For the love of the farm

I've shared what my favorite part of being a farmer is, but often I'm asked what is the kids' favorite part about growing up on a farm.  Their answers often vary, depending on the day and what's on the docket for the day.  I know living on a farm is not always easy, but then there are days like today that let me know for sure they truly love it.

Big Sissy had a track meet today and I know she is exhausted after competing in 3 events:  high jump, 400, and the 200.  (She had personal bests and set new school records in the high jump and 400.)  Yet after getting home from the track meet, she headed to our monthly 4-H meeting and is now out in the barn cleaning the pens of the 4-H pigs.  If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

Big Sissy clearing 4' 5"

Bubby is always wanting to help on the farm and today he received a big promotion.  We aren't quite ready to just turn him lose, but Bubby got to do this

Bubby's solo driving debut

for the first time ever today by himself.  He is still on cloud 9 and is probably going to have a tough time falling asleep tonight.

And then there is Little Sissy who was sad I made her come inside to get ready for bed.  She wants to be right there helping Big Sissy or riding in the tractor with Daddy.  As a half-day kindergarten student that spends her afternoons on the farm, I often think she knows more about what is going on than the rest of us as she listens to every one's conversations.

Seeing their love of the land and animals is an amazing feeling for this mom.

Who says you can't go home

Home is where the heart is...

This summer has been full of events that have made me think of "home."  And not just where I live today, but where my heart has been over the years.

The summer started with a major focus on 4-H at this pigpen.  Big Sissy is a 4th generation 4-Her as this was her second year of 4-H.  With our county fair the last week of June, Big Sissy spent the majority of her time the month of June working on her many 4-H projects.  As I've said before, 4-H has always played a big part in the lives of The Farmer and me and it is such a joy to watch Big Sissy love 4-H.  Now I'm not quite sure how we will make it when all 3 kids are in 4-H, but we will find a way just like The Farmer and I's moms did.

 



Any way, Big Sissy had a pretty amazing second year of 4-H that will continue into the State Fair next week.  I'm so glad that she is enjoying carrying on this tradition that was started many years before her and is even seeing some success in the show ring like my mom did many years ago which was  lot of fun as my mom and Aunt S were there to share in the fun that night along with The Farmer's parents and Uncle K. 

 



I even got to visit my "home" county fair this year.  This was my youngest cousin's last year of 4-H.  He was the last of my generation to finish 4-H in our county.  There had been someone in 4-H in my home county since I started 4-H more years ago than I'd like to admit... 1987.  That is a lot of years of family picnics, traditions, and fun at the fair.  Hopefully next year, my niece will start 4-H and start the tradition of the next generation of 4-Hers in my home county. 

Some things have changed but many have stayed the same including many of the faces.  It was great to visit my home fair even if I do like my own recipe for Beef and Noodles better than theirs now, but this is where my love of Beef and Noodles started. 

This past weekend I really did get to go to one of my past "homes." 

 



Several of my sorority sisters and I converged on Purdue University for the weekend to relive our college years.

 



It was amazing to see so many women that had an impact on my life and to visit one of the houses that really built me. 

So I don't know who says you can't go home, because I've been going "home" all summer long. 

And although this summer has gone by in the blink of an eye and isn't officially over, the start of school is coming sooner rather than later at this pigpen as Big Sissy and Bubby head back to school on July 31st.  This just may or may not be the same day Big Sissy's pigs and muffins go to the State Fair for judging later in the week.  (No pressure on The Farmer or I.)  That being said hopefully we can still squeeze in a few trips "home" either down memory lane or making new memories with what is left of the summer of 2013. 


Thanks to Indiana's Family of Farmers for getting me to return to my "home" of blogging.  Although this is a sponsored post as I'm a Table Talk Contributor this month for Indiana's Family of Farmers, my love of my "homes" and the traditions and recipes of them are all my own opinions and thoughts. That being said, be sure to check out Indiana's Family of Farmers on Facebook, Twitter, or their blog as they have a lot of fun stuff happening especially with the upcoming Indiana State Fair. 

Time marches on...

3 weeks to go.

The last time I blogged, Bubby had just graduated kindergarten and school was out for the summer.  As I sit here today, I realize that 3 weeks from today Big Sissy and Bubby will be heading back to school to be 4th and 1st graders, respectively.  Where has the summer gone?

