Saturday, November 27, 2010

A Slum Gullion Day

 

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Rainy, windy, cold autumn days sure chill the bones.

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What a pleasure to hear the tea kettle whistling on the cookstove with the beginnings of a warm dinner simmering while you head out the door.

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The job of the day is making apple cider in a tent sheltered from the wind.

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Here, Mike, Ben and Abby load the press with the chopped apple slurry.

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Can’t you just hear that sweetness dripping into the pan, and doesn’t your mouth water for a taste?

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Raindrops on the mound of apples, sweet and crunchy.

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Randy sits regally in the mud watching over his farm.

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Jonathan’s red golden pheasant finds a sheltered place to snooze.

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His mandarin ducks feel right at home in mud.

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The Thanksgiving turkeys await their big celebration day of the year.

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A reminder of our purpose in this season.

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A satisfied thankfulness to God fills us as we gaze over the remains of the garden.  What bounty we have been blessed with this year.

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Eight little, nine little, ten little pumpkins…

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Becky’s bright boots heading indoors to make lunch.

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A well equipped mud room invites you home.

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The Slum Gullion recipe in Mom’s handwriting.

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When its ready, the others come indoors, lay their gloves by the stove to warm – oh, look, a stowaway!  He’s a praying mantis, a reminder of summer days now past.

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Just four of us home today, we find this dish warm and filling.  I, Becky, snapped this photo before Ben scrapes it clean!  Later I learn that it was not hamburger that I used, but ground Bear!  Sure tasted good!

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Before I close, I must show you Jonathan’s Biggest Ever nine-point buck that he shot on Opening Day.  The inside spread is 17 1/2 inches.  (Next time we will use venison for slum gullion.)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Come Ride With Me!

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Tal has been doing very well with riding. He loves riding down in the field and always perks his ears up wondering what will appear over the top of the hill. It is so fun to be riding!!

We decided that Hillary needed a quarter horse so she could go riding with me. We looked at Walmart, but all their quarter horses were too jumpy and too flashy. She doesn’t like paints. After much searching and praying we found a pretty mare and off we were to pick it up. It was alot of driving that morning so please excuse the next few pictures…

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  Everybody liked the horse when we saw her. Such a pretty copper shine in the sun.

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I think they like each other!

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Going home….

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That’s my new home? What a lovely pasture!!

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Shall we be friends?

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Hillary and I decided we would be too. =)

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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Infamous Wedding Broccoli Salad

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“If there are going to be 289 people and they eat 1/2 cup of broccoli salad each then we need to make……”

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“How many people and HOW much broccoli salad?!”

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”You’ve got to be kidding me!”

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Grandma thinks she has the best part of the salad…

she definitely does!

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Mmm, mmm! Grandma’s bacon is delicious!!

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Before the freely flowing tears, from overwhelming fears of leftovers.

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Broccoli chopping bee.

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Faithful little helper with her little plastic knife.

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I’ve never seen so much broccoli in my WHOLE entire life!”

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Getting ready to mix the goods.

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“Oh, here’s some more I found.”

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”MORE?????”

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“Juicy, juicy!”

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“I really don’t want my fingers in that stuff…” ”I’ll hold the baby!”

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“That was an easy escape.”

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“Help, guys! I think I’m going to need some help trucking this stuff to the wedding!”

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“Why do they need a truck just to haul a broccoli salad?”

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“It’s a big salad, folks, a HUGE salad!”

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“I came around the corner of the corn field and there it was! It was a huge dump truck with broccoli salad heaped in it and there was more in the cab!”

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It’s not going to get stuck, is it?

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Mary, go ask Emily where she wants all the broccoli!

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“I can’t think about broccoli salad now, I’m about to get married!”

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“I take you, James…”

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“Yep, I knew you would.”

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“Praise God! Let’s eat.”

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BROCCOLI SALAD

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“Who threw that broccoli at me?”

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“Bull's-eye!”

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“Yeah, that broccoli salad really hit the spot!”

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”I’ve had enough. Lock the car doors, we don’t want any leftovers.”

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“Now what do we do with the LEFTOVERS? We’ve eaten so much we’re turning GREEN!”

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“I have a wonderful idea!”

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“Oink, that stuff was SO good! Can we have the recipe?”

Brockletts Broccoli Salad

(Family Size)

6 cups Broccoli chopped very small

1 small sweet onion

~~Mix together~~

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar

1 T. vinegar

~~Stir together and mix in veggies. Refrigerate over night.~~

1/2 pkg. bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese,cubed

1 cup raisins

~~Mix before serving~~

Created with lots of hard work by Hillary B., Abby D., and Becky D.

Thank you to Thabeh, Amadu, Mom, and Ben for contributing thoughts and ideas.

Many thanks to Arianna Pollock for her wonderful photography! Adama also took a few of the shots.