One dirty RANGER

This is our "RIDE" around the ranch!  It's a well-used Ranger, don'tcha think?  Seriously, I don't know what we did without this "tool"!  We use this Ranger daily...either feeding cattle or hauling water or just picking up around the yard!  It's a great lil' machine to have on a ranch...no doubt about that!

...I'm heading outside right'directly to make it a happy lil' machine!  It's getting power-washed today!

SCONES! SCONES! SCONES!

Here's one of my (and my family's) favorite treat...whether they are served after a meal for dessert, or breakfast with a hot cup of jo, or just an afternoon snack...scones always go over well in this house!

BLUEBERRY SCONES
Ingredients:                                   Icing Ingredients:
3 1/4 cup flour                              1/2 lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar                                2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt                                      2-3 Tbsp cream
5 tsp baking powder                      dash of salt
1/2 lb chilled butter                       1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg                                           Stir icing ingredients together until very smooth!
3/4 c cream
1/4 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350.
Stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until crumbly.
Mix cream and egg together and add to bowl. Mix until combined.

  Place mixture on surface to knead gently. Fold in the blueberries.

Form dough into a ball then, flatten out about 1" thick

With a knife, slice into 8 equal wedge shape pie pieces

Place wedges on baking stone or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Do not let the edges turn dark!

Let cool completely.  I like to transfer them into a sided dish before drizzling icing all over them!

Set them on your counter, let your kids and hubby find them, and you will be loved....forever!

busy...busy...busy

Here I am again...No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!  We have been super busy with weddings and new babies!  Let me clear this up...NOT ME!  It's has definitely been an eventful month, and I cannot believe that next weekend is already the last weekend of May!  Amazing!  I am still trying to find time each day to "enjoy the moment"!  I really believe these days one needs to be aware of how fast time goes and TAKE TIME to enjoy your life...every day...and don't just sit by and watch it "go"!  While you are driving in your car, or doing laundry, or washing dishes, or vacuuming...just stop for a quick moment, evaluate your life and thank God that you have what you have...feel blessed!

Anyway,...well, yep, my husband purchased a chainsaw a few days ago!  (I guess he didn't trust my judgement on that purchase)  He has used it almost every day this past week!  He says it's a great gift and has thanked me for it multiple times!  I just smile and say "you earned it, it wasn't a gift".  And he chuckles...knowing that he DID earn it! 

Now he is talking about another "bet".  I am a little more hesitant to take his bet this time...but I am considering it!  What do you think?  I already told him that I wasn't going to bet to loose weight again...I just don't think that was wise of me in the first place!  Guys loose weight different from gals, ya'know?  Oh-well, my mistake! 

I will let you know if I decide to bet him again...  as of now, he is calling me to come help him clear limbs as he cuts them....does it seem like I, yet again, got the wrong end of this deal??? 

I've been CREAMED!

Ok, here we are at THE END of our lil' bet.  And, yep, my husband won fair and square :(  He lost his 10lbs before I lost mine.  (This is harder than I thought, girls!)  I have lost 4 lbs...does that count for anything?  I guess I will be chainsaw shopping this weekend....wish me luck on  purchasing the right one!!!  (This will be an experience in itself.) 

Thanks for all your support and to those of you that baked desserts for my husband...I must say, he does have will-power!  I guess I can still learn something from him...

to all you mothers...

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.  Have a blessed day!

Cowboy Courtesy

Most folks don't relate a cowboy with manners, but true cowboys are true gentlemen!  Unfortunately, I find that "cowboy courtesy" has been negatively affected by our lenient society.  My family has always felt it an honor to be interconnected with the cowboy way of life...something to be proud of!  Seems as though this type of courtesy has gone by the wayside.

Let me share with you a less familiar form of cowboy etiquette that true ranch wives still notice...

When cowboys wear their spurs into a house it shows a lack of respct, and looked down upon by housewives.  But you can always tell a cowboy that has respect for you (and your home) when you see his gear looking like this next to your back door!

Some cowboy etiquette has been long forgotten.  It's important to hand down the "rules" to the next generation of cowpolks...because it's rough to learn the rules the hard way.







                                                                                                         This makes for one happy rancher's wife!
                                                                                                 

a new creation out of old

Yesterday I grabbed an old piece of barn wood...and today created something new out of something old!

Seems like I am always untangling one of my girls' necklaces, so I decided to build them a rustic jewelry board.  I used an old piece of barn wood, several horse shoe nails, and two horse shoes I bent.  Then I placed them where I wanted them, and screwed the whole board to the wall. 

They were quite pleased when they walked into their room today!  One for Mom!!  Now (hopefully) there won't be any more tangled necklaces...