The month of June was a whirlwind for us with work for this full-time off-farm working momma,

Big Sissy's 1st year ribbon collection

Big Sissy's first year of 4-H,

Bubby's first year of mini 4-H,

Little Sissy thought she needed to go to soccer camp in Big Sissy's gear

 soccer camp,

Big Sissy and my mother-in-law get ready to board the bus to 4-H camp

4-H camp for Big Sissy and my mother-in-law,

My family at the wedding

 and a very special wedding for Uncle K and Aunt N.

And so far July is just flying by so with the kids heading back to school earlier than normal this year with the introduction of the balanced calendar, their summer vacation is almost over.  This is so bittersweet as I know time doesn't go by any slower during the school year and my children are growing up before my eyes.  I know this is supposed to happen, but I just didn't think it would happen so fast.

So I must apologize for my lack of blogging the last few months and I hope to get back on track, but please forgive me if my posts are far and few between now and August 1st as I want to enjoy as much time as possible with the kids before school starts.  (We refuse to call it the end of summer as we still have a few more things to accomplish once the kids go back to school.)

Needless to say...

Time marches on

My random return...

The month of January has flown by and now the groundhog has seen his shadow which means another month is underway.  The start of 2012 has brought a lot of work travel for this full-time off-farm working momma which hasn't left much time for blogging or really much else besides work and being a momma.

February isn't looking much better, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully with time my blogging will return to some sort of normal schedule, but in the mean time, here's what I got... a bunch of random thoughts.

One month of 2012 has brought the pigpen one case of strep throat, one ear infection, and 2 migraines.  Believe it or not, we may be off to a slower start than past years.

This may or may not have to do with the unseasonably high temperatures we have been experiencing, but I'm not holding my breath.  I'm waiting for winter to appear when we least expect it.  Let's face it, I live in a place that is supposed to have 4 seasons... I like the 4 different seasons, but don't want to experience winter in March when we are supposed to be getting ready for Spring.  Time will tell.

I hate that I live a little over 30 miles from our state's capital and can not get a good high speed internet connection at this pigpen.

I love fountain cokes and yes, the foam cup makes all the difference.  This also applies to McDonald's Sweet Tea.

I am both excited and scared to death that Big Sissy has officially enrolled for her first year of 4-H.  How is it possible that I have a child old enough to be in 4-H?  And for the record, I feel exactly the same way about her starting to read the Harry Potter series.  She is on book 3 of the series.

The Hunger Games was the December book for my book club.  I was unable to attend the December meeting and unfortunately, never found time to read the book... that is until about 2 weeks ago.  Let me just say, it was amazing.  I ended up reading all 3 books in the series in less than a week.  (This was one place where the work travel really came in handy as I had lots of reading time at the airport and on the plane.)  I would highly recommend the series and can't wait for the movie to come out in March even though I may have to wait for it come to Redbox before I ever get to see it.

We love Redbox at this pigpen.  So far this year, we have seen Mr. Popper's Penguins, Courageous, and Moneyball among others.

We love football at the pigpen and I'm so thankful, we were able to spend a few hours last night at the NFL Experience and the Super Bowl village.  Indianapolis is quite lucky to be hosting Super Bowl XLVI and we were lucky to soak it all up last night.

Speaking of lucky, Uncle A, my brother, has tickets to the Super Bowl thanks to that special lady in his life that we adore.

I'm addicted to Cookies & Cups recipes after finding her recipe for Salted Caramel Butter Bars on Pinterest thanks to Martini.  Two weeks ago I made those said bars and The Farmer called them "caramel crack."  Last week I made her Swirled Caramel Pretzel M&M Blondies.  I think I might try out her Peanut Butter Cup Fluffernutter Blondies for the Super Bowl.  Besides her recipes, I also love the commentary she shares prior to each recipe.

I can probably count on both hands the number of times I have wore a dress in the last 5 years; however, I am planning on packing 3 dresses to wear next week while I'm gone for work.  I've decided that they are really pretty comfortable and so easy to pack.

And I think I'll end my random thoughts with one really random happening in my life... I currently live 3 hours away from where I grew up and most of my family still lives.  Any way, Big Sissy's basketball coach is from that same town and we just may or may not have graduated from high school together.  What a small world!

What random thoughts do you have running through your head right now?

Cooking with an 8 year old : Somewhere over the rainbow cupcakes

As you know our fair is this week and it is Big Sissy's last year as a mini 4-Her.  She will be in real 4-H next year which is quite scary for this momma for many reasons.

This year for her mini 4-H cake decorating project, she was challenged with exhibiting 3 cupcakes that she decorated with icing, using a cake decorating tip, and candy.  On one of our many trips North to visit my family this summer, she spent some time on my iPad googling cupcake designs  and found the perfect one for her.

