Summer time happenings at the "farm"

For those of you who know me, well, ya'll already know that I go MIA occasionally, and I am not a  "steady" blogger. Anyway, summer time has definately arrived at the farm. We got our very first cucumber of the season just this week, and it seems like over night they multiplied by the dozens. So what do you do with dozens of cucumbers???

Well, you make pickles, of coarse. I will post the easiest sweet pickle recipe ever in a few days. I want to show you something more fun today, because summer time at the farm is not always all work.

Camping has become a big part of our lives. Just look at these two relaxing in their chairs. Yes, this is HER chair, and she knows that it belongs to her. If you ask her if she wants to get in her chair, she goes to the red one that her daddy brought home for her.

 We have enjoyed camping so much over the last two years that we want to upgrade again, to a fifth wheel this time. This is the one that I want, and this is the little salesman that has no idea he is on my blog.

 Ya'll all know how much I love to cook, therefore,  I want need a great kitchen.  It is so pretty with the upgraded cabinets and counter top. This really has a lot of counter top space for a camper kitchen.

The leather furniture would work wonderfully for Sophie, especially when she comes in with those little nasty feet after chasing the squirrels.

 It takes so little to impress me. I love that it has a storage cabinet for the garbage can. The salesman thought it was hilarious that I was so impressed with this.

 Hubby loved that there was a remote for everything in the camper....slides, jacks, and of coarse the tv and radio.

 It didn't hurt that it had two recliners. I suggested taking one out because it would be a little roomier with just one, but hubby says no, Sophie will want one all to herself, right  beside him. He thinks he is her "favorite" parent. Okay, so he is!

They have agreed to put a fireplace under the tv, if we decide to purchase this one. Well, my mind is made up already, so we will see how things play out.

Soooo, even tho this one is only a year old and we have made many great memories in it, it will be going up for sale in a week or so.

This was our first little camper, and we loved it, but quickly realized that it just wasn't big enough. Wish us luck in another upgrade. The next one will be our "forever" home away from home if it works out.

Do you camp?? If so, do you prefer all of the "amenities" of home, or do you enjoy primitive style camping?

Stay tuned for that pickle recipe if you have extra cucumbers.  

Strawberry Jam/Syrup

It is finally summer time here at the farm, and I am LOVING it! We have had fresh strawberries for several weeks now, so I finally got around to making some "jam". Well, hubby wants it really runny so that he can pour it on his pancakes, so I call it "syrup".

This is hubbies plate from last night....pancakes with the strawberry "syrup" and cool whip on top. This strawberry "syrup" is right from the pan.

 It is so wonderful to be able to go out and pick fresh fruit when ever you choose.

 I had to drag out all of my canning pans........

 and jelly jars

I used twine and brown paper to label them with instead of writing the name and date on the top. It just seemed a little more "farmhouse" like. 

 Guess what will be on the menu next week?? New potatoes in white gravy sauce, with cornbread. Oh YUM! I can't wait for fresh potatoes!

Of coarse, we will have to have some fresh onions with it. It will be scrumptious if you wanna stop by for a bite :)

Speaking of canning and such, have any of you ever tried this?? I did last year, and I have already bought up packets for this year. I used this for canned pasta sauce, and it is the best "stuff" I have ever eaten! It must be a popular item, because I couldn't find it at the end of last summer. I made it and used it with the cheese stuffed ravioli. Try it if you have extra fresh tomatoes, you won't regret it. Oh, I am not getting paid for advertising this, it is just something that I LOVED.

Happy Memorial Day!

Bubba C's Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ya'll all know how much I LOVE to cook, and eat!! My friend's husband made me some home made barbecue sauce from scratch, so I couldn't wait to do some pulled pork to put it on. Oh YUM! I wish ya'll could taste it. But since you can't, I will show you pictures and tell you how good it was.

Since I am trying to drop a few pounds, I left the bread off. Normally, I would have put the pulled pork and slaw all on a bun, and stacked it as high as I could get it. As you can see, I didn't, and it was still wonderful just like this!

I cooked a pork tenderloin in the crock pot, in lemon juice, to cut that pork "whang" taste that I can't stand, then tore it apart and poured the Bubba C BBQ sauce on it....yea, that is the official name. Doesn't it sound great?

Can you see how thick it is?  It is an original, which I like. I do hope he remembers what he put in it, because I need another batch to keep in the camper :)

This is what it looked like after soaking up the Bubba C BBQ sauce. Isn't it beautiful?? Wish you could taste it!

Of coarse I had to make some baked beans and cole slaw to go with it, then put even more sauce on my meat.

If only I would have had it last week end at the camp ground to put on these burgers...but his wife kept forgetting to bring it to me....bet he doesn't know this!

Thank you, Bubba, for the BC BBQ sauce. It is great!

Easiest ever strawberry cake

I can remember my mother making this when I was a child, and I wouldn't touch it! Oh, if I had a piece now. I posted this on my old blog once upon a time, and it was actually published in another blogger's family recipe book. It is a great summer time desert, and as easy to make as it is good!

See, I could stop at this step right here. Oh, this cake mix smothered with sweetened condensed milk is fabulous! But, the recipe goes on......

Not much to the ingredients, but I think cooking with fresh eggs makes everything better.

