Tuesday, August 11, 2015

MORE PICTURES: because people like pictures of farm life...and FOOD!

(CAPTION INCLUDED)

VEGETARIAN AND HAM AND CHEESE QUICHE
WITH FRUIT SALAD

YEAH...NO ONE HAS ANY FUN HERE.
NO ONE KNOWS THIS, BUT THIS IS A FARMERS VERSION OF
"QUARTERS."
(IF YOU GREW UP IN THE 80'S YOU ...BARELY...REMEMBER THAT GAME)

FRANKS RED HOT CHICKEN/SWEET BABY RAYS CHICKEN

WHAT A FARM WIFE PULLS UP TO
WHEN SHE SAYS SHE IS ON HER WAY WITH
ZIPS. 


THE CAKE THAT CAUSED ALL RUKUS.
STRAWBERRY JELL-O CAKE WITH VANILLA PUDDING W/ COOL WHIP FROSTING
HOLY HELL THIS BABY WAS GOOD.
THERE WAS A MUTINY WHEN IT WAS GONE. 

LENTIL CHILI AND
CINNAMON ROLLS

(SEE...HARVEST COOKING IS WHY I MUST KEEP RUNNING WITH KRIS!)

WAVE DRIVING INTO THE SUNSET...
THIS IS WHEN I GOT TIRED...REALLY REALLY TIRED....

Pre-planned Sick Day ...with Pictures!

I have had a lot of people ask me how harvest is going, and why I haven’t been posting on my blog. Well, harvest is going…and that is why I haven’t been posting on my blog.


But seriously, harvest is going “fine.” I do believe that that is all a farm wife is allowed to say. Frankly, right now, that is all anyone can say. Some fields are yielding better than expected; some are yielding worse. It is, I think most people can agree, a strange year, and one that none of us are going to be able to wrap our heads around until the final bulk tank has been emptied and all of the numbers are tallied up.

I had a friend say to me the other day that he heard that farmers were having a great year; that the hot dry weather was making for easy cutting and that yields were way above average. I almost spit my beer through my nose. This is also the friend that said that even on a bad year farmers must make good money – after all, look at the machines they drive – and geez…they only drive them for one month of the year.

I say this not to make fun of my friend, but because I have heard this sentiment before, and if I wrote candidly, I might even say that I assumed a little bit of that in the past. Not fully, mind you, since I did grow up here, but I would say I might have had that thought cross my mind on occasion since I wasn’t raised by a wheat farmer like my friends were.

One thing I can tell you is that the misconception is out there because farmers are individual entrepeneurs and unless they are talking to each other – and in some cases even if they are – the DO NOT generally discuss their finances, their farm plans, or their budgets. I mean really, does anyone?
That being said, all that I can tell you is that the initial numbers are weird, sporadic, surprising, disappointing, and confusing. Pretty much like our weather this year.

And thus, during all of this confusion I have been just pushing through with the usual; running with my sole sister Kristina every morning – regardless of how tired we are, cleaning, watering, writing, working pigs, and baking…and then repeat that pattern…running, watering, cleaning, writing, working pigs, and baking. 

And, as I result, I sent a text to my friend Cheryl that I thought summed up the reason why I am not blogging as much as I wanted to be this year: (I’m paraphrasing here, but it went something like this)

 I think I am having a harvest break down. 
I am tired of being hot. I am tired of being dirty. 
I am tired of lifting heavy things, packing lunches, lugging that ice-filled drink cooler. 
I am tired of having nasty fingernails. I’m tired of watering. 
I’m tired of pigs and the smell of pig poop. 
I’m tired of the squelch of f*in radio. I’m tired of sitting in a field. 
Frankly, I think I’m just tired.

Therefore, today, after the chores are done, I am planning on taking a sick day. (I can see all the farmers groaning and all of the farm wives laughing but I’m doing it anyway) It’s been way too long since I’ve been in my jammies, made a cup of tea, and snuggled on the couch with my kiddos to watch a movie. We have a date this afternoon, and I can’t wait until it gets here…that is – as I have warned them – IF I don’t get called back out to the field. 

