Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sunday Night

I have honestly been thinking about what to write since Tuesday last week.

But, I've got nothing...

Pathetic I know.

But I realize I've been procrastinating about a few things, so I need to write them here so maybe I'll get them finished up.



1. DE-CLUTTER. I bet it's on most people's lists. (I just did a cabinet declutter, I'd show you, but then you'd be depressed about the lack of kitchen cabinets in my home.) I need to declutter a few closets, my office, freezers & fridge, my bedroom (which means my closet) and heaven knows my garage...And devise a plan so it doesn't become so overwhelming.

2. Paperwork. I need to catch up on paperwork. I have A LOT!!!! Farm records and stuff, I'd like it done before Jan 31, but let's be realistic and say Fed 15. Again...I need a plan that I will follow so I don't keep doing this!

3. Farm store-I need to get the stove fixed out there, clean it up, take an inventory on the remaining cuts of meat that I have, and where they are, and promote them as specials (so I can get them out of the freezer...)

So there's my post. Crap I need to do...

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Peanut Butter Cookies

OK. I have the EASIEST EVER peanut butter cookie recipe. 3 ingredients. Yeah that's it!! 3! (Are any of those even really sentences?) Best cookies ever and they make a perfect amount, not too many and not too few (unless you are like my girlfriend who has 21 12 children! But still everyone would get at least one... It makes 21ish cookies depending on your judge of an 1 inch ball. (Ok so I'm a grammar nerd. But "a 1 inch ball" sounds better than "an 1 inch ball" all though technically since it's a number under 100 I'm supposed to type it out...) Wow that's a long ramble for a parenthesis.

I Digress

Picture:
Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter (creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Place all three ingredients in a bowl. Mix all three ingredients with your hand!!!!  Very important, they will not turn out if you use a spoon or a mixer or a fork....I am telling you use your hand! And keep mixing until you get a "good cookie consistency." Roll into 1" balls and place on your cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between, these cookies don't spread too much. once you've got all the balls on the sheet :) create hash marks with a fork. Bake at 350 F for 8-12 minutes. Remove from pan when cool(er) and enjoy. Yeild: 24 cookies (depending on your 1 inch judgement)

I make these for lunches. Because with only 3 people in the house they last about 2 days (just enough time for you to want a different variety). And they are cheap. I mean 3 ingredients. So let me do some math really quickly....

1 c sugar $0.22
1 c peanut butter $.21
1 egg $0.13

So for $0.56 I have fresh homemade peanut butter cookies with no preservatives and I know what's in them.  Yes I know refined sugars...(I'm working on that!) and I also know that the peanut butter is also not homemade. But the egg was... so there!


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Year



The New Year pledge for this family is a spending fast. We are lucky in that we have almost no debt (except for my school loans). Our house is paid for, and we have no credit card debt. But this past year we have gone through some extensive changes. One is that I lost my full time town job. So now we are living off a farm income in the winter months (not a prosperous time for a farm). But I had money saved, and we are OK. I start a part time job off the farm next week so that will help some.

I figure that by cutting our budget (which was already slim) we will be able to save for next years winter months and put some away for our MAJOR projects. Major projects include city water, my MAIN focus this year. So on top of saving for winter months, I will be saving an additional $4,000. We live off the main road and will have to lay A LOT of pipe to the houses. So until then we live with water soluble iron. Lots of it! Lots! I think it can be done, I just have to be hardcore about it all. But I am either getting new water, or else!

I'm sure the rest of this year you'll see me pout about stuff...stuff I want. I know this farm will produce all that I need, but I know there will be stuff I want and can't have. But we are going to try to meet our goals. I'm going to be excited about this project...I probably will have to repeat that SEVERAL times this year.