So after making 2 dozen chocolate cupcakes, she made a double batch of our homemade butter cream icing to make sure we had more than enough.  She then put a portion of the icing in a bowl as she needed white icing and blue icing for her cupcakes.  After dividing off some of the white icing, she dyed the remaining icing blue using Wilton's royal blue icing coloring.

She then iced all of the cupcakes blue

and then dipped her spatula in warm water to smooth out the icing.

After selecting her best 3 cupcakes, she then used her star tip (that she got from our amazing cousin as a birthday present) to create white clouds on her blue cupcakes.

Then she used Airheads Xtreme Sour Belts, to create the rainbow between the two white clouds.

As a finishing touch, she sprinkled clear edible sprinkles on her cupcakes.

I realized I'm a little biased, but I think she did pretty good.

Linked to Hoosier Homemade

Farmer Fridays - What does the county fair mean to you?

Our county fair started today which is always a favorite time of year at this pigpen.  As you know 4-H and the county and state fair played a big role in mine and The Farmer's lives growing up and continue to do so today.

I saw a status update on Facebook today complaining about the midway/carnival rides at our county fair this year (long story short, our old vendor recently filed bankruptcy and the fair board had to scramble at the last minute to find something for the midway so I will be the first to admit it is less than desirable this year) which got me thinking the midway never has been and never will be why my family goes to the fair.

Now don't get me wrong, I've been known to ride a ride or two in my past at the county fair, but the county fair is so much more to me.

Growing up, it was where my family was a family.  The Farmer and I are both third generation 4-Hers so our families each have many traditions and memories around the county fair.  Going to the county fair is about seeing our friends from all over the county that we may of may not see that much throughout the year.  It is about showcasing the 4-H projects that the 4-Hers have worked hard on during the year and weeks and days leading up to the fair.  It is about the livestock that the 4-Hers and their families have raised with the dream of winning that purple ribbon.  Truthfully, it is a way of life for many of us that are proud former 4-Hers because 4-H helped make us the people we are today.

So I realize you may not have all of these deeply rooted reasons for going to the fair and it may just be about the fair food and midway which is OK, but just remember, the fair is about so much more.

Wordless Wednesday: Got Paint?

Tonight our 4-H club (my mother-in-law and I are leaders together of a club), we painted at our county fairgrounds as our community service project.  Our club has painted at the fairgrounds in anticipation of the fair the last couple of years and it is a great way to give back to our community; plus, it is a lot of fun.

Well Big Sissy, Bubby, and Little Sissy aren't even in 4-H yet (Big Sissy will join next year), but that didn't keep them from joining in on the fun...

Linked to the following Wordless Wednesday parties:

Pinke Post

Project Alicia

Dagmar*s momsense

live and love...outloud

Farmer Fridays - My Mother's Day Tribute

Well last year at this time, some of our corn had been in the field for a couple of weeks as we planted our first corn field on April 16th.  This year has not gone so well and we have yet to plant the first seed for 2012.

The Farmer and his parents just keep busy doing all kinds of odd jobs around the farm to keep themselves from going crazy from all of the rain.  (If only we could send the rain to our friends in Texas that so desperately need it.)  Let's face it, just like our homes, there is always something to be done at the farm and there is never a dull moment.  We just prefer certain jobs to others and this time of year we want to be planting corn and soybeans.

Since there isn't much action on the farm in terms of planting, I thought I would dedicate this Farmer Fridays to my mom in honor of Mother's Day.

As you know, The Farmer is the 4th generation of his family to farm and raise pigs in our county.  Although I didn't grow up on a farm, my mom did and she made sure we had a great appreciation and love for agriculture and pigs in particular as she was from a pig farm, of course.  So it is very exciting for me to be raising my kids on our family's pig farm.  I just wish my maternal grandpa was here to see it.

Any ways, my love of pigs comes naturally.  Besides growing up on a pig farm, my mom and dad showed pigs in 4-H. My mom was quite successful bringing home many purple ribbons in her 10 year career.  (For those of you not acquainted with the 4-H program, a purple ribbon is the pinnacle of success and the ultimate goal.)

Just a few of her purple ribbons

As I was looking through some of my mom's 4-H pictures, I ran across an essay she wrote her last year of 4-H at age 19.  Here's an excerpt:

"4-H is a great organization that encourages family togetherness.  I joined 4-H because I wanted to belong and share experiences with my family and community.  My interest in 4-H Club work began and developed by helping my family on the farm.  I was eager to help in any capacity.  