Here are some pictures that I thought you might enjoy: 

THE HOME FRONT

AMY WARWICK
DATE NIGHT WITH THE FARMER


DUSTIN:
 LOADING UP LUNCHES

CHAD HANSEN :
HONORARY MEMBER OF THE CREW
AND ALWAYS ONE OF THE FAMILY

LONNY AND WAVE: 
FIXING HE HEADER

PIZZA BAGELS:
(VEGETARIAN AND ICKY ONES)





WAVE AND DUSTIN:
SETTING THE HEADER WHEELS

JACK WARWICK: 
HITCHIN' A RIDE



MORE PICTURES ON THE NEXT BLOG...THIS ONE DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO HOLD ANYMORE....





























Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Harvest Pictures 2015

 DINNER TONIGHT: 
LEFTOVERS
BECAUSE...
I had too much fun hanging out with the crew today taking pictures! 


LUNCHES
JUST INCASE YOU EVER 
THOUGHT FARM WIVES SAT AROUND 
ALL DAY!







DUSTIN SERVICING THE TRUCK



WORKING HARD? OR HARDLY WORKING?




WAVE UNPLUGGING THE HEADER: 
NOT A BAD PROBLEM TO HAVE
THIS YEAR! 



DAUGHTER SUMMER DRIVING BANK OUT



MAXX MAKING MRS. FIELDS COOKIES




JACK DOING HIS PART DRINKING
UDDERLY CHOCOLATE 
ROOT BEER FLOATS



MAXX AND JACK 
PIG WALKING 
PORKY AND BLU






Saturday, July 25, 2015

Tonight’s Menu: Someone Else is Cooking!



Dinner One: 
Vegetarian Pizza
A Glorious Gin and Tonic

Dinner 2: 
A Club Sandwich
Beer

For those of you who have been kind – and careful – enough to ask, harvest has started out pretty slow. The wheat wasn’t quite as ready as we would have liked it to be, so we had to wait a little longer than expected. The Boss wasn’t super keen on that, so I smiled and said, “Well, at least we are still early.” I got the feeling that that was the wrong answer. The yields are…well, I’m not even going to go there, except to say again, good luck to all of our neighbors and friends here on the Palouse. Good Luck!

However, as a result, last night we all went out to dinner. Oddly enough, we had dinner at separate places, but at least someone else was doing the cooking! As it turned out, on our only night not really working, Wave had family come into town, and I had a birthday party to attend for my grandmother’s 81st birthday! Therefore, Wave (he's Wave tonight and not The Boss) went one way (sadly) and I went the other.

Grandma’s birthday was held at a private dining room at The Chinook at the CDA Casino. We had a beautiful room back by the kitchen and our own patio complete with patio chairs and a gas-fed fire to relax around. It was a great night and wonderful to catch up with family and friends. All I can say about Grandma is that if looking and acting like her is what I have to look forward to in my 80’s, I’m not worried about getting older at all. She is one classy lady who has paved a good road for all of us. Love you Grandma!!!


DONNA SQUIBB'S 81st BIRTHDAY PARTY



Today, the weather has turned colder, but we are back at it…hopefully. Next week, looks like we will be back up into the triple digits again. The farmers will be happy about that, but us runners and bikers, not so much. Until then...

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Can You Break A Boob?


TONIGHTS MENU

BBQ and Frank’s Red Hot Chicken Thighs and Leg Quarters
Peppercini Potato Salad
Blackberry Oatmeal Cookie Topped Crumble


This morning I actually snuck in a 6-mile run. Can you believe it? I sure couldn’t! The rest of the day was spent as per my usual.  I cleaned, I cooked, and then I cleaned some more.

But, enough about that blah, blah, blah, the bigger question of the day is “Can you break a boob?” I’m sure I’m not to only one who has ever wondered, right?

