Trash to Treasure

I love Bohemian-style clothing. Recently I've been buying vintage lace and linens to make my own. While out shopping with my mom yesterday, I found a great new store in our local college town of Carbondale. Oh My Goodness. I hit the mother load. I got some great vintage clothing for 1.00. I'll tear these into long strips to make layers for my skirts. I'll post picture as they come together. I've already got a pair of jeans that I've take the inseams our of and sewed the back closed. I'll fill the front slit with awesome linens and lace and vintage clothes strips. Pix to follow.

Blogging Between Loads of Laundry

I love doing laundry. I love looking out my window and seeing the clothes hanging on the line. I love the way the clothes and sheets smell. Tonight will be clean sheet night. One of my favorite nights of the week. I usually do the sheets and blankets on Friday, but I won't be home tomorrow. I'm spending the day with my grandbabies and my mom.

The one thing I don't like about doing laundry is putting the stuff away. I love how it all looks when it's put away. I just don't like the tediousness of putting it there. It's piece work and I'm not so good at that. I lack the patience to do it. However, this is one way I can work on building my patience and I love the end product. AND it doesn't really hurt all that much.

So, as the buzzer on my washing machine goes off, yet again, I rest my fingers from typing and head out the door to fill my clothesline with fresh, clean clothes; washed in my home made laundry detergent and smell the sweet fragrance in the air. I enjoy being a girl.

                                                                Laundry on the line

                                                        Cute little clothespin bag I made.

Home Made Dog Treats

One of the things I do to generate some extra income for our family is doing craft shows. My best sellers are always my dog treats. Our dog treats are healthy and nutritious for your dogs. They are made with all-natural ingredients that you would find in your own food. Although I've never tried them myself, they must be good because our dogs love them. I can get them to do anything I want if Happy Jack Farms Dog Treats are the reward--and they know the word 'treat'. All of the treats have been named after dogs the family has or has had. Today, I thought I would share the recipe of my best seller. I guess folks just like the ingredients in this dog treat, but I always seem to run out of them. Please do not eat these yourself. Ha!

Ubu Bites

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup wheat germ or cornmeal if allergic to wheat
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 cup cooked and chopped chicken livers

Combine flour and wheat germ. In a separate bowl, beat egg with oil, then add broth, parsley, and garlic. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to bowl a little at a time. Fold in chicken livers and mix well. Dough will be firm. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until all ingredients are well incorporated. Roll out to 1/2" thick and cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment paper on cookie sheet about 1" apart. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Store in refrigerator or freeze.

Let me know what your dogs think of these treats.

Daily Devotions

I admit it. I'm usually late. This makes me a little crazy because I hate knowing people are waiting on me. It's disrespectful because it sends them the message that I don't value their time. I don't usually do New Year Resolutions, but if I were going to make one, I would resolve to be on time. It seems I always find one more thing to do around the house. Can you relate? There is always something that can be done. For people like me, who can't sit for long periods of time for fear of feeling unproductive, there is always something else to do. I leave the house with the thought that--I'll get to that when I get home. By this time, I'm already 5-10 minutes behind. I know 5-10 minutes may not seem like much, but if someone is waiting on you, it's 5-10 minutes too long. If you fit into this group too, resolve, like me, to be 5-10 minutes early from now on. If you are one of those who are up to 20-30 minutes late, resolve to begin with 5-10 minutes. Eventually, you will catch up and be on time. Take baby-steps. In fact, whether you fit into this group or not, find one thing to change about yourself this year and take baby-steps to get you there. Concentrate on that one thing. By the end of the year, even if you aren't completely where you wanted to be, at least you are not where you were. Don't get discouraged when you slip and things don't go the way you want them to. Just start from where you are. Each day is a new day to try again.

but those who hope in (wait on) the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Happy New Year

Praying blessings over all of you in 2013. Concentrate on one thing and do it/change it/make it. 

Best Homemade Banana Bread

I'm getting started early on some holiday baking. I usually like to have something already done, but with craft shows, conferences, retreats, and everything I've been planning, I don't have anything done. I was pretty lazy early today. Still trying to recover from this past weekend's conference. But, the do-something bug bit me when I was loading the dishwasher. I decided to use up those bananas that were drawing gnats on my counter and make the world's best banana bread. At least it's the best in my opinion. I made 17 loaves of banana bread of different sizes. They all look great except...my son came home from work, walked into the kitchen, and said, "You left the oven on, Mom."...and he turned it off. I told him I still had something in the oven and to turn it back on. I forgot, though, that when he turned it off, it also cancelled my timer. Yep, it's a lil on the too-done side. Oh well! Nothing can be done about it now and my son is more important than a loaf of banana bread; even if it is the best in the world. Here is my recipe:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup milk
1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In mixing bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and combine. Add eggs and banana and mix. Add flour, alternating with milk that has been mixed with vinegar or lemon juice. Pour into bottom-only greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes and release from pan. Makes 1 loaf.

TIP: instead of using milk that has been 'soured' with lemon juice or vinegar, I use actual soured milk or, even better soured buttermilk. I don't throw away my milk after it sours. I put it in the freezer before it separates. It's perfect for baking. In my opinion, it gives a more moist bread/cake. Many Amish recipes are made with sour milk. We all love their cooking. :-)

Find Us On Facebook

You can LIKE our page on Facebook. I am always posting neat stuff there.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Jack-Farms/124114300976850?fref=ts