My interest in swine developed by helping with the farm chores.  I started by helping feed our hogs and cleaning the feeding area between the barns.  Everything did not always go smoothly.  Such as the day I was helping my dad with some sows and I had to take a flying leap, head first, over the fence; or the day I was trying to stop a pig and he ran between my legs.  With the help of my father I eventually exhibited responsible and independent behavior in caring for our hogs.


By working with my pigs, I learned the importance of organization and management in the swine business.  Raising hogs is a business that requires hard work.  I learned early to be alert, observant, and to take orders.


Hogs are important to my family because they are the source of our income, food, and way of life."


Truthfully, I don't know if I could say it any better myself.

Our likeness even goes one step further as my mom even gave a cooking demonstration on a local TV station during her 4-H career.  Although I've yet to give a cooking demonstration on TV, it appears she was ready for The Real Farmwives of America and Friends In the Kitchen with Gooseberry Patch partnership years before it existed.  Additionally, I think her recipe would have made my list of Links I Love for a Mother's Day Celebration if only she had blogged about it back then.

Big Sissy carrying on the pig showing tradition... she gets it from all 4 sides of the family.

Farmer Fridays - It all started with a lamb or two

Although I'm sometimes known as the proud pork mom and love me some pigs and pork, my 4-H livestock career began with 2 lambs and actually a few rabbits.  Although my mom had grown up on a hog farm and both of my parents showed pigs in 4-H, when I started 4-H at age 10,we didn't really have a place to keep pigs, but we thought we could make it work with a few lambs, Chip and Dale.   (Real creative I know.)  Eventually, it would work out that I would be able to show pigs in 4-H, but it all started with sheep.

Now that being said, I will admit I have never been a fan of lamb so I was a bit nervous when it was announced that the secret ingredient of Ott, A's February Iron Chef Challenge would be lamb.  But I was up to the challenge especially since it was lamb chops and I had never tried lamb chops.  

So now I was on a mission much like I was with the duck challenge of January to find an easy to prepare, kid-friendly recipe.  Thanks to allrecipes.com I think I succeeded and with my good friend, Leah at Beyer Beware, as inspiration and the hints on the website, I even made a few tweaks to the recipe.

Baked Lamb Chops - Ingredients

3 eggs

1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 t. Soy sauce

12 (5.5 oz.) lamb chops

2 cups dry bread crumbs

garlic powder 

freshly cracked black pepper

fresh parsley

Now I started with 4 lamb chops, so I cut the recipe back by 2/3 and only used one egg, a 1/2 teaspoon of each of the sauces, and about a cup of breadcrumbs.  

So before I did anything, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.

Then in a medium bowl, combine the egg and Worcestershire sauce and Soy sauce; stir well.

Dip each lamb chop in the egg/sauce mixture.

Then lightly dredge in the bread crumbs.  (Since my breadcrumbs were not flavored, I added some garlic powder to the bread crumbs prior to dredging the lamb chops.)

Then arrange chops in a 9x13 baking dish and top with freshly cracked black pepper.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turn chops over, and cook for 20 more minutes, or to desired doneness.  (Now based on some of the tips on the website, I did line my baking dish with foil, but I don't know if I would recommend this as some of my breading from the chops stuck to the foil.)

After baking for first 20 minutes

Pretty easy if you ask me.  

Now last night was a weird night at this pig pen as Big Sissy was asleep by 5:30pm as she came home from school complaining of a sore throat.  (When she woke up at 8:15pm, we headed to urgent care where she was diagnosed with strep throat.  Not fun, but I'm glad we went last night as she just woke up this morning and is already like a new kid.)  Bubby fell asleep on the couch before dinner was ready as he has had 2 busy days of hanging out with Cousin N and Cousin E.  So it was just Little Sissy, The Farmer, and me to try the lamb chops.  We really didn't know what to do in such a quiet house.

Baked Lamb Chop with Fresh Parsley Garnish

Any way, the lamb chops were a hit; although, The Farmer did ask if I could try the recipe with pork chops next time.  So it wasn't a complete conversion with The Farmer, but thanks again to Ott,A for making us live outside our comfort zone once again.

And be sure to check back in 2 weeks from today, as Ott,A, will be doing a guest blog right here for Farmer Fridays.  In the mean time, if you want to learn more about sheep or lamb, be sure to check out her blog as it is full of information.