblog) for another meal versus a sweet treat. So here’s one for my no meat on Friday during Lent people! However, you could easily add a 1/2 lb. of cooked ground beef to this and it would be equally delicious!

I’m not sure why this dons the descriptor “famous” but that is what it is labeled in my cookbook that I’ve been sticking recipes in for a decade. It’s a great twist on the traditional macaroni and cheese dish with a little spice to it. 🙂

Ingredients:

16 oz. Elbow macaroni

2 tbsp. Butter

2 tbsp. Flour

3 C milk

1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, cubed

1/2 lb. Pepper jack cheese, cubed

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.

3. Stir in flour until combined. Add milk and stir until mixture boils.

4. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. (I couldn’t find the block cheese at the store so I got sliced and cut it. Works the exact same.)

5. Combine cheese mixture and noodles.

6. Place in an ungreased 13″ x 9″ pan.

7. Baked uncovered 30 minutes at 350F.

**I like to top mine with breadcrumbs to add texture, but that’s entirely up to you!**

Sausage Skillet

I just love this recipe. Honestly, it’s a bit different every time I make it because it allows you to more or less “make it your own” and I just use what I have, from veggies to noodles.

I start by prepping veggies in one pot. This time I used carrots, green beans, peas, zucchini, and corn. Everything was frozen except the carrots. I boiled them all together and set them aside. You can put as many or as few veggies and any variety you want. I would LOVE to put tomatoes in this, but alas there are no fresh ones yet. (Sidenote, the tomatoes in my AeroGarden are starting to turn so I won’t have to wait long!!)

Ingredients:

1 german sausage

1 C chopped carrots

1/2 green beans

1/4 C peas

1/2 C corn

3/4 C zucchini

1 C beef broth (I use L.B.Jamison’s beef flavored soup base, pictured below, to make my own.)

1 C milk

4 tablespoons butter

2 C pasta (This time I used farfalle, but I really like cellentani! Also, you can increase or decrease this amount depending on your feelings about carbs.)

Directions:

In a medium pot, boil veggies until cooked thoroughly.

In a large skillet melt butter. Add whole german sausage and cook thoroughly. Then remove the sausage to cutting board, saving skillet for later use. (If you buy a german sausage from the store that is precooked I would just heat it in the butter and then cut.)

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook your choice of noodles.

Into the same skillet used to cook the german sausage, pour milk and beef broth. Mix, scraping bottom to get extra fried pieces. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.

Add vegetables to sauce.

Cut german sausage into pieces and add to the veggies and sauce.

Once noodles are cooked, drain and add directly to the skillet mixture. Enjoy!

My kiddos love topping it with spaghetti sprinkles. {What’s not to love about that?!}

Also, it saves well so leftovers work out perfectly!

I much prefer using this soup base to the boxes of broth!

Salted Nut Bars

These are A-MAZING! Like, I’d skip my meals for a day to eat these, amazing!

Once again, the Nebraska Kitchens Cookbook came through for me! Also, I read yesterday in Nebraska Life Magazine, the 3rd cookbook is available for order now. So my simple soul is pretty excited for my May birthday! (Hint, Hint, Husband!)

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 C flour

2/3 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 C soft margarine

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg yolks

3 C mini marshmallows

To make the crust:

Combine everything except marshmallows until a crumb mixture forms. Press this into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes. Immediately sprinkle the marshmallows on top and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallows puff. Cool.

Topping Ingredients:

2/3 C corn syrup

1/4 C margarine

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz. Peanut butter chips

2 C Rice Krispies

2 C cocktail peanuts

To make the topping:

In large saucepan or microwavable dish, heat everything but Rice Krispies and peanuts until melted and smooth. Do not let this boil. Remove this from heat and stir in cereal and peanuts. Spoon over the marshmallows while still warm.

Chill. Cut into bars. Enjoy!

salted-nut-bars-recipeDownload

Warm Up with Runzas

If you have been fortunate enough to either drive through Nebraska or been to a Husker football game you’ve likely experienced the deliciousness that is a Runza. If not, why not?

I ❤ this combination of hamburger, cabbage, and onions and so do my kiddos!

This recipe came from the Nebraska Kitchens Cookbook. (Sidenote: These cookbooks are awesome! Great gift idea!)

You need to know these are pretty labor intensive if you choose the make the dough yourself. (My shoulders are still a little sore from rolling.)