Once the cake is done and still hot, take a fork and poke holes in it until it is pretty much torn to pieces.

Next, and this is my favorite.....take two cans of sweetened condensed milk and pour all over the cake. See those chunks of tore up cake in there?? Well, take a huge bite of that, you may really stop here...oh yum!

 Once the milk has soaked in, and the cake has cooled, take two container's of frozen strawberries with the juice and pour on cake (the more the better according to hubby)

Top with cool whip, chill and serve. Actually, it is much better if you make it the day before, and it is just down right cold. Of coarse, this has to be refrigerated, if it last that long. Give it a try, you will love it!

One yellow cake mix, cook according to directions
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 containers frozen strawberries in juice
1 container of cool whip

Linking up with Maria Elena  for Tuesdays at our Home

Random, unpopular "stuff"

When I started back to blogging recently, it was for my benefit. I wanted a "journal" if you will, to post about our lives (not personal things), but Sophie, the garden, the weather, or just whatever I choose to blog about. So this will be one of those "random" post that are not popular with most, but that is ok, I can come back a year from now and enjoy if I choose, so here goes.....for me.....and my memories later on.

Can you believe we are still using our fireplace in May?? Yes, I had the fire on Monday, May 6th, 2013 because it was so cold and wet! This is so unusual for Mississippi weather.

My ferns were brought into the garage over the week end because we had a frost and temps were in the 30's......in May!

I had a "volunteer" geranium coming up in this little pot that I have been nursing, only to find Sophie Parsons sitting on top of it guarding whatever she buried, probably that big chunk of pizza that I saw her running thru the house with earlier.

Yes, she was guarding it from Sonny. Poor Sonny, he is so old,  he may not be with us this time next year. He puts up with so much off of Sophie because she rules! Sonny is the best also.

This was a chair that I made a U-turn in the road to go back for one day and threw it in the back of the 4-runner. Sophie is so nosy, she had the best time riding home in this chair,  and she even went to sleep in it. I think that is why her hair is so "tosseled" here.

 

This is Sparky. She probably weighs 100 lbs. People think she looks like a big black bear, but in her mind, she is Sophie's size. Sparky thinks she is a lap dog. She is another one of my rescues. She is at the door barking and demanding some "people" food in this pic.

Enough "randomness" for today. This time next year, I can look back at these things that were going on around here if I choose:)

Snicker Salad

Here is an "Oh So Yummy" recipe for you sweet lover's that do not like to cook. The most difficult part of the recipe was chopping the snickers bars! For you health food people, it does have apples in it. Does that count??
I found this recipe here, (I beleive in giving credit where credit is due) but tweaked it to fit my liking, just like any good cook would do (wink).  Ya'll know a good cook never follows the recipe, right????

I didn't even think about taking pictures and posting this recipe for everyone until after I had already made a huge mess.

Chopping the snicker's was the hardest part, because for some reason, I came in and threw them in the freezer. Why?? I have no idea. It made them really, really hard to cut, so don't do that!

 Then, you just sling all of the ingredients over into the kitchen aid and turn it on and let it mix.

 And.......WA- LAAA.....simple, but sweet goodness!

And I guess your wondering about the jelly jar?? Well, I had no cute glass desert dishes to serve this to company in, so I just put it into mason jars and put the lid on them. For the ones who were too full for desert, I just sent it home with them so that I didn't have to finish off the whole thing the next day! I had this left over, so I filled the jelly jar for one of my walking buddies.

Alright, here is the recipe after I "tweaked" it to my liking

2 8oz packages of soft cream cheese
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 32oz tub of cool whip
2 granny smith apples
12 regular size snickers bars

Chill at least an hour before serving, and the mason jar idea worked wonderfully for us!
If only I had some pecans in the freezer, I would have topped each serving with them...and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of that, yum!

I am joining Elaine at Sunny Simple Life Sunday blog party, and Yvonne over at StoneGable for On The Menu Monday.

Toile wallpaper

Remember when I told you that BACK DOOR GUEST are the best?? Well, that is true, but entering through our laundry room was not the most inviting room for our back door guest, so I spruced it up a bit with some toile wall paper.

 Of coarse, I had to add some "junk" finds.

 An old whiskey barrel and some over sized moss balls.

 An old cotton basket and watering can with some fake greenery.

 Of coarse there are those things that are staples in this room, and things that I have no place to hide, and an old out-of-date washer and dryer that still work, and will stay as long as they continue to work :)

Just another staple in our home that I am proud to be able to offer to any 4-legged visitor that comes thru the back door.

You can see how long and narrow this room is, which made it most difficult to photograph. See Sophie's little doggy door??

The big upright freezer is also not pretty, but it will be filled with fresh garden food soon. There are just some rooms that will never be the most inviting in a home, but I am really liking the way that the toile paper cozied this un-inviting room up.

I left the ceiling a shade of brown because (1) I didn't want  wasn't able to paint it after hanging paper on these 10 feet walls, and (2) I really like the brown color with the red wall paper.

Now,we are leaving out of the laundry room headed into the kitchen where I hope you will join me for my next post on the easiest, and yummiest recipe ever!

I am joining Sherry over at her  Open House Party.