Future Guard For Our Chickens

Just brought this little (BIG) guy home last Saturday. We have named him "Cherokee" , he is nine weeks old and weights about twenty three pounds, has super large feet. He is a real sweetheart, is very soft and fluffy. Full grown he will weight about one hundred twenty pounds or more. He is doing great with the house training, no accidents so far. We have be taking him for lots of rides in the car, he is doing great with that, seems to like it. We have introduced him to the goats, horses and cow. We will be introducing him to the chicken in a few days. We hope to have Cherokee watch over our chickens, so that they can free-range safely. Cherokee is a Great Pyreness and is breed as a working dog.

Super Sweet

Large Paw

Long day, time for a nap

          Bringing Home New Baby

We drove about three hours total to bring her home. My new baby is two months old and weights about one hundred sixty pounds, she is a Hereford calf. We think she is beautiful. She is very tame, and loves being around people. We have only had her for a couple of days. She seems to be settling in just fine. Until she grows and puts on more weight, she will be keeping company with my four goats. She has nice dry hay to bed down in, she is out of the weather and also has an outdoor run, for sunlight and room to move around. This is my first calf, with hopes of expanding to a herd of six or seven. I hope to stay with the Hereford breed. We have named her "Betsy", she is eating hay, grain and drinking plenty of water. She loves having her neck scratched. If she hears your voice she moos, she's learning it's time to eat. I have been taking lots of pictures of her.

First night home, settling in

Meet "Betsy"

Dinner

Pretty face

                    "Elf"  Apron 
Got a three pack of aprons for Christmas. I wanted to paint one of them with an"Elf" theme. I used acrylic paints. Drew on my elf, my own idea, no pattern or image tracing. I like the way it turned out. Next time I will iron the apron before painting.

               Fajita Chicken Salad
My husband and I love Fajitas, so I decided to make Fajita chicken salads. I simply cut up some boneless chicken breast into small strips. Place the chicken into a hot frying pan with about two tablespoons of olive oil, about half way through the cooking time add green peppers, cut into strips and chopped onion. I used McCormick's Fajita seasoning mix (one package). Finish cooking until the veggies are tender. We used a roman salad mix, cherry tomatoes, broccoli spears, some shredded cheddar cheese and topped it off with prepared Fajita Chicken, and a sweet and sour salad dressing. So good.

My Mother-In-Law's Jello Fruit Salad and Butternut Pound Cake

I first tried this jello salad at my Mother-in-law's about twenty-six years ago. She always made it as part of her Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve at her home. I loved it the first time that I tried it, thou I was doubtful of the sour cream filling. I have had this jello salad many times over the years and have made it a handful of times myself. My husband is a big fan, of this light flavorful dessert. This past year he had helped my mother-in-law with an auto repair, instead of any type of payment, he requested his mom make him this jello salad. She made the jello for him and I have made it once since myself. My mother-in-law said that she had been given this recipe from a friend many years ago, she believes it was sometime in the sixties. She also shared with me that she had also been given a favorite pound cake recipe (Butternut Pound Cake) from the same friend at the same time as the jello recipe.
We have made the pound cake many times over the years, but I did not know they had came from the same source, at the same time. My mother-in-law said her friend had always enjoyed them together. No matter how you eat theses desserts I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

These pictures have been enlarged making them easier to read. Jello Fruit Salad, the original recipe has sour cream in it, not the cream cheese. I am not sure why my mother-in-law made this change she has always made it with the sour cream.

This one not as clear. Butternut Pound Cake. Start with a cold oven. 3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup Crisco, 2 sticks margarine, 5 large eggs, 3 1/4 cups flour (plain) all-purpose, 1 small can milk (evaporated milk) add water to make 1 cup, 1/4 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons vanilla butter & nut flavoring.  

                Christmas Baking

I have been very busy planning and baking this week, for our Christmas Eve Party. It has been so much fun and a lot of work, but I truly enjoy every minute of it. Christmas is a special time of year for my family. The kids could not be more excited, even my husband is acting like a kid, go figure! I have to keep a close eye on him around the cookies. He says he can be my taste-tester. How sweet of him! To kick things off, I made Mini Fruitcakes, then it was Fruitcake cookies. The next cookie was Butternuts, then Peppermint Melt Aways, after that Cinnamon Bear cookies. I am also working on some savory recipes in between each cookie that I have baked. My other cookies have been Christmas Cherry cookies (both in red and green) a Chocolate Wow cookie and a Red Velvet Chocolate Chip cookie. As well as Chocolate Cherry Blossom cookies and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls (a candy). I also made a Cherry Blossom Fudge, I would use one stick less butter, this fudge was nice and firm, but still creamy and smooth. A Fruited Rice Cream, a Christmas version of rice pudding. Some of the savory treats are Spinach Dip w/ baby carrots and assorted crackers, Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Meatballs, Spicy Lil' Smokies, Chicken Cheese ball w/assorted crackers (www.allrecipes.com), a Ham and Swiss Pinwheels, Sausage Balls, Maple Apple-Chicken Bites and Mini Party Rolls. To wash it all down, Mocha Punch (a favorite from my sister,(www.tasteofhome.com) and a beautiful Crimson Punch (www.tasteofhome.com). Christmas breakfast includes a Hash Brown Casserole and Cinnamon Rolls. Later in the day we are having our traditional ham with homemade potato salad and rolls. May you each have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! God Bless Us One and All!!

Ready to go in the oven

Mini fruitcake, one of my favorites

Butternut cookies

Fruitcake cookies

Peppermint Melt Aways

Cinnamon Bears

Chocolate Wows

Cherry Blossoms

Christmas Cherry

Christmas Cherry

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip

 One of my girls had a surprise for me

I found a ginormous egg in one of my nest boxes. One of my girls is defiantly putting fourth that special effort. I suspect that one of my Buff Orpington are laying this gorgeous egg, they are the larger of my girls, but I could be wrong. If I'm able to find out which hen is responsible, I defiantly owe her a special treat, maybe a weeks worth of special treats. This egg measured three inches long. Looks more like a duck or goose egg.

Can't close the top on the carton

                           Visitor

We had an unwelcome visitor in the backyard this morning. My two large dogs had this little guy petrified, he was balled up just setting there. Not really playing possum, but not moving a muscle.
I distracted my dogs by giving them some dog biscuits, while my husband got one of our havahart traps. My husband of course had gloves on and rolled this little guy right into the trap. He grawled at us a couple of times, but surrendered without incident.

Poor little guy

He looks so sad, like he's crying

We let him have back his freedom by turning him loose in a wooded area close by.