Cooking Hack: If you prefer not to do that messy task, you can simply buy frozen loaves of bread and let them rise and cut them into the needed pieces. For this recipe, which makes 16 Runzas, I’d say you should use 2-3 loaves depending on how much dough you want per sandwich.

Let’s dive in! As always, the recipe is attached a word document at the end of the blog for anyone wanting to print it out.

Dough Ingredients:

2 C warm water

2 packages active dry yeast (~2 1/4 tsp)

1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 C margarine, melted and cooled

6 1/2 C flour

Dough Directions:

Mix water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add egg and melted margarine. Stir in flour. Put in refrigerator for four hours. 

Cover and refrigerate for four hours. 

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. hamburger

1/2 C chopped onion

3 C shredded cabbage

1/2 C water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Dash of Tabasco (to taste; I don’t use this, but the recipe suggests it. My kids are just not fans so I omit it.)

Filling Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain off excess grease. Add cabbage, seasonings, and water. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Set aside and cool completely before putting on dough. 

Cooking Tip: When rolling pizza or Runza dough, I MUCH prefer my wooden pastry roller to the large rolling pin. 

Assembly Directions:

Fill the pieces with desired amount of filling. Pull four sides up and press edges together. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes until dough is cooked. Time varies by oven. 

I brush on melted butter after they cook to keep the dough soft and extra tasty. My daughter likes to dip hers in ranch. My sons prefer ketchup. Use whatever you wish.

ENJOY!

runza-recipeDownload

Kids’ Reading Challenge

You hear it over and over again, the benefits of reading. There really is no evidence disputing the benefits of reading to young children. Mamas are even encouraged to do it BEFORE their baby is born! If you need solid reasons, here’s a list of 100 I found.

So you read to your kid 20 minutes a night and fill out a reading log to send to school. Congratulations on having that piece of your life together. I read all the time and just this year I decided to keep a list of the books I read. I’ve dropped the ball on it. *shrug*

However, a lovely lady I follow on Instagram has started doing weekly-ish book talks based on a Book Challenge list she is doing this year. They’re simply fantastic. (It helps she is very eloquent when speaking and incredibly intelligent.) These book talks of hers got me thinking about my own kids.

We seem to always stick to the same stories, and yes, there is something to be said about repetition when reading to children and how it builds their vocabulary and fluency, etc. etc. But there is also something to be said about broadening their horizons, so to speak, when it comes to experiencing literature. I looked on Pinterest and found a couple of book challenges for kids, but they did not include all the areas in which I would want my children to dive. So I created my own.

You will see there is space between each to record the actual title of the book to keep track. I know some books may “double up” on areas and that is okay, but I challenge you to push your own kids to find a new book for each. Some of these topics would allow for great conversation between you and your child. Some would even encourage discussion with a librarian – and that is a skill in and of itself – asking for help and communicating your needs. Plus, JUST USE YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY! It is a great resource and it is free. 🙂

I have attached the list as a word document. Honestly, this isn’t even something just parents can use. Teachers can challenge their students, at really any level. What conversations AMONG students could be had when they have something to focus on like literature and life rather than menial things such as clothing and who wore it best.

HAPPY READING, FRIENDS!

kids-reading-challengeDownload

My Mother-in-Law makes it —- Chocolate Cake

As you may have guessed from the headline, I started making this chocolate cake because my Mother-in-Law seems to always have it at her house. She once told me that she thinks she has made at least one chocolate cake a week since she has been married. Since 1976! Unbelievable.
On a side note, I can still vividly remember walking into their house the very first time. I can see and smell multiple loaves of homemade bread on the counter, umpteen dinner rolls, and (here’s the kicker!) handmade and cut soup noodles laying out to dry. Needless to say, my MIL is a master of the kitchen. But it is also essential to mention that I cannot ask her for a recipe because I’m convinced she leaves something menial out so mine can never be as good as hers. She knows I feel this way. I tell her often. She adamantly denies it every time. She also has this exact claim of her own mother-in-law.
So – here is the recipe for my chocolate cake. It is not identical to my Mother-in-Law’s and the basis originated from a simple Betty Crocker cookbook, but I have altered parts because I increase calories in recipes for no real reason other than I enjoy food and refuse to count calories.
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour1 2/3 C sugar2 sticks of butter2/3 C baking cocoa1 1/4 C water1 1/4 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt1 tsp. vanilla1/4 tsp. baking powder2 large eggsFudge Frosting (either purchase or I will give you the recipe I use at the end)Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a rectangular pan with shortening then lightly flour.
3. Beat all of the ingredients (except the frosting!) scraping the bowl constantly.
4. Pour into pan.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. About 1 hour to completely cool.
7. Frost with either purchased or recipe below.

