Down it goes!

We own a blessed little chunk, 14 acres, of land in Central Michigan.  I jokingly say “between somewhere and nowhere, and it’s a wonderful thing.”  I refer to it as The Farm, but call it HOME.

The Farm really isn’t much of a faarrrmmm.  It’s more of “we have this land, lets enjoy it.  Lets try it.” It is “old” at the bones.  But it all has “new” skin.  A full body “face lift.”  It has charm.  I like to think it has a history, a story. 

This is what she looked like when we decided to love ‘er.

We tore her down.  To the bones.  Ripped out her guts.  All of them, her heart, stomach, and central nervous system.  Then we infused her with all our love, and built her into someplace spectacular.  A place to raise our family.  A place to call HOME.

My ubber talented, and nostalgia-guided, husband decided his next mission was to salvage the vintage Farm barn.  It was going to need a HUGE amount of patience, time, devotion, money, and imagination.  We found a wonderful man in our area who’s “hobby” is to restore these old barns to their original glory.  After consulting with him, husband had a plan.  He devoted the first few winters to pulling her back in, bringing it straight and tall.  New rafters were built.  Cables installed across the upper floor to pull the sides in tight.  (to “put a belt on her”, so to speak) It really started to look like the project was coming together.  About year 4, we made the leap to purchase all new metal for the ‘ol girl with the hopes that the time was nearing for a new roof. 

And then, on spring, summer and fall came and passed.  Winter was rough.  Snow was heavy.  All of the tightening and straightening we had done was starting to fail.  Gravity was taking over.  I was devastated.  Husband was devastated.  We made the decision, reluctantly, that we could no longer keep ahead of the pace of the Evil Deterioration. 

So over this past winter, we came to peace with the fact that the ‘ol girl had to be taken down, put out of her misery. (insert sadness, devastation, and denial here)

Well……  this is what I found in my drive way this past Friday.

 

The excavator.

The symbol of destruction.

 

 

 

Now, this is the landscape of The Farm.

Here is some shots of the process. (insert sadness, devastation and denial)

And now, its all in one big PILE.

One huge heap!

One monstrous disaster.

One sad Wife.

 

One one positive note, if there is one, our wonderful excavator was able to save my cupola.  He said he wasn’t sure how it survived.  It dropped 40+ feet vertically, and 40+ feet horizontally from its home.  I was giddy!  I told him it was meant to stay at The Farm.  It was its HOME.  I can’t wait to clean it up and put it atop the chicken coop.  It will always have a HOME at The Farm, just a new location.  :)

Well that’s all.  I’m going to go cry my eyes out now.

Sad tidings and love from The Farm.

Hold the salt, please!

I was never a person that was all about booze.  Now, don’t get me wrong or misunderstand that statement.  I’ve consumed my fair share of the devil’s liquid in my day.  I’ve had my share of the morning-after-misery to prove it.   

But these days, a cocktail of any sort is a rarity.  But, oh how I love having a good cocktail with my ladies.  Here is what I know, I have never been much of a beer drinker, still to this day.  I’ve tried ‘em all.  Lagers, ales, light, dark, malts, flavored, you name it.  And I can’t locate the taste buds for wine, of any flavor.  Whites, reds, ports, they all make me gag.  Not into foo-foo girly drinks with cute umbrellas. Double gag! 

But…….  Somewhere in a world far far away…. I have started a love affair with tequila.  Weird?  Yes.  Odd choice?  You betcha.  A bit dramatic? Absolutely!  But its true.  Now, don’t get carried away with the thoughts that some how I’m sitting around tossing back shots with a bit of salt and lime.  Just ain’t gonna happen.  I think that in itself might make me gag.  

I’ve really become accustom to the deliciousness of a great margarita.  I self admittedly profess that I’m a Margarita snob.  I’ll send a yucky one right back to the bartender for a redo with out a second thought.  And I can taste “cheap” tequila in a flash. 

I want a fresh, stand on your tip toes, limey margarita.

So here’s my perfect, and I do mean perfect, margarita. 

For one drink
1 1/2 oz. tequila (100% agave)
1 1/2 oz. triple sec or Cointreau
1 to 1 1/4 oz. of lime juice
Salt for the rim of the glass(optional)

Shake all the ingredients with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker until the exterior frosts. Strain into a glass over rocks, or "up" into a cocktail glass. A slice of lime as a garnish, while not strictly necessary, is a civilized touch.

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, ENJOY!

Cheers from The Farm

New way to look at eggs

Have you ever had this GREAT idea?  Or seen a really interesting project, small or large, and say to yourself “That looks sooo easy.  I’ll try it.  Why didn’t I think of that?”

Anyone who knows me, and I mean really knows me, knows that like a fool, I carry around a mini sketch book FULL FULL FULL of fabulous ideas.  AND I am constantly adding things too it.  If I see something interesting online, I print it off, cut and paste it to this little gem of a book.  If I’m out and about and fall in love with something, I snap a pic of it or sketch it into this book.

So I told you all of that to tell you this.

Quite a few years ago, I came across this wonderful “project” showing how to blow eggs (meaning blowing the innards out through a hole.  aka instant scrambled eggs.) and transform them into homemade "chocolate” eggs that the kids could peel like a real hardboiled egg at Easter.  So, here’s the process.

 

So I figured I should start this project on a small scale.

I started out with 5 eggs.  Honestly that’s all I had to spare.

 

 

Here is a picture representing the “blown” eggs.  I definitely learned a few tips.  One would be use a drill with a small bit.  I think it would make an easier and cleaner “hole.” 

Next we washed all the eggs.  Then boiled them in a small sauce pot 2/3’s full of water.  I added about 1/3 Cup of white vinegar to the water.  Why vinegar, you ask.  Cuz’ the directions told me too.  Simmered them about 20-25 minutes.

After the simmering in a vinegar water bath, I let them dry and drain for about 6 hours.  Making sure they were COMPLETELY dry, otherwise they can get a bit…funky inside.  I placed a small bit of tape over each hole, so one on each end.  Then the little babies hit the coloring pool with the regular hardboiled eggs.  Coloring was an interesting event, considering they want to float in the solution rather than sink like their hardboiled friends.  The little buggers!

After coloring, and glitter for “bling’ed eggs,” they look just like the others.

It was a fun project.  Wyatt loved the “egg peeing egg” (ahh the mind of a 5yo boy!)as he put it, but sure loved loved loved the cool scrambled eggs for breakfast.

 

I wish I could report to all of you how easy it was to fill them with chocolate, which I’m sure it is ….. the directions told me so.  However, I didn’t get that far.  We had a bit of drama at The Farm the week of Easter, which threw the whole week off.  But, back to the story, the directions call for making a chocolate “coating” by melting baking chocolate with a bit of cream.  Pour into eggs and swirl it around until completely coated on the inside.  Pour out remaining chocolate.  MY plan was to do this coating process a couple times, then make a peanut butter cream to fill the inner core with.  YUMO!  But like I said, I didn’t get that far.  

Maybe next year. 

It was a great project none the less.

Happy Easter, The Farm