Earlier today, I had sent Jack and his cousin, who has been staying with us, down to feed the pigs, and this afternoon I was worried because when I went down to the barn I couldn’t find the pigs. I thought: Oh great! Those young lads probably got to gabbing and locked the pigs in their pens to feed and forgot about them. Therefore, I walked into the barn and climbed up on the landing to look down into their pens, hoping against all hope that they weren’t lying there on the ground foaming at the mouth dehydrated and half dead. Sure enough, Blu and Porky were each in their pens.

Now, just to be fair, the boys didn’t lock them in. The doors were wide open, but the pigs weren’t really moving around like they normally do when I walk in (I usually have treats!); therefore, I saw a plastic storage bin sitting up against the fence to the pig pens and I decided to climb up onto it to double check.  

Now, do you know that moment that you have when somewhere in the back of your brain the smarter part of you says, “Hey, listen, I wouldn’t climb up there because those plastic Tupperware lids are not exactly made for holding a full person’s weight. Take 2 minutes and walk over and get a step stool.”

But, then there is that other side of you that says, “Ahh, don’t be such a ‘fraidy cat, just hop up there. You aren’t a heavy person, and it will only take 2 seconds, instead of 2 minutes, 2 peek over. Do you really want to waste your precious time taking the time to go and get something more sturdy? Come on girl…toughen up and do it!”

Well, I did it all right. I stepped one foot up on to that storage container (you see where this is going) and then another, and then I leaned ever-so-slightly forward, and just when I could see Blu looking back up at me with those happy pig eyes, I fell. WHAM!! and landed on the thick sturdy wooden fence hitting directly on the bottom of my…yep…my boob!

I hit so hard that Blu and Porky actually, finally, stood to their feet. there, I thought, I got them up, but then I realized that the hit actually knocked the wind out of me, and all I could think was: Didn’t I break a rib once before with the 4-H animals by listening to that exact same "toughen-up-and-do-it" voice in my head? You bet I did!

So, I saw The Boss pull up! YEEEAAA! Someone who will give me sympathy, so of course I walked over to him and had to ask: "Hey Babe? Can you break a Boob?" 

He just smiled at me, shook his head, and said, “Were you in with the animals again.”

As I grabbed my side and tried to take a deep breath, I acquiesced, “Well, yeah. So?”

"And didn't you break a rib with the animals once before?" 

I nodded. I had already thought that, but wasn't going to admit it fully. 

“Honey," he laughed. "Maybe you better take it easy for the day.”

To which I quickly responded, “The hell I will! I’m not letting those animals win. Not this year!” 

That was when my dear husband smiled at me and said, “I know. I know.”










What Is The Cookie Fixing Today?


7-21-2015

TACO TUESDAY!
Soft Shell Tacos (Meat and Beans)
Diced Canteloupe

Extra big batch cooking:
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Shelly’s No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies


When I first got married, my mom gave me a little 19th century handbook filled with all kinds of “grin and bear it” advise on how to be a good wife. She didn’t give it to me because she thought in any way that I would be a good Victorian-era wife – oh HELL NO sister! She gave it to me because she thought I was just the opposite (and most likely could use a little advise). Being a good daughter, and avid controversial reader, I read that book, front and back, and amazingly, after spitting wine through my nose at many a suggestion, I actually did apply a few of those little tidbits to my home life and marriage. (Granted I was divorced once, so hey, I guess there was a bit of a learning curve for me)

The first suggestion: Always have the house clean and tidy for your tired husband when he arrives home from his long day at the office. Ummm, yeah, okay, I do that, and frankly I do it damn well! However, when two farmers – my hubby and my son – come stomping in the door in their grease smeared boots and chaff-packed jean pockets and strip it all down in the bathroom – or better yet, they wash their hands in my clean sink – I must say that I have to question the sanity of suggestion #1. Which brings us right into suggestion #2.