Fudge Frosting Recipe:
*this is directly from good ol’ Betty C*1/2 C granulated sugar1/4 C baking cocoa1/4 C milk2 TBSP butter1 TBSP light corn syrupDash of salt1/2 to 3/4 C powdered sugar1/2 tsp vanillaDirections:

1. Mixed granulated sugar and cocoa in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in milk, butter, corn syrup, and salt. Heat to boiling while stirring frequently. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Let it cool for 30 minutes.
3. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Frost cake.

I have attached a word document that has the recipe ready to print if you think that is easier. Enjoy!

chocolate-cake-and-frosting-recipeDownload

If you have a recipe for anything you think I should try please send it to me! I’m always looking for my next great food love! 🙂

Valentine’s Day for the Elementary School Teacher

As I pack up my own kids’ Valentines for their parties tomorrow I am taken back to my time in elementary schools on Valentines Day. It is fun, but definitely not an easy day. Let me take you on the journey of an elementary school teacher on Valentine’s Day. It is not what you expect. It is a day spent completing covert-ops which receive no recognition or thanks because, let’s face it, they’re small children. And that’s not why teachers do what they do anyway.

You preach kindness and compassion every day of the year but, man, today’s the day. The day of love and friendship.

It all begins before you even arrive at school that morning.

Obnoxious Valentine Shirt? Check. Pinterest or Etsy Valentine’s for your entire class (or every student you serve) which you made at home at night, probably before you helped your own kids with their Valentines? Check.

Once students arrive and you greet them at the door, help unzip coats, pick up rogue hats and gloves, and answer countless questions confirming that Yes, it is Valentine’s Day and Yes this is a Valentine’s Day shirt, you work to covertly find out who does and does not have Valentines for their classmates. Then you have to make sure those that DO have Valentines have one for everyone. There’s nothing quite like counting to twenty-five or thirty 25 to 30 times first thing in the morning. DON’T FORGET TO TAKE ATTENDANCE!

Proceed with all scheduled morning activities.

Next comes morning recess (pray it’s outside!) – dig through valentines and help students who don’t have them fill them out while others don’t see. If you’re students don’t write, you fill them out and act SO EXCITED that “someone” dropped off their valentines and you just got them from the office during recess. Reassure them IT IS OK!

Ahh, Lunch (if you don’t have duty) – run to the nearest Walgreens, WalMart, HyVee, Dollar Tree, or gas station to get candy for those students missing valentines. If you do have duty, it is about this time your significant other, mom, dad, or overnight shift working roommate will bring in the candy from your earlier SOS call or text. (They better be individually wrapped like you said. No boxes of a dozen cookies just thrown together, Carol!)

Teach! Teach! DON’T FORGET TO TAKE ATTENDANCE!

Afternoon Recess (Again, pray its outside!) – double, triple, and quadruple check everyone has a box or bag for kids to put valentines in and a full set of valentines to hand out. Eat a piece of chocolate (because there was no time for lunch). Realize you have yet to use the restroom today. Too late. Recess is over.

Work diligently to incorporate curriculum into the afternoon activities because literally NO ONE is paying attention to your explanation of the associative property whether it applies to addition or multiplication.

Oh great. An administrative walk-through.

And now…FINALLY!!!

The Valentine’s Party – read each students’ name between 15 and 30 times to other students. Hand out your own treats. Open countless packages of candy. Thank students for your four new Valentine coffee mugs. Dismiss students. Exhale. Realize the state of your classroom. Leave candy, and possibly a new coffee mug, as peace offering to evening custodial staff but avoid making eye contact on your way out of the building. Go home to bed, for tomorrow you have to hit up the sales so you’re ready for Valentine’s Day next year.

The Ropes Course of Calving

We’re calving. It’s ugly, yet pretty stuff. And right now, there’s a windchill in the negatives°. So it’s also INCREDIBLY dangerous.

We’ve been mentally prepping for this for a couple of weeks. My husband has been moving the mamas he thought could have a calf overnight into the barn. The first night he did this he said to me, “I fed them some corn in there so they’re more likely to go back in there tomorrow night.” And that right there folks, is, I’m pretty sure, how I ended up married. He kept taking me places in the promise of feeding me.

