Do farmers go on Spring Break?

Vacation.  It is something we probably all don't do enough of for various reasons:  time, money, and effort may be at the top of the list for many of us.  Farmers are possibly more guilty of this than others so it is no surprise that  I'm often asked if Farmers get to go on vacation?

Yes, we do, but it possibly takes more planning than other professions to accomplish.  In fact The Farmer and I just got back from taking the kids to Walt Disney World for their Spring Break last week.  It was an amazing time, but it took a lot of planning and coordination for The Farmer to be gone.  Thankfully we farm with his parents so vacations are possible as long as we don't vacation at the same time as his parents as one of us always needs to be around to take care of the pigs.  As I've said before the pigs are always our top priority.

In addition to coordinating and planning with The Farmer's parents, it has to be the right time of year to go on a vacation.  In general, the spring and fall are out.  This is partially why I was not ecstatic when our kids moved to a balanced school calendar and now have a 2 week fall and spring break.  In fact when our kids first started school, I didn't think we would ever go away on Spring Break.  We've gotten a little leeway on this since our Spring Break was the last week of March and not in April.  It was nice to be able to get away as a family after the winter we have had this year, but I know The Farmer thought about the farm every day... it is in his blood.

So yes, farmers do get to go on Spring Break, but it isn't always a given, can be very weather dependent, and takes lots of coordination and planning.  And it may come during the winter or summer.

Did you have a Spring Break?

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. 

What a busy, but fun few days

The last few days seem like a whirlwind.  Big Sissy and Bubby were on Fall Break last Thursday and Friday and we tried to squeeze in as much fun as we could and that didn't end until just a few minutes ago as we just got home from trick-or-treat.

On Friday afternoon, we headed up North for a quick 24 hour visit with my family.  My Aunt S came home from the hospital on Thursday so it was a blessing to be able to spend some time with her.  (Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts.  Please keep them coming as she still has a long road ahead of her, but she is doing much better than she was two weeks ago this time when she was suffering from an unknown at the time drug reaction.)

On Saturday, we had a family Halloween themed birthday party for Big Sissy, Bubby, and two of my nieces, Cousin B and A.  Their 4 birthdays fall within a month of each other between October and November so we have tried to celebrate all of their birthdays together the last couple of years which always is a lot of fun for all involved.

We headed back home late on Saturday night so everyone could sleep in their own beds and be well rested for Sunday as we decided to head to Kelsay Farms after church on Sunday.  You see I just happen to be lucky enough to know those Two Maids a Milking personally so they were kind enough to give us free tickets to visit the farm this year.  Thank you again, Amy and Liz!!

Now I realize you may find it odd that as farmers, we would want to go tour another farm, but we love visiting Kelsay Farms.  You see they are dairy farmers and there is just something about the cow.  I have always been a fan and it appears my kids are too.

In fact, Bubby tells us all the time that he wants to have dairy cows in addition to pigs when he gets bigger so time will tell.

Any way, we had a blast at Kelsay Farms and were even lucky enough to spend some one-on-one time with Miss Liz.

We might still be in the corn maze if she hadn't been with us.

Now Kelsay Farms is closed for 2011 as they are only open to the public during the month of October, but I would suggest that if you live close that you put it on your calendar now for 2012 as it really is a lot of fun for all ages and Bubby highly recommends the chocolate milk.  

Much to Big Sissy and Bubby's dismay, they had to head back to school today, but we squeezed in a little bit more fun as we went trick-or-treating tonight.

Trick-or-treating in the country is slightly different than when you live in a subdivision, but we wouldn't trade it for anything.  My good friend Miss Megan from Gal in the Middle did a great job of explaining trick-or-treat when you live in the country so be sure to check it out.  Let me just say our evening consisted of 2 1/2 hours in the car, 7 stops including one in a corn field, and over 41 miles on my van.

Needless to say, all three kids are fast asleep and I'm not far behind.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Grilled Garlic Artichokes

I've decided that my kitchen must have been pretty boring before I met Ott, A and she decided to start challenging me with her monthly Iron Chef Challenge.  Let me tell you for October, she did not disappoint as the secret ingredient was artichokes.  Now I love me some spinach and artichoke dip and my mother-in-law and Uncle M make a good one, but I had never ever worked with a fresh artichoke until now.

After searching on allrecipes.com, I stumbled upon a couple of different recipes and decided to try out the Grilled Garlic Artichokes recipe for a Latte' with Ott,A's October Iron Chef Challenge.

Grilled Garlic Artichokes
Ingredients
2 large artichokes
1 lemon, quartered (I had to substitute with lemon juice as I forgot to pick up a lemon at the store.)
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions

• • Fill a large bowl with cold water.  Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the water.  

  
  

  Trim the tops from the artichokes.
  
  

  

  
  

  Cut in half lengthwise.  

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Place halves into the bowl of lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.  (Hint:  I dip my apple slices in lemon juice or Sprite before serving at a party to prevent them from turning brown.)

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat.

  
  

  Add artichokes to boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Drain.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl.  Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip and place them on the preheated grill.  (My kitchen adventures usually involve family, but these artichokes involved the whole family as my mother-in-law helped me with the grilling and Big Sissy took the pictures so I could run Bubby to football practice.  Remember, there is never a dull moment at this pigpen.)

  
  

  Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with the dip and turning frequently until the tips are a little charred.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Serve immediately with the remaining dip.  

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Now I must admit, we weren't quite sure how to eat the artichokes, but thanks to our friends at Ocean Mist Farms and their website, we got a great tutorial.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  And thanks to the great tutorial and a yummy recipe, the artichokes got two thumbs up from Big Sissy which is not an easy feat and my mother-in-law used the leftover dip as a marinade for grilled potatoes the next day.  

  
  

  All in all, I'd say we conquered the artichoke with lots of help and will be trying them again at this pigpen.  
  
  

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Fun

What do you get when you have 3 kids and a soon-to-be Aunt?

Tons of fun in the leaf pile...

Thanks Aunt N for the fun!  We love you!

Linked to the following Wordless Wednesday Parties:

Dagmar*s momsense

live and love...outloud

Mama Dweeb

Pinke Post

Project Alicia