The second suggestion: Never – no matter how busy of a day you have had cooking and cleaning, or how trying of a time you have had with the children, ever let on that you might have been doing anything in your day other than readying yourself for his arrival. Oh me oh my…me keep my mouth shut? Do ya know me?

According to the book – which had to be written by a man posing as a women - it is your job to provide a quiet, stress-free environment for him. Make sure to have his dinner ready, any messes that YOU, or YOUR children made, cleaned up, and of course, have a drink ready – in-hand –when he walks in the door. Remember, your problems can wait. They are minimal to the stress that he has had to endure during his long day in the office.

(And yes ladies… You may now take a moment now to wipe your own wine off of your computer screen.)

And, finally, and this is the one that sent me directly from my empty wine bottle right into his liquor cabinet for a straight shot of whisky: Always, always make sure that the kids are bathed, and in their clean clothes, sitting on the couch waiting patiently to greet Daddy the moment that he walks in the door. (My question on this: Is this before or after he slugs his burbon and water down his parched throat?) And then, after he is done saying “good evening” to the children, quietly, but effectively, shoo them up to bed so that your time and energy can now be focused on him. (Shoo them? I’m going to try that on all of my kids tonight. Go on now. Shoo.  I’ll report back on how that little gem worked out for me tomorrow!)

Oh yes, and lest us ladies forget, be sure to always, always light a scented candle to make him feel relaxed and at home. (This one I actually have done; and frankly this one does work magically!)

Oh my! Well, here is how my day went. First, I woke at 430 so that my friend Kris and I could sneak in our run. Before I left though, I made sure to have breakfast cooked for The Boss and our daughter who was heading off to work.

After our run, and a nice visit in the cool morning air, I came home to clean the kitchen up from breakfast, and begin to cook for the week. Today was a major cooking day as you can see from the list above. First I cooked 3 pounds of taco meat for dinner, (because I’ve agreed that Tuesday is and always will be in harvest Taco Tuesday!) and I diced up all of vegetables. Next, I cleaned said kitchen again and started in on making a monster batch of sausage gravy and homemade biscuits. I’m just hoping it last the week so I don’t have to make breakfasts “pre-run” anymore. After cleaning that up, Jack and I fed the pigs, I did some laundry, took Jack to the pool, and went to pick up the kiddos from work. When I came home, I started in making a huge (thank you Shelly!!!!) and I mean huge batch of No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal cookies. I think I ended up with like 5 dozen yummy little morsels and it took everything in my power not to shove an entire cookie tray full right in my maw. As it was I ate 3, but I did followed suggestion #2 and not share that weakness and guilt with my husband.

However, as I was cleaning up and putting dishes away again, my first thought was, “Damn, I would really like to pat a little flour on my face just like that lady in the Rice Krispies Treat commercial did so that everyone sees all that I have done today – after all, I already cleaned it all up!_ but these suckers don’t have any flour in them and, as the advise book stated anyway, this is not about my day, this is about his. But, I still thought about it anyway, and since the boss is still out this evening, I might just consider it before he gets home.

After all of that, and getting a glorious visit in with my grandparents whom I haven’t seen in way too long, I came home to help Jack with his first pig walk. Sorry to disappoint people, but Jack has really come a long way since last year. We – and for the most part he – actually walked those pigs almost all of the way out to the pond and back to their pen. It was super fun and relatively uneventful. It is sure quite a sight to see a young lad walking two pigs out in the grass.

Well, that is all for today. Pretty uneventful, and even if it was eventful, I already have my candle lit, the boss' sweats folded neatly on the counter in the bathroom so he doesn’t have to walk to his own closet to get them, the kitchen cleaned, and my smile plastered on my face. Who knew that I would ever turn out to be such a good Victorian Era wife?

Now, if you all only knew what that book said about sex! WoWzErS!