Anywho, here are things I never knew about cows prior to marrying my husband that you also may find interesting:

• They have a 9 month gestation period.
• When a calf is coming out, it more or less dives out (front feet, face, body, back feet). When it doesn’t? Big trouble.
• Most first time cow moms have no clue what they’re doing. (I’m on child three and I still feel this applies to me as a mom, am I right?)
• Calves stand within an hour or two of being born. When our youngest was learning to stand, my husband pointed out how strange it is that it takes humans so long to stand and walk when other mammals do it within hours or something is considered wrong.
• When a mom doesn’t claim the calf, they become a bottle calf.
• In the instance that a different cow had a calf not survive, you can transfer the unclaimed calf to this mom. I was FLOORED when my husband told me to run an grab “your least favorite perfume from the house.” He then spread it all over the mom’s nose and all over the baby. When they smell the same you can trick them into thinking they belong together. (Sidenote: I have since learned that they actually make stuff you can buy in the store and put on the cow and calf and NOT use your wife’s perfume. Details.)
• Mama cows get just as crazy about strangers being around their babies as humans do. I don’t feel bad making that comparison. We’re good mamas.

Whenever I look at newly born calves though I think back to the very first calf I ever pulled. Just as when a human has an emergency c-section (and I’m part of that crowd), pulling a calf is an emergency.

I remember looking out our window (on a MUCH nicer day in the spring) and seeing a cow “messing.” This is in fact the term we us when a cow is in labor. Weird. So I get my husband and he looks at the cow and tells me that only one foot is out. Ok, so? Well, if you remember back, calves dive out so they need both feet out at once. So we put the mom in the head gate and my husband puts on this gigantic glove. I remember thinking – what is that for?! Welp, things got ugly.

In order to get the two feet out, he had to push the one BACK IN and search around for the second foot and pull them out together. (All mamas out there, can we take a moment and give a collective – OUCH!) You then hook a chain to the feet and hook the chain to a come along tool. (That is actually what they’re called. Google it.) So – my husband, fully gloved, is cranking this come along and now we’re worried the calf is getting fluid in its lungs because the mom has been in labor so long. The come along just isn’t pulling far enough. My husband, who is, I’m pretty sure, capable of anything physically, is pulling with all of his might. Me? I still watching in awe. Or horror.

In all honesty, I’m always more of a solid birthing coach for the mamas. I dish out a lot of “come on, mama” and “you can do it, mama”.

After a bit though it’s too much for me, I jump (barehanded) in front of my husband (who has those gigantic gloves on!) and it becomes abundantly clear why he donned them in the first place. To quote Pretty Woman, “they’re slippery suckers.” I grabbed the chain, my husband grabbed my waist and we pulled. We ended up lying on the ground. Me on the husband, the calf on me. Phew, now we’re good. Nope. My husband hurriedly grabs the calf and holds it upside down and tells me to clean out its mouth. Again, the ungloved hands. *gag*

Everything after this (as is usually the case with labor) is a blur. I’m pretty sure I was crying. I think the actual mom was doing her version of crying. And my husband was trying to figure out why I was so emotional. He’s being delivering calves his whole life. This is totally old news.

In the end, the calf was healthy and my husband gave the sweet little thing an ear tag with my initials. (Isn’t he romantic?) And just look at how CUTE she is!

Valentine’s Prep on an Frigid Day

As the mom of two lower elementary students, Valentine’s is an absurdly important part of our lives. Also, I love creating. It’s figidly cold outside today so here is an indoor craft for you.

I saw a simpler version of these, but I made the attached Valentines myself. I edited them from the ones I saw because my daughter is currently obsessed with unicorns and my son with the Transformer Bumblebee. I printed them on cardstock so they’re a bit sturdier than normal printer paper. The scratch off stickers are 2″x1″ stickers I ordered from Amazon. You can get the decorative tape from Target, Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, any place really.

The red ones would also be fun for teachers to use as a free homework pass, an extra 5 minutes on an iPad, treat from the treat bucket, etc. Administrators could fill them in for staff with duty coverage, leave early (if contracts allow), vending machine treat, etc. Parents can use them in any way they want. Who doesn’t love a scratcher ticket?!

You don’t even have to GIVE something with them, but rather could write kind words to whomever is receiving them.

scratcher-valentines-red-pdf-1Download

unicorn-scratcher-valentines-pdf-1Download

bumblebee-scratcher-valentines-pdfDownload