(Full disclosure here; my hubby had never, ever needed these tactics applied to him to make him happy. He is absolutely the best, sweetest guy around and a super unbelievable husband…but that being said we are only one day into harvest)

SHELLY'S NO BAKE COOKIES

JACK's FIRST PIG WALK WITH PORKY PIG



Monday, July 20, 2015

Harvest 2015: Here We Go Again!



Tonight’s Dinner:
Whole Wheat BLT’s and LT’s
Fresh diced veggies
Iced tea

This is Harvest 2015. This is one of the earliest that we have ever started harvest; one of the hottest, and I am doing this all without Mama Jan here to back me up on harvest cooking. It’s a true tragedy, and test of all that she had taught me in the past few years to attempt to do all of this without her.

Therefore, I decided to try…and I stress try…to find the time to blog about my feeble attempt at harvest cooking and my humorous attempt at raising pigs with my 4-H kiddos again this year, because if she can’t be here to listen to me cry, yell, laugh, and cuss as I walk into her -now my- clean kitchen with pig poo all over my legs, then by golly someone out there is going to have to hear it! (Thank goodness we DON’T have sheep this year.) 

Therefore, sadly… minus Mamma Jan…here is how day 1 has gone so far:

This morning, I actually did the harvest shopping by myself. WOOT WOOT! Score 1 for Amy!  That in itself should be enough to allow any farm wife a full day off – if not a complete vacation with a cabana boy to wait on her! The Boss doesn’t agree unless he gets a Cabana Girl but that not happening. Anyway…I digress…Holy WOW! I hate harvest shopping. But I did it! Store, by stinking store. Needless to say, I don’t need to lift weights tonight because my arm muscles are now rock solid!

After shopping, and picking up the “twins” from their rouging jobs, I came home to find the…oh I don’t know…100# pig scale sitting on my porch. So, oh hell yeah, who needs a penis for this, am I right ladies? Starting TODAY I am now a farm wife, so therefore, I hitched that heavy sucker up in my new super arms and hauled it all the way down to the barn to weigh the pigs. (Granted, I was a little ticked that I got my new shirt dirty, but I digress) Alas, day 1 of weighing porkers coincides with Day 1 of harvest so…here we go again…it’s like a repeat of last year; Jack’s pig is a monster at #230 and Maxx’s pig is #155. 

Thus, if you want to spit wine through your nose while your enjoying your evening libation, stick around for the next few weeks friends, because Jack and I are going to start pig-walking. I could take a picture of our view for ya’ll, but all that we get to see is Porky’s BIG bum walking up uphill and downhill and downhill and uphill. And then just to liven it all up… he poops…and we wait…and he walks and poops again. This is my life people! This is my now poop-filled life!

Next, after a long shower using a lot a lot a lot of the Boss’s Lava soap, Jack and I cleaned out the basement pantry, stocked her full, and then started cooking…which is where we get to the first problem of the season:

How does a wanna-be vegetarian survive harvest cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for a greasy mob full of hungry carnivores? 

Well, here is hoW I hope I can do it: Tonight’s dinner…which I am planning on sharing with ya’ every night…consists of Whole Wheat BLT’s - or LT’s for those who can’t eat the meat that comes from the animal that they just Lava’d the poo off of their legs – and fresh vegetables. Thus, while the bacon was sizzling on the griddle behind me, I filled containers with oodles of diced peppers of all colors, chunked cucumbers, sliced tomatoes and lettuce, and fresh broccoli. YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! Not only will that allow the boys something cool to add to their BLT’s, but it will also save me from eating every no-bake cookie that I plan on no-baking for lunches tomorrow. 

Until then…as I go find a place off-ground to dump this icky bacon grease, I want to sincerely wish good luck to all-ya-all on the Palouse. I hope it turns out better than any of us expect, and, if you have any easy healthy meal ideas that can please the meat-eaters and non-meat eaters on this farm, please share! and if you have any funny stories to share along the way, feel free to tag in here and I'll do what I can to get it on. After all, laughter is sometimes the only things that saves us ladies during harvest!